Jesus.

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Years ago there was a motion picture titled "The Greatest Story Ever Told." It was all about Jesus. It’s interesting to me that even the world understood at that time that this in fact is the greatest story ever told.

The world is full of stories. Some are compelling, some moving, impactful, even
capable of changing how we think and how we act. But there's really only one story that has continually affected people, for two thousand year I might add, so deeply or caused such life changes and that is the story of Jesus. And I am one of those lives!

That is the story that Luke writes about. Have you ever studied the life of Jesus? I know we know Jesus. I know we know many stories of Jesus. But when was the last time, if ever, you dove into the life of Jesus to get a full and complete view of His greatness or a full understanding of His love?

As a culture, we love to take a slice of Jesus, but usually stay clear of the demanding parts. We like the passages where Jesus does miracles or affirms our lifestyles, but stay far away from the teachings like, “love your enemies.” But here at Lincoln Christian Church we’re on a journey that will take us into the heart of Jesus’ demanding ministry and it will take us 14 months to complete. We’re seeking Jesus . . . period! As we go through Luke, we’re going to get a full picture, not just a partial one. We believe this one story, this one man, this one moment in time, has already and will continue to impact all of humanity forever. The bigger question is, “Can it still impact me?”

An analogy. When a pilot speeds his plane down the runway, there is a certain point where staying on the ground is no longer an option. When he crosses that line, he is committed to the air. He’ll either choose to leave the ground or a disastrous crash is imminent. At that point, the pilot can no longer change his mind—he’s committed!

Unfortunately, churches are filled with people who’ve never gotten off the ground.
They’ve been sitting there gunning their engines, making noise, but getting nowhere. They’ve been planning on it, meaning to, wanting to, trying to, going to, aiming to, hoping to, but they’ve never gotten off the ground. In fact, some are coming to
the end of the runway and need to make a decision—flight or crash.

There are people with us every week who say, "I like Jesus, I like this church, and I like hearing the Bible’s stories. Isn't that enough?” No! You must RECEIVE Christ. Back to the analogy, you need to leave the runway!

Imagine we’re back at the airport. You’re sitting on the tarmac. You have stunning pin
striping down your fuselage, a large logo of Jesus on your stabilizer, and sunlight shimmering off your cockpit. You’re a beauty of an airplane! The only problem is you’re grounded, and have been for years. You’ve never accepted a flight plan and
your seats have never born the weight of service. By definition, you’re hardly an
air plane. Why? You have neglected to take off.

You say you believe in Jesus—but you have neglected to actually receive Him. Isn’t it about time?

[Ron Otto, preaching minister of Lincoln Christian Church]

 

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