Are we going out to see, because we have to run errands? Are we going out to see, because we heard something going on? Or are we going out to see just because we can!
Luke 7:24-35
24 After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 25 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written:
"'I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.'
28 I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."
29(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)
31 "To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:
"'We played the flute for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not cry.'
33 For John The Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' 34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' 35 But wisdom is proved right by all her children."
NIV
Going out to see! Taking a real look in the here and now of protests, marches, and many gatherings with many speakers, it is quite an endeavor for those participating. But what did you go out to see?
You can hear all kinds of stories for going out to see! And sometimes those who want to go "see" find themselves in the middle of "
harm's way"!
In the time of John the Baptist, people came to hear him speak. He spoke of the kingdom that had come. He talked of the one who was right behind him, and whose sandals he could not lace up.
John had a real relationship with God. He recognized Jesus when He came, and he proved to walk with faith much like Jesus. Severe indeed is the walk John had with the Lord. It cost him his head.
There is a day coming if you read the Bible and it's description of latter day happenings is detailed, but those who love God are the secure.
Those (people) who come in later after the tribulation has started, well, they will have a greater and straighter walk in salvation to walk, and yes, by reading that walk will cost greatly!
Yes, many speakers speak today. They call up marches, and more protests. And if they find no one listening, they keep moving till they find someone who will hear them. Peace will always look like peace done in peaceful ways. But chaos still presents more chaos and sometimes harm and great violence to some or to many people!
I came from a large family and that most of the siblings related to my dad all lived fairly close to one another. They lived in the same town for many years. For us, our family appeared as the 'black sheep" of that family. Not sure why that happened. They are awesome people. They worked hard just like we did. Well, we came to live there when the elder family leader was in poor health. In that short time of high school period, we came to reside in the same town only to leave again. Our lives surely changed. And in the case of divorces, and of "grown" family,.......you would say "grown", proved our family did not exist in the way it had previous decades to 1970. And in that divorce, the family I knew was sent into 4 different directions.
In our married life, my husband and I encountered many moves. In our first years away from the "home" after our high school years, we encountered a couple of the big cities. And in that encounter we also encountered what would be: long lines of vehicles to get gas for a gas shortage that was on-going in the mid seventies. Then the meat cutters went on strike. And then around the meat cutter's "thing", the dairy folks followed suit. Yes, 4 a.m. it was to
"be there" in line to put gas in car, only to leave there and get to the grocery store
where crossing lines seemed endless just get to get that gallon of milk that was possibly delivered by "scabs"!
NO, we did not call them that. And we certainly prayed for their safety, those men who kept working to deliver all milk products to the grocery stores of that great city. Yes there were those who continued to work, and deliver milk through all obstacles of picket lines, barriers, loud voices, mega phones and the such. Our daughter was barely two and we were making sure she had some meat and some milk. Of course, today giving anyone milk is hazardous. Many people have come to find that they have some kind of lactose intolerance. Well, we still have half and half served here. And it is good in hot cereal!
Going out to see is really living life! In any part of this great country, you can and will come in contact with the most fascinating people. But going out
just to see what is going on can prove down right bad for some. And in some cases, some may just get caught up in what is going on in that which goes viral on the Internet or on T.V. Being sucked in by so many emotions flaring at once can prove so detrimental to many people.
Crossing those lines can mean life and death to some. Still in the time of Jesus, they faced many opportunities that was hazardous to the health of a person. Taking sides is important in that we stay with Him Who created and planned. Holding firm to His hand and finding our place is vital. And in it we discover what is important and what is just passing. People can be so funny at times and then be so painfully hurt and so needy the next.
In writing this today, I think of those who hid out when Jesus had been resurrected and took His place in heaven. He appeared and was alive. He had to go into locked houses and rooms to get to the people who knew Him probably the best.
Men hid out when Jesus was put in the tomb. But a woman, Mary by name, came to push a big stone out of the way. Yet, when she arrived the stone was moved. Amazing how God helps you even in the midst of trials. Women were coming to wrap Jesus up, and His body was not found. Amazement! Yes. Problems.....for the military, yes.
Our finding peace in a chaotic world is only found in Jesus. Jesus came to get involved. He did not come to accommodate our culture. He did come to set up His kingdom.
In the time of John the Baptist you find a man on fire to preach about His coming. In that same mode, you find many coming to receive and ready tell others of the "same coming One".
Jesus and John knew the same kingdom. John recognized Jesus as the Coming One! And the religious community showed up to make a comment about it.
It was in the wilderness, it was rugged, and dusty. A river flowed through it and many a man, woman and child stepped into that icy water to "repent" for their sins.
When was the last "call" for repentance at your church? Does anyone talk about it anymore? Is it not a part of the service any more?
In raising families in this century, it will be done in detail that will bring praise to God and His name. Yes lines will be crossed. What barriers are across in your thoroughfare?
Lines must be crossed in those areas that present work at home and work outside. People must provide meals for their loved ones and cross lines that present maybe danger. And the woman, the mother will cross any barriers to keep children out of harm. And she will not deliberately send her child out to the mouth's of lions. A woman will do what it takes to protect the children.
In our way, we see it in prayer. We can reach so many with His Word. We can touch hearts in prayer today by just pleading the Blood of Jesus over our sisters and brother's in Christ. Going to look to find "danger", to find "the chaotic" is just wrong. Society involves a whole group of individuals with different backgrounds and different lives!
Whether it was stormy on the day you were born or just a sunny day should not matter what affects your life today. Many things can and will occur in our lifetimes. The oil glut hit the U.S. many times. But the 70's ring more of get in line at 4 am, please, than say the 80's ever did. Yet, I meet people from time to time that can tell me how they and theirs was impacted by something such as an oil glut in the eighties! At some point some lines were crossed.
But going out to take care of your own, is not about taking from anyone else. And in the case of Jesus and His body, well the gang showed up to wrap His body for burial. BUT IT WAS NOT NEEDED!
Jesus moved throughout the community and region to tell of His father's love and how people had to believe Him to be the One sent. Salvation was present!
John met the "travelers", he met the poor and possibly those inferior to the palace life IN THE CITY. In this "kingdom" Jesus considered those in the background, those considered as Mary Wallpaper, the hidden, the unwanted. The clearest evidence we have is that the religious men of that day refused the baptism John performed in the Jordan River. They
were not giving up their positions to Jesus or John or anyone like them! YIKES!
ALL THEY NEEDED TO DO WAS CROSS A LINE FOR SALVATION AND LIVE FOREVER WITH JESUS!
Jesus concluded with this:
Luke 7:31-35
31 "To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:
"'We played the flute for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not cry.'
33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' 34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' 35 But wisdom is proved right by all her children." NIV
For one group they desired the wedding party. They desired to party! For the other group, well, they came to mourn and be sorrowful, in (life) it is a funeral to them. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine and they considered him demonic.
The amplified Bible has it this way: The son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, Behold, a Man Who is a glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and notorious sinners. Yet wisdom is vindicated (show to be true and divine) by all her children [their life, character, and deeds].
Joining with others to worship God is commanded in the Word. To join in bringing information is wonderful, but joining to bring chaos and death is not right, is not the given, and is not of God. God is peace and in His Light we will see light. And His light dispels darkness that may be covering our eyes.
I close with this. Had this dream: went into a church building. Was asked,"what can I do you for?"
And saw the young man had something like a rainbow color of match sticks in his hand.
I asked him, "what are you talking about?"
He responds raising up his match sticks...........and he was proud of those sticks.
Well, he said, holding up a green stick. ""This is green for doing nothing.." "So with this color you should go and be seated in service."
He holds up the blue match stick. "With this, he said, "you have the 20 minute Message". "follow your way that way to the blue stick".
He then held the yellow........"this is for the Sunday School .....30 minutes now," "and you have worship, sprinkled with Word and song/giving.
"But I have only a few of the yellow sticks left. ' "I have three green sticks left and only one of the brown.........."that is for security".
"LOTS of the men like to grab the brown for security and walk the parking lot for an hour or two."
I replied, "really?"
Then he holds up another color. "ORANGE, yeah man, this is Worship". We have very few of those sticks left as well."
Then he holds the purple colored stick. "This is for prayer....before service and after service." We have lots of prayer sticks in purple!"
THEN HE URGES ME TO PICK A SPOT AND MOVE TO THAT PLACE!
Our going to church should not be exactly like going to war. It should NOT be like finding our niche' in just getting through a church service. CROSSING LINES is moving into areas the devil will not go. Crossing lines is about obeying God and doing it no matter how it sounds. AND IT WILL ALWAYS BE OF ORDER AND WITHOUT SWEAT AND WORRY.
IF you worry, then you must find more time to turn to God and fine tune your hearing. It is not about finding where the latest craze has hit the internet, but what you can do to pray for our community, our state and our nation to continue to become all that God intended and it is not to find the orange match stick of worship. Every step we take with God, every decision of our heart should be to influence others to partake in seeing and hearing God: not in rituals or with the "buds" but because we go to honor God where He desires us to be.
Wisdom is vindicated (show to be true and divine) by all her children
[their life, character, and deeds]. To worship Him, is to be in spirit and in truth. Our life, our character, and our deeds will certainly shine out for we are on the Lord's side!
Are you on the Lord's side?
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