We Bear His Name

“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.” Ephesians 5:1-2

The story goes that a young boy was brought before Alexander the Great for stealing a horse. Alexander saw how young he was and heard his story and decided he would go easy on him. Getting ready to release him, Alexander asked the young boy, “What is your name?” He replied, “Alexander, sir.” Alexander the Great was furious and asked him again, “What is your name?” The boy, this time with fear in his voice said, “Alexander, sir.” In anger, Alexander the Great threw the boy to the ground pointed at him and said, “Boy, change your conduct, or change your name.”

I wonder, are we a good representative of the name of Christ, or would the cause of Christ be better served if we did not call our self a Christian? Being His child is a privilege and an honor. In order not to shame His name our goal should be to live a life of love just like He did. How can we be a good representative of His name today?

Ewj2008

A New Word with a Forgotten Message; Missional

I recently attended a Conference in which I had the wonderful opportunity to hear Dr. Ed Stetzer. While preaching he used a word “Missional,” a word that I have heard before but never really understood. I learned that a church that is not missional is not really a church. When a church loses its mission, it ceases to be a church.

Missional is an adjective describing all of the activities of the church body as they are brought under the mission of God, to proclaim the good news of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. Being on mission very easily becomes one activity in church among many others begging for attention. Over time churches allow meetings, programs, traditions and other good things to cumulatively move the church from missional mode to maintenance mode. A church must continuously see itself as missionaries and all of its energies must be missionary.

A missional church understands it has been sent into an irreligious world to proclaim the Gospel of Redemption that is made possible by the Son's sacrifice for our sins and the Father's love for us. Every believer is sent on this mission by God just as Jesus was sent on this mission (John 17:14-16, 18; 20:21). To respond to this calling is to be missional. To neglect it is to disregard the mission of God and to cease being the kind of church that is following Jesus.

What is a missional church?

A missional church is a theologically-formed, Gospel-centered, Spirit-led fellowship who seeks to faithfully incarnate the purposes of Christ. The mission of the church is found in the mission of God who is calling the church to passionately participate in God's redemptive mission in the world (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8) - a world that has radically changed in North American in the last 50 years. This church, and every generation in the church is called to bring the good news of the kingdom into a spiritual encounter with the aspirations and challenges of that culture where it resides. Believers are on a mission from God.

In many churches this may require a new vision, new ways of thinking, and new patterns of behavior (Matt. 9:16-17). This means pre-believers are encouraged to be included in the context of all of the church functions as they make small steps toward Christ (Luke 19:10).

A missional church must adopt an approach to ministry learned from the foreign missionaries who communicate and relate in understandable ways to the godless inhabitants in their respective cultures (1 Cor. 9:22-23).

John 20:21, "Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you."

Dr Ed Stezer preached a message that I will never forget and a message that has given me fire in my bones.. He said, To be missional, is to understand that “We are sent to all people, with a message, Empowered by the Holy Spirit”

Ewj2008

Telling The One's Closest To You About Jesus Without Pushing Them Away!

Every Christian has either a family member, a friend, co-worker, or an acquaintance who is not a Christian. Sharing the Gospel with others is always difficult. Sharing the Gospel becomes even more difficult when it involves someone with whom you are close. The Bible tells us that some people will be offended at the Gospel (Luke 12:51-53). It is especially troubling to risk offending someone with whom you have frequent contact. However, we are commanded to share the Gospel – there are no excuses for not doing so (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15).

So, how can we evangelize our family members, friends, co-workers, and/or acquaintances? The most important thing you can be doing is praying for them. Pray that God would change their hearts and open their eyes (2 Corinthians 4:4) to the truth of the Gospel. Pray that God would convince them of His love for them and their need for salvation through Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Pray for wisdom in how you can minister to them (James 1:5). In addition to praying, you also need to be living a godly Christian life in front of them, so they can see the change God has made in your own life (1 Peter 3:1-2).

After all of this, you must be willing and bold in your actual sharing of the Gospel. Proclaim the message of salvation through Jesus Christ to your friends and family (Romans 10:9-10). Always be prepared to speak of your faith (1 Peter 3:15), doing so with gentleness and respect. Ultimately, we must leave the salvation of our loved ones up to God. It is God's power and grace that saves people, not our efforts. The best and most we can do is pray for them, witness to them, and live the Christian life in front of them!

Ewj2008