Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Last weekend, all our campuses had some spooky fun with Halloweekend, and we learned a lesson from a scary story in the Bible. To me, the scariest part was imagining not knowing Jesus!
Acts 4:12
“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
In Chapter 4 of the book of Acts, we see the aftermath of Peter and John healing a lame man by the power of Jesus Christ. They were arrested in the temple complex for teaching people that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophets, crucified by man, and raised from the dead by God. When the council asked by whose authority they healed the lame man, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and responded “Jesus of Nazareth.” He could give that answer confidently because of what Jesus had told him before.
Matthew 28:18
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.”
Jesus is the one we need to know, trusting what he said about himself. We need to surrender to Jesus and acknowledge him as our Lord. As this week’s bottom line instructed: God’s power is given to those who surrender to him.
But that’s not our only message from Jesus. He continued:
Matthew 28:19-20
19 “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Before ascending to heaven, Jesus gave his eleven remaining disciples the responsibility to represent him and his salvation to the world. These verses, often referred to as “The Great Commission,” were intended for us, too.
All Jesus followers have a common purpose—to grow the Kingdom of God. We can live out this mission confidently, thanks to who we know: Jesus, the one given all authority in heaven and on earth.
Questions:
Do you believe that Jesus is the only way to eternal life?
Are you ready to confess and surrender to Jesus so you can live in eternity?
Who are you bringing with you? Are you helping to grow God’s Kingdom?
Next Steps:
CedarCreek’s mission is to introduce people to Jesus and the life-changing adventure with him. Listen to Cain singing “The Commission,” and think about who you can invite to our most popular series of the year, At the Movies, starting this weekend. Then do it!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I confess and repent of my sins and acknowledge that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Fill me with the Holy Spirit so I may know peace, love, and joy, even in times of trouble. Let me be a light to others so that they may know you too. Open my eyes so I may see that you have delivered me, and I may know your wisdom and direction for my life. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
***Do you love to write? Have you ever considered sharing Jesus through your writing? If so, consider writing for the LivingItOut! We are always looking for new writers to share their gifts with our readership. This might be the exact opportunity God is asking you to be open-handed with! To learn more, please contact livingitout@cedarcreek.tv.***
This post was written by Jenn Macke, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.