AMEN

We're part of something pretty significant as the church of Jesus Christ.

It began over 2,000 years ago as a movement.  But at the very beginning there were no traditions - no sacred cows.  Sounds pretty good, huh?

There weren't even any buildings until the fourth century.  No facilities.  No staff.  From the outset the church was a movement centered around a specific event, the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It was that single event that galvanized the early believers - that Jesus really was who He'd claimed all along - and it was the re-telling of that event by actual eyewitnesses that launched the church in the first century.

But as time went, something happened.  What had begun as a powerful movement with overt passion progressed to a focus on a particular address -- a building with systems and programs.

Jesus said to His disciples:  'I will build My church.'  But not meaning a place with a cross and steeple so much.  A gathering.  A movement.  'And the gates of hell shall not prevail against My church.'

Not long after He said this, He was crucified on a cross.  Then He rose from the dead on the third day and spent forty days with His followers - teaching - eating - drinking - talking.  Then He gathered them together and gave them final instructions.

'I'm going away - but this is what you need to know.'

'You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.'  And surely they were thinking, 'Power?  Great.  We need power, since we're under such persecution from those who don't believe.  But what are we supposed to do with this power?'  

'And - (with this power) - you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem.'

OK.  We live in Jerusalem so I suppose we can pull that off.'

'And in Judea.'

Umm.  Well, that's a little further out, but all right.

'And in Samaria.'

Wait.  Where?

'And to the ends of the earth.'

Time out.  Do You know how big the earth is, Lord?

Yeah.  Pretty sure I do.

This movement would touch every part of the world.  We who are alive and believe are fulfillment of that movement and now, 2,000 years later, we gather as the church of Jesus Christ as gears in this great movement, pushing the mission of Jesus forward.

There's always been a group of people who would say: 'I'll be all in on this.  I'm willing to sacrifice at great cost for this.'

There's always been those who have understood that when the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost, He became available to every person who would embrace the name of Jesus and that He came to live inside each believer in Christ.

And every time we gather in His name today there's all kinds of power available to us leftover from what was fueled that day in Jerusalem two millennia ago.

Can I get an 'Amen?'

And be blessed.