Pearls From Peace Pastor Brad & Pastor Glenn

Saul, the one who persecuted the Christ followers, was there approving the stoning of Stephen, goes from persecuting the Church of Christ, to being persecuted himself. What would make someone change their entire way of life? Nothing less than meeting Jesus Christ, the One whom he also persecuted. But this isn't really a come-to-Jesus moment, it's a Jesus-comes-to Saul moment. The same goes for us too.

On Father's Day, we give thanks for the fathers or father figures that God has placed in our lives. We might even thank them by allowing them to sleep in. We may also think about the impact they have had in our lives, and the message they would leave us with. As we read the story of Stephen, he addresses fathers and brothers giving them a message that ends with him being stoned to death. In his death, he falls asleep in Christ, something that he and God wants for all people.

What are you willing to stand up for in this life? Is it the things that you believe in? Is it things you don't believe in? I mean, who would stand up for things they don't believe in, or things that go against God's Word? Sinners. Like me. Like you. And so we need somebody to stand in our place, to succeed where we fail. That's Jesus, who dies on our behalf, for us, to save us, to give us repentance and forgiveness, and to help us stand in Him, and the truth of His Word, even if it costs us our life.

The Christ-followers of the early Church, that expanded rapidly at Pentecost, devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, to the breaking of bread, to prayer, and to fellowship. As we take a look at the Church of our world today, is it characterized by those same things, or is it different? And as we think about the Church expanding, numbers increasing, who is actually responsible for that growth?

God is Trinity, Triune, Three-in-one, one God yet three persons. That means 1+1+1=1. That's how the Trinity works. On this Trinity Sunday, we don't just confess our faith in the Trinity, we get to hear the Confirmation class confess their faith in the Trinity. That faith that was planted in them at their Baptism, through the water and the Word by God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in whose name they were baptized in. That faith that we who were baptized and confirm confess our faith in. God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Can you imagine what it must have been like that first Pentecost? The feeling of the Holy Spirit allowing you to speak in other languages. Hearing the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ in your own language from someone that couldn't speak it before. Having 3,000 believe that life-saving message. But Pentecost is more than just feelings. And the life of the church today is more than just feelings when we revisit that original Pentecost.