Observation: As Jesus is talking about the issues of this generation - pointing out how many in the past sought the Lord but now they ignore Messiah - he pronounces a very black-and-white statement about faith. People either are "for" Jesus, or not, and if not then they are against him. There is no neutral position of ambivalence or indecision.
Application: Today, we have so many distinctions for classifying non-believers. They may be seekers, unchurched, de-churched, agnostic, atheist, spiritualists, or any other type of person who may or may not believe in any number of things that are not the faith of Jesus Christ as Messiah ... including actively believing in nothing. We use these descriptions as if some are better. We pretend someone who isn't certain is better than someone who actively attacks the church.
This is not Jesus' perspective, and his perspective isn't grounded in how easy it is to discuss matters of faith, but rather it is focused on salvation. There are those who have placed their faith in Jesus and thus serve in a manner to advance the Kingdom of God, and there are those who ... have not placed their faith in Jesus, and thus anything and everything they do is working against the Kingdom of God.
As we discuss Jesus at Alpha - and other venues - may we remember this. Those who are there may be close to making a different decision, but they are completely 100 percent on the wrong side of the fence at that moment and until they make that different decision. Let us not consider them with less urgency, but with more.
Prayer: Lord, I pray for everyone currently at Alpha who has not yet made a decision to flow Jesus. May that change over the next three weeks. For your kingdom, and for their salvation. Amen.
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