We are not abandoned
I know that you may be feeling uncertain about the times we are living in. You may be feeling unsettled about the state of our country or the state of the church and you may be feeling disoriented and unsure because you can't see the whole picture of what God is doing in the world. But God doesn't make mistakes and you were created and called to be Christ's disciples for this particular point in time. All the other disciples before you have passed on and you are now the 1st and the only disciples called by Christ to carry on the message of the gospel.
What do you do in times like these as you prepare for the coming of our Lord? You let your love and your light shine in the darkness and when asked about the source of your light you testify to what you know is true in your life about Jesus Christ. Who is Christ to you and what has he done for you in your life? Tell others about Jesus and what he has done for you and how he has transformed your life. You testify – you give witness to what you know is absolutely true and you lay down your life by sacrificially loving others and letting your light shine thereby lifting up the light of Christ for others to see.
One person's testimony about Christ may be different than another person's and that's why we all must testify to what we know is true about Christ. When I reflect back it wasn't one person who told me about Jesus it was several people sharing with me their own experience of Jesus.
John couldn't see the whole picture during his uncertain and turbulent times, yet he remained steadfast in his testimony to the salvation of God through Jesus Christ. Andrew lived in the same uncertain and turbulent times and he wasn't a great preacher, teacher, or scholar, yet he just kept bringing people to meet Jesus and he let Jesus do the rest. John and Andrew are long gone, and we have now been called and equipped to step up and to stand in their place at this particular point in time. Are we not empowered by the same Spirit as they were?
There's an old saying, you can count the apples on a tree but who can count the apples in a seed? Imagine if each of us simply brought one person to meet Jesus – just planted the seed - and let Jesus do the rest. Imagine the impact that simple act might have on the lives of others down through the generations. Amen?