Hurry up!
Genesis 18:6 “So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour , knead it and make bread cakes.” 7 Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it.”
Has your service for God ever caused you to run around “like a chicken with his head cut off”? I know that’s not a pretty picture, but it get’s the idea across. If you have ever seen a wounded animal, or person then you understand what I mean. They are totally committed to finding the help they need to relieve the pain right now.
But I wonder how committed you and I are at delivering that relief? I’ll confess that sometimes my commitment has been lacking. Take this for example, years ago I was asked to preach at a Sunday service for a church that was without a pastor. The church was only a few miles from my house, so there was no problem. The Sunday evening service started at 6:00, so I could leave my house at 5:45 and get there with time to spare. However, I was nonchalant about my preaching opportunity and even though the church service began at 6:00 I did not arrive until 6:05.
When we are given the great privilege of serving the Lord we never take it for granted. We should serve God with utmost urgency. We should be like that chicken I mentioned earlier. I am so glad that Jesus did not look at His work for God with a no-rush attitude. Luke 9: 51 says, “When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem” I am so glad that Jesus Christ did not have a nonchalant attitude about His service to God. The Bible says that He was determined to go to Jerusalem. Jesus knew that He had to go to Jerusalem, and finish God’s calling. People, like you and I were depending. Literally, the house of God was on fire from the flames of hell and Jesus had to put the fire out.
I wonder if you would want a nonchalant fireman trying to battle a blaze that threatened your house, livelihood, or family??? Yet, we act like that all of the time when it comes to sharing the Gospel! People all around us are dying and going to hell, but we don’t act like there’s any rush to give them the fire extinguisher.
I would like to end by sharing the story of Jim Elliot. His story and the story of his friends is one of the most amazing stories about the Grace of God, apart from the cross, that you can ever read. There have been two books written about Jim and his friends/family and the effect of the lives they gave up for God. If you have never read, “The End of the Spear” and “Beyond the End of the Spear” I wholeheartedly invite you to. These books will change your thoughts about mission work, and help you understand the urgency of spreading the Gospel to a lost and dying world.
I understand that many people have commitments that would prevent them from going overseas on mission trips, but if that’s your case then I ask, “What are you doing here to get the fire extinguisher of God to burning, hell-bound people?” If you have to think about that for more than a few seconds before coming up with an answer then you are not doing enough?
I am so glad that Jesus Christ did not look at His service for God with “no-rush attitude”, so I ask, ”Should we continue living like there’s no hurry to tell others about Him?”
_______________________
Father, I thank You for placing people in my life that have a rushed attitude about sharing Your Gospel, and I ask that you help me understand the importance and the urgency that we need to have right now because if people die without you they will not have a tomorrow. In Jesus’ name, Amen
_____________________
The above image can be found at:
Yes, You Can Ministry 
