Recap of Ignite Youth Service, October 29, 2009

Bananas.

For the past several weeks, we have been hitting the topic of missions, both in Ignite Youth, and during regular worship services at The Rock Church.  Last week, during our annual Speed-the-Light (STL) service at The Rock Church, my wife, Amanda, spoke about missions and all the ways we can reach out to the lost locally as well as internationally.

When we think of a “missionary”, what typically comes to mind is a white guy, living in some remote African or South American, 3rd world village, handing out donated clothes and Bibles.  And those folks exist and deserve our support.  However, each and every one of us are missionaries, too.  We are missionaries in a very specific field:  our daily lives.

Matthew 5:13-16 (MSG) says this:

13 “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.14 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill.15 If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand.

Salt has so many uses.  Two that come to mind specifically are 1) Seasoning, and 2) Preserving.  I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch of the imagination to see the metaphors here.  As the “salt of the earth”, we’re called to be the spice of life, and givers of a life-preserving Word.

It’s time to wake up and realize what we have!  We’ve got Jesus!  We need to share Jesus as the answer to EVERYTHING!  And not to just be crazy for Jesus, but to affect our surroundings for Jesus.

Check this out:  Did you know that as a banana ripens, it releases gasses that help other fruit nearby to ripen as well?  Again, not a stretch to see the metaphor.  We “bananas,” as we “ripen,” or mature in the Lord, should help others to mature as well.  In other words, we should affect our surroundings by our gasses!  :)

So, what can you do tonight, or tomorrow, or all weekend, to be an influence on the people around you.  Better yet, what WILL you do?