This Sunday, Churches will celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. Hopefully, you plan on attending worship. I dream that the people of God will support one another in prayer. Here are a few things for you to pray about from now till Sunday.

1. Pray for Outreach. Numerous people have invited others to join them for this special day. Be in prayer that people accept the invitation and follow through on attending. Pray that their heart will be open and God will use this day to touch their soul.

2. Pray for the Children. Pray that the message of Jesus will reach the youngest generations through children’s Church. Pray for kind and warm people working in the nursery that would make parents feel at ease. Children are often the key to the parent’s heart.

3. Pray for the Worship Team. People have been preparing worship music, special songs, videos, and scripture readings. May everyone sing loudly, and the joy of the Lord overflow through our auditoriums. Don’t forget to pray for the sound and PowerPoint people, too.

4. Pray for Pastor/Preacher. (People like me) This is our Superbowl. Pray the sermon comes together and that we are able to speak boldly about the resurrection of Jesus. Pray for the person who preaches to rest well the night before, to shut out the voices of darkness, and to speak in the power of the Holy Spirit.

5. Pray that Jesus becomes famous. This weekend is not about giving praise to a worship team, teacher, or preacher. It is entirely about Jesus. Pray his name is glorified and people know him better because of what happened this weekend.

The Gospel according to Luke, contains a story from the cross of Jesus about one of those crucified with him. He looks at Jesus and says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43).

It is a fantastic story of the grace and power of Jesus. But I also need to say that he is NOT the model for Christians. I know that statement may surprise and even upset some people, but we are required to be consistent with our Biblical interpretation.

First, this event is part of the old covenant. The fact is that Jesus has not died, been buried, resurrected, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and the Holy Spirit has not been poured out. In Acts chapter 2, Peter quotes from the book of Joel, a passage that is being fulfilled. The first line states, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” The beginning of the “last days” is Pentecost and not Easter. Just like Exodus 20 is the beginning of the Law and not Exodus 1 and the birth of Moses.

Second, this interaction is with Jesus. Jesus, as God in the flesh, has the power to forgive sins while he is on the earth with only a word. In fact, he does it multiple times with various people. A person with paralysis lowered through the roof to be healed is forgiven. A woman who anoints Jesus’ feet with perfume and her tears is forgiven. Jesus, looking down on the crowds from the cross, says, “Father, forgive them.” Jesus has the ability to do things that do not happen today.

Third, because he is God in the flesh, he can handle people however each situation requires. Whenever he is asked, “What must I do to be saved?” or “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” His answers vary. He tells the rich, young ruler to sell his possessions and give to the poor. No one argues that his words are a model for us as believers today.

Finally, we have no idea of this man’s backstory. He says to the other thief on the third cross, “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” (Luke 23:41). It appears this man knew several things about Jesus. He knew that he was sinless and did not deserve death. He understands he is somehow the guardian of a new kingdom in heaven because he asks to be remembered. Many scholars speculate that he was a follower of Jesus for a while and now repents from leaving Jesus.

The story of the thief on the cross is a story of the amazing power and forgiveness of Jesus. He is full of grace that extends to his final hours. BUT the story of the thief on the cross is not a model for us to look at and say, “He didn’t confess faith publicly, he wasn’t baptized, he didn’t go to Church, he didn’t… you fill in the blank.” He died before the new covenant was wholly established and put into place through Jesus.

If you are looking for a model of how to be saved by Jesus, read the Book of Acts. Numerous stories reveal the responses of the early Church to this question.

I am thankful that the thief was with Jesus in paradise after his death, but please remember that the Bible shows us God’s promises, patterns, and plans, and this man is not a model for us to follow as New Testament Christians.

Recently, I attended a Christian concert on the campus of a Christian University. The chapel was packed with excited people who truly enjoyed listening to Christian music.

To start the evening, a man walked to the front of the stage to welcome everyone and give a few words of instruction for our evening together. As he spoke, he said, “I am genuinely expecting God to move tonight.” Then, he went on to talk about the presence of the Spirit of God in that place. He finished by saying that lives would be changed because of their attendance that evening.

While his words hung in the air, people applauded, shouted Amen and Hallelujah, and raised their hands in emphatic praise. I stood there silently, wondering what he meant. I know his words were pure, honest, and hopeful that, at the end of the evening, people would be more like Jesus as a direct result of being in attendance that night.

This Sunday is Easter. It is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the grave following his death on the cross. It is the most significant day on the Christian calendar. I want to echo the man’s words that night, “I am praying that God will move this Sunday.”

Like that man, I am not exactly sure what I even mean by that statement.

Perhaps that means people will come to Church for the first time and hear the message of hope in Jesus. Maybe it means believers will be moved from complacency to commitment as the Lord touches their souls in some way. It might mean that a committed believer is encouraged in their soul to keep fighting the good fight of faith for another year. It could be that a senior believer will reconnect with the joy of eternity as they face the difficulties ahead with the hope of eternity.

I am not sure what I want God to do this Sunday, but I am praying for him to move in people’s lives. I expect that he will do things that I cannot fathom quite yet.

Would you join me in my prayer for this weekend? I am not sure what I am asking, but I am confident that God will take our prayers and do more than we ask or imagine.

I am not always a shining example of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. I have used words I should not have used. I have gotten angry and occasionally screamed and shouted. I have not only thought inappropriately, but I have also behaved in inappropriate ways.

If you were to ask a group of people if I am a good Christian, I am sure there would be mixed reviews.

I hope that during the conversation, someone says, “Yeah, but he …”

Then, they go on to list all my good qualities. They will say things like, “He got angry. Yeah, but he also tried to serve people in the name of Jesus.” Perhaps they would say, “He said some mean things. Yeah, but he also tried to tell everyone he could about Jesus.” Thing might even say, “Remember that time he did that awful thing. Yeah, but do you also remember all the times he tried to encourage and build people up?”

There are plenty of people who can list all our flaws and failures. I also hope there will be people who see the good things you and I did.

All of us have problems, and the measure of a Christian is the amount of good they do in the name of Jesus despite their issues.

Everyone needs a variety of people in their life.

You need people in your life to love and support you.

You need people in your life who will encourage you and stand beside you.

You need people in your life who will never leave you, no matter what you have done.

You need people to speak the truth to you about important matters.

You also need those who are willing to confront you.

If everyone in your life agrees with your views, thinking, and lifestyle choices, then you do not have a true friend.

I see people all the time who allow their lives to veer toward destruction because they have no one willing to confront them. When someone does finally address the issues, they run back to the people who will always agree with them. Eventually, the truthteller is treated like an enemy.

You may hate that one person in your life who speaks the harsh truth, but they might be the type of friend you genuinely need.  

When it comes to serving and participating in the body of Christ, I believe the bar needs to be set high. It is not something to be taken lightly. Following Jesus is not an easy venture; it never has been.

Consider these words from Jesus:

Luke 9:57-62 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
(58) Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
(59) He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
(60) Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
(61) Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
(62) Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 10:37-39 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (38) Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (39) Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

Luke 14:25-27 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: (26) “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. (27) And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (25) For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. (26) What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”

Jesus set the bar extremely high, and if I try to lower it to make people happy, then I am not representing his will for us. So, I continue to push people to make Jesus the center of their lives and nothing less.

The biggest question that has been guiding my ministry for the past 15 months is, “How does the Church develop spiritually mature believers?”

In Paul’s letter to the Christians in Ephesus, he proclaims that Christ gave specific leadership to the Church. He gave it apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. All of them are to equip people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13)

The goal of Church leadership is to develop people who are mature in their faith and look like Jesus.

How does that happen? What does it take for someone to want to serve other people? What does it take for people to desire to be in worship every week? What will convince someone to become a generous person with their time and resources? What are the steps necessary for someone to grow beyond infancy in their faith?

We can derive certain concepts from the Biblical stories that are helpful, but there are no set actions to follow step by step. Worship with Biblical teaching, a membership class, small groups, intentional discipleship, and Bible reading groups are part of what we are using. Still, we see only limited results.

The biggest hurdle to making mature believers is the desire of each follower of Jesus. Something must awaken inside of them to create a hunger for the things of God. The Church can’t force people into commitment; it can only create environments and actions for people to use when they are ready.

I desire to see people grow in their walk with the Lord. As a Church leader, I am doing everything to help, but I cannot lead people where they are not willing to go.

Many of the choices you make this week seem to have little impact on you: what you eat, the things that fill your schedule, the exercise you do or don’t do, the places you spend your money, and a hundred other things. You may see a small return on your choices, but not the complete picture. You will be fed, enjoy a game, and complete another week.

But there are also greater things happening. What you eat is impacting your body, along with your exercise plan. Your children are learning values from the events that fill your calendar. Your marriage relationship is growing closer or slowly moving further apart. Your financial decisions are a blessing or are starting to create insurmountable debt. Your spiritual life is growing, or you are remaining an infant in the faith.

Where you are today is often not the result of one big decision; rather, it is the result of hundreds of daily choices. Where you are in the future is the result of the hundreds of decisions you make this week.

Frequently, I talk to someone who has made a mess of their life, their children, or something significant to them. It is hard to explain to them that nothing they did today caused this; it has been building for years. And there is nothing they can do today that will fix it. It will take years of Godly decisions to turn things around.

Your life is the result of your choices, but most of the time, you will not understand it until somewhere down the road. There are few insignificant decisions in the long run.

One of my favorite images of the Church is the family of God. But you need to know that it is one of several metaphors used for the community of believers. It is a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and God’s special possession.

It is also like an army. Throughout the New Testament, the writers refer to people serving the Lord as soldiers. The Apostle Paul calls doing the work of ministry the good fight. Believers are to have on the full armor of God as they carry the Sword of the Spirit. We have an enemy, and we wage war against the forces of evil. Battle imagery is prevalent in most of the letters of the New Testament.

Each image has different connotations. There are lessons to be learned from a family and military personnel’s practices.

For me, family conjures up pictures of warm summer evenings, sitting around the fire, sharing a drink, a laugh, and the warmth of love. Being in the armed services paints a very different picture. There is basic training, facing dangerous situations, being on high alert, and depending on your fellow soldiers to protect you. It is not warm and friendly; it is challenging and demanding. 

I hope that when people connect to a Church, they become a part of a loving family. They also need to know that they are enlisting in the army and that their comrades depend on them to take their jobs seriously. At times, it will be demanding, but victory is assured.   

In children’s Church, we used to sing, “I may never march in the infantry, ride in the calvary, or shoot the artillery, but I am in the Lord’s Army.” My childish brain could not comprehend all that might mean, but as a mature believer, you need to understand that the song is still valid.

Whenever you say something like this, people will often quote Jesus’s words: “Don’t judge, lest you be judged.”

I understand this response. No one wants to be told they are behaving in an ungodly way. The defenses go up, and the claws come out.

Yet the verses that follow this statement in Matthew chapter seven state that we are to remove the log or plank from our own eye, and then we will be able to see clearly how to remove the speck from our brother’s eye. Two things are stated. First, we must take care of our own issues. Then, we are obligated to help our brother.

The problem people have when you say, “You have a problem,” is that you do not follow it up with the rest of the concept. For a follower of Jesus it is always, “You have a problem, just like I did, and I want to help you.” Let the other person know, “I want to show you the grace I received along with a way out. I sincerely want to be the support for you that I needed on my journey of faith.”

Everyone knows they have issues, and they are not looking for someone to point them out. What they need is someone to help them fix them in love.