Encountering the Risen Christ: From Awe to Action

But god. God loved us so much that he gave us away. He sent his only begotten son, and that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. That when we let go of that idea that we can work for our salvation and instead repent of our sin and put our faith in the work of Jesus on the cross and in the resurrection, that when we declare with our mouth that Jesus is lord and believe in our hearts that god raised him from the dead, promises us that we will be saved. [01:19:00] (34 seconds)  #SavedByGrace

But we don't need to be martyred. In fact, what's more likely is we're gonna find ourselves at the crossroads of where Peter was. We have to make that decision. So, can also look to Acts two to watch how the Holy Spirit fuels that action. Look how Peter and John, I mean, they are jailed and beaten for preaching Jesus' name. They're told, don't do it, but they couldn't wait to get back out there. They could not wait to get back out and proclaim the good news and not obey not obey man, but to follow god's will. And believers, just like there was a plan for the apostles, god has a plan for us. Like the apostles, god has equipped us for this. [01:10:19] (49 seconds)  #SpiritEquipped

See, Jesus told them he was gonna send a helper or, you know, depending on your translation, you have the, you know, the advocate. So it was better for him to go and for the helper to come to equip them to give them the power to do his will. So in that same way, the helper equips us. We find him in prayer, and we find him in the word. And so where we find ourselves gazing into heaven, you know, that the holy spirit equips us to move. Are we walking in his power? Right? Are we seeking wise counsel? Are we edifying, strengthening ourselves through strong, loving relationships with other believers? Do we have relationship with Jesus himself? Are we building on that burn that we felt when we first realized that Jesus was alive? Do we really believe he's coming back? [01:11:08] (58 seconds)  #WalkInHisPower

See, that empty tomb is the culmination of his love, confirmation that the horrible punishment that Jesus took on the cross was payment for the debt of our sin. That punishment was meant for us. That's the punishment that he ended with the words, it is finished. K? The Greek term, tetelestai, the business term that means paid in full. Jesus coming out of that tomb meant that the deal was sealed and that the payment for our sin debt was accepted. So a week later, the question I have for us is, how did we react to that? [00:51:12] (43 seconds)  #PaidInFull

They saw him in person. They saw him through the word. And through the word, they came to know who he really is. I can only can you imagine the catapult effect that came from something like that? I mean, that they hightailed it seven miles back to Jerusalem to tell that story. You know, not just after the greatest bible study ever. K? But think about being in the presence of Jesus himself and then the evangelism that comes out of something like that. I mean, their hearts burned with that encounter. How how do you keep that inside? You keep that burning inside to do this. Knowing Jesus is alive changes everything. K? And knowing that he's coming back should influence how we live. [01:04:49] (43 seconds)  #HeIsAlive

Yes. We worship him. And, you know, yes, we give him thanks at every turn, but there's more. There's more to this reaction. James tells us in chapter two verse 17, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Now don't mistake this for saying you have to work for your faith. Those works are the visible demonstration of our faith. It's out of love or out of obedience. How can we not be motivated to serve him? See, it goes back transformational experience of encountering the living Jesus. It comes to the word. Right? Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of god. One of my favorite descriptions of scripture, of course, is it isn't just for information. Right? It's for transformation. [01:14:56] (48 seconds)  #FaithInAction

See, the enemy has a plan too, and it is the complete opposite of faith in action. Like, what if what if the women at the tomb, after hearing that, just said, oh, it's great, but no one's gonna believe this and just went back to Bethany. Alright? Or what if, you know, Cleopas, what are the disciples on the road to Emmaus, right, when what if they just stayed there and like, but that was really cool. Isn't that awesome? And just stayed in Emmaus and just highlighted scripture. Like, that's great. I don't wanna forget that. They didn't do any of that. Right? What's the reaction when we stop gazing at the sky? What do we do? Right? Do did do we go back to our regular lives of putting ourselves first, our own needs first, or did we obey like the be do word spirit to lead lives according to god's will? [01:16:49] (69 seconds)  #GazeThenGo

He's move us. Now, look, you wanna go with any of this on your own? Anyone who wants to do this, right, rely on your own works or your own feelings or rely on the opinions of secular society to save you? I'm not gonna wish you luck. I'm gonna tell you don't. Don't do it. K? Scripture tells us not to do it. Go back to Proverbs. Proverbs 14. Right? Verse 12. There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Proverbs three verses five to seven. Trust in the lord with all of your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes. Fear the lord and turn away from evil. [01:15:43] (45 seconds)  #TrustNotSelf