Being Ordinarily Equipped To Reach Our Neighbors

Throughout the Bible, we see time and time again God using the most unlikely individuals as messengers to reach His people. We sometimes fail to realize that the primary way God has chosen to reach people is through ordinary people. 1 Corinthians 1:27–29 tells us why He does this: “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.” God chooses to use people, because in doing so, He receives the maximum glory as He works in our lives in spite of our weaknesses. This concept is correct in us today as well as in the very apostles that Jesus chose over 2000 years ago. Some people get uncomfortable when it is mentioned that these men were not perfect. We have a tendency to lift up these men and think that they were perfect, holy, and without blame. An honest look in the pages of scripture would reveal a different idea. These men were not scholars, they were not religious leaders, and as a matter of fact they were quite ordinary, and far from what would be characterized as leaders by most. The way these men are portrayed in the bible demonstrated their humanness. The Bible does not hide the characteristics of these men. It presents God as perfect, and it presents the apostles in their true human character, problems and all. Jesus did not call them because of how great they were, He chose them because of how insignificant they were. He did not seek out men that were proud, rich, or those that had a formal education. He wanted men that He could teach and mold to His image. Jesus took a personal role in their lives and this is what made the difference in the apostles. All the apostles had to do was make sure they were available and obedient to their master’s call.

Jesus selected these twelve men to change the world. Many today would ask, “What was He thinking when He chose those men?”
Let’s be serious, a zealot who was a sworn enemy of Rome, a tax collector who worked for Rome, and a few fishermen. What could these men possibly contribute? They were not highly educated men, they were not theologians, they were common men asked to team up and work together for a common purpose–God’s purpose. It would be these men that would impact the world by the power of the Holy Spirit and their difficulties and triumphs are recorded in history for us to learn from.

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus gives a command to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” Then, He gives the apostles a few words of encouragement knowing fully the task that was before them. “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” What else do we need if we have the Holy Spirit with us?

As community is rolled out in our neighborhoods, you can bet that there will be some difficulties and challenges. But at the same time, we can expect that the Lord will be right there with us. You just need to make yourself available and be obedient to His call and right now you are called to be a light in your neighborhood. The command that Jesus gives in Matthew 28 is one that tells us to go out and engage our neighbors and bring them the good news. You’re already equipped to do that.

by Mike Steinwender

Confessions of Inconsistency or The Church Cart before the Church Horse

I cannot tell you how many times I have taught or have been taught by others that “context is key.” The basic idea is, if you want to accurately understand a passage of scripture, then you must analyze the context in which it was written. This principle is deeply ingrained in the way I study the Bible. Or so I thought. To my surprise, I recently discovered that I have not been consistent with this principle as it pertains to a particular passage of scripture.

Over the years, I have often thought about what the church ought to be and do. One passage that I have been drawn to in this regard is Acts 2:42-47. I would read this description of the early church and try to imitate their example. They met together, prayed together, ate together, and devoted themselves to the apostle’s teachings. After years of reading this passage, I have become very familiar.

But one day it struck me: this passage needs to be seen in its context. This may not be enlightening, but Acts 2:42 comes after Acts 2:41, and those both follow Acts 1:8.  In chapter one Jesus gave the newly formed church a huge task. They were to take the gospel everywhere, including the very ends of the earth. When we come to Acts 2:41, we read that 3,000 people were added to the church. 

Then we get to Acts 2:42-47. There was a reason they were meeting together, eating together, selling things in order to meet each other’s needs, and devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching. They were responding to what had happened earlier in the book.  Jesus sent them on a mission. In order to accomplish this mission, the early church needed to meet together, to pray together, to share with those in need. These were things that were essential to accomplishing the task that Jesus sent them on.

As I examined my life and ministry I realized how frequently I tried
to imitate the activities of Acts 2:42; I would meet with people
(often good friends), eat with them, pray with them. In taking part of these activities, I thought that I was being faithful to what the early Church did. 

I was wrong! The early church did not just meet together for the sake of meeting; they were meeting together for the purpose of taking the Gospel throughout their town and even to the ends of the earth. The central issue was not meeting, sharing, or eating together (even though they did those things). The primary issue was accomplishing the mission that Jesus gave them to fulfill.

If I am passionate about reaching a particular area (e.g., my neighborhood), then it makes sense for me to meet with other people who share in that same passion. But rather than simply meeting for the sake of meeting, I should probably meet with them in order to figure out how to best care and pray for that area. My problem has been that I have not been reading Acts in context. I need to remember that Acts 1:8 comes before Acts 2.  Taking the gospel throughout the region needs to be primary. Meeting together is a good thing, but it cannot be an end in itself. In the early church, it was a means to an end. And that end is fulfilling the mission that Jesus has given us.

The Power of the Resurrected Christ is Within Us!

It’s one thing to say that you know Christ; it’s another to say that you know the power of the resurrection of Christ. This difference would be the same as saying one “knows a person” and one who “wants to resemble a person.” It’s not about the relationship but about super-
natural character growth. In Philippians 3:10 it says, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.” When the author Paul says, “I want to know Him (Christ),” he means he wants to be with Him. When he says, “I want to know the power of His resurrection,” he means he wants to be just like Him.

Look at your life, your lifestyle, and the part that would be considered the deadness in your life.  For some, this is the time before you lived in faith of Christ’s death and resurrection. For others, this is when you currently live without faith. For example: How do you treat others?  How often do you pursue your own personal gain?  How are you going to turn that into pursuing the gain of others toward Christ’s kingdom? Look at your insecurity. How is that going to be turned into confidence? Look at the self-centeredness. How is that going to be turned into compassion and generosity? How? The answer is letting the dead part to be taken over by the Spirit of God. The second you decide to live in faith of the resurrected Christ, you let the Spirit of God, the same Spirit that resurrected Christ from the dead, take over and lead you. In Galatians 5:16-18 it says, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

We are not to live in a way that satisfies our deadness, the things that gratify the desires of the flesh, but rather live in the Spirit. When we live in the Spirit, it promises to produce something that isn’t possible within ourselves. In Philippians 4:13, Paul says, “We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.” It’s in Christ’s resurrected power, the power of the Spirit that dwells within us as we live in faith, that produces a fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-26, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” Amazingly, we can strive to become or display any or all of these fruits and never accomplish it on our own. The only lasting change comes from living out faith in the resurrected Christ. Thank you God for giving us your Spirit, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead.

by: Pastor Bill Lucas