Everybody is looking for Who?

Everybody is looking for Who?

³⁶ And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. ³⁷ When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” Mark 1:36-37

Jesus had healed many, cast out demons and preached with authority.  The next morning, He went to a secluded place to pray for perspective.  When the disciples found him, they exclaimed, “Everyone is looking for You.”  What a great indictment of his impact this early in his ministry.  Wouldn’t it be great if our congregation, community or city were looking for Jesus like this?

Give yourself a quick poll…scale of 1-10…how high is your passion to find and follow Jesus?  Does your answer line up with your actions?  The crowd was looking for Jesus because he had an answer for their pain.  That answer for the most part was instantaneous.  They were sick and then they were healed.  They were oppressed by an evil spirit and it left. Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with a fever, she was healed and started serving them.  It was natural for them to conclude that Jesus had power from God to bring change in their lives.  Where do people see a demonstration of the power of God in your life?  Where do you see God at work that has to be him and not your own gifts and abilities?

Jesus however knew the dangers of being pursued for his giftings.  At the height of being sought after, he left that town to go minister in other places.  Was there still need?  Yes and lots of it.  However, Jesus following the lead from the Holy Spirit was the better than pursuing need.  Being wanted can easily lead to pride. 

Are you convinced that you are ministering right where the Holy Spirit has guided you?  Don’t get trapped into thinking that you stay because they need you?  I am not talking about quitting because of strife, trouble or spiritual warfare.  We need the characteristic of endurance that comes only through difficult situations.  However, God sustains us with His presence and power when we are ministering where He has called us.  Be overjoyed with the inner witness from the Spirit that you are exactly where God has planted you for this season.  You can expect fruit that will remain.

If your primary role is an evangelist and you are pastoring a church, be aware of a desire to leave often.  It is in the spiritual DNA of evangelist to go to those who are lost.  That does not mean that you need to leave your church.  It does mean that you have a conversation with your church to allow you to regularly go to other places to share the gospel.  God supports you in the context of a local body.  I am not just talking about financial support.  We need feedback and social support that only comes from “body life”.  If you don’t have relationships in which you can be real with people, you are in need of “body life”.

Let us pray that people will begin to be “looking for Jesus”.  Paul said that he preached to the Corinthians not with persuasive speech, but with the power of God.  I pray that God’s power is evident in everything we do.  Preach with power, counsel with power, pray for healing with power, serve with power, sing with power, share the gospel with power, live holy with power, and lead with power, so that others connect all that you are doing to Jesus.  If we are not ministering with God’s power, then what is the source of life for our ministry?  The Word of God, yes.  Let the Spirit breathe over the Word to perform it.  In your weakness, He is made strong.

Father, we know there are so many lost who do not know you as their savior.  Help us to follow your lead to be as effective as you want us to be.  Nothing held back.  We are yours.  Use us as you see fit.  In Jesus Name, Amen.