Sunday, April 16, 2017

"It's Friday but Sunday's Coming!"

Heard this phrase?  From a sermon preached by Tony Capollo's pastor.    "it's Friday and my Jesus is on the cross".  Catch phrase - "but they don't know ...."  The disciples were in shock, devastated, crushed, etc. that Friday.  Their Savior who they knew to be Who He said He was, was dead by a terrible means.

The application was not just for the disciples then - it is also for disciples NOW!!

IF you are a disciple of Christ:
#1)  You live in a fallen world.  (disciples are no exception)  It is fallen now just as it was back then.

On one hand, we = post Resurrection (with all the benefits of that! - ie:  200 years of church tradition, Apostles' teachings, the written revelation (New Testament)
However, it's still a world of pain & suffering, doubt, confusion, disappointments, frailty, disease, death

We live in a 1) fallen world (Fallen Friday)
                   2) confusing world - why Lord?  when Lord?  If you are an atheist, you don't expect any different, but as a believer, we know and believe that things will be made right.  However, we live in a state of Friday (fallen world) of fallen people.
Compare disciples then and now:
40 days later - Acts 1:6 - "how long?"
30 years later - 2 Pet. 3:3-4 - "how long?"
60 years later - Rev. 6:9-11 - "how long?" - "not yet"
Today!!!!!

NOTE:   IF Jesus was Lord when he turned water into wine, walked on water, calmed the sea, cast out demons, raised Lazarus from the dead, rose Himself,
THEN Jesus =  1) Lord on the Cross  and IS 2) Lord in His absence.

"IF Jesus is Lord on Sunday, THEN He is also Lord on Friday" - or he's not Lord at all.

So, I)  we live in Friday, but
     II) We ANTICIPATE SUNDAY - not His Resurrection, but his Return.  Matt. 25:31-32, Mark 13:24-17

AND this is greater than Restoration of Hope.  It = Restoration of Creation!! - Rom. 8:19-21, Rev. 21:4
Everything will be redeemed.

A little more on the analogy:
I)  We live in Friday
II.)  we anticipate Sunday
III)?  What about in between?

On one hand, are instructed to anticipate Sunday (WAIT)
However, are NOT given license to SIT and WAIT!!! - no room for being passive
(New Testament is full of instructions, admonitions, imperatives, commands, etc.

in short?  1)  be a disciple and 2) make disciples - Matt. 4:19

#1.  Be a disciple - come follow me - (we say) a) receive Him as Savior  b)  Follow Him as Lord
(Follow His word(s) VS follow Him!! - Matt. 7:21

#2.  Make disciples - "make you fishers of men" - Matt. 4:19 - early words
Matt. 28:18-20 - last words!!
Combine - BE a disciple and Make disciples => Phil. 2:14-16

So.....

I)  We live in Friday (Fallen Friday)
II.)  We anticipate Sunday (Restoration Sunday)

Meanwhile...
III.)  WE WORK on SATURDAY - we do, we develop ourselves, and others - not sit and wait.
Example:  Lord's Prayer ' ?our Father who are in heaven..... thy Kingdom come..... ON EARTH"!
Never is going to be utopia on this earth in this life.

So.... Where are you in this formula?

Closing Scripture:  1 Cor. 15:54-58






No comments: