Wednesday, April 25, 2007

The Four Motions- Part Four

Live Differently

Finally, we come to the end of our Four Motions. This motion, perhaps the most important, is the gospel distinctive. This motion tells us not only to invest in the little city God has placed us in, or to simply connect with people or even to help seek the positive transformation of our culture... but to do one more thing which makes all the others worthwhile. To give the big city it's "light on a hill".

Jesus commends us in his sermon on the mount not to "hide their light under a basket". Simply doing all of the things that would make a church missional without taking the time to actually live differently means that you have simply gotten off mission. Our students must show the people within their spheres of influence how a life lived in light of the gospel can actually make a difference. This distinctive will quite simply make or break our world. God has given us the mantle of responsibility. It has been given to the church alone, and if we do not accomplish it... no one will. And to do that, we must live our lives in a counter-cultural way.

We must draw together, as we draw others and ourselves closer to God. We must live differently, not so that we would brag to the world "this is our faithfulness" or that we might have the audacity to say to God "this is my part in my salvation" but that we would live differently so that our world might be infected with the "good infection" of the gospel.

Big Idea: Live in such a way as to not draw the wrath of God.
Bigger Idea: Live in such a way as to draw the world to God.

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