Urgent

URGENT

John 11:9

I love to read and study, but sometimes I find myself doing the tasks that really aren’t necessary. Do we give up the important for the urgent? Are the urgent issues of life the important issues?

Working with the elders has been excellent accountability as well as a way to gain the wisdom and counsel of godly leaders, such as, looking at a schedule and projecting how I will use the time God has given me for His glory.

One of the important functions as a preaching teaching elder includes regularly filling the spiritual and mental reservoir. The past few weeks I have been reading a book called "Christ Centered Preaching" by Bryan Chapell, an excellent book dealing with expository preaching that I believe all preachers would do well to read. He makes good solid basic practical preaching points in the comments that didn’t make the main text, in the footnotes and appendices. In these notes, it seems as if the writer expresses what he really wanted to say. I felt like he was looking up from his notes to look me in the eye, expressing the truly important issues.

As Jesus was dealing with Mary and Martha over their brother Lazarus who had died, he stated, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light." (John 11:9) This usual passage might make us scratch our head wondering what he means.

Is it a reference to His ministry among us, saying He had only so much time to do the work that he had been called to do? Twelve hours… The question leads us to ask about the "task" or work that God has called us to. What is urgent? How we keep from stumbling in the darkness? Are we redeeming the time that God is giving to us?

I believe that we as Christians have an obligation and responsibility to share the "light" while we have the time to do it. Evangelism can be a scary thing. What will I say? How will I tell my friends and neighbors of Jesus the Christ?

A couple of weeks ago I shared four ways that we can be directly involved in reaching out with the good news and I asked you to help identify 50 ways that we can help one another share that message.

The four simple ways I shared:

1. Pray daily for your friends, neighbors and family members to come to Christ. (Bringing my World to Christ.)

2. Join the outreach evangelism ministry team.

(You can join by emailing me at mike@WoodstockCovenant.org)

3. Get some tickets to the "Men’s Lenten Breakfast" coming up on March 31st.

(Ladies are invited to sign up to help serve.)

4. Invite a friend to the special worship service on Feb. 25th.

(That date is already passed but we will plan more special worship services, trying to meet a variety of generational and stylistic tastes.)

Some of the 50 ideas that people have shared with me:

1. Join the welcoming ministry of WECC.

2. Pick up gospel tracts and study them being ready to be used of God.

3. Practice sharing your testimony.

4. Share your testimony on a Sunday morning

Keep writing and giving me your ideas… We are a missional church, one focused on the mission of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with our world. Thanks for joining the mission team!

Pastor Mike

Please feel free at add subtract or use these ideas in anyway possible for the glory of God. Do not give me any credit!