The Second Half
By Todd Uebele
20"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me."
Uniting all believers into one body to win souls and further the cause of Christ! It's a noble cause, no? Echoing Jesus' prayer, we aim to make our body one. It is very easy to become so focused on that one thing, that we lose sight of the big picture. There is a second half to Jesus' prayer, and a second half to our purpose: making believers out of the world. The main reason we need to start acting like one body is to win over lost souls!
Like any good cause, it starts with the individual, the "me."
Before I go on, I need to warn you, I am going to be stepping on some toes. A few people have not appreciated that in the past, and some may not appreciate it now. Let me assure each of you, though, God has done much more then step on my toes...he stomped 'em good! In the past, He has shown me things about myself that I really did not want to see. I in turn wished to share that with you all, in the hope that someone may learn the lesson I learned without getting their feet stomped.
This issue is no different.
The LORD has shown me some things about myself, which are very relevant to the ministry, to our very cause. After a good bit of prayer and reflection, I realized that, like I had in the past, I needed to share this with you all in the hopes that someone will learn the lesson with their toes intact.
It IS all about me
You have heard the expression, "there is no I in team." That can also be said, "there is no me in body." However, in certain situations, it really is "all about me." In order to bring about any positive change in the Body of Christ, we need to first bring about that positive change in us. In order to better the group, we must better ourselves. In talking about unity to the church in Philippi, Paul gives them instructions not on how to act as a group, but on how to act as individuals:
1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being likeminded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. -- Philippians 2:1-5
Our attitude should be like that of Christ. Jesus was humble and selfless, giving up his own life so that we may live! In dealing with others, we should have that same humble and selfless attitude. As Christians, we should treat others with respect and with love:
12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. -- Colossians 3:12-14
We can do this, because as Christians, we are new creations:
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! -- 2 Corinthians 5:16-17
1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. -- Colossians 3:1-2
As new creations, we need to get rid of everything that was a part of what we were:
5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. -- Colossians 3:5-10
What it all boils down to is showing the world what we are: Christians. We are different from the world and we should carry ourselves differently. This means we need to take a hard look at ourselves. We need to dig deep and get past the "this is all good learning but it doesn't apply to me" pride each of us has. I know it is there, because I have it! When God showed me, he was none too gentle either.
Once we realize that we need to change ourselves, the easy part is over. Yes, as hard as it may be, that is the easy part. Fortunately, we are not alone. While we need to change ourselves, we do not have to do it ourselves:
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. -- Psalm 28:7
Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. -- Psalm 54:4
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. -- Isaiah 41:10
It really is all about the "me." Each of us needs to fix "me" before we can fix the Body of Christ. We are new creations, and we need to act like it. Fortunately, the same God who saved us and will help us change ourselves and act like His children should.
Being a moon
Someone once said, "You may be the only Jesus someone ever sees." When I first heard that, I thought it was good and it was true, but I didn't really take it to heart. The truth is, you really may be the only Jesus anyone ever sees. How you live your life, and how you carry yourself could have a big impact on someone else.
Take the moon for example. Whether you realize it or not, the moon has a tremendous impact on our lives. Tides, seasons, even our calendar are all determined by the moon. It gives us light to help us at night, sometimes nearly as bright as the sun during the day. It can light our path and help us find our way in the dark.
But what is the moon? People used to say green cheese, but over 30 years ago, man walked on the moon and we found out that the moon itself was just a dead rock. A big dead rock, but still a dead rock. It is lifeless, completely unable to do anything on its own. However, when it reflects the sun, it gives us light to see by and to guide us.
In the same way, we need to reflect the Son. Without Jesus, we are dead and lifeless. We cannot help people all by ourselves. However, when we reflect the Son, we can be a light to people in the dark. We can guide them and help them find their way when they are lost. With the Son, we can have a tremendous impact on peoples lives.
When I was in Sunday School, we sang a song called, "This Little Light of Mine." I have even seen the song sung in the mornings on PBS. That song comes right out of the Bible, where we are told to "shine like stars in the universe" (Phil 2:15). We need to let let our light shine in the darkness of the world. While giving the "Sermon on the Mount," Jesus tells us:
14You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. -- Matthew 5:14-16
It may seem like a tall order in today's world, but it can be done. Before Paul was even born, and before Jesus came to earth in the flesh, Daniel wrote that it would happen:
Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. -- Daniel 12:3
We need to be a light in the darkness. We do this not with our own light, but by reflecting the light of the Son. This means following the example He set for us while He walked the earth. I discussed this in detail in An Example Worth Following
, and essentially, we need to do two things:Living by every Word of God. We know what God's Word says on the topic, you read a good bit of it above. The trick is in applying it to your life. Again, we need to get past the "that part doesn't apply to me" pride. We need to study God's word and than we need to LIVE God's Word! We do this by following the example of The Word Himself.
Jesus Christ chose to obey His Father. Jesus Christ chose to lay down His life for us. In the same way, we must choose to obey our Father. We must study, follow, live and obey His Word. In obeying Christ and loving one another, we reflect Christ and His love. We will be a moon. We will shine like stars in the universe.
Me, me, me, me, ME! My three-year-old boy is now going through the phase where he thinks everything is about him. "Hey what about me!" and "Me first!" have become common phrases of his. While my wife and I are working at educating him to the fact that not everything is about "me," there are some things that clearly are about the "me." Unity and salvation are two of those things. In order to bring about unity in the body of believers, we first need to change "me." We need to make changes in ourselves and make sure we are living the Word. Then changes necessary to the Body will much easier to make.
Further, when we reflect Christ and His love, we will shine like a beacon in the darkness of the world. The way we live and act can open the door and help us lead others to Christ. How you carry yourself can have a direct result on some one else's salvation. That seems like a tall order, and it is. However it is also the truth. Each of us needs to take a long, hard look at ourselves and see if we are living God's Word. Once we take care of ourselves and are living according to God's Word, then we can unite believers into one body to win souls and further the cause of Christ!
