In this opening message of the "Missio Dei" series, Pastor Chris addresses why we exist as the church and how we're called to live as sent people. Drawing from Jesus' high priestly prayer in John 17 and the apostle John's testimony in 1 John 1, he emphasizes that witnessing isn't something we do but something we are. When we've genuinely encountered Christ and live in union with Him, our lives naturally bear witness to what we've seen and experienced. Pastor Chris challenges the tendency to rely on human formulas and borrowed organizational models instead of living from the place of intimacy with God that Jesus modeled. He reminds us that God Himself dwells within us through the Holy Spirit, making ordinary life impossible. The message calls us away from performance-based Christianity toward a life flowing from genuine fellowship with the Father and His Son. This isn't about becoming the best version of ourselves plus Jesus, but about dying to self and allowing Christ to live through us completely.
Scripture References: Psalm 16, John 17:17-18, 24, 26, Luke 19:10, Luke 11:1-2, 1 John 2:14-17, Psalm 24:1-4, John 14:1-3, 23, John 7:38, 1 Corinthians 6:17, 1 John 1:1-3, Galatians 2:20, John 6:57, Acts 17:26, Revelation 3:20, Philippians 3:20, Hebrews 12:24
