Move [day 2]
[Called, Assembled, and Sent]
As we live a life of continual worship and recognition of how God is moving, we gain a deeper understanding of God’s plan for our lives. He calls us, assembles us, and sends us out.
God’s word tells us that He has called us out of darkness and delivered us. He sent His Son Jesus to live on this Earth. Jesus, though 100% God, was also 100% man. He faced all the temptations of this world, yet lived a sinless life. God sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins and be the sacrifice that we needed. Jesus did what we could never do. Jesus bridged that gap between us and God. We no longer have to live in bondage to our sin because Jesus, our perfect sacrifice, paid the price for us on the cross. When we repent of our sins and accept what Jesus did for us on the cross, we become a child of God. When God sees us, He sees Jesus. As His children, we are called from a life of sin and darkness and into a life of light and righteousness. God calls us to Himself through the work of Jesus on the cross.
God then assembles us, His children, together. We are His church; a body of believers banded together for God's glory and purposes. The local church is the hope of the world. Our pastor, Pastor Eddie Lyons, reminds our church family that local churches are like emergency rooms. If you are in a crisis but the nearest emergency room is hours away, it does you no good. We want to be a spiritual emergency room of sorts, ready to help all the people who are in our community and speak the life giving message of Jesus Christ that we all so desperately need. Unlike an actual emergency room, we are not locked to a specific location. The church is not a building, but rather the people! As His people, we are called to go out among our communities, to be the hands and feet of Christ. Assembling together as the church is such an important part of following Jesus. We gather to worship together, serve together, encourage one another, and grow together. It is what Jesus called us to do and it is how he designed us to operate.
God did not design us to keep the hope He brings to this world to ourselves. He did not call us to remain silent. He has sent us out to tell the good news of what Jesus did on the cross to anyone and everyone! Before Jesus ascended to Heaven, His last instruction to His followers was to "go and make disciples." We are to make more followers of Christ; baptizing people and teaching all of Jesus' commandments. This is our mission as followers of Jesus. It is common to believe that this command is only for missionaries who go overseas or for a pastor who works in a church. This is not the case! Jesus calls each and every follower to this Great Commission. We don't have to go far either. There are people in every city and every community who need to hear the good news of Jesus. Did you know that following Christ automatically gives you influence with everyone around you? Be intentional to share the hope of Christ to those in your daily sphere of influence.
Remember that God has called you. He has assembled us together as His church to be stronger together. We must be committed to a local church, serving and worshiping together. Jesus has sent us out with the mission to” go and make disciples” - His Great Commission.Tell everyone of the Kingdom of God and the free gift of salvation that Jesus gives!
Scripture Reading:
1 Peter 2:9-10 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Matthew 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Hebrews 10:24-25 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Matthew 28:19-20 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Prayer:
God, thank you for calling me out of darkness and into your light. Thank you for calling me into your Kingdom and your family. Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross for my sins and for the salvation that I have in Him. Thank you for assembling your church. Thank you for my local church. Help me to be committed to my church - to serve and worship alongside the people in my community. Thank you for giving us a mission. Will you equip me to make disciples? May you bring people into my life that I can share the Gospel with. I pray that you would use me in helping people come to know and follow you. Thank you for using someone so broken like me, to help save someone’s eternity. You are so good! Amen.
