We have already talked about witnessing to your Jerusalem which includes your friends, relatives associates and neighbors. Now, we want to talk about your Judea.
Most local churches are located in a community. That community can be that church family's Judea.
I believe that there are two questions that can be asked of the Lord for those churches that want to intentionally reach their community for Jesus.
Question Number One: " What is the Lord of the Harvest doing to reach our community for Jesus and what can we do as a church family to join him in his work?"
Question Number Two: " What is Satan doing to destroy our community and what can we do as a church family to resist him?" Spiritual warfare involves spiritual strategy and facility in using spiritual weapons with spiritual power. Sad to say we often put our spiritual weapons down or we never pick them up and join Jesus in reconciling our community to Him
We may approach Christianity as a one day "bless me" event where we are only looking to God to help us with our agenda. We must remember that we surrendered our agenda at the feet of the cross when we acknowledged Jesus as Lord. Once we surrender our agenda we picked up the agenda of Jesus which is to seek and save the lost.
We must also realize that once we have been reconciled to God the Father through His only Son our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that we are obligated to stand in his place in our community and beg the residents of that community to be reconciled to God according to 2 Corinthians 5:18-20
This strategy to reach a community is not the sole task of one local church in that community or even all of the local churches in that community. It is the task of every local church and every child of God in that community.
The greatest tool that the Lord of the Harvest has in a community is the unity of all of the children of God in that community. In order for the children of God to be united in a community it is helpful for all of the pastors and churches to be united and to call the children of God in that community ( who may belong to local churches that are not in that community) together all under the banner of Jesus Christ and not under the banner of one local church or denomination or pastor.
Jesus alone should get the glory and recognition.
Some Basic Strategy.
Strategy One: The pastors can come together and seek the face of the Lord of the Harvest asking him what he is doing to reach their community and how they can join him in his labors.
Strategy Two: The pastors can tell their respective local church families what the Lord has told them and all of the children of God from each local church can come together in one place and seek the Lord together offering themselves as ambassadors for Christ in their community.
Strategy Three: The pastors together with the children of God from each local church can then announce to every child of God in the community about a joint prayer and praise event seeking the Lord of the Harvest in unity for the salvation of every soul in their community.
Strategy Four: The children of God in that community will then hear about specific strategy to reach their community as presented by the pastors. This strategy will be based on awareness of the needs and issues in the community as well as the activity of Satan in the community and how to resist it.
The key is to show love to the community by working together to help them with their needs and issues and bondages all in the name and love of Jesus. The motive is not to get them into our churches but to get them into the Kingdom of God. It is the Lord's affair because he is the one who places his children in local churches.
I am impressed with the statements in Acts 2:44 that "all who believed were together...." and Acts 2:46 "...with one accord.." and Acts 2:47 "...praising God and having favor with all the psople. AND THE LORD ADDED TO THE CHURCH DAILY THOSE WHO WERE BEING SAVED. A key to the move of God was the unity of the children of God.
We are obligated to work together to reach our communities for Jesus. The time is short and there is no time for competition between churches, but cooperation. No time for comparison between churches, but communication. No time for conflict between churches ,but co-laboring. We must do together what we cannot do as individual churches and believers. We are one body. We must not allow denomination affiliation and other matters divide us and keep us from fulfilling the great commission together with a great commandment heart!
Yes, let's intentionally plan to reach our communities for Jesus. Let's turn from our unbiblical traditions to the mission given to us by Jesus. Let's return to the biblical definition of church and reason for the church.
Let's not hide the light of Jesus under the "bushel" of the four walls of our church buildings but lets put it on a "lampstand" in our community so that they might know that Jesus loves them and wants to save them from the wages of sin which is death and judgment and deliver them from the power of Satan and into God's kingdom and bless them with an abundant life of joy and peace and fulfullment and mission and life purpose!
Your brother in the labors of Christ
Leonard Roy Harris
for Leonard's Lighthouse
