Read: Romans 8:31-39

Two weeks ago, millions of Americans across the country went to the ballot box and cast their vote for President of the United States. In some ways, we were all glad to see Election Day come, as it finally brought an end to the contentious political season we’d been experiencing over the past months. On the other hand, Election Day did give us one more chance for political overkill. News networks offered wall-to-wall coverage of the event. Talking heads and pundits pontificated the night away. Some of us even waited up late into the wee hours of the morning to see the final Electoral College tally. Depending on your party affiliation, you were either pleased or mortified with the outcome.

Me? I have no opinion on the day’s events. That’s not because I don’t care about politics. In fact, I probably care about politics a little too much. No, I have no opinion about what happened on Election Day because I actually don’t know who won. I haven’t lived through it yet.

You see, I’m writing these words on a rather rainy morning in early September. From my vantage point, the election is still nine weeks away. As a matter of fact, the Democratic National Convention hasn’t come to an end yet. By all accounts, no one really seems to know what’s going to happen when Election Day finally arrives. The candidates are neck and neck so far. Barring any sort of “October surprise,” this thing is going right down to the wire. Just this morning, I read an article about the uncertainty the next two months are going to bring. No one seems to know anything about where we’re headed come November 6.

On the day you’re reading this, however, we know exactly what happened. You presumably know who won the election (barring any sort of post-election weirdness). Maybe you’re excited about it. Maybe you’re not. It could be that they guy you liked lost the election. If so, I’m sorry (unless he was the candidate I didn’t like). However the election turned out, at least it’s over, right? The uncertainty I feel is gone for you because you know who won.

As I sit here writing these words, I wish I knew what the future holds. I wish I knew who was going to win the election. I wish I knew where our country was headed over the next four years. I’d like to have a crystal ball (or at least a very reliable “Magic 8 Ball”) to tell me what these next few years are going to bring. If I had something like that, I could make decisions based on what I knew was going to happen.

Moreover, I’d like to know where Cornerstone is headed over the next few years. I wish I could see what’s going to happen for us. I’d like to know what God is going to do in us and through us as we go on from here. What will He use “Deploy” to do? How will He change us? How will He change the church? There’s a part of me that desperately wants to know the answers to these questions.

But then I realized that none of these things really matter. That’s because no matter what happens, God is still in control. He is still in charge of everything. Nothing that happens in the present or future is going to change that fact. It doesn’t matter who is in control of the United States; God still sits on his throne. God will be King regardless of who the President is. No matter how Cornerstone grows and changes, God will still be our loving Father. He will watch over us and guide us no matter what we go through. Regardless of what the future holds – regardless of where tomorrow takes us – God will still faithfully watch over and protect His people.

This is exactly the point Paul made in today’s passage. Take another look at Romans 8:38-39:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

According to Paul’s own words, there is nothing in the whole of creation that can separate us from God’s love. Angels can’t do it; neither can demons. We can’t go high enough to escape God’s love; traveling to the depths of the planet won’t do it either. Most importantly of all, however, Paul says that there is nothing in the present nor in the future that can take his love a way. No matter what the future brings with it, we can rest securely knowing that our God will always love us.

I don’t know what the future holds for us. I don’t know whether we’re looking at President Romney or four more years of President Obama. I don’t know where God is going to take us or what He’s going to use us to do. I do, however, know the One who holds the future in His hands. Even in the most uncertain of times, we can trust in Him and His unfailing love.

Questions to Consider:

Why do we get nervous about the future? How can God’s love calm us?
Read Romans 14:8. What was Paul’s perspective on his own future?

Read: Psalm 105:1-7

Why do we celebrate?

Truth be told, we have all kinds of reasons to throw a party. We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduations, retirements, housewarmings and soon-to-be-born babies. People have parties for Halloween, for Christmas, for the Super Bowl, and even the Kentucky Derby (well, they do in Louisville, anyway). We’ve gotten so good at throwing parties that we’ve even decided to throw pre-parties and after-parties to help the fun last that much longer. We just need a reason to celebrate.

But, have you ever thought about how temporary our causes for celebration can be? The joy of owning a new house quickly gives way to the stresses of home repair and maintenance. Eventually, the excitement and fun of a baby shower dissipates in the face of dirty diapers and middle of the night feedings. The graduation party ends and it’s either time to start thinking about going to college or finally getting a real job. Though Christmas will soon be here, it will be over before we know it. Every single occasion we celebrate eventually comes to an end. As much as we like to celebrate, our parties never seem to last.

If we really want to party, then, it would seem as though we need something permanent to celebrate. We have to find something that will never end, something that will never, ever change on us. In short, we need something (or perhaps even Someone) eternal.

Thankfully, the Bible tells us we have that in our God. After all, He is everlasting. He has no end; He never changes. He is the only permanent fixture in a world filled with the temporary. If we’re looking for something enduring to celebrate, He is the only One who fits the bill. He alone is the cause for eternal celebration.

A quick trip through the Psalms solidifies this point. A book comprised almost completely of worship songs, the book of Psalms says a lot about how we should celebrate our God. More than that, Psalms says a lot about why we should celebrate Him. Each song of praise confronts us with reason after reason as to why God deserves all our celebration. Psalm 105, for example, reminds us of God’s mighty works on our behalf. For starters, He created all life on this planet. The glory of this creation speaks to His power and might. Yet, He didn’t create this world and walk away from it. As the psalmist reminds us, He continues to be involved with it to this day. He continues to perform miracles and to show His glory and strength throughout this entire earth. When we see what God has done – and what He continues to do – in this creation, we can’t help but praise Him.

Yet, this is far from the only reason to praise our God. Psalm after psalm gives us reason after reason to celebrate all He’s done for us. A couple of my favorites include:

Psalm 136 (NLT): “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  His faithful love endures forever.  Give thanks to the God of gods.  His faithful love endures forever.  Give thanks to the Lord of lords.  His faithful love endures forever.  Give thanks to Him who alone does mighty miracles.  His faithful love endures forever.  Give thanks to Him who made the heavens so skillfully.  His faithful love endures forever.  Give thanks to Him who placed the earth on the water.  His faithful love endures forever.  Give thanks to Him who made the heavenly lights – His faithful love endures forever… Give thanks to the God of Heaven.  His faithful love endures forever.”

Psalm 145: “I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom… The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made. All you have made will praise you, O Lord; your saints will extol you… My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise His holy name for ever and ever.”

Psalm 103:1-5: “Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

When we consider who God is and all He’s done for us, we have no choice but the celebrate Him. His love, His compassion, His grace, His strength, His faithfulness, His holiness – all of these things give us plenty of reason to party. Those looking for a real reason to celebrate – both now and for the rest of eternity – need only look to Him.

Questions to Consider:

In your mind, what’s our greatest reason to praise God? Why?

Read Hebrews 13:8. Why can we praise God for these same characteristics today?

Read: Luke 15:4-7

Read: Luke 15:8-10

As you can no doubt see, these parables are about more than just a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son.  In telling us these stories, Jesus peels back the curtain of heaven, giving us a birds-eye view of what happens in heaven when those who were lost are found again.  According to Him, the repentance of even one sinner is enough to start a party in heaven.  When those who have wandered from God turn back to Him, the Father and His angels celebrate.

While it’s hard for us to imagine that heaven throws a party over one person’s repentance, that’s exactly the picture Jesus paints.  All it takes is one person coming to Christ and heaven halts in celebration.  Reflecting on these parables, Philip Yancey wrote these words:

“A housewife jumping up and down in glee over the discovery of a lost coin is not what naturally comes to mind when I think of God.  Yet that is the image Jesus insisted upon.  The story of the Prodigal Son, after all, appears in a string of three stories…all of which seem to make the same point.  Each underscores the loser’s sense of loss, tells the thrill of rediscovery, and ends with a sense of jubilation.  Jesus says in effect, ‘Do you want to know what it feels like to be God?  When one of those two-legged humans pays attention to me, it feels like I just reclaimed my most valuable possession, which I had given up for lost.’  To God Himself, it feels like the discovery of a lifetime.”

Our God – like the good Father He is – rejoices when His lost children come back home. When we help them find their way back to Him, we give heaven a reason to celebrate. In the years to come, maybe we can be a part of that kind of celebration.

Questions to Consider:

How does it make you feel to know God celebrates over you in this way?
 

Read Luke 19:10. What did Jesus come to do? How can we do the same?

Read: Psalm 100

Today, millions of families across the country will come together and celebrate one of the most iconic meals of the year: Thanksgiving dinner.  There will be turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy.  Some people (myself not included) will even enjoy a little bit of the cylindrical cranberry sauce that makes the rounds this time of year.  We will eat until we can’t possibly eat anymore (which is basically what we do every other day of the year…it just has special meaning today…).

Yep, the glory of Thanksgiving is all around us.

Though the Thanksgiving celebration was celebrated for years beforehand, it was not officially recognized as an annual national holiday until 1863.  That year, right in the middle of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln declared that the nation should set aside a day to remember all of God’s blessings.  Even in the midst of the bloodiest conflict the United States had ever seen, President Lincoln believed we needed to take time to give thanks.  In fact, here’s what he said in his Proclamation of Thanksgiving:

“The year that is drawing towards its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies.  To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.  In the midst of a…war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict…No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things.  They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.”

Certainly, today is a day for getting together and celebrating with our family and friends.  Each one of us has Thanksgiving traditions that we cherish.  Those are not bad things.  Yet, we must remember that today, first and foremost, is a day about giving thanks to God.  While there’s no doubt that we should thank God for His goodness everyday, today gives us a special opportunity to show Him our gratitude and our love.

As we celebrate this day of thanks, we would do well to look through the book of Psalms.  Throughout its pages, we see what it means to truly worship God for what He’s done on our behalf.  As we saw on Tuesday, the book of Psalms is full of references to giving thanks and bringing our thanksgiving before the throne of God.  Consider these verses:

Psalm 69:30: “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving.”

Psalm 95:1-2: “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.  Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.”

Psalm 7:17: “I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.”

Psalm 30:11-12: “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.”

Psalm 75:1: “We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds.”

Psalm 105:1-2: “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.  Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts.”

Psalm 107:21-22: “Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men.  Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy.”

Psalm 118:1: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good: His love endures forever.”

God is great.  He has done great things for us. What’s more, He is going to continue to do great things for us. In light of that, He deserves our thanksgiving.  Today, let’s be sure that we’re giving Him the praise He deserves.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Questions to Consider:

What do you have to be thankful for?  How can you give God thanks today?

Read Psalm 136:1-3.  What is the ultimate reason we have to give thanks to God?

Read: John 8:25-30

“They’re not going to catch us. We’re on a mission from God.”

That line, spoken by Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd), forms one of the recurring gags of the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. In case you’ve never seen it, the movie opens with Elwood and his brother Jake (played by the late John Belushi) discovering that the children’s orphanage they grew up in owes $5000 in property taxes. Unless the penguins (sorry, the nuns) who run the orphanage can raise the money in a matter of days, they will be forced to close their doors forever.

Though Elwood and Jake both have a slightly checkered past, neither of them can stand to see that happen. After attending a church service, the brothers have an epiphany: they can raise the money for the orphanage themselves by reuniting their old band! Believing this to be their Divine purpose, Elwood and Jake commit themselves to doing whatever it takes to save the orphanage.

The rest of the movie catalogues their exploits in trying to get the band back together. Along the way they run into trouble with everyone from the Police to the Illinois Nazis (I hate Illinois Nazis!). No matter what obstacles they face, however, the brothers have the assurance that everything is going to work out. After all, they’re on a mission from God. What could possibly go wrong?

As God’s people, we are literally on a mission from God. The mission we have been given is one of great importance. We’ve been deployed out in this world to bear witness to Christ and His Kingdom. We’ve been called to tell others about the salvation only He can offer. The stakes could not be higher. We’re not just on a life or death mission, we’re on an eternal life or eternal death mission.

With that in mind, we need to be sure that we are giving everything we can to our calling. It has to drive our very lives. So, what does it mean for us to be “on mission”? How can we be sure we’re completing the task God has put before us?

No offense to the Blues Brothers, but if there’s anyone who can teach us about being on mission, it’s Jesus. From the moment of His birth, He had one goal in mind. His entire life centered around His mission. Every single thing He did was designed to bring Him closer to the cross. It was His main mission, His only objective. John’s gospel makes this truth abundantly clear:

John 2:1-4: “On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to Him, ‘They have no more wine.’’ ‘Dear woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied. ‘My time has not yet come.’”

John 7:6-8: “Therefore Jesus told them, ‘The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast because for me the right time has not yet come.’”

Jesus knew what God had for Him to do. He knew exactly what He was here to do. That mission defined and dominated His life. Everything He did looked forward to “the right time” – the cross – the moment when He would ultimately fulfill His mission and accomplish His task.

How did Jesus maintain such focus? How did He stay on mission? Certainly, the fact that He was God in the flesh had something to do with it. Jesus had a supernatural knowledge none of us will ever possess. Still, I think there were some practical things He did to help keep Himself centered on the mission. Take another look at John 8:28-29:

“…I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The One who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.”

In my mind, this passage helps us identify two things Jesus did that helped Him stay focused. First of all, Jesus claimed to speak the Father’s words. That means He was listening for what the Father had to say. He kept Himself in tune with God was saying and doing. Secondly, Jesus said that He always did that which was pleasing to the Father. He sought to worship God in everything He did. The very posture of His heart was focused on listening to and worshipping God at all times.

If we’re going to be effective in our mission, I think we have to do the same things. We must tune our hearts to hear from God. When we hear, we must be relentlessly responsive, doing whatever our Father tells us to do. More than that, we must keep a posture of worship at all times, continually praising the One who sent us out. No matter what we do, no matter where we are, our highest goal should be to give Him glory and praise. After all, we’re on a mission from God. If He’s not our primary focus, then how will we ever know what our mission really is?

Questions to Consider:

How do you hear from God? What practices help you to best listen?

Read Psalm 46:10. How can you “be still” before God today?

Read: John 9:24-27

Evangelism.  The word is enough to make even the most committed of Christian break out in a cold sweat.  There’s something nerve-racking about telling someone about your faith.  We may all agree that it’s important, that it’s something every Christian should do, but it’s still something that scares us to death.  When you tell someone about your faith, you’re putting yourself in a very vulnerable position.  Just when we feel like we ought to share our faith, we start to question ourselves.  What if this person is offended by what I say?  What if they look at me differently because of this?  What if I can’t answer all their questions?  What if I say something wrong?  The pressure is almost too much for many Christians to bear.

As a matter of fact, the pressure of evangelism just might be getting to us.  Just this past week, I found some statistics on evangelism that made my jaw drop.  It seems the church in America has an almost paralyzing fear of sharing their faith.  Take a look at these stats:

• “95% of all Christians have never won a soul to Christ.”
• “80% of all Christians do not consistently witness for Christ.”
• “Less than two percent are involved in the ministry of evangelism.”
• “71% do not give toward the financing of the Great Commission.”

We are doing a terrible job at evangelism.  We’re not sharing our faith.  We’re not spreading the good news of God’s Kingdom.  It seems that we are so petrified of telling other people about Jesus that we have simply chosen not to.

But, what if we’ve made evangelism too hard?  What if our real problem is that we’ve complicated what sharing our faith is all about?  After all, our contemporary ideas of evangelism put a lot of emphasis on our own knowledge.  If we want to share our faith, we have to know the right Bible verses, the right things to say, and even the right answers to the tough questions people might ask.  Our concept of evangelism requires us to know a lot of stuff.

Yet, looking at the example of the man born blind, there seems to be only one thing we need to know in order to share our faith.  Standing before the Sanhedrin, this healed man didn’t have all the answers.  He didn’t know a lot of theology.  The only thing he knew was what Jesus had done for him.  As he told the Pharisees and Sadducees:

     “One thing I do know.  I was blind but now I see!”

Given the opportunity to be a witness, the blind man didn’t need all the answers.  He didn’t need a doctrinal statement, either.  All he needed to do was recount what happened when he met Jesus.  In order to be a witness, all this man had to do was tell people the difference Jesus Christ had made in his life.

Evangelism, therefore, isn’t complicated.  Evangelism is simply sharing your story – telling others what Jesus has done for you.  You don’t need to have all the answers; you don’t have to have the Bible memorized.  All you need to know is the story of how you first encountered Jesus and how it changed your life.

As it turns out, that story is the most powerful evangelistic tool you have at your disposal.  After all, people can’t argue with your experience.  They can’t question the difference Jesus has made in you.  The Pharisees couldn’t deny that the man had been healed of his blindness; neither can the people in your life deny what Jesus has done for you.  There’s no debating the power of a transformed life.

Craig Groeschel wrote about this very subject in his book The Christian Atheist:

“Even though this newly healed man didn’t know enough to debate theology, he was an expert on one topic – his own experience.  He was blind and now he could see.  Everywhere he went, this healed man could tell his story to anyone who would listen, and his changed life was proof of what had happened.  We can do the same.  Start with these words: ‘Let me tell you my story.’  Then just fill in the blanks.  You might have been forgiven of many sins or saved from a life of drug addiction.  Perhaps you were sick and God healed you, or you were searching for something meaningful in life and your search ended when you found Christ.  You may have grown up in church and known about God since Elmo was your favorite furry friend, but you only personally experienced his goodness later in life.  Even if you don’t feel like your story is powerful or dramatic, God can use it.”

Evangelism isn’t difficult.  It’s not something to be scared of.  Evangelism is like storytelling.  It’s like telling people how you and Jesus first met.  That story is all you need to know if you really want to share your faith.  It doesn’t have to be flashy; it doesn’t have to be elaborate.  The blind man told his story with one simple sentence: “I was blind but now I see!”

What will your story be?

Questions to Consider:

What is your story?  How has Jesus changed your life?  How can you use this in evangelism?

Read Acts 1:8.  What did Jesus tell the disciples they would be?  What does a ‘witness’ do?

There’s a Gospel according to Matthew; To Mark;
To Luke; and John too.
There’s another gospel that many are reading,
The Gospel according to You.

Many read not the words of the Bible;
I will tell you what some of them do,
They are reading the book you are writing
The Gospel according to you.

You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day;
By things that you do; By things you say.
Others read that gospel, whether faithless or true!
Say! What is the Gospel According To You?

Though it’s been decades since Leroy Brownlow first penned these words, they still resonate today. In a culture that’s steadily growing more and more biblically illiterate, fewer people have any familiarity with the Gospel message at all. They don’t know who Jesus is; they have no concept of what He’s done. As our society becomes increasingly secularized, we’re faced with people who know less and less about what the Bible teaches. Their only knowledge of God’s Word comes from their interactions with His people.

Given this fact, you’d think we’d be doing a much better job at representing the Gospel. If we’re the only Bible people see, then we should want to represent God’s Word rightly. Unfortunately, I’m not so sure we’re doing that great of a job. After all, Christians today have a reputation for being judgmental hypocrites. That doesn’t seem like “Good News” to me. Worse, a lot of people outside the church accuse us of preaching one thing but living another. While some of these claims have been exaggerated, it seems there is at least some disconnect between what we say and what we do. The Gospel recorded in Scripture doesn’t always match up with the Gospel according to our lives.

Yet, if we are going to represent Christ rightly, we have to live out the truth of His Word on a daily basis. The Gospel can’t just be something we read; it has to be something we live. The New Testament writers would have wholeheartedly agreed with this sentiment. They believed that the quality of our lives ought to point people towards the truth of the Gospel. Multiple verses in the Bible tell us that our attitudes and actions should continually reflect the character of Christ. More than that, they ought to reflect the power of Christ working in our lives. Consider some of these passages:

II Peter 2:9-12: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.”

Matthew 5:14-16: You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Philippians 2:14-16: “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life…”

These passages all encourage us to spread the Gospel message by our actions. We do this by keeping ourselves from sin, by doing good deeds, and by not complaining or arguing about anything (easier said than done, of course). When we differentiate ourselves from the world – when we live differently from everyone else – people stand up and take notice. They want to know what makes us so different. Better yet, they want to know the Gospel we claim to represent.

Jim Henderson said it thusly:

“If being Christians meant we were the most real people on earth rather than the most religious, evangelism as a program would disappear forever. Why? Simply because the people Jesus misses most would be exposed to His message through the very natural means of friendship, kindness, concern, and listening ears. This kind of reality would surprise and mystify them instead of confusing them. Perhaps then the missing would seek the found to find out more about what motivates the caring nature of those who live authentic lives. …Simply put, people aren’t shopping for religion; they’re looking for something that’s real. Jesus is at the center of reality and has commissioned us to invite others into His reality by living it and loving them. So just be yourself. That’s as good as it’s going to get. And when you do this simple thing, it intrigues people.”

Today, open up the Gospel with someone. Only, don’t do it by opening up a book. Do it by opening up your life. Let the quality of your speech, your thoughts and your actions share the good news with those around you.  As St. Francis of Assisi famously said:

     “Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.”

Questions to Consider:

What Gospel are you sharing with your words, actions and life?

Read I Thessalonians 4:11-12. What kind of life earns outsiders’ respect?

Read: Matthew 5:13-16

A few years ago, John Mayer won a Grammy for his hit song “Waiting for the World to Change.”  A diatribe against the state of the world, the song struck a chord with many people and was eventually featured in many fundraisers and charity events.  The chorus of the song says this:

“We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change
It’s not that we don’t care,
We just know that the fight ain’t fair
So we keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change”

Now, I can somewhat understand the sentiment of the song.  When we see some of the injustice in the world, when we see people hurting and dying, we want to do something about it.  Yet, we feel powerless to change anything on our own.  So, we just sit passively, waiting for the world to somehow change itself.  We can’t change anything, so we wait for things to change on their own.

How stupid is that?!?

I mean, I get the song to a certain point, but it really doesn’t make any sense!  If you want things to change, you don’t just sit there and do nothing.  If you want things to change, you try to change them.  A lack of action isn’t noble or even understandable.  The world’s not going to change itself.  Injustice isn’t just going to dissipate like the morning dew.  Someone has to stand up for it.  Someone has to do what it right.  To want change and do nothing to facilitate it is just ridiculous.

It’s also disobedience.

In today’s passage, Jesus referred to His followers as the ‘salt of the earth’ and the ‘light of the world.’  In referring to us with these titles, Jesus is telling us something about our nature as Christians.  We’re not supposed to sit idly by.  We’re not supposed to sit around and bask in our own blessedness.  We’re supposed to go out into this world and change things.  As Christians, we don’t wait for the world to change; we are the change.

Think about it: salt and light change things.  When you add salt to meat, it changes the meat’s taste, texture and shelf-life.  When you sprinkle it on snow-covered roads, it changes the snow.  Salt changes things.

Light, too, is a catalyst of transformation.  Light always changes the darkness.  When light shines in a dark room, that room is completely changed – everything is illuminated.  There has never been a time when the light failed to radically change the darkness.  It’s no wonder, then, that George Barna once referred to salt and light as “aggressive instruments of transformation.”  They change almost everything they come into contact with!

As Christians, we, too, should be referred to as ‘aggressive instruments of change.’  We’re not supposed to wait for something to happen.  Our very presence in the world is supposed to be transformative.  We have been called to change things.

Unfortunately, we are so often content to sit back on the sidelines and complain about things.  We complain about the darkness of the world.  We complain about the fact that nothing ever changes.  Yet, for us to complain about the darkness of the world is just ludicrous.  We are the light of the world!  Of course the world is going to be dark if we’re not out there making a difference.  If we want the world to get any brighter, then we need to get out there and shine as brightly as we can.

The goal of being ‘blessed’ isn’t just to experience blessing for ourselves; it’s to be a blessing to others.  Jesus didn’t give us these ‘Beatitudes’ just so we can sit around and contemplate how we can be ‘blessed’.  He gave us these ‘Beatitudes’ so that we could go out into the world and show others what it means to be blessed.  Jesus knew that people who live in this way will always change the world around them.

Don’t just sit there.  Don’t just wait for change to happen.  Don’t even start to think that the world is someday going to change itself.   The world won’t change until we get out in it and live as the salt and the light.  The world won’t change until we get out there and change it.  We are ‘aggressive instruments of change.’  It’s not our job; it’s our identity – part of who we are.  So, what kind of change will you make?

Questions to Consider:

How can you change your world? What do you need to do to be “salt” and “light” where you’re at?

Read Colossians 4:5-6. How can your actions and conversations be “seasoned with salt”?

Read: Matthew 28:16-20

Michael W. Smith: “Transformation in the world happens when people are healed and start investing in other people.”

For years, I’ve heard people make a lot of fuss about “Famous Last Words.” Somewhere along the line, we got this idea that the last words of an individual are somehow important, that the final words someone says right before they die have some kind of special meaning. Though part of me thinks it’s all a bunch of bunk, there are a few examples of some pretty profound “famous last words.” Some of my favorites include:

• G.K. Chesterton: “The issue is now clear. It is between light and darkness, and everyone must choose his side.”
• Daniel Webster: “I have struggled with many difficulties. Some I have been able to overcome and by some I have been overcome. I have made many mistakes but I love my country and have labored for the youth of my country, and I trust no precept of mine has taught any dear youth to sin.”
• Henry Ward Beecher: “Now comes the mystery.”
• Joan of Arc: “Hold the cross high so I may see it through the flames.”
• Mary, Queen of Scots: “Do not cry, I have prayed for you. In You, Lord, I have faith, and You shall protect me forever. Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.”

Of all the “famous last words” ever recorded, Jesus undoubtedly had the most significant. Matthew 28 records Jesus’ final words to His followers. Interestingly, these words weren’t a new teaching or some deep motivational thought. No, Jesus’ final words to His disciples were a commission. Just before He ascended into heaven, Jesus gave the disciples a task, a mission only they could fulfill.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

As if to make their task even more explicit, the book of Acts records an alternate version of this commission. While the details may be different, the message remains the same:

Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Regardless of which passage you look at, I think you walk away with the same general idea. Jesus’ disciples were told to go out and make more disciples, to be Jesus’ witnesses to a lost and dying world. They were supposed to replicate themselves, investing the lives of others in the same way Jesus had invested in them. The disciples weren’t called to invest themselves in buildings or programs; they were called to invest themselves primarily in people.

Our task today is the same. We have been called to invest in the people around us. Jesus has commanded us to give ourselves to others in the same way He gave Himself for us. Jesus wants us to sacrifice—to give whatever we can—in order that others might know Him. Our mission, like the first disciples’, is to go out and radically alter this world for Christ and His Kingdom.

Interestingly, Jesus didn’t tell us this mission was optional. He didn’t give us a choice. You’ll notice the Great Commission doesn’t have a “pretty please,” or a “if you don’t mind…” attached to it anywhere. Jesus didn’t ask us to do these things. He commanded them. Investing our lives in others, therefore, isn’t simply a matter of evangelism; it’s a matter of obedience. Rick Warren said it like this:

“Your mission is a continuation of Jesus’ mission on earth. As His followers, we are to continue what Jesus started. Jesus calls us not only to come to Him, but to go for Him… This commission was given to every follower of Jesus, not to pastors and missionaries alone. This is your commission for Jesus, and it is not optional. These words of Jesus are not the Great Suggestion. If you are a part of God’s family, your mission is mandatory. To ignore it would be disobedience.”

As Jesus’ disciples today, we have the responsibility – the privilege, even – to go out and make more disciples. We’ve been called to go out into this world and invest in people. Even better, we’ve been commanded to go into this world and make an impact for Christ’s Kingdom. Inaction is not an option. If we want to be faithful to Jesus’ final command, we have to get out there and faithfully invest ourselves in others.

Questions to Consider:

What do you need to do to take the “Great Commission” more seriously? How does knowing it is not optional change your perspective?

Read Mark 16:15-16. What’s at stake here? Why is our mission so important?