Bearing Witness

Mark 1:1-8 Prepare the Way. We all come to Jesus the same way - through repentance. Not by where we were born, who our family is, what we belong to... So, what do we need to wake up to? Where is God trying to do a new thing? What is it we need in order to wake up and repent so the God can use us?

Instead of being concerned with When the return of Christ is: Keep Watch - Be Alert (not in fear but in attention). Keep at your assigned task of Loving God & Loving Others. Be about Jesus' business.

Luke 12:13-31 - Life does not consist of an abundance of possessions. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Greed & covetiousness are so pervasive in a culture/economy based on more, more, more, consume, consume, consume. We stock up and build bigger barns because we worry that there won't be enough. This is fear turned to greed. The antidote is gratitude & trust that there will always be enough, as God promises.

Acts 9: Absurd Commands but God asks us to do it anyway. There are 3 shifts: Persecutor to Chosen Instrument, Only for Israel to For the Gentiles too, Prominence to Suffering. Obedient faith goes, even with the fear. The pattern: Pray, Answer, Go.

If we seek to build a Christian Nation, we are not seeking to build the Kingdom of God - we're only building ourselves. If Jesus had wanted to build a Christian nation, He would have done it then. He would not have waited until now and left if up to us! While we're walking on the water, amidst the chaos, Jesus reaches out to save us.

Moses has many excuses to not do what God is asking, yet he still goes - with the fears....

Phil. 1:1-11: God came to give us life abundantly - here, now. Loving God and loving our neighbors brings that wholeness to us. Do we abound in the experience of the love of Christ? Love that transforms us so that we will discern how to love others well.

Luke 10: "Love is the only door out of the dungeon of self." (George MacDonald).

Welcome & love of neighbor don't happen by accident, either does neglect or refusal of neighbor. We have to do the work of welcome & love of neighbor, and it takes intention, and it costs us something to be a neighbor.

Who is the least likely person/type of person you want to live, serve, befriend?

Jeremiah 29:1-14 - Seek the Shalom of the City God brought you to. There is no other, there is only neighbor.

The Church no longer has "home court advantage". Our mission field is right outside our door. God seeks and invites us to be a blessing to others. When we join Jesus in His mission, it's an adventure.