Born again Christians, in America, were asked if they believed and practiced the basic teaching of Jesus….9% said yes.
Tonight we looked at that sobering statistic through the eyes of the very Christ that died for the other 91% (as well as that 9%) and came up with this….we have to be broken for the world. The question is…how?
Relationships. Meeting people where they are and loving them to Jesus. Investing in the lives of others. Allowing others to come into our lives. GETTING REAL EVEN WHEN THE REAL IS DIRTY AND UNPLEASANT. Allowing people to love us. Connecting with those who are hard to connect with. Paul tells us in Romans to remain humble and use the gifts that God has given us. What has He gifted you with? Are you using it to pour into lives? If not, why? Re-read Romans 12:6…Paul isn’t saying do these things if you want to do them or if they are convenient….He says do it. Period. God gave you the gifts you possess, He expects you to use them.
You guys here is the bottom line: people are dying everyday in the world, and standing before a Holy God. They are being asked “what did you do with my Son?” Does it burden you to know that we, as Christ followers, can make or break that answer? Sure, the will to accept or deny is ultimately theirs, but we are the messengers. How will they know, if they have never heard or been shown? If we take literally Romans 13:14, then we should be the visible, living, breathing Christ to that dying world…to clothe yourself means to walk in your gift for the world to see and to give God all the praise and glory for it.
Do you feel the urgency? Is your salvation merely a means to keep you out of hell, or are you ready to change someone’s world. I challenge you to ask yourselves this week who God has placed in your life to invest in, and how you can do it…Jesus had 12 that He poured into, chances are you might have less than that…who has God placed in your life that is pouring into you and encouraging you to be a stronger Christian? Is Proverbs 27:17 happening in your life? (As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.)
As I challenged the ladies tonight, I ask that the same accountability be placed on myself….feel free to ask the same of me, and lets pray for one another.
Broken, tdm
trying to make Him famous 