Change the Game

I spent the late afternoon and evening yesterday watching football and coversating with my dear friend, Ken Smith. We rejoiced in seeing Clemson go down to Blacksburg and beat the living daylights out of Virginia Tech.   Don't let your guard down Tigers!   You might be in the top ten tonight at midseason!!

Today is an exciting one for me.  We begin revival this morning and come into these days with anticipation.  Why spiritually sit on the bench in this game of life?  Why just play the game?  Why not change it?  Be a gamechanger!  That is what we will be talking about today, 6:30 each evening, and at our noonday lunches.  Make a point to be there and bring somebody with you.  And before you come, do this:  1. Ask God to help you focus your mind upon His Message.  2. Ask Him to speak clearly to you. 3. Commit to follow as He leads.  Then come with an anticipation that God is going to move in our midst.

I know He will move in our midst if we are like Jesus.  Notice the first verse of Luke 15 (www.lifejournal.cc):  Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.
When I read this a few minutes ago, the question screamed out at me:   How good are we at drawing the sinners and the scornful to hear our message?  We are much better at just talking to each other, aren't we? Although Jesus spent a lot of time helping the strong become stronger, He never let it get in the way of His Focus.  He said in  Luke 5:31-Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  His focus was on the spiritually sick.  That is really the focus of all of Luke 15.  You make an effort to go after the lost sheep.   You sweep hard to find the lost coin.  The Father runs out to meet the lost son when he comes home.  Daddy's didn't run to the children in the 1st century.  Their children was expected to serve them.  The Father's children are still expected to serve Him but when we don't, our Father loves us enough to reach out to us.  That is why the tax collectors and sinners soaked up the message with such effort.  It was the unfailing love of  God.  The twist in Luke 15 is really when the 'good' son that stayed at home and worked faithfully did not like the reception his brother received him.  He did not like the openness that the Father displayed toward his wayward son. If we are not careful, we will be like the 'good' son.  We will be so satisfied in our ways and the way things 'ought to be' that we will fail to join the celebration of lost souls coming to Christ.  No wonder they don't flock to hear us.  May the message stay the same and may every messenger change to show and share the love of the message. 
Work on that day!  See you in church!