Happy Belated Sunday!
Sunday we celebrated Men's Day at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church. Our guest speaker was Dr. Fred Campbell, pastor of Mt Zion Baptist Church in Redwood City, California. His focus was, "Follow Me" and overall message was, "God's Desire is that Men come out of the Audience and into the Army!" He used Matthew 4:19, "Jesus called out, “Come along with me and I will show you how to fish for the souls of men!” (Living Bible)
MEN! Men are pivotal to the Kingdom Enterprise! God wants men in the Kingdom - Kings Domain. God wants followers, not fans! A Fan has a crush on Christ, but is not dedicated to the relationship. The Apostle Paul expressed his desire to be a follower like this, "I want to know Him inside and out. I want to experience the power of His resurrection and join in His suffering, shaped by His death, so that I may arrive safely at the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:10-11(Voice)
Jesus did not define the word disciple, he described it.
He related to the men - Jesus invested in men! John 1:14 says, "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish." (Message) Jesus was willing to become a man in order to better understand being a man. Jesus is the authentic man and worthy to be followed!
He reflected the Father before men - Being a disciple is more than verbal, it's vocational! Jesus reflected the Glory of God in everything he did. Just as the moon has no light of it's own, but simply reflects the light of the sun, Jesus showed the world what God is really like. What difference does Jesus make in your life? Can anyone tell that you are a Christian without seeing your large print Bible? Do your neighbors see the difference? Do your children see the difference? Do your co-workers and enemies see the difference? Does your wife see the difference?
He reproduced Himself in men - When Lazarus the friend of Jesus died, his sisters said, "Lord, if You had been with us, my brother would not have died." John 11:21 (Voice) Jesus encouraged them and said, "I am the resurrection and the source of all life; those who believe in Me will live even in death." John 11;25 (Voice) Jesus is life! He gave his life for us, "This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father.” John 10:17 (Message)
Lazarus was the living, breathing miracle and the evidence of the power of God! The religious leaders wanted to get rid of Jesus and Lazarus! Think about it. Everywhere that Lazarus went, people whispered. "He's the one that was dead, and now he's alive!" Imagine living your life as a follower! Imagine what people will say about you! "Wow, I remember when she was in debt, now she's a millionaire!" "I remember when he was in prison, now he's a successful businessman." "I know where they came from, but look at them now!" You are the evidence of a miracle.
Dr. Campbell reminded us of the story of cyclist Lance Armstrong. He won seven Tour de France championships, then lost them when it was determined that he'd used performance enhancing drugs. Jesus told his followers to wait for the power."But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power to testify about me with great effect, to the people in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, about my death and resurrection.” Acts 1:8 (Living Bible) We need God's power and wisdom to be followers. When we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can say..."I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power." Philippians 4:13 (Living Bible)
Love and prayers, Cynthia
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