Monday, June 21, 2010

Pouring What?


Sometimes it's hard to describe exactly what our ministry entails. For those of you who've followed our "knee-mails" for years, you have a pretty good idea. For those who haven't quite figured us out yet, this knee-mail states clearly what we are all about.

The Lord Jesus Christ.


That's it!

We are so privileged to be reminded again and again of the centrality of the message of Jesus and the hope He offers to our world... the US, Latin America, and the rest of the globe. Recently Woody passed on to me an article by Leonard Sweet that put it well.

Christians have made the gospel about so many things—things other than Christ. But Jesus Christ is the gravitational pull that brings everything together and gives it meaning. Without Him, all things lose their value. They are but detached pieces floating around in space. That includes your life. It is all too possible to emphasize a spiritual truth, value, virtue, or gift, yet miss Christ, who is Himself the embodiment and incarnation of all of these things.

What is Christianity? It is Christ. Nothing more. Nothing less. Christianity is not an ideology or a philosophy. Neither is it a new type of morality, social ethic, or worldview. Christianity is the “good news” that beauty, truth, and goodness are found in a person. And true humanity and community are founded on and experienced by connection to that person.

This global, Google world needs a meta-narrative more than ever, and the Jesus Story is the interpreting system of all other systems.

In this hour, the testimony that we feel God has called us to bear revolves around the primacy of the Lord Jesus Christ. Specifically, we need to decide how we are going to answer one question: “Who do you say that I am?”

This week we've had the privilege of pouring into four men from Minnesota who came down to partner in our ministry. While they have dug out dirt and rock and poured concrete to extend our road at the Latin America Multiplication Center , we have poured in to them our vision for being true disciples of Jesus who are committed to making disciples. It's been a great week with them, and I think we all love the Lord Jesus even more than last week!

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