We have many opportunities to
serve others in the name of Jesus. The
thing is, sometimes the reason we serve is misdirected. There are many people – lost people – who do “good”
things for other people. So just doing “good”
things must not be the point. It is easy
to imagine that only Christians do good things.
In Matthew 25 – Jesus said “When I was thirsty you gave me something to
drink.” But He also said to the
disciples (John 4:32) “I
have food to eat of which you do not know.” He said to the woman at the well . (John 4:9-13) “The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a
Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do
not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of
God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he
would have given you living water.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to
draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you
greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself,
as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever
drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them
will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.””
Doing “good” is, well …..
good. But what Christians bring is more
than water to quench a dry mouth. We
bring living water – the Good News. We
do more than bring a sack of groceries – we bring Manna from heaven – Jesus by
the power of the Spirit in us. When we were in Mississippi, we did a lot of
construction. I always focused on the
Type-A’s amongst the volunteer teams. Those
people who were all about the work – that is why they came. I reminded them that what they were doing was
different … they were responding to the call of God. There is a spiritual dynamic that I don’t
fully understand, but I know that it is there, in the midst of the
service. We didn’t preach to the people
.. but we were ready to bring comfort from God – I told the volunteers to
designate one person who would “lay their hammer down” and minister to the home
owner. To show them Jesus. One day my generation will pass – just like
those before us – the buildings we leave behind will eventually fall into decay. But the eternal seed that we planted will
take root and grow and bear fruit.
Do you remember the parable
of the seed? (Luke 8:11-15) “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed
is the word of God. (1) Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then
the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not
believe and be saved. (2) Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive
the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a
while, but in the time of testing they fall away. (3) The seed that fell among
thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked
by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. (4) But the
seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the
word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”
There are 4 types of
soil. Our job is not to prepare the soil but to cast the seed. Think of it this way. Three-fourths of the seed falls on ground
that will not produce eternal change. So stop thinking that you were not
successful if the soil is not ready to receive the seed – the Gospel. Think
about it. CHARLEY
No comments:
Post a Comment