You can find the video here: https://www.facebook.com/RichlandNaz/videos/556093478661510/
Something that will help us all stay connected - keep up the discussion – on the Live Stream. Like, follow, and share these morning devotions. And don’t forget to check in @ Richland Church of the Nazarene. If you think about it, you should comment in the video – whenever you watch this video – and let us know where you’ve seen God lately. I’m looking for you to be looking for what I call God sightings… Put it in the comments.
The world we live in is full of kindness. But it is also filled with sin. Issues like racism, prejudice, poverty, and sickness are unfortunately a part of our everyday lives.
When it comes to loving our community we must love the people in it by combating the hateful issues that affect our neighbors and coworkers. They could be suffering from racist trauma in their community, or you might have friends affected by discrimination on their job for all sorts of reasons. When we choose to not tolerate the ill treatment of the neighbors in our community, we are taking a stand to not allow our surrounding community to be a hub of negativity. And here’s why.
We are all made in the image of God. And therefore, should never allow the mistreatment of others become normal in our society. Other than loving God with our whole being, our greatest imperative as Christians is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The church in Acts had to completely revolutionize their way of thinking and widen the scope of evangelism to allow “all” in their gospel message. Before we take a look at the Church in Acts, which we are going to do tomorrow, it is important to begin with a look at humanity’s intrinsic value.
Genesis 2:7 (NIV) Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Gregory of Nyssa, one of the Cappadocian Fathers, wrote this about this particular verse, he said, “God took of the dust of the earth and fashioned man. In this world I have discovered the two affirmations that man is nothing and that man is great. If you consider nature alone, he is nothing and has no value; but if you regard the honor with which he has been treated, man is something great.” New Beacon Bible Commentary: Genesis 1-11, p87, Joseph Coleson.
If we are to look at simply how God treated humanity compared to the rest of how God created all of creation, isn’t humanity something to be held in high regard? Isn’t human life in general something to be held in high regard?
Think about it like this. Picture a rock. Now that rock remains that rock, it’s size, shape, weight stays the same without the rock doing anything. The rock doesn’t breath, it has no heartbeat, it’s just a rock. But each and every human being on the face of this planet has a heartbeat. To live, one has to breathe in and out – inhale oxygen and exhale CO2. Our lives don’t merely exist like that rock, we strive to thrive.
And as much as my heartbeat is important to me, shouldn’t your heartbeat count for something? Shouldn’t I honor the miracle of life that you also hold as a fellow human being, and by doing so hold you in high regard?
Not only should I hold all of humanity in such high regard, because God has from the beginning of creation held us all in that way – He has loved us, but I need to remember God wants everyone – everyone – everyone to come to Him through the Son – Christ Jesus and be saved. Paul said it like this to Timothy.
1 Timothy 2:1-7 (NIV) I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.
Yeah – even those rascally Gentiles can be saved. Are you hearing me today? Paul wanted to remind Timothy that God has a plan for everyone to hear the Good News. Even some of “those” people. Who are the “those” people I’m referring to? Let me ask you this, who are “those” people in your community, in your life, how do you treat them?
How are you being the hands and feet of Jesus to them even today – right now? Jesus loves them and He wants to see them saved.