25 Woods Lake Road, Building 8, Greenville, SC
Jesus made it unmistakably clear that it was impossible to follow Him without a cost. But too often we think of the ‘cost’ in terms of something that probably only applies to other people, not to us. This kind of thinking has caused the weight of the Great Commission to fall on the shoulders of a few, while the majority simply stand by and look on. The fact is, the mission of Christ will never be carried out without a high cost. Are you willing to be a part of it?
Jesus has been given many wonderful titles that display His power and majesty, but the title that shows His deep love for mankind most clearly is: Jesus, Friend of Sinners. During His ministry, He was sharply criticized for spending time with notoriously sinful men and women. But Jesus reminded His critics that those very people were the ones He came into the world to save. Now that we have been sent to carry on His mission, could it be said of us that we, too, are a friend of sinners?
Since we have been called to penetrate our culture and make an impact for Christ, there must be something about us that gives us the ability to actually make a difference. One of the things Jesus compared us to is salt, but how can salt make any difference in the world? Join us as we explore the amazing properties of salt and discover how we have been called to exhibit those same life-changing qualities to impact the world around us.
When we consider what part we are supposed to play in the Great Commission, it can be difficult to know where to begin. The vastness of the mission compared to our limited resources and abilities can leave us feeling overwhelmed and immobilized. But God never asks us to do more than we can. All He asks is that we do what we can and allow Him to take our little and use it for something great. Be encouraged to know that however small your role may seem, what you do for Christ matters!
Jesus sent His followers on an urgent mission to take the gospel to the entire world. But before they were allowed to go, He told them to wait. Wait for what? If the mission was so important, what could possibly be more important than going? During the next ten days in the upper room, they discovered the power of prayer that would transform their lives and propel them into this mission with a supernatural boldness not their own. Have we discovered that same power?
Why do Christians have no trouble talking with great excitement about sports, movies, vacations, sales at the mall… but those same people never talk about Jesus? Lots of excuses can be given, but it’s time to stop pretending and admit that we are just not excited enough about Jesus to share Him with anyone. The church doesn’t have a missions problem, it has a heart problem, and until we get serious and ask God to break our hearts, we will never fulfill our part in the Great Commission.
When you consider the odds that were stacked against the mission of the early church, it is literally nothing short of miraculous that it ever succeeded at all. Jesus sent a handful of trembling followers into a hostile world to proclaim an unbelievable story to people who hated them. On their own, these weak, broken followers had no chance whatsoever of accomplishing this task. How, then, were they able to carry out this mission with such astonishing power, and what must we learn from them?
As the church today, we have become professionals at gathering. We spend millions on massive buildings, hi-tech sound and video productions, even pyrotechnics in some cases! We have become experts at putting on performances that rival Disney and Hollywood, all in an effort to meet the ever-growing demands of our members so they’ll be happy and keep coming back. In so doing, we have completely missed the heartbeat of God and have entertained ourselves into irrelevance.
Who could ever imagine sending an innocent person to be beaten and put to death in the place of a violent murderer? Nothing about that would be fair! Yet that is exactly what Jesus did. He died on the cross even though He was innocent, and Barabbas was set free even though he was guilty. Barabbas is a picture of us all — guilty before God and facing His judgement. But Jesus stepped in and became our substitute, paying our debt and setting us free!
Jesus enters Jerusalem a few days before His crucifixion and examines the spiritual condition of the people. What He finds is a nation bustling with outward displays of religious activity, but beneath the surface, there is nothing but dead religion. He curses a fruitless fig tree as a sign of judgement against them, and then He throws the corrupt money changers out of the Temple for defiling His Father’s house. If Jesus were to examine our lives today, would He see a cold, dead heart beneath the outward religious appearance, or would He find fruit growing for His glory?
As Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, the crowds threw their coats on the road before Him and shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel!” They wanted a king who would rule their nation, but they didn’t want a King who would rule their hearts. When they realized that Jesus was not the kind of savior they wanted, they turned on Him and shouted, “Crucify Him!” What kind of savior are you looking for? One who will give you everything you want, or one who will reign in your heart?
Have you ever had a task before you that you dreaded so much, you tried to find ways to delay it or to keep from having to do it at all? Maybe it was a difficult exam, a dentist appointment, or a meeting with your boss. But none of those events come close to the crushing pressure that Jesus faced as He made His way to the cross. So then, what caused Him to pick up the pace and walk boldly towards Jerusalem, straight into the suffering that awaited Him, and what can we learn from His example?
