Let's Get The Hell Out Of Here

This may be God’s favorite slogan.

When God called Abraham to become a Hebrew – one who crosses over – he did so with a purpose in mind: that the entire world would come to know God and be blessed be a relationship with God.

Restoration. Redemption.

When God called Moses to lead his people to cross over the sea on dry land, they had to trust that this God really cared about them. God wanted then to know that he is a God of freedom, of liberation.

Jesus calls all people to cross over – to leave behind false thinking about the most important things, and to also leave destructive attitudes and behaviors behind as well. His work on the cross is our sign that sin has been forgiven. His work on the cross also shows us the way of redemption – we are to be a people who are willing to carry the cross as the counterintuitive path that leads to the best of life, and the best world to live in.

Since the biblical words for hell are related to the place of the dead (and our fear of it), and an allusion to throwing your life into the city dump with your actions, you can truly and confidently believe that Jesus was here to say, “Let’s get the hell out of here!”

Fear of death eradicated. Hope replacing hopelessness. Life-extending behavior and beliefs instead of those that restrict. Hell wiped out.

On the Day of Pentecost, Peter stood up and preached his heart out. He was preaching the story of Jesus, that he was the One the Jews had been waiting for. Somewhere around 3,000 people decided to embrace Jesus’ invitation that day to “get the hell out of here.”

The so understood the gift that had been given them that their behavior changed immediately. Here’s the description (Acts 2:42-47):

That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.
Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.
They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.

Questions:
What is jumping out for you in this teaching?
Why do you think God might want you topay attention to it?
What are you going to do about it?

Prayer:
God, we whine and complain about how awful the world is, and how awful our life is sometimes. Help us get our head out of the sand and see that you are calling us to do something about it. Help us realize that with your Spirit's power, we can truly get the hell out of here. Humble us to follow! Amen!

Benediction:
May we be so overcome by the grace of God that we would be forever hungry to learn more about Jesus. May we be so overwhelmed by God’s love that we would choose to learn how to live in it within intimate community. May we be so impacted by God’s presence that we would walk through every day in a spirit of openness to God, that the Holy Spirit would lead us. May we be some humbled by God’s gift of grace that we would become increasingly generous – not just paying for our own journey, but funding the future journey of countless seekers after God’s heart. May all of this culminate in our incessant, 24/7 worship of our incredible God.