A Christmas Carol: W2 - FRI
Phase I ends, Phase II begins Matthew 28:5-6 5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying
John 20: 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:1 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability…47b… And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
PHILIPPIANS 3:8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him…
The story of Jesus didn’t end with his death, nor did it end with his resurrection and ascension back to his Father’s side. You see, the first incarnation of God happened in about B.C. 4 when Mary and Joseph gave birth to the baby Jesus. The second incarnation of God happened around A.D. 30, when the Holy Spirit came down and filled the hearts of those who professed to follow Jesus. And the world has never been the same.
Over the next 300 years, the followers of Jesus would go from that group gathered on the hilltop in Matthew 28, to over 9 million. And remember, there was no social media, no tweeting, no mass email pushes to spread the word. The word spread from person to person because it was truly, good news. It was news so good that the people couldn’t keep it to themselves. God not only wants us back in relationship with Him, He’s done everything to make it possible. All we have to do is say, YES!
At Crosswalk, you often hear us say that we don’t like evangelistic programs. Not that there is anything wrong with them in and of themselves. The word evangelism comes from the Greek, euangelos, which means “good news.” But the program with a program is that it has. beginning and an ending. We would rather challenge us all to live evaneglistically; day in and day out, encountering the risen Lord and sharing the good news of what He’s done and how He loves with all we meet not because we have to, but because we can’t imagine not doing it.
I have found that in order to live this way, it does take an encounter with the resurrected Lord. So have you met the resurrected Jesus? Have you had an encounter with Him? Have you looked into His eyes and seen how much He actually loves you? Read about all He actually did for you? You’ll know if you have or not because once you have, you’ll never be the same. Like Paul, you’ll come to realize that everything else in this world pales in comparison to knowing and gaining Jesus as our Lord.
John 20: 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:1 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability…47b… And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
PHILIPPIANS 3:8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him…
The story of Jesus didn’t end with his death, nor did it end with his resurrection and ascension back to his Father’s side. You see, the first incarnation of God happened in about B.C. 4 when Mary and Joseph gave birth to the baby Jesus. The second incarnation of God happened around A.D. 30, when the Holy Spirit came down and filled the hearts of those who professed to follow Jesus. And the world has never been the same.
Over the next 300 years, the followers of Jesus would go from that group gathered on the hilltop in Matthew 28, to over 9 million. And remember, there was no social media, no tweeting, no mass email pushes to spread the word. The word spread from person to person because it was truly, good news. It was news so good that the people couldn’t keep it to themselves. God not only wants us back in relationship with Him, He’s done everything to make it possible. All we have to do is say, YES!
At Crosswalk, you often hear us say that we don’t like evangelistic programs. Not that there is anything wrong with them in and of themselves. The word evangelism comes from the Greek, euangelos, which means “good news.” But the program with a program is that it has. beginning and an ending. We would rather challenge us all to live evaneglistically; day in and day out, encountering the risen Lord and sharing the good news of what He’s done and how He loves with all we meet not because we have to, but because we can’t imagine not doing it.
I have found that in order to live this way, it does take an encounter with the resurrected Lord. So have you met the resurrected Jesus? Have you had an encounter with Him? Have you looked into His eyes and seen how much He actually loves you? Read about all He actually did for you? You’ll know if you have or not because once you have, you’ll never be the same. Like Paul, you’ll come to realize that everything else in this world pales in comparison to knowing and gaining Jesus as our Lord.
- Do you believe in who Jesus is and what He’s done for you?
- If you do, have you marked that encounter by surrendering your life to him through baptism? If not, what is keeping you from reaching out to a friend or a pastor to make that decision now? If you have, then keep going, don’t give up, for we surrender to him each and every day - his way over ours.
- When was the last time you encountered the resurrected Lord? How might you go about seeking Him today?
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