A Model most in the business world would not Emulate

Matthew 4:12-17

Have you ever been part of a start-up in a business, or a ministry?  If so, did you look at the statistics of how many succeed, before beginning your new endeavor?  I found in the first year of a new business endeavor, 25% go out of business, and in the first five years 50% are gone, and after ten years in business you only have 29% that are still doing business.  (Taken from Small Business Trends) 

Now when it comes to Ministers and ministries you should find these statistics alarming: Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.  Four thousand new churches begin each year, but over seven thousand churches close.   Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.  (Taken from Maranatha Life’s “Life-Line for Pastors”)

In both areas, we can look at the statistics with some questions as to the why, and yet we will leave those to someone who has traveled that road, and are better qualified to respond.  Today, as we are look at Jesus beginning His ministry, it would not be the model most in the business world or those beginning a start-up ministry would emulate. 

John the Baptist, you know the man who introduced Jesus to both the religious and the not so religious people of Jerusalem and all of Judea and all the regions around the Jordan river, has been arrested, Jesus left for the area of Galilee.  And we have this account of Jesus leaving Nazareth and going to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.  Now most new endeavors do not leave the area where they are known, not in the first few months, and to do so without a sponsor is asking for big problems, but then most are not fulfilling prophecy.  The prophet Isaiah had declared 760 years before Jesus showed up on planet earth in an earthsuit the following: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” (Matthew 4:15-16 ESV) And we have this account from Matthew; “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17 ESV)

One of my teachers would tell us to envision heaven being about 19” above the ground, and what Bill was saying was that when you enter into a personal relationship with Christ you are at that moment seated with Christ in heaven, Christ has become your life, and it is Christ doing it all through and for you in your earthsuit.  That is unless you choose to go the religious path and try to do great things for God with your talents, your abilities and your strength, instead of listening and studying and doing, as your Lord is requiring of you.

Maybe we need to listen to the prophet Isaiah, for today, it seems to this writer it is the Church, it is Christians, who are walking in darkness, and yet we have seen a great light.  “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 ESV)  I love that; “and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  It is not on your shoulders and it not on mine, it is Jesus’ ministry, and he blessed us to be part of it.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice