6 “Don’t be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don’t reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you’re only being cute and inviting sacrilege. Matthew 7:6 MSG
13-14 “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention." Matthew 7:13-14 MSG
24-27 “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.
But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.” Matthew 7:26-27 MSG
How often do we use our Christianity to make ourselves look extremely awesome. I recently got a new job and am fully certain it is because I told the boss I lead a worship night at my school. You can't NOT hire someone after they drop the worship bomb. #yourhired.
But being a follower of Jesus isn't about us at all. It's about Jesus. And following him requires a lot more than a "Coffee and Colossians" bible study every Wednesday or a bumper sticker that says "The bigger the hair, the closer to God."
Jesus commissioned us with a clear task in Matthew 28:18-20 MSG
"Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."
Following Jesus requires action. To go out and train. Jesus was encouraging his disciples by instructing them to continue spreading his message, not hide in a cave in burlap humming David Crowder until he returned. This is not the end! We must continue this job, as it is far from complete. To live beyond our comfortable Bible discussions and youth gatherings is to live intentionally. Reaching the unreachable and healing the destitute is our mission. We were called to introduce people to Jesus who have never heard His message, and bring them home.. And there's no daily devotional that does it for you.
The Word of God is more than a slogan. It is a love letter and a mission.
May you be presented with the opportunity to introduce someone to Jesus today, and be bold in your faith and gentle with your words as you step out into the world with eyes searching for the lost and hearts strengthened by steady faith and continued devotion.