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The God who touches lives.

(Sacred Pathways 3)

Dr Nabeel Qureshi

“God, please give me a vision, a dream, a sign of some sort that will show me what I should believe – the faith of his fathers, or the Christian faith.”

“God, that doesn’t count. I don’t know if that was really You or if my eyes were playing tricks on me."

"God, I don’t know if that was really what I thought it was – I could subconsciously want to become a Christian and my mind could be deceiving me. So visions won’t be any good; please give me a dream, and if the dream confirms the vision, I will become a Christian."

"God, this dream is far too symbolic for me to be able to interpret it accurately. Rather than 1 dream, 3 seems like a better number. If they all point towards Christianity, I will definitely become a Christian."

In his 2nd dream, …

Somehow Nabeel shouted to his friend, “I thought we are going to eat together.”

To which David in the dream replied – “You never responded.”

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Luke 13:22-29. “22Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23Someone asked him, ‘Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?’

He said to them, 24‘Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, “Sir, open the door for us.”‘But he will answer, “I don’t know you or where you come from.” 26‘Then you will say, “We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.”27‘But he will reply, “I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!” 28‘There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.

29People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.’

"I submit. I submit that Jesus Christ is Lord of Heaven and Earth, and that He came to this world to die for my sins. I am a sinner, and I need Him for redemption. Christ, I accept You into my life."

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Naturalist – Loving God out of doorsSensate – Loving God with the sensesTraditionalist – Loving God through rituals and

symbolsAscetic – Loving God in solitude and simplicityActivist – Loving God through confrontationCaregiver – Loving God through loving othersEnthusiast – Loving God with

mystery and celebrationContemplative – Loving God through adorationIntellectual – Loving God with the mind

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The Enthusiast:

With regards to Mystery, they expect the supernatural God to act supernaturally in our world today.

They are also inspired by Joyful Worship.

Results of the Sacred Pathways surveyfor our church (184 responded)Naturalist – 11.4% (4th rank)Ascetic – 8.7% (6th rank)Contemplative – 21.7% (1st rank)Intellectual – 21.2% (2nd rank)

Enthusiast – 9.2% (5th rank)

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The Enthusiast:

With regards to Mystery, they expect the supernatural God to act supernaturally in our world today.

They are also inspired by Joyful Worship.

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The Enthusiast: inspired by Joyful Worship.

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The Enthusiast: expects the supernatural God to act supernaturally, even today.

Mystery & Celebration in the Bible• God spoke through dreams to Jacob,

Joseph, Solomon and Daniel (in the Old Testament), and Joseph and the wise men (in the New Testament).

• Paul, Ananias, Cornelius and Peter all received visions.

• The Bible is full of supernatural events – Exodus, Daniel, our Lord Jesus, the Apostles.

• Acts 2 foretells speaking in tongues, receiving dreams, witnessing signs and experiencing wonders.

Mystery & Celebration in the Bible• Celebration has a wide background in

Scripture – 6 major feasts commanded in Leviticus: Passover, First-fruits, Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles.

• A musical, celebratory style of worship was one of the hallmarks of David’s era.

1 Chronicles 13 – “David and all the Israelites celebrated with ALL their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets.”

• Paul exhorts the Ephesians to use psalms, hymns and other spiritual songs in worship.

Growing deeper in God through the Enthusiast pathway

One can cultivate the mystery of expectancy in one’s faith

– ask God to bring someone into your path to whom you can minister.

In a cynical and depressed world, enthusiasts point towards faith, mystery and expectancy.

Enthusiasts can help the church never to stop celebrating and never stop believing, even in the darkest night.

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Caregiver – Loving God through Loving others.

Results of the Sacred Pathways surveyfor our church (184 responded)Naturalist – 11.4% (4th rank)Ascetic – 8.7% (6th rank)Contemplative – 21.7% (1st rank)Intellectual – 21.2% (2nd rank)Enthusiast – 9.2% (5th rank)

Caregiver – 21.2% (2nd rank)

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Matthew 25:34-40 “34‘Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was ill and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”37‘Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you ill or in prison and go to visit you?”

40‘The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.”

Why should we care for others?

We follow Christ our model:

Jesus cared for the sick, the demon-possessed and the lost. He urged His followers to give to the poor and He had great compassion on the multitudes.

What’s the point of their experiment? – they wanted to see what a compassion-less Bible looked like?

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James 1:27

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

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1. Who do I care for?

a) Those who are obviously in need.

b) Those whose needs are generally not known by others.

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Matthew 25:34-40 “34‘Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was ill and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”37‘Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you ill or in prison and go to visit you?”

40‘The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.”

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James 1:27

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

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1. Who do I care for?

a) Those who are obviously in need.

b) Those whose needs are generally not known by others.

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1. Who do I care for?

a) Those who are obviously in need.

b) Those whose needs are generally not known by others.

• So neglected by society that no one knows.

• Someone who seems to be okay from the outside, unless you talk to them (eg, the Samaritan woman).

If you are willing to care for someone, especially those whose needs are generally not known,

then tell the Lord you want to be His hands to bless such people.

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1. Who do I care for?

2. How do I get to care for the poor and needy?

• In church, through the Outreach and Social concerns ministry.

• Church-wide events: like the Dover Blessing

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Caregivers may hear God more clearly when they clean the wounds of the Aids victim than when they sit quietly in prayer.

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The Roman Catholic monks often considered disabled people especially holy.

One reason is because the lessons they can teach us are profound.

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The Roman Catholic monks often considered disabled people especially holy. One reason is because the lessons they can teach us are profound.

Christians who demonstrate compassion will thus speak prophetically to a selfish culture and sometimes a selfish church.

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Christians who demonstrate compassion will thus speak prophetically to a selfish culture and sometimes a selfish church.

“it is fashionable to talk about the poor. It is not fashionable to talk with the poor.” – Mother Teresa

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Naturalist – Loving God out of doorsSensate – Loving God with the sensesTraditionalist – Loving God through rituals and

symbolsAscetic – Loving God in solitude and simplicityActivist – Loving God through

confrontationCaregiver – Loving God through loving othersEnthusiast – Loving God with mystery and celebrationContemplative – Loving God through adorationIntellectual – Loving God with the mind

Results of the Sacred Pathways surveyfor our church (184 responded)Naturalist – 11.4% (4th rank)Ascetic – 8.7% (6th rank)Contemplative – 21.7% (1st rank)Intellectual – 21.2% (2nd rank)Enthusiast – 9.2% (5th rank)Caregiver – 21.2% (2nd rank)

Activist – 2.7% (7th rank)

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Psalm 34:15-16 “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth.”

Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

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Activist – Loving God through Confrontation

“My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.” – Jesus

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Facing this fear (of confrontation) and stepping out in faith, and finding God faithful as He steps in to carry you, can do wonders for your intimacy with God.

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Facing this fear (of confrontation) and stepping out in faith, and finding God faithful as He steps in to carry you, can do wonders for your intimacy with God.

Activists must learn to leave the results with God, or they will be consumed and driven by the success of their mission rather than by the Holy Spirit.

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Forms of Activism

• Activist-oriented “literature of Christian resistance” (books / essays / do a video / writing to the press) challenging the conscience.

• Work for social reform – for example, against exploitation of low-waged workers, etc.

• Actively confront evil and sin – befriending and offering to help sex workers leave the trade.

• Prayer and Activists Walking prayer (against places of sin) Processions – “March for Jesus”

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We fondly remember those who have died but often loathe those who are still living.

Dare we? by Sir Francis Drake

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves,When our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little,When we arrived safely Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess we have lost our thirst for the waters of life;

Having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternityAnd in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seasWhere storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.We ask You to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push into the future in strength, courage, hope, and love.

Memory verse

Matthew 25:40‘The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.”’