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Rubicon

2019-06-30 Message- Revolution Starts By Crossing the Rubicon

By Sermons

The Rubicon river in Italy is not large, but it holds a huge place in history. You have heard the phrase, “Crossing the Rubicon,” which means to pass a point of no return. It refers to Julius Caesar’s armies crossing of the river in 49 BC which was a dangerous, revolutionary act! There was no going back for Caesar once he was on the other side.

All of us must “Cross the Rubicon” of faith, too. That’s because the decision to put Christ first in one’s life is also a revolutionary act! Following Jesus is not a religious sentiment, a mere credal affirmation. Following Jesus means we go where Jesus goes. Act like Jesus acts. And we are empowered to live our very best selves, empowered to transformational change inside and out. And since our following, while definite, is often side-tracked, God asks us to cross the Rubicon again and again throughout our lives.

When we cross the Rubicon, a revolution is begun and our perspective changes. We see things from a changed vantage point. We stand in a new place, and step off in a new direction. Jesus was constantly inviting his followers to embrace paradigm shifts. Sure, its uncomfortable. Scary at times. Uncertainty, fear, and dread (and it can sometimes feel this way!) are never fun! But we demonstrate our trust and love of God when we decide to follow Jesus with opened eyes, in a spiritually open and intellectually honest way, and embrace God’s emerging future. The future is now. Today. Tomorrow. And beyond. If following Jesus doesn’t feel like an adventure to you, maybe your feet are still in the river?

When is the last time you sat down for 30 minutes, relaxed enough to reflect about your life, your life’s mission? You might be surprised what God speaks to you concerning some needed shifts in thinking or urging courage to put your faith into practice.

The early disciples “Crossed the Rubicon” but still stumbled. They didn’t get Jesus’ message about cross-cultural engagement, love, respect, and living a life of mercy, forgiveness, and hope.

They didn’t get Jesus’ insistence that His kingdom was not of this world, but that kingdom must manifest itself in the world. They were looking for a Messiah that would kick the Romans out of town, but what Jesus wanted was his disciples to help transform the town in Jesus’ name.

This Sunday let’s meet Jesus at the “Rubicon” of our lives because when we decide to follow Jesus, A revolution is begin.