Did You See Jesus?
The blessed event that introduced Jesus to the world and into our hearts and lives is now over. I hope we saw Jesus on that day. It was a most gracious time in salvation history, one that may have been the most significant Christmas in many of our lives. As we move beyond that blessed event, we must live our lives knowing that Jesus’ birth was not in vain, and because of Jesus, our lives are enhanced. Jesus was born in order that we all might be saved, for this is the will of God for all who call upon the name of Jesus.
As we live in recognition of God’s gift of Jesus, we must go and present Jesus to the world. We must make the Jesus event a Big Deal in a world that seems to have become numb when it comes to salvation and living a saved life. However, one of the greatest misconceptions in many churches is that membership is equal to salvation or being saved. While many churchgoers are saved, being saved does not guarantee the quality of life that being a Christian should afford. Quality of life as a Christian is born out of a desire to be a gift to others as Jesus is a gift to us. It is generally based on a personal commitment made by those who have a vested interest in Jesus Christ and are willing to make great sacrifices to make their vested interest a reality for others.
Now more than ever, persons will express great dissatisfaction with their church. Usually this dissatisfaction stems from a personal self-interest and a disconnection between their personal vision for the church and the Biblical basis for the church. The Biblical basis for the church is to meet the needs of the least of these and share in communal adoration and praise for what God is doing in our lives. Unmet dissatisfaction usually spells trouble for the local church causing a loss in momentum, spiritual vitality, financial resources and most importantly, members. When this occurs, a critical question to be raised among dissatisfied members is "Did You See Jesus." We must always come to the church looking for Jesus, just as people look for gifts under a Christmas tree. When our self-interest for the church is consumed in finding and seeing Jesus, our sense of dissatisfaction will slowly dissipate. Lets not forget, self-interest is a powerful phenomenon in our lives. And when self-interest is unmet, it's easy to displace our frustration on events, persons and institutions that in most cases are not the underlying problem.
This is where knowing the reason for the church is essential. Vested members in the church should always model Jesus for the congregation. Membership in the church is not about self-interest but about a collective understanding of being the church for the community and the world. When church members model a Jesus-like character, it makes it easier for others to "See Jesus." It is when members are led by love and by a Jesus-like spirit that individual self-interest will give way to being more like Jesus and serving others. While none of us is perfect, all of us are called to be faithful. Therefore, we must be willing to submit to the authority of the Lord and guided by God's spirit. We must be able to answer the question, "Do We See Jesus," with "Yes We Do."
