PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Luke 4:42-44
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns.” (Luke 4:43)
Jesus has a sense of urgency to spread the message far and wide.
Once he has success, he is not content to settle in and stay.
To settle in and stay… this is not why he was sent.
“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21)
Many Christians and churches seem to have a ‘settle and stay’ mindset.
Their focus is on their own church, how to keep it going, keep it strong.
But I wonder, could it be our inward focus that is making us weak?
What if the church were passionate about reaching new communities?
What if our church were looking towards Ayr, or Preston, or St George?
Would we change how we do ministry, how we hire staff, how we spend our money?
We’ve been conditioned to think inward, to focus on our church.
But maybe we should pray about Jesus’s kingdom mission, and ours.
Maybe Jesus is standing amongst us, waiting to move on.
Not to settle in and stay, but to advance into the next community.
PRAYER
Lord, shape my heart to reflect yours. May your mission be our mission, and may we as your followers feel your urgency for the next town.
Cosy. This is good – let’s just stay here – we’ve got it good. But we are not hear to make our own utopia. Jesus came to serve and to impact as many people as he could. He made the rounds – and I am certain those whose lives he interacted with will remember him especially after the cross and when they here the stories of his resurrection. Many will come to [believe and so the gospel spread out as believers fled persecution and death. Believing in Jesus means I too can’t just sit here and know that I’m saved – but be engaged – to move on and let others know. But yet it seems my life is too routine – and how do I help others to know? How can I help them ‘want’ to know more about Jesus? Open my eyes Lord and help me to do and say the right thing at the right time to whomever you put in my path!
“I must proclaim the good news.. because that’s why I was send” He wasn’t sent to announce that he was the messiah, he was sent to proclaim the good news. How often do I think my role is to “save” vs. “proclaim”? Lord please humble me and give me wisdom!
And the people came to Him, seeking Him. His Word was not only for those there but for all people, all nations. Jesus proclaimed the good news throughout the land. And with the great commission, we need to do the same. Think not only local but global. We all have been sent out to proclaim the good news.
Far and near the fields are teeming
with the waves of ripened grain;
far and near their gold is gleaming
o’er the sunny slope and plain.
Refrain:
Lord of harvest, send forth reapers;
hear us, Lord, to thee we cry;
send them now the sheaves to gather,
ere the harvest-time pass by.