So I noticed a post on a website tonight. It was short and to the point. I will be, too...maybe.
They will not know we are His disciples by our busy church schedules. They will not know we are His disciples by our sound system. They will not know we are His disciples by our clever sermon series titles, banners, buildings, mass mailers, aesthetic overhauls, lights, environmental projection, short films, music style or boycott.
They will know we are His disciples if we love one another. (John 13:35)
Let's break this down, then. Just using the scriptures.
John 13, Jesus gives His disciples the command to love one another...that's what is supposed to visibly set us apart from those who do not have a relationship with Christ.
How do we do this?
1 john 4 basically outlines it for us. We look to Jesus to know how to love one another. He showed us how in His death and resurrection. So as we press into Jesus, the natural overflow is a love for Him and then one another. As we love Jesus more, we begin to love what He loves. We begin to care about what He cares about. He calls us His bride. I don't think it's a shotgun wedding...like He was pressured into it or something. He loves His people...He loves His bride.
As we CHOOSE to love one another, looking past each other's faults and flaws to the person Christ is shaping us to be, the world will know we belong to Him.
They will not know we are His disciples by our material things, but those things are not inherently bad. When Christ and HIs love for us is the motivation for everything we do, then those things we do and the tools we use become powerful weapons for the Kingdom of God. It is easy, however, to set those material things up as functional saviors in our lives and ministries. When that happens, we will be frustrated and disappointed when those gods let us down....and they will let us down. I guess what I'm trying to say is let's keep the Main Thing the Main Thing. That would be Jesus.
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