What
would you do if you won $550,000,000? That’s how much the Power-ball jackpot was
scheduled to be at the time of this writing. Would you buy a new luxury home or
car? Or would you set aside a trust to pay for your grand children’s college? Or
would you donate 10% to your church or a ministry or charity?
If
you are a believer and follower of Christ, in a way, you’ve already won the
lottery because you know that eternal winnings are available now, and waiting
for you in Heaven. The things of this world will perish, but Heaven is for
eternity. It’s priceless. So what will you do with your priceless gift?
When
Jesus was crucified, the disciples had lost all hope. They were sitting around
feeling sorry for themselves, “mourning
and weeping”. Even after Mary Magdalene and two other followers had seen
the resurrected Christ, the disciples refused to believe; refused to act. They
preferred to mope and do nothing. Then this happened.
14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were
reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of
heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And
he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole
creation. ESV
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord
worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs. ESV
Jesus
is still calling his disciples across the millennia to action. He’s calling you
and me to be his hands and his feet. He’s calling us to touch the lepers of
this world. He’s calling us to bring a message of hope to the hopeless; to the
addicted; to the imprisoned. He’s calling us to share his love, grace and
forgiveness with people at work, at school, in our neighborhood and in our family.
We’ve
already won a bigger jackpot than Powerball. Let’s share it with those that God
brings into our life. Let’s get up off the couch and do something. We don’t
have to go around the world… just next door.
