Based on “God Reaches People through People - 2” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 4/22-23/12, Message #MB513; Daily Devotional #5 - “Stretched by Jesus”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Everybody must know by now that one of CCM’s core values is to communicate the Good News to everyone everywhere. We know the great commission is important because God said so in His Word (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:47; John 20:21).
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): Scripture reminds us over and over that no matter what we’ve done in our lives, it’s not too much for God to handle, and it’s never too late for us to start living the life God’s planned for us. After Jesus restored Peter, He asked him to feed His sheep and then told him to follow Him (John 21:15-19). Peter listened and then obeyed. This week’s teaching exhorted us to grow up, step up and step out. Don’t be content to listen to God’s Word and agree that it makes sense, yet not do anything about it. We’re encouraged to be doers of the Word, not hearers only, and told to do what it says (James 1:22)! Jesus even reminded His disciples that if they loved Him, they would do what He said (John 14:15). Lost people matter to God, so they must matter to us. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10) Lost people are searching for the right way and are hungry for truth. Often though, they’re looking in the wrong places. We’re blessed to know the truth that Jesus is the light of the world. We have seen the light and are privileged to get to share it with all who are in darkness (Matthew 5:14-15; Mark 4:21-22;Luke 8:16-17). We don’t know all the answers, but we know the answers are in the Bible. We’ll learn and grow in discipleship ourselves, as we help others to find the answers to their questions in the Word.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Some may say they can’t do it for one reason or another. But there are no valid excuses because Jesus already provided the solution. We Christians have God living inside us, empowering us to do His will. Of course, we can’t do it on our own, but with the power of the Holy Spirit, nothing is impossible (Mark 10:27). Pray and ask God to give you a heart for the lost and the wisdom of how to communicate and share the Good News to them. As your example, use the bold prayer the Apostles and early church did as they stepped out for Jesus Christ (Acts 4:29-31). Missionary James Hudson Taylor called it "the exchanged life." We surrender our life to Jesus, and when we abide in Him, He loves others through us. We can do anything because Jesus is the vine that sustains us. Christian life is a growth process. We should be maturing day by day. As we abide in Jesus, we learn to know Him better and trust His will for us more. As we grow in the Lord, we grow in caring and then grow in sharing.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): John 15:1-10
jc
Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673
All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.