Five Things We Must Be Doing

...to make a meaningful kingdom impact in the world.

Photo by Rui Silvestre on Unsplash

Remember Jerusalem

Acts 1:8 reminds us that we will

…receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Often when we think about missions or the missionary calling, we immediately focus our mind’s eye on the ends of the earth — far away places, strange cultures, and people who dress, talk, and act strangely. We tend to forget that the commissioning as witnesses of Christ begins in our own Jerusalem (the place closest to us with people the most like us).

Some people have the gift of evangelism – a gift for meeting people, engaging people in conversation, and talking about Christ. For some of us, though, such things are not easy. Our personalities don’t work that way.

Even so, being a witness is something all followers of Christ are called to do. We must all be ready and willing to share the reason for the hope that we have both in season and out (1 Pet 3:13; 2 Tim 4:2). This is the calling and purpose of every believer, empowered by the Holy Spirit…and it starts in our homes, our families, our neighborhoods and our cities.

New things, in new ways, to reach new people

I do not have the gift of evangelism as some people do. My gifts lie more in learning, teaching, and imagining. Yes, learning is my top strength in Strength Finders. I do have the spiritual gift of teaching, and I enjoy the prophetic use of imagination, asking the question, “What if…?”

I find joy in encouraging and equipping God’s people to step out in faith, courage, and love to follow the call of God in their lives. I get especially excited when that call leads people to do new things, in new ways, to reach new people.

I want to find ways to meet people where they are and begin walking with them on a grace-filled journey leading to Christlike transformation – both in the church and out in the community. And I want to help the church do these same things in new ways to reach new people

Five things that will help us make a meaningful impact

If was want to meet people where they are and begin walking with them on a grace-filled journey leading to Christlike transformation, then we need to be very intentional in doing at least five things (there are probably more, but we’ll focus on five)

First, we must LOVE PEOPLE

We must be people who courageously and boldly love people with authentic, sincere Christlike love. “Everything we do,” Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “must be done in love” (1 Cor 16:14). In the same letter, he told wrote, “Let love be your highest goal” (1 Cor 14:1).

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. —John 13:34-35

To make a kingdom impact in our world, we must learn to live out the uncommon, unbounded, and undeserved love of Christ with each other and among the people in our neighborhoods, the people that we see each day.

Second, we must PRAY FOR PEOPLE AND WITH PEOPLE

We must be people who pray for people and with people –  humbly approaching the throne of God on behalf of the not-yet-believing people all around us, those who have not yet experienced the new hope, new peace, and new life that is found in Christ.

The more we love, the more we pray…and the more we pray, the greater our love. Together, let’s learn to pray for the people and the needs of our community. And let’s take opportunities to pray with people as we reach out to them in love.

Third, we must be a MEANINGFUL PRESENCE

We must be a meaningful presence in our neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and communities, working together with community businesses, organizations, and leaders for the betterment of our neighborhoods and our city. We need to study our community and understand the real, felt needs of the people around us.

Do our schools need volunteers?  

Do our nursing homes need visitors? 

Are there refugee families that need friends… or English lessons? 

Where are there opportunities to bless, encourage, and come alongside others in our community? Let us be known as a people with uncommon love and overflowing compassion.

Fourth, we must SHARE YOUR LIFE

Let me briefly give three powerful ways that we can share our lives with others.

1—Share your table: There might be no more universally accepted sign of friendship and acceptance than sharing a table with someone. An enemy can become a friend over a shared pot of coffee or a meal. Sharing our tables with others is a great way to begin walking with people in God’s grace.

I’ll never forget when we invited our Muslim friends to our house to celebrate Christmas with us—they were shocked that a Christian family would do such a thing.

We sang a couple of songs, explained the strangeness of having a decorated tree in our house, ate sloppy joes, and shared with them why Christmas is such an important time for us. We shared out table. Let’s be people who share our table with others.

2—Share your interests:  In Indonesia, owning a bird is a status symbol for men. So, Jonah took his bird and gathered a group of men to meet at night to talk about their birds and share their stories. Often, the talk turned to frustrations about their wives, their children, and life in general. Jonah would sit through hours of talking and second-hand smoke, enjoying the fellowship of the other men but always looking for an opportunity to share something meaningful.

One night he was asked about his wife, but instead of talking bad about her, he told the men how much he appreciated her. Sometime later, one of the men, knowing that Jonah was a follower of Christ, came to Jonah with questions about Jesus.

Let’s be people who use our hobbies, talents, and interests to bless, encourage, and talk about Christ with others.

3—Share your story: We all have stories of how God has worked in our life, times when God met us in our time of need, and times when we were struggling, hurting, or found ourselves in a situation beyond our control. My wife does this as well as anyone I know. Each of her three pregnancies are testimonies to God’s healing touch, provision in time of need, protection, unexpected blessings. She has shared these God stories with more people than I can remember.

Our stories of God’s grace in our lives are powerful and meaningful, and people need to hear them! Our testimonies of God’s grace, mercy, provision, and protection are among the most effective tools we have to impact the lives of others.

Fifth, we must EXPAND OUR REACH

For several years while serving in Indonesia, I taught a missiology course. Every year I challenged students with the idea that the millions of “not-yets” in their country would never walk through the doors of their church. It didn’t matter how great the music or preaching was or how creative and fantastic any programs they offered.

They were not going to come, so the only way to share the love of Christ with them was to go where they were are start new groups in new villages, new neighborhoods, and new homes.

The same is becoming more and more true here in our own country. Increasing numbers of people will not show up at our churches. Like our brothers and sisters in Indonesia, we must begin to take the church beyond our walls, out to the places where people live. 

We must learn how to start contact groups, discipleship groups, bible studies, and house churches in coffee shops…golf clubs…quilting bees…Uber cars…in online communities…and even, perhaps, in your home. We must find ways to reach the people who will not come to us — new things, in new ways, to reach new people.

The prophet Isaiah wrote that “God is about to do a new thing” (Isaiah 43:19).

I believe that those words are still true today.

Wherever and in whomever there is a heart to love people, God is about to do new things.

Wherever, and in whomever there is a heart to pray, God is about to do new things.

Wherever, and in whomever, there is a desire to do new things in new ways to reach new people, God is about to do new things.

God is still in the business of doing new things.

I want to be open for God to use me to do something new.

How about you?