Before the service Rev Didier Schott from France gave a
short testimony of a recent outreach to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). There are
50000 children living on the street. They are born on the street, sleep on the street,
marry on the street and die on the street. They do everything on the street.
As the team was waiting at the airport some of these children wanted to shine their
shoes. As Rev Schott told a young boy that he could shine his shoes, the team had to leave
and it wasn't possible. The boy followed Rev Schott for a while and so he felt in his
pocket and gave the boy an American banknote, enough for the shining of about thirty pairs
of shoes. The boy was delighted but had to run away quickly when the other children
started to converge on him.
Five days later the team was at the airport again. Rev Schott felt someone tuck his
jacket, and there was the little boy thanking him for what he did five days before. He
asked the boy whether he could read and then gave him a book of "Revival amongst the
Zulus".
1Co 15:1-10
1) Remember what God told you in the beginning when you became a
believer.
Many Christians start their Christian walk well but fall by the
wayside and their faith suffer shipwreck because they fail to remember the things God told
them at the beginning of their Christial life. Remember what you heard and believed in the
beginning which gave you your first love for Jesus.
It is sad and painful if a person turns away from the Gospel which
first saved him. Paul never turned aside from the first revelation which he received from
Jesus. He continually reminded him of it right through his life until he died.
Paul said to the Galatians that he passed on to them the Gospel
which he received and believed. He even said to them, "if anyone preaches any other
gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed."
2) What you preach must have taken control of you and worked in
you first.
It doesn't help if you preach that a person must not steal and
you're a thief.
Paul preached the full Gospel - Jesus' crucifixion, death and
resurrection. Some preachers today only preach half the Gospel; they deny the resurrection
of Christ, and so they speak blasphemous things.
Again other theologians deny that Jesus died in our stead. They
are humanistic and cannot accept that God the Father would allow His Son to go through the
terrible suffering He went through for us. These days people are falling away from the
Gospel on all sides; and they speak blasphemy.
Jesus arose victoriously from the dead. The watchmen passed out
from fear when He arose - the very same soldiers who mocked Him only a few hours before.
But to the women the same experience meant great joy when the angels met them and told
them the glad news.
Jesus' resurrection shook the very foundations of hell. It
reverberated through hell that the Hero of heroes had conquered and been victorious over
death and hell. This is the One who Paul met and who he preached.
Have you experienced that resurrection power which rose Him from
the dead? If you tell people that Jesus had arisen from the dead you must tell it in the
resurrection power of Jesus, having experienced His power in your life.
If you truly believe that Jesus arose from the dead and has
conquered the works of the devil, you cannot but be deeply concerned for the multitudes
who do not know Him; unless you do not know Him yourself.
When you meet with Him who arose from the dead you can never be
the same again. Saul was persecuting the Christians but when He met Jesus he was changed
into Paul, a bond servant of Jesus; and he served Him faithfully to the end.
Jesus said to the women who wept for Him, "do not weep for
Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children." Parent, maybe your children do
not follow the Lord but love the world because of you; they see the world in you.
Never forget what God has spoken to you in the beginning. Remember
the calling you have received from Him and remain faithful to the end.