Preaching part 5
What we have been given, we are to give. Receiving and releasing, right? We have been reconcilied, and we have been given the ministry of reconciliation. That's how it works. God fills us up and then lets us loose to empty ourselves out--which, by the way, is how we fill ourselves to overflowing with what we've already been filled with. We empty ourselves in order to fill ourselves. Look at Matthew 4:17, "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Now link that with Matthew 10:7, "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand." We are preaching the gospel, right? Going into all the world and preaching the gospel to every creature. Not so much telling people TO repent, as telling people WHY they can repent and HOW they can repent. Because the word "repent" simply means to think again about something in light of something else. In this case, think again about everything in light of the cross. Because, as my momma once said, "Either the cross changed everything, or it didn't change anything." So we're not preaching "Get right or get left." We're preaching, "God is love and He loves you." We're not preaching, "Change into something better than you are so that God can love you." We're preaching, "God is love and He loves you." We're not preaching, "You're a dirty sinner and you need to change your ways." We're preaching, "God is love and He loves you!" Jesus preached, "The Kingdom of heaven is at hand." And then He told us to preach, "The Kingdom of heaven is at hand." Everything He expects from us, He first gives to us. Jesus came preaching, and that's how, and why, we can preach. Receiving and releasing. Filling ourselves up with what God has already filled us with. That's the Divine order of things. What He gives... we give back... by giving to each other. Letting God love the hell out of us, and then loving Him back by loving people. Preaching, in a sense, what He preached. Receiving it and releasing it. Breathing it in and breathing it out. The Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Which means it is within our reach. It is available to us. That's what we need to let people know. Not, "Do this in order to earn this." It's not about performance-based religion. It's about God giving us everything He has and everything He is... so that we can have it. So that we can experience it and enjoy it. When you give someone a gift it's not about you at all. It's about them having it. And what they do with it doesn't matter. Your part was the giving. You did your part. Don't worry about the rest of it. One of my favorite verses of all time is Mark 6:11 in the Message Bible, "If you're not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug yoru shoulders and be on your way." It's ok if people aren't picking up what you're laying down. It's ok for you to plant a seed and not see it necessarily come to harvest. Some plant, some water, but it is God who gets the harvest. So when you're preaching... just do your part. Do what you can do for the people (places, and things) in your path. And let your love--your maximum effort--be good enough!