What If…

If Ben Can Move the Island, We Can Move the Church, Part 3

// February 18th, 2009 // What If...

Part 3 is simple yet hard to describe and maybe even harder to do. I'm not sure that it can be accomplished without parts 1 & 2 being in place.

We have to show people a preferred future.  We have to help them see why the way of following Jesus is not just a better way but the only way.  I don't mean sliding into a simple American reading of say John 10:10…where we get what we want = abundant.  Or where we take a communal (to God's people) verse like Jeremiah 29:11 and tell people that God has an amazing plan just for them where everything is going to be just peachy.  This is a tougher call than what it seems.  What does it mean to really show people that the Jesus way is the only way to live in sync with who they were created to be without using the normal shallow arguments that fall by the wayside when real life sets in.

I invite your comments on this post…I mean really. The one thing I again comeback to is time.  We have to let people in and let them see that through the good and bad God is with us, loves us and is shaping us to look more like Jesus.  That is the goal. 

We let them see peace that passes all understanding.
We let them see what it means to have no fear.
We let them see that it's just money & it's not ours anyway.
We let them see that countries and their governments come & go but God's kingdom just keeps going.
We let them into see and hear us talking and listening to God.
We let them see our blessings.
We let them see our hurts.
We let them see our dedication, even when it doesn't make sense.

I think…we let them see; we let them in.  We let them see that God works all things for the good of those who love Him.  But remember why…

I love the quote from Reggie McNeal…"What is the point of the people of God, if the people of God aren't the point."

We must dig into our very very beginnings and realize that we are a people blessed to bless. (Gen. 12) That call on our lives have never gone away.  God sent us to do it; Jesus frees us up to be it; the Holy Spirit empowers us to do it.  Now will we let people in and give them the gifts that God has bestowed on us for them.

What if we lived that way? Wow…the potential is endless.

Peace ~