Halfway through our series, "Revolution: Meet the Jesus that Changes Everything," three common things have taken place that Jesus came to establish:
1) A New Covenant
2) A New Command
3) A New Movement
A new covenant (found in Luke 22), that said Jesus would die for all so that all could experience His love and His grace freely. A new command (found in John 13:34-35), that commands all of Christ's followers to pursue everyone in love. And a new movement (known as the church), that was established to share the love that Jesus is to the world.
A new covenant built in love. A new command built in love. A new movement built in love.
Love. Love. Love.
Jesus was no stranger to love. In fact, He did everything He possibly could to love and pursue everyone, regardless of their baggage. This past week, Jordan shared the story of Jesus pursuing the woman at the well found in John 4. Jesus, a Jewish man, had zero business loving and showing grace towards a Samaritan woman. John writes that Jews and Samaritans did not associate with one another. And yet, Jesus goes through what was uncomfortable in order to pursue someone who was lost.
Jesus pursued and empowered the least, the lost, the lonely, and the forgotten. He showed love towards a woman who was desperate for living water. He believed in her and showed grace to her regardless of her sin. This was probably one of the first times this woman had ever felt truly loved by a man before, let alone a Jewish man (I assume this because of her five previous husbands and the person she was then sleeping with was not her husband). A man who did not see her for what she was, rather, who she was in the eyes of God.
She was loved, desired, cherished, and believed in. In response towards Christ's love, she takes the message of hope to her community and many of her peers believe in Jesus because of her testimony.
Who is the woman at the well for you? Who is the person that you are avoiding because of your differences or their lifestyle? Who is the person that you are too focused on what they are doing, rather than who they are?
Take these three Next Steps to prepare your heart for the message this week:
1) Physically write out your answer to the question: Who is the uncomfortable person in your life that God is calling you to pursue? Put your answer on your fridge.
2) Pray for the next steps our church is taking this year
3) Read Matthew 9 to prepare your heart for the message this week