Pastor's Newsletter
January, 2012
If God's Kingdom came to your neighborhood, what would it look like?
Mobile Ministry has been one of the major thrusts of Liberty Church over
the past two and one-half years, and, more recently, we are developing
what we call Mobile Church. Both of these are aimed at one thing:
bringing the Kingdom of God to individuals, families, and neighborhoods
- our entire area. We have come to understand that God has called us to
pastor neighborhoods as well as individuals; that is, we are to care for
them, pray for them, and teach them how to be part of God's family and
kingdom. We have a fair idea what it looks like when an individual
encounters and embraces God's Kingdom through the gospel, but what will
it look like when a neighborhood is invaded by the Kingdom of God?
Every believer is an ambassador of reconciliation, a bearer of the good news, and a carrier of God's power and presence. A believer's living in a neighborhood is the leaven that is intended to impact the area. How does this happen? What will it look like? I believe the first key is to understand who we are. Jesus says we are salt and light. He taught that a lamp is to be placed on a lampstand, not hidden under a basket. In other words, we have to make a decision to deliberately stand out as kingdom people. We are not supposed to act like undercover spies who are trying to keep our true identities hidden. Jesus wants to shine through us.
One way we do this, according to the Lord, is to let our good works speak for themselves.
You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 (NET1)
This will require us to get involved in some fashion in others' lives in order to serve them. This can be as simple as offering a listening ear or as involved as doing some sort of helpful task. It certainly should include offering to pray for them and, as appropriate, to share how God desires to be their all in all through Christ. People should know that we are there and that we care about them. They should know that we are people who trust God and who love them just as they are. In other words, they should see us as their friends, neighbors who care.
So, how do we get started, especially if we have been operating undercover for years? Repentance might be an appropriate beginning point. I know I have had to repent for my past and present failures to fulfill my role as an ambassador of God's kingdom. After that, prayer is the next most logical step. We can pray for our neighbors by name and ask God for opportunities to minister to them. If you are like me, you do not yet know the names of many of your neighbors. I believe we need a strategy to help us get to know them. Christianity is relationship based, and we cannot help someone we do not know. Mobile Ministry works wonderfully in this regard. All we need to do is set aside some time to knock on some doors, introduce ourselves, and tell our neighbors that we want to be a blessing to them and ask them if there is anything for which we can pray. If we routinely ask people how they are doing, pray for them, have them into our homes, visit them in their residences, and invite them to get togethers, we may gain an entrance into their hearts. The rest is up to God.
So what will our neighborhoods begin to look like as the kingdom of God invades? I believe lonely people will gain new friends. Hopeless people will get a new reason to live. The brokenhearted will be healed, and the oppressed will be set free. As people learn to surrender their lives and homes to the Lord, only good things can happen. As people learn to give and receive love, God's light will shine more and more. As neighbors band together to seek God's kingdom for their community, what do you think will happen?
And that is why we do Mobile Ministry and Mobile Church. We want to see lives and communities restored by God. That is why it is so important for you to let your light shine.