The OIKOS Initiative!

Today the message is entitled “The OIKOS Initiative!” I got the title and idea from a letter from “Every Home for Christ” that came to my desk this month. It is about evangelism/discipleship and getting the Gospel message to every home.

I think this is a great place to start on a series on discipleship.

God has been giving me the nudge to share His desire for us to grow and become strong disciples for Him. Over the next few weeks, we will look at how to grow and ways to be involved and committed to Gods plan for each of us.

So what is “OIKOS Initiative?”

In Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance we find that: The Greek word “OIKOS” has three distinct, yet intertwined meanings: the family, the family’s property and the home.

In the letter from “Every Home for Christ, February 2020” we get the..
Initiative: a commitment to bring a clear gospel message directly to every home in the world within 20 years. We go to EVERY home because everyone matters to Christ.

Denys Blackmore, in the February 2020 edition of “Harvest Partner”, asks this question:
“Is it possible to present the Gospel to every home on the planet – to every oikos – providing each dwelling with a gospel message that can be pondered again and again, and to do it within one generation?

The apostles at Jesus’s time thought so, or it was just what you did back then, without hesitation or care of what others thought. Even when they were brought before the Sanhedrin (Church’s high court), they did not falter in their stand for Christ.
Acts 5:41-42 NIV House (OIKOS)
41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

Why could they do this and be bold about it? They had been touched by God’s love and needed to reflect it out to the world.

2 Corinthians 3: 15-18 NIV
15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.
16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

What is the reason we do this work for God? We do this because God has given us the job! The Mission is urgent because the people are perishing.

2 Cor 4: 1-6 NIV
1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.
2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Jesus tells us to get ready and go forth to the fields of harvest of souls seeking God. We see this in the discussion between Jesus and His disciples. The disciples are worried that Jesus has not eaten in a long time and urge him to eat. His reply is found in…

John 4:34-35 NIV The Harvest is ripe.
34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.
35 Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for the harvest.

After Jesus arose from the grave, He walked and talked with the disciples for 40 days before He ascended. When they met together just before He left, He told them how they would do God’s work.

Acts 1: 7-8 NIV
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Our response should be to work while it is still day. We need to get to it and let people know that there is a hope in this world of confusion and pain.
The time is short and the harvest is great!

John 9:4-5 NIV
4 As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Valentine’s Day is coming this week. This is one of our society’s biggest commercialized “try to be nice” celebrations. We will spend a billion dollars on flowers, candy, meals, and gifts. I am not saying that it is not fun or special for that precious person we all have.

What I am saying is that our Lord Jesus gave us the biggest way to show love to all the people. By giving them the gift of knowing God’s love personally. By showing them God’s love in action. Why only give a gift that lasts moments or days when we can give a gift for a lifetime and beyond.

Let us take on the “OIKOS Initiative” right here in our own community. We do not need to travel far and wide to find the harvest fields – they are here in our own streets and homes. Who do you know who needs to hear about Jesus?