“Freely you gave it all for us
Surrendered your life upon that cross
Great is the love poured out for all
This is our God”
This Is Our God, Rueben Morgan
“7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”
Matthew 10:7-8:
The Sending of the Twelve in Matthew 10 has always been one of my favourite ministry passages.
It puts things into perspective.
Over decades, centuries and millennia the church has grown – so much that it has become a multi-million dollar industry world wide. It has become very much a kind of kingdom on its own.
I remember reading a story about a cardinal and a monk walking through the Vatican. The Cardinal points out the lavish surrounds and says: “No longer does the church, like Simon Peter, have to say ‘silver and gold I do not have…’”
The monk took all of this in and replied, “nor can you say ‘rise and walk.’”
The truth of the matter is that we have lost sight of certain principles – we have started building our church instead of letting God build His church. Our desires and measures of success have become more important than seeking God and having Him seen by others.
In an effort to become a more effective Christian I’ve attended courses and workshops, listened to sermons and teachings, and read books and articles about church growth and revival for the last 10 years – and although there is a lot of valuable information in there it can also become a distraction as we overcomplicate the ministry of reconciliation – which in the end is the ministry of ‘servanthood’ and compassionate community.
The power of the Early Church was this: they lived the simple and unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ.
They talked the talk – preaching what Jesus preached – “repent for the Kingdom is at hand”.
They walked the walk – demonstrating the power of the Kingdom, not only through signs, miracles and wonders performed through the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, but also through corporal acts of mercy – practical acts of love and compassion like breaking bread with the hungry, clothing the naked, giving drink to the thirsty.
They believed and taught a simple and unadulterated Gospel.
They lived a life that demonstrated – cut through the noise and with a clear and defiant voice declared: “This is our God!”
There were no concerts, no conferences and no retreats…
Just a family of believers who broke bread together, worked together, laughed together and cried together.
There were no dvd’s or bestseller lists.
Just the truth freely proclaimed in word and deed.
“Freely you have received, freely give…”
We have turned the Gospel into a commodity. We need to get back to community.
We need to get back to the basics of the Gospel.
One of the most frequent complaints I get about church leaders – powerful teachers and preachers with big churches – as I help their congregants get over their ‘church hurt’ is that the leaders, as powerful as they are, do not reflect Christ in their personal lives. And this is not a sin issue – it is an attitude issue. The heart of Christ is not reflected.
Yes, we can read all the books we want about ‘deliverance’ and ‘prophecy’ and ‘growing in your gifts and calling’ – but if we have no vision of Jesus, and if we can’t even apply the basics of His Kingdom – loving God and loving neighbour – to our lives then it is all for nought.
You can buy as many tickets to as many seminars about church building and church growth as you want – but today I will give you the ‘secret’ for free. How will we see revival in our lives and awakening in our communities:
Love Jesus with all your heart – seek Him, see Him – let the vision of His glory permeate Your soul.
And then…
Go and show the world.
Not shill and sell – but show and tell.
And it is the duty of every Christian – we have ALL been given the ministry of reconciliation.
Jesus, the Servant and King who saved the world, gave His life – freely – upon the Cross. He paid for our salvation with sweat, tears and blood.
The secret to revival is this: LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF THE LIFE HE GAVE.
A life that testifies of His love and grace and mercy. A renewed life that shouts out in the midst of the crowd: THIS IS OUR GOD!
Let us get back to basics. Let us get back to the Bible. Let us see Jesus rightly and in doing so let our lives help others see Him living and active in our lives!
Prayer: Lord, Your grace is enough for me. Be the center of my life. Where I have over complicated things help me go back to basics. As I seek You Lord, come alive in the Scriptures. Come alive in my prayers. Come alive in my life – in the midst of my family, friends and colleagues. Lord, help me realise that I also carry the call to build Your Kingdom in my personal mission field. Help me realize that my actions – the life I live and the way I treat those around me – speak louder than any sermon I could preach. Help me Lord to live a life worthy of the life You gave. Help me live a life that shows You to the world. Help me live a life that shouts: THIS IS MY GOD! In the Name of Jesus. Amen.