The problem is understanding the mission. We are called to walk with God. Go where He is going. Be with Him where He is. Do what He is doing. Understanding the mission is everything and to understand that, one must be in communion with God. To be in communion with God, one must be part of His family (which by the way, is the mission). Being part of His family opens up all the doors of real life and living. Not as we understand it in our natural life of time and space confinement, but rather in the infinite and eternal realm of supernatural living where God lives. There is a great divide between natural humankind and supernatural “Godkind”. Natural humankind is bound by time and ends in death. Supernatural “Godkind” has no such boundaries. The mission is to be an active part of “Godkind” while yet living in the realm of humankind so that the rest of humankind can see and desire the life that God has created humankind for (which humankind really cannot know till it operates in that design). There is no way for humankind to understand or operate in that mode in and of its own nature. The very nature of humankind is death. Humankind turned away from the Creator in order to “find” itself. But the only thing it succeeded in was “losing” itself. Severing the connection with its Creator by turning away to look for itself in every other place but in God, it cut off the very flow of life it was designed from and for. Nothing that humanity does lasts forever. It all dies, dries up and blows away. Life is not inherently in it. Life was given by God. But God, Who is love and loves perfectly, will not allow His created to continue down the path of separation by death without a chance to return to His community of life. So there is Jesus. Jesus Christ, Who is Godkind, Son of God, comes into the natural world of death to be a supernatural living proof of communion with God. Not only that, but to be a way back, a connector and conduit between both realms in order that life could be restored to dead humanity in all of its natural ways and for all of eternity. Jesus the Christ, Savior of humanity. The Truth, The Way and The Life. The Truth and proof of God’s love for humankind. Willing to sacrifice everything, His place in the community of God and His eternal living with a temporary life, in order to show that the love of God is true and without repentance. God has always loved and loves still. No act can ever undo or change that love.
Jesus is evidence of that truth, He is The Truth. And The Way. The Way back from death to life. Jesus came into natural life to show The Way, to prove supernatural living in this natural life. To prove that God is still close and with natural humanity now. He has never left or forsaken humankind. Jesus shows us that focus. Constantly and intentionally looking to and communing with God as He walked in natural life. Showing The Way in His acts of praying to God, studying The Words of God and intending to hear and know the will of God thru these intentional acts. Looking and intending to see God in all His supernatural glory as it is embedded and foundational in all natural things. The Way, in that there is no other way. Without the love of God, the love of a father to a son, the Love of Christ, there is no way to Life. The Life. Jesus Christ is proof of life. Life that transcends death. Literally dying on a cross, buried for 3 days and then stepping out of death back into life. Not only into natural life, but ascending back into community with God forever. Never to die again.
Our mission is to believe in the Love of God, believe in the Salvation and Redemption of humankind in Christ Jesus, to walk that out in every realm of the natural living and life that God has given each of us so that in every way, God is glorified, Christ is exemplified so that humankind recognizes and turns from seeking itself in itself and looks for itself in God. Through Christ Jesus comes the promise of The Holy Spirit of God. That Spirit is the supernatural force of the power of God in humanity to operate in the natural realm of living. The ability of humankind to function as Godkind while still trapped by the confines of natural life that only ends in the death of that nature. This Holy Spirit living is sacrificial and in direct opposition to the natural life that seeks only its own preservation. This is what Jesus did and what can be done when humankind intends to find, commune and do what He and His Holy Spirit leads humans to do. Without that intention, death is the default.
Part of that intention is displaying that lifestyle of love for all to see. To boldly identify Jesus Christ as the source of life and every eternal thing. To differentiate between life in Christ and life in any other realm is to deny Christ in that life where He is not intentionally put first. To deny Christ in any realm is to deny Him in all. To think that life in Christ is relegated to “going to church” is to deny Him at home, at play and at work. Christ is to be “all and in all”. By not displaying Christ in every aspect of natural life, is to deny the rest of humankind a living example of the power and life of Christ walking in the natural world today. Every human is called to that mission. The mission is to be played out on every stage of life. Home, church, work and play. In personal life, family and community. Locally, nationally and globally. Until Jesus comes….and then for eternity :)
The physical church is one stage for the mission to display and to work itself out. A church on that mission is the safest place for seekers of God to practice faith. In that church, humanity has the opportunity to work out its salvation in a community of people that intend to display the glory of God in the way of Christ Jesus. Intentionally and sacrificially serving one another. Intending to create a space where the glory of God is evident and the power of the love of Christ changes lives individually and collectively. Transforming the physical church into the living Body of Christ. That church is not perfect, but it is one place where God is working all things together for good, all components of the Body of Christ for His eternal purpose. Everlasting communion with Him and His Glory of love.
All that to say, what is your reasonable service? To work, make money, have stuff, retire and die? Obviously there are natural things in this natural life that are needed to live in this natural life, however, none of these things are the reason for living. They are not the mission. The Father, Who set us on this mission, is fully aware of these things and has promised to take care of them if we would but seek His kingdom, the kingdom where He reigns. Where He alone is the sovereign Lord of all. Is it your reasonable service to watch movies and eat popcorn? Is it your reasonable service to be a business owner and amass great wealth? Is it your reasonable service to work yourself into such a state as to be too tired and mentally sapped to do anything else? Those things may be a component of your reasonable service, but none of them are the mission.
It is your reasonable service to present yourself to God for His use and purpose. It is He Who designed you, formed and fashioned in His image, fully functional, gifted and able to operate at the full potential of that design within His mission…..that you and all that you come in contact with naturally would see Him in His Loving Glory and intend to be with Him forever. He has given each of us provision. Hands, feet, eyes, ears, a brain, a will. Ability to do and think. Through Christ and The Holy Spirit, we get to use His design of our humanity for the display and enacting of His supernatural work as we walk through this time we call life. That provision is not for ourself, but for those around us. We individually get the benefit of it as a default, not as a focus or goal. So give, give your life, the life you have in Christ, so that others may see it. The physical church needs intentional God seekers. The whole world does! People who intend to be Christ-followers that are going to where He is now and forever. As much as you are taught and believe that the time is yours, it is not true. The time is God’s and He has only given us a span of it. In that time, seek Him and find Him and your purpose will find you. The physical church, one that is truly seeking God, is a great opportunity to become part of the body of Christ. After all, it is His purpose….that we would be with Him where He is….
Come volunteer with a seeking heart, there is plenty to do. God is always, everywhere and now. He is in the physical church and if you are seeking in Spirit and Truth, you will find Him. He knows where you are.
To God be the glory and Christ Jesus be praised forever,
Amen
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