Discipleship at Messiah

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. -John 3:16 (NIV)

Some years ago when the United Methodist Church was preparing to celebrate its American Bi-centennial (1984), artist Andrew Wyatt was commissioned to paint a picture to reflect the Spirit of the Methodist movement.  The picture he did showed John Wesley seeing Robert Coke off to America where he would become the first Methodist bishop.  It was entitled “Offer Them Christ.”¹

            Nothing more clearly defines the mission of the church, indeed of all Christians.  Yet we often get lost in the fog of all those things—good things—music, programs, preaching, facilities, even feeding the hungry, housing the homeless and forget those things as important as they may be fall short of what they need if we don’t offer them Jesus.
            So…
            I offer  you Christ, whose coming was promised by God’s prophets for hundreds of years.

“The virgin will…give birth to a son,  and will call him Immanuel.”
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

            I offer  you Christ—whose birth to a Virgin named Mary and with  it all those wondrous events—the  angels’ announcements, the shepherds, the wise men, the mystery.
            I offer  you Christ—who grew and began to remind all who would listen of his Father in heaven’s love which had sent Him, his own son into the world.
            I offer  you Christ—who  called men and women, His people, from their sins.  By the simple act of admitting our sin, turning from   them to Jesus in surrender of our lives, He comes to live in our hearts.
            I offer you Christ, who is the comforter in all our griefs and all our sorrows.  He knows and understands because He has “been there and done that.”
            Finally, I offer you Christ who is preparing a place for you and promises that we will join Him and enjoy Him forever.
            It is truly the best offer you’ll ever get.

^{1 Photo by Bill Price}

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