Tuesday March 17, 2009
Read: Luke 10:1 “You’re the trailer he’s the Movie”
My family loves to watch movies together. One thing I enjoy is the movie trailers giving a taste of a really great movie that is almost out. We’ll sit through trailers saying to each other “ooh we gotta see that one!” Or in many cases “yuck, remind me not to see that one!” Wouldn’t it be sad if all we did was watch trailers and never went on to see the whole movie? Kind of a short family night wouldn’t you say? You see the trailer is there to wet our appetite to see the big picture. The quality of a trailer can make or break the decision to see the movie or to let it pass.
In our passage today we see Jesus sending out 35 movie trailer teams. He sent out the seventy followers in pairs “into every town and place where he was about to come.” They went in to prepare the way for Christ to come. In a sense they were the trailer for the big Jesus production that would soon follow. Every day they would go out and preach, teach, heal, cast out demons, and even raise the dead in Jesus’ name. When the people would respond to their ministry their job was to say, “You aint seen nothin’ yet! We’re just the preview.” If they had just sat around fearful and intimidated whining about how bad the world is and being cynical and religious, no one would have wanted to see Jesus when he came to town. They would have thought “If his followers are pathetic, then the leader must be worse!” It was important for his followers to demonstrate to the people the love, power, and grace of Jesus so when he came they would be prepared to receive him. They were the trailer. He was the movie. We must remember that we have the same ministry. We are called to be the preview of the one who has come and will come again. This brings several things to our minds.
1. Don’t take yourself too seriously. You are just the preview. No matter how great your ministry might seem to be going, the real picture is much greater than you. It’s not about you it’s about him.
2. Don’t take yourself too lightly. What you do and say will have an impact on what people think of Jesus. If you are judgmental, Jesus is judgmental in the eyes of your viewing audience. If you are compassionate, Jesus is compassionate. Get it?
3. Don’t despair. Jesus only sends people to minister where he is about to show up himself. When it looks like nothing will ever change, remember the Jesus movie is coming to a community near you. He is coming to do great things where you live and work.
4. Don’t quit. Keep handing out those tickets. Jesus will come whether we are ready or not. Make sure everyone has a chance to find a seat in his kingdom. When the doors close its too late.
Today as you go out remember you are giving people a preview of one who holds eternity in his hands. This is a production nobody wants to miss. The day of his coming is closer than you think. Make sure that you are showing people who Jesus really is so they will be ready when he comes. May our lives reflect his glory.
