Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - Hiding In Plain Sight - #4262

Tuesday, May 13, 2003

Her family described it as a "miracle," and most of us believe it was nothing less than that. Most kidnapped kids don't come home alive after they've been missing a long time, but Elizabeth Smart did. After being kidnapped from her room at knifepoint in the middle of the night, all the combined efforts of law enforcement agencies and family could not turn up a trace of her. Until the day some alert witnesses saw a man who resembled the suspect who had eventually been identified by Elizabeth's sister, who had seen the abduction. Before the day was over, Elizabeth was back in her parents' arms. As details of her lost nine months came out, what seemed so strange was how many times she, her kidnapper, and his wife had actually been seen in public, with the women covered in robes and veils. As one news commentator observed, "Elizabeth Smart was hidden in plain sight for more than nine months."

Well,

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Hiding In Plain Sight."

When I heard those words - "hidden in plain sight" - I thought to myself, "That phenomenon is not unique." There's something that everyone is looking for ... and it's right there in front of them ... but it's hiding, in plain sight. Because the people who know about it have got it covered up. What's hidden is Jesus and what He did on the cross for every person. The ones who are hiding it are the people who belong to Jesus. The lost people around those believers are the ones who can't see Him ... whose only hope of heaven is getting to see Him, being told about His sacrifice for every wrong thing they've ever done.

Surveys indicate that some 90% of those of us who know Jesus never tell anyone about Him, never explain to someone else how they could have this life-saving relationship. How many people will go into a Christless, hopeless eternity because of the silence of the believer they knew? How many people you know - at work, at school, at the club, in your neighborhood, in your personal circle?

God starkly lays out the "life-or-deathness" of our mission in Proverbs 24:11-12 , our word for today from the Word of God. "Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, 'But we knew nothing about this,' does not He who weighs the heart perceive it? ... Will not He repay each person according to what he has done?" And, if I may add this - for what he has not done? Like telling the spiritually dying people he knew about how to go to heaven.

The Bible says, "If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are lost." (2 Corinthians 4:3 ) Maybe the Good News about Jesus has been hiding in plain sight for too long - for people you know whose eternity depends on them hearing that news. God has literally positioned you where you are so you can help some of the people there be in heaven with you. So, how are you doing? Whatever your job title, Jesus put you there to be a rescuer. That's why He has you living where you live, going to school where you go to school, recreating where you recreate - He's counting on you to take Him in one hand and a lost friend in the other hand and do whatever it takes to bring them together.

Yes, they need to see Christ in your life. But no matter how long they watch your life, they will never guess that Jesus died on the cross for their sins. You'll have to tell them that. The news that can save their life - eternally - is right within their reach. It's as close to them as you are. Humanly speaking, you may be their best - maybe their only - chance of heaven.