Epiphany 3 - I Do Declare

Third week of epiphany theme is proclaiming or declaring. My time with Crusade.

God’s mission for everyone is not for all to be evangelists. But, God’s mission for everyone is for all to be able to share good news with people who need it.

Amos - Do I do anything for no good reason?

Declaring through His people.

If you speak anything on behalf of God, technically, at least in that moment, you are a prophet.

To heavy a weight stops you in your tracks. Too light of a weight makes it too easy to say “thus saith the Lord” when Her doesn’t saith.

In some cases that should make us pause. In others it should urge us on.

Psalm - God you know me perfectly, there is nowhere I can hide from you, and this intimacy is worth more than anything to me.

The Anglican Way, Fr Thomas McKenzie. Me ---- We

The HS in you, Jesus in you, The Father in you, and you in them. This isn’t the message of a stranger or some distant deity, this isn’t an idea or a philosophy, this is His message, this is your (plural) message.

Corinthians - Unity in Christ, unity in what the Gospel is, humility in its expression.

Division causes distraction, take attention away from the point of being the church.

Who needs the gospel? How do they need it?

People who are leaning forward.

Matthew - What we declare: repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

This was to a people and a culture that was waiting for this message. Sometimes believers need the Gospel!

Repent - change the way you think in order to change the way you act.

at hand - near, within reach, grabable.

There is a kind of tone to sharing the gospel. Some people are out to prove that they are right. Others are out to prove that they are better than.

The point of declaring the Gospel is to share it with those who are ready to receive it.

The Oreo Story

God uses people to reach people.

Do you take God’s mission for you with the appropriate weight at the right time?

Do you take God’s mission for you with the appropriate care for God, yourself, and the lost?

Do you give God’s mission for you the appropriate attention, looking for those who are leaning forward?

Do you give God’s mission for you the right tone that reflects God’s heart for people?

If have never received that Oreo, or maybe you’ve been around church so long and faithfully kept that pew warm, but you’ve forgotten what that Oreo tastes like, or maybe you want to share what you have but you don’t know how, please ask for help.