One morning while we waited for Ricky to bring our breakfast, Stan mentioned, “I drove over to Jasper Creek the other day to visit a pastor friend.”
“Any particular reason?” I asked.
“No,” he replied, “I just hadn’t seen him for some time and I wanted to see how he’s doing?”
“How is he?”
“Great,” Stan said. “He and his family are fine, the church he pastors is growing, people are pursuing discipleship, and new people are coming to faith. We talked quite a bit about that.”
“Which part, coming to faith or pursuing discipleship?” I asked.
“Both,” he said. “Of course you can’t have people pursuing discipleship before they come to faith, and too many who come to faith stop there and never pursue discipleship, but first you need to have them get in their boat and go to Capernaum.”
“Get in their boat and go to Capernaum?” I said. “What’s that?”
“It’s an expression my pastor friend used,” Stan replied. “It comes from a single verse in John’s gospel, right after the feeding of the five thousand, where it says that the multitude got into boats and went to Capernaum seeking Jesus.”
“Went to Capernaum seeking Jesus,” I repeated. “That seems like something everyone should do.”
“Exactly,” Stan replied. “Whether it’s Capernaum, Jasper Creek, or wherever, how are they going to find Jesus unless they seek Him? And, it seems to me, we who have found Him already should be helping others to get into their boats or whatever they need to get into and go wherever they need to go to find Jesus.”
Without really expecting Stan to answer, I said, “You’re right. How else is the church going to grow unless we encourage people to go to their Capernaum?”
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Bible verses to consider:
When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. John 6:24.
What do you seek? John 1:38.
Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without the preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 10:13-15.
Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:17.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for those who encouraged me to seek your free and gracious provision of life eternally with you through the finished work of Jesus’ cross. Thank you that I did seek and find you, and am now able to pursue being the disciple you intend for me to be. I confess that too often I don’t encourage others to seek you so they, too, can find you and pursue discipleship. Please forgive me and help me follow every step of your lead to encourage everyone I can to seek and find you and your provision. Thank you that I can and do bring all of these things before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Have you sought and found Jesus so you now have life eternally with God? If no, why? What’s in the way? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, are you pursuing discipleship? Are you encouraging others to seek and find Jesus so they can pursue discipleship? If you sense the need for change in any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?