Mark 16:15 (NLT)
And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.
Part 3 of the vision: Reach out to the least, lost, and broken.
Pastor got no further than the word “reach” during this message. That should tell us something! Reach, he described, is defined by such words as “come to, stretch out with hands, take effort.” Continuing his introduction, John mentioned two films (Cliffhanger and The Guardian) which painted perfect pictures of how we are to reach out. Each includes a scene where the protagonist clutches a helpless victim with a steel grip, refusing to allow them to free fall to their death. By doing so, we witness how we should view our reaching and its implications on the least, lost, and hurting.
Everyday, we encounter hundreds of people who are free-falling through life. Burdened by the toil and turmoil of life, they are flailing at the air, clawing for any stable thing to cling to. Anything to give life meaning. To offer a purpose worth living for. To give shelter from the storm. They are headed for a collision course with the ground, death, and an eternity away from the Loving God. This is where we come in…
We aren’t just saved to go to heaven. Certainly, an eternity in heaven with Yahweh is the reward of the faithful servant. Be we’re saved to be just that- a faithful servant. We are saved to reach out and share such salvation with others. We are saved to reach out and snatch unbelievers …and believers alike. (Read the book of James).
As always, our discussion inevitably leads to questions. John concluded by inquiring, “How do we reach out?”
We do this in numerous ways. The easiest:way is to live out what we believe. Or even more simply, practice what you preach. Follow Christ. Obey his word. Study the Scripture. Pray. Whether people are watching or not. Especially when they aren’t. Another way: Build relationships with people. Not checking on their Facebook status or shaking their hand at church. But really getting to know them. Invite them to the Chinese joint or Subway (especially if that person is me). Watch the game together. Dance the Zumba together. Spending time with others strengthens relationships. Period. And as the wiser and wittier Jason so eloquently articulated, “What if instead of being social in the shallow end, we sought relationships in the deep end (without floaties even).” Things would change.
Reach…
