The classic animated movie FINDING NEMO is being released next month in 3D. It’s hard to believe this movie is already 9 years old, but I remember it well. Nemo is lost and his father goes against all odds to find and rescue his son. The bottom line; Nemo’s dad will stop at nothing to save his son.
It’s like a modern day parable of the purpose God has for us.
In a world that pursues everything but God, God wants us to pursue people who aren’t pursuing Him.
To follow Jesus is to follow His purpose. In Luke 19:10 ESV Jesus said: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Jesus came to seek & save the lost – to rescue people from sin, destruction & hell: He’s given us the same mission…. 2 Cor. 5:18 NIrV says: “…God…brought us back to himself through Christ’s death on the cross. And he has given us the task of bringing others back to him through Christ.”
People today are into all kinds of causes: SAVE THE WHALES – SAVE THE TREES – BUT GOD SAYS SAVE YOU & ME. I’m for protecting the environment, but my priority is people — GOD SAYS SAVE THE HUMANS.
Jesus invested in His disciples, but spent a great deal of time w/ those considered to be outcasts by the religious people of His day…. The Pharisees & Religious leaders said of Jesus: ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of the worst sort of sinners!’ Luke 7:34b NLT
They were wrong about Jesus being a drunkard & glutton, but they were spot on when they said he was a friend of the worst sort of sinners! Jesus focus was OUTWARD while most churches & Christians over a period of time turn INWARD.
Paul wrote in 1 Tim 1:15 NIV “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…”
Jesus came to seek and save sinners, but the natural tendency for most of us who are Christians is the longer we’re a Christian the more isolated we become from the world. Maybe it’s a heart issue because we drift into being isolated from Christ.
Jesus said in John 15:5 NIV “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
If we stay connected to Jesus – we’ll have His heart and pursue people out of the OVERFLOW of His heart in us — not out of OBLIGATION.
In a world that pursues everything but God, God wants us to pursue people who aren’t pursuing Him.
Want to go a little further with this, I suggest you watch the webcast from this past Sunday at Grace Fellowship called UNUSUAL PURPOSE. You can find the webcast on www.gfcfamily.com
BJ Rutledge 