I Will Build My Church (Part 2 of 2)

At this point in time God is showing us that He wants to work through us to reach others who do not know about the Gospel. We have to be sensitive to what He is revealing to us is His will for our lives. We are part of His church worldwide, and if we would only tell others what we know about Jesus Christ, their lives would be transformed.

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It is timely that we consider now reaching out and addressing our responsibilities before God in reaching the needs of people with the Gospel. On Friday I mentioned that Jesus said ‘I will build my church’. It’s His church. Jesus Christ Himself is building His church in His way in His time. The events of last year happened because Jesus is building His church. The Apostles chose seven people to hand out food to the people. One of these seven was Peter who was martyred when He spoke out with the Gospel. To all of us, of any age group, what is it that God wants us to do in our lives? God forbid that we are so much in the status quo that we’re not sensitive to what the Holy Spirit wants to point out to each one of us. God is opening our hearts to know what He wants us to be involved in.

Acts 8:4-9

Philip was called to hand out the food for the widows, but soon we find he actually was working miracles. God was working through Him. In Samaria there were people who saw and came to understand the reality of Jesus Christ.

Acts 8:26-29

Here was a man who was keeper of the treasure. I want to point out from this story that Philip first and foremost was sensitive to what the Holy Spirit wanted him to do. The key point at the beginning of verse 7 is that he arose and obeyed God. When Richard spoke earlier, for some of you something clicked. You need to be open to what God is calling you to do.

Acts 8:29-32

Philip was specifically told to get alongside this man. In your first week of this new year, and the weeks following, who is it that God by his Holy Spirit is going to cause you to get alongside? You say that you’re not a preacher; that’s not true. Today is a day when God is telling to you to be open to whosoever God is bringing into your path. Be open to communicating the life of Christ to others. God by his Holy Spirit will work through you. It might be something you say or do to someone, or even the way you react in a situation. They will notice that there is something different.

Isaiah 53:1-8

This is what the eunuch was reading. He was reading, but He didn’t know who the scripture was talking about. There are some people aching to have an answer for their life, that you brush shoulders with. There are some people who would be transformed if they only knew what you know about Jesus Christ. Today is all about you and me being sensitive to who God is going to bring across our paths in the coming weeks.

Acts 8:32-36

Similar phraseology to when Jesus drew beside the two on the road to Damascus. Philip probably couldn’t believe that this man didn’t know who the scripture was talking about. So, he immediately began to unfold the life of Jesus. The timing of God is specific. You are the link in the chain of someone’s life. Are you going to remain silent during this year? No. You won’t because God is opening your eyes this morning, telling you that you must no longer keep quiet. God is showing you that now is the time. We have the Old and New Testament. How much are you reading? Is the Bible gathering dust during the week until you grab it on a Sunday morning? We need to get serious about this. The good news is that by His Holy Spirit God wants to work through you.

Acts 8:36-41

Acts 21:8-10

Jesus said ‘I will build my church’. Part of that, whether its through the work that Richard and Anne are doing, whether its through you with those you come into contact with at work, Jesus said that He is building His church. The exciting thing is that God wants to work through you. We need to be open to what he wants to communicate through us. I will build my church. We are part of His church worldwide. ‘I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.’

Stop Fearing, Be Believing

In the story of Jairus, we see how Jesus meets our every need, no matter what assails our faith. His message to us is, “Stop fearing. Be believing.”

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We need to keep our focus on the One who endured the Cross.

Why did He do that?

Hebrews 12:1- 3

If you don’t want to be wearied and faint in your mind, consider Him. We are looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.

To be set down means that the work is accomplished. Jesus went through the Cross so that He might purchase, for Himself, with His own blood, the Church – you and me.

He was so careful to reach people. The message we have is to the unsaved of the world, to those who have no hope – and the message is hope, a way out, the solution to life, Jesus Christ, who is life. It’s not a case of having a solution for life – He is life.

There are three occasions in the New Testament where Jesus raised people from the dead.

Luke 7:11 - 18

This was an incredible miracle. The only son of this widow had died. And Jesus “had compassion on her”. It was so dramatic, the rumour of Him went forth through all the region round about.

Luke 8:41 - 42

There was no doubt that Jairus heard what happened at Nain, because the news went round all Judea. He was ruler of the synagogue, and he was facing a problem – his own daughter was on the verge of death. What would his thoughts have been? As a ruler of the synagogue, it wouldn’t have been natural for him to look to Jesus for the solution.

Jairus means God enlightens. In your life He has got hold of you, and because He loves you, He wants to reveal more of Himself to you. He’s so careful and concerned for you and me to know Him and to understand what it meant to Him to go through the Cross and through the Resurrection so we could have life.

I know there are people who have been thinking for years ‘this isn’t for me’. But circumstances are such that God has got hold of you. He is telling you that He is the solution, the way, the truth and the life. He’s adept at catching us – He wants us to focus on Him. He is the solution.

Jairus fell at Jesus’ feet and besought Him to come to his house. But as He went there were people all around Him – see for example verse 43, which Jairus witnessed:-

Luke 8:43 - 49

What incredible timing. Jairus had just witnessed the healing of a woman who hadn’t even spoken to Jesus. She had pushed through to touch the hem of His garment and received her healing. And as Jesus spoke to that woman, Jairus would have been so encouraged. Her miracle had happened. His faith was uplifted – Jesus can do the miraculous, Jesus is the answer. But, while Jesus was speaking, news arrived of Jairus’ daughter’s death.

Some of you have reached the point where you think that even though you’ve tried time and again, it doesn’t work. Yet you still come. It’s as if someone has been whispering, “Why are you bothering? You know it doesn’t work.”

“Your daughter is dead, Jairus, trouble not the Master.” Luke 8:50 But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.

Stop fearing and be believing

What Jairus was told, in a human sense, was a cataclysmic end. She was dead. But Jesus is life. Fear not. Stop fearing and be believing. Some of you need to do that. It’s through the preaching of God’s word that faith comes. Perhaps, today, God is getting hold of your heart and saying, “Stop fearing. Be believing.”

Luke 8:51 - 53

“You don’t want to believe that Christian stuff. You know it hasn’t worked out in your life. God isn’t interested in you – you’re not good enough.” You may have experienced that scornful message in your heart. “How can you say that? You know she’s dead. The professional mourners are here already.”

Luke 23:35 - 37

Matthew 27:39 - 44

At that moment, Jesus could have thought, and that thought could have been actioned to wipe them out. “Are you going to rebuild the Temple in three days? Why are you up there, making out you’re something? Why are you going through that, thinking that somehow you will make a difference?”

What this highlights is that the Creator God, the one who created everything, humbled Himself as a man, came to that point when He was on the Cross because of you and me. So when those things were being hurled at Him on the Cross, He had you in mind. It wasn’t the person next to you. I’m talking about you – you, individually, were on Jesus’ mind, when He hung on the Cross to set you free and give you life itself. He loves you.

“This is pretty basic stuff.” But it matters. God wants you this morning to stop fearing and be believing.

But you say “I worry about money, my health, my job, bringing up my children. Will I be married? I’m worried about being lonely in old age. What career should I pursue?”

There are people here who came with a concern, and the concern has been eating you up and making you forget that you should set it aside and look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Jairus heard the laughing and scorn, and he, as well as they, knew that his daughter was dead.

Luke 8:54 - 56

Her parents were astonished. I have talked with some people recently about how God has got hold of their lives and guided them. It’s always a wonder to me the way God organises things to get hold of you and reveal Himself to you. He is love, and wants that love to be in your life. He guides you.

Hebrews 12:1 - 2

The work is complete

With the writer, we are looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who endured the Cross, despised the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. The work is complete. There’s nothing else to be done. Everything to prepare the Bride of Christ has been done. We’re in the time now where you and I and others who will come will become part of the Bride of Christ, the church.

Is He careful about His church? You bet He is. His church worldwide, the Bride of Christ.

He endured the Cross for the sole reason of making a way forward for you and me. And today His word for us is “Stop fearing and be believing.” Your circumstances have happened because God wanted to say this to you. “But I’m no good. I’m not like X or Y.” I know. He knows.

“But what will it mean for me?” It will mean the difference between light and darkness, death and life. Stop fearing. Be believing. He’s the author of your faith.

There are some here who have faith for the first time through what is being preached. He is the Finisher of your faith until we meet Him face to face. Don’t think this is too basic – or some arcane doctrine for the elite only. It is why He came.

“For the joy set before Him.” He had in His mind the joy He would have when He was seated at the right had of God and had taken our sin into Himself. “I’m going to set people free. I’m going to do what Father wants me to do.”

Hebrews 12:2

Nothing disturbs the peace where He is. It’s done. Nothing will hinder His work in your life.

And in terms of going forward in your life, I want to confirm to you ... don’t be afraid. Stop fearing. Be believing. He’s the one who is involved with you right now, because He loves you.