Pack Your Coffin!

I so love Peter, because I identify with Peter; Peter's journey is my journey.

For starters, Peter blew it, denying Jesus not once, but three times. (Matthew 26:69-75). Then, Peter had difficulty comprehending  Christ’s grace and call, again, not once but three times (John 21:15-19).  But in due course Peter did comprehend Jesus grace and call, 'selling out' to the Savior -- totally completely, following Him (Acts 1-12).  

And the results are stunning, with the entire first half of the book of Acts devoted to Peter’s ministry, as Peter leads the early church in spreading the Gospel throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria (Acts 9:31), resulting in many “signs and wonders” (Acts 5:12), resulting in many reached for the Savior.

Obviously there were many reasons for the ‘outcome and overflow’ of Peter’s remarkable ministry.  First and foremost was Peter’s movement from self-control to God in control. But in his later years, Peter parses more precisely how such movement occurs; it occurs through humility.   You see, Peter clarifies in 1 Peter 5, “…God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  [And so] humble yourselves, therefore under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you…And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ…will…restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”  (1 Peter 5:5-7; 10-11).  

Why?  So that we, like Peter, might go to our Judea, Galilee and Samaria, spreading the Gospel – selling out to the Savior -- overflowing with the ‘life and light.’ of the Lord.

    

Mark Batterson tells of a band of brave souls, a century ago, known as one-way missionaries.  True to their name, they purchased only one-way tickets to the mission field without a return half; but there’s more: instead of packing suitcases, they packed their belongings into coffins. Can you believe it? And so as they sailed out of port, they waved good-bye to everyone they knew and loved, knowing they’d never return home.  

A.W. Milne was one of those missionaries, setting sail for the New Hebrides in the South Pacific, knowing full well that the headhunters who lived there had martyred every missionary before him. But Milne did not fear for his life.  Why?  Because Milne had died to self, moving from self-control, to God in control; translated: Milne had packed his coffin!  Well surprisingly, given the threat around him, Milne’s ministry lasted for thirty-five years; in fact, Milne became deeply loved by the tribe he was seeking to reach.  And so when Milne died, tribe members buried Milne not at the edge of their village where burials normally occurred, but right in the middle of their village, inscribing on Milne’s tombstone one of the most striking epitaphs ever:  “When he came there was no light.  When he left, there was no darkness.”  [adapted, Mark Batterson, All-In, p.13]

Wow: what a testimony to a life well lived!  But please note:  a life well lived for Jesus!  For the ultimate outcome of a life lived for Jesus, of total devotion to Jesus, is life and light that touches others, not just light and light that touches me.

Overflow with the light and life of Jesus!  For "[Jesus]...has given us everything we need for life...through our knowledge of Him...[For Jesus] has given us His very great and precious promises, so that...we [may]...escape the corruption [of] this world...[the bitterness of life].  (2 Peter 1:3-4)

Escape the bitterness of life, claiming the boldness of Christ!  For as Mark Batterson goes on to note:  "...Jesus did not die to keep us safe, Jesus died to make us dangerous; faithfulness is not holding the fort; it's storming the very gates of hell."  [(adapted, Mark Batterson, All In, p. 13)].

And so storm the gates of hell!

Develop a stunning, unshakable, irrepressible confidence in Jesus!

Pack your coffin!

Move out zealously, unapologetically, boldly...for Him!