The Church Unleashed

THE CHURCH UNLEASHED - Sunday, January 3, 2010

On Sunday, Chuck mentioned several examples of believers who offered lives of service to God in an effort to "go outside the camp". This idea comes from Hebrews 13:12-14

12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

An intimate relationship with God is about "looking for the city that is to come." In other words, we are to seek God's idea of living – not our own. The best way to do that is to imitate that which inspired the cross – Jesus' unconditional love and compassion for others.

As the text says, we will have to bear the disgrace He bore. What is that? It might be persecution and ridicule. It might be the frustration of helping those who are unappreciative and critical. It most certainly will involve sacrifice of some kind. Are you ready to do that?

Weekly Project: Identify the most unloveable person with whom you have regular contact. Next, make a brief list of the ways you can serve them this week and put several of those ideas into action. In doing so, you will be sharing the love that can only come from Christ – the love that His cross inspires in you.

Let us know how God works in you to accomplish His purposes – and draw you closer to Him.