Our last day at Ross River Anglican. For this mission at least!
Morning church. We turned up and spotted people we now knew and recognised. Even some we didn’t! Thank God for answering prayer – there was a couple who came along to church because they saw us on the strand yesterday!
Luke S shared about the joy he has as a Christian and the way that God has been growing him in this. Rachel explained to the children that God seeks lost things like us just as the kids sought her lost jumper.
Then Chris B spoke about Zacchaeus. How what he did described who he was. As a tax collector he was bad news. But the shocking thing is that not only does Jesus seek him, but Jesus changes him into a Son of Abraham. So shocking is the gospel and the way that it transforms that it is hard for people to hear. Chris had a couple of people come to confirm what he had said. It is hard to accept that Jesus saves sinners who obviously need saving. We like to think that we’re not really that bad and that God would like us. But the reality of our sin is that we are just as bad as Zacchaeus in God’s eyes. Yet, God saves us. This is the shocking (and glorious) news of the gospel. That the Son of Man comes to seek and save the lost.
After lunch with our hosts, we gathered again at the Salvo’s hall with the evening church. It was really encouraging to see that a few people had invited friends along to church! Brain shared how the gospel showed him that it was not about his work, but God’s.
Cameron then told us about how Jesus diagnoses our real problem of sin. And not only diagnoses, but also does something about it. Just as with the paralytic who Jesus forgives and then heals, Jesus has power to heal our sinful hearts. And he offers this forgiveness and healing to all. For those listening, we were freshly challenged to see our real spiritual problem and to turn to Jesus to fix it.
Please pray for those who were new to church today. There were a few. Pray for the church as they follow up these new contacts and as they follow up their friends. Thank God that the gospel was preached today and ask that it would continue to work in the hearts of those who heard it, potentially for the first time.
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