What a wonderful Sabbath! Normally I don't feel like its truly Sabbath when we're away from home, but God greatly blessed us today with a refreshing church in Lincoln Park, Chicago. While it was hard at first to sing not only with instruments, but hymns I didn't recognize, the solid bringing of God's word in the sermon, and the delightful fellowship was so welcoming. I was really convicted by the sermon. The pastor of this start-up (called Ethos Chicago- PCA church plant) focused on Jeremiah 29, talking on how we as Christians are to be a part of the culture without assimilating.
He made a good point that many of us go. Through our lives as if we're tourists on a cruise ship, never wanting to live among the people. God (through Jeremiah) warns against this, telling those exiled in Babylon to make homes, settle down, have kids... we are not called to stick up our noses and ignore the masses because they aren't like us. We aren't supposed to talk only to other Christians and no one else. We are called to live among them. But not only that, we are seek THEIR welfare.
"But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."- Jeremiah 29:7
The word "welfare" here is the Hebrew word "shalom". Bringing shalom into your community means to look out for the peace of your community, to bless it, to bring fullness of delight into it. I found myself sitting their, loving that my comfort bubble was burst. How am I blessing my community? I don't need to be served by it. Because of Christ, I am full. I can serve because of Christ. Because of Him, I should be humbling myself, taking off my old self, and putting on the new. Praise God for such a conviction.
So how are you bringing shalom into your community?
No comments:
Post a Comment