We’re entering into a new year and it is a transition that is welcomed by so many. I was encouraged greatly by so many who shared where they saw God working this last year amongst the chaos and uncertainty of the times. We need to continue to be an encouragement to one another to slow down and recognize where God is working so we can give thanks, be encouraged, and meet God in the work being done. I’m looking forward to a new year together and what God is continuing to do in our church.
The major focus of this year is going to be on getting to know Jesus better through the Gospel of John. I want to challenge us (myself especially included): how well do you know Jesus? Not, how much do you know about Jesus? How well DO YOU KNOW Jesus? We are going to spend this year in and out of the Gospel of John so that we get to know Jesus better as a Brother, Friend, Companion, Savior, and especially our Lord. When you know someone well, you tend to pick up some of their mannerisms, turns of phrase, and even the way they act. The Gospels invite us into a relationship with Jesus to where we are transformed into his likeness for the redemption and reconciliation of the world. He becomes the mirror we look into to recognize areas of our lives where we need to invite the Spirit in to bring transformation. We do this in community together to encourage one another in this journey of transformation. With Paul we say, “Become like me in the ways that I am like Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
This language of transformation into Christ’s likeness is sprinkled throughout the New Testament.
Romans 8:29 – For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
1 Corinthians 3:18 – And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
1 John 3:2-3 – Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Philippians 2:5 – In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.
In our journey to become like Christ, we are called to also be like Christ in his mission. In Jesus’ prayer for his disciples (followers), he said, “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world” (John 17:18), and then commissions them in 20:21, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
As you look forward to this new year, what area of your life needs to look more like Christ? What habits (disciplines) do you need to develop to grow spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are unsure how to answer these questions or need help determining what kinds of practices to develop to grow in your walk with Christ, please reach out to me. I would love to help you develop a plan for this year to make simple changes in your life to create space for God to bring transformation.
This Sunday, we are going to focus on the mission God has called us to in the world and the changing terrain ahead of us. When we look at the early church, we see a group of Christ followers who adapted and changed as they took the Gospel into “all the world.” What made sense in their culture, time, and place didn’t make sense in other cultures, times, and places. The mission to take Christ into all the world never changed though the landscape to which they took the Gospel changed. Our focus passage for Sunday’s lesson will be in Acts 11:1-18 and Dwelling in the Word will be on 1 Corinthians 9:19-27.
As you prepare for our time together on Zoom this Sunday, consider these questions:
How has the terrain of our culture changed in the last few generations? What is the core truth of the Gospel that continues to hold true from generation to generation? What are traditional practices of the church that might need to change, that are not central to the Gospel, that potentially get in the way of sharing the Gospel with others?
What are ministries, habits, practices, traditions, etc. we need to develop to better reach the NoDa and Johnston YMCA community? What does the church look like post-quarantine? Do we go back to “normal” or do we adapt for the new terrain ahead of us?
What lessons do we learn from the quarantined church so that we can better prepare for being the post-quarantined church?
These are questions I continually wrestle with and I want to invite you into the struggle. We won’t necessarily address the questions above this week but they need to continually be on our minds as we consider how to take Christ into the world as his witnesses.