IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU…

I am grateful to God and honored to be connected to Mavuno Church at such a historic Season of Transition for the church – it really is an exciting time and I am so confident that Mavuno is more than equal to the task of successfully completing this transition. For a lot of churches this scenario is a shock to the system and some find it hard to adjust and they fail to respond as you have IN FAITH. This is not a time to fret; it’s a time to BELIEVE GOD.

It’s also a Time (as we have seen all month long) for Heroes to stand up and be counted. This is the time for the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit isn’t just orchestrating this move to Mlolongo, He is also empowering the move as He speaks to every heart in Mavuno – and I mean every heart from the adults (and veterans of the church) to the teens to the Greenhouse kids – EVERYONE is getting ready and everyone can hear God speak to them.

I hope you really get this Mavuno – you are on the threshold of a great Vision being fulfilled in real time before the eyes of the world – one day you’ll look back at all God has done through you and say was that little old US!

READ 1 Chronicles 12:1 – 2, 8 – 15, 38

Let me provide a context for us tonight/today, David and his men have been on the run from Saul for years – David had been anointed king of Israel many years before, but the jealousy and determination of Saul to destroy him and prevent him from ever becoming King, sent David into the wilderness in order to save his own life, and still Saul pursued him. Soon a rag tag army of men on the run just like David began to join the ranks; sounds like the unlikely heroes and saints God keeps bringing to Mavuno Church. After a while, just being with David and fighting for David had turned these ordinary men into mighty men of war.

In 1 Samuel 22:1, 2 we learn that the men who came to join David’s army were in distress, they were in debt and they were discontented; you weren’t much either when you got saved or when you first came to Mavuno Church – but just being with Jesus and following/serving Jesus has made a transformation in your life. Your friends used to call you something else (Play-a, Divorcee, Baby-mama), but now they have to call you, Pastor, Life Group Leader, Mizizi Coach, and a host of other titles – now they have to call you a Fearless Influencer.

These exceptional servants of king David have FIVE important lessons to pass on to us today as we prepare to move into the next phase of Mavuno’s ministry and beyond.

The first lesson we learn from this group of transformed men is their readiness, they were fit for battle they were ready to SERVE. If Mavuno 3.0 is about anything, it’s about getting you ready to serve God and to serve others – ON A LEVEL NOT SEEN BEFORE; I must commend you, Mavuno, for the amazing level of dedication to ministry and service that I have personally witnessed in the past three months with you. I am so impressed by the level of commitment to the great vision God gave you and the confidence you display in all your responsibilities, whether it’s Life Group Coaches and Leaders, Greenhouse Pastors, Mizizi Group Leaders, Associates in the Service Department, these fantastic Musicians and Worship Team, the super-charged Teenz Connect Ministry – everywhere I’ve looked and everyone I’ve met in ministry is working and ready to work some more! It’s almost as if there is an unwritten rule “don’t sign up for Mavuno 3.0” if you’re not ready to work, don’t sign up for Mavuno 3.0 if you’re not ready to serve. Be prepared to serve not just through this move, but across borders, across cultures, across socio-economic/global platforms… there is work to be done and we need workers,there is a battle to fight and we need warriors.

Are you ready to serve not just lead, are you ready to work not just look good, are you ready to work while it’s still day because the harvest is plentiful – it’s the workers that are few! [Matthew 9:37]

It excites me that the Bible records the names of these men, this motley crew transformed into mighty warriors; because the battles, the work couldn’t be done by David alone, the story of his success was their success, this 12th chapter of first Chronicles is as much their story as it is David’s. Mavuno’s success is as much your story as it is Pastor M’s or Pastor Linda’s or Pastor Mwaniki’s or Pastor Simon’s. This is your work, this is your story – and the story isn’t finished until your chapter is written, it’s not over until your name is added to the roll!

It’s not over until all your stories (every narrative) becomes HIStory!

Secondly, these men were skilled and gifted, able to sling a stone or shoot an arrow with their right hand or their left. These brothers were bad!

Some of us can hardly do anything with one hand OR we are so used to working with ONE hand that we get into a routine and ministry/life to us is just more of the same old, same old.

We’re used to one thing and one way to do it – I feel the Holy Spirit is saying we are going to have to be way more creative and way more capable in Mavuno 3.0 – what happens next is going to take all your skill, it’s going to require all your experience and MORE – so get ready to learn and DO something new.

I really believe the Holy Spirit is saying to us learn something new as you move into Mavuno 3.0, teach your left hand to do what your right hand has done for years – prepare to do something phenomenal in ministry, prepare for something entirely NEW – you didn’t come this far in ministry to do things the same old way all over again. It’s a new day in Africa and you need to be ready to work “both hands”.

Third we read in verse 8, that the Gadites, who joined David, were incredibly skilled for war, the Bible describes them as having faces like the face of a lion, they were fierce and powerful and most importantly whenever you dealt with them you knew they meant business – these men didn’t play, to them war or ministry was serious business. A deeper meaning of this phrase has to do with ‘presence’!

The Gadites had “presence”; to be among them was to sense you were in the “presence” of lions; you were in the “presence” of regal greatness. Have you ever felt like that, you meet some people and there is a “greatness” about them – they may have had very humble beginnings, but can’t put your finger on it there’s a ‘power’ there you have to respect. I pray that for every Mavunite, that to be in your presence is to be in the presence of lions, to be in your presence is to be in the presence of regal greatness.

These men (these Gadites) were also described as “swift” which in the Hebrew means more than just quick, the phrase ‘swift as a gazelle on the mountain’ was a common proverb of the times; used to say that ‘watching these men fight and serve was a thing of beauty’ because everything they did flowed and moved naturally. These guys demonstrated the most amazing Hollywood special effects before there was a Hollywood! In other words exhibit real excellence in your service to God and your ministry to His people; show some finesse, show some class, not in a prideful way but because you are gifted by God and you’re good at what you do.

Mavuno may your reputation for excellence precede you, may it influence every sphere of culture you impact and may it be the signature of your SERVICE to God! Don’t settle for ‘best practice’, be the gold standard that ministry across Africa looks to; you can say in all humility “I know that I’m good at what I do and I’m good at what I do for God and by His Grace!

The scripture records in verse 14, the least (the weakest one) of the Gadites would lead 100 men and greatest (the strongest one) would lead 1,000. Brethren every one of us must learn to lead, we must be ready to step up to the plate and not just sit around waiting for the ‘leaders’ to show up, sometimes the situation will require the unique leadership you bring to the table (whether in ministry, in business, or in politics) to take the reins and call the shots – be prepared to lead and show yourself responsible to carry the burden when the situation requires it.

Fourthly we learn in verse 15, that they crossed the Jordan River in the Spring, at the height of the flood season when the banks overflowed, the current was fast and crossing was difficult if not dangerous. In other words they were not afraid to do something difficult, they didn’t back down to tough opposition, they decided that they were bigger than their opposition, they decided that what was on the other side of the river was more important than where they were, because it was not about them, tell your neighbor “it’s not about you”. Get to the other side!

When are you going to make up your mind that it’s OK to get your feet wet for a while, because you have to cross this river, because you have to get over to the other side no matter how high the flood is, no matter how great the opposition, “it’s not about you”.

Fifthly we see the Gadites and all the people from all over Israel came to David at the stronghold at Ziklag with all their skills and with all their experience, not to get a position, not to prove who’s better, faster or stronger, not to show off and compete with each other, not even to get into a fight; they came to Ziklag with one mind; to make David king of all Israel.

The mission was bigger than the 300,000 men of war that made up David’s army. The fact is you and I have a bigger mission than just getting across this river,

you and I have a bigger mission than just moving to Mlolongo,

you and I have a bigger mission than Mavuno 3.0,

you and I have a bigger mission than our titles suggest, “it’s not about me, and it’s not about you”!

It’s about presenting King Jesus to the world, to the weary, to the lost, to the distressed and discontented. It’s about understanding that every ministry opportunity is an opportunity to present His influence to the space we find ourselves in – (like we said before is NOT about you) – it’s about glorifying Jesus Christ as Lord of Lords and King of Kings to the glory of God the Father.

It’s about letting Jesus Christ be King in your life and in the life of every person your ministry touches. Every time you serve, every time you sing, every time you teach a Greenhouse class or conduct a Mizizi season – you should be saying “let me introduce you to the King”, let Him take control of a little bit more of your life. Every time you close a business deal, every time you start a Corporate Mizizi class – you’re really saying “let me introduce you to the King”.

Let Jesus Christ take over because it’s not about you – IT’S ALL ABOUT THE KING!!!

Mavuno 3.0 is God’s agenda – it is based fully and firmly on His Word to His people and you will do well to make it your agenda too, because everything you want for yourself and your family depends on Jesus Christ being King and Lord over all. The transformation of nations and economies depends on Jesus Christ being King and Lord over all.

In light of this reminder Mavuno don’t look down on anyone you minister to or sit next to in service, they just might be a leader in your ministry next year…they just might be the next pastor of Mavuno Seychelles or Mavuno New York; yes they may look messed up now, maybe they can’t shoot straight or stand in line long enough. Just let them hang around Jesus long enough and a change will come over them just like His gracious transformation came over you!

But this is not the end of the story of these mighty heroes in 1 Chronicles 12; there is a final lesson to take with you into Mavuno 3.0, verse 38 said this great army, this great host of soldiers could KEEP RANK, in other words they were disciplined and kept order, everyone in his place and ready to take orders from the King, everyone was ready for battle, ready for work and ready for ministry.

The verse also records that they had come to David with A PERFECT/LOYAL HEART – they displayed full commitment and undivided loyalty to the King Like David’s army, make up your mind to serve the King,

Direct all your energy, direct your gift and direct your experience to the King Direct everyone you meet to the King Direct all your praise to the King!

Because it’s not about you, it’s always, only, ALL about HIM!

So Mavuno, I commend you to our King, to His eternal cause and to His infinite love, because I know that in you He has found faithful, gifted and thankful co-laborers ready to deliver not just this nation but all nations and all cultures to His everlasting Kingdom.

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[youtube http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08Slcl4-niM]

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