Urban Life Church
Mastering Your Craft | Craig Clark | Urban Life Church // 15 Nov 2020
Return of the Craftsman: Mastering Your Craft
Locations & Times
Join us at: urbanlife.org.za for all our online meetings
Maud Ave, Crowthorne AH, Midrand, 1684, South Africa
Sunday 12:00 PM
Mastering Your Craft
I am convinced that God is setting us up for a new reality.
I don’t want to go back to normal, not even a new normal, but looking forward to A New Reality.
Someone has said, "The best way to predict the future is to invent it”
I believe that there are at least two things. The church should be reinventing to change our future:
- Biblical Community
- Every Believer Mastering their Craft, their genius, their God-given gift and ability to build the Kingdom.
Ex 31:1-6
The Message God spoke to Moses: 2 "See what I've done; I've personally chosen Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur of the tribe of Judah. 3 I've filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him skill and know-how and expertise in every kind of craft 4 to create designs and work in gold, silver, and bronze; 5 to cut and set gemstones; to carve wood—he's an all-around craftsman.6 "Not only that, but I've given him Oholiab, son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan, to work with him. And to all who have an aptitude for crafts I've given the skills to make all the things I've commanded you:
How did God build the Temple?? With His mouth!
I believe Bezalel is a picture of Christ.
Jesus the greatest Craftsman ever, was filled to fulfill His God-given task. Redeem creation. We have been given the ability by heaven to fulfill all that God commands in building the Church of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the head.
God builds with His Mouth!
But in likewise manner, He may decide to appoint a craftsman to build a certain place, a certain local church. Appoints, and fills that craftsman with the Holy Spirit, with skill and expertise to empower others to build what God has commanded.
Everyone of us is a “Craftsman, Craftswoman":
Ephesians 2:10
10 We have become his poetry (workmanship), a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it!
Your Craft is given by God, confirmed in community, and aimed at Kingdom impact.
The new Craftsmen and women:
- Conveners - These guys have most probably invited you to a party, intentional or most times spontaneous. They love to gather the right groups of people. Some through their relational genius and others through their ‘convener” genius
- Caregivers - These are those who have the genius of carrying Panado on them for the moment when someone passes out with pain! They are the first responders to someone in need of a hospital visit, the sick, dying and suffering. they physically and tangibly show care to those in need.
- Hospitables - These folk have a way of making everyone feel comfortable. They serve people by making them feel comfortable, well-fed and relaxed. Biblical hospitality is about opening your life to outsiders, not just having people around your table or hosting a Bible study.
- Processors - These guys have an amazing ability to take crazy ideas and make it happen. They are usually into or have an ability to crunch through detail and make it easy for things to happen.
- Questioners - These people have an amazing ability to ask piercing questions that unearth the most incredible gems. They give their full attention to every conversation they have. You walk away having told them your life story, and feeling enriched by them but they have said very little. They have listened with their heart and loved with their actions.
- Ritualists - Or people of Liturgy. These people have the ability to to turn an ordinary event into an extraordinary life altering moment with just a few words or incredibly timed action. They turn a meal or a social gathering into a meaningful and unforgettable event. They can take a boring ceremony and turn it into an engaging liturgy.
- Justice Seekers - These people call us to stand on the side of God! Their passion is convicting, infectious and causes a holy discomfort. Their convictions run deep and they know how to prick our conscience to participate in changing the world.
- Wordsmiths - These folk whisper truth in beautiful ways. They have a gift in writing and using words to communicate simply yet profoundly. When they “wordsmith” it sticks in our brains and hearts. They fashion weapons through words, phrases and rhymes that help us all go to war!
- Sorters - These amazing folks can take complicated data, analyze and sort it into understandable pictures and information. They can see pathways that no one else can. They have a night vision that can see in the dark and help us walk in the light. They take complexity and make it simple.
- Conversationalists - Somehow these folk can make meaningful conversation with almost anyone! They are skilled at talking about difficult subjects in very approachable ways. They take an ordinary conversation way deeper than normal people.
- Pioneers - These are the evangelists who take us to places we would not normally go. They get us giving up on the old way and helping us pioneer new pathways we would not have dreamed of taking. Their passion and drive for what is to come is infectious and utterly believable. They evoke a trust that is almost unbelievable.
- Story Catchers - These folk don’t so much write good stories but they find stories where most would not even think possible. They find what is unfolding in the world or in someone's life and translate it in ways that frame it forever. they almost see the world back to front in their ability to see the end result and work backwards exposing a seemingly black and white into amazing color.
- Technologists - They find the possibilities of technology to meet the needs in the world. They apply technology to real life issues.
- Inventors - Innovation is a deeply practical and even simple process to fixing a complex problem. Their minds work at a hundred miles an hour!
- Handcrafters - There is a new culture of “makers” - a move away from the mass produced. A move to authentic materials, wood, concrete, metal etc. A move to timeless design. A move to get hands dirty, fashion and form something from the heart.
- Futurists - These are the ones who rush into the future, see it, understand it and come back to show us all how to get there. They keep us moving to where we should be. Never happy with the status quo, but always nudging us to move forward, breaking camp and building pathways into the future.
- Connectors - These folk love connecting others to the people we need to know. They connect people for greater impact. They are connected seemingly to everyone on the planet. Their contact list is the envy of the FBI. They have the right person to take us to the next level. They take great delight in using their relationships to help us be more effective. They are network-centric and unlock great possibilities in others.
- Givers - Generous hearted givers of finances to enable the vision of the Kingdom to become a reality. Faith filled men and women who are graced to see money flow through them into Kingdom vision.
- Administrators - These amazing people love colour coding, spreadsheets and filing cabinets. Ask them anything and they can find it.
- Influencers - A new breed of people who when they post something on social media, they influence thousands. Their posts attract, engage and influence
- Atmosfires - These incredible people set the atmosphere within an experience. A “what if” kind of people that push us to the extremes of experience that we never forget. They sketch in mood, tone, smoke and creative atmospherics and light eternal fires with us all.
How do we Master our Craft?
- Give yourself to knowing your genius or craft
- Know yourself - To know yourself you need to know God. The more you know God, the more you will know yourself.
- Passion follows Mastery - Work your craft
- Don’t despise the day of small beginnings
- Don’t dishonour God
- Work or flow with the Grace from heaven not against it.
The Good News, the Gospel of Jesus is that we never have to work FOR our gift, work for approval, but that we work from His approval and divine giving of our gifts. We could not work for our salvation. We don’t work for favour with God, we have favour, therefore we complete the works that God has already given for us to do.
Let me leave you with something to contemplate:-
If God has a “To Do” list for us to complete, (good works prepared beforehand for us to do), then how are we doing?
Jesus in Jn 17:4, praying before He went to the cross, said, “I have glorified you on the earth by faithfully doing everything you told me to do"
I am convinced that God is setting us up for a new reality.
I don’t want to go back to normal, not even a new normal, but looking forward to A New Reality.
Someone has said, "The best way to predict the future is to invent it”
I believe that there are at least two things. The church should be reinventing to change our future:
- Biblical Community
- Every Believer Mastering their Craft, their genius, their God-given gift and ability to build the Kingdom.
Ex 31:1-6
The Message God spoke to Moses: 2 "See what I've done; I've personally chosen Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur of the tribe of Judah. 3 I've filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him skill and know-how and expertise in every kind of craft 4 to create designs and work in gold, silver, and bronze; 5 to cut and set gemstones; to carve wood—he's an all-around craftsman.6 "Not only that, but I've given him Oholiab, son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan, to work with him. And to all who have an aptitude for crafts I've given the skills to make all the things I've commanded you:
How did God build the Temple?? With His mouth!
I believe Bezalel is a picture of Christ.
Jesus the greatest Craftsman ever, was filled to fulfill His God-given task. Redeem creation. We have been given the ability by heaven to fulfill all that God commands in building the Church of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the head.
God builds with His Mouth!
But in likewise manner, He may decide to appoint a craftsman to build a certain place, a certain local church. Appoints, and fills that craftsman with the Holy Spirit, with skill and expertise to empower others to build what God has commanded.
Everyone of us is a “Craftsman, Craftswoman":
Ephesians 2:10
10 We have become his poetry (workmanship), a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it!
Your Craft is given by God, confirmed in community, and aimed at Kingdom impact.
The new Craftsmen and women:
- Conveners - These guys have most probably invited you to a party, intentional or most times spontaneous. They love to gather the right groups of people. Some through their relational genius and others through their ‘convener” genius
- Caregivers - These are those who have the genius of carrying Panado on them for the moment when someone passes out with pain! They are the first responders to someone in need of a hospital visit, the sick, dying and suffering. they physically and tangibly show care to those in need.
- Hospitables - These folk have a way of making everyone feel comfortable. They serve people by making them feel comfortable, well-fed and relaxed. Biblical hospitality is about opening your life to outsiders, not just having people around your table or hosting a Bible study.
- Processors - These guys have an amazing ability to take crazy ideas and make it happen. They are usually into or have an ability to crunch through detail and make it easy for things to happen.
- Questioners - These people have an amazing ability to ask piercing questions that unearth the most incredible gems. They give their full attention to every conversation they have. You walk away having told them your life story, and feeling enriched by them but they have said very little. They have listened with their heart and loved with their actions.
- Ritualists - Or people of Liturgy. These people have the ability to to turn an ordinary event into an extraordinary life altering moment with just a few words or incredibly timed action. They turn a meal or a social gathering into a meaningful and unforgettable event. They can take a boring ceremony and turn it into an engaging liturgy.
- Justice Seekers - These people call us to stand on the side of God! Their passion is convicting, infectious and causes a holy discomfort. Their convictions run deep and they know how to prick our conscience to participate in changing the world.
- Wordsmiths - These folk whisper truth in beautiful ways. They have a gift in writing and using words to communicate simply yet profoundly. When they “wordsmith” it sticks in our brains and hearts. They fashion weapons through words, phrases and rhymes that help us all go to war!
- Sorters - These amazing folks can take complicated data, analyze and sort it into understandable pictures and information. They can see pathways that no one else can. They have a night vision that can see in the dark and help us walk in the light. They take complexity and make it simple.
- Conversationalists - Somehow these folk can make meaningful conversation with almost anyone! They are skilled at talking about difficult subjects in very approachable ways. They take an ordinary conversation way deeper than normal people.
- Pioneers - These are the evangelists who take us to places we would not normally go. They get us giving up on the old way and helping us pioneer new pathways we would not have dreamed of taking. Their passion and drive for what is to come is infectious and utterly believable. They evoke a trust that is almost unbelievable.
- Story Catchers - These folk don’t so much write good stories but they find stories where most would not even think possible. They find what is unfolding in the world or in someone's life and translate it in ways that frame it forever. they almost see the world back to front in their ability to see the end result and work backwards exposing a seemingly black and white into amazing color.
- Technologists - They find the possibilities of technology to meet the needs in the world. They apply technology to real life issues.
- Inventors - Innovation is a deeply practical and even simple process to fixing a complex problem. Their minds work at a hundred miles an hour!
- Handcrafters - There is a new culture of “makers” - a move away from the mass produced. A move to authentic materials, wood, concrete, metal etc. A move to timeless design. A move to get hands dirty, fashion and form something from the heart.
- Futurists - These are the ones who rush into the future, see it, understand it and come back to show us all how to get there. They keep us moving to where we should be. Never happy with the status quo, but always nudging us to move forward, breaking camp and building pathways into the future.
- Connectors - These folk love connecting others to the people we need to know. They connect people for greater impact. They are connected seemingly to everyone on the planet. Their contact list is the envy of the FBI. They have the right person to take us to the next level. They take great delight in using their relationships to help us be more effective. They are network-centric and unlock great possibilities in others.
- Givers - Generous hearted givers of finances to enable the vision of the Kingdom to become a reality. Faith filled men and women who are graced to see money flow through them into Kingdom vision.
- Administrators - These amazing people love colour coding, spreadsheets and filing cabinets. Ask them anything and they can find it.
- Influencers - A new breed of people who when they post something on social media, they influence thousands. Their posts attract, engage and influence
- Atmosfires - These incredible people set the atmosphere within an experience. A “what if” kind of people that push us to the extremes of experience that we never forget. They sketch in mood, tone, smoke and creative atmospherics and light eternal fires with us all.
How do we Master our Craft?
- Give yourself to knowing your genius or craft
- Know yourself - To know yourself you need to know God. The more you know God, the more you will know yourself.
- Passion follows Mastery - Work your craft
- Don’t despise the day of small beginnings
- Don’t dishonour God
- Work or flow with the Grace from heaven not against it.
The Good News, the Gospel of Jesus is that we never have to work FOR our gift, work for approval, but that we work from His approval and divine giving of our gifts. We could not work for our salvation. We don’t work for favour with God, we have favour, therefore we complete the works that God has already given for us to do.
Let me leave you with something to contemplate:-
If God has a “To Do” list for us to complete, (good works prepared beforehand for us to do), then how are we doing?
Jesus in Jn 17:4, praying before He went to the cross, said, “I have glorified you on the earth by faithfully doing everything you told me to do"