lukas24442453

The main ideas from this information are: - The speaker emphasizes the importance of fellowship and close relationships within the church community. - He encourages everyone to take advantage of the opportunities for fellowship, such as small groups, men's and women's groups, and online meetings. - The speaker mentions a man named Ken who participates in a men's online group from Australia. - The speaker invites anyone interested in implementing the teachings of the Word of God in a group setting to come and talk to them. - The speaker announces that they will be finishing the Gospel of Luke together. - He reads a passage from Luke chapter 24 that talks about Jesus fulfilling the scriptures, his resurrection, and the proclamation of repentance and forgiveness of sins. - The speaker emphasizes the presence of God and encourages worship and praise. - He refers to the apostles as a group of young men who experienced challenges and the collapse of their old belief system before following J Good morning. It's good to be here this morning and to worship together with you. Thank you that you came this morning. Each and every one of you that is in Jesus Christ is a living stone. That's how God's house is put together and built. His presence is among us. I'll be very honest with you. Sometimes I just have to believe and trust that more than I actually feel it. And that's our life. Sometimes we feel the things and we go, wow, we're just really in flow and in step with the Spirit. Sometimes we just have to say, well, I know what this book says and I'll build my life upon it. That's what I will build my feelings upon. That's the way I want to handle myself. And then there's other times coming. So it's just a thought that I wanted to share with you at the beginning. Again, it's really good to have you here this morning. So I'd like to make a couple of announcements to start off. I can't tell you how important fellowship is. I know we have fellowship here this morning and that's good. And to teach the Word of God, very good. But all of us, including myself, we need close relationships where we can actually implement these things together. So therefore, take advantage of the opportunities that are offered. From the small groups, the young adults, the men's groups, the women's groups, the international group that meets online. Ken, who was here with us until January of this year, he still participates in that men's group, all the way from Australia. He gets up at 4 a.m. in the morning to be part of that men's online group. We need one another. Don't permit yourself just to be a hearer of the Word. Start applying it in groups together where we can help one another to do so. And if you think it's time to actually implement that, then please come and talk to us. And that would be it, really, for the announcements. And I look forward to actually finishing the Gospel of Luke with you this morning. We're going to look at verses 44 through 52, or 53 this morning? Yeah, 53. So, if you can, I'd like for us to stand, for you to stand as we read God's Word. And I will read it in English. And you can read along in your own Bibles, that would be ideal. And then we'll start. So, let's read Luke chapter 24, starting with verse 44. Now, he said to them, these are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. And he said to them, thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things, and behold, I am sending forth the promise of my Father upon you, but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. And he led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after worshiping him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple, praising God. Lord Jesus, you say that we are your temple, and we can worship you here. We thank you for your presence, which you have promised, that you are the way to the Father, and that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that you have granted us your spirit, that you are the way to the Father, and that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that you have granted us your spirit, that you are the way to the Father, and that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that you have granted us your spirit, that you are the way to the Father, and that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that you have granted us your spirit, that you are the way to the Father, and that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that you have granted us your spirit, that you are the way to the Father, and that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that you have granted us your spirit, that you are the way to the Father, and that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't 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heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus, but that your being and your heart, Father, isn't just visible in Jesus We saw a group of young men that were called specifically by Jesus to follow him to become his apostles. Apostles are people that work over different regions to start and communicate new things. The last days prior to what we were reading here were extremely difficult for this group of apostles. What these young men and we're talking about guys that were in their late teens, early twenties, what they experienced was first the collapse of their old belief system. Now, they were on the road with Jesus for three years, and they loved this Lord Jesus. He was their master. They loved the way he treated seekers, people that were truly looking, how he met them with grace and kindness. How he would heal the broken ones and raise them back up. How he healed the sick and even raised the dead. And how he would meet up with the mighty and the proud ones with clarity and truth, without fear. They loved him. But one thing they just really couldn't warm up to, they had a real problem with it. The thing that they couldn't handle was, every time he talked about going down to Jerusalem, to then there be rejected, to be arrested, to be mistreated, to be killed, and then raised again on the third day. That is something they did not want to hear. It did not fit into their construct of their faith or belief system. And so they objected Jesus. Peter's objection is written down for us in scripture. Or what we can also read is that they just didn't want to think about that. See, in their mind, it was time for Jesus to step up to the plate, kick out the Romans, get rid of the corrupt leadership that was there, and set up his kingdom from Jerusalem. And that faith just crumbled. See, I'd like to simply ask you this morning. Has your faith crumbled? See, the wonderful thing is that Jesus actually meets up with the people whose faith has crumbled to rebuild it. And he takes the false expectations that they had, and he replaces them with truth. See, you could say Jesus gives them a new life after their faith had been destroyed. He gives them the key to truth. See, and Jesus himself is the key to that life. And he promises them to be with them always. And he enables them to do things that they could have never imagined. They had the thought that Jesus should give them the good life right here on earth now. Not just good life down here on earth, but the good eternal life. So, they received the keys to life, as we will see soon here. And their life, you know, we'll see that later, their life did not get necessarily easier because of that. But it was more glorious. See, better than what they could have ever imagined. Even in all the opposition and difficulties that they would have to face. And so they meet up with the risen Lord, which is where we started last time already, and we will dive in here in verse 44. And, you know, it's not quite sure from the context, but it could be possible that he said this in the evening of the day that he rose from the dead. And so he said to them, these are the words that I spoke to you when I was still with you, that all that must be fulfilled that is written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the psalms is written by me. This is a key that Jesus gives them, a key to life and eternal life. Now, this is a key that Jesus hands them, a key to life that Jesus hands them and it's found in his work. This is the most important key when it comes to actually having a relationship with God. Now, John tells us what God is looking for. What kind of people is God looking for? He's looking for those that worship him in spirit and in truth. And so first we see here that Jesus talks about the word and the word is where truth is found. And Jesus says, all things which are written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled. See, so Jesus clearly makes the connection of him as a person with the Old Testament. It talks about him. He says in the Old Testament it is written that the Messiah would have to suffer, die and rise on the third day. And what Jesus did, what he accomplished on the cross, his suffering, it is the key to the Old Testament. If you want to understand the Old Testament, then you have to put Jesus Christ and what he did right in the middle of the Old Testament. And by the way, that's what we're going to be doing over the next weeks. We're going to look at Old Testament passages that specifically talk about Jesus, the Messiah, and what he needed to do, how it needed to be accomplished, so that we can see how the Old Testament speaks about him. See, why is the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ so important? Because it actually handles the most important topic of mankind. What's the most important topic for man? Separation from God. We could abbreviate it even more. We could just say guilt. Or debt. That's the most important topic for mankind. How we handle this debt. Those are the biggest topics in your life. The debt that other people owe you. Your own debt in your own life. Or the big question, well, who's at fault? Who's to blame? See, Jesus cleans up the issue of debt. And I want to say, this is right where you and I sometimes need help. Where you need a brother or sister in the faith to help you handle that. And that's why the death of Jesus is such a central point. Because he pays the debt. See, the wages or the debt for sin is death. And Jesus is the only means of actual payment that can pay that debt. See, in his name there is complete forgiveness possible. And I'll tell you one other thing. In his name you actually receive authority to forgive debt. And that's where you end up being free. That's God's plan for us. That we're truly free from debt. And that we can know that we're heading toward a life that is forever eternal. That's the good news. The gospel. And for each and every one of us, that is what I desire for us. That we handle guilt and debt correctly. So that we can be truly free. And that is God's plan for us. And so Jesus tells us, look, the scriptures talk about all this. There is power in that. See, God's word says that the scriptures are alive and powerful. It is a two-edged sword that penetrates soul, spirit, marrow and bone. And it is a judge of the intentions and thoughts of the heart. See, it's God's word that allows you to take a solid stand in your life. And where you together with others start implementing this word of God in a practical way in your life, your stand will become more solid. That's discipleship. And we need it. But I want to be very clear, you need power, strength to do that. And Jesus knows that. And that's why he says here in the next verses, You shall receive power. See, power and strength so that you can fulfill your task. And it's a beautiful task. Because it's a personal task. None of us are clones from one another. Jesus has a very specific task for you. So that you can grow together with others. See, those are keys to life. And God wants to create an organic system where people grow together. And each and every individual person does their specific part in the whole endeavor. Now, that also means that the words that we're hearing here, we shouldn't just recognize them as truth. That's good. But it also means that we need to find the place where we actually implement that truth. God gave you keys to life. But I don't want that to be engraved on my gravestone. God gave him the keys to life. He actually applied the key to life. And we firstly do that in fellowship. But Jesus says, look, you're going to receive power to do that. Here in verse 48, Jesus says, you are witnesses of these things. So of the things that Jesus is actually mentioned or shown in the Old Testament and that he fulfilled it. And then he continues to say, and behold, I am sending forth the promise of my Father upon you, but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. And what is Jesus talking about here? Checking if you're with me and you're awake. Yeah, the Holy Spirit. That's right. He's speaking of the Holy Spirit. See, God himself, through his Spirit, wants to be active in your life. And we see something that is quite important here. What is necessary? First, God gives a promise. They believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They have already established a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Now, in John 14, Jesus actually says that the Spirit is with them. Let's look at that passage. Let's go to John chapter 14, verse 17. Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit. He says, So, verse 17 in John 14, Jesus says, Because that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive. So, clearly a distinction between someone that trusts Christ or does not. Because it does not see him or know him, but you know him because he abides with you, and future will be in you. Jesus says, So, Jesus says here, look, God's Spirit is already with you, but he is going to be in you in the future. And then in the evening of the resurrection, John 20, 22, you can put that up right away, says Jesus, Jesus appears among you, can you put that up, please, 20, 22? Jesus appears among you, 20, 22? Okay, thank you. And Jesus appears among you and says, After he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. So, after the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, this future comes to say, he breathes on them, receives the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not only with them, he is in them. After the death and resurrection, Jesus breathes on them and says, Receive the Holy Spirit. He is now no longer just with you, he is in you. Now, if you believe in Jesus Christ, that he died for your sins, rose from the dead, and you trust him fully, then that Holy Spirit is in you. Ephesians 1, 13 emphasizes that. In him are you also, after you have heard the word of the truth, the gospel, your salvation, in him are you also, after you have been made believers, sealed with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1, 13, it says, In him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed, you were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise. That happened the moment you trusted Jesus Christ to be your Savior. That he was the solution of your debt and guilt, and the debt and guilt of the world. Now, God's Spirit is not just with you to convict you. He is now in you. His seal is upon you. You are God's property. And so, we could say, Jesus is talking of the third dimension in the relationship here, the relationship with the Holy Spirit. It is no longer just with you or in, but it is now upon you. God's power upon you. To be an effective witness. And that has to be a goal for you and for me. The question is, so how did that happen for the disciples back then? First point, they obeyed. Jesus told them, stay in the city. And if we see, if we look at Pentecost and how the Holy Spirit came upon them, well, where did it happen? Yes, in Jerusalem, that's true, but even more important. In fellowship, in communion. They were together worshipping God. They said, we need you so much. So, first, they obeyed his words. And I've often asked myself about that Pentecost day. They had been there probably for at least 10 days in Jerusalem. And they were approximately 120 people. We know that from scripture. But I ask myself, were there some of them that just had something else to do on that day that seemed more important? I don't know. But they would have missed that. But for those that were present when this happened, I witnessed the following. They treated fellowship and community with a clear priority. So, first, they obeyed his words. God told me to do this. I will do it. Second, they prioritized fellowship and community. Thirdly, they were transparent when it came to their own weaknesses. And we can see that a little bit more in detail when we look at the book of Acts. When they start being persecuted. We can see that in Acts chapter 4. Where they get together and they start confessing and telling the Lord, Lord, we're afraid. Help us. And when you're in a situation of fear, there is a loss of strength. Let's look at Acts chapter 4, verses 29 through 31. Where they say, verse 29, They are together in fellowship again. It seemed as if the strength just wasn't quite there anymore as it was on the day of Pentecost. And I'll tell you, you're going to experience that in your own life. In your life of following Jesus. But look what happened. Verse 31. I love this part. And when they had prayed together. I know God can answer individual prayer, of course. But the focus here is clearly on communal prayer. And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. They needed a new filling. They didn't want to do it in their own strength and power. And look, we need that so much as well. Maybe I'm extending the topic here a little bit, but it's important that it's in the text. Because that's the second key. The first key was the word of God. The second one was the power of the Holy Spirit. And then Lukas actually goes into the apostle story. The next verses he will also tell in the apostle story. A little more detail there. And we'll take a look at that. Lukas also has the apostle story. And Luke also wrote the book of Acts. So, by now we're no longer on the day of the resurrection. What we read prior to this, we could make a case for, well, all that happened still on the day of the resurrection. But this right here is clearly 40 days later. He leads them out to Bethany. He blesses them. In the book of Acts, it is recorded in a little more detail. And the apostles have received over the last 40 days their faith anew, rebuilt, fresh. See, that faith in false expectations was destroyed. But their new faith with Christ at the center, His death and resurrection at the center, has given them true view of what really is the truth. Jesus blesses them. He's carried up into heaven. And they rejoice. Why do they rejoice? Their Lord is gone. Because they trust the promises of Jesus. They received a new faith. See, to imitate the life of Christ in their own lives has become the new priority. Because that's how life can be spread. And because the apostles did just that back then, and others followed their example, and thereby followed the example that Jesus gave them, and others followed that example of Jesus again, and others followed it again, that's why we have faith today. See, you wouldn't have faith this morning if other people hadn't invested their lives in following Jesus prior to us. And Jesus tells them, from here out, from Jerusalem on, that faith shall spread throughout the entire world. See, and Jesus still lifts His hands in a blessing, just like He did back then. See, in the book of Hebrews, we read that He lives eternally, and He does not stop interceding for you and me. He blesses you. In His blood. You have complete forgiveness. And His Spirit is in you. He wants to fill you again and again with His Spirit. So you have the keys to life. You can handle guilt and debt. You can have fellowship with other believers. Do you know how much Jesus enjoys the fellowship among believers? Do you know how much He thinks that's beautiful? He thinks it's so beautiful that He just uses one word to describe that beautiful community and fellowship. Bride. See, the fellowship of people that are built on His Word and what He did, He calls them His bride. We are His loved ones. And I'm not just talking about this group here. See, other people in this area that love the Lord Jesus, work together with them. We're His bride. And we show to a dying world that there is hope. Because we continually and persistently apply those keys to life. Would you apply the keys of life consistently? His Word, the fellowship, and His Spirit. God thinks that's beautiful. And that's why we have the cup and bread up here. It's representative of His blood. We express by partaking here that we together are one in Him. It's His body that was broken. We express together that we are His body. And we proclaim His death. That is our life. That takes guilt and debt away. And brings us together into something that God thinks of as beautiful. Now, you should and can participate this morning. Under one condition. That you truly believe in it. And if you don't really believe in it, it's fine. We love to have you here anyway. You don't have to participate. This is not peer pressure. You can be who you are. Be authentic. But if you partake of the bread and the cup. Then you really are expressing, I belong to a fellowship. A group that Jesus has created. His death is my life. His death is my life. His blood cleanses me of all unrighteousness. And in His fellowship with others, I'm beautiful. Because together we are His bride. I'll say one more thing. This elements are for sinners. It's not for righteous people. It's for sinners that trust Jesus. If you trust Jesus, this is for you. And you're expressing something very beautiful. And you're also expressing that Jesus is coming again. So, I'm going to prepare the bread and wine. You can get the emblems. You can go back to your seat. Pete, Doris and Ursi will play a song. And we will all take it for ourselves in the fellowship. You can get a piece of bread, a cup, go back to your place. We're going to have the worship team play a song in the meantime. And we'll take it as a communion. And in the end, I'll just finish it up with the final thought. And then we shall go on strengthened in this truth. Alright? So, that's what we ask you to do. If you want to participate, just take a piece of the bread. Don't be shy. Thank you. Thank you. If you have the time, talk to yourselves. And if the right time is yours, maybe. You can just participate or just take the emblems. Whatever you individually are ready. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.