STAND FIRM: There's An Invitation Into The Epic Story

      Over this series of 12 articles, I have weaved throughout the entire Bible, providing a big picture view of the narrative that runs through and to show how issues such as the end times, God’s continued plan for Israel and the unseen world fit into that one single story. I hope you’ve seen the connection, and the story of truth has grown larger for you.

      The last article ended with sharing how that the death of Jesus — the Promised One — wasn’t permanent, which points to more ahead and the death was for a purpose. That purpose was to pay the price for everyone’s sin. This began to include us into the story. Those two points are only scratching the surface of how the story includes others. This Promised One, Jesus, gave clear invitations to others. These invitations came during His ministry and after His resurrection. He also instructed His disciples to give that same invitation to others.

      In the beginning of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), we see that Jesus invited others to follow Him. We know these first followers as the disciples or apostles. We have multiple accounts of Jesus calling the disciples, but the account found in Matt. 4:18-22 of Peter, Andrew, James and John resonates with me the most. As they were on the shore attending to their fishing gear, Jesus invited them to follow Him and, if they did, He’d make them fishers of men. Then, over a couple chapters, an invitation was given to Matthew. They were asked to join the story by following Jesus. A total of 12 were given this invitation, but, along the way, Jesus extended it to others. Some followed and some didn’t. At the close of Matthew and beginning of The Book of Acts, we find Jesus instructing those disciples to go and invite others to follow Him. The Book of Acts tells of them doing so.

      In Acts 2, we find the disciples have obeyed Jesus and are in an upper room in Jerusalem waiting after Jesus ascended to Heaven. There, the Holy Spirit came upon them. Now they weren’t only invited, but they were also empowered and equipped. They began preaching to the crowds gathered in Jerusalem for the Pentecost feast. As they preached, the crowd was “cut to the heart,” and they asked how they could accept the invitation and follow Jesus. Peter replied, “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call.’ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:37-41 NIV).

      Peter instructed them to follow by repenting and being baptized, and 3,000 did that day. The Book of Acts goes on to say that others began to follow Jesus every day.

      One particular event in the Book of Acts involved a eunuch from Ethiopia who was reading the Old Testament book of Isaiah and asked a follower of Jesus about the passage. When He heard about Jesus and the invitation to follow Jesus, He said yes. “The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him” (Acts 8:34-38).

      He said yes to follow Jesus in faith by repenting and being baptized. That invitation wasn’t just to the disciples. It wasn’t just to the Jews. The entire New Testament continues to repeat that this invitation to follow Jesus and to step into the epic story is an invitation to all of us. We’re all invited into the epic story.

      As Jesus appears to His disciple, John, who is banished to the isle of Patmos, Jesus tells John to write in His book for people then and today to read and know they’re invited, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Rev. 3:20).

      In the context of that invitation in the Book of Revelation is the need for repentance, which means to turn from our sin and our own ways to follow Jesus. Consistently when the invitation is shared in Scripture, it is said it can be received by faith, repentance and baptism.

      This incredible Epic Story that runs the pages of the Bible and throughout all of history and the flow of the world, is one we can step into. We’re all invited. I hope you have stepped into that Epic Story or will do so. Dive into the Epic Story yourself by reading: Matthew 4, 9, 28; Acts 1, 2, 8 and Revelation 3.

         — Jake is a state missionary and would love to share about the work in Northwest Arkansas and encourage your church to stand firm. (standfirmministries.com)