Do all to the glory of God

Pastor Ed Bordell, a missionary based in Costa Rica, was the guest preacher on Friend Sunday. He had flown in the night before and said that if the message needed a title, it would be "Do all to the glory of God." He told the church he prefers reading scripture to telling stories, so the message moved through John 15, John 17, Romans 15, and Philippians 2, with illustrations from his own travels.

Love, and the Father's glory

He began in John 15:12-13, where Jesus commands His followers to love one another as He loved them and says that no one has greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. Pastor Bordell admitted some people are hard to love and said he does not like everybody but loves everybody, because God's word is written for a reason. In John 17 Jesus prays "the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee," and in verse 18 says "as thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them." Pastor Bordell said "them" means us, and he pointed to Acts 1:8: the Father sent the Son, and the Spirit is with us now, so we have a responsibility to take the gospel from our own Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.

He said God does not change, even though music, appearances, and churches do. Circumstances do not control his purpose. He wants to be a contributor, not a consumer, putting into others what Christ put into us, since Christ became poor to make us rich.

Romans 15: not pleasing ourselves

Turning to Romans 15, he read verses 1 to 3: the strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak and not please themselves, for even Christ did not please Himself. He said our society is self-pleasing, and that the biggest battle he faces in Costa Rica, besides the devil, is materialism. Verses 5 and 6 call believers to be likeminded and to glorify God with one mind and one mouth.

In Philippians 2:4-11 he looked at the mind of Christ: Jesus made Himself of no reputation, took the form of a servant, and humbled Himself to death on the cross, so every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Pastor Bordell said he asks God three things: keep me holy, keep me humble, and keep me helpful. If he is not holy, God cannot use him; if he is not humble, he is full of himself; and if he is not helping someone, he has no purpose. He told of giving money to a fast-food worker who had been serving him, and how that small kindness changed the man's whole attitude.

That the Gentiles might glorify God

Romans 15:8-9 says Christ confirmed the promises made to the fathers "that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy." He said the word of God was written, the gospel revealed, mercy received, believers transformed, missionaries sent, and nations reached, and God gets the glory. When a person is saved, the credit is not the missionary's but God's, because the missionary is only an instrument that conveyed the truth.

He urged the church to share the gospel with everyone, noting that prejudice has been around forever but in the eyes of God all are equal. He shared several examples of striking up conversations with strangers on flights, handing out tracts, and talking about heaven. He said he tries to connect before he communicates, because most people communicate and never connect. Using Romans 15:14-30, he described the partnership between a missionary and the churches that stand with him in prayer and giving, so that many can glorify God for one soul saved. He noted that he was saved in 1982 after someone brought him the gospel, and he said "friend day" is about reaching the neighbor who needs Christ.

Do you feel the pull?

He closed with an illustration of a boy flying a kite in a storm. A passerby asked how he knew the kite was still up there when he could not see it, and the boy said he could feel the pull of the string. Pastor Bordell asked whether the Lord is tugging on anyone's heart to do more, here or abroad, and said the question is not who is visiting or who is a member, but whether, when God tugs, we resist or release. He invited those who had raised their hands to step forward for prayer and asked everyone to take a tract and give one a day to someone.