REDEEMED HUMANITY

There is nothing like the Church! One of the most glorious things there is about the church, I think can be seen in a little rhyme we learned when we were little. Do you remember how we interlocked our fingers together making a little hand church, with our two pointers making a steeple? And then we would recite the rhyme that went like this: "Here is the church and here is the steeple. Open the doors and see all the people." I think one of the most glorious things about the church is all the redeemed humanity that is contained within.

When people connect with God,… and God gets a hold of a life through Jesus, there is a glorious thing that begins to happen. Starting way, way back, there was a guy by the name of Simon, just an ordinary, insecure guy, who becomes a rock named Peter. Then there was a guy named Saul who was a murderous and superior acting religious zealot who becomes a missionary to the very Gentiles he used to oppose so much. We find a story about a little widow woman named Dorcas who becomes a hero. And, then there was Mary Magdalene who has her life turned around. Through the centuries, there was Francis of Assisi, the Wesley brothers, Martin Luther, and in our day Mother Teresa, and Billy Graham…people who just shine like stars in our world…as well as ordinary people like you and me. One of the glorious parts of the church is all the redeemed humanity.

But, we can’t sit back in our pews thinking “Well, I have the heaven job done. I got out of Jesus what I needed from him. Oh, I might want to do a little extra credit work here and there, but basically I got out of him what I need from him.” That’s not the relationship with Jesus to which we are called. We are called to a transforming relationship. We are called to a mission. Jesus says, "Go to all the world, make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit." We want to lead our generation into a transforming relationship with Jesus Christ.

I don’t know about you, but I love being a part of the redeemed humanity. But, I want more. I want to be a part of a glorious army of redeemed humanity on a mission…a mission given to me by my Savior…to make disciples of all peoples. How about you?