Imagine a fireman who has saved many, many people standing before an assembled group of those whom he had rescued, the savior and the saved.
I can imagine the saved wanting to say thank you, in fact, I can’t imagine a more thankful group in my mind than a group of people delivered from the smoke and the flame. All of them saw death coming for them and knew they were alone. Each of them knew for a certainty that they could not save themselves. And each of them were eternally grateful that someone was there when they needed them the most.
The fireman is thankful as well, thankful for every single person standing in that room. Yet he can not rest in the accomplishment of rescuing those few before him, the job is simply not done just yet. The fireman must implore the saved to volunteer to go and risk everything in their new life to go and save others because for every person safe in that room, 10,000 outside of those doors stand at risk and need to be saved as well.
What I can’t imagine is the saved not wanting anyone else to be saved by the fireman. I can’t imagine them congregating and celebrating their saved status when so many are perishing just outside their door.
I can not imagine them deciding that the fireman would be pleased if they tried to gain the biggest and richest group of saved people together that they could- in honor of the fireman. Mega-groups of the saved, celebrating the fireman and the joys of their new life with the acrid stench of burning flesh floating in the air.
No, the fireman’s greatest joy would be in seeing others become like him. That his sacrifice would inspire others to do as he did. To seek and save them that are lost, to lay themselves down so that another might live when death seems inevitable. To show by their second chance at life that his choice was a correct one, that they were worth saving.
Were you one that was worth saving or would you be numbered with those others right now? Will you show the impact that his sacrifice has had on you- the beauty of a redeemed life or will you simply congregate with the others, safe and secure?
The world burns, from metro to farm, huge city to small mountain town. It burns and calls out for someone to leave hearth and home and save them from the fire. But there is no draft for this service, it is all volunteer.
We must go or send someone else in our stead. We must brave the fire or pray and support someone else’s efforts.
That is Christianity, everything else is a lie. And at this crux point in American Christian history, that is the only truth that matters.
Go ye, church, go ye.
-JC Smith
American Pentecost 
A thousand amen’s to this message, Bro. Smith. Thanks for keeping this, the real mission of the church, before the eyes of the people. Blessings from Huntsville, Alabama !
This is a awesome word brother!
The world is on a fast moving slippery slope to Hell and the church seems so uninterested. It is really a sad state of affairs.
I just read in OMAHA, Nebraska where a gunman open fired in a mall and killed several for no apparent reason. Were living in perlious times. The times are urgent and the so- called church is asleep.
WAKE-UP CHURCH!!..WAKE-UP!!
Keep telling it straight brother!!
-Igy
Thanks Pastor Troy and Igy. You know, it isn’t a “deep” message. But I for one am sick to death of all of the deep talk when we seem to forget to do the first things.
Christianity is not complicated but we sure do make it that way.
The world is lost.
We in the church were lost.
God wants to save as many as He can before the final bell.
It is up to us to allow his sacrifice to push us to GO GO GO.
Amen James, amen. May the Lord light a fire in our hearts that burns with His love, compelling us to go, to wake up, get up and GO!
Have you ever seen the video clip Revival Hymn? If not please go to my blog and look at the post “Oh, That The Mountains Would Flow Down At Thy Presence Again! and click on the link. I weep every time I see / listen to it.
Oh to be part of such a revival!
I long for it, pray for it, know it is coming…
Indeed,I believe there will be another outpouring of the Holy Spirit soon, that will surpass all that have been before but it will be different perhaps, fewer in numbers but producing believers with a greater depth of love and willingness to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the Kingdom, and marked by the power of God’s holiness manifesting in and through their lives.
May the Lord bless you James, as you faithfully lay down your life for His Kingom, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
His love and grace to you,
Susan
I tried to link to Revival Hymn, but don’t know how to create a link in a comment…
http://64.34.176.235/sermons/SID10827.wmv“>
Thanks Susan, I agree. There are a million voices that will tell you what the next revival is going to be. But one revival never really looks like another and so it is hard to guess as to what the next one will look like, like you inferred.
One thing that we know is that it will be consecration on the part of God’s people that leads to a visitation of His Spirit. Adoration of him, worship, inner healing, doctrine, repentance- these are all good things but they aren’t what precedes revival.
Consecration to him, the forsaking of all just to be known by him- that precedes revival.
I pray that we start to get that message in the church before the doors of the ark close.
Good incite brother.
The church for the most part is following the ways of the world. If this be the case, when the world changes(most will say it will be for the worst) the church will then change. I know it sounds backwards, but I believe it’s true.
May God bless you and your family,
Richard