Can you think of a time where Jesus shifted the blame for something he failed to do?
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How do we make sense of the seasons that don’t make sense?
- We stop complaining
- We stop blaming
- And we start honoring the values God honors
We don’t know how long COVID-19 is going to isolate us from church, school, work, or regular activities – pandemic or not, our mission remains the same.
As God’s people, we have to be busy finding ways to connect with others. It’s time to have those conversations that you long to have with those family members you love so much who are living below their spiritual inheritance—and with those coworkers who don’t know your God’s power.
We THE CHURCH are a part of the desperate solution our world needs.
We have an inroad to seeing change happen around us.
We all have great influence outside of the church walls just like the believers we read about who chose to turn the world right-side-up during difficult times.
The thread of the Lord working through His body is clearly seen throughout scripture. Over and over again we see the pattern of:
1. God being worshiped.
2. His people holding on to hope, and we know that hope was not coming from what they could see outside of their windows. It was coming from the eyes of their heart through a relationship with God himself. They carried hope like a seed ready to be planted in the soil of hopeless and helpless people.
3. They shared their stories of how the gospel changed their direction in life.
4. And they connected with people through everyday conversations.
Sounds like the mission and core values of our church.
If you look up OUR MISSION on our website, you will read the following:
We exist for people like you
We exist to connect with God and others
We exist to see others live out their identity in Christ
We exist to be part of transforming our world
Don’t tell me something inside of you didn’t expand when you heard those words.
Our first core value is TO EXTEND CHRIST TO ALL. Covid-19 or not, masks or not, online or in person, we are unwavering in reaching our community and the world with the Gospel.
How do we do that? Through evangelism. That word can be scary for many. Too many of us are intimidated to share the gospel and that’s okay for now. The most fearful people can become amazing evangelists once they realize all they have to do is share their story. All of our conversions have been radical – there has been nothing average about them. We were dead and now we live. Sometimes, I think we get confused thinking that people on platforms are not the only ones who God commissioned – and that is the furthest thing from the truth.
Let me explain evangelism in a very easy format: Simply invite someone to come to church with you. The gospel is already being shared there and all you have to do is tell them you will save them a seat.
We must get around people who are not already Christians. I remember my brother in law called me a heathen before I was saved. I didn’t know what that meant, but it didn’t settle well with me. Don’t do that.
Pastor Mickey was willing to volunteer hours to get around people who need the hope of the gospel. He was willing to get around the unchurched.
He got out of His world into other places.
THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL…the laborers are few. The church staff cannot be the only laborers.
God has commissioned and challenged us to become the laborer.
ENGAGE GOD IN PASSIONATE WORSHIP: Worship is our lifestyle in and out of the house of God. When we get in His presence our lives are changed.
When you show up to worship, don’t come and evaluate. Come expecting God to speak to you – with you and on behalf of others around you. People are going to get healed during our worship time. People are going to get words of wisdom and words of knowledge during worship time. You have to believe it.
EQUIPPING THE BELIEVER: We grow as disciples through a relationship with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
Discipleship simply means you grow in the things of God. If the only word you are getting is at church – you are starving yourself to death. You cannot survive – you will only exist.
How can we go into this culture and not know the truth? We must know the Gospel in order to verbalize it.
We as a church must adjust OUR lives rather than trying to get God to buy into the things we are all about.
EXPERIENCING COMMUNITY: Our environments of discipleship are intentional. We all need relationships and lasting transformation takes place in small groups. There is a major calendar clearing happening now in our world – it’s time to reprioritize relationships.
EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO SERVE: We exist to help people discover, develop, and become who they are created to be. We are contributors, not consumers.
We give our lives away. If your Christian faith is all about you – you need to grow.
We should never be short on volunteers. We need to be in the trenches guiding and shaping the hearts and minds of children, youth, and college students.
Let’s stop complaining and blaming and let’s start being part of the solution.
Tag you are it.
