Where do I begin???
Looking through my posts and wrestiling with what the Lord has been showing me has brought me to a new place in ministry. I think that this transition and growth have been good. It has left me with quite a few questions and slowly but surely through prayer and the counsel of others the answers are coming.
To tie back into today’s post. What is your burden for the ministry? Over on the SMP the guys have been stewing and chewing this subject. My desire is that my church would grow and that we would be reaching the world with the gospel and love of Jesus Christ, and yet I think my burden must go beyond that to one of a personal nature. I must care and love so deeply those entrusted to my discipling that they too are my burden. Likewise each member of the body must be burdened with one another, so that our lives can connect we can intertwine and truly find unity and Koinonia in the love of Jesus. As told me by a wise brother “If we aren’t willing to take the time to care for one another, then we will never care to take our faith outside our 4 walls (the church)”. I think I have been so focused on the product that I have missed the equation. Chuck Smith is quoted as saying “sheep begat sheep”, if this is true than what kind of sheep are we producing if Love is not our first focus. Paul would tell us that without Love we are nothing (bad paraphrase). I admit it I have wanted to see the heart of a servant, the willingness to serve, the desire to follow God without abandon from every single person who is apart of our body. Yet have I given them a drink of water, given them food, given them a place to lay their head. I have not done as my saviour did, in living, loving and showing limitless grace to those around me. I want to be Jesus to those around me, and in doing so hopefully produce an ambassador for Him. I guess what I am saying is once I remove this plank, let me help you remove yours and wait for you to heal before I send you back out to battle.
bryonm said
Good post. We need to examine ourselves daily regarding this. If I can’t love the ones I’m comfortable with, know, and care about, how can I love those I don’t know or have never met?
Word up.
bluefreak57 said
byronm,
I think the real challenge is loving after you get to know them, I mean it is easy to love somebody your barely know. It is a different story when you see them good, bad, and ugly. I mean I think we can play ____ (fill in the blank – church, life, etc..) pretty well, it is alot different when it is real.
anotherjarvi said
I agree. I’ve been thinking about this, and wondering what the implications of this are. If we are called to serve each other, to bear each others’ burdens, to encourage each other daily, -to serve each other, proverbially (and/or literally) washing each others’ feet, -and we are, we need to be more a part of each others’ lives than meeting for 2 hours twice a week to say hello. Is the modern North American church format enough? Are our churches full of rich-young-rulers?
I know His grace is enough, and I don’t want to be discouraging, but I wonder. Lord, help us to be effective for You.
bluefreak57 said
anotherjarvi,
I understand what you are saying I would love to corral all of us into a commune., but then there’s that whole be in the world but not of the world thing. Yet the dilemma exists; How do we truly live as we were intended to?
Acts 2:42-47
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. “