Get Excited!
Some time ago I visited the prison in Malden, Missouri, I was accompanied by a couple from the church were I was preaching a week long revival. A quiet, gentle couple who have participated in Prison Fellowship for four years.
We made our way to the chapel where about thirty Christian men, including two from death row, were waiting to worship and listen to me preach.
The prisoners were buzzing before the service about several prospects they had invited who were in attendance. The Christian men sang with fervor about God's amazing grace.
One who had recently claimed the Lord's forgiveness for two murders gave a fifteen-minute testimony and read slowly a long passage from a book that had affected his life. The inmates hung on every word and encouraged the speaker with amens when he finished.
When I got up to speak, I asked the chaplain, "What time am I supposed to quit?" Someone quipped, "Preach as long as you want, we aren't going anywhere!" The men burst into hearty laughter. That small group of Christians in prison was about the most receptive and enthusiastic audience I'd ever preached to.
On our trip home, the lady with me sighed, "It's always over too fast!"
Isn't that incredible? She hated to leave! Both of them were energized by the enthusiasm of the new Christians in prison. I was too! That encounter pumped me up to preach with renewed fervor.
I'm not alone in that experience. Sometimes after worship someone will come to me and say, "I'm so excited! A man I brought to church for the first time weeks ago gave his life to Christ today." The most attentive I see older Christians is when they come to me before a service and say, "I've got a friend here today who isn't a Christian. I'm praying for you. Preach well!"
Read again the story of the woman at the well in John 4, and notice the excitement that was created by people coming to Jesus.
The sinful woman who carne to draw water got excited. She left her water jar at the well and hurried back into town to share her discovery.
The Samaritans got excited. They came out and, after hearing Jesus for themselves, were so impressed they begged him to stay.
Jesus got excited. When the disciples returned with lunch, he wasn't hungry anymore. He stayed with the Samaritans for two days.
The only ones who didn't appear enthusiastic were the disciples. They had been to Sychar but had not brought anyone back with them. They had a condescending spirit toward the Samaritans and were anxious to leave the territory. But Jesus urged them, "Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest."
"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11). Here's a formula we all would do well to remember: A daily association with Jesus plus a genuine concern for the lost equals sustained enthusiasm.
Consider this:
I. What gets you most excited on a regular basis-a favorite sport, a job, a pastime? What is it about this activity that excites you?
2. In what situations do you feel most "alive" in your faith? When do you feel most "dead"? What are some of the differences in the conditions or circumstances?
3. "A daily association with Jesus plus a genuine concern for the lost equals sustained enthusiasm." How can you work out that formula in your own life this week?
Pastor Paul Leavens - Minister - Christian Church in Lindsay Ca.