There are moments in life when it feels like we have reached an impasse; a situation in which forward progress is impossible. In those times, hopelessness and despair are not far behind. When God created the heavens and the earth his vision was that humanity would live in peace with Him and with each other. We read in Genesis 1:31, “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.” But before too long, sin and disobedience entered the picture. Things got so bad that in Genesis 6 we read these heartbreaking verses, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.”
Had humanity reached an impasse? Was this one of those moments where forward progress was impossible? It might have been, but the good news is that it wasn’t because in the mind of God there is no such thing as an impasse. Nothing is impossible with God. As Genesis 6:8 says, “But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord.” Through Noah, God gave humanity a second chance. We see God giving second chance after second chance throughout scripture.
In Ephesians, we discover that God has not given up on His vision for humanity to live in peace with him and one another. In Ephesians 1:8 we read, “With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” God’s vision is that we would all be gathered into Christ. Ephesians 2:15 says, “He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity”.
You and I are part of God’s vision of one new humanity in Christ. The Church is the Body of Christ and God’s vision is that we represent the Kingdom of God to the world so that the world sees God’s vision made real. When the church is at its best, it leads a life worthy of the calling to which it has been called. We are urged to do so with humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another in love. When the world sees the church leading a life worthy of its calling, it sees the possibility of a different kind of life. And then, as more and more people join the Body, it grows.
What might “leading a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called” look like for you? What might it look like for Lakewood Methodist Church? The world around us needs to know that nothing is impossible with God. The world needs to know that in the mind of God there is no such thing as an impasse. The task of the Body of Christ is to bear witness to this reality. I am so grateful to be part of Lakewood Methodist Church because there are countless examples of just that. Keep doing what you are doing. You are doing a great job.
