Written by Mark Driskill:
Read Mark 1:29-34
“And the whole city was gathered together at the door.” Jesus love and power drew the hurting to his door. From out of the woodwork it seemed, every sick and demonized person for miles came looking for a touch from the savior. Jesus attracted the ones society had no time for. By the standards of that culture they were unclean, untouchable. They were the ones you avoided at all costs. But when Jesus showed up and started touching the untouchables the whole city came to his door.
Church, I believe that we could fill our sanctuaries to overflowing if we followed Jesus. If we focused or efforts to bring in the people who are truly broken and marginalized we would find whole cities at our door. What if, instead of trying to lure upstanding church folks from other congregations to our place with some cool gimmick, we did what Jesus did? What if we looked for those people sitting in waiting rooms of the health departments and the emergency rooms? What if we went out looking for homeless people instead of creating impenetrable mazes of church bureaucracy to keep them out? What if the television healers got off the airwaves and went to the cancer wards of children’s hospitals? What if we built our next church building in one of those abandoned buildings downtown? What if we started being known as those people who always seem to show up in the neediest places? What if we took seriously Jesus example and sought out the ones who need the most help? What if we were made fun of, not because of our scandals and funny hairdo’s, but for our love for the sinner and the sick? What if we poured the contents of our church building funds into digging wells in Africa and Asia? What if we put a stop to the thousands of deaths from lack of water?
I think we could do it. I think we could have quite the revolution in our world if we believers decided to seriously do what Jesus did. Go where Jesus went and touch who Jesus touched. We would find the city at our door.
Challenge: Start a conversation in your church about how your church could reach out to the outcasts in your community.
Mark Driskill and his wife Mary are homeschooling community ministers in Breathitt County Kentucky. They have four children. They co pastor Emmanuel fellowship Church, serve as Camp Pastors at Bethel Mennonite Camp, and Mark Teaches at Oakdale Christian Academy. Mark is web minister for Begotten by the Word , a ministry of Helping Hands Christian Resources. Once a month he preaches on the local radio station through the “Lion of Judah” program.
Mark also preaches in youth rallies and revivals upon request at no charge. Their vision is to see true spiritual awakening come to the mountains of Eastern Kentucky and to the nation.
Contact information:
Email: driskill@hilbillymail.com
Facebook: Mark Driskill
Address: PO Box 1159 Jackson KY.
