Be Provocative about our Joy

Last night we shared a simply brilliant evening as an Explore group (our name for small groups in X1). The intimacy and unity we shared as 12 people was sublime. At X1 we push this area of church community almost relentlessly - sadly it flies in the face of both a consumerist and individualistic mindset so the message is ignored in many quarters - because of moments like last night. Sunday mornings and just having dinner with one other or another couple you "like" do not offer what we shared last night.

We're going through the X1:01 content as a group; content we are hoping as a leadership will introduce people to X1's ethos, vision, mission, and philosophy of ministry. Some of it is purposefully provocative and a brief paragraph in last night's topic, "How Can I Live for Jesus?" was precisely that. Here it is:

"It is critical that a new believer who has recently come to faith in Christ understands that this is life as humanity was intended to live. Jesus promised that He came to grant abundant life to his followers. He stated that rivers of living water would flow within them. He also declared that as we live a life of obedience, inspired by the wonderful intimacy with God that is ours as a Christian, He would abide with us and cause us to live a fruitful, joy-filled life."

Why is this paragraph even in X1:01? Well it is there for three reasons really

1) Joy-filled, abundant-life faith is the sole message of Christ regarding his followers.
2) Sadly few believers are portraying this reality. I think this is primarily due to the contemporary Christian misinterpretation of the context of joy. We think it should be my devoid of sorrow, pain & suffering but the biblical picture is that it is joy in the midst of sorrow, pain & suffering.
3) Joy is contagious, freeing and powerfully evangelistic.

So, what does your 'living for Jesus' look like? You may retort that I do not know the pain which you suffer, to which I simply allow the author of Hebrews speak, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, for the joy that was set before him endured the cross ..." (Hebrews 12:2) Speaks powerfully.