This week I want to recap the last message series. Believing the gospel is not enough; we must also be doing the gospel. Doing the gospel involves loving, listening, speaking, and living.

Love is what moves us to people. Love is the motivator behind our actions as believers. Love is the starting point for our behavior. Love causes us to do things that are supernatural. Love is essential to mission.

Before we can talk to someone about who Jesus is and what He did we need to listen to their story. Everyone has a story to tell about his or her life. We don’t listen for the sake of checking listening off the list; we genuinely and prayerfully listen to identify what our friend believes their purpose is (creation), where they think things went wrong (fall), who, or what, will rescue them (redemption), and what their ultimate hope is (restoration).

Once we know their story we can now speak God’s story as His ambassadors. As believers we also believe this pattern is God’s story as well – creation, fall, redemption and restoration. God created us to honor Him and spread His fame; however, Adam (and us as well) had a better idea: live for self and spread my own fame. The fall is where every thing went wrong. But, God provided redemption for all through His Son Jesus. Jesus is the Hero in God’s story. Jesus is the only one who can rescue us from our rebellion against God and recreate us to once again live for God’s glory. God will one day restore all things to the way He originally created it and intended it to exist. We will honor God forever; we will live in peace with one another forever; we will joyfully serve God forever – that is our ultimate hope.

With all of this we must remember that “doing the gospel” words make no sense if they are not backed up by a “doing the gospel” life. Living the gospel is essential if we want people to hear the life-transforming message of the gospel.

This series was meant to encourage all of us to begin praying that God would reveal to us who He is calling us to. What relationship(s) does God want you to begin building? God has sovereignly placed us in families, neighborhoods, jobs and gyms to be missionaries. It may take some time to build a relationship bridge to that person, but with patience and wisdom it will happen. And I would love to hear your story about how God did this.

Grace & Peace,