Sunday: Agents of Change
We have seen in the early chapters of Acts how the first Christian believers established a different kind of community, caring for those in need among them, and together reaching out to those outside the community, offering them help where needed and inviting them to join in with what God was doing among them.
Community
Adding to Jesus’ descriptions of salt and light, Paul uses a number of metaphors to portray the church’s action in the world. Among others, he describes those who live as God’s people as a sacrifice (see Rom. 12:1), Christ’s body (see 1 Cor. 12:12-20), as ambassadors (see 2 Cor. 5:18-20), and as perfume (see 2 Cor. 2:14-16). Each of these images talks about a role as representatives or agents of God’s kingdom even now, even amid a world ravaged by the great controversy.
Review each of these “representative” descriptions above. Which best describes how you would like to represent God and His ways in your community, and why?
Each of these images has action associated with them, not as a means of being acceptable to God but as people already accepted by God through Christ’s sacrifice, who have responded to God’s love and grace by being His agents in a hurt and dying world.
But they can also be considered on a still deeper level: because God’s love and grace is what the kingdom of God is about, when we act in such a way, reflecting to others in love and grace, we enact and participate in that eternal kingdom, even now.
In international law, a national embassy is considered part of the nation it represents, even when physically located in a foreign country, perhaps a long distance from the home nation. In a similar way, enacting the ways of God’s kingdom offers glimpses of that eternal reality here and now and, as such, points to and is a foretaste of the final defeat of evil. And by so doing—as Christ’s ambassadors, as Christ’s agents—we can experience the reality of His love and justice in our own lives, in the church, and in the lives of those we seek to serve.
Read 2 Corinthians 2:16. What is the difference between the two aromas, and how can we know which one we are?
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Most of us live in secular communities where religion is regarded as a historic relic. Preaching, as in talking, the Gospel is meaningless gibberish to most folk these days. Worse, many people carry scars from past encounters with Christianity as expressed by oppressive institutions that makes them deaf or vindictively reactive when they hear any "Jesus talk". For these people Jesus is dead and the only way to bring him back to life is to have Christ living in us.
"Christ living in us" should not be a meaningless phrase that we recite because is sounds good to us but something that challenges the way that we interact with other people. We need to prove that Christ is alive by living compassionately.
I sometimes get involved with food demonstrations. Some demonstrators spend a lot of time discussing the health benefits of this and that ingredient. So much so that by the time you you get to actually taste it, you think you are taking medicine. I am lucky because I get to demonstrate making icecream almost entirely made from fruit. I simply show the fruit as it is thrown into the blender, and then make enough of it so that everyone has a generous helping of it. And while we are standing around enjoying the icecream, someone says, "Hey this must be healthy - it all fruit!"
If we live Christianity compassionately, maybe people will see that the Gospel is healthy!
This is so true. Organizations have taken over what individuals and small groups used to do in the community...access to these organizations and their services often requires listening to preaching, unrequested prayer and talks about the sinful state they used to be in before they became a Christian....if you look around while people are eating a free meal or waiting to get food...they have totally tuned out the people providing the service....I believe people need to be met where they are not where we intice them to be with a service, free meal or food to share our faith...we want to bring them to where we feel more comfortable rather than go directly to the homeless camp to visit..where they feel more comfortable...My grandparents provided direct one on one service both in Mexican villages and on the rez...Mexican nationals actually came to their home after they retired to receive free medical care...is that even done now? There are so many people who need Christ turned off if you even say you are a Christian...I believe Christ's Spirit is still available for those open to breaking out of tradition,dogma and fear to be a beam of light!
"What is the difference between the two aromas, and how can we know which one we are?"
My understanding of the text is that there is only one fragrance with two completely opposite effects depending on the state of the individual's heart and desires.
Am I wrong?
That is also my understanding.
You are spot on, Norma. It is one aroma with different responses to it. Excellent catch on that question.
As Christians, God has called us to be a change agent in the world, fulfilling His purposes wherever we go!Your story is so much more than your personal life; it’s a vital part of the greater story of what God is doing in the world...
Stepping into your role as God’s representative within your sphere of influence will unleash God’s power all around you, changing the world for the better.
View yourself as a problem solver. God has created you and every other person on Earth with abilities to help solve the world’s problems – and God wants you to fulfill your potential by using your life to solve problems as much as you can. Keep in mind that people are constantly looking for visionary people who can provide solutions to the problems they face. As a Christian who can operate in the power of the Holy Spirit, you can be such a person.
When a battle is won, pictures are drawn on the stone walls to reflect the victory.
The sweet fragrance of victory holds captive the audience to reflect there is a change in the air.
The victory brings doom to one group and celebration of the emancipation of proclamation to another.
Those who were held prisoners in the concentration camp celebrated victory of the allied forces.
However, Hitler feared the victory and committed suicide.
We are God's sweet fragrance spreading the knowledge of Christ's victory.
Unlike the world's victory, we share the agape love of Christ.
Our words and deed must be consistent with the Love of God
Rose does not change it's fragrance.
We reflecting the fragrance of God must be consistent.
This sweet fragrance will be accepted by some but most of the people in the world would reject the sweet fragrance.
All reformers gave their life as a sweet fragrance for Christ.
Even being burned at the stake, the flames carried the sweet fragrance of their work beyond the grave.
Those who will, who have, who might die in Christ the word says, “Blessed are the dead—those who die in the Lord from this moment on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, for their deeds will follow them.”
@Norma Ford, I agree with your answer, but I would add that it also means that as witnesses, we may serve as a positive influence (for life) or negative (for death).
Beautiful!
Let us allow the Holy Spirit to enable us to be the former. Let us strive to be positive at all times, even in difficult circumstances. Light shines brightest in the dark!
2 Corinthians 2:16. This text reminds me of: Dueteromeny 30:19.
Life and death are set before us. It is recommended we chose life. The way I understand it Christ stands at the door of our hearts and knocks, we chose life by letting Him into our hearts.
He fills every chamber with His light. There is no dark chamber left. Choose life my friends and live for eternity.
"We do not walk alone in our path with Christ. Rather, we should consistently care for one another." (Where God and I Meet, p.142). I read this this morning and felt impressed to share it. Also read Hebrews 10:24-25. I like the NLT version best. "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near."
We are ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador is one who works for a Government in another country. We are told to present our bodies as a living sacrifice and not to be conformed to this world, in other words, not to be conformed to the country we are working and living in as an ambassador. Our country of origin is heaven.
Conformed means to become like someone or something else. Not to conformed is the opposite. We have to present our bodies daily to Christ so as not to conform to this world. It is easy to be distracted.
The poor in some churches need to be educated how to spend their money. Sometimes poor people spend not in the best economical way.
Many of the churches have taken on a different perspective/ persona in this present age. We are not dying to self but living for the world therefore anything works, I mean anything’ works. Remember only a spotless, healthy, living lamb was accepted as a sacrifice.
Jesus is the only whom we trust in him
I am seeking to start every day by seeking to be a servant to all by God's blessing through Christ. An ambassador for the kingdom is a servant of God and man. I think this is what is also called presenting ourselves as a "living sacrifice" to God.