Prior Editions
July 6, 2005
The
Discipleship Adventure – Led
by God to be a Witness
Our discussion of the Discipleship
Adventure reaches the home stretch this week as we look at the fifth and
final portion - Faith Sharing. The adventure began with worship, a chance
for the community to share what God is doing in their midst and turns now
to sharing with others what God is doing in us. Being a witness involves
both Evangelism and Missions.
We often think of Evangelism as something
we do, usually close to home. Missions is something someone else does,
usually far from our home. That's a convenient way of thinking of it, but
the Bible makes no such distinction between evangelism and missions. They
are both expressions of the same impulse - sharing.
Our mission statement recalls this when it
points us to Matthew 28:19 and the words of Jesus, "Go therefore and
make disciples." In Acts 1:8, Jesus is even more specific in His
instructions, "Be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Jesus is just as concerned
with your next-door neighbor as He is with a peasant farmer in Indonesia.
Furthermore, because Jesus is concerned, we should share that concern. We
should share the heart of Jesus for those who have never heard the Good
News of the Gospel. When we witness to the presence of God in our lives by
sharing our faith with others, we find significance and meaning. Our
purpose as a disciple is to birth new disciples. Discipleship is something
we learn by doing.
There are as many ways to be a witness as
there are people. Every way we speak love into the lives of people is a
moment of witness. Most often, we witness through our words; by sharing
the work of God in our lives, we give testimony to God's salvation and
God's care for His children. Nothing is more captivating than a follower
of Jesus whose face lights up as they talk about God.
Other times we witness through our actions,
by sharing the love of God in humble acts of service and submission. In an
age and time where it's usually "all about you," demonstrating
love and caring for someone else has tremendous power and attraction. When
done with the right attitude, the simplest acts of service can soften the
hardest heart.
An important expression of faith sharing is
proclaiming the values of the Kingdom of God to a world whose values are
far different. As I read the Psalms, I am struck by the particular concern
that God has for the poor, the oppressed, the orphaned, and the widowed.
God steps in to care for those who are unable to care for themselves and
those who are treated unjustly. God's people should do the same.
I believe that the most powerful expression
of our faith sharing is found by uniting the power of the spoken word with
the potency of Godly service and action. When we walk the walk and talk
the talk, then the world will take notice.
As we find meaning in our faith sharing, we
lead others to the source of meaning - Jesus the Christ. We fulfill our
commission by birthing disciples who in turn will disciple others. That
kind of organic, natural growth is what God wants and is a sign of a
healthy church.
Godspeed,
Pastor John
Next: The Ongoing Adventure - Putting It
All Together
Mid-Week
Musings
An
Occasional bulletin from Christ United Methodist Church