You're called to stand out, but maybe not in the way you've been thinking.

If you believe your desire for distinctiveness can be satisfied by accomplishing more then you're going to be disappointed.

We live in a culture where it seems people are starved of attention recognition and connection. We want to stand out for the sake of our careers, businesses and even keeping up with friends.

When have you stood out?

Predictably they didn’t listen and for the next 5 years, I was battling to shed the “farmer Giles” label!

Sometimes it hurts to stand out, and it’s the last thing you want.

Our reputation often follows what we stand out for.

What's your reputation? What are you known for? What's your company, job or workplace known for?

So why would we even want to stand out?

Our culture is obsessed with appearances and face.

On one extreme end of the need to stand out is narcissism while the other end lies an abdication of responsibility

In the Bible God wanted his followers to have a certain reputation. He wanted them to stand out as a people, a community, a way of life.

Yes you are called to stand out and yes we as a community are called to stand out, but not for the sake of selfish ambition, but something else.

We're called by God to stand out, to be who God's created us to be as a community.

As the Journey church, we’re called to be distinctive.

We’re called to live out God's dream for this world, not just our dream, you're made for something way bigger.

When Ruth and I were praying about starting the church we were asking God about our purpose and mission.

As Ruth prayed she received an impression of a series of numbers. She wrote them down and felt she should type them into google.

What came up was incredible.

The Holy Spirit revealed our prime purpose: to be God’s love.

A simple and ancient truth.

We want to stand out as The Journey Church as a community that is learning, discovering and growing into the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

John 4:19 says “We love because he first loved us.”

First love is the source of love between the Father and the Son in the Spirit.

We’re imitators of God’s love as sons and daughters of the Father. We only give away what we already have.

Be my love is the sharing of the Triune God’s life with the world.

This is God’s dream for the world: that humanity would wake up to our union with Christ and trust Him for everything.

Another way of saying we are called to stand out is to articulate what we value or what matters to us.

Here are some questions to help us deepen and clarify the distinctives of our life together:

What would you put your body on the line for?

Where will you not compromise?

What are your non-negotiables?

Each stand out quality or value requires the development of practices or habits. Otherwise “values” become quite theoretical, cerebral and even ideological.

Are you ready? Here are the six:

Christ-Centred & Holy Spirit

Family & Hospitality

Listening & Dialogue

Discipleship & the Whole person

Unity & Diversity

Local & Global mission

We will unpack what these mean over the next couple of months.

Do you live to serve the community? Or does it live to serve you?

It's a far more rewarding life to serve others than just ourselves.

What happens when we stand out?

In your life and in Jesus life we see opposition as a normal thing. These include:

Misunderstanding

Rejection

Persecution

Get ready for the opposition if you’re ready to stand out.

We will see change as we stand out.

New people come into the community which brings new life, energy as well as challenges. No one is perfect, everyone has issues.

Are you ready to stand out? In our homes, work and church life.

It takes courage to stand out, step out, get it wrong, make mistakes, apologise and ultimately remain in the faithful love of God.

A poem to finish might help my point to stand out:

Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness

That most frightens us.

We ask ourselves

Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small

Does not serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking

So that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine,

As children do.

We were born to make manifest

The glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us;

It's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,

We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we're liberated from our own fear,

Our presence automatically liberates others.