Embodying Christ: A Call to Generosity and Service
Summary
In reflecting on my recent experiences in China, I am reminded of the profound simplicity and depth of faith that can be found in the most unexpected places. In China, where public worship is often restricted, believers gather in secret, embodying a deep commitment to their faith. They understand the personal responsibility of sharing the gospel, not relying on public services but on personal testimony and relationships. This underground church movement has grown to an estimated 100 million believers, a testament to the power of personal evangelism and community.
During my visit, I encountered a village of 70 families who have embraced the teachings of the Bible in the most tangible way. Each family has adopted multiple special needs children, living out the call to care for the least of these. Their lives are a beautiful picture of selflessness and joy, a true reflection of what it means to give oneself away for the sake of others. This community exemplifies the manifold wisdom of God, not just to the world but to the heavenly realms, as described in Ephesians 3:10.
This experience challenges us to reconsider our approach to church and community. In America, church can often become a consumer experience, where we choose based on personal preferences rather than a commitment to serve and give. The true dream for the church is not about personal gain but about becoming like Christ, who gave His life for others. This is the essence of the gospel and the call for each of us to become givers, not takers.
The grace of God transforms us into generous, selfless individuals, as seen in the Macedonian church in 2 Corinthians 8. Despite their poverty and affliction, they overflowed with joy and generosity, begging for the privilege to give. This is the mark of true grace—when our character is conformed to Christlikeness, and we find joy in serving others.
As we strive to embody this in our own community, let us aim to be a church that reflects the manifold wisdom of God, not just to the world but to the spiritual realms. Let us be a people who race to the bottom, seeking to serve and give, following the example of Christ who emptied Himself for us.
Key Takeaways:
- The underground church in China exemplifies the power of personal evangelism and community, growing to 100 million believers through personal testimony and relationships, despite restrictions on public worship. [01:01]
- A village in China, where families have adopted special needs children, demonstrates the true essence of giving oneself away for the sake of others, embodying the call to care for the least of these with joy and selflessness. [03:52]
- The church is called to display the manifold wisdom of God, not just to the world but to the heavenly realms, as described in Ephesians 3:10, challenging us to move beyond consumerism to a commitment to serve and give. [06:05]
- The Macedonian church, despite their poverty and affliction, overflowed with joy and generosity, illustrating that true grace transforms us into generous, selfless individuals who find joy in serving others. [19:19]
- The dream for the church is to become like Christ, who gave His life for others, challenging us to race to the bottom, seeking to serve and give, following the example of Christ who emptied Himself for us. [34:48]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:10] - Church in Secret
- [00:47] - Personal Responsibility in Evangelism
- [01:31] - Western Influence on Chinese Church
- [02:38] - A Village of Selfless Love
- [03:52] - Adopting Special Needs Children
- [05:36] - The Manifold Wisdom of God
- [07:20] - Beyond Human Understanding
- [09:25] - A New Dream in Christ
- [12:20] - The First Shall Be Last
- [14:53] - A Race to the Bottom
- [17:19] - The Macedonian Example
- [20:39] - The Grace of God in Giving
- [24:45] - A Church of Givers
- [31:03] - The Attitude of Christ
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Ephesians 3:10
- 2 Corinthians 8:1-5
- Philippians 2:5-11
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Observation Questions:
1. How does the underground church in China demonstrate the power of personal evangelism and community despite restrictions on public worship? [01:01]
2. What actions did the village in China take to embody the call to care for the least of these, and how did this reflect their understanding of the Bible? [03:52]
3. According to the sermon, what is the significance of the church displaying the manifold wisdom of God to both the world and the heavenly realms? [06:05]
4. How did the Macedonian church exemplify joy and generosity despite their poverty and affliction? [19:19]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. What does the commitment of the underground church in China teach us about the personal responsibility of sharing the gospel in our own contexts? [01:31]
2. In what ways does the village in China challenge our understanding of selflessness and joy in serving others? How does this compare to our own community practices? [05:20]
3. How can the concept of the church displaying the manifold wisdom of God, as described in Ephesians 3:10, reshape our approach to church and community life? [06:05]
4. What does the example of the Macedonian church reveal about the transformative power of God's grace in our lives, especially in terms of generosity? [19:19]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your personal approach to evangelism. How can you take more responsibility for sharing the gospel with those around you, similar to the believers in the underground church in China? [01:31]
2. Consider the example of the village in China. What practical steps can you take to care for the "least of these" in your own community? [05:20]
3. How can you contribute to your church community in a way that reflects the manifold wisdom of God, moving beyond a consumer mindset? [06:05]
4. In what areas of your life can you practice the kind of selflessness and humility exemplified by Christ in Philippians 2:5-11? [34:48]
5. Identify a specific way you can demonstrate generosity this week, inspired by the Macedonian church's example. What might be holding you back from giving more freely? [19:19]
6. How can you cultivate a mindset of "racing to the bottom" in your daily interactions, seeking to serve others as Christ did? [34:48]
7. Reflect on a time when you felt the grace of God transforming your character. How can you continue to grow in Christlikeness and find joy in serving others? [20:39]
Devotional
Day 1: The Power of Personal Evangelism
In China, where public worship is often restricted, believers gather in secret, demonstrating a profound commitment to their faith. This underground church movement has grown to an estimated 100 million believers, a testament to the power of personal evangelism and community. These believers understand the personal responsibility of sharing the gospel, relying not on public services but on personal testimony and relationships. Their faith is a powerful reminder of how the gospel can spread through genuine connections and the courage to share one's faith in challenging circumstances. [01:01]
Acts 5:42 (ESV): "And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus."
Reflection: Who in your life can you share your personal testimony with this week, and how can you initiate that conversation?
Day 2: Living Out Selfless Love
In a village in China, 70 families have embraced the teachings of the Bible by adopting multiple special needs children. This community lives out the call to care for the least of these, embodying selflessness and joy. Their actions are a beautiful picture of what it means to give oneself away for the sake of others, reflecting the manifold wisdom of God. This example challenges us to consider how we can tangibly live out our faith by serving those in need and embracing the call to love selflessly. [03:52]
James 1:27 (ESV): "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."
Reflection: What is one practical way you can serve someone in need this week, reflecting the selfless love of Christ?
Day 3: Beyond Consumerism to Commitment
The church is called to display the manifold wisdom of God, not just to the world but to the heavenly realms, as described in Ephesians 3:10. This challenges us to move beyond a consumer mindset, where church is about personal preferences, to a commitment to serve and give. The true dream for the church is to become like Christ, who gave His life for others. This calls us to be givers, not takers, and to seek ways to serve our community and church family selflessly. [06:05]
Ephesians 3:10 (ESV): "So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."
Reflection: How can you shift your mindset from being a consumer to a contributor in your church community this week?
Day 4: The Transformative Grace of Generosity
The Macedonian church, despite their poverty and affliction, overflowed with joy and generosity. They begged for the privilege to give, illustrating that true grace transforms us into generous, selfless individuals who find joy in serving others. This example challenges us to consider how the grace of God can transform our character to reflect Christlikeness, leading us to find joy in giving and serving, even in difficult circumstances. [19:19]
2 Corinthians 8:2-3 (ESV): "For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord."
Reflection: In what area of your life can you practice generosity this week, trusting in God's provision and grace?
Day 5: Embracing the Example of Christ
The dream for the church is to become like Christ, who gave His life for others. This challenges us to race to the bottom, seeking to serve and give, following the example of Christ who emptied Himself for us. As we strive to embody this in our own community, let us aim to be a church that reflects the manifold wisdom of God, not just to the world but to the spiritual realms. This calls us to be a people who seek to serve and give, embracing the attitude of Christ in all we do. [34:48]
Philippians 2:5-7 (ESV): "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men."
Reflection: What is one way you can follow Christ's example of humility and service in your daily life this week?
Quotes
In China, at least what it used to be, they did Church like we do it in the homes except they did it in secret because they weren't allowed to do that. Even with the singing, they would tell me about when they used to just mouth the words because they couldn't let the neighbors hear. [00:04:52]
They wanted to gather to worship so badly that they would hide in these secret places. They would just mouth the words to one another like I gave myself away, just quietly because no one could know they were worshiping. They couldn't just bring friends to this Gathering. [00:08:56]
All of the people in the church started to tell their friends, and all of these churches started to grow. It's estimated under communism that it's grown to about 100 million people now, 100 million Christians growing that way. It's just this cool thing where everyone saw their responsibility. [00:57:32]
I want to talk about this one Village I went to. This was the most beautiful picture of church I'd ever seen. It was up in the mountains, rural China, where they're picking rice, picking corn, eating off the land. They got their own animals, and it was about 70 families. [02:41:08]
These 70 families had all become Christians. In reading the scriptures, they saw their need to care for the widows and the orphans, so they began adopting kids out of the orphanage. These 70 families, each family adopted like two or three kids. They adopted 160 kids. [03:21:92]
All of the kids are special needs kids. They all have cerebral palsy or Down syndrome. They have limbs missing, heads swollen from some disease. There's blind kids, deaf kids. You see these Believers, we just sang that song I give my life away. That's the idea of becoming a Christian. [03:47:20]
In Ephesians 3, it talks about the church. In verse 10, it says that through the church, the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the Heavenly places. That's a lot of words right there and some big words, but it talked about the manifold wisdom of God. [05:59:96]
The point of the church was not that it would just amaze people, but that there's these Heavenly beings. It's not just about flesh and blood. It's not just about us right now. There's demons, there's Angels, there's Heavenly beings looking on, and somehow the Way That We Gather is not just supposed to surprise the people in the world. [06:42:80]
The dream for us is man, I want to know Christ. I want to know the power of his resurrection. I want to know the fellowship of his sufferings. God, could I be so beautiful one day that I just let people spit on me and torture me and have my life end for someone else? [10:09:64]
In 2 Corinthians chapter 8, it describes exactly what I'm talking about. Second Corinthians chapter 8 verse 1: We want you to know, Brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia. For in a severe test of Affliction, their Abundance of Joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity. [17:07:83]
They gave according to their means, I can testify, and beyond their means of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the Saints. This not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. [17:43:00]
The grace of God is on you when your character has changed and you've been conformed into Christlikeness. It's like man, the grace of God is on their lives. Just yesterday, Thursday, I get a text from my best friend in high school. I graduated high school in '85, funny, 30 years ago. [21:21:36]
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