Leadership comm 7.

In Leadership Comm 6. I spoke a little about ethos – HOW we will disciple, reach and serve for Jesus. As I have been studying and reflecting on these things I want to share with you some of where God is pushing me to lead our church. So here is the first of the ethos values we all need to build into our personal life and witness as well as into anything we do as ministry within the church.

authentic

   [aw-then-tik] –adjective

1.not false or copied; genuine; real: an authentic antique.

2.having the origin supported by unquestionable evidence; authenticated; verified: an authentic document of the Middle Ages; an authentic work of the old master.

3.entitled to acceptance or belief because of agreement with known facts or experience; reliable; trustworthy: an authentic report on poverty in Africa.

  

I really believe that for us to be effective witnesses in this world as we follow Jesus that we must be authentic in everything that we do. But what does that mean? Well at its heart authentic is to be the real deal in everything that you do. In our community in Protea Valley it is all too easy to create a mask and to hide the real you. I believe that this value adds to the reality our witness as we live life for Jesus and it makes our ministry effective for his kingdom.

Paul is being authentic when he writes this: Romans 7:15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. That's authentic, a kind of: "here is the answer on how we should live life for Jesus, but I struggle alongside you as I try to work out my own salvation with fear and trembling". Too often we paint a fake picture of Christian faith: that following Jesus is easy, that understanding the scriptures is straightforward and that to believe like a child is all we need to do.

Let me tell you story and I do so not to blow my own trumpet, but to show you what authentic looks like as I am trying to live it out by God's grace: Just this week I sat with a person who I will call Hope who has come to PVFC from time to time. I say 'come' instead of 'worship' because Hope does not believe in Jesus, yet. She is engaging with me to answer some very tough questions that she has about the reality of God. She wants authentic answers to deep and genuine questions that are keeping her from faith at this time. What has drawn her to PVFC and, by God's grace, to me is authenticity. I am normal and not weird, I ride bikes and climb mountains, I accept Hope with her questions and I too wrestle to find the truth. I have engaged my brain and don't gloss over the difficult answers to the evil that pervades this world. In short as I try to be authentic she has responded to it and I pray that in time she will find faith.

In a world of fake, people are looking for authentic. And we have the only authentic savior, Jesus who, according to those who knew him and wrote about him, died and rose again so that we might be forgiven of our sin. Let's present Jesus in an authentic way as much as possible. Practically this will look different for different people and for different ministries, so think and engage with Jesus. Pray lots, live by the Spirit, let God's word abide in you and then be authentic for Jesus glory!

Blessings,

Brent