I am so thankful and appreciative of the opportunity to be a part of OIM. The question is why? Why am I so passionate about OIM? Allow me to explain one of the less than obvious reasons?
I have recently been reading a book by John Mark Comer called "Practicing the Way". In this book we are reminded that the word “Christian” is only used 3 times in the New Testament while the word disciple is used 269 times.
What is a Christian? According to many (including Comer) the following four points outline what a Christian embraces.
You are a sinner going to hell.
God loves you.
Jesus died on the cross for your sins.
If you believe in him, you can go to heaven when you die.
This is the essence of the gospel (what a Christian embraces) and I fully embrace it. Many years ago my eternal destiny was settled when I asked Jesus to my Savior. The challenge though is this: I am not called by Jesus to simply intellectually embrace this gospel (salvation) but rather to be an apprentice, a disciple of Jesus Christ. If I am not doing all I can to follow Christ then who am I following? We are all following someone or something.
For me to be a follower of Jesus is to say that I will be WITH Jesus, BECOME LIKE Jesus and DO AS Jesus DID and has instructed me to do. To be a follower of Jesus and not just saved, is to experience His Kingdom on this side of eternity. When we are a disciple of Jesus we can experience here and now all the real blessings lifted up in the Bible (God's love, presence, joy, peace etc.).
Comer in his book reports that around 63 per cent of American's (sorry, but I don't 'have a Canadian statistic) self-identify as Christians and only around 4 per cent self-identify as following Jesus. For many Christians, following Jesus is viewed as optional, a personal choice. This is tragic because they just want to be saved and be a follower of whoever or whatever.
The reason I am so passionate about OIM is because it opens the door for me to be a part of the 4 per cent, that small percentage of Christians who are trying to do what Jesus did and tells us to do. This is a wonderful thing.
In Matthew 25:31-46 we have Jesus telling us how important it is to help those who society views as “the least”. Is it a stretch to say that the least are our friends on the streets? The folks on the streets are often passed by without a comment, ignored, robbed and, even spat on by passersby. Jesus told us that when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give the thirsty something to drink, welcome the stranger etc., to those who are the least it is as if we are giving directly to Jesus. Notice I said TO Jesus, not FOR Jesus. Giving a cup of water to someone who is the least and is thirsty, is giving a drink of water to Jesus.
How important is this to Jesus? In verse 34 Jesus invites those who serve in this manner to “Come, you who are blessed by my Father: take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”
For Jesus, it is not enough to be a hearer of the word. For me this means it is not enough to attend church and a Bible study each week. I need to be apprenticing under Jesus, doing the things that He did and living a life of intimacy with Him.
I love OIM because by volunteering for OIM I am confident that I am doing that which Jesus did, and in the manner He did it. This is no small statement; to be living out my calling as a disciple of Jesus is my reason for still being on this side of eternity; It is a great space to be in.
God bless each of you who prayerfully, financially and physically volunteer time, as you are living out being a disciple of Jesus Christ with OIM, There is no better life.
~ Shawn, Ketcheson, OIM Pastor
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