Tag Archives: being the church

Being the messenger – Living the message

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I liked the inscription above the doors as you turned to leave the sanctuary where Jim and Priscilla Frier worshipped. It read:

 

“You are now entering the mission field.”

 

They understood that we don’t change the world by going to church, but by being the church once you leave the building. Actions do speak louder than words. That was Paul’s message to the church in Corinth (2 Corinthians 6). Don’t accept God’s gift of grace in vain; don’t receive it only to toss it aside as if it had no value. Instead, today is the day to put God’s grace to work.

 

That’s a helpful message for us today. Wherever we go and under every kind of circumstance we face, we are God’s ambassador. Like it or not, the way we respond to life sends a clear message to those who don’t follow God’s ways (yet). The question is, what kind of an ambassador am I? What message do I communicate? Is it a stepping stone that helps others see the grace of God or a stumbling block that trips them up? Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t make you a super human able to escape the trials of life. But the Spirit of Jesus in us does make it possible to:

Endure instead of give up in times of trouble and hardship.

Remain pure in an Ashley Madison corrupt world.

Be patient in times of stress and sincere in love – even tough love.

Remain truthful when it’s easier to lie and humble in our achievements and victories.

Become peacemakers and uniters instead of dividers.

Invest my life, not waste it.

Remain content whether we have lots or little.

Stay true to the call to be in the world but not of the world; transformed by God, not conformed to worldly ambitions.

 

We live together in this temporary life, believers and unbelievers. We’re warned to not make binding commitments with nonbelievers if it would compromise our faith or integrity. But we’re invited, actually literally commanded, to go out into the world and be salt and light, positive influences that implore others to turn to God, not out of judgment but out of the love and mercy we ourselves have freely received. First on the list though is making sure that we are living the lives of truth and grace before asking others to follow our steps.

 

Lord, reveal to me today anything that may be a stumbling block, not only to others, but in my own relationship with you:
– my heart’s desires and ambitions
– the way handle interruptions
– what I consider to be important
– how I listen – and respond – to others
– the words I speak and my actions too…

Draw me close to you. Help me aim higher.

 

 

The time of your life

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Life is better together. It was the hallmark of the very first churches; people reaching out to live life together. It’s still our call for living today.

 

Last Sunday, eight churches in our community bonded together in an effort called “Reach Out.” Some 1000 volunteers spent 3+ hours throughout the community cleaning gutters, picking up trash, hauling away junk, painting, trimming, visiting and praying…and more. It was a good time of the church BEING the church. Sadly, not everyone knows that the church is not a building. It’s not a set of doctrine. The church is the “body” of believers who are called to live their faith as expressions of love. (Galatians 5:6) Oh that we would express this not just with one great reach out event but daily throughout our lives.

 

Pastor Cory shared the analogy of winning a daily prize. Imagine if you won a prize that awarded you with $86,400 every single day. You could do a LOT with that kind of blessing, right? But there’s a catch. The prize comes with three rules:
1. You have to spend it all every day. What isn’t spent is lost.
2. You can’t transfer it to another account in hopes of hoarding it.
3. The prize might end any day without notice.

 

How would you spend your daily allotment of $86,400 every single day? You could buy a bunch of cars, extra properties, and all the latest doodad technologies. You could eat the finest foods and travel to the most expensive places. Or you could feed a lot of people, pay for the tuition for endless students eager to learn if they just had the opportunity. You could provide homes for the homeless and jobs for the jobless. With $86,400 a day, you could have “the time of your life!”

 

The truth is we are all winners of that very prize, except instead of dollars, our prize is time. Each day we are given 86,400 seconds to spend however we choose. We can indulge ourselves or “spend ourselves on behalf of the hungry” (Isaiah 58:10). The time is ours and granted everyday. We can’t save it and we aren’t guaranteed that we’ll have it renewed tomorrow. We just have today to invest as we choose.

 

Pastor Cory shared that there are two Greek words for time: “kronos” which signifies the time we measure with a ticking clock, and “kairos” which is a period of opportunity. This “kairos” time is what is mentioned in Colossians 4:5-6:

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

 

Elizabeth Kubler Ross said that it’s only when we truly understand that we have limited time that we will live fully. Make the most of every opportunity. Live fully. Don’t waste your life. That’s the “kairos” moment you and I have today, and each day…while there is still time remaining. How do you get started?

 

You could put a sticky note up with the number 86,400 written on it to remind you on the limited time opportunity you have today; the gift you’ve been given to “live wisely.” You could set up a recurring appointment in your calendar to remind you to give daily thanks for the time you have and the wisdom to use it wisely. You could set up an appointment every week or every month to intentionally encourage someone with a note, a phone call, or a gift of service. Go help a neighbor who is sick. Mow their lawn. Bring them a meal or a milk shake. If someone has a big project, offer to help. Send an anonymous gift to someone who is struggling financially. Share the love of God without judging others. There are lots of ways to seize the opportunity and use the time you have for the most impact.

 

For Christians we have this one call to tell people about the love of Jesus and to live lives that demonstrate that love in practical ways. . . to build the kingdom of God starting right where we are, with the time that is given us.

 

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” J.R.R. Tolkien

 

It’s the time of your life. Live it wisely, my friend.