You Have Got A Mission To Fulfil

31-01-2016 FOURTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR (C)

SCRIPTURE READING:
Jer. 1: 4-5. 17-19
Ps. 71:1-2.3-4a.5-6ab.15ab.17 (R. 15ab).
1 Cor. 12:31-13:13; Accl; Lk 4:18
Luke 4:21-30

Preamble:
Dear friends please repeat these words after me;
Stay with me Lord Jesus, as I give you my mind, may your word never depart from me.
Stay with me Lord Jesus, as I give you my ears, help me listen and obey your voice.
Stay with me Lord Jesus, as I give you my heart, help me welcome you always.
Holy Spirit, rekindle in me the fire of your love. Amen.

Theme: YOU HAVE GOT A MISSION TO FULFILL
Beloved in Christ so often than not, we have emphasized this very fact that you have got a mission to fulfill in life because you were not created to live an ordinary life but an extraordinary life. You were created for something special. You were created for something important. Created to bring about not just a change but a significant change wherever your presence is doted-your home, family, school, work, office, business and the likes.
Beloved in Christ, we may ask how do I know that I have a mission to fulfill and in this world of ours filled with so much uneasiness and troubles can I actually make an impact? What is there for me to do? Who will hear me out? Who will work with me? Would people believe that I have got something to offer which they don’t have or Won’t I be bashed and smashed on the floor rather than we complement each other because my talent and purpose in life is actually taking me high and would be of great help to others? What if someone out there is always ready to frustrate me what will I do or how will I overcome it? What actually creates the effectiveness necessary for converting talent into results?
Beloved, there is a place for you in this world and the effectiveness we are talking about comes from the choices you make on a daily basis. William Jennings Bryan said that “Destiny is not just a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it’s not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved” Note-hard work is the key. Hard work we are talking about is not just working to be successful in life but working real hard on yourself to be better with each passing day. That you are not satisfied with “it’s ok” but you want to hear “Good” all the time-it’s a spirit of excellence that must possess you always to achieve great things and help you break barriers and live victoriously all the time. It requires hard work on yourself-changing your attitude for the better.
In his book “attitude is everything” Keith Harrel says, Attitude is the foundation and support of everything we do, a key element in the process of controlling your destiny and achieving mastery in your personal and professional life.
If you want to ever succeed, you need to work harder on yourself than you do on your job. Self discipline is the key word that is if you want to move up the ladder, don’t just work harder though you should do that-but work on yourself so that as a person becomes better and of more value to the company, school, church, business environment men and women will most definitely acknowledge that growth.
As you get better, those who can promote you will see that you have outgrown your current position and need to move you higher! You don’t need to settle for less because of your situation and move with people who won’t help you achieve anything but only help in wasting your precious time on things of no importance. By this I mean on comments and ways of life that won’t be beneficial to you. You need to lift yourself from that group or association and situate yourself in the city of men with positive attitude, mindset, life style that would help sharpen and shapen your world, life, work, talent, business and spiritual life.
One of the fundamental things that every person who wants to improve his or her life should work on, is his or her attitude.
Your attitude is like the engine that runs the car. The more finely tuned that engine is, the better the car will run. The same is true with your life.
If you keep your attitude up-it will make you great, make men and women come around you, you will see your relationships expand and deepen. Your career will grow, your business will blossom and life will become very interesting for you.
John C. Maxwell in his book “Go for Gold” shares thirteen key choices that can be made to maximize your life most especially your talent:
Belief lifts your talent.
Passion energizes your talent.
Initiative activates your talent.
Focus directs your talent.
Preparation positions your talent.
Practice sharpens your talent.
Perseverance sustains your talent.
Courage tests your talent.
Teachability expands your talent.
Character protects your talent.
Relationships influence your talent.
Responsibility strengthens your talent.
Teamwork multiplies your talent.
Beloved in Christ, your life as a person has so much to offer to the next man. So you cannot afford being a mediocre because it is expensive-you have got to know that your life is of purpose and a responsibility given to you which you will account for at the end of time.
The prophet Jeremiah becomes for us a perfect image to understand that our life is of purpose. That God knows each of us through and through. Thus he said to Jeremiah “before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations…”
Let us note the powerful words within the profound statement of God-“Before”-meaning a fore knowledge of you even before you came to this world and formed in the womb of your parents. Which means you cannot afford to do any how-there is a meaning and purpose for which God has created you.
“Consecrated”- one who is consecrated is set apart for a sacred duty-each of us by the virtue of our baptism we have been consecrated to the Lord to do something for the Lord.
“Appointed”- means commissioned to a purpose, a mission. The one who appoints is not man but God and tells us that he is there to sustain us through. Listen to next choice of words from the Lord.
Gird your loins, arise-meaning get ready for the purpose-to take the bull by the horn-go all out there and be what God wants you to be.
Do not be afraid- fear of man brings unaccomplished purpose or destiny because man will frustrate the purpose. But the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom because he empowers with a wisdom that will make you successful.
Fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze wall…they will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord to deliver you- meaning he gives the one who has been sent out on a mission the grace to walk in dominion, to be indomitable Joshua 1:5.
Beloved once the lord gives you a mission, he fortifies you for that mission just as he fortified Joshua, Jeremiah and other great men and women in the bible.
Even as you embark on this mission of discovering your purpose, you might be taken for granted and called nothing as they did to Jesus which our Gospel reading tells us; maybe because some who have known you over time cannot imagine themselves come to take you for the new person you are now, you are not to cast your focus on them rather focus on Jesus- here we talk about familiarity breeding contempt and rejection.
Casting your focus on them only slows you down and gives them powers they don’t ordinarily possess. Keep your focus on the mission and deepen your faith in Jesus as the author and finisher of your faith.
Your faith in the Lord will cause those around you to be filled with wonder just as they were towards Jesus. Jesus closed the book, handed it to the minister, and sat down; sitting was the posture for preaching in the synagogue. All eyes “were fastened on Him,” a descriptive phrase meaning fixed, gazing, spellbound.
They stared at Him in rapt attention; their eyes were locked upon Him eagerly waiting to see what he had to say. His voice pierced the air: “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
The word “today” is important. The people thought of the Messiah’s coming and the Messianic age in terms of the future. Jesus proclaimed that he was the Messiah-that the Messianic Age was then and now-that all the scripture of Isaiah was fulfilled in him. He proclaimed…
That he was the one upon whom the spirit abode
That he was the one anointed to preach the gospel to the poor and prisoners.
That he was the one who gave sight to the blind.
That he was the one who released the oppressed.
That he was the one who preached the year of the Lord’s favour (the age of salvation).
Such boldness definitely split them into halves. Some were inspired and moved by his great eloquence and wisdom and drew closer to Jesus; while others scorned the boldness of Jesus. Infact he was out rightly rejected and they felt it unnecessary to listen to him simply because they thought they knew him so well and it was hard for them to believe him. Jesus gave the examples in the gospel reading of today to also expand our understanding that it is only faith in the Lord that will most definitely attract the attention of the Lord and bring about healing in their lives.
Belove, God has power to safe and to heal and to restore, cast all your attention unto him and bring him give him your heart, he will do mighty and great things for you always. Remember beloved in Christ, God has a purpose for you make an effort to discover it and live your life to the fullest. May God’s grace and spirit abide with us always.