Accessible and Welcoming

ByJim Stephens

Reading: Ephesians 3; Psalm 97

The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I’ve been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board. (Ephesians 3:6 MSG)

Paul wrote that the Message of God’s mercy and grace is accessible and welcoming to outsiders and insiders alike. Then he went on to describe his God-given role in delivering The Message:

7 This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. 8 When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God’s way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities. And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. 9 My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. (Ephesians 3:7-9 MSG)

Paul called this his life-work. He said:

  • My job is to get The Message out in the open and make it plain – The Inexhaustible Riches and Generosity of Christ.
  • It’s a gift and it’s a surprise.
  • It’s God behind the scenes in the details, making it work.
  • It’s God equipping me to do the work.
  • I’m in way over my head.

I’m thankful that outsiders and insiders stand on the same ground before God. I’m thankful that The Message of Hope is accessible and welcoming to everyone.

Prayer:

Father, Help me do my part in our challenging task of making The Message accessible and welcoming to outsiders and insiders alike. I want to help God-Seekers become Christ-believers and believers become disciples. By your Grace, Amen.