Jeff Klein 0:08
Welcome to Elmhurst CRC's daily dose in the Word of God - it's Monday, March 11. This is Jeff Klein with your weekly reminder to take your following of Jesus and move it Beyond Sunday.
Jeff Klein 0:21
What will it take for you to be ready to join Jesus in the mission of making disciples of all nations? One of the most common themes I hear around churches (related to our lack of involvement in the Great Commission) is that people just aren't prepared. Now, I can get this. It takes practice to get prepared - but it sort of seems like an excuse. Let me tell you why. Remember the story of Jesus casting the legion of demons out of the man who was chained in the tombs? The man cut himself with stones and acted like a crazy person; people were afraid of him. He was from a region where they worshipped Dionysus, the goddess of making marry, wine and ecstasy.
Jeff Klein 1:05
Jesus comes in and casts the legion of demons out of the man. The man sits dressed and in his right mind when everyone shows up to see what happened. Then, as Jesus goes to get back in the boat, the man asked Jesus if he can go with him. Jesus says, "No. Go to your own town and tell the people there what the Lord has done for you." Jesus sends him as a missionary (immediately) to a place where crazy pagan worship goes on. This guy's never read the Bible, never heard a sermon, never attended an evangelism training session and yet, Jesus tells him to go and he does go. In fact, in Mark 7, when Jesus comes back to the region, hundreds of people show up because of this guy's testimony. The question is: how many sermons have you heard? How many studies have you been to. How many times have you been to a Bible study? How much training have you gone through? Maybe it's time to cut the excuses and just go.
Jeff Klein 2:04
Let's pray. Jesus, help us to get beyond our fears and to get beyond our feeling of ineptitude. Help us get beyond our excuses and simply obey you and go. Help us to know how to tell people what you have done for us. In your name we pray, amen.