EXCELLING IN LOVE (9 OF 15)
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
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Excelling in Love (9 of 15)
Series: 1 Thessalonians
Robert Dawson
1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
I am convinced that one goal many people have, intentionally or unintentionally, adopted is to go through life as hidden and unnoticed as they possibly can. I was that way throughout my academic career, whether it was elementary school, middle school, high school, college or seminary. It was my intent fade into the background and become part of the décor. Life is safer and simpler there. Some of you are that way. You go to work and have a few relationships, most of them superficial, do your job and go home. You have for all practical purposes become nothing more than a piece of office equipment. Some of you approach church like that as well. You come, for whatever reason, and fade into the back ground. See the pew - be the pew.
It has carried over into how we live out our faith as well. I have found the only way to go through life unnoticed is to blend in. The only way to not draw attention to ourselves is to look, act, think, dress, spend, speak and live like everyone else.
As believers we have become adept at camouflaging ourselves by taking on the color, characteristic and convictions of the world around us and simply going with the flow and we have become all but invisible to the world around us. Even our churches have found ways to blend into the shadows, shades and hues of the world around us.
While this may be a comfortable place to be it is not the place we are called to be. It is not the role we have been asked to assume. Jesus said that as His followers, yes we would be in the world, but we were never to be a part of it and it was not to be a part of us. We are not called to blend in. We are called to stand out. We are called to model and be a catalyst for change.
Jesus has called us to be salt and light. Matthew 5.13-16 - You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing ...
Series: 1 Thessalonians
Robert Dawson
1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
I am convinced that one goal many people have, intentionally or unintentionally, adopted is to go through life as hidden and unnoticed as they possibly can. I was that way throughout my academic career, whether it was elementary school, middle school, high school, college or seminary. It was my intent fade into the background and become part of the décor. Life is safer and simpler there. Some of you are that way. You go to work and have a few relationships, most of them superficial, do your job and go home. You have for all practical purposes become nothing more than a piece of office equipment. Some of you approach church like that as well. You come, for whatever reason, and fade into the back ground. See the pew - be the pew.
It has carried over into how we live out our faith as well. I have found the only way to go through life unnoticed is to blend in. The only way to not draw attention to ourselves is to look, act, think, dress, spend, speak and live like everyone else.
As believers we have become adept at camouflaging ourselves by taking on the color, characteristic and convictions of the world around us and simply going with the flow and we have become all but invisible to the world around us. Even our churches have found ways to blend into the shadows, shades and hues of the world around us.
While this may be a comfortable place to be it is not the place we are called to be. It is not the role we have been asked to assume. Jesus said that as His followers, yes we would be in the world, but we were never to be a part of it and it was not to be a part of us. We are not called to blend in. We are called to stand out. We are called to model and be a catalyst for change.
Jesus has called us to be salt and light. Matthew 5.13-16 - You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing ...
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