Monday Reflections...The highlight of my Sunday...

The highlight of my Sunday was to gather with a small group that meets occasionally on Sunday late afternoons and watch/listen to this man pictured above, Pastor Mike Fabarez, give a message at the 2019 Moody Founder's Week.  I will attach the actual video here so you can experience it too.

He gave some Scripture references that I would like to go back to this morning because I need to "chew" on them some more.  In a world where the greatest sin has become "not to offend anyone" the proclamation of the gospel has taken a big hit.

Acts 14:21, 22

After they had preached the gospel in that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, "It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God."

What is necessary?  To go through many hardships while preaching the gospel and making many disciples.  This is something that the disciples needed to be strengthen and encouraged in to continue.  The message was not "to not offend anyone" but to continue to give the gospel in the midst of the persecution.  

I have heard many times Christians speak about their lives being "so perfect."  I wonder if it is really not "so perfect" but "so comfortable" because we have isolated ourselves from the hard times of sharing the gospel?  Instead of sharing the truth of Jesus, we have excused it away to keep our comfort level high.  

Galatians 1:10

For am I now trying to persuade people, or God?  Or am I striving to please people?  If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Not only was the above message convicting but to realize the message came from verses like this one in Galatians.  Have we idolized the world's approval over the statement of God, "...well done, good and faithful servant..."?  Would a good and faithful servant of God not speak of Jesus much not only to other Christians but to those God has put around us?

"Pleasing people" would be to speak to them of what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear.  "Pleasing God" would be to be in strict obedience to His commands and there are plenty of the proclamation of the gospel.  Who is the mouthpiece of the gospel that God sent His one and only Son to provide the way of salvation?  We would easily answer, "the church."  Is that message getting beyond the four walls of our constructed meeting places?

2 Corinthians 4:4-6

In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.  For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ.

There is an enemy, the god of this age, Satan, who has working to keep people from knowing about Jesus.  In the midst of his working, we are working under the leadership and lordship of Christ to be witnesses of a blindness that has been lifted.  This "lifted blindness" is not our own doing but totally because of God's giving of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

God said, "Let light shine out of darkness" and the way this is to happen is by those who have seen the light to proclaim to the world of this saving Jesus.  We who are "servants for Jesus' sake" speak of Him in the midst of the enemy's massive efforts.  The reality is that we live in a dark world and we are the light of Christ to it.  

Some Monday morning reflections after a Sunday of instruction and encouragement to take the message into Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, ....

Adam