If We Are the Body

           Last night I went to The Exchange at Woodridge church, and I listened to a sermon about homosexuality. No, I’m not going to talk about homosexuality, but I am going to use it as an example to show how non-Christians view us as a church. A shocking 91% say we are anti-homosexual. Note that this is not anti-homosexualITY, but anti-homosexuAL. Essentially, 91% of non-Christians think we as a body are completely against people who are homosexual. This is just one of many statistics about how people view the church….is this really how we want to be viewed? It makes me wonder people view us about other issues. Too judgmental? Stereotypical? Hypocritical? Not respectful of other people’s beliefs? I don’t know about you, but if this is the rap that Christianity is getting, I think that something has gone terribly wrong.
          Let’s look at Jesus. Was Jesus judgmental? No. “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world” (John 12: 46, 47).  Jesus ate with sinners- he didn’t have a haughty greater-than-thou attitude at all. He welcomed them in and accepted them as they were - which is probably why He was able to reach so many. Did Jesus stereotype? Nope. In John 4: 1-12 Jesus went to the well for a drink of water. A woman came to the well while Jesus was resting, and He asked her for a drink. Jesus was a Jew and the woman was Samaritan- in that time, it was unheard of for a Jew to associate with a Samaritan. But Jesus was different. He asked the woman for a drink of water, and began to speak to her about her past even though they had never met before. Jesus didn’t walk away from the well just because a Samaritan was there as well- He sat and spoke with her just as He would with anyone else. Was Jesus hypocritical? “Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could become right with God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).  He lived what He preached. Was Jesus not respectful of other’s beliefs? Not as far as I can see. With all the scripture that I’ve read, I’ve never come across an instance where Jesus was forcing His beliefs on another person. Although he stressed that there was a great deal of sin present in the world and in idol worshipping religions, I think that He did so very respectfully.

          Here’s my point: If we are the body of Christ, why aren’t Christ’s qualities prevailing over the sinful qualities? People view us the wrong way entirely- or maybe not. Maybe we really are judgmental, stereotypical, hypocritical, not respectful, and the like. Regardless- Jesus had none of those qualities. Shouldn’t we as Christians strive to be like Christ? When Jesus says “Come, follow me,” He is placing His faith in us. Essentially He’s saying- hey, I think that you are good enough to live like me from this point on. So, come on and follow me, and I’ll teach you how to be righteous like I am. Back then, it was a REALLY big deal for someone to tell you that. Usually, the people who were chosen as disciples of a Rabbi had been studying the Torah their entire lives, and had even memorized the ENTIRE THING! That’s the whole Old Testament! It takes an incredible amount of faith in someone to say those three simple words, “Come, follow me,” yet Jesus placed his faith in the entire world- that was, and is, and is to come. He deems us worthy to follow Him.

          Here’s my challenge for you (and me) this week: Live like Jesus believes you can. Have the faith in yourself that Christ has in you.

          Please join us for Worship Night Part III this week! Stay updated on facebook, the group Psalm 150. I hope to see you there! GOD BLESS YOU ALL THIS WEEK!

Aftermath - Hillsong

Love, Mya Grace

The Gospel

In our generation, there are more people who haven’t heard the gospel message than in any other generation since the time of Jesus. It’s sort of ironic, isn’t it? We have so many more methods of communication than they did- facebook, twitter, cellphones, TV, and the like. All they had were the sandals on their feet and the message that the Jesus had given them, “to go out into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Yet, the latter are more successful than we are today. Why? Maybe it’s because they were obedient, and they intended to complete the task that Jesus gave them.  Maybe they weren’t ashamed of the gospel, and they believed it to be the power of salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). Maybe they put their faith in God’s power alone. Who knows? No one. But one thing I do know and believe: If we turn our eyes to Christ and choose Him over the things of this world, our generation can be one of the most powerful generations for God that has ever existed.

Many people believe that we are a “chosen generation.” I can’t count on my fingers and toes combined the number of times I’ve heard it. Whatever this esteemed title entails, I know that it’s something BIG. Something that is going to change the world. But, how do we reach those in our generation who don’t know the Lord? It’s easy. We put on the sandals that God has prepared for us with the message of peace- the Gospel. We let that message reap peace wherever we step so that the paths that we take are changed for good. So….what is this message of peace?

Here’s how I think of it (thanks to the video posted below): God Our Sin Paying Everyone Life. (Notice the GOSPEL? Clever, huh?) And, according to Dare2Share (also posted below), the Gospel goes like this:

1.       God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1 and 2)
2.       Our sin separates us from God. (Genesis 3)
3.       Sin cannot be removed by good deeds. (Genesis 4, Malichi 4)
4.       Paying the price for all sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew, Luke)
5.       Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life. (John)
6.       Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever. (Acts, Revelation)

(Notice yet another GOSPEL?) This is the message that we need to carry with us wherever we go. This doesn’t mean we get to shove it down people’s throats or force it upon them in any way. We just have to let the Spirit work in us and through us to get His message across. Remember, we’re called to be empty vessels that are ready to be filled with God’s work. The change starts here. If we’re ready to see a change within us and in the world, knowing and believing the Gospel is the first step.

If someone you share with believes the Gospel, pray with them. Pray the sinner’s prayer:

“Dear Lord, I know that I have sinned. I believe that you sent your Son Jesus to die for me on the cross. I trust in You alone to keep me. Please forgive me for sinning against you, and come into my life to work through me.”

Or something along the lines of that. If you have thoughts, questions, prayer requests, or anything else comment below (please leave a screen name or something, not just anonymous)! Please please PLEASE check out these links! Dare2Share is a great organization that is impacting Christians everywhere. They made the video as well as the website listed below. Also, I found this scripture super encouraging this week. I hope you find it to be the same!

“His wounds became your healing. You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going. Now you are named and kept for good by the shepherd of your souls.” I Peter 2 (The Message).

Love you guys so much!
Mya Grace  

http://www.dare2share.org/gospeljourney/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gb7n9B_8m8