Picture a cross being plunged into still water and sending out concentric waves. Consider everything inside the waves to be inside the Body of Christ and everything outside the expanding context of the waves to be outside the Body of Christ. Within the context of the outermost wave, the leading edge between the Body of Christ and the spiritually lost world, there are multiple other waves - each creating a smaller context within the other. - Love Leads (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)
- Truth Frees (John 8:31-32)
- Hope Heals (Romans 15:13)
- Faith Works (James 2:14 & 26)
Love is the proper leading edge between the church and the world. Everything that happens in the Body of Christ is meant to happen within the context of love. Consider truth. Truth frees within the context of love, but outside the context of love, truth can be devastating. If I know you love me and have my best interest at heart you can share difficult truth about me with me, and I will listen and prayerfully experience increasing freedom in that area. The same truth used against me outside the context of love will likely raise my defenses and drive me away. Tragically, too many churches lead with truth rather than love, and it drives people away from their only true hope. Speaking of which, briefly consider hope in it's proper context - truth. Just as truth belongs in love, hope belongs in truth. True hope heals, but the only hope outside the context of truth is false hope, which does not help anyone in real life. Finally, God-given faith works with joyful perseverence within the fueling context of hope, but it chokes in an atmosphere of hopelessness.
So, let's look at the commitments we need to make to fulfill our roles in creating these contexts of faith, hope, truth, and love. In order to "Live the Life" (that is the God-centered life that we believe God calls us to live), we commit to....
SHOW THE LOVE by reaching out to, welcoming and serving people from all backgrounds and stages of life.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."- John 13:34-35
SHARE THE TRUTH about God, His word, and ourselves with humility, kindness, and courage.
“Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ.”– Ephesians 4:15
BUILD THE BODY by actively giving our time and treasure to church and community group ministries.
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope…He gave…the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ… from whom 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.” – Ephesians 4:4, 11 & 16
SEND THE SERVANTS by going and helping others go to serve our neighbors and the nations for the advance of the Gospel.
“‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on Him they have not believed? How will they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach unless they are sent?”- Romans 10:13-15
If we will truly worship God and consistently show the love, share the truth, build the body, and send the servants, then I believe we will truly live God-centered lives together and fulfill the great mission God has given us. So, let's 'Live the Life' and watch in awe as God grows us into the God-exalting, life-transforming church that He is calling us to be!
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