Many years ago, Wayne Rice told a story that has always impacted me.
One day a spaceship landed in the middle of a huge field just outside a small, rural community. The aliens look friendly enough, so some of the farmers cautiously approached them, hoping to establish a good relationship with them. The aliens greeted the earthlings warmly and said, “we are on a mission from the planet Zuran of the Galaxy Andromeda. We have been assigned to explore your planet to discover what you have learned. We are here to learn as much as we can about planet Earth. So, tell us, has anything significant happened here on Earth that you can tell us about?”
The farmers thought for a moment and then one spoke up and said, “Well we have radio and TV! We can send radio and microwave signals all over the planet using satellites.” The aliens replied, “Oh, well we have had that for thousands of years. In fact, that technology has become quite obsolete. What else has happened?”
Again, the farmers scratched their heads and then one said, “We have developed computers that can process information in micro-seconds that used to take years! And they are so small in size that they fit into our pockets!”
“Well, that’s old news, too,” said the aliens. “Hasn’t anything extraordinary happened here?”
The farmers were still thinking when one of the aliens asked, “we have heard a rumor that God visited your planet many years ago. Is this rumor true?”
“Well, there was a man named Jesus Christ”
“Yes! That’s it! Jesus Christ! Did He really come?” the aliens asked excitedly.
“Yes,” said the farmers…..”but….”
“What an extraordinary thing! What a wonderful thing” exclaimed the aliens. “Tell us what did you do when God visited your planet? Did you bring gifts and throw them in his feet? Did you run through the streets celebrating and singing? Did all the world finally realize how much He loves them? Please, tell us, what did you do?”
The farmers pondered for a moment and then sheepishly said.
“UMMMM…We killed Him!”
Ouch…sad but true!
Sin came through Eve and then Adam. This sin caused them to separate and blame each other…and to hide from God! The fact is that sin always separates and destroys! But the good news is that God still loved them, and He Loves us as well. Unconditionally! Even in our sinfulness.
He sent Jesus on a road trip…a space travel…to visit earth and save us!
Romans 5:6-8 (msg)…… Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.
Jesus came to live a sinless life in our place….to die for the wages of our sins…to rise, so that we too will rise some day when He calls us home to His heavenly kingdom. What are you doing with the fact that Jesus came to be your Lord and Savior?
Are you celebrating? Are you telling the world? Is he alive in your life and are you enthusiastically living for Him?
If not, then how will others know about Him?
It’s interesting that God’s marketing plan was to tell 12 guys to “Go and make disciples.” They had no phones, cars, or internet…and yet, God chose them and now us, to tell other people, and to share the Gospel. We are to offer His Love, Joy, and Hope to a broken and hurting nation. He works through us to share His Word so that His Holy Spirit can transform those who hear it. Those 12 told others, who told others…and low and behold there are 2 billion Christians on earth today. That is great and it turns out that God had a totally amazing plan!
And yet…that means there are 5 billion people who need to hear the message of salvation!
Who do you know that needs to hear about Jesus today? What can you do to draw them to the Lord? If each of the 2 billion Christians told 3 people in the next year…All will have heard!
HUMOR FOR YOUR DAY:
- I checked out a book on anti-gravity. I can’t put it down.
- I thought about putting an observatory in my house, but the cost was astronomical.
- Last week I attended a lecture on Halley’s Comet. It went completely over my head.
- Where do aliens park their spaceships? Next to the parking meteor.
- I’m so disappointed. I keep pressing the spacebar on my keyboard, but I’m still on Earth!