Pastor Elwin Ahu
July 27, 2003 - W0330

Todayís keyword is ìinitiativeî, which probably brings back some negative flashbacks from your days in grade school. Remember receiving report cards stating that you were great in music and excellent in physical education, but needs to use more ìinitiativeî. That word can have negative connotations. Yet, if we understand itís true meaning, we can use something negative for something positive.

Hereís someoneís example of taking initiative in response to a job rejection letter: Dear So-n-So: Thank you for your letter from June 17^th, but after careful consideration, I regret to inform you that Iím unable to accept your refusal to offer me employment with your company.  This year I have been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusual amount of rejection letters, and with such a varying promising field of candidates, it is impossible for me to accept all refusals.  Despite your companyís outstanding qualifications and previous experience in rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection does not meet my needs at this time.  Therefore, I will initiate employment with your firm immediately.  I look forward to seeing you soon.

Jesus did the same thing with manís rejection of God by coming down to earth to restore a relationship with our heavenly Father. Jesus didnít have to come down to us, but He took the initiative to show us the way. ìEach of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.î (Phil. 2:4-7 NIV)

Jesus was ìin very natureî God. Jesus was God Himself. He had it made in Heaven, yet He made the first move because He couldnít stand to watch us suffer and perish. So, He came down and took the likeness of man. Then He became a servant to show us the abundant life God had in plan for us.

Now there are three types of people in this world. There are people who watch things happen, people who make things happen, and people who donít know what happened. Jesus wasnít one to just sit and say, ìWhat happened?î The Bible talks about people who passively watch life go by in the Book of Proverbs. Those people were called ìsluggardsî. That term was taken from a slimy animal that inches its way around on the ground in slow motion. Slugs also leave that trail of slime behind them. And their trail is never straightforward or in one direction. Rather, slugs meander around with no direction. In fact, they seem to live their lives without any purpose, intention, or destination.

Q1:      Of the three types of people mentioned, which one would describe you and why?

Donít be a sluggard or one who procrastinates and watches life go by. Otherwise, the Bible states that we will be impoverished financially, emotionally, and spiritually. We werenít created to be sluggards. God created us in His image and God is certainly not a sluggard. God created us to be wise in our lifestyles. Thus in order to take part in what Godís called us to do, we must first understand the definition of initiative. And that is:

?        Initiative: First step in the process that determines subsequent events.

Wise people understand that nothing else will happen in their lives unless they take that first step. Life is a process and things donít happen overnight. In fact, we need to grow from glory to glory. Life is a journey, but weíll never get to the next season of our lives if we donít take the first step. Therefore, when we understand the idea of initiative and apply it to our lives, we will uncover these next three points. The first is that itÖ

1.     REVEALS HOW VALUABLE WE ARE.

God created us to have value, potential, and gifts. There was an article in the paper of a collector who bought the original GI Joe doll. This doll was never used or taken out of itsí box. He tried selling this doll for $650,000, but no one put out a bid. The collector then lowered the price to $250,000, but still no bidders. The doll has no value because it hasnít been used for its intended purpose. Now, if you take that same doll and give it to a child whoís never had a toy, then that toy becomes priceless. Why? Itís because itís being used for its intended purpose. You see, we can attach value to something, but itís worthless if we donít use it for what it was meant for.

Like the GI Joe doll, our lives were bought for the price. However, we have our value built within us and have all the potential that God created us to be. We are shaped to be unique, but if we wonít understand our value until we are used for the purpose that we were created for. ìWhat good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?ÖSuppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him, ëGo, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed, ëbut does nothing about his physical needs what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.î (James 2:14-17 NIV)

Sure we can think that we are valuable because we believe in God, but the devil believes in God too. Does that make the devil valuable? How then are we different? Well, weíre not really valuable until we take that belief and faith and put it into action. Some of you may think that you donít have anything to offer, but everyone has something to give. Maybe youíve lost your sense of value because of a divorce, abuse, or addictions. Donít ever think that you are value-less because then you become vulnerable to the devil. The devil is like a prowling lion searching to devour us. He wonít come up to you with his business card and introduce himself. The devil is sneakier than that. Instead, he waits until weíre sick or stray we away from the pack when we are most vulnerable. Then he attacks like a lion. So if youíre feeling like youíve strayed, the best thing to do is to just come back to the family and your Father in the safety of your church. The church is where youíll find protection, strength, and value.

Q2:      Is there something holding you back from realizing your value in His kingdom? Explain.

I know there are people who think they donít have any gifts or talents to offer, but the Bible says to just use what you have. Pastor Wayne says, ìWhen we are faithful with what we do have, God will provide us with what we donít have with a miracle.î Someone else said, ìIf you give God the ordinary, let Him add the ìextraî to make it extraordinary.î 

God did that with the heroes in the Bible. He did the extraordinary with the stuttering Moses who led two million people out of Egypt. He did the same with a shepherd boy named David who became one of the greatest kings that the world has ever seen. And he also did the extraordinary with Jesus Christ, the son of a carpenter, who became the Messiah of the world.

Just use what you have. You donít have to be a star-studded Broadway artist to be used in ministry. Just take a look at our senior management team at New Hope. Tim Savage is our Director of Evangelism who takes care of all the multimedia, special events, and broadcast projects. God allowed him to use his knowledge of video production to serve in ministry.  Richard Waialeale was an insurance person, but he is now our administrator who oversees our finances and facilities. Mike Lwin was in the business sector with a MBA degree. Now leads the New Hope Leeward Campus with his business knowledge and his spirit.  For myself, I am being used to teach you about Godís truth and honesty and I used to be a lawyer. Go figure that one out!  God has also used Pastor Wayne, a simple guy from Palolo Valley, to build one of the fastest growing churches in America that touches millions of lives around the world.

The Bible says God will use the foolish things of the world to shame the wise and He will use the weak things in the world to shame the strong.  God will use anyone if weíre willing and faithful enough to offer up what we have, but we have to take the first step.  When we do take that step and we understand our valueÖ

2.      PROBLEMS BECOME OPPORTUNITIES.

We grow up with ìkingdom eyesî. Thatís when you look at problems as opportunities and not as problems. This is when we can spread the gospel and others can see Jesus through us. Itís developing eyes to see through Godís viewfinder. We become opportunists looking for ways in which we can use what we have to lead someone else to Godís very best for their lives.

In the Bible, Joshua was given the assignment, after Moses died. That was to lead the people to the Promised Land. His assignment was to cross the treacherous Jordan River with Godís children. God told Joshua to stand in the middle of the Jordan River and without a second thought he did it. That was because Joshua saw it as an opportunity and not a problem. It was the opportunity to show the people that God is God and that He could do and does the impossible.

ìSo it came about when the people set out from their tents to cross the JordanÖand the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the waterÖthat the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heapÖ[and] the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossedÖuntil all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.î (Josh. 3:14-17)

Joshuaís first step made the waters part. He could have stayed on the bank praying but nothing would have happened. Joshua knew of the opportunity waiting across the river, so he took the first step. The first step could be as simple as picking up a broom, greeting people outside the church, or passing out water. It doesnít have to be crossing a river.

Q3:      Think of three ways you could serve in ministry to help others and contribute to Godís big picture.

 ìTo those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance.  But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away.î (Matt. 25:29 NLT) 

So understanding the definition of initiative helps us take the first step. That leads us to realizing that we are valuable. Then we begin to see problems as opportunities instead of stumbling blocks. And the final point God will reveal to us when we take that first step is thatÖ

3.      WEíLL BEGIN TO LIVE THE LIFE ACCORDING TO HIS DESIGN.

We begin to live life by His design or plan for us. Godís big picture for us is that we live an abundant life. Sometimes we misconstrue what ìabundanceî means. We think that it means to receive, collect, or hold on to. We just want God to always bless us. However, what we must understand is that the abundant life isnít about receiving and holding. Instead it is about receiving and giving it away to others. Thereís nothing wrong with being prosperous, but we must share our happy prosperity by using it in such a way to change otherís lives for the better.

ìGod has given each of you special abilities.  Be sure to us them to help each other, passing on to others Godís many kinds of blessings.î (1 Peter 4:10 LB)

Thatís how God designed us to be to complete the whole picture. Itís like the process of cooking.  A good cook can envision what the dish will look and taste like when itís complete. He can see how each ingredient adds to the complete flavor of the dish at the end. And God is the great cook with an awesome recipe. However, He needs our different flavors to complete the dish so that others will know how great a cook He is.

When we take the initiative by taking the first step and we see problems as opportunities, we allow ourselves to serve others and Jesus Christ Himself. Then others will see Jesus through our lives. Therefore, I encourage you to get involved in serving Him and find out how valuable you are. We are all part of the body of Christ and there is a place for every person. Sometimes, you and I will be the only Jesus that people see when we take that first step.  And Jesus will notice our actions and save a special place for us. 

Q4:      Find out how you could serve in your church or community by contacting different ministries or organizations and see the difference you can make in otherís lives.

Say mahalo to our faithful volunteer writer, Christy Itamoto for this week's summary. Well done!  We also bid a fond aloha to her as she begins school later next month. Though we will miss her as a part of our team, we joyfully release her to realize God's best for her life.  Thank you from all of us in the Sermon Notes Ministry.