"But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear." Matthew 13:16
Many people think vision is simply allowing your eyes to focus on what is before you. However, vision for the believer is much greater than this. It is the ability to see beyond the present and into the potential of tomorrow.
I went into a sporting goods store a while back and put on a pair of polarized sun glasses at one of the displays that read, "Try me." Putting on the glasses I looked at the display and was amazed as images that I had not seen just moments before, began to materialize. These simple images were there the whole time, yet without the effects of the lenses I was completely unaware. I continued to lift the glasses up and down on my face. I was amazed at how quickly the pictures would disappear without the power of the polarized vision.
Walking away from the store display, the Holy Spirit began showing me the same comparison between our physical and spiritual vision. He softly reminded me that if we are not careful, we will simply look at life's situations through the eyes of the flesh and miss all that is truly present and at work in the Spirit. Much like responding to the advertisement, God desires that we heed his invitation to "Try me." Only when we spend time in his presence will our eyes begin to focus on those things that only moments before were unseen and overlooked.
Is life wearing you down? Has its trials and troubles stolen your joy and sense of purpose? If so, maybe the greatest need is not an immediate solution to your present situation, but the ability to see beyond it. If standing one minute in front of a store display can improve physical vision, what could a minute standing in God's presence do? Why not spend some time reflecting on who God is and watch how quickly your vision for life comes back.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
The Church the Un-churched Needs
Missional means adopting the posture of a missionary, learning and adapting to the culture around you while remaining biblically sound. (Planting Missional Churches by Ed Stetzer)
Churches in the American culture have been marginalized and pushed to the edge of our society. Either because of, or due to the fact, that the American church has become inwardly focused, gone into maintenance mode. In order for churches to become healthy and vibrant once again means that they must reverse this trend. They need to intentionally move from maintenance mode to missional mode.
Making this move involves the churches realizing what it means to be missional. We must first start with redefining our understanding of the word missional. For most of us when we hear or read the word missional we automatically think of people leaving their homes and families to go into a foreign land to do ministry. Part of this is true, being missional is ministry, but it has nothing to do with going into a foreign land. Instead it has everything to do with people sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in every part of their daily life. Living out our faith in the subcultures where our lives are spent beyond the church property; neighborhoods, extended family, the workplace, clubs, and other social groupings. Every member becomes a missionary.
Being a missional church means that we no longer see the church service as the primary connecting point with the un-churched. Connecting with the un-churched happens during the week, in our daily lives within the various sub-cultures of our own local community. As we personally and authentically engage Christ, and then listen to, serve, love, and share the gospel with those around us, we act as missionaries to our culture.
Congregations can no longer expect the community to exclusively come to us. The Great Commission (Mat. 28:18-20) calls us to go. There is a difference between a church that goes to the people and a church that waits for people to come. Local missional ministries involves the people of God crossing barriers to serve the un-churched. For congregations to have a mix missional outreach with ministries that leave their buildings as well as workshops and classes that within their buildings.
In measuring its effectiveness, the maintenance congregation asks, “How many visitors have we attracted?” The missional minded congregation asks, “How many members have we sent?”
Unchurched adults interested in finding a congregation aren’t nearly as likely to visit one in person as a churched person who is shopping for a new congregation. This means effective evangelism must begin outside the church building in relationships between Christians and unbelievers, according to research the attractional model of Church (come to us) generally attracts transfer growth, while a missional model of Church (going to them) generally attracts a higher conversion growth percentage. It’s not either-or, but a both-and.
Churches in the American culture have been marginalized and pushed to the edge of our society. Either because of, or due to the fact, that the American church has become inwardly focused, gone into maintenance mode. In order for churches to become healthy and vibrant once again means that they must reverse this trend. They need to intentionally move from maintenance mode to missional mode.
Making this move involves the churches realizing what it means to be missional. We must first start with redefining our understanding of the word missional. For most of us when we hear or read the word missional we automatically think of people leaving their homes and families to go into a foreign land to do ministry. Part of this is true, being missional is ministry, but it has nothing to do with going into a foreign land. Instead it has everything to do with people sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in every part of their daily life. Living out our faith in the subcultures where our lives are spent beyond the church property; neighborhoods, extended family, the workplace, clubs, and other social groupings. Every member becomes a missionary.
Being a missional church means that we no longer see the church service as the primary connecting point with the un-churched. Connecting with the un-churched happens during the week, in our daily lives within the various sub-cultures of our own local community. As we personally and authentically engage Christ, and then listen to, serve, love, and share the gospel with those around us, we act as missionaries to our culture.
Congregations can no longer expect the community to exclusively come to us. The Great Commission (Mat. 28:18-20) calls us to go. There is a difference between a church that goes to the people and a church that waits for people to come. Local missional ministries involves the people of God crossing barriers to serve the un-churched. For congregations to have a mix missional outreach with ministries that leave their buildings as well as workshops and classes that within their buildings.
In measuring its effectiveness, the maintenance congregation asks, “How many visitors have we attracted?” The missional minded congregation asks, “How many members have we sent?”
Unchurched adults interested in finding a congregation aren’t nearly as likely to visit one in person as a churched person who is shopping for a new congregation. This means effective evangelism must begin outside the church building in relationships between Christians and unbelievers, according to research the attractional model of Church (come to us) generally attracts transfer growth, while a missional model of Church (going to them) generally attracts a higher conversion growth percentage. It’s not either-or, but a both-and.
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