ON T HE CAL L T O HOL I NE SS I N T ODAY S WORL D GAUDE - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

ON T HE CAL L T O HOL I NE SS I N T ODAY’ S WORL D GAUDE T E E T E XSUL T AT E – SE RVANT L E ADE RSHIP CAL L T O ACT ION

I ntro duc tio n Unive rsa l c a ll to ho line ss  L o rd c a lls; c a ll to se rva nt le a de rship I n the lig ht o f the ma ste r  Go ing a g a inst the flo w T he g re a t c rite rio n  F ide lity to the Ma ste r  T we nty-F ifth c ha pte r o f Ma tthe w’ s Go spe l (vv. 31-46) Sig n o f ho line ss in to da y’ s wo rld  Pe rse ve ra nc e , Pa tie nc e , & We a kne ss  Jo y a nd a se nse o f humo r  Bo ldne ss & Pa ssio n  I n c o mmunity  I n c o nsta nt pra ye r

I ntro duc tio n (Co nt.) Spiritua l c o mb a t; vig ila nc e ; a nd disc e rnme nt  Co mb a t & Vig ila nc e  Disc e rnme nt Ste ps to b e c o ming a g re a t spiritua l le a de r  Re disc o ve ring g re a t le a de rship  10 Pe rso na l re fle c tio ns

Unive rsa l Ca ll to Ho line ss  Yo ur missio n in Christ  “T he F a the r’ s pla n is Christ, a nd o urse lve s in him. I n the e nd, it is Christ who lo ve s in us, fo r ‘ ho line ss is no thing o the r tha n c ha rity live d in the full ‘ ” (p. 5, pa r. 21)  Mo re a live , mo re huma n  “Do no t b e a fra id to se t yo ur sig hts hig he r, to a llo w yo urse lf to b e lib e ra te d b y Go d. Do no t b e a fra id to le t yo urse lf b e g uide d b y the Ho ly Spirit. Ho line ss do e s no t ma ke yo u le ss huma n, sinc e it is a n e nc o unte r b e twe e n yo ur we a kne ss a nd the po we r o f Go d’ s g ra c e .” (p. 8, pa r. 34).

I n the L ig ht o f the Ma ste r  “Je sus e xpla ine d with g re a t simplic ity wha t it me a ns to b e ho ly whe n he g a ve us the Be a titude s.” (c f. Mt 5:13-12; L k 6:20-23) (p. 14, pa r. 63)  “Be a titude s a re in no wa y trite o r unde ma nding , q uite the o ppo site . We c a n o nly pra c tic e the m if the Ho ly Spirit fills us with his po we r a nd fre e s us fro m we a kne ss, o ur se lfishne ss, o ur c o mpla c e nc y a nd o ur pride .” (p14, pa r.65).  “Ble sse d a re the po o r in spirit, fo r the irs is the king do m o f he a ve n.” (p. 14, pa r. 66)

Sig ns o f Ho line ss Pe r se ve r anc e , Patie nc e , & We akne ss  “Within the fra me wo rk o f ho line ss o ffe re d b y the Be a titude s a nd Ma tthe w 25:31-46, I wo uld like to me ntio n a fe w sig ns o f spiritua l a ttitude s tha t, in my o pinio n a re ne c e ssa ry if we a re to unde rsta nd the wa y o f life to whic h the L o rd c a lls us.” (p. 23, pa r. 110) Joy and a se nse of humor  “T he Christia n life is ‘ “jo y in the Ho ly Spirit” (Ro m 14:17), fo r the ne c e ssa ry re sult o f the lo ve o f c ha rity is jo y; sinc e e ve ry lo ve r re jo ic e s a t b e ing unite d to the b e lo ve d … the e ffe c t o f c ha rity is jo y.’ ” (p.26 pa r. 122)  “Christia n jo y is usua lly a c c o mpa nie d b y a se nse o f humo r.” (p. 27, pa r. 126)

Sig ns o f Ho line ss (Co nt.) Joy and se nse of humor (Cont.)  “He re I a m spe a king o f a jo y live d in c o mmunio n, whic h sha re s a nd is sha re d, sinc e ‘ “the re is mo re ha ppine ss in g iving tha n in re c e iving ” (Ac ts 20:35) a nd “Go d lo ve s a c he e rful g ive r”’ (2 Co r 9:7) (p. 27, pa r. 128) Boldne ss and Passion  “Ho line ss is a lso parrthe sia; it is b o ldne ss, a n impulse to e va ng e lize a nd to le a ve a ma rk in this wo rld. T o a llo w us to do this, Je sus himse lf c o me s a nd te lls us o nc e mo re , se re ne ly, ye t firmly: “Do no t b e a fra id” ( MK 6:50)(p. 27, pa r. 129)  “Bo ldne ss a nd a po sto lic c o ura g e a re a n e sse ntia l pa rt o f missio n.” (p. 28, pa r. 121)  “We ne e d the Spirit's pro mpting , le st we b e pa ra lyze d b y fe a r a nd e xc e ssive c a utio n, le st we g ro w use d to ke e ping within sa fe b o unds.” (p. 28, pa r. 133)

Sig ns o f Ho line ss (Co nt.) In Community  “Gro wth in ho line ss is a jo urne y in c o mmunity, side b y side with o the rs.” (p. 29, pa r. 141)  “Our pa th to ho line ss c a n o nly ma ke us ide ntify a ll the mo re with Je sus’ pra ye r” “tha t a ll ma y b e o ne ; e ve n a s yo u F a the r, a re in me , a nd I in yo u” (Jn17:21)(p. 31, pa r. 146) In Constant Pr aye r  “F ina lly, tho ug h it ma y se e m o b vio us, we sho uld re me mb e r tha t ho line ss c o nsists in a ha b itua l ho line ss to the tra nsc e nde nt, e xpre sse d in pra ye r a nd a do ra tio n.” (p. 41, pa r. 147)  “So le t me a sk yo u: Are the re mo me nts whe n yo u pla c e yo urse lf q uie tly in the L o rd’ s pre se nc e , whe n yo u c a lmly spe nd time with him, whe n yo u b a sk in his g a ze ? Do yo u le t his fire infla me yo ur he a rt? Unle ss yo u le t him wa rm yo u mo re a nd mo re with his lo ve a nd te nde rne ss yo u will no t c a tc h fire .” (p. 41, Pa r. 151)

Spiritua l Co mb a t; Vig ila nc e ; & Disc e rnme nt Combat & Vigilanc e  “T he Christia n life is a c o nsta nt b a ttle . We ne e d stre ng th a nd c o ura g e to withsta nd the te mpta tio ns o f the de vil a nd to pro c la im the Go spe l. T his b a ttle is swe e t, fo r it a llo ws us to re jo ic e e a c h time the L o rd triumphs in o ur live s.” (p. 33, pa r. 158)  “Alo ng this jo urne y, the c ultiva tio n o f a ll tha t is g o o d, pro g re ss in the spiritua l life a nd g ro wth in lo ve a re the b e st c o unte rb a la nc e to e vil.” (p. 34. pa r. 163).  “T he pa th o f ho line ss is a so urc e s o f pe a c e a nd jo y, g ive n to us b y the Spirit. At the sa me time it de ma nds tha t we ke e p “o ur la mps lit” a nd b e a tte ntive .” (L k 12:35) (p. 34, Pa r. 163).

T he Gre a t Crite rio n In F ide lity to the maste r  “I n the twe nty-fifth c ha pte r o f Ma tthe w’ s Go spe l (vv. 31-46), Je sus e xpa nds o n the Be a titude tha t c a lls the me rc iful b le sse d. I f we se e k the ho line ss ple a sing to Go d’ s e ye s, this te xt o ffe rs us o ne c le a r c rite rio n o n whic h we will b e judg e d. “I wa s hung ry a nd yo u g a ve me fo o d, I wa s thirsty a nd yo u g a ve me drink, I wa s a stra ng e r a nd yo u we lc o me d me , I wa s na ke d a nd yo u c lo the d me , I wa s sic k a nd yo u to o k c a re o f me , I wa s in priso n a nd yo u visite d me . (vv. 35-36).” (P. 20, pa r. 95)  “T he te xt o f Ma tthe w 25:35-36 is “no t a simple invita tio n to c ha rity: it is a pa g e o f Christo lo g y whic h she ds a ra y o f lig ht o n the myste ry lf Christ.” I n his c a ll to re c o g nize him in the po o r a nd the suffe ring , we se e re ve a le d the ve ry he a rt o f Christ, his de e pe st fe e ling s a nd c ho ic e s, whic h e ve ry sa int se e ks to imita te . Our L o rd ma de it ve ry c le a r tha t the ho line ss c a nno t b e unde rsto o d o r live d a pa rt fro m the se de ma nds, fo r me rc y is “the b e a ting he a rt o f the Go spe l.” (P. 20, pa r. 96 & 97).

Spiritua l Co mb a t; Vig ila nc e ; & Disc e rnme nt (Co nt.) Disc e rnme nt  “Ho w c a n we kno w if so me thing c o me s fro m the Ho ly Spirit if it ste ms fro m the spirit o f the wo rld o r the spirit o f the de vil. T he o nly wa y is thro ug h disc e rnme nt, whic h c a lls fo r so me thing mo re tha n inte llig e nc e o r c o mmo n se nse . I t is a g ift we must implo re .” (p. 35, pa r. 166)  “We must re me mb e r tha t pra ye rful disc e rnme nt must b e b o rn o f a re a dine ss to liste n: to the lo rd a nd o the rs, a nd to re a lity itse lf, whic h a lwa ys c ha lle ng e s us in ne w wa ys. Only if we a re pre pa re s to liste n, do we ha ve the fre e do m to se t a side o ur o wn pa rtia l o r insuffic ie nt ide a s, o ur usua l ha b its, a nd wa ys o f se e ing thing s. I n this wa y we b e c o me truly o pe n to a c c e pting a c a ll tha t c a n sha tte r o ur se c urity, b ut le a d us to a b e tte r life .” (p. 36, pa r. 172).

Ste ps to Be c o ming a Gre a t Spiritua l L e a de r Re disc ove r Gre at L e ade rship* T hink a b o ut le a de rs & le a de rship in a ne w wa y 1. De sire to b e c o me a g re a t le a de r 2. Co nfro nt the fa ilure s o f le a de rship 3. Appre c ia te the c ha lle ng e o f g re a tne ss 4. F o c us o n who yo u a re a s a le a de r 5. I nte g ra te le a de rship a nd spiritua lity 6. L e t yo ur style o f le a de rship g ive the wo rld so me thing to think a b o ut 7. T a ke c o ura g e in yo ur pursuit o f spiritua l le a de rship 8. Be c o me pa rt o f a ne w g e ne ra tio n o f le a de rs 9. E mpha size the Christia n dime nsio n o f yo ur le a de rship 10. * S piritual L e ade rship – Ho w to be c o me a Gre at S piritual L e ade r, L e o na rd Do o ha n, ACT A Pub lic a tio ns, 2014