Recently Pastor Ben wrote to our care group's Outreach Discussion Coordinators. We thought it could be helpful for all to read. Enjoy!
Hello,
Feel free to email or read this to your care group. Thanks for carrying the banner of outreach to your group.
BD
While on sabbatical, I read The Unadjusted Gospel. It's a book of messages given at a Together for the Gospel conference in 2006, so its writings include R.C. Sproul, Mark Dever, John Piper, Ligon Duncan, and others.
In the book, Mark Dever writes about how the gospel should reflect itself in the lives of the church in holiness, love, and other ways. Daniel's sermon on 1 Sam 5-6 helped us gain a larger view of holiness. It is being set apart from sin, but this is motivated by a deep devotion to God. Dever writes: "Think of the command, 'Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy' (Lev 19:2). Peter quotes this very verse to some young Christians in Turkey in the middle of the fist century. 'Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy.' (1 Pet 1:15-16)."
This should cause me to stop and ask myself: Does my life reflect holiness of God? Or do I act so much like the world that non-Christians around me have no questions to ask me about the Lord? Is the awesomeness of God reflected in my life? Is God presented in my life as One who is unique, holy, set apart, and distinct?
Dever goes on to say, "In our day, we treat casualness as the height of intimacy with God. But it was not so in the Bible. Consider the responses that people in the Bible have to God." Job 42, Is 6:5, Ez 1:28
These passages point toward people bowing in devotion and worship to a God of Wonders!
Consider the non-Christians around you - neighbors, co-workers, classmates, or family.
First, consider devoting yourself more fully to God as a living sacrifice to Him. Spend time with him, reflect on the gospel, and then spend time doing something for your non-Christian friends in the next month that might make you seem "weird" to them - but you are doing it as unto the Lord. It might just start with you saying, "I know I should know your name by now, but I don't or at least I have known it and forgot it." Then ask if there is anything they need during these winter months that you could help them with. Consider delivering a meal. Bring over some dessert. Or in light of last month's OC discussion, invite someone over for dessert. Tell them, "We just wanted to let you know we care about you because God cares about you and me."
Next steps:
1 - Go around your care group and have each person say a name of a non-Christian with whom there is a relationship or at least a proximity of life like a neighbor.
2 - Then brainstorm ideas together of how you can put your holiness on display to those friends. See some ideas above.
3 - Let your care group know how it goes! Pray for one another.
Have some fun with this! This stuff is exciting!
Ben D.
