For weeks after Malaysian jet MH370 went missing I was captivated by the story. An underwater drone (presently out of commission due to some damage) has been at work searching 23,000 square miles of area in the ocean almost since the tragedy occurred. What does this have to do with our lesson in The Story, you ask? Just this: the Apostle Paul called the riches in Christ “unsearchable” (Eph. 3:8). And as the Holy Spirit whispered to me on Sunday, even the best of drones could not begin to reveal the depth of riches to be found in Christ! But we need to explore all the same, don’t we? For that, we need God’s Word, and we need each other!
In the same way that the Bluefin-21 drone is soon to go back to the task of trying to find MH370, the Holy Spirit also reminded me that no matter the cost, the frustration, or the time involved, God’s people must keep to the task set before us. We are Christ’s representatives, his ambassadors to those who walk in darkness. We testify “to the good news of God’s grace.” And aren’t we all glad that His ‘pings’ (those indications of where He can be found) aren’t dependent on batteries?! “Seek and you will find,” Jesus promised (Matt. 7:7).
Make no mistake, our search to know the immeasurable riches of Christ is a personal one. He deals with each of us individually, and intimately – if we’ll let him. But it’s also a corporate search. Paul says, concerning God’s plan, “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known…” (Eph. 3:10). The church is at the very center of God’s plan, and the consequences are eternal. As Pastor Greg reminded us, “Satan knows this, which is why unity is so essential.”
I don’t doubt that eventually the mystery of MH370 will be solved. The landscape of the ocean floor will become known as never before. The cost in dollars will most likely be staggering. The cost in lives lost on March 8, 2014, however, cannot be measured. People matter to God. They always have. For that reason, if for no other, they must matter to us as well. As His church, we go out in love… searching for His riches in order to share them.
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