As we begin a new year, I want to encourage you to reflect on our church’s mission statement. Over the next few months, I am going to post a few articles focusing on the various elements of our mission statement.
To begin with, at KCC we are committed to being passionate followers of Christ Jesus. The opposite of being passionate followers is to be apathetic followers. When asked what the most important commandment was in the Bible, Jesus responded by saying, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). Our passion for Christ begins with our worship.
When Jesus said, “love God with all your heart and soul,” he meant that our worship must be genuine and heartfelt. It is not just a matter of saying the right words; we must mean what we say. Since worship involves delighting in God, it engages our emotions. God gave us emotions so that we could worship Him with deep feeling but He doesn’t want phoniness. He wants our honest, real love.
When Jesus said, “love God with all your mind,” he meant that our worship should be thoughtful. If worship is mindless, it is meaningless. We must engage our minds. Regularly think about all that God has done for you. Make a list and be specific. Then take time to praise God and thank Him for those things. Another idea is to make a list of the different names of God and what they mean and reveal about Him. Use that information to engage your mind in worship and praise Him for His various attributes.
When Jesus said, “love God will all your strength,” he meant that our worship should be practical. Romans 12:1-2 tells us to “offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship.” He wants us to live for Him 24/7 and make ourselves available to be used to bring glory and honor to Him in all we do and say. Worship takes energy and effort. It is not always convenient and comfortable, and sometimes it is a sheer act of the will – a willing sacrifice.
If you and I will take seriously the commandment to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we will be well on our way to being passionate followers of Christ Jesus.
Beginning in January, I will be preaching a series of messages from the book of 1 Corinthians. The theme will be “Live the Difference.” Since Jesus has changed our lives individually and brought us together in the church, we should be different than the secular world around us. So let us “Live the Difference.” Find out more on Sunday mornings at 10:30 am.
Your Shepherd,
Pastor Mark
