#FamousChurchSample

"Learning To Abound"

I'm starting to think we may be missing our calling to be excellent. Why? Well, I know there are quite a few areas of mediocrity in my own life. How about yours? As you read, I pray that you examine your life to see if you find the same. Why might that be? Could it be that the way we interpret Scripture can, at times, actually encourage mediocrity? Might our internal religious conditioning take over and prohibit us from thinking rightly about ourselves out of a fear of pride? Might we actually neglect to see the fullness of what God promises to and desires for his church?

Take a closer look at the verses above from the Gospel of Luke. These scriptures do more than just guarantee that, if we wrongfully exalt ourselves, we’ll have the rug pulled out from under us, as is commonly taught. They also promise that when we rightly and humbly come to God, we will be famous. If we humble ourselves, there is a certainty according to the Word of God that we will be given prestige and the opportunity to magnify Jesus for who HE is. Have you passed over that portion of the passage for years?

Now that we've gotten the religious conditioning, false humility, and self-righteousness out of the way, let’s continue. (You know you want to be great, anyway. Don’t feel bad about it. That’s the way God wired you. Remember Genesis? You are CREATED to subdue all things!) The Outline of Biblical Usage describes the Greek word for “exalted” as meaning “to raise to the very summit of opulence and prosperity, to exalt, to raise to dignity, honor and happiness.” 1 Herein lies a position that we will have to embrace in order take our place in the famous church to which we are called. In verse 10 we are commanded to "go up higher" after humbling ourselves, promising that we will have the glory of those who sit at the table with us. The Greek word doxa is the word that translates to our English word “glory” (translated as “worship” in the KVJ version of the Bible). It’s Outline of Biblical Usage is “the kingly majesty which belongs to him as supreme ruler, majesty in the sense of the absolute perfection of the deity, the absolutely perfect inward or personal excellency of Christ; the majesty.”2 We, as Christ’s bride, now carry HIS wealth, HIS dignity, HIS glory, and HIS excellence.

Why?

Because he chose us, and we said, “I do.”