For EVERYBODY
April 11, 2004
Acts 10:43
Easter Sunday
Galena-Warwick United Methodist Charge
Warwick & Galena, Maryland
Rev. Dr. Lawrence D. Jameson
back to our church home page
Acts 10:43
All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives
forgiveness of sins through his name.
INTRODUCTION
When Jesus suffered, died, and rose from the dead
it was for
all the people
from Adam and Eve
until now.
Scientists and mathematicians
estimate that number is about 96 billion.
It was also for
all the people who are alive right now.
That’s about 6 billion, 300 million.
We don’t know how many people
are going to be born in the future.
That’s probably a big number.
Dear ones,
Jesus
is for EVERYBODY:
all the people who ever lived,
all the people alive today,
all the people on the way.
EVERYBODY.
Why am I talking about this on Easter Sunday?
Let me tell you why.
When you know for certain that Jesus Christ
is for EVERYBODY
you are no longer just a Christian;
you are a missionary.
ONE What about the people before Jesus was
born?
I’m not going to take too long to answer this question
because it is so easy.
In 1 Peter 3:18 the Bible says,
18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to
bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20 who
disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark
was being built.
This passage of Scripture tells us two things
about the people who lived before Jesus.
1) Their sins were paid for, and
2) they got an opportunity to repent.
We know that God is fair.
The Bible shows that he is more than fair.
He loves us!
In 2 Peter 3:9 the Bible says,
The Lord is ...
patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish,
but everyone to come to repentance.
God does not want anyone to perish.
It isn’t surprising then
for us to discover
that God made provision
for all the people who were born before Jesus.
If you asked me HOW he did that,
I have to say
I don’t know.
The Bible doesn’t tell us how
Jesus gave those people a chance.
It just says that he did.
Before I move on to my next point
I want you to just think
about the significance of 1 Peter 3:18.
The death of Jesus on the cross
paid for sins of EVERYONE
including all the people who lived in the past.
When you know for certain that Jesus Christ
is for EVERYBODY
you are no longer just a Christian;
you are a missionary.
TWO What about the people into different
religions today?
That’s an important question.
In this age of multi-culturalism and political correctness
are Christian Missions a good thing?
YES! They are.
Our world
needs Jesus Christ
more desperately today than it ever has before.
We live in the greatest age of missions and missionaries.
I did a Google search on the words “Christian Mission”
and guess what the result was?
I got three and a half million web pages.
We live in an amazing time in history.
The missionary movement is alive
because Jesus Christ is for EVERYBODY.
If you have a friend who is an atheist
or agnostic
into witchcraft,
is a Buddhist,
or Muslim
Jesus Christ is available to them.
Why? Because Jesus is for EVERYBODY.
We need to be humble and sensitive.
We must accept the fact that as Christians
we are not better people than anybody.
We are not smarter, or more ethical.
We have no advantages. We just love Jesus.
And that’s all we really need.
I have always admired Fuller Theological Seminary
in Pasadena, California.
It is one of the great graduate schools in the world.
They actually have three different schools,
a Theological Seminary to train pastors
a School of Psychology to train counselors
and a School of Intercultural Studies to train missionaries.
The Fuller School of Intercultural Studies
has 25 faculty members & 200 students.
While that particular school
is the largest of it’s kind in the world,
it is one among many.
I did another search on Google
using the words “Christian” and “School of Mission”.
I got over two thousand web sites.
There are hundreds of Schools for missionaries.
The year 2004
is one of the greatest periods of missions and missionaries
in history.
Why?
It’s because of Acts 2:21.
In Acts 2:21 the Bible says,
everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.
This Fall, on Sunday, November 14
the homecoming speaker at Olivet
will be Mr. Kevin Goodwin.
Kevin works for the DuPont Corporation in Wilmington.
In his spare time,
he’s the Mission Secretary
for our Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference.
I asked Kevin to speak at both churches that day
and to take a special offering for
Africa University
which is a United Methodist institution
in Mutare, Zimbabwe.
Methodist churches are growing all over Africa
and we are helping to train pastors and professionals
in each of the 54 countries on that continent.
Africa University is less that 10 years old
and already
they have 1,123 students and 70 faculty members.
Why are so many people in Africa
turning to Jesus Christ?
It’s because of 1 John 2:2.
In 1 John 2:2 the Bible says,
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,
and not only for ours
but also for the sins of the whole world.
When you know for certain that Jesus Christ
is for EVERYBODY
you are no longer just a Christian;
you are a missionary.
THREE How does
this affect me?
I want to leave you with something practical,
something you can take home
and put to use.
I want to challenge you
to think of one person you know
that really needs Jesus Christ.
And I want you to pray,
and then boldly give them a gift.
(hold up the gift - a little cross)
Why should you do that?
What’s your motivation?
It’s because of John 3:16.
Jesus said:
"For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life.
The mission field is vast
but God put you where you are for a reason.
When you know for certain that Jesus Christ
is for EVERYBODY
you are no longer just a Christian;
you are a missionary.
PRAYER
Thank you Lord, for turning wimps into witnesses.
You did that on the first Easter Sunday,
and you are doing that today.
It is an honor to speak out for you,
to take your side, and to be considered a fool for Christ.
Open our ears to hear your Word and let freedom ring from all the churches
around the world today!
In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.