DAY 3

let's go ouT!

‘Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.’
(Ephesians 4:14-16)

Reflection

Over these last three days, we have been praying for fresh surrender, deeper unity, and for a church where every part plays its part. But the Body of Christ is not formed for itself alone, and the goal of our growing together is not simply that we become stronger inwardly but rather that we are built up so that we can be sent out and reveal Jesus to the world. A healthy body moves, and a living body acts. We are Christ’s body – His hands, His feet, His voice. This is why it is vital that we are people of sound doctrine, integrous Kingdom Ambassadors who are willing to speak the truth in love, carrying the presence of Jesus into our families, communities, workplaces, schools, and neighbourhoods.

Maturity in the Body of Christ, as Ephesians 4 describes it, is not an inward achievement, it is an outward orientation. Put simply, a mature church witnesses not just in words but in action. We must be willing to play our part to see God’s Kingdom advance locally, nationally, and internationally. This is why we need to walk worthy of our calling. This is why our unity matters. This is why every part of the body doing its work matters. We want to be ALL IN, so that we can go ALL OUT!

Turning outwards begins with a shift in perspective. It means that instead of asking, ‘What does the church offer me?’ we ask, ‘What does God want to do through me for those around me?’ The Bible reminds us, ‘Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yolk, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?’ Isaiah 58:6-7.

Jesus modelled this perfectly – He was always moving towards the outsider, the sick, the forgotten, and the lost. He echoes the sentiments of Isaiah by declaring, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’ Luke 4:18-19. Likewise, we are called to carry that same manifesto into the world today.

As those who are freely and graciously reconciled to God, we cannot ignore His longing for the Kingdom of Heaven to be revealed through His church, those who confess salvation in Him, here on the earth. We are told to, ‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ Matthew 28:19

This is not a suggestion but a command – we are to GO! Acts 1:8 gives us the geography to go. First to Jerusalem (our immediate community), Judea and Samaria (our city and region), and the ends of the earth (global mission).

The body is built up so that Jesus can be made known – by our praying, our giving, and by going. We are ALL IN, not just for ourselves, not just for one another, but for the sake of the world, ‘Transforming lives from our neighbourhoods to the nations by the power of God’s love.’

Devotional

by Sharon Keogh

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