Saturday, August 18, 2007

Be The One

The One.

Now when you read the above phrase I'm guessing you'll probably be thinking of either 'The Matrix', or Jesus Christ, or both.

I want to talk about how one relates to the other.

As a Christian of course, we believe Jesus is 'The One' - by that we mean the one Son Of God, Messiah, Son of Man, Saviour of the Universe. The only way to God.

And if you think that, you'd be right.

However, I want to look at the idea of 'The One' being us as well.

Now before you cry 'heresy' I don't mean that we are divine beings equal with God, or we are the saviour of mankind.

No, I mean that we are all chosen by God. But not only that, like Neo in the Matrix, we all have a power that we don't comprehend or totally understand at our fingertips.

Like Neo in 'The Matrix' (original, not the sequels) we are all searching for an identity that has been lost through sin.

Our true identity in Christ.

In 'The Matrix' Thomas Anderson discovers that his true identity is really Neo, the chosen one - 'The One' - and he has almost unlimited power at his disposal.

But he only starts to use that power fully once he realises who he is. Once he believes it for himself.

The moment comes when, after rescuing Morpheus, his mentor, he is fighting Agent Smith. He's on the verge of running away. But stops. And starts to turn around
.
Watching from their ship, Trinity, Neo's colleague and future partner says to Morpheus "What's he doing?"

Morpheus replies "He's beginning to believe"

Neo finally starts to realise the truth of who he is, the power he has and has the confidence to use it. He believes in who he really is.

The same can be true in of all of us.

We are all called to serve God, one way or another. We all have an identity in Jesus which a lot of the time remains undiscovered, or only partially shown.

I believe that as we start to believe and trust in God and in who He has called us to be, once we fully realise the power and authority in our hands as Christians and the difference we can make with God on our side, then we will realise our full potential - and go on and achieve more than we ever thought possible - in whatever we are called to do and wherever that is.

We are all warriors involved in a Spiritual war that is going on here on earth. The battle for the hearts and minds of the people who live here - the enemy wants them to reject God totally.

God wants them back.

He wants them to turn from their past and go back to Him.

The enemy will use all the tricks in the book to try and keep people from being saved.

Consumerism is one of the biggest ways he does it in the Western World now. 'Its my life', 'Its my choice', 'Do you want you want as long as it offends no-one', 'Make as much money as you want, do what's best for you' is the culture we live in. We consume the things we have and we worship in shopping centres. That's the culture we're in.

Jesus calls us to do the opposite. To be counter cultural. To serve, to forgive, to love, to sacrifice, to give. Even our enemies.

This is the message we are called to deliver and we have the power of God living in us to equip us to do it - whether that's in church, at work, at home, when we're with friends.

Wherever we go, whatever do. In the little things, the little lifestyle choices, in the big decisions, our whole life must revolve around Him and His values.

We need to see who we are in God's eyes. To continue The Matrix analogy, God sees us not as confused and insecure Thomas Anderson, but as powerful, confident, hero Neo, and we have the power to change the world and the authority to do it.

We can be so much more than we are. Morpheus says to Neo 'Don't think you are - know you are'.

We must live in the knowledge of who we are in Christ, who He has called us to be, and trusting in His love and power which He has given us to serve and glorify Him on this earth and spread His message.

If we do know who we are, if we believe it and trust it, if we put God in the centre, we can change the world together.

Believe it.

Know it.

Its true.