Daily Dose of the Word of God - Beyond Sunday Ep. 82

Jeff Klein, Pastor of Outreach

Transcript

Jeff Klein  0:07  

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC's Daily Dose in the Word of God. It's Monday, March 31. this is Jeff Klein reminding you to take your faith Beyond Sunday and into the week.

Jeff Klein  0:17  

Incarnational living was a concept understood and lived out by the first Christians. There's really no other way to explain the explosive growth of the early church. A distinctively different, beautiful way of living made the world stand up and take notice. Alan Hurst, the missiologist from New Zealand, says that, "the Incarnation isn't just a doctrine, it is a way of life - a posture, a pattern for living. The Father sends the son, the son sends the Spirit, and the spirit sends us. We are a sent people, and our mission should reflect the one who sends us." What does this look like? Hurst offers six P's to describe this incarnational, missional way of life.

Jeff Klein  0:55 

 
First P is presence. The Word became flesh and moved into the neighborhood. We need to be the presence of Christ where we live, work and play. Secondly, Proximity. Jesus walked the streets and hung out with people. Showing up consistentl and embedding ourselves in people's lives gets us to be incarnational, missional Christians. Prevenience is a Wesleyan tradition - they teach us that God is already at work wooing people to Himself. So when we go, we look for where God is already at work. Powerlessness - the way of Jesus is about serving, listening and loving people into the kingdom. Passion - Jesus felt deep in his guts for people. He ached with them. We need to enter into others suffering and lives with the same kind of passion and compassion. And finally, proclamation - we don't lead with this, instead, it is the natural outflow of living the other five Ps. When people experience us that way, then our words about the kingdom carry weight.

Jeff Klein  1:56  

The Apostle Paul points to us to this kind of life in Romans, chapter 12. He says this: "Love, be real. Stay away from evil. Hold onto good. Be a friend. Love, deeply. Put others first. Be on fire, alert, cheerful, persevere, pray, help, welcome,bless, laugh, mourn with, get along, stay humble, don't retaliate, discover beauty, don't judge, buy a hungry person food, get a thirsty person something to drink, be generous, be good." This litany of compelling actions might even make the biggest skeptic look twice. Could this be what participating in the Great Commission looks like today? This incarnational way of life? Let's get going.

Jeff Klein  2:43  

Let's pray. Lord Jesus, teach us to move into the neighborhood like you did. To act like you, to move like you, to love like you. Then Lord, as the opportunities present themselves to talk about you, we pray that ytou would give us the words to speak to the folks around us. In your name Jesus, we pray. Amen.