What’s the most hurtful thing you have done to another human?
For some. This could be opening a can of worms…
For me a huge list come to mind instantly, but the list may surprise you.
Sure I have stolen off heaps of people, I have ripped off many. I have bullied some people, used many and abused a few. I have rejected and ignored many, criticised and embarrassed them. I have even deliberately shamed a number of poor souls more than I care to remember. At times my absolute disregard for other’s feelings has amazed even those who knew how cruel I was.
There is probably a whole lot more that I don’t recall, but none of them display the worst of what I have done.
The very worst I have done is been nice, talked, joked and SAID NOTHING!!?
“How could saying nothing be hatred?”
How could saying nothing be worse than all those atrocities?
That’s easy: When you know the person in front of you is under God’s wrath, is spiritually dead and doomed to hell (they are unless they are born again!), then NOT TELLING THEM ABOUT JESUS IS HATING THEM! It’s far worse than any of those other things.
I am not trying to condone all the horrible things I have done – far from it. I have done my best to make amends in the instances I could. I recognise that my actions for some could have left lifelong emotional / mental scars. I am deeply sorry – I regret all of those actions.
But even the worst of these will only last 100 years. But failing to tell someone about Jesus? That could have eternal consequences… 1I am not trying to say that we are responsible for others salvation…God is in control – He is the author and His plan will always come to pass. But we have to take seriously the commission, the command that Jesus gave us:
Mark 16:15-16 (NLT) And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.
Our Commander-in-Chief has given us an explicit command: to preach, baptise and disciple others. There is a progression to this and it takes a deliberate action, much like us planning to build a building, grow a business or put on an event.
We have to purpose to be obedient, work at it and go forth!:
Romans 10:12-15 (NLT) They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”
But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”
And, we must remember that it is not a small thing…
2 Corinthians 5:9-11 (NLT) So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others.
We have a fearful responsibility to the Lord…a terror of who God is, but not of what He might do, as Jesus has already paid the price in full for everything! But as the Judge of the world, as the One who holds all things in His hand – we should have fear, respect, awe, terror and reverence to the One who holds you life and theirs in the palm of His hand.
I encourage you, see those in front of you, beside you, at the shops, at your school, in your workplace, as those He wants you to share the *only* message that can save!
For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:19-21 (NLT)
Lord, please help us to understand that we are Your ambassadors, and help us to operate as that, in every situation. Help us to love people by sharing Your ruth with them, no matter who they are or how intimidated we may feel.
Footnotes:
- 1I am not trying to say that we are responsible for others salvation…God is in control – He is the author and His plan will always come to pass. But we have to take seriously the commission, the command that Jesus gave us:
Mark 16:15-16 (NLT) And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.
Our Commander-in-Chief has given us an explicit command: to preach, baptise and disciple others. There is a progression to this and it takes a deliberate action, much like us planning to build a building, grow a business or put on an event.
We have to purpose to be obedient, work at it and go forth!:
Romans 10:12-15 (NLT) They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”
But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”
And, we must remember that it is not a small thing…
2 Corinthians 5:9-11 (NLT) So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others.
We have a fearful responsibility to the Lord…a terror of who God is, but not of what He might do, as Jesus has already paid the price in full for everything! But as the Judge of the world, as the One who holds all things in His hand – we should have fear, respect, awe, terror and reverence to the One who holds you life and theirs in the palm of His hand.