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!
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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] |
