Big Truth in a Page
There are some big truths that I go back to regularly in my Bible reading and devotional time. Over the past year and a half I return at least every couple of weeks to a couple of very small and seemingly unrelated stories in the Gospel of Luke...
The first is from Luke 8:22-25. This is when Jesus is sound asleep in a boat while the boat is being swamped by a huge storm. His disciples are freaking out because they know they're in a bad situation. They wake Jesus. He stops the storm. And then they look at each other "Who is this man?"
The next is on just the next page... Luke 9:18-20. Here, Jesus is talking with his disciples about who the crowds claim Jesus is. They respond that some people think he's a prophet and others that he's John the Baptist or Elijah. Jesus wants to know who do the disciples think he is. Peter declares "You are the Messiah sent from God!"
In just one page... one simple page... the disciples go from questioning who Jesus is to knowing full well that he is the Messiah! How does this happen? What happens to the disciples in that one page that brings them to this answer? I think the answer is right there at the beginning of Luke 9.
Jesus sends the disciples out into the world!
I believe the disciples had to rely on Jesus' power SO much more while being out in the world that it became clear to them who he is. If they were never sent out would they ever have learned this truth?
I think this is so true for us today. The sad reality is church is very very comfortable in our culture. We do our Christian thing, go to Bible studies, go to Christian camps, go to church on Sunday. And I think deep down in our hearts we question "Who is this man?" Why isn't our faith lived out with such power and passion like we read about in the Bible? Why is it that most of our kids who grow up in these church bubbles end up leaving it and never come back? Why do most people sitting in our pews just look bored out of their skulls?
Because they are not dependant on the Messiah! Because they haven't been sent out into the world! And we will never truly experience the power of God without being completely and totally dependant on him as we get out of our comfortable surroundings and do the work that Jesus commands us to do in our communities.
That's why I volunteer in areas that I have NO CLUE what to do. That's why I want to experience different ministries that I have NO CLUE whether they will work or not. That's whay I am willing to try anything and everything short of sin to make ministry more effective to reach people far from God! I want to be out there in the world... so that I'll be totally dependant on Christ to do the work that he wants to accomplish in me and through me! I could so easily just sit in my area of ministry were I'm an expert and know everything to do... but I will never truly experience the Messiah that way. That just will leave me in the boat wondering really who this Jesus guy is...
And that's not where I want to be.
How about you?
The first is from Luke 8:22-25. This is when Jesus is sound asleep in a boat while the boat is being swamped by a huge storm. His disciples are freaking out because they know they're in a bad situation. They wake Jesus. He stops the storm. And then they look at each other "Who is this man?"
The next is on just the next page... Luke 9:18-20. Here, Jesus is talking with his disciples about who the crowds claim Jesus is. They respond that some people think he's a prophet and others that he's John the Baptist or Elijah. Jesus wants to know who do the disciples think he is. Peter declares "You are the Messiah sent from God!"
In just one page... one simple page... the disciples go from questioning who Jesus is to knowing full well that he is the Messiah! How does this happen? What happens to the disciples in that one page that brings them to this answer? I think the answer is right there at the beginning of Luke 9.
Jesus sends the disciples out into the world!
I believe the disciples had to rely on Jesus' power SO much more while being out in the world that it became clear to them who he is. If they were never sent out would they ever have learned this truth?
I think this is so true for us today. The sad reality is church is very very comfortable in our culture. We do our Christian thing, go to Bible studies, go to Christian camps, go to church on Sunday. And I think deep down in our hearts we question "Who is this man?" Why isn't our faith lived out with such power and passion like we read about in the Bible? Why is it that most of our kids who grow up in these church bubbles end up leaving it and never come back? Why do most people sitting in our pews just look bored out of their skulls?
Because they are not dependant on the Messiah! Because they haven't been sent out into the world! And we will never truly experience the power of God without being completely and totally dependant on him as we get out of our comfortable surroundings and do the work that Jesus commands us to do in our communities.
That's why I volunteer in areas that I have NO CLUE what to do. That's why I want to experience different ministries that I have NO CLUE whether they will work or not. That's whay I am willing to try anything and everything short of sin to make ministry more effective to reach people far from God! I want to be out there in the world... so that I'll be totally dependant on Christ to do the work that he wants to accomplish in me and through me! I could so easily just sit in my area of ministry were I'm an expert and know everything to do... but I will never truly experience the Messiah that way. That just will leave me in the boat wondering really who this Jesus guy is...
And that's not where I want to be.
How about you?
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