Good Morning!! In
most situations, we like being chosen. Of all the people looking for
work, we were chosen for the job,...and at least at the time, we liked
it. we
all loved that feeling in elementary school when we were picking teams
and
one of the best players would take a chance on us. Yeah, being chosen can be a pretty cool thing. It is a privileged position, and sometimes we can start to get a little full of ourselves,...particularly as Christians. As Jesus continued His teaching about the vine and the branches,
He gave the disciples a little attitude check:
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you."—John 15:16 (NIV)
Jesus appointed us, He chose us for a reason, and He appointed us to go and bear fruit,...fruit that will last. We were set aside and we were sent forth. We will be used as conduits of His love, to reach others with His grace. So, it's not okay for us just to say, "You know what? I'm just going to abide in Jesus! I don’t need anybody else, and nobody else needs me." We abide in Jesus in the context of community. It's also not okay for us as the Church, to ever say, "Well, we're just going to abide in Jesus together." NO, we are commissioned to bear the fruit of love and joy so that we can make a difference in our community,...to people who don't have that yet. Yes, we have insider info, but Jesus wants us to live and share that info with the world. As we go out to them on the mission that He has given to us, we will see people coming to know the Father, as a result of Christ living His life through us,...a fruit that will last forever.
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you."—John 15:16 (NIV)
Jesus appointed us, He chose us for a reason, and He appointed us to go and bear fruit,...fruit that will last. We were set aside and we were sent forth. We will be used as conduits of His love, to reach others with His grace. So, it's not okay for us just to say, "You know what? I'm just going to abide in Jesus! I don’t need anybody else, and nobody else needs me." We abide in Jesus in the context of community. It's also not okay for us as the Church, to ever say, "Well, we're just going to abide in Jesus together." NO, we are commissioned to bear the fruit of love and joy so that we can make a difference in our community,...to people who don't have that yet. Yes, we have insider info, but Jesus wants us to live and share that info with the world. As we go out to them on the mission that He has given to us, we will see people coming to know the Father, as a result of Christ living His life through us,...a fruit that will last forever.
It can be a real short distance between realizing that we are
branches of Jesus' vine,...to looking down on others because they might
not be.
Lord
of the Harvest, check our attitudes! Search our hearts and show us
if there are any hurtful ways in us. Reveal any sense of pride and
arrogance, that we've let creep in, because You chose us. We want to fix
our eyes on You, and we want to see beyond ourselves to the community
of
believers, that You've placed around us in this world. We want to step
out in faith with the marching
orders that You've given us to produce an eternally lasting fruit,...by
being part of Your global harvest. We're willing to till up hard soil, or
plant seeds, or water, or whatever You would have us do. Amen.
" The Lord loves a cheerful giver,...until he brags about it."
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