Everything that begins has an end. The #ayc22 reaches its final moments of emotion: shared joys for renewed friendships, and sadness for having to leave behind new friends, with the hope of seeing them again in 4 years... and with the desire that another even bigger and better concert will bring us all together at the feet of #Jesus who has brought us here and accompanies us in the farewells. 2,500 young people committed to God and to their neighbor. 2,500 volunteers with a mission that goes beyond all borders and nations. 2,500 Christians who, despite not always being understood in their places of origin, do not cease in their efforts to make this a better world while we wait for an eternal one.
On Sabbath – the last day of the congress - 12 young people from different countries were baptised. David Asscherick, special guest of the congress, delivered a message of hope during the last day – a message of resurrection and glory.
“How do we plug-in?” was the initial question Asscherick tried to answer. That was the theme and main subject of the week. The answer given by David Asscherick was that “we plug in by faith”.
In Colossians 3:1–4, we read that “we were raised with Christ, are sitting with Christ in heavenly places”. Afterwards it says, “For you died (past tense) and your life is hidden in Christ.”
The main points stressed by Asscherick were that “we died” (past), “our life is hidden with Christ” (present), and “we will appear with Him in glory” (future).
Baptism
The key point is that sometimes people don’t understand what baptism is about. Paul is talking about baptism in these verses. Since we are breathing creatures, what happens to us during baptism is very graphic. While we are under the water, we do not breathe, we are like the dead ones: not breathing. But the very first thing that we do right after we come out of the water is to take a deep breath; we come to “life” again, a symbol of breathing the breath of life in Jesus.
But in any case, a ceremony is just the public statement of a profound relationship and commitment that has already started. The day of the baptism is a day of death, but also the day of birth, of a new life, a new opportunity given by God.
“The God of the Universe is not someone to hide from, but to hide in,” stressed Asscherick. Normally, we run away from God because of the way we believe He thinks or feels about us. But the reality is way different. If we really knew what God thinks about and feels about his lost children, we would run towards Him, to hide in Him instead of running away to hide ourselves from Him.
God’s grace is as “big” as God himself. Just to give a hint, Pr. Asscherick noted: “Have you seen, with the Hubble and now Webb telescopes, how big the universe is? And do you realise that the God of this universe is bigger than the universe itself? How in the world could your sins surpass the grace of this, our God?”
So, despite the place someone is in right now, if his or her life is hidden in Jesus, somehow that person is sitting with Jesus as well at the right side of the Father.
Happiness
The three ideas for maximum happiness that Asscherick proposed are: Be thankful, unlock joy, and then, worship. This reminds us of God’s transcendence and our dependence on Him. Everything can be and should be an act of worship. The opportunities to worship abound. Be holy (Titus 2:14). To be different, to be unique, to be weird, peculiar for God. By keeping the Sabbath, and by resting in Jesus, we are already different, peculiar and unique.
Photos: Daniel Kluska
