I've got news for you!
Acts 1:15
John 17:6
Sermon Summary Rev’d Brian McConkey
I was thinking back to this time in 1982 when Pope John Paul II visited Scotland and 43000 people attended Murrayfield rugby stadium and listened to the message and sang songs to God. They all sang we’ll never walk alone.
Today we celebrate Christ’s Ascension into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father and to reign. It is Ascensiontide!
Back then in 1982 the hymn our God reigns was very popular. It is Ascensiontide!
How lovely on the mountains are the feet of Him
Who brings good news, good news;
Announcing peace, proclaiming news of happiness:
Our God reigns, our God reigns!
Ascensiontide means simply that;
Our God reigns!
Our God rules!
Our God’s in charge!
Never is the message so important as today. When people said years ago people used to fill the churches and now we many people stay at home.
I’ve got news for you “Our God Reigns!”
In a world where evil happens daily and it seems like there is no end to the suffering. Evil will never win! Desmond Tutu said;
“Good is stronger than evil; love is stronger than hate; light is stronger than darkness; life is stronger than death. Victory is ours, through him who loves us.”
God never loses, He reigns. Three things about God’s reign.
1. He is totally universal.
John 17
17 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should[a] give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Jesus talks about unity in all Christians and how they can unite under one banner. Jesus Christ is Lord.
We may have issues over differences in theology, and other differences but in the end we unite under one God. Our God reigns. Jesus is Lord.
Jesus is the Lord of the whole church. This would be a great service for Christian unity week.
2. Jesus reigns over the whole world.
All things come from God. Sometimes people separate secular and spiritual but God is Lord of all.The world try to hijack what is Gods.
Year ago I read a book by Richard foster “Money, sex and power”
Money dominates peoples lives. We see the damage of sex, and we see the damage of power.
The problem is that we see these things as worldly - magazines make us think that sex is worldly. It is the same with power.
I have news for them “Money, sex, power” it is all Gods!
It is all Gods. He invented sex, He invented power, he invented money. It has all come about through Him.
Let’s celebrate the sexuality that God gave us instead of fearing it. Power is not the worlds but Gods. God’s reign is universal. God knows all.
3. Because with Gods reign - you will never walk alone.
Most people at some stage of their lives are frightened that they are alone. That nobody loves them and everybody hates them. (There’s a children’s song about that!)
The fact is that you will never walk alone. That is the greatest message that we can tell. God is out there, the gospel is already there. The God who reigns will always be there.
Walk on, walk on because you will never walk alone.
Amen
