Position in the Crowd

We have all been in crowds at different times of our lives.  Huge crowds that pushed in from all sides, small crowds that flowed easily, happy crowds, angry crowds, even sad crowds.  In each circumstance where we were positioned in the crowd impacted how we were engaged and what our emotional reaction was to the circumstances surrounding us.  Similarly, thanks to the wonders of technology we have witnessed the extreme spectrum of crowds lately.  The violent riots in Greece that resulted in death and destruction everywhere are contrasted against the peaceful, joyful gathering on August 28th of this year in Washington DC at the Restoring Honor Rally.  Remember back to a time when you were in the midst of a significant crowd and reflect on what you were feeling and doing at the time.  Where were you standing physically and where were you standing emotionally?

Recently as I studied scripture, I was struck with the different words used to describe those that were following Jesus during His ministry on earth.  Several different descriptors are used when crowds are mentioned.  As I reflected on each of these I could see the parallel to our church today and our society.  Luke 6: 12-13 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.  Then verse 17 When they came down the slopes of the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers and by the crowds. There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon.There are four different types of people in this gathering.  First we have the twelve apostles which were a result of Jesus praying all night and hearing the voice of the Lord guiding Him in that selection.  (Can you just imagine that conversation with the Trinity?)  On the mountain top were disciples from which Jesus chose the twelve.  There is no indication how many there were.  We must assume that the number was at least greater than twelve.  Once chosen, the apostles and disciples led by Jesus went down the mountain to greet those that were waiting for them.  Now we see two distinct groups.  There are Jesus' followers and then there are the crowds (Note this is plural).

In this circumstance there are four distinctions between the people that were surrounding Jesus that day.  His newly appointed Apostles, His disciples, His followers and then the crowds.  The intensity with which individuals were pursuing Jesus and His teachings were characterized by how close they were to the man Himself.  Picture concentric circles.  The more distant one was from the center of the circle, the more distant from the core beliefs that Jesus was teaching.  When Jesus chose the apostles, He knew what they would experience for the rest of their lives.  Simultaneously He knew what their commitment would be to the Great Commission once He had departed from the scene.   He knew that it would be through their leadership that the multiplication effort of Christianity would be implemented.  Similar to farming, Jesus also knew that seed requires fertile soil and consistent cultivation.  Thus as He taught, he developed both through His disciples and through His followers.  But then you have the crowds, that great sea of onlookers who are very curious but short on commitment and understanding.  Out of the crowds some followers would develop, but also in those crowds were those whose intent was to destroy Jesus and His ministry.

In the church today (speaking of the entire Body of Christ) we still have these distinctions.  It will vary from region to region from denomination  to denomination, but the essential characteristics exist.  Consider those believers that surround you in your life.  Which ones would be identified as "apostles" and I am not referring to the anointed position of apostle, simply one that has surrendered totally to Christ and to pursuing the Great Commission at all costs?  Which ones would be classified as disciples?  How about followers?  Finally which are part of the crowds? Each of these groups of individuals has a different impact on the nature of the "larger crowd" that is surrounding Jesus today.  In visiting different churches, I have witnessed what the proportion of these inner groupings has on the general gathering itself.  This is in essence a small segment of the greater Body itself.  When the influence or size of one segment is more dominant than another, it sways the overall population in that direction.  Again think of the mob mentality that pervaded the riots in Greece compared to the unity and peace that surrounded the Restoring Honor Rally.  Whatever the core beliefs of the influential mass is the direction in which the crowd will be swayed.  

Once again, let's consider the Body of Christ, but reflect on those early years of the new church after Jesus was resurrected.  Without the aid of mass media, the gospels were spread throughout the land, to such an extent that by the fourth century, Constantinople was declaring it the official religion of the empire.  The willingness of people to move from the outer ring of the "crowd" into the inner circles of followers, disciples and apostles directly impacted the growth of the church.  The influence grew in an incredibly positive light in spite of persecution and direct attempts to sabotage this move of God.

We are living in similar circumstances today.  The move to snuff out the Word of God and the positive influence that it will project on society is tangible.  There has not been such a vehement objection and assault on God Himself in many centuries.  Yet this is the age in which God has intentionally placed each of us.  We have an assignment and we have a place in this "crowd".  We have a uniquely empowered ability to move the gospel out from the inner circles to the outermost circle of the curious crowd even to the antagonistic crowd.  First however we need to determine whether we have moved far enough into the center of the crowd to be fully empowered through Holy Spirit in order to move back through the crowd to make a difference.

So my challenge to each of us today is to truly seek where you are today in this crowd.  From one end of the spectrum in which one is simply a passive observer to all that is taking place to the other end in which one is actively committed and engaged in advancing the gospel, each of us has a place.  If we are in the fringes of the crowd, then it is time to make a decision to start working our way in.  If we are in the center then it is time to start working our way out to the fringes to impact the spirit of this crowd for Christ.  Today is not the time to stand still.  The crowd is going to change ~ in one direction or another.  The season for straddling the fence of belief is gone.  There will be no more "gray" when it comes to our beliefs in the very near future.  You will stand for Christ against all that will come at you, or you will fall to the wiles of this world ineffective in making a difference for the good of this world while we still have time.  Your choice; your life; but someone else's eternity.......