It is clear from the Bible that if you are a follower of Christ you are called to go and take the message of Christ to those who do not know Him. It means going across the street, to the other side of town, to the other side of the country, or to the other side of the world. As a lover of Christ I must be concerned about all of those areas. As a church we must be focused on the mission to passionately get the message out to all who have not heard. If we fail to do this, we fail to be a church.
This week at our church is all about challenging us in greater ways to look beyond the very small circle of our life into the lives of people all around us, people different from us, and people far away from us. If we are truly walking with Christ the eternal destinies of people in each of these areas will come to the forefront of our thoughts and actions. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:14 that it was the love of Christ that compelled Him. When compelled by Christ's love, we see Paul desperate to see people reconciled to the Savior later in that passage. If you love Jesus like you say, you cannot live half-hearted lives for Him focusing only on your bible studies and your well-being. When you are walking with Christ there is an outward focus that drives you to reach your friend, your enemy, and that person on the other side of the world who does not know about Christ.
This week, ask the Lord to radically change your perspective and let your heart beat for the things He is most passionate about.
Until the whole world hears,
Brad