In the book of Revelation, we find we are reading someone else’s mail. Jesus sent a message through John to specific churches in Asia Minor. Ephesus was the first stop. They were standing strong in the truth in the midst of an idolatrous culture. But they had neglected to walk in actionable love for one another. Jesus wanted to call them back, in his love, by his grace.
A new community was forming, centered around Jesus, empowered by His very Spirit sent from the Father. This power allowed for them to be part of some pretty amazing things, but just as Jesus tired of the crowds coming to him to see miracles, these events were pointing to something more powerful. People were being restored into community, good news was being preached, and the system the world operated in was being set right — in small part — as a preview of what would come fully one day.
The presence of God's Spirit radically transformed a diverse crowd of people, brought them together as a one people, and put that community on display to others so that they would grow and multiply. The call of humanity at creation had been reestablished -- diverse humans being made one, empowered by the presence of God to be fruitful and multiply.
God has formed us to be together, many distinct people in unity as one body, in order to best reflect what He is like. Most of creation has been designed this way, to be connected together. Yet, sin has broken us apart and created a desire for individualism. Jesus has come to reunite us as his body, bringing us together with one another and together with God once again.
We took a few minutes at the start of the year to talk about how we will strive to be formed this year by God. More importantly, we spent a few minutes in prayer for God to form us. Specifically, we prayed for:
1) Our family to grow in size
2) Our family to grow in maturity
3) Our family to grow in love
Joy to the world, the Lord has come!
We have a hope that the love of God will one day bring the wholeness of peace and restoration to this world — and when that comes we will experience the fullness of joy. Yet, we can experience that joy even here and now.
Joy is not fleeting happiness or feeling good, but a constant source of satisfaction found not in our temporary circumstances, but in our eternal outcome.
In our first week of Advent, we look at the hope the early church had because of Jesus and the hope we still hold onto today, because Jesus will return. Hope in Jesus is not like the wishful thinking we talk about when we hope for a raise or hope for the pandemic to end. Real biblical hope is a confident assurance of what God will do, rooted in what God has already done in history.
Following Jesus is a group project.
God's Spirit has been breathed out upon a community of people so that they would live in such a way, together, that the world may see God's glory. The church is to be formed by God - together - for the sake of the world.
But that’s not something we can do in our own strength, even by joining together. Following Jesus is not just a group project with other followers, but it is a partnership with God Himself. We are called to partner with the Spirit. As we devote ourselves to what He calls us to, He is faithful to build His Kingdom.
What changed in the few weeks between Jesus' followers running and hiding from fear for their lives to surging out into the streets with a message for thousands to hear? They had been equipped by Jesus. They had been witnesses of Jesus. They had been commissioned by Jesus. But the day had finally come which gave power to all of that. The day had come which made all of those other days all the more real. On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit of God was breathed into these disciples. As the breath of God once again filled humanity, they were also filled with the hope that this was just the beginning.
After conquering death, sin, and satan, Jesus went to prepare a place for God to dwell with man - restoring what was originally intended in the beginning. But before that, he invited his followers to join in his work. They were to become co-laborers in the mission... they were co-missioned into the work of Jesus. Humans had not had a very good track record of this work, but this time would be different. Jesus promised to be with them in the mission - always.
As we've journeyed through the True Story of the Scriptures all year, we finally come to the climactic turning point of human history: the death and resurrection of Jesus. His sacrifice and crucifixion are only half of this world renewing event. It finds its completion - and we find our hope - on the third day afterward when the tomb was empty.
The night of Jesus’ betrayal he shared an important meal with his closest friends and his betrayer. But right before they ate, Jesus knelt down to serve his followers by washing their dirty, grimy, travel-worn feet. Jesus, the King of all creation, took on the posture of a servant — a slave even. He washed all of them, including the one who would betray him. Yet, this was just a foretaste. He was about to serve them in an even greater and more difficult way.
Anthony takes us through the last supper, helping us see how the Passover meal was a way for Israel to remember what God had done for them in Egypt and reaffirm who they were as God's people. When Jesus took this meal with his friends the night he was betrayed, he brought its' significance to a whole new level for us. Now we take the bread and wine to remember what Christ has done for us and reaffirm who we are in Christ.
