Yesterday was the first church service back from training camp. I am a part of a church called Midtown Fellowship in downtown Columbia. We are not yet ten years old and most of the folks who are members haven’t seen a grey hair on their head yet, but there is passion and goodness that emanate from its ranks. We strive to be a Jesus centered family on mission in our city for His glory. We are studying through the book of 1 Peter this fall – and can I tell you it’s been wild.
The whole fall we have concentrated on the fact that we are exiles in this world; aliens, sojourners, and citizens of heaven. We live in the Kingdom building era. As he was preparing to leave this world, Jesus promised that we will see greater works than the ones he performed while here on earth. Yes we will see miracles and gifts – but he also meant we, his children, will have greater scope than what he was physically able to do. He told us to go to the ends of the earth, and in the privileged age, we can.
So we get to 1 Peter 4:7-11. Peter writes to the grace filled exiles about what is expected of God’s people. We live in love, and from the love of Jesus. We show hospitality to one another. We serve as Jesus served. We speak the utterances of God. The big idea is the we, as the church, team up to do the work of ministry here on earth. Together we draw others to God.
I just met the people I will live the whole of next year with. We will be a little traveling church pouring our lives out together. We could not do this alone. So we were gifted a team. I pray we will consistently out do one another in honor. I pray well be a little city on a hill. A beacon of hope. The salt of the earth.
