Wow! That's all I could say after watching this video. This video did such a fine job in sharing what the Gospel is all about and what we as Christ followers are called to do. I never thought of myself as a rebel, but I am indeed a rebel...I am a rebel because of sin. The video begins in a prison and ends in the exact same prison cell. We are a rebel that is in a prison cell waiting to be punished, but Christ steps in and takes the punishment for us. We are freed because of His sacrifice. His death. Because of His death, we are introduced to the Good News and as we are in that prison cell and praising Him we forget that the prison cell door is unlocked and we are free. Christ reminds us that we are free and that we need to step out of the prison cell and into freedom. As we enter into freedom, we are awaited with a chariot. A chariot from Christ himself. We, as a new believer, are given an invitation from the King himself to be invited into His presence. A Rebel. And a recent sinner is invited into the presence of God. Not only are we invited to be in His presence, but God himself adopts us as His child. We are His! As we are clothed in a beautiful robe and brought into His presence, he has commissioned us to do something. The God of Heaven wants us to work for Him, to represent Him. He has commissioned us to go back to the prison cell and share His love to those still there. He commissions us to go and make disciples, but he warns us...He warns us that we will be sent out as sheep into a pack of wolves. A place where we will get hurt or even face death. We have to remember that the commission Christ gave to us was not just a penalty, not just the problem, not just the invitation into His very near presence, not just the adoption as the sons and daughters of the Kings of Kings, but a commission to represent Him. It is actually a privilege above any other privileges to bear the very name, image, and reputation of the God Almighty. The thing though is that what Christ sent us out to do is impossible...We will fail if we do it on our own strength. But Christ did not send us out to fail but to be victorious. He is calling us to give our bodies to Him, so He can overtake it and make it His home. When he has taken over our body, He clothes us with His armour. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. He clothes with all of these so when we go out to face the pack of wolves, we go out as little lambs with faces of lions because we are sending ourselves out with Him inside.
Christ has given us a commission, but we do not have to do it on our own. "We don't have to do the impossible. We don't have to fail any longer because He is ready to do it in and through us. We can't do it. We can't muster up the discipline. We can't muster up the intellect. We can't muster up the strength. We can't muster up the perseverance and the fortitude on our own, but HE CAN. We can't love the lost. We can't love those that spit upon our face, but HE CAN." In Christ we can do all things.
One of my favorite things from the video is this...as we go out, we can't just pray that God will teach us how to love like He loves. Instead we should pray that he will fill us with Himself and love through Him. We can't just pray that God will teach us how to have joy. Instead we should pray that the Living God, full of joy, will enter inside of us. We can't pray that He will teach us how to be peaceful. Instead ask for the God of peace, the Prince of Peace to fill us. Because ultimately, if we try and imitate God's own strength we will be a miserable replica of Him. But if "we allow the impartation of Jesus Christ to overtake us....suddenly it all works because it's Him imitating Himself and He is very good at being God."
I took a lot of applications from this video as you can see above as I reiterated it. There have been times in my own personal prayers when I say, "God, please give me strength or give me peace." when it should be, "God, the Prince of Peace, come and fill me with Your peace." It's not about me, but it's about HIM. So after Christ has commissioned us to go out and share His love, some head out on their journey while others are still stuck in that prison cell. Some forget that the prison cell is unlocked and waiting for the door to be opened. What are some of the things that might keep you inside the prison cell and hindering you from entering into freedom? What is keeping you from accepting His invitation and His commission. In my life, there have been times where I have been stuck inside of the prison because of fear. Fear of what is outside. Fear of what God is calling me to do, but me thinking I might fail or not give Him my 100%. Fear of what others may say about me, if I pursue his calling, his challenge for my life. I have recognized that and been working out it, so I don't have to be stuck inside the prison cell, but walk out into the freedom that God has given me. God promises that when I obey His will for my life that He is with me and for me. That he will not ask something of me that I can't handle. God knows my capabilities and He is teaching me to not only obey Him but trust Him as well. I challenge you to look within your heart and recognize what is it that is holding you back, that is keeping you confined within the walls of the prison cell. Come to Christ and seek Him, because the freedom He gives us is not only worth it, but meaningful. Step out of the prison cell and into freedom!
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." Romans 1:16
