"...for from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth"
I Thessalonians 1:8
I Thessalonians 1:8
Doug and Kathy are an amazing couple. They began attending church several years ago, and soon after committed their lives to Christ. What impresses me about the couple the most is their gentle spirits, humble attitudes, and (most importantly) their dedication to be a witness for Christ. As with all of us, they have their share of imperfections. Yet I can always count on their willingness, joy, and love. They invest themselves into other people, and care deeply for those around them. When opportunity arises, they talk about the Lord and invite co-workers and neighbors to church. More often than not, Doug & Kathy are chauffeuring neighborhood children home after church--kids would otherwise would not have come.
The church of Thessalonica were very similar. Having received the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ, they had no thought of keeping it to themselves and actively shared it with all around them. From the very beginning, it was a mission-focused church. The verb we have translated as "sounded forth" comes from a Greek word denoting a large, ringing sound--much like a trumpet blast. The "sound" of their faith vibrated like waves, reaching even distant ears. The closer you got to them, the clearer their faith became.
God is calling each of us to "sound forth" our faith. Faith was never meant to be a quiet, personal thing. It was always intended to be public. It seeks to be heard, to be seen, to be practiced. A quiet faith is a dead faith. If people can't hear and see your faith, it may be because you don't have any.
The church of Thessalonica were very similar. Having received the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ, they had no thought of keeping it to themselves and actively shared it with all around them. From the very beginning, it was a mission-focused church. The verb we have translated as "sounded forth" comes from a Greek word denoting a large, ringing sound--much like a trumpet blast. The "sound" of their faith vibrated like waves, reaching even distant ears. The closer you got to them, the clearer their faith became.
God is calling each of us to "sound forth" our faith. Faith was never meant to be a quiet, personal thing. It was always intended to be public. It seeks to be heard, to be seen, to be practiced. A quiet faith is a dead faith. If people can't hear and see your faith, it may be because you don't have any.
What about having faith as small as a mustard seed? It seems like you're saying that "mustard seed" faith is dead. (And I know that's not Biblical.)
ReplyDeleteThe point of the mustard seed parable isn't that it's ok to get by with just a little bit of faith. The point, rather, is that few have faith even the "size" of a mustard seed. If we had even that tiny amount of true faith, we could move mountains. But alas, how many mountains have you seen moved in your lifetime? Instead of indicating a "just barely Christian" view of faith, Jesus is actually trying to tell us the awesome potential of true faith.
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