Spreading the light of Jesus Christ
In a humanistic self centered, world of pop psychology, name it claim it preachers and latch key children is the church obedient in the great commission. A world in which, mankind’s only truth is science, all authority and miracles are met with skepticism, how can the local church continue to reflect and spread the light of Jesus Christ? I believe the answer is their relationship with God, prayer and obedience to him. This can be accomplished through revival, repentance, and renewal. Many times “people misunderstand Christianity because of the attitude of Christians toward their local church and the way local churches act” (Towns, 2007, P.109). This is out of direct disobedience of the body of Christ. The church is not just a building the believer should visit on Sunday. A Christian is a child of God that is commanded to act as one at all times. The Church is the living Spirit indwelling in its members. Without reading and studying the word of God we cannot, become more like our Father. You cannot reflect the light of God if you do not know him. Jesus gave us the answer to a successful church in his living breathing, Word the Bible.
The Bible gives us what God intended a church to look like and what he did not intend for the body of Christ. For the church to be successful the number one thing I believe it can do, is follow the two greatest commandments given to us in the Bible. If the church follows the two greatest commandments, I do not feel failure is possible. “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with your entire mind.’ ” This is the first and great commandment, and the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ “(Matt, 22:37-39).
Apart from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ the body of believers cannot reflect the light of God, fulfill the great commission, follow the greatest commandment, or truly love their neighbor. Just as children on this earth learn from their parents through relationship so, do the children of God (The Church is God’s family), made up of those who have been, adopted as God’s children and designated as his heirs (1Timothy, 3:15). “The Bible never refers to the Church as a building or a denomination” (Towns, 2007, p.99), the church is the people. “We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord” (Eph, 2:20). So apart from the saving grace of God and a relationship with him, the church cannot shine the light of Jesus Christ.
In our lecture this week Elmer Towns stated “Billy Graham believes only about 25% of the actual churches members are born again Christians”. One of the greatest mission fields, we may very well encounter, is sitting in the pew next to us. In order for the church to shine God’s light into the world, the believers must clean house. We must revive our church and pour God’s Sprit into our lives and come to repentance for our sins. Repentance means to agree something is wrong and walk away from the sin, without both there is no repentance. It is not us who shines to the world it is God. In order for him to shine through us, we must accept his son into our heart “and become a holy temple “the place where God lives by Spirit” (1 Cor, 3:16-17). We must live lives God intended for us of, confidence, joy, and freedom from the bondage of sin, so the world can see the light of God and want the same for themselves. You cannot do this apart from a close relationship with God and accepting his son Jesus Christ into your heart.
As children of God “believers are responsible for becoming different people, gradually growing into the likeness of Christ” (Phil, 3:10). Any parent can tell you, children learn from imitation, watching, and hearing. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Rom, 10:17). Through Faith Christians can love God and live in obedience to him. “As God’s children, Christians need to imitate their Father and become holy, as he is holy “(1 Peter, 1:15-16). Children learn through relationships. In order to become more like our heavenly father, Christians must have a relationship with Him. The members of his church must spend time reading, studying, praying, and hearing the words of their Heavenly Father’s in order to portray his character to the world. The reason I believe this is because the Bible says so.
Many Churches today are under the false assumption that they must conform to the world in order to bring new members into their fold. The Bible warns against this, “ Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that is good, acceptable and perfect, will of God”( Romans, 12:2). I would rather like to challenge Christians to strive for the Biblical practices Christ expects of them. Through the great love we show one another in the body of Christ the world is drawn to the light of God. The love God has shown us has enabled us to respond to him in love and to extend that love to others. We do not save people God does it; our responsibility is to show the world how he has transformed our lives. “For every child of God defeats this evil world and we achieve this victory through our faith” (1 John, 4:16). God’s goal for the church is to become “the likeness of God himself” (Eph, 4:24; 32; 5:1).
God is love. The love of God transforms society. We cannot tell others of his great love if you do not know him intimately. The body of Christ must go through repentance, revival, and renewal “Then and only then will the world understand what Christianity is all about” (Towns, 2007, p. 109). I believe every great church is built on the knees of the members. If you stay focused on God his light will shine through you, and he will use you as an instrument to build the body of Christ. The love of Christ will transform society and the Church can only show this to the world through obedience to God. You cannot obey your Father if you do not read the instructions he left for you the Bible.
Towns, E. (2007). Core Christianity. Chattanooga: AMG .
The Bible gives us what God intended a church to look like and what he did not intend for the body of Christ. For the church to be successful the number one thing I believe it can do, is follow the two greatest commandments given to us in the Bible. If the church follows the two greatest commandments, I do not feel failure is possible. “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with your entire mind.’ ” This is the first and great commandment, and the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ “(Matt, 22:37-39).
Apart from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ the body of believers cannot reflect the light of God, fulfill the great commission, follow the greatest commandment, or truly love their neighbor. Just as children on this earth learn from their parents through relationship so, do the children of God (The Church is God’s family), made up of those who have been, adopted as God’s children and designated as his heirs (1Timothy, 3:15). “The Bible never refers to the Church as a building or a denomination” (Towns, 2007, p.99), the church is the people. “We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord” (Eph, 2:20). So apart from the saving grace of God and a relationship with him, the church cannot shine the light of Jesus Christ.
In our lecture this week Elmer Towns stated “Billy Graham believes only about 25% of the actual churches members are born again Christians”. One of the greatest mission fields, we may very well encounter, is sitting in the pew next to us. In order for the church to shine God’s light into the world, the believers must clean house. We must revive our church and pour God’s Sprit into our lives and come to repentance for our sins. Repentance means to agree something is wrong and walk away from the sin, without both there is no repentance. It is not us who shines to the world it is God. In order for him to shine through us, we must accept his son into our heart “and become a holy temple “the place where God lives by Spirit” (1 Cor, 3:16-17). We must live lives God intended for us of, confidence, joy, and freedom from the bondage of sin, so the world can see the light of God and want the same for themselves. You cannot do this apart from a close relationship with God and accepting his son Jesus Christ into your heart.
As children of God “believers are responsible for becoming different people, gradually growing into the likeness of Christ” (Phil, 3:10). Any parent can tell you, children learn from imitation, watching, and hearing. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Rom, 10:17). Through Faith Christians can love God and live in obedience to him. “As God’s children, Christians need to imitate their Father and become holy, as he is holy “(1 Peter, 1:15-16). Children learn through relationships. In order to become more like our heavenly father, Christians must have a relationship with Him. The members of his church must spend time reading, studying, praying, and hearing the words of their Heavenly Father’s in order to portray his character to the world. The reason I believe this is because the Bible says so.
Many Churches today are under the false assumption that they must conform to the world in order to bring new members into their fold. The Bible warns against this, “ Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that is good, acceptable and perfect, will of God”( Romans, 12:2). I would rather like to challenge Christians to strive for the Biblical practices Christ expects of them. Through the great love we show one another in the body of Christ the world is drawn to the light of God. The love God has shown us has enabled us to respond to him in love and to extend that love to others. We do not save people God does it; our responsibility is to show the world how he has transformed our lives. “For every child of God defeats this evil world and we achieve this victory through our faith” (1 John, 4:16). God’s goal for the church is to become “the likeness of God himself” (Eph, 4:24; 32; 5:1).
God is love. The love of God transforms society. We cannot tell others of his great love if you do not know him intimately. The body of Christ must go through repentance, revival, and renewal “Then and only then will the world understand what Christianity is all about” (Towns, 2007, p. 109). I believe every great church is built on the knees of the members. If you stay focused on God his light will shine through you, and he will use you as an instrument to build the body of Christ. The love of Christ will transform society and the Church can only show this to the world through obedience to God. You cannot obey your Father if you do not read the instructions he left for you the Bible.
Towns, E. (2007). Core Christianity. Chattanooga: AMG .
