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Don’t Sound the Retreat Just Yet
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Mark 2:16,17 When some teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with such bad people, they asked his followers, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “It is the sick people who need a doctor, not those who are healthy. I did not come to invite good people. I came to invite sinners.”
Listen to the radio broadcast of Don’t Sound the Retreat Just Yet
Download audio fileThere’s a trend these days amongst some of God’s people to see the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a ticket to comfort and success. Perhaps “trend” is not the right word. Misconception, delusion, plague … those words seem to fit much better.
There are many reasons I don’t like social media, but it does provide me with fascinating insights into what people are thinking, particularly those who call themselves “Christians”.
And one of those thought trends is this idea that believing in Jesus is somehow our ticket to a life of comfort. I saw one “Christian” post this recently: The older I get, the more I realise that I don’t want to be around drama, conflict or stress. I want a cosy home, good food and to be surrounded by happy people.
A popular sentiment indeed, with 182,000 likes. And sure, none of us likes drama, conflict or stress. We’d all like a nice cosy home with good food and to be surrounded exclusively by happy, clappy people. But if you believe in Jesus, that’s not what He’s called you to.
Mark 2:16,17 When some teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with such bad people, they asked his followers, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “It is the sick people who need a doctor, not those who are healthy. I did not come to invite good people. I came to invite sinners.”
So-called sinners are often difficult people to be around. They carry on, they swear, they have angry outbursts, they lie, they steal. But if you and I don’t tell them about Jesus, who will?
He’s not sending us out there to the good ones. He’s sending us out there to the sinners. So don’t sound the retreat into comfort just yet.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
Comments
Michael Adams
I really don’t like the living Bible translation of this text because there a lost. Not all bad people are sinner and there are some good people who are sinners but Jesus wanted the sinners to repent their sins and this was lost within the text of the translation of the living Bible.. it was bad enough that we took the the mind set of people of a different time and make it so people of this time can understand it, but by doing so as stated before you lose the true meaning of the text that was written for the people of that time. Just like how Republicans of today America are trying to portray that Racism doesn’t exist and has never existed in America when Racism and hatred have existed since the beginning of time, otherwise why would have Moses had to free God people from captivity of slavery from the Egyptians. We should change the meaning of a text this because it fall more under todays terminology because in doing so it will set the stage for it to change again a thousand thousand year from now to something else. It more confuse people concerning the actual word of God than today man translation of what God meant by his word, therefore what is more important God actual word or man definition of God word?