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Week:12, Season:1,
2012
Posted on Saturday by PCT
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Remember the victory of the cross
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Scripture：《
Acts 2:30-36
》
30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand 35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’ 36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
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The whole universe is so enormous that humans are relatively tiny in comparison. Therefore, the worries we humans have are negligible in the universe! What we mostly care about is what to eat and wear and where to stay and go. Only a few of us will spend time seeking the truth of the universe and asking questions such as ‘how is a life of “salvation” and “mercy” achieved？’ and ‘Why do the “cross” and the “Christian life” have a close correlation？’ Today, I invite you to think about these issues and figure out the great blessings hidden in our life.
God sent the incarnate Jesus to save humans
Acts 2:30-36 are the words Peter spoke to Jewish people from all over the nations at Pentecost. The passage mentioned that David is also a prophet as he knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. This one is Christ. David also spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah; he said, “He was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.” Peter urged people, “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.” But what made these Jewish people tangled in their hearts is the following sentence, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” From this moment, the gospel work and deeds of the Holy Spirit were initiated among them.
If someone asks you, “How would you save people if you were God？” What is your answer？ Today we are not completely in the same salvational background as the Jewish people. But because of the work done by the Holy Spirit to spread the gospel to foreigners we can share the same salvation and mercy of God even though we are not Jews. Thus, we shall understand this salvation comprehensively without it being taken out of context or wrongly recognised. God’s salvation starts from the time of the Old Testament. At the time of prophets, they even predicted the coming of the Messiah. Their predictions are true and precisely fulfilled. What is written in the Bible is true and reliable!
People disdained Jesus and set his death on the cross
People neglected the salvation of Jesus and even tossed it away with brutal responses. They made Jesus look as though he had completely failed. But Jesus is raised from the death on the third day, proving that he defeated death. The victory of the cross has therefore set us free from sins. No one can escape from the temptation and attack of sin except a dead man. Sin itself is a force leading us to death. Only the one who became alive again after death defeats sin and its power.
We must believe with the heart and confess with the mouth so that we own the salvation
We saw the salvation came to Israel and spread to every corner on the world. “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:10) There are two important elements here: heart and mouth. “Salvation” has a wider meaning:“rescue” - to save someone from a situation of danger.
In March 1873, the first church in northern Taiwan was opened in Wugu District. This achievement should be attributed to two people, Ms Chen Ta-Sao (also known as CHU TING) and the village headman Chen Pao. According to the Diary of George Leslie Mackay , Chen Pao was a tall, strong and talented man. When he received a note of the Ten Commandments from Revd George Leslie Mackay, he posted a note on his wall and said to the public, “I lost my faith in Buddha. I am determined to live with these Ten Commandments.”
Soon after, Chen Pao donated land for building the church. When the construction came to 3 feet height, Bangka (today’s Wanhua district) government sent officers and soldiers to stop the construction work. The village headman Mr Chen Pao stood up with his 6-feet-3-inch body and faced the soldiers. He pointed the Ten Commandments and declared again, “No matter what it takes, I am following the Ten Commandments.” The soldiers had nothing to say to debate with Mr Chan so they returned by saying, “Westerners put spells in our village people…” On the day of the church commencement, it was filled with people inside and outside. About 150 people confirmed that they want to give up idols and accept Christian teachings.
In the Diary of George Leslie Mackay, 18 March 1873, Chen Pao talked to Revd Mackay, “I have worshipped the idols for 20 years but I always had doubts about them. When I was still in Tangshan China, I often fought with bandits. TOnce, our boat met with a heavy storm and almost sank. People all bagged Guanyin (Goddess of Mercy) or other gods but nothing happened to rescue us. At the end everyone was begging ‘Heaven’. Now I listen to your talk about God. I think it is right. I am a man who worships ‘God’”.
God not only solved our problem with sin, but he also set us free from other difficulties in life. He helped and rescued us from difficult and harsh environments just as he helped the village headman Chen Pao 140 years ago. But believing in Jesus with our heart does not mean we are saved completely because we have not yet entered death and defeated it. The salvation of God is not only concerned about eternity after death, but he also cares about the hardships of your current life. He wants to pull you out from danger and put you in a broad place.
We own a certificate of salvation that says “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33) ”For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2)”
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For discussion：
1. Reflect on your personal experience of God’s salvation and share it with others.
2. What is it the proof of salvation the cross gives us today？
Please pray for：
1.That we will keep the freedom and victory of Jesus’ precious blood in mind and give thanks for this.
2.For family and friends who have not received Jesus. Pray for brothers and sisters in Christ to live and witness for God.
Prayer：
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us your salvation so that we own the promise of eternity and the dependence for this life. Thank you for giving us the salvation that comes from Jesus who died for us on the cross. Thank you for helping us to leave sins, sickness, poverty, and despair and setting us free. May you guide us to rely on the power of the cross day by day. In the name of the Christ. Amen.
Something you can do：
1.Find out the history of your church. When was it built？ Is there any inspiring story behind its history？ Share what you find with young people at your church.
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