We think joy is circumstantial. Then
we read the testimony of the Apostle Paul describing his joy while awaiting his
death in chains (Philippians 2:12-18 and 4:4). Joy can burst out of difficult
circumstances, and it can be as catching as wild fire.
Last
week my grandson and I hiked up Cougar Mountain so that I could teach him how
to be a mountain man and to survive in the wilderness if he were ever lost. I showed
him all the things he could eat in the forest, natural ways to defend himself
from Mosquitoes or even cougar, and how to stay warm and start a fire without
matches (his mom is going to love that one). I showed him which plants and bugs
were poisonous and which he could eat. In
response he replied: “Wait a sec, G.P. - You want me to eat a bug?!”
“Not
just any bug.” I showed him which ones were good and how to prepare them. Then he caught the adventure of it and was
filled with excitement and joy.
“Okay,
G.P., I am going to eat the next bug I see!”
“Slow
down, grandson, you only need to eat bugs if you are lost and starving.” But his joy was contagious, so we might have snacked
on creepy-crawler or two. True joy is contagious, it is that simple.
The joy from the good news the
Apostle Paul had experienced was even greater – it was transforming! It can
change our lives, every day, for the rest of our lives, if we let Jesus have
his way. And this transforming joy is
viral. It becomes a revolution when
every Christian realizes that he or she is a church-planter. And God has set us up with a great platform
to do so.
We live
in an age of social networking. Have you thought that you have a congregation in
your social network? People that may not have any other connection with Jesus
other than the change they see in you….people that are waiting for someone to
pour love, joy, and grace into their lives. First, your family and friends but then
second your social network: your high school friend and college buddy….your
dentist and your dog-walker! You can stay in touch with them. You can hear their hurts, pray for them, and
invite them to move one step closer to Jesus Christ. We proposed five easy steps for this. We called them the five P's:
1. Post the sermons on your social network.
2. Pray
for your group and encourage them daily
3. Pass along
your enthusiasm about your faith, your church and your savior.
4. Plan
some ministry ideas for your group. What
can you do together that would honor Jesus?
5. Begin
a faith conversation with your group.
Give them an uplifting idea daily.
Talk to them and listen to them.
But share your faith with them in a viral way.
Pretty
simple but a lot of fun. And as I say to
my grandson in his mountain man training: “Let’s get-tur done!”
Your
friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor
Tim White
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