Drawing People to God by Jeremy Hocker
Herod was the one who had ordered the arrest of John, put him in chains, and sent him to prison at the nagging of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, for John had provoked Herod by naming his relationship with Herodias "adultery." Herodias, smoldering with hate, wanted to kill him, but didn't dare because Herod was in awe of John. Convinced that he was a holy man, he gave him special treatment. Whenever he listened to him he was miserable with guilt - and yet he couldn't stay away. Something in John kept pulling him back. -Mark 6:17-20 (The Message)
Guilt does not change people. I thank God that He did not come to earth to guilt us into serving Him. He came to love us into the kingdom. Even as He gave us communion, the remembrance of His cruel death on the cross, He did not leave us feeling guilty but victorious. Yes, He took our place. But we celebrate that He rose from the dead, and that He is coming back for us. Not that He made us guilty for dying for us.
Does my life convict people? John lived a life that convicted people. He preached this conviction even to his death. Jesus says that if we follow Him we will be persecuted. I believe that persecution comes from our lives convicting people. John separated himself from the world and the world was drawn to him.
Does my life draw people? Herod could not stop listening to John. Why, Herod even hated John, and kept listening to him. The word says that if we will lift Jesus up He will draw all men to Himself. John was the forerunner. He lifted Jesus up, and Jesus used John to draw people to Himself. We also, when we lift our savior Jesus up, will be given favor and people will be draw to us. Not us but the Jesus inside us.
We will have the draw John the Baptist had if we will go back to the basics of our Christianity. Reading the Word, praying, and worshiping daily will give us that draw. When we get full of the Word and pray in the power, we get full of God and can’t help but convict and draw people to the God we serve.
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