Kingdom Talk - Radically Sold Out

The conference I was at has concluded. Every time I've done a comprehensive inductive study of Mark, I am struck again at the radical demands of the Kingdom. I remember first being hit by this back in my college days. It continues to this day. This is no half-way with Jesus. You can't just get your feet wet, then stay there. He is gentle, but he is demanding. The measure you give will be the measure you get - the more you enter the Kingdom, the more you are invited to come in. Yet the more you allow yourself to remain on the fringes, the further outside you'll find yourself. This is the challenge - the nature of the challenge differs from culture to culture, but there is no doubt that one effect of sin is our tendency to go into drift mode. We'll use anything to innoculate ourselves against Kingdom demands - routine, work, addictions, distractions, even church. It takes constant vigilance to keep our focus, but if we seek Him, He is faithful to help us along the way.