As we embark on the mandate of making disciples of men, we must remember that Jesus alone should remain the focus, not His doings.
Emphasizing His doings (miracles, signs, wonders) over who He represents to the Body risks us birthing Christians without roots.
And the natural occurrence is a production of Christians who never abide when their faith is tested.
Jesus is the root, His doings are akin to fruits or leaves.
Some Christians often wonder why Jesus cursed the fig tree seeing it wasn’t in its season to produce fruits. (Mark 11:12-14)
But you see, the fig tree is symbolic of a Christian today who is all buzz with no flame.
They keep flaunting leaves to the hungry and deprived souls, but scarcely provide the message that satisfies their thirst and births genuine salvation.
Jesus came hungry, attracted by the leaves, but left disappointed and forced to curse the tree’s hypocrisy. He cursed its lack of discernment of the times.
As Christians, we are meant to continually lead men to Christ. There are no seasons not to.
We aren’t called to entertain with stage lighting that intrigues, powerful sermons that excite, or angelic song ministration that lacks conviction.
These are all great in themselves, but if they aren’t causing men to be genuinely broken at the Cross, or if they still leave men hungry, then they are mere exhibitions.
Often, when people converge for the sake of fruits, the tendency to disperse when the fruits finish is normal.
Please, don’t blame them:
The fruit is designed to quench hunger for a season, but the root gives tenacity throughout all seasons.
This is why we are meant to use the fruits (leaves) to lead men to the abiding root– for the fruits (leaves) cannot save– They aren’t the Savior. The Root alone is!
The fruits (leaves) of a tree are its Unique Selling Point (USP). Its unique strategy to
announce a root.
This is why no two trees have fruits (leaves) that bear semblance.
By the fruits (leaves) we should (know)(identify)(find) its root.
Fruits (leaves) aren’t the brand. It Is the buzz that announces the brand.
We are allowed to strategically think of ways to sell the Gospel. Ways to get the attention of the world to the message we bear– Yeah! Create a buzz about Jesus. Just as the leaves (fruits) announce that the root is alive.
Yet if all the buzz (social media buzz, fanciful stage lighting, magnetic auditorium) isn’t genuinely harvesting souls, or causing men to await His appearing, we are having a ceremony.
As men come to check out the fruit (leaves) and enjoy the fruit (leaves) being produced, they shouldn’t fail to be pointed to Jesus.
Every evangelism should conclude with an altar call, or it is just an excursion.
Every sermon should give room to men to invite Jesus into their hearts, else, it is just another motivational speech.
No excellent marketer ends his pitch to prospects without a Call To Action (CTA).
The altar call is the Call To Action (CTA) business-minded Christians indulge to lead the unsaved to Jesus and backslidden back to the Cross.
The noise (buzz) we make about Jesus’s doings should lead men to the Voice, for The Voice alone genuinely convicts, whilst noise entertains.
Jesus alone is our message. Let’s unapologetically lead men to Him.
Hallelujah!
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Scripture Reading:
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.
14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
(Mark 11:12-24)
Written By Sis Jane Edema (Team Watchmen)