Being a Blessing: Engaging the World with Grace
Summary
In today's reflection, we explored the profound truth of God's covenant with Abraham, which was intended to be a blessing for all nations, not just for Israel. This covenant was not meant for private consumption or exclusivity. Israel's failure to understand this led them to either isolate themselves or assimilate with the world, losing their distinctiveness. As followers of Christ, we are called to be in the world but not of it, serving as a beacon of God's love and grace to those who do not yet know Him. Our purpose is not to retreat into our Christian enclaves but to engage with the world, sharing the blessings we have received.
Jesus exemplified this by tearing down man-made barriers that hindered people from coming to God while preserving the essential elements of faith. He challenged the status quo, ensuring that the core tenets of faith were upheld without compromise. As Christians, we must hold firmly to the essential doctrines of our faith, such as the inerrancy of Scripture, the Trinity, and salvation through Christ alone, while being willing to let go of traditions that become obstacles to others.
The story of Palm Sunday serves as a reminder that we are called to be a blessing to those outside the church. Our faith should not be a barrier but a bridge to those who are far from God. We must internalize our values and reach out to others, embracing them with the love and grace that God has shown us. This is our mission: to be a blessing to the world, to love as God loves, and to show grace as He has shown us.
Key Takeaways:
1. God's Covenant with Abraham: The covenant was meant to be a blessing for all nations, not just for Israel. This highlights the importance of understanding that our faith is not for private consumption but for sharing with the world. We are called to be a blessing to others, reflecting God's love and grace. [35:15]
2. In the World, Not of the World: As Christians, we are called to engage with the world without conforming to it. Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane reminds us that we are to be in the world but not of it, serving as a sign of God's love to those who do not yet know Him. [40:09]
3. Preserving Essential Doctrines: While we must hold firmly to the essential doctrines of our faith, we should be willing to let go of traditions that hinder others from coming to faith. Our focus should be on sharing the gospel and being a blessing to those outside the church. [49:52]
4. Breaking Down Barriers: Jesus demonstrated the importance of removing man-made obstacles that prevent people from coming to God. We must ensure that our faith is not a barrier but a bridge to those who are far from God, embracing them with love and grace. [49:52]
5. The Mission of the Church: Our mission is to be a blessing to the world, loving as God loves and showing grace as He has shown us. We are called to engage with the world, sharing the blessings we have received and reflecting God's love to those who do not yet know Him. [49:52]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [35:15] - God's Covenant with Abraham
- [40:09] - In the World, Not of the World
- [49:52] - Preserving Essential Doctrines
- [49:52] - Breaking Down Barriers
- [49:52] - The Mission of the Church
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Genesis 12:1-3 - God's Covenant with Abraham
2. John 17:15-18 - Jesus' Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane
3. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 - Paul's Missionary Approach
#### Observation Questions
1. What was the original purpose of God's covenant with Abraham, and how did Israel misunderstand it? [35:15]
2. How did Jesus demonstrate the balance between preserving essential elements of faith and removing man-made barriers? [40:09]
3. What are some examples of traditions or practices that might hinder others from coming to faith, as mentioned in the sermon? [49:52]
4. How does the story of Palm Sunday illustrate the mission of the church to be a blessing to those outside the faith? [49:52]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the covenant with Abraham challenge the idea of faith being for private consumption? What implications does this have for modern believers? [35:15]
2. In what ways can Christians be "in the world but not of the world," according to Jesus' prayer in John 17? How does this apply to our daily lives? [40:09]
3. What does it mean to hold firmly to essential doctrines while being willing to let go of traditions that hinder others? How can this balance be achieved in a church setting? [49:52]
4. How can the church ensure that its faith acts as a bridge rather than a barrier to those who are far from God? [49:52]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there ways in which you have kept your faith for private consumption rather than sharing it with others? How can you change this? [35:15]
2. Consider your interactions with non-believers. How can you be more intentional about being "in the world but not of the world" in these relationships? [40:09]
3. Identify a tradition or practice in your church that might be a barrier to newcomers. How can you address this issue constructively? [49:52]
4. Think of a time when you felt excluded by a religious tradition or practice. How can this experience inform your approach to welcoming others into the faith? [49:52]
5. How can you personally contribute to breaking down barriers that prevent people from coming to God? What specific actions can you take this week? [49:52]
6. Reflect on the story of Palm Sunday. How can you embody the mission of being a blessing to those outside the church in your community? [49:52]
7. Choose one person in your life who is far from God. What steps can you take to reach out to them with love and grace this week? [49:52]
Devotional
Day 1: God's Covenant as a Universal Blessing
The covenant God made with Abraham was intended to extend beyond Israel, serving as a blessing for all nations. This covenant was not meant to be kept within the confines of a single community but to be shared with the world. Israel's misunderstanding of this led to either isolation or assimilation, losing their unique identity. As followers of Christ, we are called to be in the world but not of it, acting as conduits of God's love and grace to those who have yet to know Him. Our mission is to engage with the world, sharing the blessings we have received. [35:15]
Genesis 12:2-3 (ESV): "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Reflection: Who in your life can you intentionally bless today, reflecting God's love and grace to them?
Day 2: Engaging Without Conforming
Christians are called to engage with the world without conforming to its patterns. Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane highlights this call to be in the world but not of it. We are to serve as a sign of God's love to those who do not yet know Him, maintaining our distinctiveness while reaching out to others. This balance requires wisdom and discernment, ensuring that our interactions with the world reflect God's love and truth. [40:09]
John 17:15-18 (ESV): "I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world."
Reflection: In what ways can you engage with your community today without compromising your faith and values?
Day 3: Holding Firm to Essential Doctrines
While it is crucial to hold firmly to the essential doctrines of our faith, such as the inerrancy of Scripture, the Trinity, and salvation through Christ alone, we must be willing to let go of traditions that hinder others from coming to faith. Our focus should be on sharing the gospel and being a blessing to those outside the church. This requires discernment to distinguish between core beliefs and cultural practices that may not serve the mission of the church. [49:52]
2 Timothy 1:13-14 (ESV): "Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you."
Reflection: Are there any traditions or practices in your life that might be hindering others from experiencing the love of Christ? How can you address this today?
Day 4: Removing Barriers to Faith
Jesus demonstrated the importance of removing man-made obstacles that prevent people from coming to God. He challenged the status quo, ensuring that the core tenets of faith were upheld without compromise. As Christians, we must ensure that our faith is not a barrier but a bridge to those who are far from God, embracing them with love and grace. This involves actively seeking to understand and dismantle any barriers that may exist within our communities. [49:52]
Ephesians 2:14-16 (ESV): "For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility."
Reflection: What barriers might exist in your church or community that prevent others from coming to faith, and how can you work to remove them?
Day 5: The Church's Mission to Bless the World
The mission of the church is to be a blessing to the world, loving as God loves and showing grace as He has shown us. We are called to engage with the world, sharing the blessings we have received and reflecting God's love to those who do not yet know Him. This mission requires intentionality and a commitment to living out our faith in tangible ways that impact those around us. [49:52]
Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV): "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Reflection: How can you be a light in your community today, actively participating in the church's mission to bless the world?
Quotes
"But the truth is that original covenant that God made with Abraham was based on a covenant formulary. I will bless you in order that you will be a blessing for all the nations. That is the essence of God's covenant with Abraham." [00:39:46] (23 seconds)
"God has not called us to look like the world or to act like the world, nor has he called us to isolate ourselves from the world. In fact, if you recall Jesus' last prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, he said, Father, I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the world." [00:41:17] (24 seconds)
"We exist in this covenant relationship with God, not to make us happy, but to become a blessing for those who don't know God yet. To be a sign of God's love and his grace for the entire world, not just for us, exclusively. In Christianity, if the goal is simply for us to attain salvation and then wait for heaven, cloistered in churches behind our stained glass windows, singing our favorite hymns, enjoying our potluck dinners, insulating ourselves from those on the outside by our insistent that church ought to be done to please us, then we might as well go on to heaven when we get saved. There's no use in us staying on this planet." [00:41:47] (53 seconds)
"But God has chosen to leave us here, not so we can hide away in our Christian fortresses, but so that we can become a blessing to our friends, our family, our neighbors, our city, those we run into." [00:42:58] (19 seconds)
"It's important to note that Jesus was careful about what barriers he tore down. He attacked the money changers and he attacked the people selling animals in the court of the Gentiles, but he didn't turn over the bronze laver or the golden altar. He didn't push his way into the holy of holies. He doesn't." [00:43:20] (22 seconds)
"There's a lesson here some churches become so user-friendly that they fail to preach the truth the largest church in America has no crosses or other Christian symbols in the building because they're afraid it will offend those who come seeking." [00:44:00] (19 seconds)
"Theologically liberal churches and denominations tend to look like the world talk like the world and act like the world and the world looks at them sees nothing you yawns and walks away and they declare that Christianity is irrelevant irrelevant and that kind of Christianity really is irrelevant but here's the thing we must never compromise those essential things that God ordained and as Christians we we are supposed to hold tenaciously to the essential doctrines of our faith we believe unequivocally in the inerrancy of scripture we believe in the doctrines of the trinity the virgin birth the divinity of Christ we believe in Jesus death burial and resurrection we believe in salvation through faith in Christ alone and we believe that Jesus will ultimately return to establish his kingdom on earth there's not anything wrong really even with us honoring and holding on to and preserving our unique Anglican heritage as long as it doesn't become a barrier to others we can hold tenaciously to our sacramental theology our sense of awe and mystery and our link to history those who came before us or as my wife used to boil it down the history the mystery and the electricity I like that but whenever our traditions prevent others from coming to faith those traditions must go I remember when we first purchased this building before we even worshiped here the first time Archbishop Kalini from Rwanda who was our archbishop at the time yes I was a Rwandan priest he came here for a clergy meeting and to bless our building since we just bought it and we were down in the basement we had walked around he had blessed the building and all of that and we got downstairs he did a Q&A and one of the deacons that was there asked a question it looks like that worldwide Anglican communion is going to split and if we break with the global south with the evangelical the conservative the traditional crowd then we're not going to be associated with England and so that's not really Anglican what do we call ourselves and I'll never forget Archbishop Kalini said I suggest that you call yourselves Christians." [00:44:00] (158 seconds)
"He said we we spend way too much time explaining to people what Anglicanism is and way too little time explaining to people who Jesus is." [00:46:58] (12 seconds)
"So when any of our man-made traditions get in the way of the gospel guess what goes those traditions they've got to go because God is not exclusive except that he excludes any who do not believe on the name of the son." [00:47:11] (22 seconds)
"A parishioner once said to me Ron if we are going to do church for those who are not yet members like you say it wasn't this church it was a former church then why would I want to be a member what about my needs how am I going to be taken care of and I laughed and said don't worry brother our fallen nature will ensure that we're taken care of we're just that selfish we'll make sure of that but if we care about those outside the faith we'll have to make a conscious decision to put them first you'll have all of eternity to be comfortable to sing your favorite hymns to recite your favorite doctrines and theology but right now we are at war for the souls of men and women." [00:47:31] (52 seconds)
"Paul said this in his letter to the church in Corinth I make myself everyone's servant to win as many as possible I have become all things to all men so that by all means I might save a few I do all this for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings God's chosen people are meant to be a blessing to those outside the church people that are not Christian are not your enemy no flesh is your enemy we don't wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places that's our enemy not people the culture isn't even our enemy the culture is neutral it can be used for good or bad God's chosen people are meant to be a blessing to those on the outside we exist for the sake of others God's chosen people are meant to be a blessing by removing obstacles man-made religious rules that were put there for our convenience and if we're honest to make us feel exclusive." [00:48:23] (84 seconds)
"God doesn't want us to be people who use our morality or our rules or our laws or our traditions or our faith as a fence or an obstacle could those on the outside God wants us to internalize all of that that's what Jesus did and then he moved purposely in the direction of people that were the furthest away from him the furthest away from God he embraced them our Christianity is not meant to be a barrier to the world outside so that we can hunker down and hide no we internalize that we believe our values don't change but we reach out to those on the outside and my friends that really is what the story of Palm Sunday is all about let's stand together most holy father I thank you so much for this powerful image of Jesus triumphal entry and the events of holy week which we'll be walking through this week through our services father as we look at what Jesus did we realize that all of this happened because Israel failed to be a blessing to others and now God has raised up a new chosen people he's not excluded Israel but he's raised up a new people and our job by the God is to be a blessing for those outside to never ever ever try to be exclusive father have mercy upon us forgive us and help us father to love like you love to show grace like you showed to us help us father to embrace those who are far away we ask all of this in Jesus name amen the praise team is going to lead us in a song and this is what we call our ministry time if you need prayer about anything in your life whatever it might be prayer ministers are going to be back in the corner the altar is open if you'd like to come and pray at the altar or you can just stay where you are and worship God but for this moment let's respond to him after this we'll move into a time of holy communion." [00:50:00] (143 seconds)
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