PODCAST

Who’s In? Who’s Out?

December 28th, 2018

RG Audio 122818

Isaiah 56:1-8

Do you remember the game red rover? Children form two lines facing each other. While holding hands to form a barrier, one line calls out, “red rover, red rover, send [child’s name] right over.” The called out child has to leave her line, run full-tilt toward the opposite line, and try to break through the barrier. The goal was to keep out the running child.

Life can often feel like a game of red rover. Barriers are built in so many places, meant to keep the right people in and the wrong people out. Unfortunately, the Church too often puts up fences where it should be tearing them down.

God’s grace and redemption overflows beyond the barriers that his people have created: the “other” is included. Too often we decide who is in and who is out, while God clearly say, Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will surely exclude me from his people’” (v. 3a). Thankfully God’s grace is more abundant than we sometimes realize.

What fences have you started to take down for God’s kingdom?

Author: Mark Hendrickson