When is a Church Plant Now a Fully Established Church?
September 7, 2023
Paul tells us that we will receive resurrection power through becoming like Him in His death, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Phil 3:10). We will therefore have the power to live and the power to hope.
Paul says that it is resurrection power which enables him to suffer, and in fact the Greek phrase means literally to have fellowship and commonality with Christ when suffering. Weaknesses, infirmities, trials, difficulties—all these simply align us with Christ. He suffered, and we suffer. He died, and ultimately we will die. Resurrection power says that things cannot get so bad that God will not eventually triumph in my life.
There is no greater way to illustrate this than the example of Jesus Himself. Mere days before His death, Jesus rode into Jerusalem as a king, with the crowd shouting “Hosanna!” Translated literally, this means “Save us!” They shouted praise to the Son, the descendant of King David! He was finally being acknowledged as king . . . but it was a sham. The people wanted Jesus to save them from Roman oppression, not from their sins.
In just a matter of days Jesus went from soaring popularity to infamous disapproval, being arrested, publicly and illegally tried for blasphemy for claiming to be God, being beaten mercilessly, being forced to carry His own cross down the street through the now jeering crowds, stripped completely naked, and nailed to a cross as a public spectacle to die in seemingly utter defeat. You can almost hear the people spitting out the words, “Some king you turned out to be!” All seemed lost . . . until the resurrection. All seemed hopeless . . . until the unspeakable joy of the disciples to see their Lord and their friend alive again!
Resurrection power is our guarantee that life can never get so bad that God won’t make all things right again.
Learn more about this related resource by Steve Swartz
Dr. Swartz serves as Senior Pastor of Grace Bible Church in Bakersfield, California and is a guest instructor at John MacArthur’s Grace Advance Academy, a church-planting training program. Dr. Swartz is the author of numerous books, including Strength in the River, Joyful Generosity, Shattered Shepherds, and The Essential Church.
