Ask yourself, “If a congregation of God’s people has been in a community for 10, 50, 100 years, freely receiving God’s abundant love and then going out into their community to freely offer that love to neighbors, co-workers, fellow-students, and strangers, what could you expect the effect to be on that community?”
If for 10, 50, 100 years, the community has been on the receiving end of such consistent, abundant, personal love - in the form of hospitality, service, advocacy, encouragement, good news, laughter, joy, and peace - what do you think the result would be?
Would you not be able to expect that a community would be completely transformed because a congregation had been actively loving it for 10. 50, 100 years?
So, why don’t we see it happening?
Take your congregation, as an example, how long has it been in existence in your community? How many years… or decades? After that amount of time, what has been the effect on your community? Has it been transformed by your congregation’? Or has it not even noticed you’re there?
In Matthew 10:8, Jesus says, “Freely you have received, freely give.” In John 13:34, He says, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” In Ephesians 5:2, Paul says, “Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us.”
What if we did? Personally. On purpose. Consistently. Each day. Freely receiving Jesus’ abundant love, and then freely offering it to the people around us.
For 10, 50, 100 years, if we had followed Jesus’ simple practice and instruction, it would have been transformative for our community.
So, why ARE’NT we seeing such transformation?
Simple.
We haven’t been doing what Jesus gifted us and told us to do.
We have been freely receiving His abundant love for decades, but we haven’t been going back home, back to work, back to school and looking for those who need a little of what we have in abundance.
And, frankly, your community is suffering because of it.
We shake our heads in disgust as we judge our community and complain about the people, even though Christians are the main reason our community remains on a downward spiral - namely, we Christians aren’t doing the one thing Jesus gifted us and told us to do… we’re not freely and personally offering the main antidote for what is eroding the people of our community… God’s redemptive love.
But what if we did? What if we started?
What if, starting this Sunday, we became clearer about what our congregation’s true purpose is in our community?
What if, starting ASAP, we began offering simple training for how to join Jesus in freely, personally giving out God’s love to those around us?
What if we did?
We wouldn’t have to wait 10, 50, 100 years to see the effect.
Because God’s love works… when we use it.
P.S. I can help you and your congregation gain clarity and offer training for how to join Jesus on His mission in your community. It’s simple, it’s biblical, and it works. Contact me via email: finkeonthemove@gmail.com. Note: A sermon series and Bible class on “Joining Jesus” is an important start, but is not training. Training means having a process to gain experience, skill, and confidence for joining Jesus in real life. Let me help. Training > Books
P.P.S. If you think your congregation is not yet ready for this step, I offer “First-Step Retreats” here in St. Paul to help pastors craft a simple strategy for leading their congregations forward. Contact me and we can see if this is a good fit for you.