September 5, 2014

  • On My Soapbox

    soapbox

    How can we ever think, as Christians that the message of the gospel only requires that we INVITE people? How can we possibly think we can get by living for God without becoming INVOLVED?

    How thankful I am that Christ was willing to get INVOLVED for me. Nails through your hands? That's getting involved. Beaten until your back is raw and oozing? That is involvement! Thank you Jesus!

    The Good Samaritan got involved, didn't he? He took time to help someone. He spent his own money to do it. What a great example of someone who did what a Christian should do.

    But most of us stop with the invitation. There is not risk to inviting someone to church. "I invited them, but they didn't come. Not my fault." Oh COME ON! If we are not willing to involve ourselves in the lives of the lost, we are never going to do what God asks His church to do! Don't just INVITE people to church -- offer to pick them up! And, while you're at it, let them know they are coming to your house for dinner after the service is over. How many of us are willing to go that extra step from invitation to involvement? Or, are we too worried about something messing up our plans and putting too many demands on our time? Last time I checked, it isn't about US anymore. If you gave your life to God, it becomes God's life.

    It is so easy and safe to say, "I will pray for you." It's much harder to say, "Let me come over and watch your kids for you so you can get a break. Let me stop at the store and do your shopping. Let me help. Here's my phone number. Call if you need me, and I promise I will come." Most do not want that level of commitment. Most of us are too busy. Most of us think of OUR time, and OUR space and OUR comfort and OUR needs and pretty much forget about the needs of others. And, we have all these reasons lined up why we SHOULDN'T get involved. Yeah.....

    But Jesus stopped. He got involved. He saw needs and He did something about them. He didn't just speak a quick word to Zacchaeus, He said, "Come on, let's have dinner together." He didn't just promise to "remember the lepers in prayer," He TOUCHED them, and He made them whole. Honestly, I can't find anywhere in the Bible where Jesus just invited people to church.

    Whether we feel comfortable about it or not, the "Great Commission" is for the whole church; ALL of us, not just a few missionaries. All around you there is a world that doesn't know Jesus. All around you are those who are hurting, lost and alone.

    (Mark 16:15 MSG) Then he said, "Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God's good news to one and all."

    GO is an action word. GO requires us to get ourselves out there and become involved with other people. How do we think they are going to hear the Good News? How are they ever going to understand the love of God if we do not demonstrate it to them?

    (Matthew 7:12-14 MSG) "Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get. Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life--to God!--is vigorous and requires total attention.

    Thank you. I just had to get that out there! Now, can someone please help me down? :-)

Comments (7)

  • I understand completely what you mean and what you feel.
    It is hard at this time to be Christian in a a world of indifference . Our own children look at us like people of the past but we have to keep faith and confidence. And , of course , make our best to prepare the way of the Lord.
    Love
    Michel

  • Ouch! But it is true. I'll help you down off your soapbox, but promise you'll get up on it again if God gives you more words to share with others. Thanks.

  • I will offer up a hand to help you down, but only so you can sit for awhile and get comfortable for a while.
    Your post here deserves your time on that box though, it is a sermon that a past pastor of mine (he had to move to be with his ailing parents) has spoken on before too.

  • Here's a hand... two hands...
    one to help you down off your box...
    two to applaud your post. :-)

  • You are so right! Our chaplain in Hawaii was talking about the same thing---Christians just wanting to be entrtained.

  • It reminds me of the song "They will know we are Christians by our love". You are absolutely right that being a Christian is not a passive existence!

  • This was such a great sermon, sweet friend. It is so very true! As I have had this time out of the church, I've been so ministered to by our Lord, and by my family, and sometimes by others as well. I think of all of the things that I'd like to do when I get back "out there"... and then I recall that God asks more of me now. Things like more prayer, and more time spent in communicating, rather than in doing unimportant things. "Guilty!"
    You have such a gift with words, and application of spiritual truth. (You remind me of Max Lucado, one of my all time fave writers!) HUGS!

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