2. Spend 40 days with the Risen Lord

From the Bible
The disciples spent 40 days with the risen Lord. During that time Jesus showed himself alive by many infallible proofs. They could look back on the time when they accompanied Jesus as disciples in his ministry and they would look forward to the ministry they had as apostles but this experience of the risen Lord and His resurrection command would dominate their thinking.

The Resurrection Command
Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24: 45-49 RSV)

The Proclaimer and the proclamation
The proclamation in God’s plan
The content of the proclamation
The response to the proclamation
The blessing from the proclamation
The progress of the proclamation

Personal Prayer Journal
Sarah Plummer has assisted Bishop Piper in compiling a Prayer Journal, which will be available in February 2005. She invites everyone, through Luke’s gospel, to join the disciples on that first Easter to Ascension period.

With the risen Christ and his resurrection command informing our thinking we first reflect backwards on Jesus’ ministry and then forwards to the apostles’ ministry.

By means of short stories, prayers and quotes together with questions, Sarah guides us in a journaling exercise that roots us in our 21st century world. The aim is to involve us prayerfully in the ongoing mission of our Lord.

The Prayer Journal can be used from Easter to Ascension Day to link us personally with those early disciples.

Additional resources
The journal is best used when a church, fellowship group or household decide that all its members will do the journaling personally and then concentrate on the risen Christ and his resurrection command when they gather.

The resurrection command has six standout themes. These are the subject of five sample sermons that will be posted on the new [url=http://www.sydneyanglicans.net]http://www.sydneyanglicans.net[/url] web site in November. The sermons will be preached at Sydney Synod by Archie Poulos, Bishop Reg Piper, the Rev David Mansfield, the Rev Peter O’Brien and the Rev Alan Stewart.

Matthias Media has published a set of studies by Peter Bolt, following these six standout themes. Proclaiming the Risen Lord traces the theme of proclamation through the end of Luke and the beginning of Acts. These studies were produced in partnership with "40 Days with the Risen Lord', and are suitable or individuals or groups.

Church Resources