Post Pandemic Preaching - Walking Epistles
"You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart."
-Apostle Paul, writing to the 1st believers in Corinth, 1st century
2 Corinthians 3:2-3 in the King James Version
[This is the 20th lesson of this series]
We are living in an age where everyone is skeptical, yet everyone is easily deceived at the same time. People investigate for themselves, yet they also readily believe and are even following blindly what others are saying or doing.
New Testament Bible
Because no one would typically say this, we need to mention that the Christian bible is a compilation of letters, letters written by followers of Christ in the 1st century. They weren't meant for the world. They were written for believers.
More often than not, Jesus called people to follow Him, and those who did, those were the ones He taught, in small groups or one-on-one.
Jesus didn't force anyone to listen to Him, He didn't coerce anyone to follow Him. He didn't drag them to church or a meeting.
There is a reason why Jesus said not to give the holy things to dogs, or cast pearls to swines. The simplest answer is because they will not be able to fully understand. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned.
Ambassadors of Christ
The Word of God is for believers. It is to renew their mind, change them from the inside out. Once changed, people who know them will eventually notice the difference. True followers of Christ will eventually become, walking, talking, breathing epistles (letters). They are meant to be representatives of God to the world -- the living, among the living dead, reborn, alive in the spirit, whose citizenship is in heaven. The Word of God is written in their hearts, hearts of flesh, changed from their hearts of stone.
Spirit of Christ
Followers of Christ ought to be letters, written not by pen and ink but by the Spirit of Christ. They ought to be like email, tweet and text messages sent out into the world, with the Word written in their hearts, not on tablets of stone. They are to be read by an unbelieving world. The world is to read them through the things they do and say, as well as the things they do not do and say.
The world cannot be won over by rhetoric, flowery language or by religious leaders and their cult like followers who were cut in the same mold as those who sent Christ to Herod & Pilate.
The New Testanent was written intended for believers, yet ironically in our world today, skeptics and atheists read it more to find what is wrong with it and to disprove and disparage it, than many believers read it for their edification.
Without the Word, many believers cannot even extend grace to believers belonging to another congregation and another denomination. How can we expect them to be gracious with unbelievers, who can be unforgiving and really hostile and violent towards them.
This is why this church, The Church of the Lost Sheep is here -- making the Word of God available to all believers all over the earth. This is in line with Christ's call, and so that when the gospel of the Kingdom of God is preached in the whole world then the end will come. It is just a matter of time now. Human technology has finally caught up (20 centuries down) to make this a reality.
And we call upon you, where ever you are, in whatever situation you are in, it is time. God's Word is available, read it and share it, as a testimony to all nations.
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