Neighbor Well This Summer
I truly believe that one of the greatest honors and opportunities we will have, as Christians, in this life, is to be a really good neighbor. And believe this, largely, because we get to play the role of neighbor to living, breathing, soul-possessing human beings. Think about it:
Each one of your neighbors is a representative of the capstone of all creation — ones of whom God says, not just good, but very good.
Each one of your neighbors has been uniquely designed by the God whom you worship. There are no fillers in your neighborhood. No generic models in your neighborhood. Go down your block house, by house, by house and you will find nothing but custom-made, one-of-a-kind, image bearers of God almighty.
Each one of your neighbors possesses a soul — one put there by God that will only find its complete satisfaction in relationship with God.
And yet each one of your neighbors possesses a sin-nature that naturally runs not to, but away, from God.
And you get to live next door to them — What an honor, and what an opportunity.
We have much in common with our neighbors.
We too fit the category of the capstone of all creation.
We too have been uniquely designed by God, and made in the image of God,
But, unlike so many of our neighbors, brothers and sisters, you and me have been given the gift of the Spirit, through the hearing of the words of the gospel, and along with that comes a mouth with which to speak the words of that same gospel to give opportunity to that same Spirit to work that same miracle in the life of those whom God has placed twenty feet down from our front door. What an honor, what an opportunity, and, you, friends, are the most qualified people for the job.
Consider, in the last year:
Has your neighbor seen hate? You know the one whose name is love.
Has your neighbor known despair? You know the source of unending joy.
Has your neighbor felt anxiety? You know the peace which surpasses all understanding.
Has your neighbor grown tired of living in a kingdom that is restless, mean, fickle, hard and turbulent?
Good news, for you, my friend, are a citizen and ambassador of a different kingdom, one marked by patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
It is such an honor, such an opportunity, to be a neighbor and you, Cities church, of all people, are the right people for the job.
So, will you neighbor well this summer? will you neighbor with intentionality this summer? Will you neighbor in awe and joy this summer as you marvel at just how great an honor it truly is to be a neighbor? Oh, will you pray with me? Pray with me that our God would make it so!
Lord, we admit that we too often look up and down our street and see nothing but sheetrock, siding, and 2x4’s. We see houses, but we don’t see, or recognize, humans. We too often fail to recognize the miracle they all are. We too often only recognize them if they have the potential to serve us, or the potential to bother us. Lord, we confess these sins to you, along with all the other ways we’ve fallen short, missed the mark this week. We bring them all, all our sin, to you, now, in this moment of silent confession.