Identity Lost

James 1:22-25 9(NIV) Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed what he does.

When we fail to practice the Word of God we lose our identity and the reason for living. Fulfilling Scripture with action gives us freedom to become what God intended us to be.

Intentionally acting on God's Word gives us...

1. Purpose

God has created every one of us with a purpose in mind, but the decision to recognize this purpose is the individual's alone.

Arrow Minus Target

A. God has a specific purpose for each Christian
Jeremiah 29:11
Ephesians 4:11

B. God has a shared purpose for each Christian
Matthew 28:18-20

a. The shared purpose for each Christian is evangelism.
Evangelism = caring enough to direct people to a relationship with God.

b.For us to find our identity once more we must grow out of our comfort zone and express God's love to the world.

Lets take a look...

Which verb do we normally place the emphasis on? Go? The key to evangelism is not on the going but in the making disciples. The way we should approach evangelism is am "as we are going process". Evangelism is not an event buut a lifestyle we grow into.

2. Plan

God has a method for us to attain both our specific and shared purposes.
Question: Why do we plan everything we consider important in life and not evangelism?

The fact - People do not plan to fail, they fail to plan.
The bare truth: As Christians we are supposed to believe in all the disciplines of the Bible. But the truth is we really only believe the ones we practice. We only believe the disciplines of the Bible we practice. We only practice the disciplines we plan.

So lets develop a plan: Evangelism Plan

A. Receive Power - Acts 1:8
B. Talk - Acts 2:14
C. Train Disciples - 2 Tim 2:2
D. Create a Personal Plan - Provs 14:22

Proverbs 14:22 Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.

"Find love and faithfulness" - Two implications
1. Receive support and care of faithful friends
2. Receive God's support and care

Two different approaches to evangelism

1. Low risk - Low opportunity
2. High risk - High Opportunity

Questions for developing a personal plan:
1. Who are the people in your life right now that you could share Christ with?
2. What are you saying to people in life everyday?
3. How many people do you want to personally invite to chutch in a month/year?
4. How many people do you want to personally lead to Christ in a month/year?
5. What are you willing to do to build new/more relationships?
6. Are you praying for God to use you to reach people?

* Examine your planner and your checkbook; that will tell you where you heart is and what priority evangelism takes in your life.

3. Partnership

God does not leave us hanging.
1 Corinthians 3:9 (NIV) For we are God's fellow workers (co-laborers)

A. When we claim our identity by acting on scripture we realize it as God's fellow workers.
B. As God's followers we are given the joyous freedom to be what we are created to be.
C. Every step taken is attentively watched and assisted by God.

Matthew 28:20

The only way to bulid a partnership with God is to act upon His word.

Matthew 9:37 Then he said to the disciples, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

Today you are either the worker, or the harvest.