Family at Its Best.....The Mirror Image

11/1  Series: Family at its Best…..The Mirror Image   1 John 3:1-24
 
This week’s message focus is titled The Mirror Image.  Most of us use a mirror daily.  It shows us what we cannot see.  Shaving, fixing our hair, checking out the outfit we put on, to name a few reasons we look into a mirror, doing an examination of how others will see us today.  We want to look our best. First impressions are important right?  What also is important is what we exude from within, our image.  We’ve all heard people say that so and so is the spitting image of their dad/mom.  Which is meant to mean, looks like the dad or mom, which it does, but spitting image could also mean the aura, character, attribute of a parent.  So, in thinking of The Mirror Image… how are others seeing us? What are we exuding?  Are we our Father’s image? Are we living in the image of our Heavenly Father? Family at its Best is to represent the family well wherever our day takes us. Are we a good representation of the family we belong to, our physical family, sport or group families, church family, how about God’s family? Are we the mirror image that should be portrayed as a representative of His family?
 
Being a reflection, a reflection of Jesus, is how Pastor George put it to our young people.  What people see, to hear them say I saw Jesus in you, is to be a reflection of Jesus.  In the scripture for today from 1 John 3  the first line that we read in verse 1 is of the love the Father has given to us, ….that we should be called children of God; and so we are. We are in His family.  In verses 2-10 it gives how we ought to be as a child of God, a representation of whose we are.  Verse 10 ends by saying …whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. Then verse 11 begins titled as Love One Another.  We know that Jesus is love, to reflect Jesus is to reflect love  As Pastor George also says, its Christ’s love exuding in and through us, the Son reflected in us. 
 
From the Right Now Media library, we viewed Reflecting the One Who Loves Us by Stuart Hodge, he states that we are never more like God than when we are loving others.  It’s all about relationship.  He says we are to be proactive about the way you are loving others. We are to have open hearts towards loving the unlovely. And to do this within the community of believers but also reaching out to the unbelieving world, reaching out, pushing beyond everyday relationships.  Stuart suggested that we are to always be Living On Mission.  He explained it this way: Living it’s what you enjoy doing, your passions, it’s what brings you joy, what’s fun for you, it’s who you are.  We are to invest in other’s lives there, to pour out of your life, On Mission.  Mission is in whom we believe and the reason why we believe, it’s this hope within us.  Stuart referenced Colossians 3:15-17 from the MSG, “Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other.  None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ - the Message – have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives-words, actions, whatever- be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.”, is Living On Mission. Or as Pastor George said, to allow your faith to come to the surface.  The Mirror Image asks, how do you act in public? Or is it just a Sunday morning thing?
 
The Mirror Image, Pastor George says is for people to see God’s goodness in us and for others to want to know Him too.  Being a reflection, an image through love. People crave love, bonding together.  We should want to wake people up giving them hope and comfort. This same love the Father has given us when He stretched his arms out on the cross, see the depth and breadth of His love, we are to make known. The love of the cross is for you, ultimately reflected in you.  What’s key, he also said, is following His commands, do what is pleasing in His sight.
 
From Why Jesus by David Nasser in Right Now Media, we heard reasons why.  Our faith is a relationship with Jesus, it’s not a religion but grace. God is everywhere not just in little church buildings.  Jesus is prophecy foretold. Jesus asks, Who do you say that I am?  In Matthew 6:16 we read “You are the Christ, (the prophecy come true)The Messiah”.  David Nasser referenced the many I AM statements Jesus made, claims to be God made flesh, the anointed one, as we can read in the Gospels. Everything He says is true makes Him Lord. Is He your Lord?  David went on to say, if you have Him first in your life everything else will fall into place.  Jesus meets our physical needs; Jesus meets the spiritual needs of our soul.  Jesus brings validity through miracles as to who he really is.  Living Jesus is God in me, for Him to do through me what He wants.   Christ alive in me is the hope of glory!  We are always to be working for God’s glory.  We serve a risen Savior.  Why Jesus? In the end Jesus has victory over all!
 
We are to be vessels of the truth of scripture that Jesus sought to communicate, the great love the Father has given us. Believe in Jesus and Love one another.  The image of God in you and me in how we live and how we love one another is our goal, what are you seeing in the mirror?
 
Larry and Darlene