08 Apr Rejoice with me…
…because I have found my lost…wallet!
Ok…I know that’s not the direct quote from Luke 15: 6 or 9…but it’s how I feel anyway! I mentioned in worship that I had misplaced my wallet sometime Saturday night…not a happy thought just days before we head off on our holiday. Well…after retracing my public steps downtown & having an insightful conversation with a police officer at the desk at the Wagga Police Station I came home and found my wallet in a place I never put it. Or at least never before Saturday night…clearly I was in a hurry & just put it where it never has been put before. But there it was & now I’ve been thanking God for its recovery. It’s the little things some days.
Here’s a few things that may or may not be little, but they are significant for our life as God’s people here:
- Ladies Fellowship – Thursday, 11th April, 10:00 a.m. – 13 Lakeside Dr (Psalm 2 & 110)
- Zoom Bible Study Catch-up
Friday – 12th April 2024 @ 1:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting — https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83006349720 — Meeting ID: 830 0634 9720 (Galatians 1)
- Huge thanks to everyone who adapted around our rain-delayed picnic this week & set out a beautiful morning tea. We’ll get that picnic rescheduled & put another fun fellowship event on our schedule sooner rather than later.
It hit me the other morning as I was reading the Bible, there’s something I could share with you every day…God’s word is just creating wonderful openings in my understanding at the moment. And as you’ve heard me say many times…sometimes it’s just one verse & bam! My heart swells & I can hear God talking to me. For instance…
In Acts 7 Stephen is stoned for the boldness of his witness before the very people who engineered the crucifixion of Jesus…so his voice must be silenced. You may know the story; his last word closely echo Jesus’…words of forgiveness for his murderers & a prayer of committal of his life into God’s hands.
Acts 7 closes & Acts 8 opens with Saul complicit in Stephen’s death & on fire in pursuing the early disciples to have them perhaps face the same fate as Stephen. A huge wave of persecution breaks out against any & all followers of Jesus. Many flee Jerusalem…running for their lives.
Acts 8:4 reads, “But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.” They did what? They did exactly what got Stephen stoned. They’re fleeing persecution & as they go they create the conditions that got them persecuted in the first place by sharing the good news of Jesus. Sounds pretty stupid right? If confessing the name of Christ is going to get you in trouble, then don’t do that…right? Wrong!!! This is precisely the fulfilment of Jesus’ command, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8
It took persecution to get the church moving out from its hometown in Jerusalem…but when those disciples moved out into the world; lives, families, communities, & nations were transformed. In fact, Tom Holland, in his book Dominion demonstrates that Christianity has unavoidably & unmistakably shaped the world we inhabit. Our way of living, particularly our morals and ethics are not accidental but are instead the fruits of a very distinctive civilization; the lives of those early scattered followers of Jesus.
What would happen in our city if we were to do that now? My sense is, that because we’d be acting in obedience to Jesus, we’d see another transformation of our world…lives, families, communities & nations brought to the gospel. I believe that’s a suitable challenge for each of us…find somewhere to share that good news about Jesus this week and see what happens. The worst that could happen? You could get stoned like Stephen, but as he died he could see straight into the heavenly realm & was welcomed by Jesus to the Father’s side. How’s that for a way to close out this life!
See you Sunday! Enjoy the grace you’ve received, and share the grace you enjoy!
John
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