It's that time of year. The time of year when New Year's Resolutions start to fall by the wayside and we are confronted with the fact that we are going to be the same people we were last year. Aren't you a little tired of it? Tired of the Same Ol' Same Ol'?
What if not everything in life had to be cyclical and boring?
“And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.”
If you have ever found yourself in a rut, or do now, you understand what the nation of Israel was feeling in the time-frame of this verse. You probably know the story of little Samuel and the call of God on his life but I would like to bring a short application from verse 1 of chapter 3.
Israel is in a rut. God does not seem to be speaking to anyone. Israel, at this time, is basically a theocratic system of government. That means that when God is not speaking, they have no leadership. I will draw application from this story a little later on. Before that though, here is my intention for writing this.
What I hope you will do today because you read this post is this: Get off the hamster wheel! Break the monotony! I hope you get tired of spinning your wheels and start to change something based off of what you learn or are reminded of today.
Aren’t you worn out after going to church 150 times in 2017 without hearing God? Aren’t you sick of putting on a good face when you feel empty inside? Aren’t you done with the sham of enjoying the Christian life, and actually want to live the peace that passes all understanding? If so, then first, realize this:
We didn’t have a monotonous conversion
I hope you haven’t gotten over being saved! The Wednesday evening that a man named Wilbur Walker led me to the Lord and I got saved is not monotonous to me! I am not tired of telling about that day! If you don’t look back on the day that you passed from death to life as the day that your life changed, as the day that changed every other day, then maybe your story is monotonous to you.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Maybe your salvation day was ho hum. Maybe you have gotten over the fact that you aren’t going to spend eternity in Hell. Maybe that’s not special anymore. Maybe the song "Amazing Grace" isn't that amazing. I sure hope that isn't the case! You know why I don’t think my conversion was monotonous?...
We didn’t have a monotonous condemnation
Friend, Hell is no joke. You would appreciate your conversion a lot more if you understood what you were saved from.
“And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”
I like a good deal. I hate buying things when they are not on sale. More than that, I hate being ripped off. Think about these two verses above. The first, the greatest deal possible, the second, the epitome of the worst deal. When we got saved we were headed for the worst deal imaginable. Worse than the electric chair, or lethal injection. But:...
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
A proper understanding of the horribleness of Hell leads us to the fact that:…
We don’t have a monotonous commission
If we understand our own conversion and condemnation, we would be a lot more energetic about our commission. If Jesus Saves really is our cry to the world and the song that we sing, do we mean it?
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”
This Great Commission is not some small time job. It's not a dinky paper route, a teenager's lawn mowing job, or snow shoveling in the winter. This is the job of all Christians at all times.
Maybe the seriousness has been lost on you. Maybe nobody told you this was a big deal. Maybe you think ignoring the Creator of the Universe and his last command the last time He was on Earth is some hum drum little issue, not worth your time, but if you find the Great Commission monotonous you better be careful because…
Why? You will find out in Part 2:)