Are You Just Here To Relay Information?

Or do you have something to say? I'm reading through the Gospel of Mark and as I walked through the first chapter, this phrase stuck out to me and I underlined it:

And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one who had authority and not as not as the Scribes. – Mark 1:22

As I chewed on that, and continue to do so, the thought hit me. Am I a Scribe or am I like Jesus? When I speak with people about Jesus, am I merely communicating information that I happen to possess and have knowledge of, or am I speaking as one who has been united by faith with Jesus and therefore am His representative here on Earth and speak with the authority that He has.

Have you ever heard a sermon that you knew the pastor didn't believe, or at least in some respect, didn't own? I mean, have you ever heard someone make statements that you know if they were pressed on them, they'd retreat from them at the first sign of trouble or persecution? Do you know how easy it is to simply communicate information without the conviction that you have absolute authority to make those claims because of your faith in Jesus?

Do you know how much easier life would go if you simply just relayed info? Then when pressed on it or forced to either live it or not, you could simply say "Hey I'm just relaying the data here, I don't necessarily believe it or whatnot, but I'm just telling you what I heard".

That is so limp. So lame. So indicative of Christians today. Jesus is mere information to us. He has no authority to command us to do anything. If you read the rest of the chapter, you'll find that Jesus had authority over everything. He could command it as He wished, and what's funny is when He spoke a command, it was obeyed. And yet, He's just data to us in so many ways. His commands are optional. They're good proverbs. Take em or leave em. You don't have to obey them. They're wise but with no power. I fear that's what sidetracks so many of us. I know it has me.

Jesus has authority, PERIOD. His commands are not optional. His ways are not good suggestions. Every knee WILL BOW. Every tongue WILL CONFESS, that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

So I ask this question of myself and ultimately of everyone – Are you living your life as someone who is simply relaying information or is your life communicating the authority of Jesus?

God help me. For I have lived too much of my life just passing you on.