Celebrate Recovery

Acts 8:35 – Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.

This verse falls smack dab in the middle of a crazy story in Acts.  In the first part of the story we learn that Philip had been summoned by an angel of the Lord to go for a walk to Gaza.  On this walk he bumped into a very prestigious, devout Ethiopian eunuch headed for Jerusalem to worship.  The most interesting thing about this eunuch is that Philip found him reading the words of Isaiah in his chariot.  In the second half of this story, we learn that the eunuch confessed Jesus as the Son of God and was baptized.  From all this we can conclude that this eunuch did not believe in Jesus at the time Philip met him, but that God was at work in the eunuch ”both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

Although this eunuch apparently had it going on (except for the eunuch part!), he did not have the most important thing in all of life, and yet God was at work in Him long before Philip showed up on the scene.  What does this teach us regarding our ministry at CR?  God is at work!  He is working in the heart of every person who shows up at CR.  They may not be Ethiopian court officials or eunuchs who have been reading Isaiah while riding in a chariot, but God is at work in them.  In fact, I believe that God is at work even in the midst of hurt, pain, suffering, addictions, pride, fear, or control.  Through these various trials, God is drawing them closer to the end of themselves and the realization of their need for Him. 

As I think about this, I am utterly amazed.  As leaders in CR, we have been invited by God to walk the dusty, dirty road to Gaza to meet with people on their journey to meet Him.  We are invited to participate with God and witness Him do an amazing transformation right before our eyes!

How do we participate in this divine invitation?  We preach Jesus.  The Word tells us that Philip opened his mouth and preached Jesus.  What a privilege and responsibility we have as CR leaders, to preach Jesus to the hurting and the lost.  Who have you preached Jesus to lately?  What was the response?  How can you grow in your knowledge of Him to effectively and boldly “proclaim the excellencies of Him who brought you out of darkness into His marvelous light?”

^“Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.” Philippians 3:17

“Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.”  1 Corinthians 4:16

^“Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”  1 Corinthians 11:1

“. . . in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”  1 Timothy 4:12

How would CR function if all followed my example?  Would leaders speak the truth in love?  Would participants find intimacy in Christ?  Would there be a growing knowledge and understanding of our Lord and how to handle the brokenness of this world through the truth of scripture?  Would coaches, leaders and participants be trained and empowered to go and make disciples of all nations by tapping into the power of God through the Spirit by prayer?  If the heart of CR discipleship is to create fully-devoted followers of Christ by helping the hurting/lost/broken children of this world remove barriers to intimacy with God, how do I model and train people to do this and proclaim it to the world with passion?  What was Christ’s model for discipleship training?  The best I can tell it was through relational time with the disciples; some time with the 70, more time with the 12 and the most time with the inner circle (Peter, James and John). 

Effective training is one that is both informational and relational.  Information is needed for understanding, but the relational nature of training is what drives passionate devotion to Christ by the power of the Spirit working through one saint to another.  It was relational training that moved the hearts of Christ’s disciples to go and make disciples of all nations because they had “hands-on” experience with The Messiah. 

Lord, help me to follow your example passionately.  Let me lead those you’ve given to me by taking up my cross daily to follow you.  Help me to do it first within my marriage and family, and then outward through the ministry.  Empty my baskets and help me return to You for refills as we feed inner-circles and the masses through the miraculous  power of Your Spirit and Word.

I’ve been working my way slowly through some of Augustine’s “Confessions” and this one connected with me today.  Augustine talks about a time when he stole for the sake of stealing.  He did not do it out of need or even a desire to obtain the object of his theft (he threw it away).  He stole for the sake of stealing; for the pleasure of the excercise of his will and power with no regards but his will and power.   He did it for the pleasure of his own pride and idolotry.  He says . . .

“So does the soul commit fornication, when she turns from You, seeking without You, what she cannot find pure and untainted, till she returns to You. Therefore all pervertedly imitate You, who remove themselves far from You, and lift themselves up against You. But even by imitating You, they imply You to be the Creator of all nature; where there is no place altogether to retire from Thee. What then did I love in [my sin]? and how did I even corruptly and pervertedly imitate my Lord? Did I wish even by stealth to do contrary to Your law, because by power I could not, so that being a prisoner, I might mimic a maimed liberty by doing with impunity things not permitted me, a darkened likeness of Your Omnipotency? Behold, Your servant, fleeing from his Lord, and obtaining a shadow. O rottenness, O monstrousness of life, and depth of death! could I like what I might not have, only because I might not have it?”

Augstine Confessions
Book II, Chapter VI

As I continue to reflect on my struggles with lust and my history of pornography, (like other proclivities of my flesh) I have come to understand that my draw to fornication and adultery of the mind had a lot more to do with self-exultation and a fantasy of power than it had to do unmet needs or  a desire for the women I fantasized about.  I threw them away when I was finished with my indulgence.  My pleasure was about me being worshiped and powerful – about finding a fantasy where my will was king.  It was a pursuit of a darkened likeness of [God's] Omnipotency . . . a  fleeing from [my] Lord, [but] obtaining nothing but a shadow of Him.

Romans 7:24-25
“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! . . .”

Ok, gang. I am not a blogger yet, but I am trying to grow in my geek capacity or at least be a little bit “cooler.” I’ve realized that I can be a lot better about communication and, at the very least, find a spot to talk about how God is working in me. So anyway, I am going to try to be better about posting and hopefully our team will be better about it as well.

I guess that I will start off with just reminding us of our vision at Watermark’s Celebrate Recovery. Our mission is the same as Watermark’s, “To call all people to be fully devoted followers of Christ.” However, our vision for this ministry is, “To be an authentic community of Christ-followers, relentlessly helping each other remove all barriers to intimacy with the LORD.” This reminds us that as a community of believers in Christ, life and freedom are found in intimacy with God; not just in sobriety from specific addictions/proclivities. While sobriety from our hurts, habits and hang-ups will be a by-product of our intimacy with God, it is the intimate relationship with our Lord that gives us the freedom to live a life of love. 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us that the Father’s love for us “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” (vs 7-8). It also reminds us that we need each other. Openness, honesty, grace and truth must abound in our community as God moves us through the sanctification process together for His glory.

With that in mind, here a quote from Augustine that I read this morning that reminded me of my love affair with my Savior . . .

“Hear, Lord, my prayer; let not my soul faint under Your discipline, nor let me faint in confessing to You all Your mercies, whereby You have drawn me out of all my most evil ways, that You might become a delight to me above all the allurements which I once pursued; that I may most entirely love You, and clasp Your hand with all my affections, and You may yet rescue me from every temptation, even unto the end.”

Augustine Confessions
Book I, Chapter XV

• New Watermark CR Blog has been created at http://www.watermarkblogs.org/cr/ #

Celebrate Recovery focuses on Christ and invites you to engage with Scripture, ultimately finding freedom from addictive and compulsive thoughts and behavior patterns such as codependency, homosexuality, pornography, chemical dependency, eating disorders, depression, emotional/physical abuse, anger and other personal struggles.

Join us Mondays from 6:30 – 8 pm at the Watermark Worship Center (Location & Parking) and Fridays from 6:30 – 8 pm at the Watermark Tower, 2nd floor (Location & Parking). (Childcare will be available.) It is not necessary to sign up before attending, so please do not hesitate to join us and allow healing to begin. Contact Lindsey Nelson for more information.

If you are interested in joining a Friday night CR group, volunteering or leading, please contact us.