Scripture Reading: Jude 20-23 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire
Recently I purchased some old episodes of a forgotten 50s TV show called "Sir Lancelot." On the first DVD there was an episode called the "Roman Wall." In this episode our story takes place in England about the time of 800 AD - 1000 AD. No one knows the exact time as the stories were but legends. Anyway, Sir Lancelot is summoned by a regional king to a mysterious wall in the North of England where the king's daughter was taken captive by Roman soldiers. This seemed humorous at first as the Roman empire had collapsed nearly 400 years before. Yet the north most of England nearly to Scotland was the extreme border of the once powerful empire. There was an outpost of descendants of the Roman regime who to this day were still living and practicing Roman life, not knowing that their country had long since vanished. So Lancelot of course accomplishes his mission and brings great tales back to the modern kings of England.
Of course this is all fictional, but thinking about that remote outpost, still living as though life in Rome were still going on, reminds me of our position in the world as Christians. You see, we as believers are "garrisoned" here in a foreign land much like soldiers were of Rome. The only difference is that our homeland has not been vanquished and laid to ruin. As a matter of fact, our Kingdom is growing and is coming soon.
Christians however live as though we are the last outpost and we are to huddle in fear inside of its walls. How and why is this? Here are some examples:
1. We huddle in our churches as if they had battlements to safely shoot arrows at the world from.
2. We disassociate ourselves with needy sinners lest some of them contaminate us.
3. We hide behind walls of legalisms that only cause problems in our own ranks.
4. We close in ourselves even away from our own King and Lord by our sinful practices
All these things happen when a group of people stayed enclosed in a fortress or structure for their entire lives. The constant enclosure breeds problems, and especially in Christian circles, problems that the Lord never intended.
One of the tenants of the Great Commission is to Go. The reason is straightforward. We need to Go because the people are out there and needy. BUT it is also an Inward command, so that we are not to become stagnant and hysterical, damaging the only hope bearing messenger force God left in the world--us.
At the end of the TV episode, the outside of the fortress is seen as the old gate is pounded and pounded from within and finally knocked open. Then all the inhabitants saw the outside world and breathed new air and it was liberating. This similarity needs to exist in the Christian world today. This is NOT to say we need to go plunge headlong into worldly practice to add variety to our lives, no, but we need to get out more and expose others to the message of Christ.
The largest drawback to the solution mentioned, is Fear. Fear of rejection and persecution most notably. There will be both of these things present that is true, but in the end we will find it better than stagnation.
In America, Christians have it easy, somewhat. That era when freedom of religious speech having been enjoyed for so long is coming to an end. So all the more necessary it becomes to share while we can.
Then comes the King of Kings! Our Divine Liberator who will most assuredly take us Home to be with Him in the Rapture. The Rapture is a true event, never before seen, but nonetheless true. When we are gone and our outpost abandoned, the world will wallow in a sea of evil the likes they haven't even imagined.
Our Last Outpost, the church, is the only barrier between man and the onslaught of unspeakable evil. So then, let us rally to invite men and women to the safety of Christ in His walls, and yet not be so stuck inside them that we don't ever venture out to give and outstretched hand to the needy sinner. We must plead with the sinner to come inside while he or she can, the decision is theirs, but the job of telling them is ours.
In the Scripture reading, Jude gives us instructions to build or strengthen ourselves, we do this in the outpost of the church by building up each other, then he exhorts to go out and have compassion and pull those from the fire. Our Last Outpost is a joyous one, and its soon to be an Eternal one. While we enjoy the fellowship lets not neglect the mission outside its walls. Go out into the world and bid men come before the Master comes and shuts the door to the world.
Lord, help me to cower in the walls of the church or in fear of whatever. Help me to witness to others in my town, my street, my workplace, wherever you put me today. In Your Name, Amen.
