Uncategorized Murray McLellan on 14 Aug 2008 08:20 am
Total Church Day Two
This blog will be much shorter as I am typing just before running out the door for day 3! Our hosts, Dan and Debby Jester, took us to a Padres’ game last night. (Sorry, Honey, that’s why I missed your call last night. I love you, Cheryl!)
I will just drop a few quotes or. more likely, paraphrases from my notes from various sessions.
The world thinks it is bad news that the reign of God (the kingdom of Jesus) has come near. The church is to manifest that it is not bad news but that it is good and wonderful to be under King Jesus. The church is a foretaste of the new creation.
Our love for one another reveals how much we really believe the gospel. Are we truly sharing life together - or worshipping idols of self or family or money or vacations or ??? Our gods often show up in the form of excuses, anxieties, fears etc.
We are a consumer culture and often people approach church that way - looking at what the church provides (i.e. does it have a great program for my children etc.)
Church is a community (not an event). Mission is not an event but a lifestyle. We live ordinary lives with gospel intentionality.
As we read through the OT and see the failure of Israel to be a light to the nations - in fact, according to Romans 2, they made things worse. We need a faithful Israel who fulfills the calling to make God known to the nations. Jesus is faithful Israel! Praise Jesus - the light of the world. God is not a tyrant as Satan would have people believe - from the lie in the Garden to HIs ongoing lie. Peace and freedom and love and life are found in Jesus the King and being near to Him!
God’s people are not to make images of God - because we are to be God’s image to the world as a community. God makes Himself known - His love -His wonder - His ways - in the life of the community.
