Monday, November 19, 2007

What Are You Willing to Do?

LISTEN TO AUDIO
Remember those ice cream commercials that posed the question, “What would you do for a Klondike bar?” Would you dance like a chicken? Would you kiss a monkey? How much are you willing to endure in obtaining a stick full of chocolaty frozen deliciousness?

Forget the ice cream. Let me ask you this, what would you do for a million dollars? I suggest that you would do more for a cool million than you would for cool cream. Would you dance like a chicken? Sure you would. Would you kiss a monkey? Hard and on the mouth – absolutely.

Ok. One more question. What would you be willing to endure in order to bring salvation in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen? Before you answer, let’s hear what the Apostle Paul would say to such a question.

2 Tim 2:10 “I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.” (NLT)

For Paul, rescuing people from judgment and eternal death by pointing them toward Christ was the most important issue in his life; more important than frozen treats, more important than a million dollars. Bringing light to those in darkness was the task assigned to him by God and therefore Paul was willing to endure anything to see it accomplished.

QUESTION: What is the task that God has assigned to you? Are you willing to suffer in order to see it accomplished? Moms, dads, husbands, wives, students, young adults - Are you willing to endure and do the hard work that it will take to be obedient to God?

What a person is willing to endure for an ice cream bar is an entertaining question. (Who doesn’t want to see someone kiss a chimp? That’s just good television.)

But, what a person is willing to endure in order to be obedient to their God given task, well, that is the most important question you will ever be asked. So, go ahead - ask yourself.

No comments: