Jesus—from start to finish. This thought from a divine service he conducted in Sweden can be used to caption many sermons of the Chief Apostle over the year 2016. However, in this instance it is not only a matter of gaining victory with Christ, but also of fighting for Christendom.
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Photo: NAK International
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Photo: Oliver Rütten
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Photo: NAC Albania
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Photo: NAK Süddeutschland
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Photo: Björn Renz
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Photo: Frank Schuldt
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Photo: NAK Rheinpfalz
Are Christian values losing their significance in our society? Is the Christian culture in danger? Concerning this matter Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider has some clear direction: “How am I to expect society to respect the Christian faith when Christians themselves are not even able to sacrifice two hours on a Sunday to honour, praise, and thank their Lord and Master, to dedicate themselves to Him?”
It was not only in Zurich-Albisrieden, Switzerland, but also during the Pentecost service in Frankfurt, Germany, that the Chief Apostle made his appeal for believers to profess their faith by attending the divine services: “Our concern is that the Christian values should not be lost in our society. If it is your desire to profess that Jesus Christ is the way, the Helper, and our redemption, then let us celebrate Holy Communion!”
Spreading the gospel
“We are so concerned that the Christian faith should continue to exist,” stressed the Church leader in Heilbronn. “We pray for Christians in countries where they are persecuted. We even pray that the Christian faith may not be lost. We pray for Christians to make the experience of God!”
There have always been reasons to question faith in Jesus Christ. And nevertheless, this faith has always been passed along to others: “And if our generation should now become slack in this, the glad tidings will not be spread any further,” he stated in his sermon in Krefeld. In Hannover, he mentioned that a special responsibility in this endeavour lies with parents. “It is not a question of merely instructing the children, but also of imparting our conviction that Jesus Christ is good for you!—This is something that should also be conveyed to the children and young people by the congregation as a whole!”
Living such that others may recognise our faith
A strong faith enables us to spread the gospel under all circumstances. “It is not a question of writing articles in the newspaper, but rather of making a positive impression in our daily lives,” explained the Chief Apostle in Tirana, Albania. “Let us spread our faith in this manner.”
The outward signs are not significant here. The important thing is that our faith contains life. “Our trust, our love, our hope, and our joy testify of our gratitude toward God,” he said in Ludwigshafen. “Our testimony will enable our neighbour to find his way to God.”
Seeing Jesus with our eyes
“Our task is to pray for our fellow human beings and the souls in the beyond,” the Church leader went on to say in Chisinau (Moldova). “In every person, in every soul, we recognise someone whom Jesus Christ desires to save.—Even if I have a bad person in front of me, I should never forget that Jesus Christ desires to save even him! He has died even for this person!”
Here it is helpful to reflect on the following thoughts, said Chief Apostle Schneider in Muanda, Democratic Republic of Congo: “This person may indeed have committed evil deeds, but he is a victim of the evil one. And Jesus is able to deliver even this person from the evil one! I will help Jesus. And through my behaviour, this person who does bad things is to discover Christ and His power.”