Whatever we treasure in life we also measure. So if we treasure the prospect of expressing Christ's love and life to our neighbors then we will measure how we are living out our core values:
Be His
Belong
Be Changed
Be Servants
Be a Bridge.
Our retreat speaker this weekend, Pastor Andy Sytsma, pointed out a great passage to me that really illustrates the connection between measures and treasures.
It's 2 Corinthians 13:5: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test." Earlier in 2 Corinthians 4:6 Paul says, "For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the God's glory displayed in the face of Christ." That's a full verse!
Notice where God makes his light shine: in our hearts.
Notice the specific content of that light: it's the light of the knowledge of God's glory.
Notice where God's glorious light is best displayed: the face of Christ.
So by the Holy Spirit, the face of Jesus Christ is brilliantly on display in every Christian heart.
The good and beautiful Jesus is not far from any of us who believe!
His face appears to the "eyes of our heart".
That face can comfort us when we feel alone and dejected
for we see in Jesus face a wonderful message: "I love you. You are mine."
That face can summon us out of selfishness and into community.
Jesus face assures us: "You are my chosen people, holy and dearly loved."
That face can bless us with a better way to live.
After Jesus washed his disciples feet, he said: "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have
washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet...
Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
That face can compel us to deliver the good news to our neighbor.
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he said, "Go and make disciples of all nations."
And when we feel stuck in dead-end patterns of life,
that face of Jesus can inspire us with fresh hope.
As Paul says in this same book of 2 Corinthians.
"If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new is here!"
Be His
Belong
Be Changed
Be Servants
Be a Bridge.
Our retreat speaker this weekend, Pastor Andy Sytsma, pointed out a great passage to me that really illustrates the connection between measures and treasures.
It's 2 Corinthians 13:5: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test." Earlier in 2 Corinthians 4:6 Paul says, "For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the God's glory displayed in the face of Christ." That's a full verse!
Notice where God makes his light shine: in our hearts.
Notice the specific content of that light: it's the light of the knowledge of God's glory.
Notice where God's glorious light is best displayed: the face of Christ.
So by the Holy Spirit, the face of Jesus Christ is brilliantly on display in every Christian heart.
The good and beautiful Jesus is not far from any of us who believe!
His face appears to the "eyes of our heart".
That face can comfort us when we feel alone and dejected
for we see in Jesus face a wonderful message: "I love you. You are mine."
That face can summon us out of selfishness and into community.
Jesus face assures us: "You are my chosen people, holy and dearly loved."
That face can bless us with a better way to live.
After Jesus washed his disciples feet, he said: "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have
washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet...
Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
That face can compel us to deliver the good news to our neighbor.
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he said, "Go and make disciples of all nations."
And when we feel stuck in dead-end patterns of life,
that face of Jesus can inspire us with fresh hope.
As Paul says in this same book of 2 Corinthians.
"If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new is here!"
But not every Christian knows, really knows, that "the new is here!"
Not every Christian has confidence that Jesus can change us.
They do not believe that Jesus is greater than
dejection, selfishness,superiority, coldness or any
other destructive attitude.
Do we find Jesus good and beautiful?
Since His face is on display in our hearts, we can be changed in every good and beautiful way.
Perhaps someone says, "But I'm broken! I'm fragile! I'm ordinary! Could I really display this beautiful Jesus?"
Paul's answer rings as clear as a bell: yes you can! Consider the very next verse.
2 Corinthians 4:7 says,
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power
is from God and not from us."
Not every Christian has confidence that Jesus can change us.
They do not believe that Jesus is greater than
dejection, selfishness,superiority, coldness or any
other destructive attitude.
Do we find Jesus good and beautiful?
Since His face is on display in our hearts, we can be changed in every good and beautiful way.
Perhaps someone says, "But I'm broken! I'm fragile! I'm ordinary! Could I really display this beautiful Jesus?"
Paul's answer rings as clear as a bell: yes you can! Consider the very next verse.
2 Corinthians 4:7 says,
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power
is from God and not from us."
So, we are set free to change! Even when (maybe, especially when) we feel weak and fragile Christ shines through.
It's not about perfection so much as it is about reflection. We take in this beautiful face of Christ as it is on display in our heart. We let it impress itself on us in such a full way that we express Christ in all we are. And hopefully, we express in truer, better, lovelier ways as each week, month and year goes by.
But we must be willing to be weak and vulnerable and broken. When we do, at that growth edge of change, we will express Christ best. It will be there at that juncture of our brokenness and Christ's brilliant power where people will see what our treasure is and where it comes from!
It's not about perfection so much as it is about reflection. We take in this beautiful face of Christ as it is on display in our heart. We let it impress itself on us in such a full way that we express Christ in all we are. And hopefully, we express in truer, better, lovelier ways as each week, month and year goes by.
But we must be willing to be weak and vulnerable and broken. When we do, at that growth edge of change, we will express Christ best. It will be there at that juncture of our brokenness and Christ's brilliant power where people will see what our treasure is and where it comes from!