Ensign of the People /
Ensign for the Nations
Isaiah
11:10 (KJV)
And
in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of
the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
Ensign is not a word you
hear every day, unless you are in the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard. The Hebrew word
translated as ensign is a simple word, nes,
which means, “a flag; also a sail; by implication a flagstaff; generally a
signal; figurative a token.” In the Old Testament it is used as a type
(prophetic symbol) of Jesus.
It comes from the root
word nasas which means, “a primitive
root; to gleam from afar, i.e. to be conspicuous as a signal.”
In conversations with
both friends and strangers you can mention “God” and most people are not
bothered. God is a very neutral word that can mean just about anything.
However, when you mention Jesus there is a definite change in the tone of the
conversation. Jesus is referred to in scripture as a Stone of Offense.
Isaiah
8:14 (ESV)
And
he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to
both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Jesus is never neutral.
He requires that every person make a decision about the relationship they
choose to have with Him. Jesus is either a sanctuary (a place of refuge,
safety) or a stumbling block. He came to be beacon that would draw mankind back
to God, their Creator. He said of Himself before He died on the cross, “And I,
when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John
12:32 ESV) He is speaking here of being crucified on the cross.
The focus of evangelism
is not trying to nail people to the cross, but instead show them the One that
was nailed to it on Calvary. Lift Him up in our conversations so that everyone
will be drawn to Him.
I prefer the term
“revealing the Kingdom” instead of evangelism, primarily for the bad press the
word has received through the politically active “Evangelicals” that we hear in
the news so often. Just because a word is on the label does not mean it is
actually part of the contents. I believe we should share our faith by telling
of the One, Jesus, who made a way for us to once again have fellowship with our
Creator, God.
We do this by speaking
the truth about who God is and sharing the love that He showed us through His
Son, Jesus. It’s not hard. We are always sharing the news about good things in
our lives. Jesus is the best thing!
When others learn that
this Ensign of the People is a sign
of hope and safety they will be drawn to Him in the same way you and I were.
There is no struggle in sharing your faith. Speak of it as you would your
beloved hometown (if you came from one.) We as Believers are residents of a
different Kingdom. We must now seek to show others this wonderful place of
communion with the Father that we have found.
Simple conversations. No
high pressure. No yelling in the streets. Shining light to your world and
seasoning your relationships with salt. This is New Testament evangelism.
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