Believing

Recently I heard a sermon that really made me think (always the best kind!) The title of the sermon was 'Believe the Amazing.' What a wonderful calling. Amazing was defined as being beyond my experience, expectations and understanding. The pastor was discussing how Jesus affected those around Him.

When his disciples were confronted with this new information that Jesus was their Savior and that he would die, rise again and ascend to Heaven, they were faced with the decision of either fitting this new information into their old understanding (therefore simply dismissing it) or changing their understanding all together. When faced with this crossroads, his disciples chose not only to change their understanding, but to change the direction of their very lives to align themselves with Jesus's mission. In fact, every disciple believed in Jesus so strongly, that they all died a martyrs death. I can't help but wonder just how compelling it would've been to walk by his side. In the same argument though, Patrick posed the question, 'why did Jesus go to Heaven?' This is something I've always asked myself if I'm honest. It always seems as though it would be so much easier if I could see Him face to face. Jesus went to Heaven so that the gospel wouldn't be centered around his presence. Had He been here all along, the Christian faith would have been contained in and around his physical presence. Instead, God had a plan and when Jesus ascended, his disciples took on the mission and started to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.

So even though it seems it would be so simple to travel somewhere where I could be right next to Him, having a faith in something I sometimes cannot see seems more compelling. Patrick described truly believing the amazing by first having an in-person experience with Jesus, one that is personal but not entirely private. Then I become a witness to what I've experienced, not to convert people but to simply explain my real-life experience with the Savior. This is of course not always easy and the struggle will always come when I can't pinpoint or remember how God has worked in my life, my testimony. If I can't cite my own experiences and life changes, Christianity becomes some distant fairytale. To believe the amazing, I must allow myself to both experience it and never forget the way God has always been faithful to me!