Lisa Scheffler, author

Before he ascended into heaven, Jesus gave his disciples a mission that has been passed down to every generation of followers, including you and me. At Christ Fellowship, we summarize that mission by saying that we are to be people helping people find and follow Christ.

It’s a simple sentence to repeat, but it’s implications are all encompassing. Christ’s mission affects everything, from the way we parent, to how we do our jobs, to how we spend our money, to the way we prioritize our time. There is no corner of our lives left untouched by the reality that Jesus is Lord, and we are his people, empowered to reflect his character and commissioned to share his truth and love through our words and actions.

For the next few weeks we’re going to focus on this mission and some of the ways we can live it out. We’ll consider various contexts in which we operate as ambassadors for Christ, including in our homes and jobs, in our communities and nation, and in the world at large. We’ll explore how we can share the gospel, serve others, and impact people with the love of Christ.

Along the way, we’ll be highlighting various ministries that Christ Fellowship partners with both here and abroad. We think you’ll be inspired by the amazing things they are doing and want to be a part. 

Day 1 

Representing Christ to the world — it’s a high calling, and not an easy one. But then, it never has been. The earliest Christians lived under the threat of persecution in a culture that was constantly pressuring them to abandon Jesus for other gods. For the most part, these early believers were not wealthy, well-educated, or from noble families. They didn’t have a lot going for them in the eyes of Rome. But in the eyes of God, they had everything they needed to carry out his mission. They had the Holy Spirit, they had each other, and they had the good news that all people are loved by God and welcomed into his kingdom because Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord.

The gospel spread like wildfire through the Roman empire in the decades after Jesus first gave his commission. Life after life was changed by the power of the Spirit, as people experienced salvation and redemption through Christ, and the number of believers multiplied. We have the same Spirit who empowers us to share Christ’s love, and we can start with those closest to us.

Read

1 Corinthians 7:17

Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.

What do you think Paul means by “whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them”?

Reflect

Paul didn’t write generic form letters. When he wrote letters to newly formed churches, he took time to answer questions and deal with issues in their communities. In 1 Corinthians 7,  he helps the Christians of Corinth work out how their lives should change after they became believers. They were wondering what to do about aspects of their old life now that they’d committed to Jesus. If they were married to an unbeliever, should they stay married? If they were uncircumcised, should they get circumcised? In the verse we read above, Paul tells them to live as believers in the situation that they were in.

Throughout history there have been cults that require their members to abandon everything from their former life — from the way they dress, to where they live, to even cutting off contact with family. That’s not what God calls us to do when he saves us. While we need to separate ourselves from sin, we aren’t required to renounce every relationship, leave our careers, or isolate ourselves from the world. To the contrary, God often keeps us right where we are, so we can impact those around us for Christ.

The gospel transforms us from the inside out. We are a new creation and the Spirit empowers us right where we are at to live as a follower of Jesus. Our salvation will affect everything about our lives from the way we communicate with our family members, to the way we respond to our boss, to the way we treat the checker at the grocery store. As we live out his love, compassion, truth, and mercy, we are acting as Christ’s ambassadors and representing his ways. 

There is a reason Jesus doesn’t transport us straight to heaven after we’re saved — he has work for us to do here on earth. Our mission field starts right where we live. This week we’re going to look at how this impacts our relationships at home and in our jobs.

Respond

Think about the people that you spend the most time with — your spouse, kids, roommate, friends, fellow students, or co-workers. This week, ask the Spirit to show you how you can you encourage. Whatever their starting point, whether they are far from God, or already walking with him, consider how you can nudge them a little bit closer to Jesus through your words and actions.

Mission Partner Spotlight

Shiloh Place

Throughout the Bible, God reveals his great compassion for the poor and vulnerable. He expects his people to share this compassion. This week, we’re focusing on our mission at home, with our own families. But we always want to look beyond our own walls to help those in our community who are struggling to provide safe and secure homes for their families.

Christ Fellowship partners with Shiloh Place, “a ministry to single moms and their children who are homeless or ‘at-risk’ of homelessness.  The program provides assistance with housing, childcare and tuition for up to two years with the goal of seeing our families move into a self – sufficient lifestyle that will stand the test of time.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an even greater need for the work they are doing. I encourage you to watch this short video to see the tremendous impact they are having right here in Collin County.