Would You have Followed?

Our Pastor preached a sermon recently on Zacharia's prophecy in Gospel of Luke. He also began to trace these prophecies throughout the OT. I couldn't help but be amazed at what these prophecies said about the coming Messiah.

I have to say I have been awfully critical of those who turned away from Christ after seeing Him perform so many miracles and proclaim who He said He was. How would it be possible to turn and not give your life to such a man (God)? Well, setting aside (as if that is possible) the obvious sovereignty of God and Him calling whom He wills, I think I might understand a little more.

In many of these prophecies throughout the Bible, the coming Messiah would be a King with a Kingdom, He would come in power, He would rescue us from our enemies, He would have authority to rule. The Jews were clearly looking for a deliverer from the Romans. Why? because so many of the prophecies that they had grown up with spoke of Him as such. When a child was born in a shed and raised as a carpenter with no money, it must have been a bit much to accept that He was their new "deliverer."

I am aware that there were many other prophecies about Christ that did line up and come true. My concern is that I may have been one of the ones who saw a man who claimed to be the Messiah and King, but was a little too poor, possibly too short, and didn't seem to be killing any of the Romans.

Would I have followed? Would I have believed? Would You?

Daughtry Finally Takes the Stage

For all of you American Idol fans out there, my boy Chris Daughtry (who was robbed of the title) has just come out with his debut album. Not bad if I may say so. Check it out on itunes.

The Lonely People

I was doing some "culturally relevant" music listening today and came across the song I love, Eleanor Rigby, by the Beatles. I always have liked songs like this because of their cultural accuracy. These artists sing about the scenes around them. They sing about their lives. Another more modern song I like is In the End by Linkin Park. Both of these songs show the people of our world lost and lonely. Read the words to Eleanor Rigby:

Eleanor Rigby

Ah, look at all the lonely people.
Ah, look at all the lonely people.
Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been,
Lives in a dream.
Waits at the window, wearing a face she keeps in a jar by the door,
Who is it for?
All the lonely people, where do they all come from?
All the lonely people, where do they all belong?
Father McKenzie, writing the words of a sermon that no-one will hear,
No-one comes near
Look at him working, darning his socks in the night when there’s nobody there,
What does he care?
All the lonely people, where do they all come from?
All the lonely people, where do they all belong?
Ah, look at all the lonely people.
Ah, look at all the lonely people.
Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name.
Nobody came.
Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave.
No-one was saved.
All the lonely people, where do they all come from?
All the lonely people, where do they all belong?

Isn't it amazing that the people we work with, the people we shop with, the people we drive past every day have nothing! They have nothing inside. They are lost and lonely people and will die lost and lonely people unless we reach out! The Linking Park song In the End, I spoke about earlier states,

I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn't even matter

I just feel so compelled to talk to the lonely people. I feel compelled to help make their life matter in the end. Jesus tells us to go out and take the good news to them.

Luke 10:1-3

The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. 2 These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. 3 Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.

Help me find the "Eleanor Rigby's" and give them Christ! As Casting Crowns puts it.....

Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even know she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?