W1 | Mission As A Lifestyle

FUSE Jakarta

6 months ago

REFERENCE BIBLE VERSES

1 Peter 3:15 | but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect (ESV)

OBJECTIVE

To understand that a missional lifestyle does not only include evangelism, but ordinary people doing ordinary things with gospel intentionality.

CONTENT

LIFE AS A MISSION

Everything that we do in our daily lives can be used as a platform to glorify God. Whether it’s work, or relationships, we should practice what we have learned from the teachings of Jesus Christ in our daily activities. As we continue to live our lives in constant guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can be sure that the fruits will be evident in even the smallest actions we take (Galatians 5:22-23); from the way we do our job, how we treat others, and so on. God can use our every action, no matter how small or insignificant they may be, to spread the gospel. But it is important for us to realize this, and act with this intentionality in mind.
In order to fulfill our mission to constantly share the gospel, our care for people as Christians should be felt tangibly by others whether it be physically, emotionally, or spiritually. We can learn about it from The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). By doing our work with integrity or helping others in need, we can be good witnesses of God’s grace, as salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16). The list of things that we can do to show that we truly care for others are endless, especially outside the walls of our church.
Loving God and people should be our foundation to start talking and build friendship with unbelievers (Mark 12:30-31). Meaningful relationship starts with a two-way conversation. When exchanging different stories and opinions, being a good listener truly helps. Our undivided attention and care towards different ideas and cultures can be shown by us listening carefully and asking genuine questions. When it comes to sharing the gospel, we should be able to give biblical answers and explanations (1 Peter 3:15). Reading the word of God daily will equip and prepare us for random unexpected evangelical encounters. Ordinary topics can be our way to talk about God, but we have to also be able to discern when is the right time to talk about our faith. God shall help us with His wisdom. Remember to always handle disagreements with respect (1 Peter 2:17).

CONNECTION BEFORE CORRECTION

Rather than focusing on pointing out someone's weaknesses, we should aim for a constructive friendship (Romans 14:13). Instead of judging Zacchaeus as a tax collector, Jesus decided to build a connection with him by having dinner in his house. Jesus gently treated Zacchaeus with dignity because no matter what he did, he still is a valuable creation who is created in the image of God. This was what changed Zacchaeus’ heart and brought total restoration to his life.
It is always important to realize that each person goes through different stages in their lives. Not everyone has the same understanding about God and not everyone holds the same principles on how to live their lives. There is no point in thinking that we are better than others (John 8:7), because every mankind has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23, 1 Thessalonians 5:11). Correction towards others, even of the most obvious mistake, should come from a loving heart, not of pride (Proverbs 11:2). We should learn to imitate Christ’s humility (Philippians 2:1-11).
While connection with the person is important before correcting them, the common pitfall that we fall into is being afraid of correcting after building the connection, in case we may jeopardize the relationship. Remember that truly loving someone means to have their best interest in mind, and we do not want to see our friends keep going on the wrong path.

REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

REFERENCES