In All Things

Have you ever shared Jesus with someone who didn’t know Him?

What would you say? What would you tell them about Jesus?

In world where churches/schools make news for all the wrong reasons, why have church? School? Child Care?

In world w/so much evil/hate, why become parents/have kids?

Why does Jesus make life worth living? Trinity worth it? What would you say?

Say: Jesus Comes in Power

In reading, Jesus rebukes/commands demons & they flee! Rebukes/Commands fevers/sickness & they flee!

Word of Power! Authoritative, performative

Holy One of God who said “Let there be light” has power in all things: walk on water, water into wine, even rise from dead.

Say: Jesus also Comes in Love

1 Corinthians 13:1–8 (ESV)

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends.

Have you ever known anyone like this? This is Jesus’s love!

Jesus comes on a mission of love for His world, for you.

Say: We don’t experience life that way.

Our power is often loveless, and our our love is often powerless.

Power without love is wickedness: authorities who have all the power & use it to abuse/control; us when we use $ for ourselves

Love without power is sympathy: when we see pain & hurt happening but can’t change it; world hunger, war

Say: Jesus’s power is loving & His love is powerful.

Jesus’s love changes things; His power is used for our benefit.

He scatters demons from His beloved, He heals His beloved of disease

Out of love He goes to cross & shows power in weakness, uses power to take all sin of world on Himself.

In power He rises from dead & promises same victory over death for all world when He returns.

Say: Jesus’s power & love provide refuge in all things

We still live in world of power w/o love, love w/o power.

Churches can be places of power & no love. Schools can have bullies. Parents watch kids get hurt in a sinful world.

But it’s still all worth doing because Jesus is still our refuge of power & love in midst of sin & death.

Psalm 71:2–4 ESV

2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me! 3 Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.

Churches/Schools/Families teach our world/next generation find refuge in Jesus’s Power & Love still at work today.

Power & Love of performative Word of sins forgiven

Power & Love of new baptismal identity

Power & Love of Jesus’ Body & Blood for you.

Power & Love of Jesus that we reflect as Christians to others

What would you tell someone about Jesus? Why He makes life worth living?

Colossians 1:15–17 ESV

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Jesus, who’s power is loving, love is powerful is the refuge for our world in all things, holds our world together, overcome the world.

Church/School believes Jesus’s power/love is in all things; what we pass on to our kids!