You See Bones, I See an Army (cont,)

Starting Chapter 4, The Next Bono-or Is It Billy Graham by Floyd McClung. 

I have discovered [that], because I have a dream in my heart of what the church is called to be, I am not the prisoner of those who don't share my dream.  I dare to dream because God has deposited some courage in my heart.  It is his grace to me, and I receive that grace to follow my dream.

 Changing the way we do church has to be motivated by something greater than a dislike of the old ways.  It must be apostolic in the biblical meaning of that word.  We must be deeply convinced that the church as been commissioned to go into the unknown, that we have a life-changing message, good news for those who have never heard it, and that everywhere we go we are to establish outposts of the kingdom of God.

Jesus is the model for changing the old way of doing things.  He broke with the Jewish ways of doing things that he himself had initiated, and if he did it to the Jews, what makes us think he will not change the church today, the very church he began two thousand years ago?  The need for a radical reformation is just as great now as it was then, much more so than is widely emphasized or taught.

For example, though he was sent by the Father to launch a worldwide movement, Jesus spent most of his time investing in a few people, particularly marginalized and broken people.  There are thousands of churches in the cities and villages of Africa, but too few of them are modeling holistic, discipleship-based church like Jesus did in Palestine.  The men and women Jesus spent most of his time with were not powerful, famous, or recognized as leaders in his day, Jesus chose twelve ordinary men and a few women to be the first leaders of his movement.  He invested in them, mentored them, and taught them how to do life.  His influence on them changed how the men treated their wives, how they did business in the marketplace, and how they handled their finances.  He commissioned them to make more disciples (like he had done with them), who in turn were to raise up still others.  Jesus started small and personal, but he had something vast and global in mind.  The commission Jesus gave his first disciples reflected the greatness of the one who sent him.  He worked on a personal level because the Father cares deeply for people, but he gave his disciples a worldwide commission because the Father also cares for all nations.

I believe all those who say yes to Jesus today receive the same commission as the original twelve apostles.  We may not all be apostles by gifting, but we are all charged to be part of the apostolic mission of the church.

So here's the question:  Are you participating in the apostolic mission of the church?  Are you discipling someone?  Perhaps being discipled?  Are you seeing Sunday morning as the game, or the huddle?  Is your playing field the foyer of your church, or your community?  Do you meet regularly with people for prayer?  Do you stop and pray for needs when someone shares with you?  Are you part of a small group?  The book of Acts has all kids of examples of what it means to be apostolic.  Ephesians 4 has lots of examples of leadership.  Study the playbook, get a coach, huddle on Sunday, then head out into the community to play ball!  The superbowl is just around the corner!

Have a blessed overcast Thursday!