Motivate then Mobilize

January 21, 2009- While reading a passage in the gospel of John, chapter 3, I stumbled upon what I think is a great problem that we have in the church today. If we were to walk down the street and randomly ask people if they were Christians, most would say yes. Sure it would depend what street you walked down, but I'm talking about your average street in America. So why do people, that call themselves Christians, live defeated lives? Why do people go in and out of churches every week and still struggle with the same issues? They are(we are) being motivated without being mobilized. When we are in those churches, we hear the vision. We listen to the story. We receive the truth. But when the action statement comes, our mind is already on what we are having for lunch. And in this process we are never activated.
In John 3 Jesus has a conversation with Nicodemus, a scholar. Nicodemus knew all about motivational speeches. He talked about God every day. We all know the conversation, but the interesting thing I find is that Jesus...

• Gave him the vision- vs. 3 " Truly, truly, I say unto you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of heaven
• Uses a story to illustrate- vs.5-8 Explaining the Spirit in comparison to the wind
• Shows him the Truth- vs.10-17 He gives him the reason for salvation.
• Action statement- vs.20-21. " For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God"

This blew me away. Not because of the obvious. But the fact of when He said this to Nicodemus. You see Nicodemus had to sneak over to see Jesus, of all times, at night. Sometimes to mobilize a person, you have to step on their toes...