The Thin Red Line–And They Crossed It–Would You?

 

The Thin Red Line – And They Crossed It – Will You?

Why was it that just after the time of Jesus earthly ministry the Apostles were working many signs and wonders, but as time passed those signs and wonders have seemed to slow to a crawl, or as some say, they have stopped altogether?

I still hear testimonies of God’s miracle working power among us, but why is it not creating the amazement and awe of those earlier days?

I once had a job working in a General Motors truck and coach manufacturing plant. When I started, I was given menial tasks such as sweeping floors and picking up trash along the assembly line, as I could not be trusted with the dangers associated with the assembly line. After some time, an opening came about to work on the assembly line. I still could only be trusted with the least dangerous jobs, such as driving bolts into the engine block.

Later, when management asked me to train for a more dangerous and important job. It was working with an “engine skyhook”. This was the process of dropping a 15,000 pound bus engine, suspended by a steel cable and hooks, from an upper floor level of the plant (about 50 feet in the air) into a bus frame as it moved along the assembly line on the main floor level of the plant. I held a control box that would move the suspended engine up or down, right or left, until it was seated into the bus frame. If it is not done expertly, the engine would begin to sway then swing wildly in the air and bringing it under control was very, very difficult.

But, after extensive training and practice, management felt I would be trusted for this important and dangerous work.

I have three observations and recommendations:

#1. Readiness. Likewise, Jesus’ early disciples were not performing any miracles or works. They, at that point, could not be trusted with such power. So, they had to follow Jesus, and were taught by Him, and they watched Him closely. (See Matthew 5:1 through Matthew 9:38). And once they were trained and had proven their trustworthiness, did Jesus sent them to do the important and dangerous Work of His Kingdom. (see Matthew10:1-20).

#2. Cost. Again, Jesus’ early disciples were not performing any miracles or works because they did not yet understand the cost to follow Him.

Jesus was making it clear, however. As the disciples followed Him, He repeatedly explained that the cost to follow Him was complete commitment. No holding back. Jesus says, “Therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:33

Now, large crowds were going along with Him, and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who are watching it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This person began to build, and was not able to finish!’ Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to face the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Otherwise, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and requests terms of peace. So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.” (Luke 14:25-33).

#3. Commitment. When I was a young Christian, I was disturbed that so many in our otherwise good and faithful church, were not being or doing the things the Bible said we should be and do. So I asked an older couple, good and kind people, leaders in our Church and longtime Christians, how I could reconcile this perceived dilemma. The wife bluntly told me, “You are taking this way too seriously”. Now, 47 years later, those word still ring in my ears.

Jesus warned about the commitment necessary when He said, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Is it possible that we, as Western world Christians, have lost our savor and have become useless?

You would have to commit to take up your cross daily, in other words, make the cause of Christ your cause, His cross is now your cross. You must be willing to die for His Cause. Luke 9:23

Jesus made clear that “No one who puts his hand to the plow, in other words, undertakes the Works of Jesus, and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62

Peter appealed to Jesus in saying, “Peter began to say to Him, Behold, we have left everything and have followed You.”

Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.” (see Mark 10:28-31).

Finally, we can see that once the disciples were aware of the cost, were ready and trained and were able to make the commitment, Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts, no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly, I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly, I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (see Matthew 10:1-23).

Are we not ready, as Jesus said, to be ready? Are we not able, not willing to pay the cost, or are we unaware of the cost? And are we, the “called out ones” unwilling or unable to make the commitment?

Be honest with yourself. Before He ascended to heaven, Jesus told His disciples to “go therefore”, He was not saying “go to church, therefore, and make disciples”. He was saying, “go out into all the world”. He was not just speaking to what we today call the “laymen” of the church. He was speaking to everyone who would dare to follow Him. He was particularly speaking to the pastors,  preachers, teachers, deacons and elders in the church to go out and make disciples!

Jesus died for our sins and poured out His Blood on our behalf. The Bible also tells us that the gate is narrow and there are few who will find it. But, His Blood is the scarlet thread, the line of demarcation. It is also the trail we must follow and cross over. It satisfies the cost, the commitment and proves our readiness. It is once we step over the line drawn in His Blood that we are ready, have counted the cost and made the commitment and can be trusted with the authority. It is then that perhaps we will see the miracle working power of Jesus and the Apostles through our lives again.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame the accuser because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” (Revelation 12:10-11).