The Jesus Question!
I recently read "The Monday Morning Church" by Jerry Cook as recommended by a friend. It was a pretty good read with some very good points along the way. I was disappointed that He didn't go far enough. He went far enough to keep people happy. On a good note, Jerry Cook reveals something I have never seen in Scripture.
Jerry says, "Yet, here is Jesus Christ stepping out of eternity to reveal the only God there is, and He says, 'I haven't come to be served.' Now to me that doesn't make sense. Again, my question is, If You haven't come to be served, why are You here? Why did You come? Again His answer is, 'I haven't come to be served , but to serve.'
Immediately I begin to recall all the questions Jesus asked throughout the Gospels. Almost always they came down to this: 'What can I do for you?' What were His first words to blind Bartimaeus? 'What would you like Me to do for you?' What about the lepers? 'What can I do for you?' What about the man at the pool? 'What can I do for you?' "
The planter replies: I wonder for those of us who want to live incarnationally in the world, what would happen if we asked the Jesus question, "What can I do for you?" I wonder how many of us would be prepared to meet that need whatever it is for Jesus?
Better yet, what would happen if every Christ follower decided to ask that question to those outside of the church family, "What can I do for you?" What would happen if they truly met that need? How unlike the church! That's another post - I'm feeling ornery and I'm off work and have too much time on my hands. So I'm de-cluttering my brain from all the stuff I'm thinking about these days.
Can you imagine what God would do in America?
posted by Bob Carder @ 12:18 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Great thoughts - and a great question!
I like his point on page 209 that "the assembly of the church is meant to equip and encourage and enhance the real work of the church, which doesn't take place within the four walls of a sanctuary."
It would be so awesome if those who are called to equip the saints really started training/equipping members for mission! Then we'd see the church in action all week long. We'd see the church serving like Jesus - asking the question: "What can I do for you?"
Keep posting!
Davedv - Thanks for pointing this out for us. I highlighted that paragraph so hard I almost rubbed a hole in it.
My greater question is how in the world can we get the majority of Christ followers in America to see and live this truth?
I know you are doing what you can to fuel a missional movement but how can this happen when we are set in concrete for the most part?
Great Point Bob!!!
I made that same observation a few years ago when studying the Gospels. I mean everything Jesus did sort of centered around him living the answers to two questions:
1: what can I do for you Father?
2: What can I do for you (people)?
Spam, the more you write the more I see you wanting to do a new thing outside of the trappings of church the way we have always done it.
Am I right?
If I am, then when will you jump out and risk it all for Jesus? Or are you already doing it? I'd love to work more closely with you because I believe you can lead a movement that I so passionately describe.
We offer the training and dialogue that would catapult you into a new paradigm.
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