[powerpress]
Peter Ahlin Speaking on Isaiah 60- September 1, 2013
Greeting
Brief background on prophecy:
Prophesy in conjunction with love, to encourage: (1 Corinthians 14:1,3) --> Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. The one who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
Prophecy should be neither blindly accepted nor rashly despised: (1 Thessalonians 5:20-22) --> Do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.
Words from God will encourage you to follow God and His revealed will: (Deuteronomy 13:1-3) --> If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Brief background on Isaiah:
He lived in a city and region characterized by intensified moral darkness and corruption. Isaiah said that he was a man of unclean lips living among a people of unclean lips. He lived during the reign of several Judean kings, including Ahaz, a king who bowed to foreign idols and even had his own son sacrificed in fire. According to church tradition, Isaiah is said to have been killed during the reign of King Manasseh, who also sacrificed his own son, practiced sorcery, and led the people to do more evil even than the pagan nations that had lived in Judea before them.
He lived in a time of deep national division. God's people started out as one family and one nation. Because of the sin of King Solomon, ten tribes out of twelve were torn away from his family and given to someone else to rule. The strength that should have come from the diverse skills, abilities, and propensities of these twelve tribes was greatly attenuated into the separate nations of Israel and Judah. In fact, during Isaiah's life the king of Assyria captured the land of Israel and deported its people.
He lived in a land constantly threatened by violence. The powerful Assyrian kingdom was active throughout Isaiah's life, and, at various points, three of their kings attacked Israel, extracted gold and silver tribute from Judah's temple and treasury, and came up to threaten Jerusalem with 185,000 soldiers.
He had every reason to feel insignificant and powerless to bring about any real change. He was just one man, dwelling among a people of unclean lips! He felt the magnitude of the task before him, and he clearly saw the extent of the depravity in the culture around him. Yet, by the Spirit of God, Isaiah received a prophetic vision of how things would be not just slightly improved around the margins, but entirely and miraculously transformed.
As you think about the cultural ethos in America, Illinois, and particularly in Chicago, does this picture ring true? Moral darkness, corruption, ethnic division, violence, and the temptation to feel utterly insignificant and powerless to change anything? Everyone doing as he or she sees fits. Political corruption. A heightened sense of ethnic division and misunderstanding. Incredibly high rates of homicide and other violent crimes. Less than 100 people in a city of 2.7 million. It's tempting to wonder if anything can be done to turn the tide.
This July, the Holy Spirit showed me in Isaiah Chapter 60 four specific things that will happen in the life of Second City Church. And so, with Pastor Rollan's agreement and oversight, I wish to share those four things with you.
(1) In a dark and adverse hour, your church will shine as a bright light and beacon of the radiant presence of Jesus Christ, attracting the sons and daughters of God. (Isaiah 60:1-4)
Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
LIGHT IN ADVERSITY
This is an age of financial hardship for so many. Does anyone know the city that in 1960 had the highest GDP per capita in the country? Detroit! And now more than 50,000 dogs roam the streets in packs as the population rapidly dwindles. Financial difficulty is present here as well; for instance, Illinois is the last state in the country for the funding of its long-term pension liabilities; for every dollar that must be paid out in the future to fulfill these obligations, it only has 45 cents.
This is also an age of increasing disintegration of public morality. Conduct that was thought unthinkable for centuries is now being mandated by judicial fiat. When public figures get caught acting inappropriately, they no longer even show any sincere remorse: I’m sorry if anyone was offended. I’m going to take responsibility for my actions, which means finding out how long I have to hide out before running for office again. I spent the last two years insulting anyone who questioned my integrity until the moment I was caught – now I have been caught and I really mean this apology! It seems the only unpardonable crime is believing in absolute standards for right and wrong that emanate from an eternal Creator.
Unfortunately, I cannot tell you that the surrounding financial and moral darkness is just a passing moment; indeed, the darkness is deep. But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. Through the pages of the Bible, we see this again and again: Matthew Henry comments on Isaiah 60 that it evokes the ninth plague in Exodus, when terrible darkness fell upon the land of Egypt, darkness that could be felt, yet the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. Paul wrote to the Philippians that they were living in a crooked and perverse generation, but that they could shine blameless and pure, like bright stars against a dark sky. And so, with this promise to the church comes a commission for every member in it – to shine as a bright light in dark adversity, not to engage in moral compromise in your marriage, in your job, in your academic pursuits. Jesus said, While I am in the world, I am the light of the world. Now that He has ascended to heaven, He has called each of us to be the light of the world. And this church will not be hidden under a bowl. It will eventually be put upon a stand to bring light to the entire city. Jesus is the Lamb who lights the heavenly city so that it needs no sun or moon, and, if you’ll allow Him, He’ll shine brightly through you into desperate darkness; and those in the dark will be drawn to the light.
(2) A beautiful diversity of many nations will be joined together in your church family, and those who come will be able to build and minister with great efficacy. (Isaiah 60:5-10a)
Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. The multitude of camels shall cover your land, The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba shall come; They shall bring gold and incense, And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you, The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; They shall ascend with acceptance on My altar, And I will glorify the house of My glory. Who are these who fly like a cloud, And like doves to their roosts? Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish will come first, To bring your sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, To the name of the Lord your God, And to the Holy One of Israel, Because He has glorified you. The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls, And their kings shall minister to you.
LOVE IN DIVERSITY
This is an hour of heightened tensions between ethnic groups. Many civil rights advancements have occurred in the last fifty years, but we are still far from a society where people are judged, in Dr. Martin Luther King’s words, not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. It seems that when people go on record, they often do one of two things –they pretend that no distinctions exist whatsoever among nations and ethnicities, or they talk as though the differences were utterly irreconcilable. The world’s answer to offenses against other groups is not repentance and reconciliation; it’s sensitivity training. In other words, it’s ok to continue having those hateful feelings and thoughts towards others as long as you are sensitive enough not to say them out loud or while being recorded! The kingdom of God has a far different model. It is not the model of ignoring distinctions, nor is it the model of despairing of ever been reconciled. Instead, it is the model of loving cross-cultural community, where God-given distinctions are preserved and celebrated in love.
How many of you have seen the movie 42? While the movie tells a great story as Hollywood is at its inspiring best, it sells far short the Christian faith that Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey shared. When they first met, Rickey shared with Robinson a devotional passage from Papini’s “Life of Christ” on the Sermon on the Mount, specifically, the portion on “turning the other cheek.” Robinson’s strong moral character was the reason the Bible-quoting Rickey chose him, and Robinson’s amazing commitment to non-violence in the face of numerous hateful provocations was pivotal in the integration of baseball and much of society in the years that followed. The real story of 42 was two Christian men, purposing to bring transformation to their sphere of influence.
You see, the Bible does not teach that nations and cultures are homogeneous, nor that their differences are irreconcilable ones. The biblical picture Isaiah shares is that even in the perfected future, national and ethnic distinctions persist. Tim Keller points out here that every culture brings something different, something for which it is known, and that each culture has strengths and contributions to the flourishing of mankind that cannot be replaced. Further, these cultural distinctions will persist for all of eternity. John looked into heaven and saw a countless multitude of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. And so, with this promise to the church comes a commission for every member in it - to demonstrate love in diversity, to model a community of believers from every nation about whom it may be said, "See how they love each other!" Jesus went through Samaria when his Jewish contemporaries who hated Samaritans walked miles out of the way to avoid it. Now that He has ascended to heaven, He has called each of us to show His love in diversity. Jesus is the one who reconciled divided foes both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity between them, and, if you’ll allow Him, He’ll fill you with His love as your church fills up with a beautiful diversity of cultures, languages, and nations.
(3) In a state known for corruption, you will bear a standard of justice. In a city known for devastation and violence, you will exhibit incredible peace and wholeness. Violence will stop at your doors and not come within your borders, for you will have the impregnable walls of Salvation and gates of Praise. (Isaiah 60:17b-18)
I will also make your officers peace, And your magistrates righteousness. Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls Salvation, And your gates Praise.
LIFE IN TRANQUILITY
This is a region known for corruption and violence. 4 of the last 7 Illinois governors have been convicted and imprisoned for things like racketeering, bribery, and fraud. The city of Chicago saw 500 homicides in 2012; the rate was calculated in that year to be double that of New York and Los Angeles, with more youth homicides than any other city. Many political officials use their power to promote themselves or enrich themselves, while many people use implements that should be employed for others’ protection for others’ destruction instead.
By contrast, the agents of the kingdom of God bring peace and righteousness where they go. Think of the heroic decades-long labor of the Christian Parliamentarian William Wilberforce, to bring an end to the horrific British slave trade. He was not a man who used his political office to obtain power and wealth for himself; he used his office to advance peace and promote righteousness. He was also a man who would not give up easily; Wilberforce persisted year in and year out until the Slave Trade was abolished, and then slavery abolished. The end result? Righteousness was established and violence prevented.
Scripture teaches us that when our minds are stayed on God, He will keep us in perfect peace. When every natural circumstance rages against tranquility, God’s peace which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus, as you pray to God with thanksgiving. As violence may rage all around, you will have peace that this city is desperately craving. You will also have righteousness. If you read I Peter 5, where Peter writes to elders, he urges them to act as shepherds, to do with willing hearts and not to act with any dishonest motives or lording authority over others. As you all have gotten to know Pastors Rollan and B, I am sure you have seen hearts of shepherds, without guile, pretense, dishonesty, or desire to promote themselves. Thank God for this! But with this promise to the church comes a commission, not just for the pastors, but for every member in it – to embody life in tranquility. Jesus slept when the most powerful storm career fisherman had ever seen raged around Him. He also lived so perfectly righteous an existence that He could look around at those who hated Him, ask them if they had any accusation of sin against Him, and then sit back and listen to the silence. Now that Jesus has ascended to heaven, He has called each of us to embody his life in tranquility. Jesus is the one who said: “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you, not as the world gives" (with strings attached or for something in return or with a great big catch), but true peace. Jesus also allows us to be set free from sin and become slaves to righteousness, if we have been united with Him in his death. And if you’ll allow Him, Jesus will fill you with his peace and his righteousness.
(4) From your church, the seeming least beginnings (both in individual people and in ministries) will grow to serve thousands of people and become like a mighty nation, at God’s right time. (Isaiah 60:21-22)
Also your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, And a small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.
LEADERSHIP FROM OBSCURITY
This city is the architectural wonder of America! As I look up at these massive skyscrapers, including the tallest building in America, I am reminded that tall buildings are frequently, like the tower of Babel, just another sign of people's saying "let us make a name for ourselves.” (All the more ironic now that the tallest building has actually changed names from the Sears to the Willis Tower. Human efforts to make names for ourselves will eventually fade.)
This church, however, is not motivated by making a name for itself, but by seeing the name of Jesus Christ exalted in every corner of this great city, and from here to the entire world. Earlier today, I alluded to the fact that this church is less than 100 people in a city of 2.7 million. But you need to know that Zechariah 4:10 is true ofSecond City Church: “Do not despise these small beginnings.” The Lord rejoices to see His work begin. The principle of the mustard seed is that the smallest seed grows to become a large tree that provides shelter to all kinds of life! God definitely takes pleasure in starting small! Remember what Moses said to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 10:22: “Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude.” Remember that in one day, the early church grew from 120 people to more than 3,000 people!
But there’s a second principle I want to share with you: the Picasso principle. The story goes that Picasso was out sketching when a woman stopped and asked him to sketch her. He agreed, and in less than five minutes the sketch was completed and signed. “How much do I owe you?” the woman asked. “Five thousand francs,” the legendary artist replied. “But that’s ridiculous!” the shocked woman cried. “It only took you a few moments.” “Au contraire, Madame,” answered Picasso, “it has taken my entire life.” Although a sudden change will come, when this church’s influence will grow exponentially, it will be years of preparation in the making. The church didn’t just grow from 120 – 3000 by mistake; the 120 were meeting together constantly to pray in the days that preceded the day of Pentecost, after 3 years of following Jesus every day.
Isaiah uses the image that God’s people are like the branch of His planting. And Scripture teaches what kind of plant flourishes: Those who are planted in the house of the Lord will flourish in the courts of my God. And so, with this promise to the church, comes a commission for every member in it: to grow into leadership out of obscurity into destiny, to be planted in this house and grow up like an oak of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor (not our splendor but His). An oak grows up from an acorn, from obscurity to a mighty destiny. Jesus started from humble beginnings in a poor carpenter’s shop, submitting faithfully to His parents and making tables and chairs, in a town from which people asked if anything good could come! Then He launched the greatest movement of people the world has ever seen and will ever see. The time spent in carpentry wasn’t 30 wasted years; it was an integral part of His preparation for world-altering ministry. And now that He has ascended to heaven, He has called each of us to be planted in His house, to grow and flourish here, and be launched into our destiny. At just the right time, God sent His Son. At just the right time, He will launch you. Jesus is the rock upon which the church is built, and if you’ll allow Him, He’ll show you how to make and lead disciples, first on a small scale, and then on an incredibly large scale, here and around the world.
Conclusion
Isaiah was a man just like us. He lived in a spiritually dark time, in a deeply divided nation, in a land constantly threatened by violence, and he had every reason to feel insignificant. But he chose to take God at His word, and when he heard the voice of the triune God asking: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for Us?” He said, “Here am I! Send me!”
The Holy Spirit has spoken. Second City Church is going to be a great light in darkness, a beautiful tapestry of cross-cultural loving community, a powerful example of peace and righteousness, and an influential evangelizer with explosive city-wide and world-wide impact. But what about you? If you would say, “Yes! I’m in. I want to be planted in the house of the Lord. I want to be a light in darkness. I want to be fully committed to a loving cross-cultural community. I want to be an agent of peace and righteousness. And I want to be part of Jesus Christ’s mission, here in this local body, to reach this city and this world.” Stand to your feet and let’s pray.
Second City Church- Guest Speaker 2013