Scripture Reference:
Acts 9:1-6 & Acts 17:26-27
You Are Here!
The Bible is God’s story.
It is the History of God and His people.
It is the account of humankind’s rebellion against God and His work to
reconcile us back to Him.
What you may not realize as you read your Bible, but there
is a space between Jude and Revelation.
If you have your Bible near you now, open it up to the end of Jude,
right before the beginning of Revelation.
Put your hand there and think about this. Genesis through Jude is history of God’s story. Revelation is the future of God’s story. What’s in between here?
God’s story doesn’t stop and wait till Jesus Christ comes
back. God’s story has continued for the
last 65-70 generations, almost 2000 years.
Men and Women have been fighting in this battle between good and evil
for all this time. Some for God, some
against Him. Many who formerly were
against God, turned, they changed sides and fought for God. Many died for Him.
All are part of history. All are
part of His story.
You, too, are part of history, of His story. With your hand laying on the Bible between
Jude and Revelation, take a moment and say to yourself, “I am here,” Like those signs in parks and malls, that
say, “You are here.” This is where you
fall in God’s story, somewhere between Jude and Revelation, about 2000 years
after Christ’s resurrection. You are
here.
The question for you, as you recognize that you too, are
part of His story, is this, “What part do I play in this?”
There is a story from the historical account of the
Alamo. Surrounded by the enemy and
outnumbered as much as 50 to 1, and with no hope of relief, Colonel William
Travis stepped forward and spoke to his men.
He offered them a chance to leave and live to see another day, but he
challenged them to stay and fight to make a difference, knowing that none of
those who stayed would make it out alive.
He drew his cavalry saber and scratched a line in the dirt. Those who wished to sacrifice all they had
for something bigger than themselves were to cross the line. Those who wished to live could stay on the
other side. History tells us that one
man, Lewis Moses Rose, did not cross the line.
He left the Alamo and escaped with his life. All of the others died in less than 13 days
when the Mexican Army overran the fort.
In God’s story, the battle between good and evil, we all are
given a choice. None of us are making it
out of here alive. Will you fight for
the side of good, conforming your life towards God, serving Him by doing His
work in this world, providing for widows and orphans, feeding the needy and the
poor, sharing the Gospel with those who don’t know Jesus, giving of your time
and money to make ministry happen, and standing up for what is right against
those who would do evil? Or will you
choose the way that seems easier, making as much money as you can for yourself,
spending your life entertaining yourself, and closing your eyes to the very
real evil that is occurring around you?
You are here, now.
The line is drawn in the sand.
Will you stand up and fight?
Will you matter in this world?
When God’s story is told in the future, will you’re part of
the story be told with respect and awe as someone who fought the good fight, who
sacrificed for something bigger than themselves, or will you be just a footnote
as another selfish person who cared only about themselves and never made a
difference?
Pastor Rodger
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