09/18/2021
God draws us to Jesus Christ, but not all of us answer that call as we should. Some hear His voice and come to believe in Jesus completely, others begin to move in the right direction but give up before they reach the point of fully believing, a few look up from what they are doing but with little interest and without moving an inch, and then there are those who never give any indication that they have even heard God’s call at all. The question for us today is this… which of these are we?
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:44 ESV
If you are reading this today it is fairly safe to say that you have at least acknowledged God’s voice as He has drawn you, but what do we who have been drawn do from here? John the Baptist has prepared a way, Jesus has come, God has called, but where are we? Is our heart moved at all?
“But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.””
John 6:64-65 ESV
Jesus spoke about how people perceived John the Baptist, and Him, yet even after hearing of them they didn’t move away from their current lives. He talked about having sent John to prepare us for His coming…
“This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’”
Matthew 11:10 ESV
Then He said that many doubted John was a prophet. As a matter of fact they thought He had a demon in him…
“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’”
Matthew 11:18 ESV
Then He turned His attention to what the unbelievers were saying about Him, and it was worse yet..
“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.””
Matthew 11:19 ESV
Finally, He referred to them as disinterested children who heard the calling, the preaching of John, and saw the suffering of Jesus and didn’t believe…
““But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’”
Matthew 11:16-17 ESV
God draws many, and shows them the wonder of Christ; he reveals to them His amazing Son, the new covenant of Christ’s redeeming blood, and all the joys and blessings of His grace that await them, and yet they don’t respond. As we contemplate our own position today are we one of those calling, playing, and singing to our playmates, or one of the unbelievers who choose not to dance, or mourn?
“Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.”
John 6:35-36 ESV
So who are we today? Many of us have been drawn to Jesus, have heard the gospel message, and are at the point of making the most profound decision of our lives, but are we ready to say we believe, or are we still being blown about by the shifting winds? Others say they believe but still don’t dance or mourn, we say we are Christian, but haven’t committed ourselves to dancing or mourning; we are like lukewarm water in the mouth of Jesus…
““‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”
Revelation 3:15-16 ESV
Are we decided; are we fully hot or cold? Where will we go from here? What will we decide to do as we address our belief now that we have heard the knock at our door?
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
Revelation 3:20 ESV
So let’s go back to my original question regarding our faith, “ The question for us today is this… which of these are we?”, and determine whether we hear God drawing us, and if we do then how far are we prepared to let our faith take us?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for drawing us to your Son Jesus Christ, and for sending your messengers to us with your Word, and His gospel. Thank you for circumcising our hearts to prepare us for Him, just as you did so many years ago with the ministry of John the Baptist, and thank you for allowing us to hear Him at our door. Help us now Father to decide whether we open the door of our faith, and allow Him to step across our threshold. Help us to not only greet him, and acknowledge who He is, but to enter into a full and loving relationship with Him. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who loves us so completely. Praised be your name for sending Jesus to live, suffer, die, and be resurrected to redeem us. Merciful are you who is so amazingly patient, and keeps on calling us, and extending your grace, until our final breath is gone. Wash us in the blood of Christ, and call us your children. Spare not the rod as you make us obedient, faithful, and more like Jesus every day. Then on the day of judgement call us worthy, and say you are pleased with us. Make a place for us at your table, and unfold all eternity before us as we worship you.
Rich Forbes