What is your story? How do you tell your story? Where do you begin? What do you include? What do you leave out? Knowing and telling your story can be hard. Ephesians 2:1-10 is a summary of all our stories. It’s also a structure we can follow to tell our Faith Story. First, we begin with who we were prior to Jesus (2:1-3). Next, we share what God, through Jesus Christ, has done (2:4-9). Finally, we share how we live out our life in Christ in practical ways (2:10). So, what’s your “by grace through faith” story?
Christ is with us in our suffering because he overcame death for our sake. Be faithful in trials by relying upon the compassion and strength of the one who knows our suffering.
The Christ who is present in our midst calls us to follow the truth and show love for all in his world. The Ephesians needed to pair their focus on internal purity and correct teaching with an outward focus of love for their neighbor and desire for their flourishing in the world. Which do you overemphasize, and which do you need to focus on more?
We’ve all seen it. A young wildebeest is wounded and falling behind the pack unaware that a hungry lion is waiting in the tall grass. At just the right moment, the lion leaps out and startles its prey who is no match for king of the jungle. Sadly, this is not a reality reserved for the Animal Kingdom. This same scenario is happening every day on a spiritual level. The invitation to cannonball is an invitation to rejoin the pack.
Please think about this question: “Why do you come to worship?” To hear a sermon? If so, isn’t it more convenient to watch on-line? Plus, wouldn’t you rather listen to Billy Graham than Pastor Micah? Do you worship to have fellowship with other believers? If so, isn’t your small group sufficient for that? Plus, they have brownies. Do you worship to hear the music? If so, isn’t all the music you want at the touch of a button? Plus, you can play only the songs you like. If you’ve ever said about worship, “I didn’t get anything out of it,” perhaps you’ve forgotten why you come to worship.
I know what you’re thinking. Prince of Peace is promoting Worship, Connect, and Serve to increase worship attendance and increase the number of people in small groups and Bible Studies. You know what – you’re right! But the real reason has nothing to do with glorifying us. It’s all about the Lord’s working through us to “add day by day those who were being saved.” It has been said, “The Lord does not have a Mission for His Church, He has a Church for His Mission.” Do you desire people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth? Then, like the Church in Acts 2, let’s devote ourselves. Let’s cannonball.
Don’t be gross! Yes, you read that right. Imagine seeing a severed limb lying on the ground detached from the body. Wouldn’t that be gross? Based on Paul’s analogy of the Church being “the body of Christ,” in many ways, that’s what the Church is - severed body parts detached from the body. It’s time to cannonball because the body needs you.
Some believe in, “Once saved – always saved.” In other words, as long as you’ve been Baptized into Christ, believe in His name, you’re good to go. So, don’t worry about anything. Sleep in on Sunday morning. Forget prayer. It doesn’t work anyway. Why read the Bible? Besides, it’s too hard to understand. Persecution? That’s for the hard-core wackos but not for me. If any of this is true, then Hebrews should not even be in the Bible. What is the book of Hebrews saying to the Church then as well as today?
Some say, “The Church in America is dying.” Others predict that the Church in America will soon look like the Church in Europe. In 2022, for the first time, the majority of England is no longer Christian. At a glance, it sure appears as though the gates of Hell ARE prevailing against the Church. The question is, “Who determines whether the Church stands or falls?” How did it happen that a rag tag band of misfits turned the greatest superpower in the world (Rome) upside down with nothing but the word of the cross and the empty tomb? Have we not been entrusted with the same message?
Are you ready to cannonball? Wait just a moment. First, is the water going to be cold? Is it deep enough? Will you hit someone else in the pool? Will someone who doesn’t want to be wet get splashed? Before you yell CANNONBALL, be sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.