SUNNY THOUGHTS FROM SUNSET by Rev. Vance Drum 6-1

We hope you had a blessed Memorial Day weekend as we remembered those who have died in the service of our country and our freedoms. 

 On Sunday the Sunset pastor continued our “Raised with Christ” theme with a message, “Christ in You,” from Colossians 1:27: “…Christ in you, the hope of glory.”  

 What makes Christian people different from all others in the world?  Or are we just like everybody else, with no significant difference? 

 Physically, in our humanity, Christians are like everybody else.  But in the Spirit world, we are different.

 Christians are a divinely-empowered, counter cultural force that God is using to redeem the world—to bring many from the curse of evil thinking and harmful behavior to the blessing of good thinking and loving behavior.

 God is doing this supernatural work all over the world.  It began in Bethlehem’s manger when Jesus — God eternal with the Father and the Spirit — came down from heaven and became man.

He went about only doing good — unlike his human counterparts — all of whom had their share of sin. 

Jesus then died for us, was buried, and on the third day rose from the dead.  Jesus was localized. He was only in one place at one time. 

 Today, however, we live in the age of the Spirit of Christ, and the Spirit is distributed all over the world in the Body of Christ.  Christ in you is the divine Spirit of Christ who works in us. 

 The pastor made three points:  (1) The Commission; (2) The Suffering; (3) The Hope.

 (1) The Commission.  V25, Paul says:  “I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness….”  When God called the Apostle Paul on the Damascus road, he then gave him a charge — a commission. That commission was to proclaim the word of the Good News — that not only Jews but also Gentiles, every nation on earth—would be the blessed recipients of the Good News of God’s love.

 We also have this commission, for it is to all Christians, that we spread the word of God’s saving grace to all.

(2) The Suffering.  V24:  “Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s affliction.” 

 The Great Commission did not come without cost. Christ was executed, and many of his followers have been as well.  The early Christians suffered greatly for their faith, and Paul said he rejoiced in his sufferings for Christ.  The first three centuries of our era were called the Age of the Martyrs, when thousands suffered persecution and were put to death for their faith. 

 But far from stamping out the faith, it was said that the “blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church.”  The more they were persecuted, the more the church grew. 

 It is still true.  Today we live in an age of Christian martyrdom.  The last century—the 20th—saw more martyrs for Christ that all the previous centuries put together.  It’s reported that there were 14 million documented martyrs from AD33 — 1900, but that there were 26 million documented martyrs in the 20th century world-wide.

 How should we respond?  Pray for the persecuted church.  Paul [2 Thessalonians 3:2]:  “Pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith.” 

 (3) Our Hope.  Where do we find hope?  V27:  It is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”  God’s revolutionary, supernatural force in the world is Christ in you.  And Christ in you is our hope of glory.  He will bring us through all trials, temptations and tribulations.  God is pleased with you because you are in Christ.  He will take us all the way to heaven. 

 Jerry Hinson on Sunday sang a beautiful solo, “I Can’t Even Walk without You Holding My Hand.”  How true!

 “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”  [John 15:13] 

 May we all thank God for Jesus — the One who laid down his life for us — our prayer for you from your friends at Sunset Christian Church.

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