47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.
“Yes,” they replied.
52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
“Have you understood this?” Jesus asked.
Really? When we stand before our congregations and preach…when we teach Sunday School…when we lead youth group…are we aware that some of those folks will someday be lost for eternity?
Yeah, don’t tell me your church is “special”.
We are constantly called to evangelize. It’s not a controversial idea, but it’s one that is not always followed. Mali used to occasionally ask me…after I just preached another “stupendous” sermon…”do you think anybody could have gotten saved through that sermon?”
Ouch!
Mali had discerned that my preaching was directed, almost exclusively, to the Body of Christ. And, that’s not the whole congregation. I changed my focus.
I find it ironic…actually amusing…that Satan could plant these “sleeper cells” in our churches with the intent to destroy us…without having first read Romans 1:16. “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation…” Those sleepers cannot sit there Sunday after Sunday and not be converted if we are properly doing our jobs.
So, Jesus reminds us to “bring out of our storerooms new treasures as well as old.” When we stand before Christ with our congregations someday…God wants to see some new faces.
Live boldly out there today…
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