Celebration 2018 Update
Put Your Hope in God…
Free Indeed!
In John 8:31-32 and verse 36, Jesus says, “if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. So if the Son sets you free you will be free indeed.”
You could memorize all the verses about your true identity in Christ… but if you hold unforgiveness in your heart toward that critical, fault-finding, unaccepting person, there will be an invisible chain connecting you to their opinion and you won’t be free.
Breaking Chains…
But when you forgive, the chain is broken. And you’re free to go vertical and allow God to have the last say about your true identity as a son or daughter of the King.
But what does it take to see this realized, experienced and appropriated in our lives?
Would you consider an “audience of one” perspective…
Who is Your “Audience of One”?
In your life, who are you “playing” to? When you “take the stage” in your relationships, workplace or any other setting, where is your focus? Who is your audience?
In other words, whose approval are you seeking? Whose opinion matters most to you? Whose standard are you seeking to achieve or live up to?
Imagine that you are in front of an enormous audience, in a huge stadium. In fact, the stadium is so large that there is seating for the entire population of the world – and every seat is filled. As your life is lived and “played out” on the field, do you think it is possible to please and live up to the expectations of every person in the stands? Or perhaps, to please just a select few and to try to keep them “happy” and satisfied?
When Jesus came to planet earth, He did so with submission and humility. He came to do the will of His Father, and sought only to please Him. (Philippians 2:5-9)
He knew that focusing on His Heavenly Father would be the only way to successfully navigate His mission on planet earth. When the entire audience of the world rejected Him, He looked into the stands and saw only ONE SEAT OCCUPIED – by His Father.
He played to an “audience of one”.
And this very same perspective is what He invites us to consider and embrace: To make Him the reason for what we do – or don’t do. To realize that only Jesus satisfies – and that if He isn’t enough, no one and nothing will ever be “enough”.
And this is the path to true sonship, daughterhood and living a love-motivated forgiven, forgiving and free life! A life that is focused on pleasing our Heavenly Father out of a heart of love and gratitude. A life that when lived for Him, blesses and benefits others.
The ministry of Jesus was not ultimately focused on serving, healing and preaching to people – He was focused on obeying and loving His Heavenly Father, and the many people that He served were the “beneficiaries” of His focus on His Father.
He lived to an “audience of one”.
How about you? Are you living to an audience of many, or a few?
Are you ready to embrace your true identity as you live increasingly to an “audience of one”?
You can, and it all starts with your heart.
And remember, “it’s NEVER too late, for a FRESH START!”