When people hear your name or see your face, what comes to their mind? What do you represent to them? Is it your job, your attitude your style, a team, a lifestyle, or a belief? When Jesus was teaching on the mountain with His disciples – he was teaching them attitude, mindset, lifestyle. He was teaching them that they now represent something bigger and greater than anything they’d ever imagined.
Then and now, Jesus’ disciples represent the Kingdom of God.
His message and everything he modeled was about what people see when they see or experience you.
The big Goal is for people to see Christ when they see us; that when they experience us as followers of Jesus, they experience Christ.
It wasn’t just a goal, it was a passion, it was his mission – to reconcile all things to God! Ultimately, He is talking about LOVE – a crazy – ridiculous – reckless kind of love that makes people makes people ask questions! If we are going to live the mission; we have be equipped, for it!
To give us a good idea of what that might look like, Paul put it this way in II Corinthians 5:13-15:
For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (ESV)
Paul was obsessed with the realization that he was chosen for the Mission. The most important, the most urgent mission one could be chosen for is all driven by the Love of Christ. Paul’s life looked a little crazy. He was a bit radical. To many, Paul was out of control! But listen:
When you are under God’s control – Your life looks out of control! And...it’s for one purpose
It’s about Christ calling his church (you and I) and sending us into our world to live and share and preach the HOPE OF CHRIST. God has called you and I to be everyday missionaries. Have you ever thought of it like that!
Here’s the challenge. The love of Christ in us, must shine through us!
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (II Corinthians 5:16-17)
From now on…let’s be so conscious of how we are showing up, and how we regard others, that it looks a little different, a bit crazy!