edna

GET TO KNOW EDNA

Edna is one that the Lord has made room for in the life of every believer and in the collective life of every body of believers. Most of us as followers of Jesus at least give mental assent to the importance of Edna in our personal lives and in the life of our churches. But just how much room do we allow Edna to have to operate and accomplish the work that Edna is designed to do? Edna is not a flesh and blood kind of person. No. Edna is an ACROSTIC. Each letter in Edna represents and ideal or concept that needs to be at work in us personally and in the collective Body of Christ if we are going to be fruitful, flavorful and faithful as individuals and as the church.

So what does EDNA stand for?

E - EVANGELISM

D - DISCIPLESHIP

N - NURTURING

A - ADORATION

One of the foundational problems in our lives and in the collective life of the Body of Christ is that we have 1) never acquired a personal mission statement to organize our lives around, 2) we acquire a mission statement to organize our lives around that is self-centered rather than Christ-centered, or 3) the mission statement that we organize our lives around is biased by our own preferences and out of balance with the total purpose and plan for us as individuals and as the collective Body of Christ.

Let's take a close up look at Edna and where Edna shows us that our lives are out of balance let's be honest with ourselves and with the Lord. If we are out of balance we need to get into balance.

EVANGELISM

Okay preacher. What is this evangelism thing that you are talking about? Isn't that what these guys do who live in their motor homes, wear fancy suits and do all that shouting and spitting? Sorry. That's not me so I guess I can't be an evangelist and do evangelism.

Well, it doesn't have to be and yes you can be an evangelist and do evangelism. You can communicate the Good News of Jesus to people and you can be a tool in the hand of Jesus to win the lost of this present age to Him. In fact, this is something that each and every believer can and should share in. Evangelism is intended to be just as natural for us as breathing air since evangelism is simply the zealous proclamation and dissemination (in our case) of the Gospel.

Jesus said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20)

One of the things we need to remember is that the proclamation of the Gospel begins right where we are at. For the disciples it began right there at home in Jerusalem. And for us, before we run off half cocked thinking we are going to go save the world, we need to do our "home work" and live the Gospel in front of the people group that we are already planted in.

It's easy to neglect our own Jerusalem's. It's easy to find all sorts of "reasons" why we should concern ourselves with our Judea's and Samaria's and with all the uttermost parts of the earth. It's a lot easier and takes much less commitment to displace the resources that we need to be investing in our Jerusalem's and grievious is the sore that is created when we leave unattended the harvest field that lies just outside the door of our hearts, homes and houses of worship.

DISCIPLESHIP

Disciples are not born. Disciples are made. Jesus said, "go and make disciples".

There is a world of difference between being a "believer in Jesus" and being a "disciple of Jesus". Jesus has a lot of believers. But where discipleship is concerned there is a critical shortage on the earth today and this is evidenced by the fact that so many are "always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth." (2 Timothy 3:7)

A disciple is more than a mere learner. A disciple is someone who subscribes to the teachings of a master and assists in spreading them. Of His disciples, Jesus said, " A student (disciple) is not above his teacher (master), nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master." (Matthew 10:24-25)

Jesus taught His disciples to be and to do like Him. Could it be that the reason our lives, our churches, our communities and our world are in the shape they are in is because we need to become disciples, learn to be and do like Jesus and to teach others to be and do like Him as well?

NURTURING

One of the simplest and harshest realities that I've had to come to grips with is this........LIFE IS REAL AND PEOPLE LIVING A REAL LIFE HAVE REAL HURTS and, all too often, when some tough times befall members of Christ's body there is no one there to lend a helping hand or to offer a shoulder to lean on. What a sad indictment against the Church! And even when things are going good we still need nurturing to keep us from getting comfortable and complacent in our luxuries and laziness.

When someone is down in the dumps and going through a multitude of troubles it seems to become the "spiritual responsibility" of the saints to numb their senses toward a brother or sister in need, to measure them up according to their faults and weakesses and to pull out a few chosen Scripture passages as the panacea for their problems. Ouch. I'm guilty. So are you.

James 2:15-16 says, "Suspose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" The truth resident here goes far beyond blue jeans and biscuits. It addresses every spiritual, emotional and physical need that any of us may ever have.

ADORATION

One of the things that really strikes me about the early church was the fact that they were always worshiping the Lord. For them it was a daily love relationship. They took time every day to meet together to worship, to pray and to learn more of the things of God. It wasn't a burdensome thing for them to give the Lord the time of day!

Honestly, how much time do we spend each day in directed adoration of the Lord? How conscious of time are we when we meet as the Body of Christ to worship Him in spirit and in truth, to unite in prayers of praise, adoration, petition and intercession and to hear the Word of God publicly read and explained?

Our adoration of the Lord should be the highlight of every day of our workaday lives in spite of the diapers, daily duties, telephones, screw guns and typewriters. When it is our daily highlight our work days lose their drudge and grind and the empowering we receive in personal worship serves not only to edify us but it also works to prune and purge us of things in our lives that work to hinder the observable Presence of Jesus in us. Then, too, we are able to come together as the collective Body and find together that place of "one accord" where the miraculous moving of the Holy Spirit loses it's rarety.

Psalm 95:6-7 says, "Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care." Just as we earthly parents long for the adoration of the children that we have procreated, likewise, our Heavenly Parent longs for the adoration of the children that He created.

Whether we are looking for a mission statement for our lives or looking for a mission statement for the church you'll not do better than to adopt Edna as your mentor. Edna will never lead you into error. Edna is personal. Edna is practical. All of the gifts and talents sown into our lives by the Holy Spirit will flow into and find fruition in our lives, in the Church and in the world as we embrace Edna. Let me sum Edna up in a single manageable sentence.

IT IS OUR MISSION TO EVANGELIZE (BRING TO A SAVING KNOWLEDGE) THE LOST IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IN OUR WORLD, TO DISCIPLE (TEACH) IN THE WAYS OF THE LORD EVERY ONE THAT COMES TO THE SAVING KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS, TO NURTURE (PROVIDE CARE FOR) EVERY MEMBER OF THIS BODY, AND TO LIVE IN ADORATION OF OUR CREATOR.

Unless otherwise stated, all scriptures quoted taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

These studies are "graceware" - distributed freely and without obligation. If you would like to help financially in the continuation of this ministry you can send your gift to:

David Kralik Ministries, Inc. P.O. Box 961, Hoxie, KS USA 67740

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