Formation Of A Gospel That Speaks To Those In Need Of Same.

Publicans and Sinners....  Publicans and Sinners....

...with the Son of God, the Son of Man, elbow-to-elbow, and from the Lord of the Sinners the Godhead rendered in sinless flesh--

--they(the publicans and sinners, skinflints robber barons and tax collectors) could break bread with Him without shame or guilt.

Are we only ministering to the saved?

Are we posting doctrine for people who already know doctrine back-to-front?

In a conversation with a study group, we put our heads together and came up with something.  Among us, we were addressing how come it seemed that none outside were coming to Christ.  It didn't take us very long to realize that we were part of a larger problem:

We were preaching "getting saved" to the already saved.

I had sat in a congregation, and even parsed fine points of scripture with them.  Some had simple but confounding questions, and sometimes there were deeper, more finite points of Theology.  And everyone in the building were "saved", maybe not baptized but saved nonetheless.  The leader would triumphantly plead with us to get saved, for the sake that someone new might sneak in the building during the sermon.

No one new snuck in the building during the calls for salvation.

We barnstormed keywords, and reasons people might look into the message of Christ.  Some people might be at their lowest, feeling sad or ashamed, lost and confused, without goals in life, maybe unloved.  Such a group of folks might outwardly scoff at the Gospel, but inwardly yearn to know more.

-Depression.

-Loss of loved ones.

-Drugs/Alcohol.

-Career Anxiety.

-"Mental Health Issues".

-Gender Confusion.

Dual tracks:

Biblical teachings for the saved believers, 

WHILE ALSO

Giving Jesus Christ to people who need it most.

A Few Ministry Pitfalls: 

Preaching to the Choir: Salvation for the already saved.

Not discerning when or if to brick-wall or shun a "wayward member".

It stands to reason in ministry that to spread Christ's Gospel, we will indeed need to associate with morally ambiguous or dubious people.  Yet there is scriptural support for the shunning of the sin-riddled lay people, in the writings of Paul.

Paul's point was simple.  We stop our outreach when and if such outreach threatens to damage our Faith Walk, when it calls us away from our own salvation.  

When we become susceptible to "sin" or Destruction in its various forms, and that because we thought to engage with non-believers who were still slaves to those destructive behaviors.

In other words, while we advertise Christ's Gospel, our audience might be attempting to sell us sin, in return.

These words from a shepherd boy who became a king among his people...

"When I kept silent, I was roaring within continuously.

In silence was I stressed; the Lord’s hand was heavy upon me.

I considered my sin, and ruefully, as I thought to myself, more were uncovered in my mind that I had not acknowledged prior.

I vowed to myself and God that those awful acts had power over me no more.

What was the result?

The Lord’s plentiful forgiveness covered every part of it, from the most terrible to even the least of piddling trifles."

-an ancient shepherd boy who became a king among his people. 

Psalm 31 "my own story" edit.

Woe devoured the eye, the soul and the belly.

Life and years in grievance and bitter wonder!

I worked at that grinding wheel of self-destruction until my endurance waned, and it ate at my foundations.

But I trusted in God, and God loved me.

 

My enemies reproved me among my neighbors, and my neighbors were afraid I would notice them avoiding me.

Dead, to some, and wished forgotten to others, my vessel was broken.

Slanderous and fearful counsel contrived designs of my destruction.

But I trusted in God, and God loved me.

 

When I called upon Him, my shame disappeared, and later I would witness touches of that long-relinquished shame among the proud and contemptuous.

God’s presence was a secret to the pride of man, but I was allowed into that Inner Citadel.

Because I trust in God, and God loves me. 

Mine's own variation of Psalm 31 tailored to some earlier things, or should I say, middle things, when salvation was only a nugget and I was yet to understand how to become saved in the Jesus Christ.

A prayer for the coming storm in the states.

Celestial bodies pirouetting through time, leaving stardust in their wake

-through the complexities of human experience and knowledge- 

elliptical paths, intersect and diverge—each step a gravitational tug toward history.

Christ's positive causality

Me and Thee.

Some people think walls of enmity hinder opportunity.

Pray sight may come to those who are spiritually hindered and whom ascribe politics or cultural wars to the spirit.

God is not confined to a building; but among us.

Lord, illuminate our minds as stars dance through time, trailing stardust. Amidst life’s intricacies, our journeys—elliptical and intersecting—pull us into history’s embrace.

 

Completeness and Obligation from Romans 6

Self-destruction is costly, but God's favor is free.

You were once free from righteousness, because you only submitted to sin and self-destruction.

But you saw the natural conclusions of those thoughts and actions, and you only now remember those in shame.

Now, you are freed from self-destruction because you submitted to God.

The natural conclusion is completion.(righteousness and peace that only God provides)

-from Romans 6

Completion: 

I combine 

Jewish "shalom"(completeness) 

with righteousness.

The Power of Faith and God's Mercy

In a world filled with suffering and sin, it's easy to lose sight of the hope and redemption that God offers. However, as we delve into the depths of our faith, we discover the transformative power of God's mercy and love.

Justified by Faith

We have been made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ, and we have peace with Him.

Access to Grace

Our faith gives us access to God's grace, and we rejoice in the hope of God's glory.

Suffering and Hope

We can celebrate even in sufferings, knowing that they produce strength, character, and hope. Hope never disappoints because God's love is in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

Christ's Sacrifice

Rarely would someone die for a righteous person, but Christ gave His life for those who were lost. This sacrifice shows God's love for us and brings us back to Him, despite our sins.

From Death to Life

Death came through one person's sin, but God's mercy and sacrifice in Jesus Christ bring life. Though sin multiplied, God's forgiveness multiplied even more.

One Act of Righteousness

As one person's sin led to condemnation, one person's righteousness (Jesus) brings mercy and life. The law increased sin, but God's forgiveness is even greater.

Forgiveness Abounds

Where sin abounds, forgiveness abounds even more. God's love and mercy triumph over sin and disobedience.

Our faith in Jesus Christ brings us peace, access to grace, and hope in the midst of sufferings. God's mercy and love, demonstrated through Christ's sacrifice, overcome sin and death, offering us redemption and forgiveness. As we embrace this truth, may we rejoice in the hope of God's glory and the power of His love. 

Romans 1.

And so, antiquity brought us a backwards, clumsily edited bit:

"I am in debt to both the Greek and the Barbarian.

I have been entrusted with Gospel, which is the salvation of the Greek and the Barbarian."

In my side project, a Holy text paraphrase, the process has helped me to find new shades of meaning in the text and look plainly upon the ancient language.

I paraphrase thusly:

"I owe them the truth.

I have witnessed closely the good news for all, both the original Chosen, and the remnant of mankind.

Salvation belongs to all as of late, because the new promise is not limited by statutes or doctrines."