Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:21

Here is what that looks like:

The miracle of the Resurrection of Christ has reverberated through my soul, liberating it from the darkness of a tendency where hate and intolerance in before the “other”, condemning it uncritically as an “enemy”, and ascending to love and respect for one’s “neighbor”, who is always and in any case a person; thus my mind has been released from the obscurantism of an ideology which legitimates lying and dissimulation, the violent death that leads to homicide and suicide, blind submission and tyranny – permitting me to adhere to the authentic religion of Truth, of Life, and freedom. Upon my first Easter as a Christian I have not only discovered Jesus, but I have discovered for the first time the true and only God, which is the God of Faith and Reason …

This is how we, as the church, overcome Islam and violence and decadence and marriages that won’t work, and selfishness. We focus on and center our lives around the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Nothing else has that power.

What do you think of when you hear the word “church?”

Do you think of a building? An organization? A group of smiling, happy people holding hands? If you were to define the church in one, single word, what word would you use?

I think if Jesus was asked that question there is a high chance he’d use this one: mission. The church is a mission. We aren’t on a mission, we are a mission. We are God’s hands and heart and eyes and ears right here on Earth. It’s easy to lose track of that. Its easy to fall into the kind of thinking that says all we are is a “body” of people who “share” the same core “beliefs.” But that’s not a church. That’s a club.

A church is a mission. As a matter of fact, the church is God’s mission on Earth. We need to remember that because when we forget we start to fall into the thinking that the church is a way that uses to do His work. The truth is, the church is the way God works. And you are a part of that.

The church is how God says to us, “I’m committed. I’m all in.” Here’s what the Bible says about this:

…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
- Ephesians 5:25-27 (NIV)

That’s committed. That’s all in. And He did that for the church. If Jesus is all in we need to be all in too.

Committed means there is no quit. It’s easy to throw in the towel when things get rough. It’s easy to say, “This isn’t for me” when the future doesn’t look bright. But when Jesus faced the cross, He didn’t quit. He said, “Father, Your will be done.” He was committed.

Committed means doing your part. Yes, the church is a body. That means we all have our part to play. The problem is many of us don’t want to do our part. Oh, for a season we volunteer or help out, but we aren’t willing to take ownership. It’s easier to sit back and watch others do it. But that’s not being the church, that’s just “playing” church. Committed means each of us takes an area of the ministry and owns it. We say “Pastor, don’t worry about this, it’s mine.”

Committed means sacrifice. Committed means we serve not because the church needs workers but because we believe in the vision God has given. Commited means we step out, risk our time and our reputations. Committed means we sacrifice a past-time like going to the desert or playng softball or going bowling or going to the movies because those are temporary but building the kingdom has everlasting impact.

Here’s the thing: only the committed experience the victories. Don’t be fooled: God will always get the victory. But those who quit aren’t around to see it. Those who don’t do their part don’t share in it. Those who do not sacrifice get nothing for their time. Only the committed get to see and experience the greatest works of God.

So here’s the question: do you have an uncompromising commitment to the mission of God at Living Hope?

I just got back from spending the entire day with a good friend who was in need of a good friend. It is easy to underestimate just how much we need each other in this life. Sometimes it takes a day like today to remind me of that.

Who’s life do you need to be involved in? Do you open yourself up and allow others to speak into your life? Who have you given permission to do that?

The Bible says that “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Are you being sharpened by another?

I had something quite interesting happen to me the other day. I was driving and listening to the radio when a song came on about the rapture. The main theme of the song was “the sooner Jesus comes back the better.”

I used to think like that. After all, the world is going to hell in a hand basket and I can’t think of a better time for Jesus to come back. Wouldn’t it be cool if in the middle of a presidential campaign Jesus came back and showed everyone that He’s not a Democrat or a Republican? Wouldn’t it be special if He came back and established His kingdom on Earth and we would all celebrate because we are obviously on the winning side?

But this day, as I listened to that song I couldn’t help but think about all those who have not yet been reached by God’s grace through Jesus. I thought about the 63,000 residents of our neighborhood that live within three-and-a-half miles of our church that do not have a vibrant relationship with a God who loves them. I thought about the kids I see each week at the Sonshine club after-school program who never get to church because their parents are too busy with softball or soccer or work or going to the desert. I thought of families torn apart by the false gospel that says we can give lip-service to Christ without authentically turning our lives over to Him. I thought of all those who do not know the unrestrained joy of a life fully surrendered to the cause of Christ.

Then I started to pray a prayer I had never prayed before:

“Not yet, Jesus,” I prayed. “Wait. Hold off. We have more to save. Give us more time. If you come now it will be too late for them.”

My heart was broken for those who did not yet know Him. It was broken to the point that I was asking God to hold off…

I believe that every time God moves greatly He does so through those who have uncurably broken hearts for the lost. When our hearts are broken for the lost it changes the way we think. Judgment goes out the window and we look for opportunities to exercise the grace that God has given to us. When our hearts are broken for the lost it changes how we do things. It doesn’t change what Christ followers do; all Christ followers devote themselves to the teaching of the apostles, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. But when our hearts are broken we will change how we do those things so that those who are hopelessly separated from God will find living hope in Jesus.

That means we structure our Sunday service in such a way that people who are just checking out God, the Bible, Jesus and church won’t be weirded out. It doesn’t mean we water anything down, but it does mean that we see ourselves as missionaries in a foreign culture. Therefore, instead of requiring the culture around us to speak our language, like any good missionary we are determined to learn and use the language of the culture God has given us the privilege of ministering to.

You see, if we don’t have a broken heart for the lost, our default attitude will be that our neighbors deserve whatever judgment God has planned for them. As a matter of fact, we will be all too eager to watch God meet out His wrath. But if we have the heart like Jesus, the sin, dysfunction, and hurtful lifestyles of those who do not yet know of Jesus will produce a life altering sadness in us that motivates us to love and good deeds.

And that’s where God does His best work.