Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - Your Stretch Of The Road - #2995

It's a huge job to try to keep the roadside by interstates and major highways from looking like garbage dumps. But somebody had this great idea: have clubs, and churches, and schools, and civic organizations volunteer to maintain just one mile of the road near them. You've probably seen the signs - "This mile maintained by the Forest Grove Garden Club," or a Boy Scout troop, or by the Busy Hands Presbybaptist Church, or even a family. Now no one of those groups could ever maintain say the entire roadside in their county - but they can do a mile. And if each group makes sure their mile is covered, the whole area will end up looking a whole lot better.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You about "Your Stretch Of The Road."

Someone could look at the miles and miles of highway running through their area and say, "How in the world are we going to take care of all this?" But it's getting done because many people say, "I'll take care of the area around me."

Now the job of highway cleanup is nothing compared to the assignment left to us by the Lord Jesus, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." (Mark 16:15 ). Now each generation of believers is responsible for their generation of lost people. How in the world are we going to reach the lost people of our generation? The same way you clean up a long highway - we each take the responsibility for our stretch of the road.

In our word for today from the Word of God, the Old Testament leader, Nehemiah, has called the people of Judah to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem - a massive job - like telling our town about Jesus. And they were surrounded by people who were hostile to them accomplishing that mission - like our world today. But here's how it got done - Nehemiah 3:23 . "Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah...made repairs beside his house...the priests made repairs, each in front of his house...Zadok made repairs opposite his house." Get the idea? The entire city wall got rebuilt by each person taking care of the area around them.

Which brings us to your piece of the eternal rescue work Jesus has given to all of us. There's a reason you live where you live - Jesus assigned you to that block, that neighborhood, that complex - to be His personal representative among the people who live there. The reason you work where you work, you go to school where you go to school, belong to what you belong to - is because Jesus wanted you to be those people's personal link to Him. In Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 5:20 , "We are Christ's ambassadors."

So how are you doing with your stretch of the road? Jesus gave His life on the cross for the people on your stretch and He's left you responsible for them finding that out. And while you may think He should get someone better, He decided you're the one for those people. And they're a lot morelikely to listen to someone who walks their road and lives their issues - a peer like you - than to some skilled evangelist they don't know.

So let me challenge you to begin to claim the people on your block for Jesus Christ - on your team, in your building, in your office or workplace, in your circle at school. Begin by praying every day for them. On more and more blocks across the country, believers are picking up the challenge of going on a Prayer Walk to pray for the residents of each home to hear about Christ. If you want details on how to do that, just let us know.

Also, band together with any other believers you can find on your "stretch of the road." Pray with them, plan outreach dinner parties or block parties or video outreaches, and find ways to love and serve the lost people around you in ways that would really mean something to them. Ask them to let you know if there's ever anything they would like you to pray for. And pray for natural opportunities to tell them about life's most important relationship.

Imagine what would happen if every believer said, "Lord, I'll step up to praying for and sharing Christ with the lost people on my stretch of the road." Well, as for the folks in the space around you? Jesus has left those dear people in your hands.