Want to change the world? I’ll can tell you how.
But first, a story. . .
In the beginning, God created a good world that very quickly fell into chaos because of our rebellion against God.
Full of grace, God initiated a plan to redeem, repair, and restore his broken world. It started with his promise to bless the world through Abraham and his family.
It gathered steam when God used Moses to form Israel into a nation who would show the world what it looks like when a group of people honor God, and each other, with their lives.
God’s plan looked to be in jeopardy when Israel turned away from God. But God refused to give up. He sent Jesus into the world to fulfill his plan, despite Israel’s refusal to cooperate.
Jesus started by gathering a group of followers who would learn from him the “Good news of the Kingdom of God.”
Jesus healed diseases, forgave sins, and set people free from the forces of evil as a way of showing what God wanted to do for the whole world.
Jesus finally defeated the forces of evil and overcame the power of our sin and impending death by sacrificing himself on the cross.
God raised Jesus from the dead to both validate his identity as the Son of God and show that sin, death, and the forces of evil had been defeated once and for all.
The risen Jesus empowered his followers with the Holy Spirit and sent them into the world to tell the story of his life, death, and resurrection.
The disciples went out and started gathering people around the risen Jesus.
These communities embodied the truth of the gospel with their love for God, one another, and their neighbors.
Learning from Jesus, committed to each other, and ready for anything, these churches had the power to change the world.
They still do.
It’s through these churches that God is putting his broken world back together again, one life, one family, one neighborhood at a time.
Want to change the world? Start gathering people around Jesus.
Want to change the world? Unleash a group of people in your neighborhood who are learning from Jesus, committed to each other, and ready to serve.
Want to change the world? Start as many of these churches as possible.
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons
Amen 🙂
You ask too much.
And don’t tell me “it isn’t you, it’s Jesus asking,” because He asks too much, too.
Next thing you know, you’ll both be wanting me to live some sort of self-sacrificial life and getting involved in the lives of others and selling my possessions and giving to the destitute poor just because they’re crying out loud, for cryin’ out loud.
Ask less.
Just ask me to go to church for an hour or two every week and toss in a few bucks and sing a bit and help out with teaching classes for thirteen weeks when it’s convenient, or something.
I’m a busy guy. I work at a church already. Can’t keep up with half the stuff going on there.
Change the world?
I can’t even change my own attitude.
Going to a class today on climbing fourteeners. So excited. I think you would love this too, you really need to come to Colorado and come with me on one of these trips.
Wade– You have written such a good post. This one is a keeper. Thanks!