September 14, 2003pm   Contact!   Mark 6:53-56

By Ronald E. George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church

 

 Our Mission is to live our lives every day,

so that others can see Christ living in us.

(What is your mission?)

 

The copilot grabs the prop of the plane with both and yells “contact” before he gives the propeller a pull to get the plane engine to run.  The plane is ready to take off.  God grabs the propeller of the church and yells contact! 

 

Have you heard of the freedom plan?  The freedom plan from Verizon is a plan that offers all of the phone company’s services including unlimited long distance calling any time and anywhere.  It allows you the freedom to call the folks you have wanted to talk to.  Friends, that is freedom.  We have been given the freedom to get in touch today. 

What does it mean to make contact?  It means to get in touch with, make contact with, call, phone, speak to, write to, drop a line to, and contact.   Find ways to make contact.  Start your motors running so that you can take off and fly out to the place where the people are.  Are you ready to make contact? 

 

Scripture Text:  Mark 6:53  When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went--into villages, towns or countryside--they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.

 

Introduction:  Can you remember what it was like when you first saw Jesus? 

 

The people recognized Jesus.  Have we recognized Jesus?  Who is he?  What can he do?  What can he do in your life?   Is He your friend?  Is He your Savior?  Is He your Lord?  Don’t wait too late before you recognize Jesus. 

 

The people ran to the sick people to hurry to bring them in to the Lord. 

            On September 11, 2001 people were running.  Some were running out of harms way.  Some were running to see the disaster unfold.  Some were running in the towers to save the people.  Which way are we running?  Which way should we be running? 

 

1.  Making contact with the Lord.  Have you?  The whole don’t need a physician?  In touch for salvation, for service, and for strength. 

 

2.      Making contact with the Lost, lonely, and the least.  Bringing them to make contact with the Lord.  We must get out to where the needy.  We must get close enough to them to make contact.  Let them see who the Lord is.  People today have an out of focus picture of who is the Lord.  They need to get a clear picture of the Lord of Heaven and Earth. 

 

3.  Making Him recognizable.  Will they see Jesus?  Will they see Jesus in us?  They will see Jesus as we see Him.  We must bring them to the Lord in person, in prayer, and in persistence.  One of the reasons that folks don’t want to come to know the Lord is the Lord that they see in the lives of the people of the church.  They need to see the real Lord who loves them, who cares about their lives, and who can make the difference. 

 

Contact with the Lord made the difference in the lives of the disciples and in the lives of those in need.   His touch is what healed the people. 

People brought the sick to Jesus.  People were used by the Lord to bring the people, but the Lord is the one who healed the people.  They just wanted to touch the hem of his garment.  If they could just get close to the Lord then that would be all they needed. 

 

The Lord is grabbing the propeller of the church and giving us a push to make contact.  We have to make contact.  Unless we make contact then the church is not going to be taking off.  We must make contact with the Lord and with the lost to make Him recognizable to the people. 

 

Make a list of those to contact. 

 

Pray for those to whom God would send you.  Pray for ways to make contact with them.