He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

1 Peter 3:18-22

One thing almost everybody admits to being afraid of is, speaking in front of a crowd.
About twenty-five years ago, I joined a Toastmasters Club to improve my public speaking and confidence.

Each week the ladies who organized it would honor one of the speakers of the day with some special recognition that they would make up. It was silly, but having received one of their honors, it felt good to be recognized because you knew that you had overcome your fear. You knew that you had gone outside your comfort zone.  You knew that you were growing.

We all like recognition. We all like to be honored. James and John, two of Jesus’ closest disciples, asked if they could sit in the seats of honor next to Jesus when he became king. Of course they had no idea what they were asking. But Jesus knew.

Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?”        Mark 10:38 NLT

In fact, Jesus was able to endure the suffering because of what he knew would follow. What he knew was on the other side of the cross.

 ¹⁸ Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. ²² Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.          NLT

 Jesus knew that one day he would sit in the seat of honor with his Heavenly Father. He knew that he would hear His Father again saying, “This is my son whom I love. With you I am well pleased.” Those words were enough to carry Jesus through all the pain and suffering that he endured.

 Like Jesus, it will help us to endure the pain and suffering of this world if we keep in front of us that day when we will be in His Presence in hopes of hearing Him say to us, “You are my son; you are my daughter whom I love. With you I am well pleased.”

Next Step: Share Your Hope

1 Peter 3: 13-16

You don't have to be a biblical scholar or even good at memorizing scripture in order to talk with others about your journey in this world. Just be yourself. Having a heart for the Lord will be evident in your actions and interactions. But go ahead, pray for Him to use you as a vehicle for His words.

Provided you can be patient and don't put the cart before the horse, your Life on Mission will likely be a natural progression. Remember though, that with some, the process will be somewhat swift and with others, painfully slow, but take heart, our God is near.

Just as with any friendship, the process of connecting and getting to know one another to the point of trust is not simple. It requires sincere interest, time and love. Once connected, serving can be anything your friend needs like offering transportation, childcare, food, money, time, etc.

Upon feeling connected and having settled into a comfortable service for each of you, a time will come for you to share your story. That doesn't mean you talk all about your church and try to convince them to go with you, but conversation about YOU. The story of how you came to be so at peace. Genuine dialogue about where you came from and how you got to be where you are now. Generally when people see something they like, they want to know how to get it for themselves.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect... 1 Peter 3:15

If you have a testimony, go ahead and share it, but be cautious to proceed with gentleness and respect. Nothing worse than an over-the-top Christian. Be sure to meet them where they are. If you don't really have a specific event or experience to share, or you feel that general and low key is best, how about something like; Well, I don't know a lot about the specifics of things like which king did what when, and there's books in the Bible I can't even pronounce, but one thing I do know is that my life has never been better since I made the decision to be a Christ follower. From there conversation will continue, perhaps not that day, but it will. You will have opportunities to expand on that if you watch for them.

What will your response be when you are asked to give a reason for the hope people see in you?

Read/Listen to 1 Peter 3:13-16 

Living Sacrifices

Romans 12:1-8

Our school district nurse uses the following as her e-mail signature line. “I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”       Maya Angelou

The way we worship is contained in the way we live our lives. How we respond to various situations, and the approach we take with those we encounter speaks to the world of whom we serve.

 “We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously, if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” Romans 12:6-8

Using our undeserved, God given gifts is worship in itself. Serving the children of the Lord through our strengths is honoring HIM.

First Peter 4:10 also reminds us;  “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

We all have our own personality and style, but as we grow as Christians we become more aware of the importance of living our lives in the way Christ did, as we are a reflection of Him.

As we share our talents and gifts with this world, may we be gentle in the way we display the love of our God, thoughtful in the way we reflect His grace, and sensitive in the way we reveal His mercy.

Read/Listen to Romans12:1-8