Arise, Shine

Chapter Nine

THE POWER THAT DRAWS

"Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." He said this to show by what death he was to die.     John 12:31-33

When Jesus sent his followers out to make disciples of all nations, there was never any question in his mind about whether these disciples would be made. Jesus gave his followers no instructions about how to arouse interest get people's attention, break through indifference, draw a crowd. He knew that people would be drawn. From Pentecost on, wherever the disciples went, people came ... people were drawn. We never see his disciples sitting around trying to figure out how to drum up interest, how to break through the indifference of the world. People came to them as if they were drawn by a magnet ... almost as if they couldn't help themselves. Not every one who came became a believer, but any one who came heard a living word.

Why is it that we seem to think our biggest challenge is to overcome people's indifference? "Nobody cares! How do we arouse their interest?" We have to learn that it's not our problem to break through indifference and arouse people's interest. People will be drawn by the power of God himself. If we are rooted and grounded in Jesus, people will be drawn. Even if this has never been our experience before it's time for us to see it and experience it ... people will be drawn. God will draw them if we will take off the bushel and let the light shine ... if we will lower the net into the sea ... if we will speak and live the word of the kingdom. God will draw them and we will disciple them, we will show them Jesus, we will manifest the kingdom. The time has come for us to see how this works and let it happen.

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; But the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

 

Lift up your eyes round about, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be carried in the arms. Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall thrill and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come.

They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.     Isaiah 60:1-6

This is a picture of people coming from all directions and swarming into Zion, the New Jerusalem. And at the center of this picture is Jesus.

At his birth, the shepherds were drawn to the manger, the wise men were drawn from the far away east. Then thirty years of obscurity. After Jesus' baptism and temptation, to the utter amazement of his own family, this obscure, quiet, unknown carpenter starts traveling around the country. Everywhere he goes people are drawn to him. They drop what they're doing and come to hear what he has to say, and see his signs of the kingdom.

He sits down at a well to rest in Samaria. Nobody in sight. The disciples have gone into the village to buy food. Pretty soon a woman comes to draw water. It soon becomes obvious that this woman was drawn to Jesus by some wonderful power. She leaves her water jar and goes back to the village.

"Come see a man who told me all I ever did. Is not this the Messiah?"

Soon the whole village is gathered around Jesus drinking in his words ... they were drawn to him.

Jesus never had to use gimmicks to draw crowds. The light had come to him, the glory of the Lord had risen upon him, and nations came to his light and kings to the brightness of his rising. Once they came, Jesus would give them a word which would either draw them all the way into the kingdom or drive them away angry and offended.... depending on what they did with that word. But even those who walked away offended were never the same again. They had seen the light, and knew they had seen the light, and rejected it.

Once we understand how this works and begin to fit into it, we can quit wasting our time trying to arouse people's interest, or overcome their indifference, or entice them into our churches ... they will be drawn to the light. Then we can concentrate on giving them the word which will either save them or damn them depending on what they do with it.

Peter had been fishing all night and caught nothing. But when Jesus told him to lower the net, suddenly fish came from all directions and fell over themselves trying to get into the net. Peter didn't have to use bait, or flies, or hypnosis, he just lowered the net. And this mystery worked for Peter wherever he went all the rest of his life. And it will work for us too. The time has come for us to enter into this and see it work.

"Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." He said this to show by what death he was to die.

The ultimate fulfillment of these words will be that every man or woman who has ever lived will somehow find their way to Jesus, beholding the mercy of his death on that cross and hear his invitation to receive forgiveness, and enter into life with God. The only sin left will be to turn away from that fountain of grace ... and that sin will damn people to hell and it will be final and irrevocable.

The power that draws all people to the Lamb is already at work in this world. It's the power that brings us together and holds us together. If we'll let this grace have possession of our lives we become vessels of this grace ... channels...and people are drawn to the light in us.

The Lord will arise upon you and his glory will be seen upon you and nations shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising.

The living God will draw people to his Son through us. He will draw them if we yield our lives to this drawing power according to four principles:

1. Let your light shine and people will be drawn to that light.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

.... exactly what good works they need to see in us. The light shines when we clean up our relationships, our speech, our attitudes, our walk with God, our faith, the way of mercy.

2. The second principle that will enable God's power to draw through us: seek the lost sheep, the lost coin, and all the others will be drawn to you.

Jesus never sought crowds, the crowds sought him. And the power that drew those crowds was this thirst in Jesus that caused him to constantly seek the lost. Jesus didn't have to seek Nicodemus... Nicodemus came to him ... drawn by this love in Jesus that constantly went out looking for the lost sheep. So we never need to try to draw multitudes. They will be drawn if we will seek the forgotten ones.

3. The third principle that will enable God's power to draw through us: walk with Jesus in the fellowship of his cross. And the power of the cross will draw thirsty hearts to you wherever you go.

The apostle Paul gloried in the cross ... walked with Jesus in the fellowship of his cross. Everywhere Paul went people were drawn to the crucified Lamb.

When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in much fear and trembling; and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.    I Corinthians 2:1-5

What is this power of God? The cross where Jesus died for me! When I get to know Jesus in the fellowship of his sufferings... share in his sufferings, bear his reproach, then the power of the cross will draw through me.

1.      The fourth principle… that will enable God's power to draw through us: worship God. And the glory that you worship will come to rest upon you and people will be drawn to that glory.

When Moses came down from Sinai his face shone with glory...he had been worshiping. When Jesus stood on the Mount of Transfiguration his face began to shine like the sun and his raiment became white as light ... he was worshiping. "As he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered."

Our primary purpose is to worship God and the Lamb. As we do, the glory of God that draws will come to us.

Lift up your eyes round about and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far, and your daughters shall be carried in the arms. Then you shall see and be radiant, your heart shall thrill and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

The power that draws is the glory of the Lamb. Sooner or later every soul will have to stand before the Lamb and decide what to do with this blazing mercy. But for now, the power that brings them to the Lamb is given to those who belong to the Lamb.

Today we feast at the Lamb's table. We worship the Lamb's glory. Then we go out shining with his light and we can expect this week to have the joy of seeing people drawn to that light.