Created for Community

Created for Community

John 17:20-23- Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer

                Jesus prays for the unity of those who believe

in him throughout the ages. This is a level of unity that he and the Father have which is described as “you are in me, and I am in you—May they also be in us” I cor 6:17   Whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit!”

                But this kind of unity does not come naturally- we are actually self- centred vs God centred. Sin results in the breakdown of both our divine and human relationships making us incapable of loving the way God intended.

                Even in the Christian church there is damaged relationships- 33,000 Christian denominations exist and in most cases new denominations begin when one group splits from the old as a result of dispute over doctrine, practices, sacraments and others But at the same time with the many different denominations, the fact is we serve an infinitely complex God is perfect and loving yet from our human vantage point he is also mysterious and paradoxical.

                Yet unity requires both the forgiveness of sins and the inner transformation of the Holy Spirit. It is not perfect right away by any means but it is real.  Unity is the ‘final apologetic’ that is the ultimate proof that Jesus really is God’s Son and the Saviour of the world. So we must show it! This is often what unbelievers see in Christians and they want it. So when invited into a caring accepting community of Christians, some eventually realize that our love for each other flows from our union with Jesus and he alone can heal our broken and fractured relationships. This is when this person’s life changes.

But what is this relationship building- community effectiveness? Evangelism—the sharing of the gospel message verbally and by demonstrating it in order to create the loving Christian community that non-Christians crave as much as we do.

QUESTIONS:

Evangelism has been often seen in a negative light because of some practises demonstrated by some groups of Christians. Today’s evangelism often uses social media. What do you think about this tool as a means of reaching out to others? 

What does evangelism mean to you?

PRAYER:

Wonderful God help us to unite our whole being in you and in doing so, show us who you are and how we might share this knowledge with others. We ask this in Jesus’ name for he is worth talking about, sharing and following his way to reach out to others. Amen.