Power from the foundation of our faith

This is a great time to explore the power behind the foundation of our faith.   Have you ever thought about how people became Christ followers the first 20-50 years after He arose then ascended to heaven?   40 days after Christ ascended to heaven, there were no new testament scriptures, no typewriter, no radio, no tv, no phone, no internet, no texting, no facebook, and no twitter.   Yet, several were martyred for the sake of belief in Christ and His resurrection.  In fact, it is believed that:

·         Thomas was killed with a spear.

 

·         Bartholemew was scourged and beheaded

 

·         James was beaten, stoned and clubbed to death,

 

·         Andrew was crucified and was bound to the cross instead of nailed,

 

·         Peter was crucified upside down

The bottom line was that these men knew a man who claimed he would die on the cross.  That man did die on the cross and then He came back to life.   They believed in the power of the foundation of our faith.  They believed that if any man could die and come back to life- that was something worth dying for.  That is also something worth living for!

The power of the foundation of our faith is the resurrection of Christ.   That power fueled the spread of Christianity in the earliest of days and is with us today.  Scriptures tell us that power can:

·        Do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine (Eph 3:20)

·        Allow us to forgive and to be forgiven. (Col 3:13)

·        It can set us free from guilt. (John 8:31-31)

·        That power can free us from the power of sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

·        It can help us demolish strongholds in our lives and allow us to stand our ground. (2 Cor 10:4)

·        That power allows us to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ. (1 Cor:10)

·        It enables us to not conform any longer to the patterns of this world. (Rom 12:2)

·        But that power can allow us to be transformed  by the renewing of our minds. (Rom 12:2)

·        It helps us to consider it pure joy when we endure trials. (James 1:2)

·        That power gives us the strength to press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus . (Phil 3:14)

·        It allows us to never be lacking in zeal, but to keep our spiritual fervor serving the Lord. (Rom 12:11)

·        It makes us relentless in our pursuit of love for God and each other. (Mark 12:30-31)

·        That power propels us forward as we Go and make disciples of all nations. (Matt 28:19)

As we focus on Christ’s sacrifice this morning, may we also contemplate the power behind His resurrection for our community, church, and our selves.