Passionate Pursuit, Part Two

By Gary Keith, Lead Pastor 

To read Part One, click here.

The mission statement of LBF is simple but profound. It is “to passionately pursue LIFE in Jesus and to lead our neighbors to do the same.” But what does it mean to live in a passionate pursuit of Jesus? Is it about Sunday church attendance? Is it about my life away from Sunday church? Is it about both? Is it about something totally different? Just what does a person who is passionately pursuing LIFE in Jesus look like?

These are important questions to look at and answer if we are going to live out this mission statement. Last month, in the February issue of The Scroll, I covered six items that can be considered important expressions of what it means to passionately pursue life in Jesus. (If you missed last month’s issue, visit lbfchurch.com > Resources > Resources to download it.) This month I want to share a few more.

A person who is passionately pursuing life in Jesus…

7. Is aware of a personal “call” for daily life. This person has learned that it’s not about me but about what has been entrusted to me and what can be offered to others. The person who is passionately pursuing life in Jesus knows that they have been given a mission. And this mission in life goes beyond what job a person has or what vocation provides for their needs. They see a high calling in that while they do the job God has given them, they know that their life is to reflect Jesus and they make decisions that are consistent with that life. They take this pursuit into every part of their life.

8. Is merciful and generous. The amazing Barnabas is our model. We first meet him as the church’s best example of generosity. We see him taking risks when he welcomes Saul of Tarsus to the circle of believers in Jerusalem. It’s Barnabas who observes a very young church trying out new styles of church life. And rather than stopping or hindering these new styles, he encourages and even applauds them.

Barnabas mentors Saul on their first missionary journey and yet he lets go of his leadership position when Paul is mature enough to find his own way. We also see Barnabas stand up for John Mark who needs another chance to rebound from an earlier failure. Yes, we can learn from Barnabas what it means to be generous and merciful and full of encouragement.

9. Appreciates that suffering is part of faithfulness to Jesus. “Consider it all joy when you suffer,” writes James. “He has given you the privilege to suffer for him,” writes Paul. I once read “Everything I know that’s important, I learned in suffering.” Suffering comes from many sources – including our own stupid mistakes. But whatever its source, the person who is passionately pursuing life in Jesus rarely complains, is not looking for pity, and does not become bitter at God. But rather, they listen, they trust, they offer their own experiences for the benefit of others. They know that Jesus suffered and that part of being a Christian means they are not surprised by personal suffering.

10. Is eager and ready to express the reasons for their faith. While not everyone has the spiritual gift of evangelism, everyone has the responsibility to evangelize. Not because they have to or because they are told to, but because they want to. They want others to experience what they have experienced. They don’t want anyone they know to miss out on knowing what they know about Jesus. The person that is passionately pursuing life in Jesus even prays for opportunities to arise in the most natural of ways so they can communicate their devotion to Jesus.

11. Overflows with thankfulness. Some of us (me, for example) needed to learn the value and importance of thankfulness. For many the default response is to simply receive – to take – as if we are entitled and deserve the generosity of others – including the generosity of God. But for the one who is passionately pursing life in Jesus, they walk through the day noticing things to be thankful for. And then they give an expression of thanks for whatever and to whomever is the source. And they reserve their most generous thankfulness to God for the grace given to them on a daily basis.

12. Has a passion for reconciliation. This might be the highest characteristic for those who pursue Jesus. They bring people together. They hate war, violence, and division caused by race or economics or ideology. They believe that being peaceable and making peace trumps all other efforts in one’s lifetime. They desire to express truthfully the claims of Jesus in a way that when conflict comes, it’s about Jesus and not them.

It is here that we see Jesus living in others. You see His eye on the one others have ignored. You see Him lifting the fallen. You see Him elevating the insignificant one. Jesus is an example to every exploitive and arrogant person and shows His followers the way to really care about people. Yes, people have this natural tendency to be something other than what Jesus models, but those who are pursuing Him seek out God’s power and become involved with reconciliation.


What now?

So take a look at the six items I mentioned last month and combine them with the six for this month and make some intentional movement to grow in those areas you have the hardest time with. Let’s be people who move towards this new expression of passionately pursuing life in Jesus not only as individuals, but in community. And may we grow in bearing a resemblance to Jesus and embrace real LIFE – the kind of life He offers.