The Word Sent Through Us // Dan Davis

When they find out it's a final judgment, imagine one of them turns to you and says, thank you. You try to have a conversation with me. I know that I teased you. I know I said no. Maybe I always change the subject. But I know that you tried. And that would be hard for us to hear, but we'd be affirmed in our faithfulness. [00:02:22] (22 seconds)  #FaithfulnessAffirmed

And how we live today and tomorrow and on until that final day could impact what that final day could look like for others. Whether it's weeping and gnashing of teeth, or it's singing and dancing in joy. Our capacity to be sent can make all the difference in someone's life. So let's jump into our passage again and explore this more. [00:03:31] (26 seconds)  #LivesImpactEternity

I think there are three things that work against us in being sent. First, is that we can assume that people aren't in danger. Maybe you have a neighbor or a friend who you don't know if they believe in God or not, but they seem happy. They are getting along. In life all right as it is. They're good people. Nice. And so we can presume that they are okay. And this is simply not the case. [00:12:44] (25 seconds)  #DontAssumeTheyreOkay

Now, can you think of a scenario in which my sacrifice for my wife would show love? A scenario I can think of is if my wife was in mortal danger and I would put my body in harm's way. That's love. In the same way, Jesus' death was necessary. Jesus used extreme measures because we were in extreme danger. [00:13:41] (24 seconds)  #LoveMeansSacrifice

``Consider a bouquet of flowers. They are beautiful, but they are in the process of death. They have been cut from the stem. They have the appearance of life because of the vase and the water, but it only slows down the inevitable. The people we pass by in the grocery aisle have the appearance of life, yet the consequences of sin are just as real for them as it is for us, and they too are in the process of death. [00:14:21] (30 seconds)  #LifeIsFragile

Because with the peace of God, we have thick skin. We have thick skin to readily engage people. For instance, I'm not going to get upset or offended by someone's opinions of my faith. Rather, I'm going to be more concerned about, do they understand the message of Jesus? I'm not going to get embarrassed, because I'm more worried for them spiritually than I am for my own pride. I might be scared to ruin my reputation with them, but I'm more scared for their eternal future. [00:16:57] (33 seconds)  #PeaceOverPride

When we tell God no, we miss out on the opportunity to be part of what God is doing in this world. I'm not saying an application necessarily is going to do ministry in the world's largest red light district. Maybe it is but maybe it means you invite a co-worker out to lunch. Maybe it means you invite a neighbor over for coffee and you bring up spiritual topics. It will cost you time, maybe something else. Who knows what God will do though if you make room for mission in your life. [00:19:44] (34 seconds)  #MakeRoomForMission

Now the New Testament gives analogies of what this looks like. It talks about the Holy Spirit's walking in the Spirit. It talks about keeping in step with the Spirit or being filled with the Spirit. And how do we rely on the Spirit's power? Well I think it simply means a moment-by-moment dependence on him. It is prayerfully refusing to live in my own strength and submitting myself to the Spirit's influence in my life. [00:21:25] (30 seconds)  #WalkInTheSpirit