30th Mar 26 | 13:54
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Luke 24 36-49 COMMISSIONED TO BE HIS WITNESSES 04 18Apr2022 Luke 24 36-37 Completing the task of being Shalom creators
📖 Luke 24:36-49
04 – 18Apr2022 – Completing the task of being Shalom creators - Luke 24:36-49 - COMMISSIONED TO BE HIS WITNESSES - Bible reading: James 3:17-18
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You give us Your Shalom. We live in a world that is restless but in the midst of this situation, You give us Your Shalom. We pray that we will live out Your Shalom and bring many into Your kingdom and into Your Shalom. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.”
Luke 24:36-37 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you." (37) But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.
The Lord came to set up His kingdom and the character of His kingdom is Shalom.
Mark 1:14-15 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, (15) and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
The invitation that the Lord is giving to humanity is to repent and believe in the gospel. This gospel is of His kingdom. The kingdom of God is the experience of the Shalom of God. To repent is to turn away from the kingdom of darkness, in which we were once living, and come under the authority of Jesus and His kingdom.
Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
When we come to Jesus, we must know that this is about a change of citizenship and reign. We now are under the rule of Christ, in His kingdom. This kingdom of Jesus is the kingdom of Shalom.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
There may be storms blowing all around us but we enjoy the Shalom of God because we are under His rule in our lives. We share this beautiful experience of the Shalom of God with those around us, who are in turmoil. We invite them to come into the kingdom of Jesus, where there is the Shalom of God.
Romans 14:17-18 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (18) For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
There is persecution for the church but we must know that those who are persecuting the church are under the blindness of the evil one. We must forgive them for they do not know what they do. We must share the love of Jesus with them, even when they hurt us, for they need to come out of the kingdom of the devil/darkness and move into the kingdom of the Son of God. Deep inside, each one is aching and longing to have the Shalom experience.
Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
We are to fill the earth by going into all domains, subdue those domains, and bring in the dominion of God. This is the task of the church. It is by the wisdom of God that we bring the Shalom of God into every sphere of life.
James 3:17-18 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. (18) Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
The precise method, by which we are to bring the Shalom of God into all our domains is also spelt out for us.
II Corinthians 5:18-20 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, (19) that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (20) Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
The Lord has given to the church the ministry of reconciliation. Reconciliation with God is the Shalom of God. We are ambassadors for Christ. We carry the message of God’s reconciliation with man, to a world that is far away from God. We plead, we do all that is possible for the world to turn from the kingdom of darkness and come into the kingdom of the Son of His love.
To do this wonderful task the Lord has given us His Holy Spirit. He has not left us alone to do this work of being ambassadors of Christ. We are with our Helper, the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26-27 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (27) Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
The disciples were terrified when the Lord met them that evening. The Lord blessed them with His peace. They did not need to be terrified anymore but they could now operate in fearlessness and boldness. They could do so because the Holy Spirit, the Helper, was with them.
This is what the church must understand and appropriate by faith.
Thought to ponder
Are you a Shalom creator?