"The mystery is that the people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (wht I've been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board.
"This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message." (Ephesians 3:5-7, The Message)
If you want to understand what it is that motivates me, here it is. Paul's description of his calling is the very same for me. Insiders and outsiders as he called them are the mission. Helping people in the church and outside the church both grasp the amazing message of Christ and respond positively to it. I've often described my passion as seeing the "light" go on in someone. It's the "aha!" the "I get it!" that I live to see.
It's the same for the church. This is the real job of all Christians. Rick Warren described it as our mission, helping someone else come to know Christ.
You say you can't do that? You don't have the ability? But Paul said he didn't either, a common guy given a gift from God. He wasn't wise, or a great scholar. He was a willing participant, a tool for Christ who gave of his life to help others.
We can all do that! Aaron and Kendra are doing that now, in Rwanda. They'll admit they don't have the skills, but they do have what's necessary, faith and passion. That's enough!
To accomplish our mission we simply have to have faith and begin, God does the rest.
And when we do, God gets the glory!
Peace ><>
pc
2 comments:
AsI read this morning's scripture, (even before I read your blog) the 1 verse that jumped out at me was Ephesians 3:6.
The Jews at that time thought they had cornered the market on God. They couldn't believe that God would love and accept a Gentile, much less welcome a Gentile into the "family of God." I pray that today God will help me to open my eyes and my heart to all His children and to reach out to them all so they can be welcomed into not only His family, but our COFS family!
Today I find myself asking, "who is it that I am unwilling to beleive that God could love and welcome into His family?"
I live my entire life with faith. Faith in our awesome Father.Faith in his promises.Faith in the mission he has given us.
Faith means 'stepping out of the boat and into the crashing waves where Jesus is'. That is what our church must do - step out of the safe haven of the boat and into the crashing waves...Jesus is there and where Jesus is is where we should be!
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