Daily, sacrificial, authentic, missional living

Posted by Alan Knox on Feb 10, 2011 in blog links, community, fellowship, service | 3 comments

Mark at “renrutkram” has written an excellent post called “What is ‘outreach’?”

While Mark recognizes the “big events” in scriptural examples of proclaiming the gospel, he says these one times events (Paul preaching at Mars Hill, for example) are always combined with relationship and community which is “evidenced throughout the Scriptures.”

How does that apply to us today? Should community and relationship be evidenced throughout the church today? Yes, even though it is difficult. Mark says:

In my own life, daily discipleship is much harder than one-time events. I don’t particularly mind large, attraction-based, event-oriented evangelism (though I question their effectiveness in today’s culture). However, one-time evangelism must be accompanied by daily, sacrificial, authentic, missional living. I find it much harder to mentor a student weekly than take teenagers to camp once a year. It is much more time-consuming to volunteer in the local middle school than throw a Superbowl party. I have to be vulnerable when I share my life with other people and that scares me. When you share life you share success and failure, strengths and weaknesses.

By God’s grace I will strive to demonstrate the gospel not just once in a while but every day.

Yes! Do you want to host a “big event”? Great! But, do you have the “daily, sacrificial, authentic, missional living” that must go along with it? If not, then the “big event” will soon fizzle into a faded memory.

But, with “daily, sacrificial, authentic, missional living” the gospel is brought to bear on everything that we do, with or without a “big event.”

It’s not easy. In fact, it is absolutely impossible, which is why God works through us in his power when we serve others for him.