The "Hundredfold" Crop

Ok, let's start off the week with a shorter post I've been meaning to write for a long time. I was finally pushed into action by my pastor's two-part sermon on the passage I was inspired by (I will probably be borrowing a few ideas from his sermons). 

So many authors exhort Christians to evangelize, and they should, and I’m about to do more of the same. There is no such thing as trying too hard, and I still am not sure we can even try enough. This topic came to mind a few weeks ago when I read Mark 4:8. The Word of God, from the lips of Jesus Christ, recorded by the pen of the apostle Mark says thus: “And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”  

Who are the seeds who fell in good soil? We are, the Christians, the Church! And what does this passage say? The good seed produced grain. But, the part that really shook me up was the part about “yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” I don’t know about you, my beloved readers, but I had never even dreamed of yielding a hundredfold or even thirtyfold. Can you imagine you in your current state bringing a hundred people to Christ? I certainly can’t see myself doing the same. 

The problem is the flawed mindset of many in the church today including myself. All of us have heard the stories of young Christians at college or in society in general; they live good lives, everyone knows they are a Christian, and eventually some shy classmate approaches them with questions about their faith. This is great, but these Christian students are not “fishing.” They are not being proactive, going after others with the Gospel; they are simply waiting for the occasional fish to jump into the boat. 

Jesus apparently seems to think that we as Christians can lead a huge “crop” of new believers to Him, and you may be thinking, “That sounds awesome, but a hundred is a big number.” The fact is, it’s true. And neither you nor I are capable of  leading a single person to salvation. We can only strive toward that goal and pray that the Holy Spirit will work within them. This is a vital realization you must make: you cannot save anyone. In fact, we humans are pretty pathetic creatures, vulnerable to every temptation, fickle, foolish, stubborn. The only way we can become anything better is through grace. And, grace is the only way new converts are made. We are but tools, humble servants to God (more on that in a later post). 

And, we need to be trying. And trying harder. I cannot simply be content waiting on the fish that jump into the boat. I was content with sharing my faith once every two weeks or so, trying to get more people to come to church. My “yield” is small, if it even exists. 

We as Christians  exist to share the Gospel. The Gospel is our life until our last breath. Everything else comes third to the Gospel (nothing is close enough to be considered second). We need to remember daily that this is our purpose. We need to exhort and encourage one another, and to pray for one another often.

 

In Christ,

Phil

 

May God make you, dear readers and fellow believers, armor-plated warriors for Him, loyal servants daily prepared to fight for Him.