SO DO I
There's a phrase that Christ-followers use to say all the time. I don't hear it as much, but I should. The phrase was, "God loves you and so do I." Do you want to develop an attitude of ministry? There it is. Do you want to develop a personal boldness that drives your interactions with others? There it is. God loves you and so do I.
There's a reason the early church changed the world. Not only did they proclaim the name of Jesus, not only were they willing to take a stand for God, but they also loved people. You see it in Acts 2, when the Christ-followers began to sell their property and share the money with those in need. You see it in Acts 6 in the way their organized leaders distribute food and minister to the needs of people, so that no one was passed up. You see it still at work years later when the leaders of the church met with Paul and blessed his ministry and encouraged him to continue, asking only that he remember the poor. [Galatians 2:10]
The church, from the very beginning, has been about helping people. The church demonstrates God's love by what it does. The driving motivation for the apostles was to see people saved, to see people come to Christ. That's what they wanted. When they encountered the risen Christ, they realized: "This thing is real. His teaching, and his promises, and his way of life — this is real. And all of those things he said that seemed a little out there ... like when he said that he was alive even before the days of Abraham, or when he claimed to be equal to God, or when he said that he is the only way to the Father ... His resurrection proved it. This thing is real. And people need to hear. They need to know. They need the chance to experience Jesus for themselves."
Jesus said, "The greatest among must be a servant." (Matthew 23:11 NLT) That is our calling, as a church and as individuals. We need to love people more than anything else. If you want to make a difference in this world, and if you want to be part of a church that makes a difference, then you and me —we —must love people more than anything else. Each of us would do well to ask ourselves this question: "How am I showing God's love to the world I live in? Who am I serving?" What are you doing to serve others, to bless others, and to minister to others?
The early church made a difference because they cared. They wanted to see people saved, and fed, and taken care of. They loved people more than anything else. Let's be the church that serves the people of this community in the spirit of the love of Jesus. Together we can change the world. Begin today to tell others: “God loves you and so do I.”
There's a reason the early church changed the world. Not only did they proclaim the name of Jesus, not only were they willing to take a stand for God, but they also loved people. You see it in Acts 2, when the Christ-followers began to sell their property and share the money with those in need. You see it in Acts 6 in the way their organized leaders distribute food and minister to the needs of people, so that no one was passed up. You see it still at work years later when the leaders of the church met with Paul and blessed his ministry and encouraged him to continue, asking only that he remember the poor. [Galatians 2:10]
The church, from the very beginning, has been about helping people. The church demonstrates God's love by what it does. The driving motivation for the apostles was to see people saved, to see people come to Christ. That's what they wanted. When they encountered the risen Christ, they realized: "This thing is real. His teaching, and his promises, and his way of life — this is real. And all of those things he said that seemed a little out there ... like when he said that he was alive even before the days of Abraham, or when he claimed to be equal to God, or when he said that he is the only way to the Father ... His resurrection proved it. This thing is real. And people need to hear. They need to know. They need the chance to experience Jesus for themselves."
Jesus said, "The greatest among must be a servant." (Matthew 23:11 NLT) That is our calling, as a church and as individuals. We need to love people more than anything else. If you want to make a difference in this world, and if you want to be part of a church that makes a difference, then you and me —we —must love people more than anything else. Each of us would do well to ask ourselves this question: "How am I showing God's love to the world I live in? Who am I serving?" What are you doing to serve others, to bless others, and to minister to others?
The early church made a difference because they cared. They wanted to see people saved, and fed, and taken care of. They loved people more than anything else. Let's be the church that serves the people of this community in the spirit of the love of Jesus. Together we can change the world. Begin today to tell others: “God loves you and so do I.”
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