JESUS – The Simple Truth
Howdy gang
This one’s a little lengthy but please just stick with me guys!!!
So I wanted to share a little something with ya’ll that’s been on my mind. It is a subject that birthed our outreach ministry about 16 years ago. And it’s a subject that burns deep within my soul! Jesus Christ Crucified!!!! Not Jesus and all the benefits I have in Him!!
Just Jesus!
There is a song by Fernando Ortega I used to listen to all the time way back that my dad introduced to me to, “Give me Jesus”. SIMPLE, But it reaches a depth in my soul I can’t explain! Ya see, when you recognize the depths of where He has pulled you from…..well, all you need is HIM!! And all you want is HIM!!
At church last weekend, Pastor Jamey (from LW St. Paul – Union Depot) was sharing about a conversation he had with someone. He passionately conveyed the other persons words about “his messages”, that “they were good and all, but they needed a little more depth. Something with a little more substance! The messages were a little too simple.” My heart broke. I thought to myself….. “Simple? Are you serious? I remember thinking, “oh sweet Jesus, they don’t even get it!!!!” So let me just say……HERE’S THE SIMPLE TRUTH…
JESUS! That’s it, that’s all, it’s that simple!! It doesn’t get any deeper than that!
When JESUS, NOT ALL THE BENEFITS through Jesus (CATCH THAT PEOPLE), BUT JESUS, AND JESUS ALONE is the heart….like literally the CENTER of our lives, the CENTER of our relationships, the CENTER of our devotion, the CENTER of our story and THE CENTER OF ALL MINISTRY…. THAT AND ONLY THAT is what DRAWS THE WORLD TO OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST! Now, If that’s simple, well, I agree with Pastor Jamey then, someone might have wanted to inform the Apostle Paul because he really missed it then!!!
With that said, I want to share with you a little nugget I learned more recently.
I found myself reading about a man named Augustin Jean Fresnal. He is known as the father of modern optics. Better said, he studied the REFLECTION OF LIGHT (Follow this guys) or also described as the study of the BEHAVIOR OF LIGHT. Keep in mind that JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD (John 8:12). The reason he studied this was because there was this unresolved problem with lighthouses (lighthouses-that would be us guys -the children of God) not having ENOUGH ability to project ENOUGH light (enough Jesus to the world) to safely guide ships into shore, which proved to be quite devastating. Instead of focusing on the design, configuration, or placement of the light, Augustin spent his life studying LIGHT ITSELF!!
Hmmmm….what a concept!! Studying JESUS (The Light of the World)Himself…Just Jesus….His life, His Character, His devotion toward the Father. This shouldn’t be a lacking revelation in the body of Christ…but sadly it is. Jesus should be the centerpiece of all life! Of all of our lives! Especially in the church and ESPECIALLY from the ministers that are to feed the sheep! It reminds me of something I read by Kathryn Kuhlman, a prominent healing evangelist back in the day. She was quoted as saying, that she often would go to meetings and felt as if “They had taken away my Lord and I know not were they laid Him.” Oh how sadly true that is. Jesus, as the assumed subject in our evangelical, bible teaching, topic teaching, charismatic circles and not center stage of all messages and conversation. Jesus, tucked away like “Finding Waldo” in a sea of what looks like Jesus but isn’t really Jesus himself!!
Maybe we should spend our lives studying LIGHT (JESUS) and give the study of all the benefits in JESUS a little rest?? Ouch…I know some of you might not like that statement, but frankly, someone needed to say it!
Now, don’t get all uptight on me. I know that studying the Word in all areas is very important!! I study all the areas, blessings, and benefits of being in Christ. But what I am saying is this. Shouldn’t we be rooted and grounded in HIM not his benefits? (Ephesians 3:17) Shouldn’t the basis of EVERY SINGLE MESSAGE shout JESUS?
In Matthew Chapter 6 verses 25-33 we are told, “….do not worry about YOUR life…what you will eat, what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on….for your Heavenly Father knows that you need all those things….But seek FIRST (and only) the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be given to you.” So here’s my probably over-simplified thought. If God my Father tells me not to worry about my life- food, clothing, housing, health (my body), cars, jobs, relationships, etc. – and He ALREADY KNOWS WHAT I NEED AND WILL PROVIDE, and I truly trust Him, then why wouldn’t I spend my time concentrating on KNOWING HIM (THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD) since He’s the carrier of all light and is going to take care of the essentials (all my needs) anyway? Isn’t the whole point for us to carry LIGHT into a dark world??
Ephesians 3:19 helps us understand what our FOCUS SHOULD BE, “… that you may come to know practically, through personal experience for yourself the love of Christ (GOD), which far surpasses mere knowledge without experience, that you may be filled up though all of your being to all the fullness of God so that you may have the richest measure of His divine presence, fully filled and flooded with God Himself.” Glory to God!!! The Word of God tells us it’s in HIM. That it’s all when we experience HIM. The word goes on to tell us that when we are filled WITH HIM we have the RICHEST MEASURE OF HIS DIVINE PRESENCE (maybe we could just say it this way…. that when we know HIM our brightest light shines like a beacon…. like a lighthouse shines into the darkness).
Wooo hooo! I feel a little dance comin’ on. I think sometimes we can make our walk with God way too complicated when all He wants is a relationship with us. Nothin’ fancy, nothing too complicated, just a real, loving, transparent, relationship with His children. The more we know HIM, the more we resemble HIM!! The more we know HIM. The more we understand HIM and HIS ways!! The more we know HIM, the more we act like HIM! The more we know HIM, the more LIGHT that shines into a very dark world!! For some reason, christians, if we aren’t careful, we can get caught up in learning and gaining knowledge for our own gain and lose sight of what the purpose actually is ……SOULS– that’s the Father’s heart!! I’m telling you folks….in all our years teaching in our outreach ministry, the unchurched world really only notices/recognizes LOVE (God – who is love and light). And typically, the lost are so desperate for light, love, compassion and direction that our topical teachings on “5 steps to getting all your prayers answered” doesn’t even cross their minds.
So let’s keep it simple gang. HE IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD!! It doesn’t get any deeper than that!! So keep preachin’ the simple TRUTH Pastor Jamey!! There are plenty of us on board with you!!
