Watch/Listen
The Relational Needs of Our Time
Brian Mashburn
October 22, 2006
Audio Player
The Relational Needs of Our Time
In 1 Chronicles 12, God is assembling an army for His servant David to take the Kingdom from the sadly unfaithful King Saul. He brings choice warriors from among the men of Judah, 6,800 with spear and shields! Another 3,000 men of Benjamin, Saul's own kinsman, which had to be affirming for David in his cause. 4,600 from the tribe of Levi, including Jehoiada, leader of the family of Aaron. The list goes on, each tribe contributing choice men with distinctive and unique gifts, resources, and blessings with them.
It is the men of Issachar that caught my attention this week. It is their contribution that I want to focus on today. According to the list, the men of Issachar numbered the least numerically, but what they brought to the strategy table of David was invaluable. It says that included among the men who came to David at Hebron were...
"Men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do." - I Chronicles 12:32
Oh, that we as a church would be sent some "men of Issachar" for these times that we live in! Oh, that we would be sent those folks who understood them! Oh, that we would be sent those folks who knew what Southwest should do!
Today we look around us with diligent and attentive "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" and strive to see and understand "the times" we live in. Why? Because we are the people who live in these times as representatives of the gospel message. We are the people who want to get that unchanging message to a constantly changing world. So we are the people who need to understand the times that we live in, so that we can know what Southwest should do.
There are two authorities that are calling all Christians to become more relational than ever in order to deliver the message of the Bible to the world: One is the Bible and the other is the world. Do you understand the times?