Either way...it's our responsibility...
It's been a while since I posted on the blog. Many things have been going on...my apologies. One of the things brewing for the past bit is the direction of the church here in Lima. Do we rely on God and do the work ourselves or do we give it to The Crossing and let them take it on. Well, here's my take.
Either way, it's our responsibility. That is simply the crux of the matter. No one can work out your faith and relationship in Christ for you. YOU must do it. Simply put, we don't want to put in the time it is going to require in order to disciple someone. It is a difficult task, full of pain, strife and time. Yet, it is the most rewarding time too. To see someone go from milk to meat is something that in the Christian walk, means the world. Every time I go to serve others, it is THEM who minister to me. My eyes get opened to things that I hadn't seen before...ears to things that I hadn't heard, and my feet take me places I never thought possible. Oh yes, change is inevitable. Do you resist the change, or are you willing to be uncomfortable for Christ?
It doesn't matter if we decide to do this under our own abilities with God as the guide or whether God uses The Crossing to come in here and make the necessary changes for us to be relevant. Either way, God will use it. Either way, it is up to us...it is our responsibility...and if we aren't willing to take on the task of building relationships for Christ, then it begs the question, are you really a Christian? Do you really Love Christ? It isn't designed to offend you. It isn't designed to make you mad. The question is there for you to seriously take on the task of discovering what is most important to you. There are things in this world that I hate giving up. I love golf, video games and vegging out in front of a TV. However, if they get in the way of discipling someone, I must be willing to give them up. And I have...sometimes more effectively than others...however, it is necessary for me to be willing to give up all that is near and dear to me in order to 'work out my salvation'.
Here is a quote from "Forgotten God" by Francis Chan. Chapter 6, page 132.
"Suppose I bake a loaf of bread and you asked me, 'Which ingredient is more important, the yeast or the flour?' I would look at my still-warm loaf of bread and reply that both are fundamentally necessary to the making of bread; you simply would not have bread without both yeast and flour. This illustration bears a similarity to our spiritual lives. If we never responded to God, if we never acted based on what He has done for us, there wouldn't be much of a relationship there. God is still real and moving, but at some point we have to respond and act because of what He's done. Like yeast and flour are both necessary in to bread, both God's action and our response-action are necessary in this relationship with God."
Faith and works are inseperable. We must be willing to work out our faith. Our actions are a direct and constant response to what God has done and provided us with in His Son, Jesus Christ. Either it is an affirmation of what we have already undertaken in our confession and baptism, or it is a denial of it. If we are not willing to take on relational discipleship and committing time for small groups and relationship building, then we need to re-evaluate our walk with Christ.
Did you catch that? It is more than working as a custodian in a church, serving at the fundraiser dinners, making a dessert once in a while for those events, more than just devoting time within the walls of a church. It is about being active outside of these walls. It is about doing it every day of the week...not just on Sunday.
The point is this: either way we go, whether the answer is The Crossing or not, it's our responsibility to work out the salvation given to us by Christ. Your action or lack thereof will determine your answer. My prayer is that you read this with an open mind and heart and evaluate your actions...or lack thereof.
Either way, it's our responsibility. That is simply the crux of the matter. No one can work out your faith and relationship in Christ for you. YOU must do it. Simply put, we don't want to put in the time it is going to require in order to disciple someone. It is a difficult task, full of pain, strife and time. Yet, it is the most rewarding time too. To see someone go from milk to meat is something that in the Christian walk, means the world. Every time I go to serve others, it is THEM who minister to me. My eyes get opened to things that I hadn't seen before...ears to things that I hadn't heard, and my feet take me places I never thought possible. Oh yes, change is inevitable. Do you resist the change, or are you willing to be uncomfortable for Christ?
It doesn't matter if we decide to do this under our own abilities with God as the guide or whether God uses The Crossing to come in here and make the necessary changes for us to be relevant. Either way, God will use it. Either way, it is up to us...it is our responsibility...and if we aren't willing to take on the task of building relationships for Christ, then it begs the question, are you really a Christian? Do you really Love Christ? It isn't designed to offend you. It isn't designed to make you mad. The question is there for you to seriously take on the task of discovering what is most important to you. There are things in this world that I hate giving up. I love golf, video games and vegging out in front of a TV. However, if they get in the way of discipling someone, I must be willing to give them up. And I have...sometimes more effectively than others...however, it is necessary for me to be willing to give up all that is near and dear to me in order to 'work out my salvation'.
Here is a quote from "Forgotten God" by Francis Chan. Chapter 6, page 132.
"Suppose I bake a loaf of bread and you asked me, 'Which ingredient is more important, the yeast or the flour?' I would look at my still-warm loaf of bread and reply that both are fundamentally necessary to the making of bread; you simply would not have bread without both yeast and flour. This illustration bears a similarity to our spiritual lives. If we never responded to God, if we never acted based on what He has done for us, there wouldn't be much of a relationship there. God is still real and moving, but at some point we have to respond and act because of what He's done. Like yeast and flour are both necessary in to bread, both God's action and our response-action are necessary in this relationship with God."
Faith and works are inseperable. We must be willing to work out our faith. Our actions are a direct and constant response to what God has done and provided us with in His Son, Jesus Christ. Either it is an affirmation of what we have already undertaken in our confession and baptism, or it is a denial of it. If we are not willing to take on relational discipleship and committing time for small groups and relationship building, then we need to re-evaluate our walk with Christ.
Did you catch that? It is more than working as a custodian in a church, serving at the fundraiser dinners, making a dessert once in a while for those events, more than just devoting time within the walls of a church. It is about being active outside of these walls. It is about doing it every day of the week...not just on Sunday.
The point is this: either way we go, whether the answer is The Crossing or not, it's our responsibility to work out the salvation given to us by Christ. Your action or lack thereof will determine your answer. My prayer is that you read this with an open mind and heart and evaluate your actions...or lack thereof.
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