Focus: Theaters of Christ

Text: Mk.2:1

"And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was NOISED that he was in the house."

Let me hit the nail on its head right away. It is not possible for Christ to be in His church or in your life and then be unnoticed. God is in the business of announcing Himself wherever He is. In the Gospel of Mark, the Lord Jesus Christ kept telling some people He healed, not to tell anyone. One reason He did that is because His works in their lives would speak for themselves.

*You're Christ's house

He lives and works in you, and Christ is capable of self-announcement. We know who God is by what He does. Let Christ be in your life, and He will show Himself to the world. In fact, the Christian is called to show forth the praises of Christ.

As soon as Christ stepped foot into that house, the news of Him spread everywhere. The honey always attracts the bees.

*You are Christ's megaphone

Let Christ showcase Himself in your life and get ready to noise Him abroad. Be His mouthpiece - His megaphone. Why was He noised abroad? It is because of His presence and operations. Everywhere He is, He is doing good and displaying His glory. When He turned water into wine He manifested forth His glory.

In Mark 7:24, we read, "And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but HE COULD NOT BE HID." This was Jesus Christ in a Gentile territory. He couldn't get the rest He wanted because He could not be anywhere without being noticed. He is no stranger on any soil, and certainly not on the Christian's soil. His words and works speak for Him. His miracles announce Him.

Yes, you are His house! He has entered your life, and He wants to popularize Himself in your life. His presence in your life cannot be hidden. His grace, goodness, power and greatness cannot be hidden.

*You are Christ's theater 

People see Him through you. People come to know Him through you. People watch Christ display His glory through you. You can't privatize Christ. He doesn't belong to an unseen corner of our lives. Paul declares that "we are made a SPECTACLE unto the world, and to angels, and to men" (1Cor.4:9). We are the theaters of Christ and mediums of His manifestation.

*You are God's light

It's time for you to break the pitcher and let the light of His glory out. Paul appeals, "And be not CONFORMED to this world: but be ye TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind…" (Rom.12:2). The word 'conformed' means putting up a false appearance, wearing the wrong makeup, or wearing a mask. It means that you are inside what you are not outside. There's no correspondence or resemblance. Paul is saying, Don't be a Christian within and a worldly person without. In other words, stop living like the world if indeed you are a Christian. Stop modeling or patterning your lifestyle after the world. Don't make the worldly way of living your standard, for to do that is to hide Christ. You can't afford to be a Christian, and at the same time, looking like the world. It means you are making it extremely difficult for the world to see or notice Christ in you. That is hiding Christ.

Daniel did not hid God in a pagan world. Nehemiah didn't hide God in a strange land. Christ is the light, and having Him in our lives means letting Him shine. Do what Joseph of Arimathaea did! Come out of hiding! Declare who you are! Kick fear or shame out of your life! Announce your faith! Christ wants to be notified in your life. John says, "And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, BEING A DISCIPLE OF JESUS, BUT SECRETLY FOR FEAR OF THE JEWS, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus" (Jh.19:38). Conquer your fears and do all you can to live right for Christ's glory to be seen in you. We are the theaters of our Lord Jesus Christ in the world. Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter