Don’t Just Stand There

A man bought a donkey from a preacher. The donkey was trained to go when you said “Hallelujah,” and stop when you said, “Amen.” The man started the donkey by saying “Hallelujah.”  After a while they began to head toward a cliff. “Stop,” said the man. “Halt!” he cried. The donkey began to trot faster. Oh no . . .Bible!. . . Church. . . Please stop! Shouted the man. He was getting closer and closer to the cliff edge. Finally, in desperation, the man said a prayer . . . “Please Lord make this donkey stop before I go off the end of this mountain. Amen.” The donkey came to an abrupt stop just one step from the edge of the cliff. “Hallelujah!” shouted the man.

In life, we are often tempted to not to listen to what is being said to us. Then, when the crunch time comes we find ourselves in a terrible mess. The angels told the disciples to stop standing there. The disciples were looking into the sky. They had witnessed a supernatural feat by God. Perhaps they were thinking they could just stand there and wait for Him to come back. Or, perhaps they thought they could build an altar to always remember this event and to mark this sacred spot. But, the angels said, “don’t just stand there.”

When we have had a moment with Christ, the same is true. We don’t need to just stand there.

While the disciples were gazing into heaven, heaven was gazing down on them. In fact, God sent angels to remind them to get busy doing what God had told them. Acts 1:10-11. 2 Chron 16:9; Ps 33:13

Illustration: A man broke into a house and heard “Jesus is watching you.” Moses was the bird and Jesus was the Doberman Pincher. As Christians we don’t do what is expected but what is inspected. Jesus is watching you and He is not a dog, but the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Because Christ is coming soon, we must be ready. Turn to Matthew 25 and read what Jesus says about His coming again. Satan tempts us to just stand here in our Christian walk. He wants us to become content with how we are. He wants us to be satisfied. But, instead we must be working.

The word witness is martus in the Greek. God wants us to be so in love with Him that we will be willing to die for him as a martyr.

Illustration: Holding someone’s hand for the first time (Your first time to hold hands story)

Do you remember your first love with Christ? Use Phil 3:10-11; Ps 42:1-2

More people need Christ than we are willing to tell about him. 92% die without ever sharing their faith.