CrossPoint Fellowship Messages

You’d think that after 3 years of following Jesus, seeing the things He did, hearing the message and prophecies He spoke, the Apostles would be without doubt. Yet, there was still doubt among them. Thomas, like so many of us, asks for proof before he will believe, his skepticism (potentially pessimism) doesn’t let his faith thrive. Our faith must thrive without seeing and hearing Jesus “physically.” As Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

• No matter what barriers or obstacles we place in Jesus’ way, he can still find his way into the center of our lives.
• In the midst of chaos, he is here to bring peace.
• It's easy to believe when the results are tangible.
• But real faith expresses belief in that which the Spirit leads us to know is true.

Peter was chosen by Jesus to be the rock on which He will build His church, yet Peter wasn’t a perfect man. Peter denied knowing Jesus 3 times during the moments leading up to Jesus’ death. Despite this, Jesus forgave Peter and called him to “feed my sheep,” reaffirming Jesus’ call on Peter’s life.

• Each of us must know the true identity of Jesus if we seek to follow him faithfully.
• To truly know Christ is to be blessed.
• It would seem that it is possible to be both foundational and faltering.

The evening before his death on the cross, Jesus had one last supper with his followers. Through this meal, Jesus institutes a lasting tradition of Christianity to partake in the Lord’s Supper to help us remember what Jesus did. But it’s also about servanthood, loyalty and love.

Jesus didn’t just send out the disciples after His ascension, He sent them out multiple times during His ministry, including just after appointing the 12. We don’t have to be fully trained, theological masters, with a master’s of divinity to evangelize the Gospel, we just have to be followers of Jesus and go out in His power, not our own.

• They certainly didn't have all the answers. But they had hope, they were willing, and they were faithful.
• We can’t let the fear of rejection prohibit our message from being delivered. Nor can we let rejection change our message in any way. 
• We can't let what might happen influence what can happen. 

Jesus calls Levi (Matthew), a tax collector, who would’ve been despised by everyone at that time. Despite being looked down on and despised by society, Jesus still calls all those who are “sick from sin” that they may be healed and follow Him.

• From the lowest of blue-collar workers to the white-collar criminals, Jesus is truly for everyone. 
• We show more about our connection to Christ in the way we accept a new brother or sister into the family of God than by years of religious deeds.
• No, we must only be concerned that people find the forgiveness which may be offered to them once repentance is made.

Jesus, being God Himself, went out of His way not just to evangelize to people, but to build a group of individuals that He could both pour into and rely on. The first that Jesus calls to His side is Peter, James and John (and presumably Andrew based on the other Gospel accounts). The story in Luke shows Peter’s initial faith, as well as an instant realization of who Jesus is (or at least who He represents). Jesus calls Peter and co to a greater life as fishers of men.

• Sometimes we fail not because we are doing the wrong thing, but because we are doing it without Jesus.
• Listening to Jesus is a path to success in the face of data that success will not be had.
• When people finally realize that Jesus is the real deal, they have a hard time believing it and they feel unworthy.

You would think people would learn from their recent history, but humans have a way of selective memory when things are going well. King Darius fell for the trap and was too proud to go back on his word, so Daniel went into the Lion’s Den. But our God shuts the mouths of lions, and will not be outdone. 

• There will always be people who will seek to find fault in the faultless.
• Let's give them nothing to talk about.
• What if all they could come up with are false claims and frail arguments?
• No matter what is before us, our relationship with God is off limits.
• The Truth will out.
• Character wins over misrepresentation every time. 

Who gets the glory? God, end of story. We can’t forget where our help comes from, we can’t forget who props us up in the position that we are in. Nebuchadnezzar did just that, and he paid for it.

• We must provide others with the confidence that their honesty will not be met with hostility. 
• We can deliver hard truths in a way that lends itself to compassion.
• God's judgment can be averted by repentance.
• Change doesn't happen overnight and God doesn't expect it to.
• Even when we fail, restoration is never off of the table.

It doesn’t matter what the fire consists of, we must know we are not in it alone. Faith and perseverance brings reward. What are we really fighting for?

What do we do when we as believers have been ordered to do something that goes against our beliefs? Lead by example and hold true to what we know is right.

• Oftentimes doing things that are right by God means doing things we are ordered not to do.
• We must be willing to lose all that we have gained for what is right. 
• We must be willing to go from being praised to pariah.