Here's another thing. Build relationships with people that can mentor you, or speak into your life. This is one of the things that stops many people becoming great, is they actually don't let anyone speak into their life, or don't build connections intentionally with people that can help them grow. If you have an assignment, it requires you grow, and you need people to help you, so who have you got speaking into your life? Welcome people speaking into your life to help you grow, find a place where you can serve.
Here's another couple, and I'll finish with these. Take risks. I've come to the conclusion, you're just going to have to take more risks. You just have to step out and try stuff. Now here's the problem. I look around, I see many grey hairs, and of course as you get older, you don't want to take risks. You want a smooth life, but actually that's the worst thing you could possibly do, is to in the last season of your life, slow down and stop taking risks, petering out rather than going out with a bang of glory! See Bill there, and he's still going off to China, and smuggling Bibles across the border - he's amazing! Bill the smuggler [Laughter] You used to be Conservative Bill, but it turns out there's a bit of Wild Bill inside there, see? [Wild Bill.] Yeah, exactly, Wild Bill. He's got that name now, Wild Bill, because he does things other people wouldn't do, and there's risk. But in doing so, he's discovered his assignment, so you have to take risks; and a good example of that is Peter, who stepped out of the boat on a word from the Lord, and began to do something no man apart from Jesus had ever done before: walk on water.
Now you can focus on him sinking, but don't focus on him sinking. He walked on water twice, once when he started out, then after he got the dunking, up again and he walked again. So he walked by faith, and it took him risk. Everyone else played it safe in the boat. Now have a good think about this: intentionally plan things that stretch you out, so you're not comfortable, and you have to lean on God. It's in those things that you'll find your boundaries increase, and you begin to start to find God moving and making clear what He wants you to do.
We'll never know all that God has for us, if we don't try some things out, and try some different things out. Now think about it. That's not so hard all of that was it? It was one, God wants to speak to you, so get full of the Holy Ghost! Two, gain personal insight. In other words, reflect on what you love, what you hate, what grieves you, what makes you angry, what stirs you up, what you're good at, and begin to start to put yourself out. Now there are many roles in the church people can function in. You never know what you can do until you give it a go. I never knew. I've done things I'd never thought I'd ever do. How did I end up here? I said to myself when I was a teenager: I'll never do that, and yet there I am, ended up doing that, because at some point I stepped out and did things I'd never done before. That's part of it.
Then finally, make it a pursuit that you'll discover what God wants you to do. It unravels through your life, and try to articulate: this is what I feel in my heart I'm called to do. You know, stand and look in the mirror, and say: I believe God's calling me to do this. I will arise and fulfil this, and trust God to lead me as I do it.
Now some of you already are well on the way. You're well journeying down your assignment, but others, I believe it's a time to activate those things, and come alive in them. I just see assignments inside people, just waiting to burst out, and here's the thing: if you wait for someone else to bring it out, it'll never happen! You've got to own this thing yourself, because it's YOUR assignment. It's what God designed YOU to do, and no one else. Why is there no one else? Simply this, because of the unique DNA you have, the giftings and mix you have, the experiences you have, where you've come from, what your experiences with God are, and where you are uniquely placed. You meet people that I'll never meet, and God put you there for a reason. It's our role to change the community, one person at a time. So why don't we all begin to decide we're going to take up our assignment?