Transcription
God always had a plan for his people, a plan to rescue and redeem them, a plan that couldn't be stopped, no matter what.
When Jesus, this ordinary man from Nazareth, opened his mouth, people marveled at his teaching. When he performed signs and wonders, they were in awe. For three years, in private rooms and public squares, prophecies were fulfilled and sins were forgiven. The lame were walking, the blind were seeing, the captives were made free. The carpenter was building his church.
Then the unthinkable—the people he was sent to rescue killed him. God's promised rescuer was dead, and all hope seemed lost. Except God's plan was unstoppable; even death couldn't get in the way. Jesus rose from the grave. He appeared in private rooms and public squares. His followers were filled with hope, and then he left. God disappeared into a cloud, and all his disciples stood there on that mountain, staring at the sky and wondered, "What now?" Jesus promised to build his church, but how could that happen now?
It turned out Jesus wanted to build his church through them. And although the plan wasn't always clear, his disciples had all they needed. Armed with the Holy Spirit and the love of their resurrected Savior, they started building. They added to their numbers and even picked up a powerful convert from the Sanhedrin along the way. Separate yet united, they took to land and sea, stood firm in the face of the strongest military power the world had ever known. In adversity, they saw hope; in conflict, they brought peace to the captives; they gave freedom, and the gospel washed over the earth with every step they took, from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
But maybe you're wondering, "What now?" That's the question that confronts all of us after we encountered Jesus, when the gospel rewrites the story we're living. And thankfully, the answer is with us in the New Testament. Join us as we discover what it means to be gospel-centered. After Jesus brings his gospel, Jesus is still building his church, and he's still doing it through us. [Music] You