This last sermon series has given me great pause to think some things through and listen to God. The church, as a whole, seems to still be so very divided and many times just downright hateful. We see posts that say, “If you are a true Christian then you should do this or that” and leaving one with the impression that if you don’t agree with them then you are not a Christian. I realize much of this comes from the state of the culture today bleeding into the church theology. But today I had an eye-opening moment from God. I asked how we got here, I was reminded of these words, “Make disciples for the transformation of the world.”
Now at first glance, that sounds wonderful. And if we did this that would be great. But these many years later, we begin to see where slogans can go awry. Here is what struck me today. The church is really only doing the second part and not the first. The emphasis is always on “transformation of the world” by whatever means necessary. Oh yeah and along the way try to make a disciple or two, even if you must compromise the Gospel.
You see, what started well with good intentions, and I believe godly wisdom, has now been warped by earthly desires, or as James puts it, “jealousy and selfish-ambition” (James 3:13-15). It is so easy to fall into this trap and all of us do it. I think the key is to learn to be aware of it.
To my colleagues who may have fallen into this trap, I implore you to repent and return to God. Remember Jesus did not send the disciples out to overthrow the government. He never sent them to impeach Caesar. But Jesus does teach us to serve and help one another. He teaches us to love our enemies. And Paul teaches us this: “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:11-12. Maybe you are fighting the wrong battle.
For the remainder of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Serve those in your sphere of influence. Ask God for wisdom and to make you fruitful. Give some food to those who are hungry. Lay hands on and pray for those who are sick. Give a cool drink to your garbage collector, mailman/woman, help your neighbor even if they are grumpy. Share Jesus with everyone in both your actions and WORDS. Tell them. Invite them. You will find transformation in your life and the life others. God will make it happen through you.