Tonight was my first experience in Perspectives. To be honest, I never really thought about going because I graduated with a degree from a Christian University and figured that this class would be very similar to classes there. (Somehow I forgot how incredibly I loved going to class there in the meantime.) But, I had been personally invited to check it out by a few of the ladies in my church, and the first week was free, so I thought I would go to appease those asking and at least give it a try. The class starts at six and the pharmacy doesn't close until seven. Tonight, one of our roaming techs was coming from the clinic at six to stay until seven and close...well, not so much. By the time I left the store it was 7:00 and I seriously considered just going home. I'm extremely glad I didn't.
Now, with that backstory out of the way...
Tonight I engaged with the church and I think one of the most incredible parts was to walk in to the building where we hold our church services and to see that Wellspring made up like 25% of the people in the class. The other 75% attending the class were people I didn't know and had never met, all from this area, all desiring to learn about the story of God in this world. Walking in to that room was daunting, but it was incredible. I so look forward to meeting these people who are passionately pursuing Jesus Christ and desiring to serve Him with their lives. Its the church of South East Iowa meeting to see God glorify His name. =)
So, for all of you who have not ventured into this classroom tonight, let me bring a little of what God impressed upon my heart tonight.
The second of the half of the night (the part I actually made it to) was all about the second fulfillment of the Gospel- "Christ's life and the faith family that followed Him" If you think about it, the years that we call the intertestamental period or the silent years, weren't really all that silent on the global scale. Massive kingdoms were coming and going and once again Israel became enslaved by these massive global powers. It was during this time that the culture of oppression so dominated the thinking of the Hebrew leaders that the idea of the Messiah coming as a servant collapsed under the idea that the Messiah would come to establish the kingdom of Israel and overthrow the reign of the Gentiles. Into this world of a nation that desired domination came a servant/rabbi who chose the worst gang of followers imaginable including a tax collector (who was a traitor collecting money to give to the government who then paid soldiers who raped and pillaged its citizens) a terrorist (Judas the zealot) and his own betrayer. Jesus chose the rejects and built a team to create a global movement. This team was all about Israel rising from the ashes to conquer the Gentiles, but Jesus-their Messiah- spent 2/3 of his ministry serving Gentiles, not Jews. His perspective was global and at the cross, he demanded that God keep his word as stated in Habakkuk 2:14 " for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." The cross showed an amazing truth: God loves God more than anything. Jesus in his life of perfection perfectly obeyed the greatest two commands, to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And to love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. Think about that for a minute. Jesus is God. And he loves his neighbor (aka you and me) as much as he loves himself. -now that is a woah moment for me.
As Jesus ascends into heaven he speaks the great commission. Many of this can quote this passage, but in our minds its implications don't really click. First we think that our goal is to reach Jerusalem OR Judea Or the ends of the earth. - Wrong. its not an optional statement here. Second, we think I reach Jerusalem Then Judea Then the ends of the earth. Wrong again. It says reach Jerusalem and Judea and the ends of this earth. AND. Its an inclusive statement made only possible when we understand that he is not saying, Michelle you reach your jersualem and your Judea and your ends of the earth. He is saying y'all, my beautiful bride, my church, together you reach Jerusalem and Judea and the ends of the earth because you establish for my name subsidiaries of worship which develop and grow to expand in a global array of bringing glory to my name. See, reaching the world is not the job of missionaries. Its the job of the church. (Another woah moment)
As we dive into the Word we discover so much more the depth of what it means to be a part of this body. To be the global church. To be the bride. And it changes our perspective...about everything.
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