On a Mission from God - Part 3
Tonight is the 3rd in a series of short “blog posts” to help refresh, renew, and refocus our church on a clear sense of mission.
The Bible paints a picture of Christianity filled with deep joy, transformed lives, and believers having an impact on the world around them.
Yet more often than not, we see believers today experiencing Christianity as something utterly unlike what is seen in the New Testament.
Far more common today is. . .
experiencing Christianity as an impossible list of rules to keep, rather than a life-giving relationship with God.
feeling chronically defeated and unable to make real spiritual progress.
having great difficulty finding a vibrant, strong, and gracious group of Christians to help them grow, conquer sin, and navigate the challenges of life.
On the whole, a lukewarm faith — where zealously following Jesus is more legalistic drudgery than joy-giving delight — seems to be "normal".
According to Scripture, this simply IS NOT God's desire for his people.
God’s gracious desire is for us overcome these challenges and become far more like the joy-filled, life-changing, world-impacting Church shown to us in the New Testament.
. . .But this type of spiritual flourishing is only accomplished on His terms, in His ways.
God's ends are accomplished by God's means.
As we continue with this series, I will discuss some of those ways and means. But for now, I will leave you with this critical truth.
God wants his people, and Colomokee, to experience following Him as deeply satisfying and profoundly life-changing. Following Jesus is meant to be filled with inexpressible joy, full of glory (1 Peter 1:8).
Let us fully embrace that as a church and, hearts bursting with faith, seek nothing less than that — not just for ourselves — but for one another.
Pastor Josh