Lovers Always Get More Done Than Doers
(6 minutes)
"Lovers always get more done than doers. I want to add something to that statement: Fascination will always take you places determination never will. The question today is: are we fascinated with Him?" (Pastor Tim)
Pastor Tim compared the lives of two men on Sunday: John the Beloved and Peter. John the Beloved being a picture of fascination. And Peter being a picture of determination. When Jesus reveals that there is a betrayer in the group, the response of these two is so different.
Then Jesus was moved deeply in his spirit. Looking at his disciples, the announced, "I tell you the truth--one of you is about to betray me." Eyeing each other, his disciples puzzled over which one of them could do such a thing. The disciple that Jesus dearly loved [John the Beloved] was at the right of him at the table and was leaning his head on Jesus. Peter gestured to this disciple to ask Jesus who it was he was referring to. Then the dearly loved disciple leaned into Jesus' chest and whispered, "Master, who is it?" (John 13:21-25)
Do you see the difference? Peter, secretly wondering who the betrayer was and probably questioning whether it was him or not, looks over to John the Beloved to get the answer. Why didn't Peter ask Jesus himself? Because fascination will always take you places determination never will. Peter was determined to follow Jesus, but John was deeply fascinated with Him and stayed incredibly close to His heart. John's posture at this supper says everything. Even before this talk about a betrayer was mentioned, John was already leaning his head on Jesus.
"Even in this moment, after three and half years, you've got a determined Peter who knows that the fascinated John can get an answer that determination can not get. Determination, in my opinion, will fail when fascination never does. This is why it's important that you cultivate fascination with the King, not determination. Determination can be a good thing, but if that's all that you're working on, everyone gets tired, everyone gets sleepy, everyone gets worn out. But someone who's in love can also be at rest. Determination will slap wear you out. Determination will tell you what you're doing is never good enough. Fascination comes along and says, 'You are good enough.'" (Pastor Tim)
Are we cultivating fascination with the King or are we just trying harder and harder to please Him? Have we cultivated enough fascination with Jesus to get answers for ourselves, or are we still sitting in determination relying on others to get answers for us? Do we feel rested or do we feel worn out? These are things we can look at to see if we're cultivating fascination or determination in our relationship with Yahweh. But we must realize that these are two totally different ways of relating to Jesus, and they carry two totally different standards.
"The standards set in Christianity are not the standards in a love affair...there must be an indicator between fascination and determination, lover and doer. There must be something different between Christianity and a lover of Yahweh. You put the two together at the start of the race, they may look similar. But check on them down the road. You know it and I know it, because we get wore out, we get tired, we start to wane in our affection for Him, we start to wane in the love affair when it's about determination, when it's about rule and regulations, what I have and have not done." (Pastor Tim)
Where do you find yourself today?
Do you relate more with John the Beloved or Peter the Determined?
Yahweh is inviting you into a life of fascination. He's inviting you to stop rowing and put down your ores, so you can learn to enjoy this love affair between you and Him. He wants everything you do to flow from a place of love and fascination. Stop running around doing things that Abba never asked you to do and come lay your head on the chest of Jesus. You have to get this close to hear His heart.
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Worship: "Open Space" by Housefires
Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place
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