Imagine it’s a warm sunny morning, and you are walking along a tropical sandy beach. You stop to admire the blue sea, and notice someone swimming. Just then you see the familiar shape of a fin, moving through the water towards the swimmer. You are fairly sure the fin belongs to a shark, although you’re not sure if it is dangerous or not. Feeling anxious, your heart beats harder, and you decide to call out to the person swimming. Here though is the question. What is it you are going to say? Will it be good morning, are you enjoying your swim? Or maybe you would say what a lovely day we are having. No my guess is you won’t stop for pleasantries, and instead you’ll pass on the most important message, something like there’s a shark coming towards you, swim for your life.

 

 

Over the next 120 seconds I could tell you about Rishangles Baptist Church, but instead I wonder if you will allow me to share with you what the Bible says is the most important message? In fact Paul one of the writers of the Bible, when writing to one of the first churches puts it this way. “For what I received I passed on to you as a matter of first importance: that Jesus Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day.”

 

 

Now for some people that probably isn’t going to make much sense. So here is what I think Paul is saying. We remember Jesus birth at Christmas time, but sometimes we forget that Jesus grew up and then at around the age of 3o went through Israel doing some incredible things. He also told people how God loves them, and how God wants us to live. Then when he about 33 years old, Jesus was arrested, charged with crimes that he hadn’t done, and was put to death by the Romans crucifying him at Jerusalem. Of course normally that would have been the end of the story, but Jesus was no ordinary person, since he was both man and God. Because of this three days later Jesus came back to life, and was seen to be alive by many of his friends and followers.

 

 

Now the Bible tells us that when Jesus died, he hadn’t done anything wrong. However Jesus died as part of God’s plan, that he would be punished for the things we had done wrong, which the Bible calls sins. Since he was punished on our behalf, we can ask for God’s forgiveness and receive it, starting afresh with God in our lives both, as our God and friend.

 

 

Of course some may wonder why God would want to have anything to do with the people of this world. The Bible answers this by telling us that the reason God wants to be a part of our lives, is because God loves us. So there you have it. Next time you see yourself in a mirror, why not remind yourself that God loves you, and wants you to know it.

 

 

Well thank you for taking a few moments to read this. Should you decide you would like to know more about Rishangles Baptist Church, then please visit our website at rishanglesbaptistchurch.org . Or you could even come along for one of our services sometime.

 

 

Finally on behalf of the Church we hope you have a good day.