Today is the 3rd Sunday of our Reaching Revival emphasis during the month of April.
Easter Sunday, we worshiped around the topic of God’s Reaching Down to release Jesus Christ from death and the grave. Remember our theme was when God raised Jesus from the tomb, He changed everything. The point that day was that we can live every day in the promise and power of the Resurrection.
Last Sunday, Danny Jones preached about the opportunities we have to Reach Up to God in repentance and faith to accept and receive forgiveness of sin and eternal life by receiving Jesus as our Savior and Lord. He preached powerfully about turning away from the reality of hell and eternal separation from the promises of God. The cross on which Jesus died is the most convincing evidence of the reality of hell and the consequences of unconfessed sin. It is an awesome realization that when we simply Reach Up in faith to receive Jesus as Savior, we are eternally redeemed from punishment and separation from God.
Today, we are privileged to have Reverend Matthew Williams preach to us about God’s Reaching In and transforming us, remaking us into the image of His Son Jesus. Listen to this;
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)
A disciple of Jesus Christ has a new direction, a new purpose and a new outlook. Believers live for Jesus. It is not enough to just be respectable and decent. The followers of Jesus Christ are to climb to the summit of obedience and character that Jesus himself displayed. That’s why God Reaches In to our business, In to our homes, In to our secret places. He helps you to let Jesus take over.
My daddy was a plumber. I enjoyed being together with him watching him work from time to time. I learned that my dad could stick his hand into some pretty nasty places. I watched him get dirty and tackle some of the messiest messes you can imagine. If his tools did not get the job done, we would go shoulder deep. Once there was an exposed wire that he could not see. When he reached his hand up to his elbow to take hold of the problem, the problem took hold of him. He could not shake himself away. I panicked as the electricity began to burn his skin. He managed to get his foot against the wall and push himself away from the dangerous voltage with a push from the strong muscles in his leg. Burnt, his heart palpitating, exhausted from the struggle, he survived the ordeal. In ecstatic joy, I took hold of my dad relieved and grateful he survived.
God reached in to our mess when He gave us Jesus. Jesus endured the pain of Calvary because of our mess. God continues to reach in to the filth and the stink of our sin to fix whatever needs fixing. Living for Jesus is not a sterile business free from the unsightly, undignified, and unseemly junk that goes on inside. Jesus is ready to Reach In this morning and clean you up. He will Reach in and fix, if you will let Him. Whatever it is, let Jesus Reach In to your situation and clean you up.