Take a Walk

By Pastor Christian on 3/15/10

One of the last things Jesus did while he was physically on the earth was give his followers a life defining mission until he returned. He said,

“Go and make disciples in every nation, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have taught you.”

Matthew 28:18-20a

That simple order was and remains the central mission of the Christian church. Although there are a myriad of other good things our organizations accomplish, it is THIS mission that must remain at the heart of it all. That is why, over the next three weeks, in an ongoing effort to train our people to “live the mission” and to prepare for this Easter, Brandon and I will be challenging the church to “Go out to make new disciples.”

We doubt that we will have much trouble convincing people that “being on the mission” or “missional living” is a part of their calling. We find is usually at issue is “how” to be missional without being forced, corny, programmatic, and disingenuous.

In answer to that nearly universal discomfort, we are providing a three week summary of an excellent book by Bill Hybel’s called “Just Walk Across the Room.” The simple premise of this book is that sustaining natural, missional evangelism is actually just as easy as walking across the room to engage another human being. Although there are a few more details than that, we won’t make it much more complicated.

o Week one will challenge the entire community “Take a Walk and be Missional.”

o Week two will detail a natural and sustainable method for including “the mission” in everyday life.

o Week three will promote the power of telling a good story using Jesus as the prime example and giving everyone simple tools for sharing their own story.

Each week, I will included a basic thought and a couple of questions.  We are really hoping to unite our community behind this singular Christian mission and have a phenomenal Easter. So, think about the material, engage the conversation and help us meet the Great Co-Mission!

——————————————————————————————————-

Week One: Take a Walk

[Let us look to Jesus] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!             

Philippians 2:6-8

To put it bluntly, we are all Christians because at least two other people were willing to leave their comfort zones and “cross the room to us.” In other words, we did not become Christians in a vacuum. As the passage above conveys, first Jesus crossed the largest room in the universe to see us reconciled to the Father. Then at least one other person, somewhere, at sometime, did their part and crossed a room and to tell us about Jesus. There is a very real sense in which we all have a debt of gratitude to be paid. But the calling goes much higher than that.  2 Corinthians 5:18-21, makes it clear that WE have been given Jesus’ ministry of the reconciliation by God. How cool is that?

I think it raises a couple of questions, like:

1. Do you feel a conviction to share the same faith that was shared with you?
      If yes, are you?        If no, why do you think that is?

2. Has this series already begun to create a heighted desire for missional living?

3. Do you have opportunities in your life to genuinely interact with non-Christians?

4. Do you remember who “crossed the room” to you, or at least who the primary person in your own salvation was?

5. What do you remember about how they approached you?

6. Do you have a particularly good, bad, or funny memory of someone try to engage you in evangelism?

Peace,

Christian

Back to Top