It’s Better to Have Permission Than to Ask Forgiveness
Posted by Chris on May 4, 2008 under Sermons
Recap the lessons so far …
- Raising the Bar: Expecting the Best From One Another
- Diet and Exercise for the Soul: Spiritual Formation
- Every Shepherd Needs a Sheep Dog: Ministering to One Another
- The Air We Breathe: Grace and Hope Through Jesus Christ
- You Welcomed Me In: Practicing Christ-Like Hospitality [by Shane Hughes]
- Cloud of Witnesses: Ministry to Youth and Families
- Our Neighbor Across the Street: Integrating College Students Into the Life of the Church
- We Can’t “Retire” From Church: Ministering Through Seniors, Not Just To Seniors
- Across the Street and Around the World: It’s All Missional
- It’s Easier to Ask Permission than Seek Forgiveness: (Practicing Permission-Giving Leadership)
We’ve heard the old saying that “It is easier to get forgiveness than ask permission.”
What does that sort of philosophy say about a group of people?
- It means that there is very little trust.
- It means that authority is not being shared; rather a spirit of anxious control dominates.
God has given us permission – for the sake of the mission
Read Matthew 25:14-30.
- The master entrusts a large amount of resources to three servants.
- They are asked to do something with these resources – to put the money to work.
- Two double the investment. One does not, but not because he tried and failed. He failed by not trying …
Permission
- Are we governed by a spirit of trust or a spirit of fear?
- Notice what the first two servants say: “You entrusted me.” They have the attitude of trust.
- Notice what the third servant believes:
- “I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.”
- How did he know this?
- “So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.”
- “I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.”
- We fear God. We fear failure. We fear what others will think. We fear that they may say NO.
- Trust leads us to experience God’s happiness. Fear will lead us to laziness, inaction and we will become as harsh as we expect God to be – and that’s not God’s disposition. He said YES.
- Saying Yes and Hearing Yes
- “I don’t think that anyone is telling me no, but I don’t hear anyone telling me Yes.”
- We have to learn to echo God’s Yes.
- For the sake of the mission, God has given us permission.
- Leaders need to say YES – empowering the congregation – accelerator and brake.
- Congregation also echoes YES by developing a spirit of trust in God and one another.
- A culture of CAN DO vs. CAN’T DO
- That’s how we will hear God’s voice
- God always says YES to those who come to him with a broken, contrite heart.