Revival, Part 3 of 5
If we just admire who we are…if others just admire who we are, then we are just a showpiece. Let me illustrate my point.
In Daytona Beach, Florida, we would have ministry at the Daytona 500 and at the Pepsi 400 in July. We had worship services for the fans in the campgrounds, and we set up information booths around town to give out information about the race. We also gave away free tickets! Wait a minute…not free tickets to the race, but free tickets that said that this ticket is not worth anything. It had a stub that said the stub was worth nothing, but it made the ticket look more important. On the back of this free ticket was the gospel message which was very important.
Christians that take great pride in themselves are like the front of that ticket. They look important but they are not worth anything! A show piece does nothing but look good. As Christians, as the family of God at Timber Ridge, we have a job to do.
Our job is to look UPWARD. Examine your relationship to God. I don’t just mean ‘do you love Him,’ but do you obey Him? Our love for God is seen and confirmed by our actions. Worship His Majesty! Confess your sinfulness! Submit yourself to serving Him! Live in obedience to Him!
Our job is to look INWARD! I have four sisters that live throughout southern Kansas and Oklahoma. We seldom get together as family anymore, but I love them dearly. So, how will they know that I love them? I have to do something to demonstrate it. As a family of God, how much do you love your brothers and sisters? How are you showing it to them?
Our job is to look OUTWARD. Our church does a lot of things for people in the community and beyond. Our job is to take the gospel to them, love them with Gods love, and to bring them to the church. We need to develop a culture of invitation! New church plants grow faster and bring more people into the kingdom because they are constantly inviting people to come and worship with them. Who have you invited lately? People may know where we are, but they won’t often come if they aren’t invited.
So, are you a ‘showpiece?’ or a ‘tool?’