How to share Jesus

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How to share Jesus

• Through crisis
• Luke 2326 - 43

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Aaagh! Crisis!
Crisis over JJB chief Sir David Jones's loan from
rival grows The Times July 8, 2009
CRISIS club Newcastle face a mutiny with
season-ticket sales threatening to hit a near
20-year low. July 9, 2009 The Sun
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Bad hair day ...
... can feel like a crisis but probably isnt!
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Real personal crisis does come to people we know
love

• Illness
• Bereavement
• Job loss financial worries
• Relationship breakdown
• Discovery of a secret life not as theyve
  thought
• Abuse
• Sin theyve messed up
• Can we share Jesus then?
• Is it the right thing to do or just insensitive?

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Luke 23 26 - 43

• The Crucifixion
• 26As they led him away, they seized Simon from
  Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country,
  and put the cross on him and made him carry it
  behind Jesus. 27A large number of people followed
  him, including women who mourned and wailed for
  him. 28Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters
  of Jerusalem, do not weep for me weep for
  yourselves and for your children.

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• 29For the time will come when you will say,
  'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that
  never bore and the breasts that never nursed!'
  30Then    " 'they will say to the mountains,
  "Fall on us!"       and to the hills, "Cover
  us!" ' 31For if men do these things when the tree
  is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
   32Two other men, both criminals, were also led
  out with him to be executed. 33When they came to
  the place called the Skull, there they crucified
  him, along with the criminalsone on his right,
  the other on his left. 34Jesus said, "Father,
  forgive them, for they do not know what they are
  doing." And they divided up his clothes by
  casting lots.

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• 35The people stood watching, and the rulers even
  sneered at him. They said, "He saved others let
  him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the
  Chosen One."
• 36The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They
  offered him wine vinegar 37and said, "If you are
  the king of the Jews, save yourself."
• 38There was a written notice above him, which
  read
• THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
• 39One of the criminals who hung there hurled
  insults at him "Aren't you the Christ? Save
  yourself and us!"

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• 40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you
  fear God," he said, "since you are under the same
  sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are
  getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has
  done nothing wrong."
• 42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come
  into your kingdom."
• 43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth,
  today you will be with me in paradise."

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What a time for Jesus

• We might say its easier to share Jesus when life
  is going well

But look at Jesus executed v32, crucified v33,
rulers sneered v35, soldiers mocked v36, one
criminal hurled insults v39
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Was he being insensitive?

• How can Jesus talk about paradise at such a time
  v43
• But the criminal was at the end of his rope. What
  else was there to offer?
• For him all other answers had led to this place

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So how?

• Were not trying to bash Jesus into people
• Why did the criminal trust Jesus?
• he didnt fight back
• he didnt shout curse
• he was gentle forgiving v34
• he was able to see the bigger picture v29-31

So how?.... so very gently
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Look for those God moments

• We all wear armour.
• Spiritual armour Eph 36
• Coping armour - brings limited protection.
• Crisis brings fear, pain, vulnerability, shame

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Believe what Jesus offers

• Two myths
• Christians are protected from calamity, hardship,
  pain and loss.
• Christians never struggle.
• Jesus isnt a bridge over troubled water
• Is 422 when you pass through the waters Ill be
  with you
• Jn 1633 in this world you will have trouble
  but I have overcome the world

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Believe what Jesus offers
Jesus brings the restoration of our
relationship with God - peace the power to
bring wholeness healing the authority to
forgive sin a hope for the future
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Expect mocking from the enemy

• Arent you the Christ save yourself and us. v39
• Slime machine on full flow
• But that is why we can offer Jesus safely. We
  arent pretending to have it all together or to
  have all the answers to their problems

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Dont abandon people in their pain

• Stick by people who are hurting
• Stick by people who have messed up
• Stick by people when they reject Jesus pray
  anyway!

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Jesus the true light at the end of the tunnel