In today’s world communication is key.  To that end we have made it somewhat of a priority.  We have the television media both good or bad, we have books, and audio books.  We have phones, radios, mail, texting, and social media. We have sirens on emergency vehicles and tornado warning sirens to protect us, just to name a few different types of  information sharing.  Truly the list is vast. 

Why do we have such a hard time telling our story though?  With so many avenues to do, it just seems odd to me.

I was in my truck coming home from work on a rainy day in bumper to bumper traffic at 70mph the day my story came to be.  It was cool outside but not cold and I began to sweat.  I started shaking and the pain blossomed in my chest.  As a larger guy, I thought to myself as tears began to fall from my eyes, hey stupid you’re having a heart attack.  I worked myself off of the road.  No simple task, let me tell you.  When I had stopped my breathing had become labored furthering that heart attack thought. 

A little context here.  My wife and I had been going to a little church where the pastor was just a likeable guy.  In reality you really couldn’t not like him, at least I couldn’t.  On multiple occasions I told him what he was saying was ludicrous.  He’d smile and say, I’m praying for you.

Jesus died for me?  People don’t do things like that.  Nobody’s that selfless, I’d say.  He lived a perfect life?  Come on, really, I’d say.  Why don’t you tell me a story.  He’d go on though telling me about miracles and Jesus time with the disciples.  I’d shake my head.  He’d read John 3 and walk me down the Romans road.  I’d laugh and say ludicrous, how can you know that’s true.  I actually think he was having fun.  He’d ask me to go out to coffee with him or to visit someone.  I liked him so, I went.  He’d tell me his story and how Jesus changed his hard heart.  At first I thought it was made up.  The problem was that when people make things up, over time little details change.  His never did.  I also learned that you don’t have to believe a pastor to enjoy his friendship.  He was always saying he’d pray for me.

In that little church was an elderly woman who was so sweet.  Her go to phrase for everything was, Oh! Lord!  I must have heard that phrase from her a thousand times.

Well back to that heart attack on the side of the road.  As I sat there thinking I’m gonna die.  I muttered the phrase.  The one is heard a thousand times.

Oh! Lord!

It was like a puzzle piece just clicked into place and I realized that everything I’d been hearing was true.  The next thing I knew was that I was no longer in pain.  There was no shaking, sweating or crying.  You see, all along I wasn’t having a heart attack, I was having a heart transplant.  Jesus took the old hard one and replaced it with a new soft one that would learn to love Him more everyday on into eternity.  That’s what I needed, a wakeup call and Jesus knew it.  I admit at first I was afraid.  It wasn’t long though that I found out I was loved so much that Jesus would die to pay for my sin.

John 3:16-17 CSB
[16] For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Romans 5:8 CSB
[8] But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Colby, how does that get us to our text this week?  I’m glad you asked.  Let’s look.

Mark 3:7-8 CSB
[7] Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, and a large crowd followed from Judea, [8] Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing.

Vs. 8. The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything He was doing. 

Somebody was telling their story!  Talking about Jesus!  Probably a bunch of somebody’s.

Christian, tell your story!  Talk about Jesus!

Non-Christian, I’m praying you’ll hear, listen, and believe.

Love in Christ,

Colby