“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…” —2 Corinthians 5:18

Jim Elliot was a missionary to tribal people and died as a young man, speared by the very people he was seeking to bring to Jesus. He wrote in one of his journals:

“Father, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me.”

Paul wrote of a similar sentiment to the church at Corinth. When he said, “We make it our aim to please him,” Paul was expressing that he lives his entire life in light of a hope that his actions will bring delight to God each day. He also understood that pleasing God meant fleshing out the “ministry of reconciliation” in “persuading” others to know the living God. He said, “the love of Christ controls us,” and we are “ambassadors for Christ,” thus God is “making his appeal through us.”

If you have ever been mocked for sharing your faith, you should be pleased to know that you are not only in the company of Paul (v.13), but also of Jesus (Mark 3:21, John 10:20). Both gave us extraordinary examples of what it looks like to confront the lost with a sense of urgency, or, to stand as a fork in the road.

The statement, “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God,” is indicative of a crisis proclamation, or a DTR moment (Define The Relationship). Paul is no milepost on a single road, but a fork, passionately pointing others to the narrow road that leads to life. He is not afraid to challenge people to know God because he is obsessed more by the love of Christ than he is by the fear of man. Billy Graham echoed, “A crisis man—isn’t that a tremendous thought—that when a person meets you, they are faced with making a decision one way or the other concerning Christ in you?”

Paul concludes the chapter with the most important aspect of reconciliation, that God “made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” In other words, God the Father made Christ to be regarded and treated as “sin” even though Christ himself had never sinned (Hebrews 4:15; Galatians 3:13). Because He bore our sins on the cross, believers now have a legal status of “righteousness” that comes from the Christ who “knew no sin.” God is the one who reconciles, but He has bestowed upon us the ministry of fleshing out and sharing our witness with others. Where will you be a fork in the road this week?

PRAYER

God, thank you for the righteousness that comes to us through your Son, Jesus. He alone has carried all of our sins and imputed unto us the legal status of being justified in your presence. May this good and unmerited grace that has brought us into a right union with you also constrain us to be a fork in the road for others. We thank you for the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to do this. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for Reflection and/or Group Discussion

1. Why did Paul try to persuade others to follow Christ? (2 Corinthians 5:11)
2. Why was Paul concerned about justifying his ministry to the Christians at Corinth? (v.12)
3. What motivated Paul? (v.14) How did Paul change the way he looked at people? (v.16)
4. What is true about every person in Christ? (v.17)
5. How is a Christian an ambassador? (v.20)

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The post Jim Elliot: Make Me a Crisis Man appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

Text: Mark 4:35-41

God didn’t bring you this far to abandon you now.

They called it the “unsinkable” ship. Titanic was a state-of-the-art craft and the largest vessel built in its time. Yet just four days into her maiden voyage, the luxury liner became an icy graveyard for over 1,500 people at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean after striking an iceberg on April 14, 1912.

Tragically, Titanic wasn’t unsinkable.

However, we do find a true unsinkable boat in Mark 4:35-41. This one wasn’t unsinkable because of its massive size or astute engineering. Based on archaeology, this type of boat was probably about 26 feet long, 7 feet wide, and 4 feet high. No, this measly little vessel wasn’t unsinkable because of human prowess, but divine presence.

What’s interesting about this passage is that Jesus led his disciples right into a violent storm. Jonah once ended up in a storm because of his disobedience, but the disciples found themselves in a precarious storm because of their obedience to Jesus.

Following Jesus doesn’t immunize us from hardship or trouble. Sometimes following Jesus puts us in dangerous situations. Even though much of our modern-day safe theology doesn’t make room for this truth, those very first disciples would certainly attest to its veracity.

Following Jesus faithfully will put us in some storms.

Yet the same Jesus who commanded the disciples to go into the storm also promised them where they would end up. Jesus didn’t say, “Let’s go perish in the middle of the sea.” No, he promised his disciples that they would cross over to the other side, yet he himself fell asleep during the journey. In his humanness, Jesus experienced fatigue and weariness just like we do. He was depleted from extensive ministry and service to others. Though his sleeping implies exhaustion, it also indicates an absence of fear.

I don’t know what bothered the disciples more, the fact that Jesus had led them into a storm or the fact that Jesus himself was sleeping in the back of the boat as they encountered the storm. They protest against his apparent indifference and hysterically awaken him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

We all have times when we feel like the disciples in this moment—times when we feel alone and sorry for ourselves. We question why things seem so unfair and wonder if Jesus has fallen asleep again—like God has forgotten about us.

Have you ever felt like God led you to a place and then went to sleep on you?

Maybe it was that relationship that went bad, a business plan that you were sure came from God but failed, or a ministry venture that didn’t turn out as you imagined.

Imagine what it must’ve been like for Elisabeth Elliot after she followed God faithfully into the mission field only to have her husband, Jim Elliot, martyred by a fierce Indian tribe called the Aucas. Talk about being led into a storm. The Elliot’s daughter, Valerie, was 10 months old when Jim was killed. Miraculously, Elliot and her daughter spent the next couple of years living with this same tribe that had killed Jim, sharing the gospel with them and seeing many come to Christ. They witnessed that there is a divine and mysterious “other side” to the unexpected storms we go through in life.

There is always a beautifully redemptive “other side” to the storms we face in life.

Sometimes it feels like Jesus is sleeping as we go through the storm, like God led us into a place and forgot about us. It’s in times like these that we should remember that the same Jesus who was asleep in that little vessel one stormy night at sea, is also the same Jesus who speaks to the winds and waves—and they LISTEN!

Jesus awoke, rebuked the storm, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then he says to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” Jesus didn’t say, “Wow, what a storm!” Instead, he marveled over the disciple’s lack of faith. The storm could not disturb Jesus, but the unbelief of His disciples did disturb him. Perhaps what disturbed him most was their implication that he didn’t care if they perished or not.

Jesus wasn’t disturbed by the violent storm that threatened the boat, but he was disturbed by his disciples’ lack of faith.
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Thinking that Jesus doesn’t care about us is a lack of faith. He loves us more than we could ever imagine. We should be reminded that it takes a maturing faith to trust in the “sleeping” Jesus. I wonder if He might put forth a similar question to us? “After all that I have done in you and for you, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Think about that as you abide in Him this week.

For further study: John 14:27, Psalms 107:25–30; Nahum 1:7, Isaiah 25:4-5, Psalm 89:8-9

Questions for Reflection and/or Family Discussion:

1. What do you find most fascinating about the story of the Titanic?
2. When have you felt that God led you into a storm and then went to sleep?
3. In what ways have you seen the “beautifully” redemptive side of storms in your life?
4. If thinking that Jesus doesn’t care about us is an indication of a lack of faith, how would you measure your faith right now? This past week?
5. In what ways can you prepare yourself to go through life’s storms with more faith and trust in the ONE Who truly is unsinkable?

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The post The Unsinkable Ship appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

Noah didn’t make the ark the center of his life.

The dream itself didn’t take the place of God in Noah’s life. The thing God told him to build didn’t take the place of WHO was central to his passion. Jim Elliot understood this in saying, “Dreams are tawdry when compared with the leading of God, and not worthy of the aura of wonder we usually surround them with. God only doeth wonders. He does nothing else. His hand can work nothing less.”

Let me ask you this: What is at the center of your life? Is it your dream? Or is it Jesus? Is it your God-given assignment? Your role in the dream? Or is it God Himself? God never gives you an audacious dream so that it can take the place of Him in your heart. He gives you an audacious dream so that you can make much of the Dream Giver; lean into Him more, grow in His grace, and bring Him glory through your labor of love and faithful toil.

(excerpt from my book Audacity)

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