I Love My Church
Posted November 20, 2009
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 66:19; Romans 1:5; Matthew 28:19-20; Psalms 67:3-4; 86-9; Rev 7:7
I have already said in this devotional that God has called each of us to be a missionary to our local sphere of influence. This is a mandate that every Christian needs to obey. Equally important is the truth that God has called each one of us to participate in cross cultural world missions. God has promised and is deeply passionate about seeing His name glorified in every people group on the planet. Once again, as his people, it is our great privilege to be his hands and feet in this endeavor.
John Piper says, “When it comes to world missions, there are only three kinds of Christians: zealous goers, zealous senders, and disobedient ones.” Some of us will actually be zealous goers and become long-term cross-cultural missionaries. Those of us who are not zealous goers will hopefully be zealous senders. The only other option is to be a disobedient Christian, which essentially means you are not participating in any way in what God is doing around the world to touch the nations.
What is a zealous sender? A zealous sender is someone who has come to the realization that they are not called to be a career cross-cultural missionary. However, they have devoted themselves to doing whatever they can to see the great commission completed in other lands. They will intentionally pursue developing relationships and connection with missionaries. They will commit to pray for missionaries and their work. Their checkbook demonstrates their heart for world evangelization through generous sacrificial giving. They seek to go on short-term trips to assist those on the field and the people they are serving so they gain a greater heart for the ministry. A zealous sender is someone who takes personal responsibility and carries a burden for the people groups God has led them to be involved with. They cry out to God on their behalf and boldly declare that these people belong to God and He will have an inheritance among them. A zealous sender says I’m not called to go, but I’m going to do everything within my power to see the name of Jesus proclaimed and honored among the nations.
Grace church has been blessed in the area of world missions. Not only have we sent out long-term missionaries from Grace, but we also have numerous strategic partnerships with missionaries all over the world. This has come about because the church has made world missions a priority. Through our annual Global Impact Celebration and Advance the Kingdom offering we have raised awareness and funds and given the opportunity to develop meaningful connection with missionaries.
I encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities here at Grace and get involved. If you already are, then praise God and continue to be a zealous sender. If you have not been involved, now is the time to jump in. Look into developing relationships and gaining knowledge about our ministry partners. Start praying and make a plan to invest financially into the ATK. Get involved; it’s an eternal investment and a great way to serve the world!
Posted November 19, 2009
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; 1 Peter 4:10; Ephesians 4:16
God chose to use the church as the vehicle to advance His Kingdom. The church is his body, his bride, and his plan to reach the lost and change the world. The local church has a greater chance to change a community than anything else on the planet. That is the calling of the local church: to transform the community where it resides.
Switch gears for a moment. The human body is an amazing thing. It’s mind boggling when you think about all of the different parts of the body and how all of those different parts must work together in order for the body to function. Think about all of the bones, muscles, joints, arteries, organs, and all of the other parts of the body: each part different and unique yet invaluable to the whole. Without each part doing what it was designed to do, the body would fail to function or become sick. A malfunction to just one small seemingly insignificant part could cause disaster to the entire body. On the other hand, when all the parts are functioning properly, the human body is a truly complex and magnificent thing capable of tremendous accomplishments. The key is that the body must maintain health by every part supplying and contributing what it was made to do.
Paul compared the church to a body in Ephesians. As a matter of fact he actually said that the church is a body, the body of Christ. Paul tells us that Jesus is indeed the head and that “the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” There are several truths that we can glean from this verse. First, that Jesus is the one who holds the church together and causes it to function the way that He designed it to function. Second, that each one of us has a part to play in causing the body to be built up. That’s right, every single one of us has something to contribute. God designed each one of us in a unique way and gave us gifts that the rest of the body would need. The key is to figure out where you fit and then go for it. The body needs you!! Third, we learn that the body can only be truly healthy when each part is contributing. That means that by not stepping in and using our gifts, we could actually hinder the body from performing at maximum capacity.
At Grace we want every member to be serving on a ministry team. Look around and find a ministry that fits your gift. It could be teaching children, rocking babies, welcoming guests, leading a small group, singing in the choir, running sound, etc.
I want to encourage you to begin to look at the church as a body and ask the question am I contributing what God has placed inside of me? Am I helping this church to become all that God intends her to be or am I sitting on the sidelines? I know that God has some amazing things in store for us as a church. To make this happen, we need what you have.
Posted November 18, 2009
Scripture Reading: Matthew 4:19; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23; 1 Peter 3:15; 1 Timothy 1:15
You are a missionary. That’s right, you. When we think of missionaries, we usually think of people who have committed their lives to serving oversees somewhere far away. Most of us never think of ourselves as missionaries, but we are. God has called each one of us to be a missionary to our sphere of influence.
Your sphere is the people that you do life with: your family, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, families in your kid’s soccer league, the people at your gym, etc. God wants you to be a missionary to these people. He wants you to influence them with the gospel. He wants you to love, serve, care for, pray for, build relationships with, and ultimately to proclaim the gospel message to them.
When Jesus called the first disciples, he said, “follow me and I will make you fishers of men”. Evangelism, fishing for men, is a paramount part of the calling of a disciple. Paul said he became all things to all people that he might win some (fishing). Peter said that we should always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks us to give an account for the hope that is in us.
There is a false idea out there in the church that says evangelism is for the few skilled people who have that gift, or just for the pastors. The bible clearly teaches that each one of us needs to assume the calling of being a missionary to those around us. Whoever that might be. If we are going to take that mandate seriously, then we need to learn how to fish.
Evangelism doesn’t come naturally to many people. Most people are intimidated to share their faith with others because they don’t know how to. Another reason that we often times don’t evangelize is because we don’t intentionally make it a priority. Still others would say they don’t evangelize because they don’t really know any lost people anymore.
All of these are valid reasons why we don’t fish, but they all can be overcome. Learning to fish will take time and effort, but we must make it a priority. If you don’t know how to share your faith, then take some time to learn how. There are plenty of resources to help with this. If you don’t know lost people, then you must get intentional about pursuing relationships with people who are lost.
God wants us to reach others. There is no greater joy than being used by God to help bring someone into the kingdom. Let’s purpose to become skilled fishers of men!
Questions for reflection: Do you know how to share your faith with confidence? When was the last time you shared your faith with someone? What steps do you need to take to better prepare yourself to be ready to fish?
Posted November 17, 2009
Scripture Reading: Matthew 23:11-12; Matthew 20:26-27; Philippians 2:3-11
According to Jesus, greatness is measured by the quality of our service to others!! Jesus proved this point. He was the greatest man to ever walk the face of the earth; as a matter of fact He was God, and listen to what He said:
“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” -Matthew 20:28
To reach the world, Jesus served the world. He came to serve and to give His life away. He calls us to that same level of service. That is what makes the message of the cross so unique. Jesus didn’t come with self-seeking ambition, He came to demonstrate self-sacrificing love to serve a world that did not deserve it.
This demonstration of serving was a message that would stand out in a self- centered culture.
A lifestyle of serving and self-sacrifice for the good of others is a direct contradiction to the very nature of man. Because of our sin nature we are given toward selfishness and pride. We are taught to look out for number one and climb over the back of anyone who stands in the way of our objectives. Get yours, or someone one else will.
This thought is so pervasive in our society that any act of genuine love is usually met with skepticism or sheer amazement. Jesus came to demonstrate the unconditional love of an infinitely loving God by serving us.
When we follow in His example and love in this way, this love and service becomes attractive to the world. When we love like that, then others see a genuineness in us that draws them to the author of this love. Even simple acts of loving service can have profound results.
Let’s be imitators of Jesus and go out of our way to serve others. Serving is the onramp to the highway of proclamation. As we serve others, it gives us an open door to tell them about the reason why we are serving. We get to tell them about our Savior who first served us.
Prayer Point: Pray that God would place a servant’s heart within you. Ask God to help you look for opportunities to serve others and to make serving a way of life. Pray specifically that over time God would bring people into the kingdom through your acts of service.
Posted November 15, 2009
Posted November 15, 2009
Posted November 15, 2009
Scripture Reading: Romans 1:16; Romans 5:1-21
Make no mistake about it. The greatest need of every human soul is forgiveness for the sin that has separated it from God their creator. All of us have rebelled against God and are deserving of eternal punishment. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves and be reconciled to God. We are absolutely helpless.
Enter the gospel. The good news of how God did for us what we couldn’t possibly do for ourselves. He sent His Son to live a perfect life and earn righteousness that He would credit to us. He also laid down His life and was crucified to bear the penalty for our sin and incurred the wrath of almighty God so that we wouldn’t have to. As a result, we are reconciled with God and are brought into His family. Our relationship that was broken because of sin is now restored. That is good news. That is the best news you will ever hear.
For those of us who have received this free gift of salvation, it has changed our lives forever. We couldn’t possibly put into words the joy and peace that the gospel has brought to us. Life would have no hope or meaning without the good news of the gospel. The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. The gospel is the message that the world needs to hear.
The answer to the deepest need of every human soul is the gospel. If we know this and we believe it to be true, then we must proclaim the gospel. There is no other option. As those who carry the truth of the gospel inside of us, we would be doing a disservice to the rest of the world by not proclaiming the gospel. It would be a horrible injustice for those of us who have been rescued to not do everything within our power to tell those around us how they can also be rescued.
There are many good things that we can do for people. We can offer food to the hungry. We can give clothing or shelter to the homeless. We can bring medicine to those who are sick. We can give gifts or finances to the less fortunate. These are all good and necessary things that we should do. However, these good things can never take the place of the transforming power of the proclamation of the gospel.
The gospel has always advanced by proclamation. As God’s ambassadors here on earth, He is calling us to passionately proclaim the gospel to a world that desperately needs to here it. We have the good news that the world needs to hear, let’s purpose in our hearts to do all that we can to share it. That is the greatest thing we can do to serve the world.
Prayer Point: Make a commitment to God that you will purpose in your heart to proclaim the gospel to the people that God has placed in your life.
Posted November 13, 2009
For our last day in Love People we will see how love is put into action. The New Testament is full of “one another” commands that are the outworkings of loving people. As you read, imagine your relationships engaged by these powerful works of love. Envision a church where we all are growing in grace to love each other and those outside of us. That’s Jesus’ idea of church! Let’s become that!
Love on another – John 13:34
Outdo one another in showing honor – Romans 12:10
Live in harmony with one another – Romans 12:16
Don’t pass judgment on one another – Romans 14: 13
Accept one another – Romans 15:7
Instruct one another – Romans 15:14
Comfort one another – 2 Corinthians 13:11
Serve one another – Galatians 5:13
Bear one another’s burdens – Galatians 6:2
Bear with one another – Ephesians 4:2
Be kind to one another – Ephesians 4:32
Forgive one another – Ephesians 4:32
Submit to one another – Ephesians 5:21
Encourage one another – 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Stir up one another – Hebrews 10:24
Confess your sins to one another – James 5:16
Pray for one another – James 5:16
Prayer:
Pray for God to clothe you and Grace Church with His love manifest in these ways.
Posted November 12, 2009
Scripture Readings: Ephesians 4:29-32; James 3:1-12
We have an amazing tool to help us convey love to people: our words. Our words can also be used as a weapon that wounds or even kills the soul of those we are called to love. As we grow in our desire to love people like God has loved us, we will also need to grow in how we use our words with others.
Our words reveal what is going on in our hearts, according to Jesus. “Out of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Another way of saying this is – make sure your heart is right before you speak. For in our words is a power to bless or curse people. Wow! That’s amazing! We can tear people apart and bring them down by negative words, angry words, demeaning words. But we can also encourage hearts and build people up by words of blessing, affirmation, acceptance, and goodwill. Our words create an atmosphere in our relationships. You can actually sense the atmosphere around relationships whether they are one of blessing or cursing. When love dominates our hearts our mouth will overflow with life-giving words, just like Jesus’.
Questions:
How is your tongue factor on the blessing scale?
What is going on in your heart if you are being negative or critical?
Give God your tongue and ask him to make it a fountain of blessing.
Posted November 11, 2009
Scripture Readings: Matthew 6:12,14-15; Matthew 18:21-35
Consider this: God created a whole system of law and sacrifices in the Old Testament to address on main issue: forgiveness. There existed a broken relationship between God and us, and we were powerless to make amends. In order for us to experience reconciliation and fellowship with God, forgiveness was essential. There can be no reconciliation without forgiveness. It is the key to restoring broken relationships. Christ came and completed God’s act of forgiving sinners once and for all. There can be no more done to forgive you than what Christ did by dying on the cross. The way of reconciliation is now open so we can experience God’s love freely.
If this is so, then it must be significant in our loving people. When you also consider Jesus’ teaching in Matthew, you are struck with the seriousness of not forgiving others. If pride makes us feel better than others, unforgiveness makes us feel people are in our debt without a means to pay. And Jesus makes is clear that God does not like this and gets extremely angry at us if we are unforgiving.
So unforgiveness leaves us living in a loveless prison. It is the opposite of all God has done in reconciling people to Himself. When we don’t forgive we oppose the very grace God is offering us and keep ourselves living under the bondage of judgment. We aren’t designed to hold people in our debt, rather to forgive them even as we have been forgiven.
We all need to be forgiven and to forgive others. It is a part of relationships here on earth. God shows us the way to forgive. Now it’s our turn to give it away to others.
Meditate on God’s love for you that sought you to forgive you. Embrace it and enjoy it.
Ask God to show you anyone you haven’t forgiven.
Forgive them from your heart.
If there is a need to go to them, make a plan to do so.
Pray for and speak blessing over their lives.
Posted November 10, 2009
Scripture Readings: Matthew 7:1-5
While we are created to love people just like God loves, it doesn’t mean this is without problems. Without desiring to sound simplistic, all of our relationship problems come from pride. When you read the words of Jesus and watch how he treated people you realize he moved in love always because he was humble. He also spoke to heart issues that keep us from loving people.
Here in Matthew, He tackles a huge manifestation of pride: judgmentalism. Pride inflates our view of ourselves and deflates our estimation of others. So being judgmental is our pride magnifying another’s faults and shrinking ours. Jesus contradicts our pride with a bucket of cold water to bring us to our senses and see how it really is. Until we see our own sin and weakness, as it really is – a log – we will never be able to help another with their sin – a speck now since you see it without pride.
How many times does this play into your relationships? Far more than we realize! Think about when you get defensive or accusatory or authoritative about someone’s problems – you are moving in pride and you need to humble yourself. You are being a judge over them and you cannot see clearly about them or yourself.
The other problem with pride in the form of being judgmental is you can’t see your own blind spot. When we walk in humility with each other we can help each other get the specks out of each other’s eyes and grow! Amazing! God knows what makes relationships work! Let’s follow Him!
Thoughts for Prayer:
Ask God to search your heart for hidden pride. Sometimes it comes in the form of anger at someone or your circumstances. Other times it is in the form of hurt – wounded pride.
Take your pride to the cross and let it die with Christ. It is the essence of sin, so see it crucified with Christ.
Take up your new life with Christ, which is clothed with humility because God loves you and is for you.
Ask what areas you are judging others in and repent.
Ask someone you trust to speak into your life and share what they see in you that needs help.
Posted November 8, 2009
