LOVE STREET: When GO is outside the Church’s GATES & WALLS
Let me share verses that most of you are familiar with:
Matthew 28:18-20
18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore GO and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
I really don’t think I don’t need to expound on the whole thing. But there’s something I have to be honest about this. I really don’t like the way it has been preached and taught because most of the times it has been on the topic of missions. Not there’s nothing wrong with the missions but most of the times, it refers to the “salt water syndrome.” Mission seems to be always going to a different country where you need to cross the ocean. It’s always about leaving the country and stepping into foreign soil.
I don’t know if the exegesis is really correct, but I’m really not comfortable with it. The description of the kinds of people Jesus said he wanted to reach can be found in our own community and we really don’t need to cross the ocean.
Janna (left) always on the go to cook and the SERVIDORAS: Nikka, Bebang and Jax!
Let me show you the kinds of people Jesus went to:
Luke 4:17-19
17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 “ The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”[k]
The poor, broken hearted, captives (prisoners), blind and oppressed are just outside the church walls and gates. If we have to “go” just go outside and start reaching to them.
Some of the tricycle drivers that went in for arrozcaldo!
There will be people who will be called to become missionaries and I truly love their heart and passion. But the Church is called to go out of its walls and gates and minister to the people Jesus wants to reach.
God did not tell the people to go to church. He told the church to GO to the people. I think that’s clear enough.
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July 23, 2010, we did the PASA LOVE at the Region I Medical Center where we fed more than 700 people. We ended about at 10 pm and stayed until 12 midnight for cleaning and dinner.
July 24, 2010. Just the following day, there were still some ingredients for arrozcaldo. Janna had no doubt in her mind that we should cook it. And there goes again another cooking event for us. I was wondering who would we give arrozcaldo to? It was raining and not many people around.
Students at a canteen across us saved money for their snacks because the arrozcaldo was free!
It is challenge but we’re up to it. Jonathan and Nikka talked to tricycle drivers across us and told them about the arrozcaldo. There was hesitation because it’s FREE! We have experienced this many times over that something FREE is harder to accept than paying for it. Salvation is FREE but mankind have a hard time accepting the gift!
Handing out arrozcalso to tricyle drivers on the street!
Then we started moving to the different business establishment around us. They were really surprised that someone was giving out a hot arrozcaldo on a rainy day and it’s free. Again, there was that hesitation but there was the gratitude after.
A driver stunned in getting a free arrozcaldo!
The Music Team was practicing that time also. I called them because the best “practice” for worship is when you serve people. The church can go with a bad music come Sunday but we should grab the opportunity to serve the people when it happens. So they dropped their guitars, microphone and sticks and hit the streets.
We served both drivers and passengers!
The scene was funny. We stood outside the gate carrying arrozcaldo and would wave our hands on every jeepney and tricycle that passes by. If they stop we would serve them. And ALL of them did stop. They thought we were passengers. The drivers can’t hardly believe it the moment we told them we were giving free arrozcaldo. We also got the chance to serve the passengers.
We also served the garbage collectors!
The serving lasted through the night. We were tired but we know we have obeyed God this very day.
The GO in the GREAT COMMISSION for us means to GO out of our WALLS and GATES because that’s where the people God has called us to reach. That is where the people JESUS shared the Gospel. The church simply needs to GO across the STREET!
Everyone in our church is required to serve especially the Music Team!
PASA LOVE loves this two verses:
Matthew 5:16
16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Ephesians 2:10
10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
It’s not about SAVING people, but obeying God!
The iFULL team that night. Tell them PASA LOVE and they would drop everything and would serve!
hwuh!
waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!
basta pas kita tayo pag-uwi ko
hands up to all of you guys
and Glory to God!
just i want to share if it is proper in here, there is excerpt in the Bible that you have to preach the gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. I was just caught by it that we have to start on our own Jerusalem, family, neighbors, then enlarging teritory the Samaria, yung karatig pook, town or city and until to the end of the earth.
if it will be a common goal i think there is no place of missing out everyone. If each country/church starts within their own Jerusalem then all will follow. Hindi ko po alam kung tama ito.
Be blessed po pas!
penge din ako ng arozcaldo kailangan ko yan!
tama ka about Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the world. For that to happen, just step out of the gates. If you look carefully about the kinds of people Jesus wants to reach – they are just outside the church. I don’t think balance ang presentation kasi ng missions. Marami gusto sa labas! We badly need churches that are missionaries to its own community – MISSIONAL!
pray for us, we’re doing / trying church planting na!
I will po pas. Ganun din nung kumuha ako ng missions course ang target is local missions within our barangay and after establishing iiwanan na dun sa mga trained persons at iiendorse na sa church na established dun… but it failed or i was burn-out which you know the reason already.
haaaaaaist this is one of the major reasons kung bakit gusto ko ng umuwi.
great job pas. alam ko po busy ka sa work na pinagkatiwala at nais ipagawa sa iyo ni Lord but still blogging this makes us all aware what should be done in the first place.
Be blessed pas. you labors are not in vain!
we’re doing something “weird” right now about the church but i strongly believe that this is what the church is and what we should do. pray for us. thanks pong, we’re already excited to see you.
ang weird ni PASA LOVE pero the best talaga to.
mas weird na ung susunod nating gagawin. We’re not going to do our BEST but the IMPOSSIBLE! CHAORDIC!