We Believe: In the Doctrine of Sanctification

We Believe: The Doctrine of Sanctification

Just as last week Pastor Joel spoke of the church, it is the Holy Spirit and the church of Jesus Christ that truly help to apply the Scripture so that we might be set apart to God in every way - a process called sanctification.

Sanctification is not an immediate event but an ongoing process.

It is ongoing because it begins at conversion and continues until the day we die.

It is cooperative because God has a part and we have a part.

And it’s a process because no one looks like Jesus at the moment of conversion. 

It takes time, effort, and massive quantities of grace to reflect a little of his likeness. 

Conversion should invariably lead to changed behavior.  

If there is no change in the life and character of a person who has professed Christ, it is doubtful that the person has experienced a true conversion.

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.”

Therefore, sanctification is the testimony that a work of grace has really happened in our hearts. 

Doctrinal Statement: We believe that sanctification is the process, beginning at regeneration, whereby God conforms his people to the image of Christ through his Word and Spirit. By grace, Christians grow in holiness and love for God and others throughout their lives as they submit to Jesus, obey God’s Word, and walk by the Spirit in fellowship with other disciples. 

• God conforms believers to the image of Christ. 

• Believers grow in sanctification throughout their lives.  

• Believers grow in sanctification by grace. 

• Believers grow in sanctification with other believers. 

• Believers grow in sanctification through spiritual disciplines. 

God Conforms Believers to the Image of Christ

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

*Wayne Grudem defines sanctification as “the progressive work of God that makes us more free from sin and more like Christ in our actual lives.”

Sanctification contrasts with justification. 

Justification is a one-time work of God that provides us with the legal standing of perfection in God’s eyes.

**Therefore, the level of justification is the same in every believer.

Justification is the work of God alone; we cannot justify ourselves.

*When we are justified, it is as though a doctor has just administered a sure and certain remedy for a fatal disease.  Though the patient may still endure a temporary struggle with the residual effects of his illness, the outcome is no longer in doubt.  The physician pronounces the patient cured even though a rehabilitation process must still be carried out.”

-Martin Luther

Sanctification is not a one-time event like justification but one that is continuous throughout our lives.

*Therefore, every believer is at a different level of sanctification.

Sanctification is the work of God, but we must cooperate with him.

Both parties have distinct roles in the process, with the goal being the image of Christ.

God is at  work in us to conform us to the image of his Son, and our confidence is in God’s power to accomplish it. 

But we have an essential role to play in the process.

In the I Thessalonians passage, Paul emphasizes God’s role in conforming us to the image of Christ.

*He has just finished a lengthy section concerning sexual purity, brotherly love, respect for leaders, love for other people, rejoicing, prayer, and concern for public worship.

*All of these are necessary for sanctification.

But Paul identifies the power behind that process: God himself will sanctify you completely.

He is faithful, and he will surely do it.

Believers Grow in Sanctification Throughout Their Lives

‭‭

Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.”

Sanctification begins at regeneration.

Theologians call this Positional Sanctification.  

It is the gift God gives us at conversion.

When we are born again, something significant changes in our lives.

Many old sinful habits, patterns, and choices no longer control us. 

This power keeps us from practicing sin, and we are no longer enslaved by it.  

This is why the Bible occasionally refers to us as already sanctified.

Paul said to the Ephesian elders,

‭‭

Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭32‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

The Greek expression “are sanctified” implies a completed past activity and a continuing result.

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Sanctification increases throughout life.  

Theologians call this Progressive Sanctification.

Sanctification should increase in our lives, but it rarely grows in a steady, upward direction.

There are ebbs and flows throughout life. 

But the general trend should always be forward.

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬-‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”

Sanctification is completed at death and when the Lord returns.

Theologians call this Perfect Sanctification.

Although we can get increasingly more like Jesus, we will never be sanctified entirely in this life.

The apostle John said,

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

That knowledge produces in us a yearning for continuous sanctification.

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”

Believers Grow in Sanctification by Grace

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

The phrase “work out your own salvation” has created many misunderstandings throughout church history.

Various religious traditions have claimed that it proves we must add works to our faith to attain salvation.

But Paul does not say, “work for your salvation.”

He says, “work out your salvation.” 

There is a vast difference between those two ideas.  

The term “salvation” is a broad one encompassing everything God has done for us to deliver us from our lost condition in sin. 

It includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, adoption, and glorification.

In this passage, sanctification is the emphasis.

Again, sanctification is a cooperative process, and our text underscores that idea.

God works (as we saw in I Thessalonians 5:23-24), and we work.

This does not mean we have equal roles in sanctification.

Certainly, God’s work is more significant.

But it does mean that we have a role in the process.  

*And that role is mainly a responsive one.

“When the Holy Spirit infuses the grace of God into the soul, one’s love for God and others is made pure, and their lifestyle must increase in virtue and loving, selfless actions.”

-John Wesley

When Paul says God is at work in us, he uses a Greek world that conveys the idea of God actively and continually putting forth his energy to support and strengthen our obedience. 

The energy is his grace.

It works on our will first, creating a holy desire to please God in all things.

Then it energizes and motivates us to work for his good pleasure. 

“The whole life long triumphant offensive called ‘operation sanctification’ - by which we wage war against all the remaining corruption in our lives - is sustained by the supply line of the Spirit that comes from the secure, unassailable home base of justification by faith alone.  And it will be a successful operation - but only because of the unassailable home base.”

-John Piper

Believers Grow in Sanctification With Other Believers

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.”

The New Testament regularly speaks of sanctification in the context of community.

For example, Jesus petitioned the Father concerning his disciples:

‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

And then he prayed:

‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭21 ‭ESV‬‬

“that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

Jesus linked their growth in sanctification with their growth in their relationships with one another and himself and the Father.

We need to let go of the unbiblical idea of personal, private spirituality.  

This is never an esteemed concept in Scripture though people try to live this way today, to their own detriment in the Lord. 

The church is important because it is God’s mechanism to produce not just flashes in the pan, but lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ in a multi-seasonal, multigenerational (and when possible mutli-cultural, ethnic and national) context.  

(This is contrasted with people who are zealous for God for a short season of their lives as a result of some sort of relationship, help or convenience, only to fall away when the environment or circumstances change - I’ve seen this far too often.

This is also that about which Jesus warned us in the parable of the sower - Matthew 13). 

**The truth is that you may be able to survive as someone with intellectual faith on your own, but mark this - you will never fulfill GOD’s purposes for your life on your own because God desires to accomplish something bigger than you, with your participation, in and through the church.  

The reality is that there is also limited sanctification without relating to others both in and outside of the church. 

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is meant to be cultivated and borne in relation to God and others. 

When Jesus said, "Sanctify them by the truth.  Your word is truth” it would be the Holy Spirit that would lead us into all truth as found in the Word of God. 

*But it is the biblical teachers and community found in the church that hold you accountable to that truth to see you set you apart to God. 

In fact, God intends the church to be a pillar and buttress of the truth in society, which means it is within that community, not solo, that we are able to hold to that truth and defend it.

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”

‭‭Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

*When we lose the truth, we lose our sanctification, being set apart to God for his pleasure and purposes. 

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.”

But Jesus has other plans.

‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

In the I Thessalonians passage, Paul prays that the Thessalonian believers’ love for one another would grow abundantly.

As a result, God will establish their hearts blameless in holiness.  

*When believers grow in their love for one another, they also grow in sanctification.

At the end of the same letter, Paul prays again, 

I Thessalonians 5:23

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you [plural] completely…”

Paul’s prayer for the entire church comes after he has urged them to grow in their love for one another (3:12, 4:9), encourage one another (4:18, 5:11), build one another up (5:11), and do good to one another (5:15).  

Sanctification happens in community.

Paul exhorted Timothy to:

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“…flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

We flee evil and pursue sanctification with other Christians’ aid.

The concept of our sanctification apart from the community of faith is a foreign concept in the New Testament.

*Sanctification requires community. 

*We cannot become more like Jesus without walking in relationship with others.  

1. How are your relationships with others aiding your sanctification?

3. What practical steps could you take to increase that process?

4. What hindrances do you face that tend to hold you back from engaging the kind of relationships that increase your sanctification?Why?

6. What can you do to change that?

Believers grow in sanctification through spiritual disciplines

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

The spiritual disciplines are scriptural practices designed to strengthen our relationship with God and make us like him.

We can learn these activities and cultivate them through diligence, but like all training, they begin as a decision and should continue as a lifelong habit.  

The disciplines are not a means to attain righteousness: that is a gift from God.

Instead, these activities are channels for God’s power to transform us into his image.

It is the Holy Spirit who initiates, energizes, and maintains the spiritual disciplines in our lives.

*However, he does it in partnership with our continuous choices to discipline ourselves.

The disciplines can quickly degenerate into works of righteousness, but the Holy Spirit is a safeguard against that possibility.

*The Word of God is the primary instrument of sanctification. 

Again, Jesus prayed that the Father might “sanctify them in truth; your word is truth.”

Paul told the Ephesian church that Christ

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“....gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,”

Peter told the scattered believers in Asia Minor that God’s exceedingly great promises would make them

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“…partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

Adding a disciplined life of prayer with the Word of God produces a powerful means of sanctification.

Jesus told his disciples before he we to to the cross,

‭‭

Mark‬ ‭14‬:‭38‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.””

The disciples saw the power of prayer in the life of Jesus, and they asked him to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1). 

If we train ourselves for godliness through the spiritual disciplines, we will look more and more like Jesus daily.

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

We Believe: In the Doctrine of Church

We Believe: The Doctrine of the Church

Matthew 16:18 ESV

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

Understanding the doctrine of the Church shapes our identity, mission, and our unity.

The Church is not optional in God’s plan—it is central.

…It is God’s chosen instrument to reveal His glory to the world.

The Church is Founded on Christ

Matthew 16:18 ESV

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Ephesians 2:19-20 ESV

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone

1 Corinthians 3:11 ESV

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

The Church is the Body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:12 ESV

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 

Romans 12:4–5 ESV

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

1 Corinthians 12;27 ESV

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

The Church is the Family of God

Ephesians 2:19 ESV

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

John 13:34–35 ESV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

 John 13:35 ESV

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The Church is the Mission of God

 Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Acts 1:8 ESV

 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

John 20:21 ESV

“As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

The Church is the Bride of Christ

Ephesians 5:25–27 ESV

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,  that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,  so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Revelation 19:7 ESV

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.”

Reflection Questions:

1. Am I rooted in Christ and committed to His Church?

2. Am I functioning in my role as part of the Body?

3. Do I treat the Church like family?

4. Am I carrying the mission of Christ daily?

5. Am I living as part of His Bride, holy and ready for His return?

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

We Believe: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

We Believe: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

In our previous message in this series, we spoke about the doctrine of salvation and all that Jesus accomplished for us in his redemptive ministry. 

This week we will speak about the person of the Holy Spirit, who is God presently with us to continue his work in and through us.   

Doctrinal Statement: We believe in God the Holy Spirit, giver and renewer of life, sent to guarantee our promised future.  The Spirit convicts concerning sin, enlightens to the truth, awakens to repentance and faith, regenerates sinners, and unites believers to Christ, making them partakers of the divine nature.  By the Spirit’s indwelling, Christians enjoy God’s presence and fellowship.  By being filled with the Holy Spirit, Christians are divinely empowered for witness and ministry.  As they bear the fruit of the Spirit and exercise spiritual gifts, believers edify the Church and bear witness to God’s kingdom. 

• The Holy Spirit is fully God.

• The Holy Spirit dwells in all believers.

• The Holy Spirit works salvation in those being saved.

• The Holy Spirit manifests God’s presence and power.

• The Holy Spirit empowers believers for service.

The Holy Spirit is Fully God

‭‭

2 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

Paul repeatedly wrote about the Holy Spirit in his letters to the Corinthians.

He ascribed divine attributes to him, pointing to the Spirit’s coequality with the Father and the Son.

*In the verse above, Paul blessed the Corinthians with a prayerful benediction, affirming the personhood of Jesus, the Father (whom he customarily referred to as God), and the Holy Spirit. 

This indicated that the believers in Corinth (and believers everywhere) could know and experience each person of the Triune God. 

*Paul wanted them to enjoy “fellowship” with the Holy Spirit, which meant a close relationship.

The Holy Spirit is described in Scripture as eternal (Hebrews 9:14), all-powerful, all-knowing (I Corinthians 2:10,11), and everywhere present (Psalm 139:7-12), just as the Father and Son are.

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭139‬:‭7‬-‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night," even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”

The biblical authors call him the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Father, the Spirit of God’s Son, the Spirit of Jesus, and the Spirit of Christ.

This reveals his essential union with the Father and the Son. 

His numerous titles, such as the Spirit of truth (John 14:17), the Spirit of holiness (Romans 1:4), the Spirit of life (John 6:63), the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29), and the Spirit of glory (I Peter 4:14), also affirm his divine identity.  

‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭63‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

‭‭

Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭26‬-‭31‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

When Jesus called him “another helper” like himself who would be with the disciples and aid them as Jesus had, Jesus ascribed divine honor to the Holy Spirit.  

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:25-‭26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬-‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

When various authors revealed the Spirit’s role in bringing forth and sustaining the creation (Psalm 104:30), they declared that he is fully divine in every way.

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

The First Council in Constantinople in 381 AD built upon the Nicene Creed, affirming the Holy Spirit’s divinity and role within the Trinity.

They affirmed this with the statement:

”And [we believe] in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver-of-Life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the prophets.”

*And so we know that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or power.  

He is a divine person, just as the Father and the Son are divine persons, and we should honor him in that way.

We should respond to the invitation to grow in our relationship with each person of the Trinity and genuinely experience Jesus’ grace, the Father’s love, and the Spirit’s fellowship. 

*In what ways are you aware of the Holy Spirit’s involvement in your life?

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”

The Holy Spirit Dwells in All Believers

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

The context of this passage is Paul’s affirmation that the father has made all his promises available to those who trust in Jesus. 

And the guarantee of those promises was the “seal” of the indwelling Holy Spirit. 

*Using “seals” in ancient times was a common practice to indicate ownership and completion.

*The seals were often made of wax and stamped by the personal imprint of their guarantor.  

All of the believers in Corinth would have understood Paul’s practice. 

Paul’s metaphor has two meanings.

*First, it highlights that we are God’s possession.

He has put his imprint on us and claimed us as his own family.

*The Holy Spirit now assures us that we are God’s children and stirs our longing to draw near to him.

He produces the cry, “Abba, Father,” within us.  

*Second, it highlights that the Father will complete what he began in us. 

An ancient merchant would open one sack of grain and weigh the contents for the buyer. 

He would then seal the grain sack, pledging that all the other sacks contained the full weight. 

This metaphor means that the Spirit’s continual presence within us reminds us that God will bring about the fullness of our salvation. 

We will surely inherit everything God had planned and promised.

What a wonderful gift God has given us in the Holy Spirit!

We are not only forgiven and reconciled to a distant Father, but God has come to us in the person of his Spirit. 

We are never alone; he dwells in us and will be with us forever. 

*Christ has secured our union with God, and the Holy Spirit has sealed it. 

Whatever we may face in our journey through this present life, we can take comfort in knowing God’s Spirit is in us and with us. 

*If we turn our hearts and minds toward him, we will find him willing and able to guide us through all life’s challenges.

‭‭

John‬ ‭14‬:‭23‬-24 ‭ESV‬‬

“Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.”

The Holy Spirit Works Salvation in Those Being Saved

‭‭

2 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

In this part of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he compares the glory of the old covenant with the greater glory of the new covenant.

He uses the veil that Moses covered his face with as a metaphor for the transforming power of the presence of God.

Under the old covenant, God’s glory transformed Moses’ outer man and caused his face to shine.

Because of this, he needed a veil to protect Israel from the intense light.  

*But in the new covenant, the veil has been lifted, and God’s glory now transforms our inner man, causing us to reflect his character.

And the executor of that transformation is the Holy Spirit.  

*The Holy Spirit liberates us and progressively transforms us into the image of Christ. 

He imparts God’s life to us, reveals truth to us, guides us, comforts us, encourages us, and emboldens us.  

*Without him, we are spiritually helpless.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

We must take to heart Paul’s admonition to the Galatian believers (Galatians 3:1-6) - in essence DON’T TRY TO LIVE LIFE OR SERVE GOD WITHOUT RELYING ON ONGOING INTERACTIONS WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT BY FAITH!

How can you better honor the Holy Spirit in your life?

Is there anything the Holy Spirit has been addressing in your life that requires your greater attention?

The Holy Spirit Manifests God’s Presence and Power

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

The gospel had come to the Corinthians through Paul’s preaching, accompanied by the Holy Spirit’s presence and power. 

The Spirit was working miracles and healings among them and revealing revelational knowledge, wisdom and prophecies.

*Paul urged the Corinthian believers to yearn for this to continue but not for selfish or pseudo-spiritual reasons.

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”

*The Spirit’s goal in manifesting his presence and power was to draw them to Christ. 

Even though the Corinthian church was riddled with problems and sins: divisions, drunkenness, lawsuits, immorality, compromise with the culture, disrespect towards leadership, and more, God continued to grace them with spiritual gifts.

Thus, you can clearly see two things:

1. Spiritual gifts are no clear indicator of Christian maturity or the pleasure of God

2. God wants his gifts operational within his church, even amongst maturing believers 

*Spiritual gifts are manifestations and ministries of the Holy Spirit given to every believer for edification and evangelism until the return of Christ.

*The word gifts in the original language of the New Testament is the same word translated as grace.

*So, the gifts are works of God’s grace in and through the believer.  

***They are literally outpourings of God’s grace manifested in various ways to reveal God’s power and love to the world!

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”

God desires to manifest his presence and power amongst us. 

***He responds to our faith and spiritual hunger, visiting us though we are as imperfect as the Corinthians.

‭‭Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭46‬-‭52‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.”

We are not qualified to participate in the Spirit’s manifestation in our midst, but Jesus is.

In Christ, we may boldly come before God and call upon him to receive his presence and gifts. 

The book of Acts is a wonderful account of believers operating in the power of God after Christ’s death, burial and resurrection from the dead. 

*After Jesus’ ascension, the early church was left and empowered with the same Holy Spirit that we have today.

God does not want us to be satisfied with a non-experiential relationship with him. 

Christ died and rose again so that God’s presence through the Holy Spirit might dwell among us. 

Long ago, the prophet Habbakuk was crying out for God to move in the midst of terrible times in his land. 

‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“O Lord, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O Lord, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.”

‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”

Like Habbakuk, may we believe for the Holy Spirit to move in miraculous ways in our day!  

Why is it important to fully embrace the Holy Spirit as a person and not a divine force or power?

The Holy Spirit Empowers Believers for Service

‭‭

Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

For nearly three years, Jesus trained his disciples to bring the message of repentance and faith to the world.  

Yet before he left, he commanded them to wait until they had received the Father’s promised Holy Spirit and were clothed with power.

Once the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost, they were then to go to their city, region, and all the nations as his witnesses.

As the Holy Spirit was intimately involved in the Church’s missionary activity from the beginning, he still is - energizing us to do the work of the ministry. 

God desires to manifest his power among the nations, and this manifestation comes from the Holy Spirit.  

We can do everything God has called us to do with the Holy Spirit’s help.

Without his help, we can engage in religious activity but fail to advance God’s kingdom. 

God wants to repeatedly fill each of us with his Spirit, empowering and emboldening us for his service. 

God’s Spirit works healings and miracles through us.  

He reveals knowledge, wisdom, and prophecies through us.

God urges us to earnestly desire the Spirit’s empowerment to serve others and draw them to Christ.

We should keep seeking God and remain hungry and thirsty for his empowering presence. 

‭‭

Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭15‬-‭18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,”

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

God is Breathing

Greetings

I want to bring you some prophetic encouragement from scripture this morning, about

how God’s abundant grace is present right now in our world, through his breath.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter

you, and you will come to life.”

Ezekiel 37:5 NIV

Breath (“ruach”) of spirit. The essence of saying the name Yahweh involves breath.

The title of this message is: God is Breathing

Let’s pray!

Breathes into the Dry Bones

In a time that felt hopeless for the people of Israel—when they were under God’s

discipline for turning away from Him and chasing after idols—Ezekiel receives a vision

that stuns him. It’s a valley full of dry bones. This is not anyone’s dream destination or

ideal vacation spot. Yet it’s exactly in this barren, lifeless place that God chooses to

breathe His breath and bring people back to life. The result? A vast army.

Ezekiel 37:9-10 NIV

“Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it,

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and

breathe into these slain, that they may live.”’ So I prophesied as he commanded

me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast

army.”

1# When God breathes new life comes, and purpose is restored.

Life came into the bones and an army with the purpose of advancing God’s kingdom

stood up.

Today, it may feel like our cities are becoming harder to reach, like the brokenness

in people is beyond repair, and the voice of the church is being drowned out. But I

want to encourage you—God is still breathing. He is breathing His Spirit upon His

church. And just like in Ezekiel’s vision, we will see miracles happen one by one. Peoplewill come to life again. The dry bones will rise for us, just as God promised they would

for the Israelites.

Azusa Street Revival — It happened during a time of ethnic violence and strife, a rise

in spiritualism and witchcraft, and the spread of various cults—including Jehovah’s

Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists, and Mormons. To many Christ-followers, it seemed

like one of the most difficult times to expect a move of God.

Yet God moved—through a poor, humble group of people led by William J. Seymour. He

breathed on the people in a house then a run-down warehouse in Los Angeles, and

from that unlikely place, revival spread. Though the Azusa Street Mission never had

more than 400 members, the impact continues today—over 800 million people

worldwide have been touched by what started there.

Despite difficult times and dead places, When God breathes new life comes, and

purpose is restored.

Breathes into the Disciples

In the Gospel of John, we see another moment where the breath of God blows again.

The disciples are hiding in fear, locked in a room, unsure of what their lives will look like

after Jesus’ death. They had spent three years walking closely with Him. And

now—He’s gone. Killed by both the religious and Roman leaders. They’re paralyzed.

Stuck. Unable to move forward.

Many people today feel the same way—stuck because of personal battles

(emotional-mental or physical), financial pressures, and relationship drama.

(Story: a dear deacon of ours felt stuck Steve P. Conversation)

But here’s what makes their fear even more intense: the disciples still don’t fully

understand what the Scriptures said about Jesus needing to die and rise again. Even

after the resurrection, even when Jesus walks into the room—literally stepping through

the walls—and lets them touch Him and eat with Him, the fear and unbelief still linger.

Then, something powerful happens:

“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending

you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”

John 20:21-22 NIVThat same moment is described like this in the Gospel of Luke:

“Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”

Luke 24:45 NIV

Jesus breathed on them, and something shifted.

#2 When God Breathes you get unstuck because revelation comes, fear breaks,

motivation for mission returns.

If you feel stuck—paralyzed by the uncertainty of the future or unsure of how to move

forward—I want to encourage you: God is breathing on His people. He is reviving

hearts, breaking fear, and opening minds to see clearly again. His breath changes

everything.

Charisse’s - Story

When God Breathes you get unstuck because revelation comes, fear breaks,

motivation for mission returns.

Breathes on the 120

Weeks after Jesus breathed on the disciples, we find them in another room—but this

time, not out of fear, but out of faith. They are not hiding anymore—they are waiting.

Jesus gave them a promise, and they believe it. They don’t know when it will happen,

and they don’t know how, but they’re obeying. They’re praying. They’re doing what

they’ve always done.

Nothing dramatic is happening—yet. It’s just day after day of prayer, expectation,

and obedience.

Then, Acts 2:1–4 breaks in:

“Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled

the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of

fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with

the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

**Acts 2:2–4, NIVI’m here to encourage you: take a cue from these disciples. Acts 1:14 says, “They all

joined together constantly in prayer.” They just kept showing up. Doing what they

always did.

And here’s why that matters:

When God breathes His power is made real and tangible in your life and through

your life as you keep praying and obeying. He’s going to put super on your natural.

●

People will feel the presence and power of God on your sharing your testimony

●

●

●

and the gospel.

Wisdom will flow as you problem-solve.

Healing and miracles will happen through your hands.

Your connection with Jesus will become more vibrant than ever.

So don’t just wait—await.

There’s a difference.

Illustration: Second city and Rollan and B awaiting my arrival. You had prepared with

expectation.

In the same way, God will show up suddenly when we continue to pray and obey and

expect, not just waiting but awaiting.

When God breathes His power is made real and tangible in your life and through

your life as you keep praying and obeying

Gospel Connection:

And I also believe this moment in Acts 2 is the ultimate fulfillment of Ezekiel 37.

God became a man in Jesus Christ…He ascended into heaven to reign overall.

While he was in heaven, Jesus sent His Spirit into His people in Acts 2 on this day of

Pentecost—not just to revive them with His “ruach” or breath, but to raise up a mighty

army of Christ followers that would advance His kingdom.

The mighty army will advance God’s Kingdom through three important actions…Praying—inviting God’s divine intervention and power into situations. Agreeing

with God’s will for our lives and world.

Giving—regularly contributing financially so that people will be impacted by the

good news of Christ.

Serving—using your time, gifts and talents to voluntarily serve in an area of

ministry in church, through church, and as the church.

Jump into the fair today!

Here’s what I sense the Lord is doing more specifically:

●

God is breathing, as He does new life is coming, purpose is restored, fresh

revelation is poured out, fear breaks, motivation returns, and the power of God is

released, just like He did with the disciples. Let’s respond by being the mighty army that

prays, gives, and serves so the kingdom may advance.

Let’s Pray!

1. Salvation prayer

2. 3. Invite the breath of God to come and freshly fill you.

Let’s pray together, declaring what God has spoken.

Come, breath of God—

from the four winds, breathe life into the spiritually dead and dormant.

Breathe into unlikely people and impossible situations.

Breathe fear-shattering, purpose-imparting revelation,

so that we, our families, our communities, and our nation may truly live.

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

We Believe: The Doctrine of Salvation

We Believe: The Doctrine of Salvation 

Whereas last week we focused on the message that Jesus preached, this week we will narrow in on the significance and results of his life and work. 

We summarize this in the idea of salvation.  

Salvation is the sum total of everything God did for us to deliver us from our lost condition in sin and bring us into a right relationship with him. 

The heart of salvation is the gospel message which includes regeneration, justification, sanctification and glorification.  

Doctrine Statement: We believe that salvation, planned in eternity and promised throughout Scripture, is God’s gracious act of rescue whereby he delivers lost and sinful people through faith in Christ’s redemptive work.  Because of his great love, God makes people spiritually alive in Christ through regeneration by the Holy Spirit.  By grace, God forgives and justifies people through faith, apart from works, conferring upon them all the benefits of union with Christ, including the gift of God’s righteousness, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and adoption into his family.  

• God planned salvation in eternity.

• God saves people by grace through faith.

• The Holy Spirit regenerates lost, sinful people.

• Believers are united with Christ.

• God credits righteousness to believers. 

God Planned Salvation in Eternity

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul exalts God for the salvation he gave to those who are in Christ. 

He wanted all believers to join him in celebrating the greatness of God and the salvation that belongs to us in Jesus. 

Paul referred to this salvation as the riches of God’s glorious inheritance in the saints.

God already chose us in Christ before he created the world so that we might be set apart as his children, forgiven and without blame.

Believers differ in understanding Paul’s language of God’s eternal choice and its relationship to his foreknowledge. 

But what is certain is that God planned our salvation before we existed.  

He knew we would need his mercy and deliverance from sin before he created the universe.

It is like parents who don’t expect their children to be functioning adults when they are born, but have nine months to prepare for the years ahead of sacrificial care, feeding, instruction, discipline and provision that they will need to offer the child for it to make it in the world.  

It is no surprise to God what our weaknesses are, or what we would have to sort through to learn to love him and honor him well in our imperfect frames.

In his infinite love, wisdom and grace, he makes no mistakes and is determined to work in his children and through his children for his glory.  

Psalm 103:8-14 ESV

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.”

The only way that we lose, is if we give up on Christ.

He does not quit us unless we quit him, and even then, he has shown us by sending Christ that he continues in gracious pursuit.  

This is why our relationship with God is continually described as a covenant with the example of marriage as our enduring picture. 

“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened.” 

-C.S. Lewis in The Great Divorce.

So how do predestination and free will interrelate?

Romans 1:24-25

“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,  because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!”

God wrestles with sinful humanity until he doesn’t - we must live in the fear of the Lord.

The wrath of God is ultimately God turning us over to what we desire and the consequences that follow. 

“What sinners want is not hell but sin. That hell is the inevitable consequence of unforgiven sin does not make the consequence desirable. It is not what people want — certainly not what they “most want.” Wanting sin is no more equal to wanting hell than wanting chocolate is equal to wanting obesity. Or wanting cigarettes is equal to wanting cancer.”

-John Piper

But God wants to save us. 

*Paul clearly states that God was motivated by love in planning our salvation. 

*His choice to save us was not made reluctantly or under obligation but by his good pleasure. 

*God loves us, and it pleases him to save us.  

*It is a comfort to know that we were already in God’s mind and heart long before we were born. 

*God wants each of us assured of his great love for us and eternal commitment to fulfill his salvific purposes for us. 

We should often pray Paul’s prayer that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ would give us wisdom and revelation to know him and the hope he has given us.  

His great power ensures we will receive the riches of his glorious inheritance secured for us by his Son. 

God has planned a great salvation for everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ. 

But how does God save people?

God Saves People by Grace Through Faith

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭10 ‭ESV‬‬

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Paul emphasized in all his writings that salvation is God’s gracious gift to us who believe; it is not something we earn or achieve through our good works.

He consistently taught that we are sinful and that no amount of good works can make up for our sins.

***There is nothing we can do to become deserving of God’s salvation.  

So, God planned and acted to save us, not because he was obligated to do so, but because of his great love for us. 

Because of the richness of his mercy, he chose to make us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our sins.

We experience this salvation when we believe the good news that God sent his son to suffer and die for our sins and rise from the dead to immortal life.

God is the one who saves us through his Son, Jesus Christ.

We do not save ourselves by earning a righteous standing through good works.

This cannot qualify us for God’s salvation. 

*What this means is that salvation is his gracious gift to us, secured by Jesus and freely given apart from works.

*As a result, none of us have any grounds to boast about ourselves.

*We can only boast in Jesus.  

*Knowing God saves us by grace through faith produces peace in our souls. 

*If we think we must work to earn God’s salvation, we will live with constant anxiety, wondering if we have done enough.

*Or we may succumb to an ugly pride through ignorance of our sinfulness.  

**This pride will make us critical of others we deem to be less holy. 

*Our hearts can only find rest when we embrace God’s gracious gift of salvation in the light of his holiness and our sinfulness.

The Holy Spirit Regenerates Lost, Sinful People

‭‭Titus‬ ‭3‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Paul wrote to Titus to instruct him on how to lead the church in Crete.

He repeatedly emphasized the need to teach the believers to live godly lives full of good works. 

Formerly, they were like all humans, sinful and sinning. 

But God had saved them.

The Holy Spirit brought their spiritual rebirth, just as Jesus discussed with Nicodemus (John 3).

This new birth did not happen because they had done anything to deserve it but because God was merciful, kind, and loving.  

The Holy Spirit renewed them to live a new life of godliness. 

Therefore, they could renounce sin and live for God as they awaited the return of Jesus Christ. 

Elsewhere, Paul adamantly taught that all of us have sinned and are incapable of fundamentally altering our internal sinful condition.

He described us as dead in our sins and enslaved to evil ways.

This is the concept of total depravity.  

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭7 ESV‬‬

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

*Indeed, all humans are sinners by nature and by choice.

Consequently, without the Holy Spirit, we are helpless to bring about our spiritual regeneration to be like God in holiness and righteousness. 

Only God can bring about this change through the Holy Spirit, who imparts God’s new life to lost, sinful people. 

It is his work that causes us to be spiritually regenerated and renewed. 

“What the law tried to do by a restraining power from without, the gospel does by an inspiring power from within.”

-Catherine Booth, co-founder of the Salvation Army

We must never forget that we did not save ourselves. 

Before we were born of the Spirit, we could not see or enter the kingdom of God. 

But because we believed in Jesus, God granted us the right to become his children. 

He caused us to be born again by the Holy Spirit.

*This is God’s direct influence in and action upon your life. 

*God is not far away, but draws near to intimately relate with you. 

Therefore, let us pray that God would empower us to boldly communicate the good news of Jesus Christ to others so that others might also experience the Holy Spirit’s regenerating work.

Believers are United with Christ

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Paul wrote to the Galatian believers to emphasize that the basis of God’s salvation was what Jesus had already done. 

Paul taught that all believers are in Christ, and Christ is in them. 

They are all one in Christ Jesus, children of God with equal standing.  

‭‭

Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭27‬-‭29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

Each of them had received the Spirit of God’s Son into their hearts, crying out, “Abba!  Father!”

Paul wanted to assure them of their union with Christ so that they might learn to live their lives in and through Christ.  

***There is no power, person, or presence that can destroy your spiritual union with Christ. 

Romans 8 makes this abundantly clear. 

Let us, therefore, grow in our awareness of his presence in our lives.  

God Credits Righteousness to Believers

‭‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬-‭24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

In the great exchange, Christ voluntarily took the punishment for our sins upon himself, and in return, gave us his righteousness. 

*When God looks upon us, he sees us clothed in Christ’s righteousness.

*Though we are still not yet what we will be, he already regards us as righteous in Jesus.  

*Therefore, we can boldly walk with God in the abundance of his grace. 

*Because of God’s gift of righteousness, we need no longer live under any sense of divine condemnation. 

God is not against us; he is for us. 

***We must reject every word, thought, and feeling that contradicts God’s declaration that we are righteous in Christ.  

*We can always go to him for help and grace even when we feel unworthy because Jesus’ perfect obedience to the Father is the basis of our relationship with him. 

So we end with these questions today:

1. Why is it significant that God planned a believer’s salvation before he even created the universe?

2. How do you think God views you? Why?

“Tell rebellious men that God is reconciled, justice is satisfied, sin is paid for, the judgment of the guilty is revoked, the condemnation of the sinner canceled, the curse of the Law blotted out, the gates of heaven opened wide, the power of sin conquered, the guilty conscience healed, the broken heart comforted, and the sorrow and misery of the Fall undone.”

-A.B. Simpson, founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance church

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

We Believe: The Doctrine of the Gospel

We Believe: The Doctrine of the Gospel

Whereas last week we focused on the person of Jesus, this week we are narrowing in on his message. 

Jesus’ message was that of the gospel of his Kingdom.  

Focus: We believe the gospel is the good news that God became man in Jesus Christ to reconcile lost people to himself. He lived a perfect, sinless life on our behalf and died on the cross for our sins. He was buried, and on the third day rose from the dead, securing our redemption forever.  Having triumphed over Satan and the forces of darkness, he ascended into heaven as Lord of all.  Everyone who repents and believes in him receives forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

• The gospel is good news.

• Repentance is a change of heart and mind in response to God. 

• Faith is believing and trusting in Jesus. 

• Everyone who repents and believes receives forgiveness. 

• Everyone who repents and believes receives eternal life. 

The Gospel is Good News

We believe the gospel is the good news that God became man in Jesus Christ to reconcile lost people to himself.

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

The Greek word for gospel is euangelion.  

It consists of the prefix eu meaning good and the root angelos meaning message or messenger.

So, the gospel is “good news.”

First-century Greeks commonly used the word to refer to the news of historical events. 

It could be news of a military victory, a significant political change, or the joyous birth of a king’s son.

Any good news was euangelion.

The term appears 130 times in the New Testament and is mentioned by eight of the nine New Testament authors.

*It was a summary word to represent the complete work Jesus did to redeem us. 

*They chose euangelion because their message was good news; it was not good advice. 

*Other religions offered good advice; Christianity offered good news.  

*Advice is what you must do, and news is what has already been done.

Moralism is an approach to Christianity that focuses on our external behavior. 

***It requires obedience to the commands of God without connecting those commands to what God has done for us in Christ. 

It is the opposite of the gospel. 

Dr. Rice Brocks summarized the gospel this way, 

“The gospel is the good news that God became man in Jesus Christ.  He lived the life we should have lived and died the death we should have died - in our place.  Three days later, he rose from the dead, proving that he is the Son of God and offering the gift of salvation to those who repent and believe in him.”

*We must continually battle to ensure that we do not follow the path of the Galatians.

Repentance is a Change of Heart and Mind in Response to God

‭‭Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.””

Salvation is like a two-sided coin. 

On one side is repentance and on the other side is faith.

*Repentance is turning from sin; faith is turning to God.  

*Neither can occur without the other, and they must occur together for true conversion.

***It is contrary to the New Testament to speak about saving faith without repentance from sin.

Jesus captures the essence of our response to the kingdom of God with the simple phrase, “repent and believe in the gospel.””

But what does it mean to repent?

To answer that question, we must first explain what it’s not.  

***Repentance is not an emotion.  

The author of Hebrews tells us that Esau was emotionally wrought over his sinful decision to sell his birthright, but “he found no chance to repent” (Hebrews 12:16-17). 

*Emotions might accompany repentance (see David’s penitential Psalms 6, 32, 38,51, 102, 130, 143), but they are not repentance.

*Repentance is a change of mind.  

New Testament authors used the Greek word metanoia to describe repentance.

*The term denotes a fundamental transformation of thought and attitude.

It is a complete change of orientation that leads to action and new behavior. 

It is absolute surrender to the will of God that produces a sincere commitment to walk in obedience to Christ and to direct the course of our future according to his plans. 

It is turning away from anything seeking to usurp Christ’s Lordship in our lives. 

God gives us the gift of repentance by revealing his holiness and our sinfulness. 

‭‭

Acts‬ ‭11‬:‭18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life."”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭23‬-‭26‬ ‭ESV

“Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6‬:‭3‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for." And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am! Send me."”

*But it is also a decision that we make.  

We make the decision at the point of conversion and every day after that.  

Repentance is one of the gospel’s load-bearing walls.  

*If we remove it from the gospel, our entire message collapses. 

Let us diligently hold onto the doctrine of repentance. 

Faith is Believing and Trusting in Jesus

‭‭John‬ ‭20‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Saving faith requires that we believe in Jesus and trust in him. 

To believe in Jesus, we must know the essential facts about his life, death, and resurrection. 

Belief requires knowledge - we must know God’s word before we can believe it - but it is not enough. 

Knowledge is a function of the head; believing is a function of the heart.  

“For with the heart one believes and. Is justified” (Romans 10:10). 

*Although knowledge is the starting point of faith, by itself it may just be mental assent - agreeing with the truth of the Bible without personally appropriating it. 

Mental assent is agreeing with the Word of God in the mind without believing it in the heart.  

I

n his sermon, “The Way of the Kingdom,” John Wesley said, 

“Christian faith is not only an assent to the whole gospel of Christ but also a full reliance on the blood of Christ - a resting upon him as our atonement and our life.  It is not mental assent to propositions but sure trust and confidence in Christ.”

*To trust in Jesus, we must be convinced he will do what he said he would. 

This requires us to surrender our lives to him. 

*We can believe in a set of doctrines, but we must trust in a person. 

The apostle John said, “We have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.” (I John 4:16)

*A right definition of faith must include the idea that it is a firm and certain confidence in God’s benevolence toward us. 

This sure knowledge of God’s loving character is founded upon the truth of the freely given promise in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

*Let us ensure that our faith in God includes a commitment to the truth and the person of Jesus.
 

Everyone Who Repents and Believes Receives Forgiveness

‭‭

Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

We need forgiveness because God is just, and sin makes us guilty and condemned under his righteous judgement. 

*God could not pass over our sins and remain just; we must pay for them.

But we cannot pay the debt ourselves because, as Martin Luther said, 

“Sin is not canceled by man-invented works, for the more a person seeks credit for himself by his own efforts, the deeper he goes into debt.”

We are desperate for someone to pay our debt, but who could pay a debt like that?

*It must be someone who had never sinned and did not owe the debt.

*This person must be like us so he could take our place but unlike us so that he could pay the infinite price. 

*And so, God the judge became the one who was judged.

Our guilt was laid on him.

Our death sentence was lifted when the Son of God took our place. 

*His substitutionary death upholds God’s justice and allows for our forgiveness.

Now we can receive mercy instead of punishment.  

Other religions discuss forgiveness but never on the basis of a divine Savior who pays our debt to a holy God.

We cannot receive this forgiveness through our labor, zeal or tears (to paraphrase the hymn “Rock of Ages”).

It only comes when we confess Christ as our Lord (repentance) and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead (faith).

Everyone Who Repents and Believes Receives Eternal Life

‭‭

1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

Eternal life is a future reward. 

It is a perpetual and unending life that God gives freely to those who repent and believe.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

*Eternal life is not just a future reward but also a current status.

It is a quality of life we experience when we repent and believe. 

*The New Testament word for eternal contains both ideas of duration and quality. 

*The term does not just refer to the future but also to the superior experience of the present age. 

This is why Jesus made it clear when he said,

‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

We do not have to wait for eternal life; it is our current possession.

Jesus used the present tense when he said in John 3:36,

”Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.”

Thus, we live in eternal life right now, experiencing this quality of God’s life as a present possession. 

The quality of eternal life is best expressed in Jesus’ words to his disciples in the upper room:

John 17:3

”And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

This is the heart of eternal life: an authentic and personal relationship with Jesus. 

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

We Believe: The Doctrine of Jesus

We Believe: The Doctrine of Jesus

 We Believe: The Doctrine of Jesus

Focus: We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, incarnated for our redemption, born of the Virgin Mary, fully God and fully man, one person in two natures.  As our substitute, he lived a sinless life and willingly gave himself as a propitiatory and reconciling sacrifice for our sins on the cross.  He died, was buried, rose bodily on the third day, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father as the only mediator between God and humanity. One day he will return again to judge the living and the dead.  

• Jesus is fully God.

• Jesus is fully human.

• Jesus is sinless.

• Jesus died for our sins.

• Jesus rose from the dead.

Jesus is fully God

We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, incarnated for our redemption, born of the Virgin Mary, fully God and fully man, one person in two natures.  

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬, ‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Jesus is fully human

We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, incarnated for our redemption, born of the Virgin Mary, fully God and fully man, one person in two natures.  

‭‭

Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭5-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

Jesus is sinless

As our substitute, he lived a sinless life and willingly gave himself as a propitiatory and reconciling sacrifice for our sins on the cross.  

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Jesus died for our sins

He died, was buried, rose bodily on the third day, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father as the only mediator between God and humanity. 

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Jesus rose from the dead

One day he will return again to judge the living and the dead.  

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,”

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

We Believe: The Doctrine of Creation and Fall

We Believe: The Doctrine of Creation and Fall

God’s story begins with creation.  

It is the first fact recorded in the Bible and the theological foundation for all that follows.  

It establishes the sovereign-personal Triune God at the center of the universe and reveals that everything and everyone is dependent upon and responsible to him. 

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭24‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.”

It reveals who man is and what eventually goes wrong in the story of redemption. 

The fall is introduced in Genesis 3 and is expanded through Genesis 11. 

Moses goes to great lengths to highlight just how sinful sin is.  

There are hints of redemption in these chapters, but the primary role of this section is to detail the depth of evil in the human heart.  

“Genesis lays the groundwork for all human ills in a fallen world; we are dislocated within ourselves, dislocated from each other; dislocated from God.  Personal fragmentation, social tension, and spiritual alienation are now the parameters of life on earth.”

-Alec Moyer 

This is essential if we are to understand redemption.

We can only know the greatness of God’s provision when we know the magnitude of our debt.  

Focus: We believe God created all things, visible and invisible, out of nothing, and all very good. He sovereignly sustains and governs creation for his glory and the benefit of his creatures.  God created humans in his image, male and female, to know, love, and glorify him in covenant relationship and to serve as stewards of the earth. The first man, Adam, sinned against God, resulting in alienation, death, guilt, shame, and a curse upon the earth. Separated from God and subject to his judgement, all humans have inherited a sinful nature from which they cannot save themselves. 

• God made all things good. 

• God governs everything he made. 

• God made humans in his image. 

• Humans rebelled against God. 

• All humans are sinful. 

God made all things good

We believe God created all things, visible and invisible, out of nothing, and all very good. 

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬, ‭31‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

The idea of one all-powerful God who created everything was not understood or believed in ancient cultures.

They assumed there was a pantheon of gods who carried different levels of responsibility for creation and sustaining the cosmos and the creatures in it.  

The world, they believed, was the result of some cosmic conflict between warring deities.

The created world was a result of violence.

Therefore, the material world was evil - or, at best, neutral.

The biblical story proclaims something radically different and new: one all-powerful God created everything with intentionality and delight. 

Rather than wrestling with other deities for supremacy, the God of the Bible is supreme.

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭44‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.””

Rather than creating the world and its creatures through killing competitors, God creates through speaking and breathing life.

To embrace this claim today is to push back against the idea that the created world and its creatures were a cosmic accident - the chance result of chemical and physical processes.

To embrace this claim today is to affirm that creaturely existence is neither meaningless nor accidental but rather full of purpose, goodness, and beauty. 

“There’s not a square inch in the whole domain of human existence over which Christ, who is Lord of all, does not exclaim, ‘ Mine!’”

-Abraham Kuyper  

God governs everything he made. 

He sovereignly sustains and governs creation for his glory and the benefit of his creatures. 

‭‭

Nehemiah‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.”

It is not enough to simply claim that God created all things.

God could have created everything and then left creation to manage itself, which is the fundamental idea behind Deism, assuming that we merely operate by the laws of nature.

The Bible clearly gives a different picture of God intimately involved with his creation, governing all things according to his will and sustaining his creatures - great and small.

Most ancient societies believed that the gods governed the earth and, as a result, acknowledged their dependence on the gods (or God) for rain, good crops, and material benefits.

In our modern scientific age, we are often insulated from the creaturely vulnerability and utter reliance on God’s sustaining world in creation.

It is usually in natural (or man-made) disasters that we modern humans are reminded that we are not lords of creation. 

God is.

And that is fortunate because humanity does not have a good track record of governing itself and the earth.

In the midst of life’s flights and storms, I enjoy reminding people why we should not worry - because if we have been reconciled to God in Christ, we know who is in control and all things work for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8). 

God made humans in his image. 

God created humans in his image, male and female, to know, love, and glorify him in covenant relationship and to serve as stewards of the earth. 

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””

What does it mean that God made humans in his image?

Clearly, the Genesis author is not referring to physical resemblance - like children resembling their parents.

The image of God (often referred to by its Latin name “Imago Dei”) is first mentioned in Genesis and then expanded on by the other biblical authors. 

Man possesses characteristics that separate him from the rest of creation:

• Intellectual: Man is aware of self and can think, reason and learn.  He can communicate verbally using complex, abstract language. He has an innate creativity that manifests in art, music, literature, science, and technology. He can calculate and perform logical and analytical functions.  He can design, create, and invent.  

• Ethical: Man can distinguish between right and wrong. He can make real moral choices. 

• Emotional: Man can feel anger, love, compassion, grief, and the entire range of human emotions. 

• Teleological: Teleological derives from the Greek word telos meaning end or purpose and logos meaning the study of something. Teleology is the study of ends and purposes. It assumes that life is heading somewhere rather than in meaningless circles.  Man has a longing for purpose and responsibility. He has immortality; he will not cease to exist but will live forever. He has not only a physical body but also an immaterial spirit and can act in eternally significant ways. 

• Relational: Man can have a relationship with God. This means he can relate to God, pray and praise him, and hear him speaking his words. He can develop relationships with other humans and experience community.  

God created us to reflect his glory, to see the latent potentiality within creation, and “be fruitful and multiply.”

This means that each of your days you are meant to be a joyful adventure as you walk with God and cultivate your corner of the world, as a vice-regent, just as God would!

Humans rebelled against God. 

The first man, Adam, sinned against God, resulting in alienation, death, guilt, shame, and a curse upon the earth. 

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?””

What transpired at this moment of rebellion, and what does it mean?

First, Adam and Eve doubted God’s goodness.

In trying to usurp God’s authority, they felt shame, vulnerability and disorientation, ultimately separating themselves from and trying to hide from God.

Second, humanity’s rebellion had widespread consequences.

For Adam and Eve, the results of disobedience manifested in their relationship with God, one another, and creation.

This is how sin affects all humans.

It separates us from God and people.

It harms us and those around us.

*It infects our souls, institutions, our communities, and ecosystems.

It is like a deadly virus spreading in a densely populated city.

It is like a toxic chemical poured into a river that spreads without limit and kills whatever it touches.

Have you seen this in your own family, life and community?

What started with such promise in Genesis 1 and 2 plunged into a hopeless abyss.

Only a new Adam can save it.

All humans are sinful. 

Separated from God and subject to his judgement, all humans have inherited a sinful nature from which they cannot save themselves. 

‭‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.””

What is clear from the earliest pages of the Bible and any era of human history is that all humans are sinful.

This is an empirical fact.

Think of the wars, the murders, the lies, the adulteries, the rape, the greed, the tyranny, the selfishness, the thievery, the slander, the hatred, the factions, the lack of forgiveness and the like.

Throughout Scripture, we are awakened to the reality that we are not only sinful because we find ourselves in a hostile environment filled with sinful people and sinful systems.

We are sinful because we have inherited that nature from our ancestors. 

*Sin affects us not only from the outside in, but also from the inside out.

We call this “original sin.”

What this means is that:

Because the one triune God is the creator of us all, his  commands and law of God apply to all of us, no matter where we are born, how we were raised, what we were taught to believe or presently think of God.

It also means that it is not everyone else’s sin that matters while yours does not.

Sin is a big deal, even it is not seen as such in our culture because its results separate us fro God and one another.  

God wants to help us, wants to save our families, communities and nations, but the prerequisite is that we turn from our sin to Jesus at the cross.  

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭59‬:‭1‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue mutters wickedness. No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity. They hatch adders' eggs; they weave the spider's web; he who eats their eggs dies, and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched. Their webs will not serve as clothing; men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways. The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace.”

As King Solomon finished dedicating the temple in Jerusalem, the Lord gave him this exhortation as an encouragement for us all:

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭7‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.”

The very things for which we judge others, we often do ourselves, or commit some manner of other sin for which we try to excuse ourselves but for which we are still guilty.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.”

There is no discrimination. 

God does not play favorites. 

*No one and no sin gets a pass.  

*We are all in need of a Savior. 

This search for a righteous one is the fundamental narrative thread of the Old Testament.

When will he come, and from where?

And how will we know him?

‭‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬-‭26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

We are all called to repentance and faith at the cross of Jesus Christ. 

‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We must be born again.

John 3

So, in light of this:

1. Why is it essential to have a worldview shaped by the biblical account of creation and what are the results of denying the biblical account of creation?

2. What is the image of God, and why does it matter that we believe and embrace it?

3. What are the consequences of human rebellion in our relationship to God, others, and the creation?

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

We Believe: The Doctrine of Scripture

We Believe: The Doctrine of Scripture

Focus: We believe that God has spoken through human authors in the Scriptures, the 66 canonical books of the Old and New Testaments. The Bible is the only written, verbally inspired Word of God and is self-attesting, unchanging, and without error in all it affirms. As God’s authoritative, infallible, and sufficient revelation for life, doctrine, and practice, the Bible is to be trusted and obeyed.

• Because we believe this, we can view the Bible as trustworthy, relevant, and trustworthy.

If you want to go deeper than the tip of the iceberg (what we will look at today):

• Wes Huff’s YouTube channel

• Voddie Baucham’s presentation, “Why You Can Believe the Bible”

• James White’s library of debates

Let’s break down the three sub-statements that our focus statement makes.

Sub-statement #1: God has spoken through human authors in the Scriptures, the 66 canonical books of the Old and New Testaments.

• What do we mean by “The Bible”?

  • 66 books

  • Written over 1,600 years

  • Across 3 continents

  • By 40+ authors

  • In 3 different languages

• The Bible is simultaneously 66 books and 1 book. 66 collected books, but 1 story about God’s plan, His will, and His heart’s desire for His creation.

• Many of these authors were contemporaries, writing their book at the same time as another author without much knowledge of that particular author or what they were writing. I’ll give you two examples of what I mean:

  • See: Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah all wrote prophecies during the 8th century to either the Northern Kingdom of Israel or Southern Kingdom of Judah.

  • See: Paul, James, Peter, John, Jude who all wrote Epistles laying out new revelations concerning Christian doctrine.

• There were no Google Docs shared amongst these authors to compare and contrast notes! Yet each grouping wrote new revelation that confirmed and harmonized with each other that all referenced the same, consistent God (Jesus) in one, continuous and overarching story.

• This is remarkable and fascinating! Only God could accomplish such a feat. By this we can confirm what 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Sub-statement #2: The Bible is the only written, verbally inspired Word of God and is self-attesting, unchanging, and without error in all it affirms.

• Many religions claim this statement e.g. Mormonism (The Book of Mormon), Islam (The Quran), Jehovah’s Witnesses (The New World Translation). However, only one book (The Bible) is self-attesting in its accuracy

• How we know a religious text is true:

  • The author is who they claim to be.

  • They wrote about events that they either witnessed or gathered from other eyewitnesses.

  • The events written down are honest and accurate to what transpired

• Consider just 3 verses in Luke 3:1-3

  • In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

• Luke names 22 historical references to places and people, verified by archaeology and ancient literary sources outside of the Bible. This places Luke’s writing in a historical framework that is consistent with the time period he claims to be writing in and about.

  • Contrast this with other texts like the Gnostic Gospels of Mary, Judas, and Peter. Most places, people, and names used are inconsistent with the archaeological and historical context they claim to be writing in. This places these writings centuries after the supposed authors (Mary, Judas, and Peter) lived.

  • Conclusion: The claimed author is incorrect = untrustworthy document.

  • Even trustworthy historians get these types of “minor” facts wrong.

    • See: the historian Tacitus incorrectly labels Pilate as the procurator of Rome, but Pilate was actually the governor.

    • We confirm this through an archeological find called the “Pilate Stone”.

    • Luke gets this right, a historian from this time period gets it wrong.

    • Conclusion: If the author of Luke was not Luke, they might have referenced trustworthy historians like Tacitus! But they would have been inaccurate in the small details. Luke simply referenced his lived experience and got it right. Therefore, it is most likely that Luke is who he says he is.

  • Why is this important? Every Gospel writer gets these “minor” facts correct even when ancient writers do not.

  • Furthermore, Luke’s gospel is saturated with Old and New Testament references, some of which he was unaware of when writing. Thus we can conclude that his writings are most likely accurate and inspired by God

• Consider the Quran and The Book of Mormon.

  • These books claim to be written each by one person, an infallible “prophet of God”.

  • Yet, if it can be deduced that either Joseph Smith (The Book of Mormon) or Muhammad (The Quran) didn’t write the book OR are in fact fallible OR their writings are inconsistent with other accurate texts, the house of cards collapses.

    • For at least these two books, it is historically confirmed that these individuals were flawed and their writings were inconsistent within themselves and when compared to other reliable texts.

  • The Gospel of Luke, in contrast, does not to claim an infallible author, but it does claim infallible and consistent content. All of which can be confirmed through dozens of other biblical texts and a library of historical data.

• The kicker:

  • This standard is passed for every single book of the 66 books of Scripture.

  • Within these 66 books, 40+ authors cross-reference each other an estimated 66,779 times even when some of the authors were not aware of the texts they were ultimately confirming or being confirmed by.

  • This is what we mean when we say the Bible is self-attesting

• It is also unchanging and without error.

  • The Bible has been transcribed and copied for over 2000 years. Every difference found in the various copies never add or change the doctrinal text but are merely grammatical or spelling errors.

  • The Bible predicted this:

    • Isaiah 40:8, The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

    • Psalm 12:6-7, The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. You, O Lord, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever.

• Conclusion: The Bible is miraculously inspired by God and is thus trustworthy in all it affirms.

Sub-statement #3: As God’s authoritative, infallible, and sufficient revelation for life, doctrine, and practice, the Bible is to be trusted and obeyed.

• Now we must ask the question: so what?

• First, since the Bible is God’s authoritative, infallible, and sufficient revelation for life, doctrine, and practice, we must use this book as a filter for our every belief and action.

  • Even – or especially – our religious experiences should be tested through Scripture.

    • Don’t just attend a religious gathering and assume everything is true. Scripture has the final say.

    • We at Second City Church welcome scripturally-based pushback to anything we do or teach!

    • In Acts 17:10-11 we meet a group of Jews from Berea. It says in verse 11, “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

    • It is noble to hold the word of God in such high regard that we do not let even our most trusted religious leaders become exempt from its scrutiny.

  • The values we are taught in this world should be tested through Scripture.

    • We live in a world that is obsessed with self-expression, self-identity, living your truth. But the Bible says in Luke 9:23, “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  Our true identity comes from who we are in Christ, it comes from the Bible. Do not let the world convince you otherwise.

• Second, because the Bible is God’s authoritative, infallible, and sufficient revelation for life, doctrine, and practice, we should never add to or subtract from it.

  • Consider these common phrases:

    • God only helps those who help themselves.

    • God will never give you something that you cannot handle.

    • Don’t judge, only God can judge.

    • Money is the root of all evil.

  • None of these are true, none of them are found in scripture. All of them add or subtract from God’s Word.

  • What was the first lie ever told?

    • Genesis 3:1-3, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

    • Eve added to God’s Word (“…neither shall you touch it” – God never said that) and it led to the fall of man.

• Third, because the Bible is God’s authoritative, infallible, and sufficient revelation for life, doctrine, and practice, we should read it. We should study it.

  • 2 Timothy 2:15, Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

  • Joshua 1:8, This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

  • Psalm 119:105, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

• Fourth, among many other things I could mention but don’t have all day, because the Bible is God’s authoritative, infallible, and sufficient revelation for life, doctrine, and practice, you should know this:

  • Jesus loves you, this you know… why? For the Bible tells you so.

  • There is no greater truth that this trustworthy and reliable book teaches than the fact that Jesus loves you (John 3:16). That He loves you so much that He came to rescue you (Ephesians 2:4-7, Ezekiel 34:11-12). We were meant to live a perfect life (Leviticus 19:2), but we did not (Romans 3:23). We sinned and rebelled against a perfect God (Isaiah 30:1). This book tells us that God Himself, Jesus, came to earth and lived that perfect life we should have lived (Hebrews 4:15). But He died a sinners death, the death you and I deserved (2 Corinthians 5:21). That He rose again on the third day and defeated sin (Hebrews 2:14-15). That what Romans 10:9 says is true, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Saved from a life of bondage to sin, saved from a death eternally separated from the one who loves you that much, and saved into eternal life with Jesus.

Know that Jesus loves you, that He wants a relationship with you, that He died for you and defeated death for you

. Because the Bible tells us so.

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

We Believe: God

We Believe: God

Focus: our view of God forms the framework for how we relate to Him, and informs both our theology and our practical Christian living, which should be inseparable

What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

—A.W. Tozer, "The Knowledge of the Holy"

How God thinks of us is not only more important, but infinitely more important. Indeed, how we think of Him is of no importance except in so far as it is related to how He thinks of us.

—C. S. Lewis, “The Weight of Glory”

How “belief” works.

I’ve worked in the technology industry for over 20 years, and it still fascinates me how the most brilliant, driven, and influential people stake their entire lives on bold credal statements about what advances in science can do.

Even as consumers, we’ve all benefited from these advances so there is a level of truth in some of these statements. We’ve all seen and experienced these “beliefs” about technology continuously prove themselves true in the comforts of our homes. 

Likewise, we also know how harmful and dangerous technology can be. We don’t even need to peel back the layers of industrialization to see its dark side. That this is just one slice of reality, where propositions about something have determined and continue to determine the course of humanity, reveals a lot about the power of belief.

These statements of faith unify our mission and ground our relationships

According to the Oxford dictionary, to “believe” is to have confidence or faith in or on something that you consequently act on it even without the burden of proof. It’s to hold on to something as true, regardless of the degree, that we step into it as our lived reality. 

Every person lives by faith: it’s inherent to human existence to hold beliefs and make choices based on things beyond complete proof. Faith can be religious, such as belief in God or religious principles, but it also extends to secular areas, including faith in one's own intellect, the reliability of the scientific method, or the existence of an objective reality. 

Collectively, this means our underlying beliefs sustain and drive our mission as a church. Within Every Nation and even within our home church, we come from many theological, and denominational backgrounds. Nonetheless, we can agree on a set of statements that allow us to grow together in our mission. Because Christianity is not meant to be an isolated journey, getting on the same page about these statements is important to the longevity of our unity.

Sounds theology helps us form healthy spirituality 

More so, as much as our common hope for the city of Chicago and the cities we are reaching out to like Madison, unites us, sound theology also grounds our own individual walks of faith. It’s the framework through which we live out our faith, starting with our statement about what we believe about God.

As Paul metaphorically says, the collective “we” are the aroma of Christ that spreads the knowledge of God:

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 ESV

Without projecting a unified “scent”, any fragrance loses its potency. Likewise, as one body, our shared belief about God will allow us to carry out our mission with efficacy. So here’s the first statement: 

Statement:

“We believe in one God, creator and sustainer of all things. He is perfect and unchanging; completely loving, good, and holy; limitless in knowledge, power, and presence. God eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; one in essence, having the same divine attributes and perfections, with each person fulfilling distinct roles. Gracious in his eternal purpose to redeem a people for himself, God is worthy of wholehearted love and worship.”

Let’s break it down into 3 components:

1 - God is great and good.

The most common way theologians categorize God’s characteristics are distinguishing between what he shares with humans and those he does not 

We group the first set of attributes under the heading “the goodness of God.” We group the second set under the heading “the greatness of God.” 

The greatness of God sets Him apart not only from us humans, but even more so, from any form of knowing we can operate under. These attributes of God’s being are his essential nature and therefore fully incomprehensible to us because of our limited capacities:

• Omnipresence: God is present everywhere, fully and completely.

• Omniscience: God knows everything, without limitation.

• Omnipotence: God is all-powerful, capable of doing anything that is logically possible.

• Self-existence (Aseity): God's existence is not dependent on anything else; He is the source of all being.

• Immutability: God does not change in His being, perfections, purposes, or promises.

• Infinity: God's attributes have no boundaries or limitations.

These incommunicable attributes highlight the vast difference between God and His creation, emphasizing His transcendence and unique nature, according to religious scholars.  

Because God’s greatness is above and beyond what we can fathom, he is greatly to be praised and we should declare his mighty works from generation to generation.

“I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭145‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God’s goodness, on other hand, are His “communicable attributes”. When we say God is good, we refer to the many attributes of His character that have been revealed to us personally, those we share with him because he made us in his image. These are His moral attributes that are in and of themselves, the perfect measure of our “human versions”. Some of which we see in this passage:

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Exodus 34:6-7 ESV

We can never add, nor take away from God’s perfect expression of these because our versions are but a dim reflection marred and deformed by sin. How do we respond to His unqualified goodness as we experience its many aspects in our lives? 

• Humbly receive

• Grow and increase

• Seek and ask for revelation

Holding these two beliefs together - that God is both great and good - is a life-long process. It’s not about simply knowing them, but stepping into these as reality.

When we go through tough times, knowing that God can save us comes knowing He is great. Knowing that He is willing to deliver us into safety and even prosper us, even if we had some fault in the challenge we’re in, comes knowing He is also good.

2 - God is one and triune.

It’s hard to imagine a culture wherein monotheism wasn’t prevalent because of how widespread Judaism, Christianity and Islam are today. Even if Hinduism, the most common polytheist religion today, has made its way to the States, we in the modern West are more likely to associate religion to monotheism. We don’t realize that monotheism created an ethical revolution that changed the world.

In Romans, Paul argues that our first parents in the Faith worshipped one indivisible, all-powerful God. Polytheism only developed as the result of their rebellion. Monotheism is different from Polytheism, the belief in many gods; Pantheism, the belief that everything is god; and Atheism, the belief that there is no god. 

That we believe in one God isn’t hard to fathom today. That this one God eternally exists as three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and that each person is fully God, is one of the most challenging doctrines to comprehend because it transcends reason.

The challenge with the doctrine of the Trinity, as much as we Christians have embraced it, is that when it comes to the mission we are to carry out, it is still very mysterious as to how it works:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20 ESV

But that’s also the beauty of Faith when it comes to this doctrine. Human nature is all about seeking knowledge to control it. We want to describe and relate to God on our own manageable terms. We even meditate on His goodness more than his greatness because as Tozer says, “We want to get Him where we can use Him, or at least know where He is when we need Him. We want a God we can in some measure control.”

To simplify, let’s focus on what this core tenet means for us: God exists in three persons and that each person is equally, fully God:

• God is a relational, communal being within himself. And because he created us in his image, we were created for community. Nothing works right in our lives without it. A loving relationship with God and others is the ultimate meaning of life.

• God is unity with diversity. Therefore, we should strive for unity while embracing diversity. This is a model for us and a witness to the world.

3 - God is worthy.

That the Trinity is a mystery we will never fully understand, yet its bearings on humanity as relational beings fully indispensable, should only humble us.

For why would a great God who’s already happy, content, and absolutely perfect in His own being, sacrifice a part of Himself to bring us into fellowship with Him? What indeed is man that God would care for us this much?

The passage in Philippians 2:6-8 describes Jesus's attitude of humility, stating that while he was in the form of God, he did not consider equality with God something to be exploited or grasped, but instead humbled himself by becoming a servant and ultimately dying on the cross. This passage emphasizes Jesus's willingness to forgo his divine privileges and take on human form, ultimately leading to his exaltation by God. 

This grounds his worthiness in ways that we can respond to personally.

So we close with the final line in this first statement of our beliefs:

Gracious in his eternal purpose to redeem a people for himself, God is worthy of wholehearted love and worship. 

In one of John’s visions on Patmos, he sees and hears the heavenly choir shout seven things God is worthy to receive: power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing. The first six are intrinsic qualities of God, and the seventh is the creation’s response to his worthiness.

And we place ourselves in John’s experience:

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

Revelation 5:11-13 ESV

Conclusion and application:

• God’s greatness and goodness are inseparable in worship. His greatness stands apart, independent of our response to it, yet his goodness reveals to us His careful attention to each of us in ways that are both universal and personal. 

• Which one of God’s attributes of greatness resonate the most and which one is the most remote and unfamiliar? Be intentional with how we reserve awe and honor God’s greatness.

• Which one of God’s attributes of goodness are you most deficient in? What practical steps can you take to be more like him in that area? Let’s stay in the habit of meditating and resting on His goodness.

The Trinity teaches us community, diversity, and mystery. 

Which of these three is most applicable to your life? Why?

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

A Change in Heart: Communing with Christ to Transform Culture

A Change in Heart: Communing with Christ to Transform Culture

Focus: The long road to transforming community and culture is safeguarded by the Christ-centered, transformational disciplines of our hearts, minds and wills

As co-heirs with Christ and fellow workers with God, we’re called into a partnership with the Holy Spirit that reshapes culture—not by force, but by the Christ-centered transformation of our hearts, minds and wills. God's promise to empower us to disciple the nations is ultimately on Him to fulfill. Our primary task is to submit to His work in our lives and the rest will follow.

My 30s were spent probing this premise over and over again. What does it mean to serve God fully and submit to the Holy Spirit’s work in transforming my whole self? So consider this sermon as my own testimony as well. 

A lot of what I’ll share is structured around Dallas Willard’s book, “Renovation of the Heart”. It has helped me navigate the complexity of this foundational process so I also want to extend it to you. All in all, when it comes to the sanctifying work of God, use whatever resources work for you!

Let’s set the stage first with one of the final scenes before Jesus ascended to the Father:

“He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; they will pick up snakes with their hands, and whatever poison they drink will not harm them; they will place their hands on the sick and they will be well.” After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. They went out and proclaimed everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through the accompanying signs.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭15‬-‭20‬ ‭NET‬‬

God's heart is to redeem culture.

Though the world is not inherently condemned, sin permeates culture today - it is inescapable. All have fallen short of God's glory even if God's glory fills the earth. As Paul says in Romans 1, though the earth and all of physical reality contain signs and evidence of God, humans have been suppressing this knowledge and have therefore become futile and darkened in our thinking and ways.

It doesn't take much to lose focus, more so, completely lose sight of Christ's reign in the world. Just open Instagram. In mere seconds, the lust of the eyes and the desires of our flesh will be awakened. Even more pervasive are the narratives we're deeply living in everyday as we simply navigate the world: greed for power and money, culture's focus on "self-will", and the deliberate secularization of all schools of thought are only some examples.

So before we dive into the disciplines, I want to anchor us on the role of the Holy Spirit as our helper, guiding us carry out our roles as God’s co-laborers in culture:

"So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."

Romans 8:12-17 ESV

Christians are not just spectators in the world but active participants in God’s redemptive plan. As we read in Mark 16 and Romans 8, not only are we tasked to proclaim the Gospel as servants of the Master. As adopted children of God and co-heirs of Christ — we will carry the same responsibility as Jesus to ensure everyone knows that the kingdom of God is here as we partner with the Holy Spirit.

Where it starts and ends.

Let's be clear: doctrine isn't discipleship. Anyone can learn about Christianity. What makes all the difference is how we ourselves as Christians partner with the Holy Spirit to become like Christ in our innermost being. 

All Kingdom deeds arise from a quality of life that's been transformed. It's not about external conformity to rules, laws, and structures. Transforming culture and communities starts with the transformation of our lives, and that can't happen without being in communion with Jesus.

More so, change isn't passive. It doesn't just happen. There is active work for us to carry out as a response to God approaching us with grace. Isn't that what grace truly is? - God working in and with humans? This is our starting point.

Transforming culture doesn't happen overnight, and the Christian life has its seasons.

Romans 5 says that righteousness is a free gift that comes to anyone who has put their faith in Christ. As much as this is the case, maturing in our faith will cost us time and an ongoing personal activation of our communion with God. Each of us has our own singular stories of salvation and sanctification that no other person can write.

These are the very seeds God uses to plant and propagate in culture. We need to patiently water, nurture, prune and protect them from the "thorns" and "birds". Think of yourselves as different parables, unique stories about God's kingdom acting like yeast in the world: "small" agents creating lasting change. Our lives on their own can function as stories that non-believers can "compare and contrast". See how Paul encouraged the city folks of Corinth and Ephesus:

“The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts. We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Simply put, if you have a heart and vision for yourself, your family, your work place, and every other aspect of your own "kingdoms" (where your will has effective capacity to act on), the disciplines that you build around your life are nonnegotiable. This is where Eugene Peterson helps us understand the difference between simply being "spiritual" and "religious" to being a true disciple. In "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction", he warns against the quick-fix mindset:

“There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for the long apprenticeship in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness.”

Disciplines safeguard our faith and hope.

So what does this look like? How can our lives as disciples really look like if we are to transform culture? Our lives being hidden in Christ means we live and experience the world under the fold of His communion with the Father: as we embrace these disciplines and become like Christ from the inside-out, our hope is that our faith and hope start to mirror His relationship with God.

In our most intimate relationships, there is less effort in trying to figure out what the other person needs and desires on a day-to-day basis as we get to know them better. Likewise, as Dallas Willard says, "to identify with the mind of Christ, to the point where we are prepared to step forward and do his work without being told what to do, is fundamental to our ability to be persistent in serving the Lord.”

When Peter asks us to defend our hope, he's not merely asking us to demonstrate any theology. More profoundly, he's talking about the deepest hopes of our hearts as it's been aligned with Christ's:

"..but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

And this is the sustained, character-building hope that Paul echoes as we respond to the free gift of grace:

Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have also obtained access into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory. Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Romans 5:1-5 ESV

Three disciplines:

These disciplines allow us to safeguard this hope. These will not be anything no Christian has heard before, but a reinforcement of what we've always learned. Why do we need to keep revisiting these? Because our times will continue to become more disorienting. Cultures and communities will continue to shift its focus away from God.

As we engage with the world, these forces can seep into the seams of our lives. Unless we mindfully and willfully practice these disciplines, tuning into the Spirit's leading, we will end up like chaff that the wind blows away.

Simply put: as Christians, we're never guaranteed smooth sailing without coming up against aspects of culture that will threaten our faith. These disciplines put us in the offense so that we're not caught off guard. Faith is ultimately faithfulness in responding to God’s grace in Jesus Christ.

1. Disciplines of a transformed heart: solitude, scripture, and prayer

Even without consulting trained therapists, or having to do deep reflections at remote spiritual retreats, we instinctively know that we’re formed by our experiences and choices. Everyone’s character - whether they believe in a god, Jesus or not - takes shape the moment their consciousness interacts with the world. Dallas Willard, in his book, "Renovation of the Heart", says:

“Our lives and how we find the world now and in the future are, almost totally, a simple result of what we have become in the depths of our being—in our spirits, will, or hearts. From there we see our world and interpret reality. From there we make our choices, break forth into action, try to change our world. We live from our depths—most of which we do not understand.

Indeed, the only hope of humanity lies in the fact that, as our spiritual dimension has been formed, so it also can be transformed. Now and throughout the ages this has been acknowledged by everyone who has thought deeply about our condition—from Moses, Solomon, Socrates, and Spinoza to Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Oprah, and current feminists and environmentalists.”

The greatest need of humanity then is the transformation of our innermost beings before anything happens in the external. As Christians, we’ve been told this. The question then is: how should we keep it top of mind? Paul’s central message in Romans anchors on the change that continually has to happen from our hearts:

 "So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh 13 (for if you live according to the flesh, you will die), but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 And if children, then heirs (namely, heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ)—if indeed we suffer with him so we may also be glorified with him."

Romans 8:12-17 NET 

So how do we work out our salvation as we deal with life’s realities? Let’s start with these disciplines of the heart: solitude, scripture, and prayer

Verses:

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭1‬, ‭6‬-‭7‬, ‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Points:

• Is “soul” still relevant? 

• Acknowledging our emotions before God: we all have "seasons of Faith"

• Intentionally caring for our souls: we live from our hearts.

• Practicing regular silence and solitude: allowing God to give us a new name

• Praying poetry in the Bible: Psalms, Proverbs, the Prophets, etc.

• Speaking the Word as reality.

2. Disciplines of a transformed mind: study, worship, and Christ-centered relationships and community

We live from our hearts - our souls and deepest beings. Connected to our souls, though most of the time, it’s hard to distinguish as a separate function - is our minds. In this sense, our thoughts - our ability to think - comprise all the ways our consciousness processes and engages the world: information, ideas, perceptions, beliefs, and yes, even memories.

Again, in Romans 8, we see Paul referencing our individual and collective thought life. Though very subtle, we see many references to his considering and “knowing”:

"For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now. Not only this, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with endurance. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will.

Romans 8:22-27 NET

There is not enough time today, nor enough space in these notes to decipher all the forces that our minds and thoughts interact with everyday. That fact is enough of a starting point to acknowledge that the ongoing discipline of our minds is critical as we co-labor with God to transform culture.

As Christians, we also come from a diverse set of backgrounds. Though we have been “delivered from the domains of darkness” that rule our surroundings, we need to consciously submit to the Spirit-driven transformation of our minds, starting with our knowledge of God through communion with Him  A. W. Tozer did not exaggerate when he said:

That our idea of God corresponds as nearly as possible to the true being of God is of immense importance to us. Compared with our actual thoughts about Him, our creedal statements are of little consequence. Our real idea of God may lie buried under the rubbish of conventional religious notions and may require an intelligent and vigorous search before it is finally unearthed and exposed for what it is. Only after an ordeal of painful self-probing are we likely to discover what we actually believe about God. A right conception of God is basic not only to systematic theology but to practical Christian living as well.

Maturing in our faith then necessitates a transformation of our minds as we seek out who God is - His character - within the very contex of our lives. If we are to be responsible co-laborers with Christ, we need, to put it simply, refine how we use our minds daily and intentionally examine our thought life. Paul rightly starts to close Romans with a reminder that living as sacrifices, we can’t just yield to the “age”, but renew our minds.

Here is Martin Luther: 

Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason—I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen.

Let’s break down the core disciplines of our mind that honor the God-designed reasoning that is inherent in all of us: study, worship, and Chris-centered relationships and community

Verses:

Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power.  Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

Ephesians 6:10-12 NET

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 1:13-14 ESV

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:2

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Job 38: 4-7 ESV

Points:

• The power of our minds to create kingdoms.

• Conscious unlearning is critical because of the formation that is unconsciously happening in our hearts from day 1.

• Deception from our desires - to prove we’re right, have our own way, and to overconfidently protect our pre-existing knowledge - risks attacking the finality of the Gospel: Jesus' absolute victory over sin and death, and the Spirit’s sanctifying work in our lives as our reality. [notes on God’s dynamic creative power reigning and ruling reality, so truth is also emergent in communion with Him]

• Pride over our “doctrine, tradition and practices” likewise can easily be as dangerous when we don’t respond, as Paul did, to the daily renewing of our minds.

• Study: set our minds on the Gospel, and with faith, seek the facts and information humbly. It’s all there. BUT, we need to also be aware of how our hearts can deceive us. Our minds, more often, can override how we feel. But our hearts, especially deep-seated biases and blindsides, can hijack and direct our minds to false interpretations and even undermine the truth of Christ’s finished work.

• Worship: this is why dwelling intelligently upon God, living in awe of His powers and His supreme reign is an important discipline. 

• Christ-centered relationships and community: “Spiritual formation cannot, in the nature of the case, be a “private” thing, because it is a matter of whole-life transformation. You need to seek out others in your community who are pursuing the renovation of the heart.” - Dallas Willard

3. Disciplines of a transformed will: fasting, sabbath, and service

If I can summarize one practical key learning over my 30s, as I myself continue to commit (and recommit) to these disciplines, if we don’t establish means around our lives to commune with God with our full selves, the vision we have our of our transformed hearts and minds will not come to life. This is where our our wills come in:

“And our will is simply our capacity for “consents” and “non-consents.” It is the core of our nonphysical being. It is, strictly speaking, our spirit—the human spirit, not divine—though it comes directly from God and is meant to be in his keeping through our trust in him.From it the whole self or life is meant to be directed and organized, and must be if it is to be directed or organized at all. That is why we recognize the will to be the same as the biblical “heart” or center.”

Dallas Willard

So when it comes to the transformation of our wills, it’s about the rhythms of our lives that we must reconfigure through fasting, keeping the sabbath, and carving out resources for service.

Tested and proven Christian character, again, echoing Paul, develops from training our wills. When we practice these disciplines, we validate the grace of God already at work in our lives. 

Feelings (heart), thinking (mind) and doing (will) leads to character. Every human follows this cycle and/or process. For us Christians, this begins and ends with Christ as we repent and submit to His will. Like any habit or even skill (think of athletes or other certified professionals), character-building takes time. More so, character re-building!

Verses:

“Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.”

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Galatians 2:20-21

Points:

• Our wills = capacity to act. Central to being humans is our ability to

• Self-will vs. a transformed will. The key term for us Christians is “surrender”.

• Fasting.

• Sabbath.

• Service.  

Conclusion

Cultural transformation doesn’t start in the White House, the boardroom, or social media. It starts in your hearts and mine. More importantly, it's not through instant wins but through long faithfulness to the disciplines of our hearts, minds, and wills.

Our faith going through seasons means it’s sometimes hard to see the vision God has for our lives, more so our cultures and communities. But that’s the beauty of walking with God in communion: He meets us where we’re at. Every single point. Our part is to begin there with the best we can give.

1. We are heirs and co‑workers called into partnership

2. Transformation begins in deep communion with God

3. Cultural resistance demands vigilance and long formation of our whole selves

4. Our daily work on our hearts, minds and wills matters — God works out salvation through us

Resources:

• Fasting: Every Nation’s robust library of devotions over the years we’ve done annual the fast

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

Honey, Where's My Super Suit?

Honey, Where’s My Super Suit? 

Focus: Committed, long-term relationships with God and one another produces lasting impact on culture.  

• In My Own Skin

• Continue in the Work

• A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

In My Own Skin

We must continue the work of Christ in our own skin. 

‭‭Acts‬ ‭12‬:‭12‬ ESV

“When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 

Acts 12: 24-25 ESV 

But the word of God increased and multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.”

Paul, Barnabas and Mark were uniquely described in the Scripture, each having their own strengths and weaknesses, but they learned lessons of how to minister together with perseverance to fulfill God’s purposes. 

‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬-‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

We are called by God to be salt and light in the world to flavor and preserve the cultures of the earth with the kingdom of God.  

No culture was formed overnight, nor will they be redeemed overnight - we must persevere in Christ.  

“The way of the world is marked by proud, God-defying purposes, unharnessed from eternity and therefore worthless and futile.”

-Eugene Peterson

Part of the joy of making Christ known is finding the manner in which God has uniquely designed you to do so.  

Use what is in your hand.  

David was not able to use Saul’s armor because he was not used to it (I Samuel 17). 

‭‭

1 Samuel‬ ‭17‬:‭38‬-‭40‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, "I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them." So David put them off. Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.”

He killed Goliath with the sling and the stone, the same instruments with which he took down the lion and bear as a shepherd prior to being king.

What are the sling and the smooth stones that God has placed in your hands?  

From Lee Strobel’s and Mark Mittelberg’s Becoming a Contagious Christian training (I realize that this title hasn’t aged well in light of the pandemic):

Six styles of evangelism and their set-backs:

1. Direct Style

Biblical Example: Peter in Acts 2

Confident, Assertive, Direct

Caution: Be sure to use tact when confronting people with truth to keep them from becoming unnecessarily offended

2. Intellectual Style 

Biblical example: Paul in Acts 17

Inquisitive, Analytical, logical

Caution: Do not substitute giving answers for giving the Gospel message, and be careful of becoming argumentative.

3. Testimonial Style 

Biblical example: Blind man in John 9

Clear communicator, story teller, good listener

Caution: Beware of talking about yourself but not relating your experience to the other person’s life. You first need to listen to them to be able to connect your story to their situation.

4. Interpersonal Style 

Biblical example: Matthew in Luke 5:29

Warm personality, Conversational, Friendship-Oriented

Caution: Avoid valuing friendship over truth-telling. Presenting the Gospel often means challenging a person’s whole direction in life, and that can mean causing friction in your relationship. 

5. Invitational Style 

Biblical example: Woman at the well in John 4

Hospitable, Relational, Persuasive

Caution: Be careful not to always let others do your talking for you.  You too, need to “always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that you have…” (I Peter 3:15). 

6. Serving Style 

Biblical example: Dorcas in Acts 9

Others-Centered, Humble, Patient

Caution: Just as “words are no substitute for actions,” “actions are no substitute for words.”  In Romans 10:14, it is made clear that we must verbally tell people about Christ. 

Continue in the Work

We must continue in the work of Christ despite obstacles. 

Continue when there is opposition.  

‭‭Acts‬ ‭13‬:‭4‬-‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time." Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem, but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it." So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: "Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen.”

“No literature is more realistic and honest in facing the harsh facts of life than the Bible. At no time is there the faintest suggestion that the life of faith exempts us from difficulties.”

-Eugene Peterson

Continue when there are disappointments. 

‭‭Acts‬ ‭15‬:‭36‬-‭41‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are." Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”

“Feelings are important in many areas but completely unreliable in matters of faith . . . We live in what one writer has called the ‘age of sensation.’ We think that if we don’t feel something there can be no authenticity in doing it. But (the) wisdom of God says something different: that we can act ourselves into a new way of feeling much quicker than we can feel ourselves into a new way of acting.”

-Eugene Peterson

‭‭

Colossians‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him),”

Continue when there is a door for reconciliation.  

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.”

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction 

We must continue in the work of Christ until we see Jesus face to face.  

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.”

“The central reality for Christians is the personal, unalterable, persevering commitment God makes to us. Perseverance is not the result of our determination, it is the result of God’s faithfulness. We survive in the way of faith not because we have extraordinary stamina but because God is righteous, because God sticks with us.”

-Eugene Peterson

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

Our Charge

Our Charge 

We’re moving from a focus on community to our charge as a people to impact culture. 

Focus: Our charge from Jesus is to take this good news of the Kingdom to every nation under Heaven.  

• Forgiveness of Sins

• For Every Nation

• To the Wedding Banquet of the Lamb

Forgiveness of Sins

Jesus died on the cross so that all people, everywhere, might have the opportunity to repent and receive the forgiveness of sins.  

‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭44‬-‭49‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." 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 for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."”

This is what God has said. 

What has made you believe something different?

There was a problem in all of our lives and Jesus came to solve it. 

Sin separated all of humanity from God and made us by nature, objects of God’s wrath (Ephesians 2:1-10). 

Sin such as hatred, discord, factions, greed, rape, murder, lust, sexual immortality, adultery, lying, stealing, trafficking, enslavement, drunkenness, selfish ambition and the like have brought destruction to families, communities, cultures, cities and nations. 

These are issues the world round, to different degrees, because sin is not just in cultures, it is in people's hearts.  

We preach the gospel because God has said:

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭34‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”

True righteousness can only be found in Jesus Christ. 

Jesus came into this world to save sinners.  

The wages of sin is death because we are separated from the author of life and call on ourselves a just judgment for our wrongdoing (Romans 6:23).  

Because sin causes a relational fracture with us and God, there is no reconciliation with God without the forgiveness of sins. 

There is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22). 

Christ shed his blood for us at the cross to give his life in our place (Leviticus 17:11).  

Repentance and faith in Jesus’ sacrificial death, burial and resurrection make reconciliation with God available to the whole world.  

Culture is made up of people and the perpetual decisions that they make to honor or defy God.  

The culture changes as lives are changed by the cross and gospel of Jesus Christ.  

As a community we preach, intentionally sharing the gospel with others because everyone can repent.  

“Repentance is not an emotion. It is not feeling sorry for your sins. It is a decision . . . Repentance is a realization that what God wants from you and what you want from God are not going to be achieved by doing the same old things, thinking the same old thoughts. Repentance is a decision to follow Jesus Christ and become his pilgrim in the path of peace.”

-Eugene Peterson

Have you believed a lie that certain people can not come to repentance?  

For Every Nation

This gospel of the Kingdom is for every nation. 

Just as our primary call is to worship God and enjoy him forever and our primary posture is to grow in this within a devoted Christian community, our primary mission is to together make Christ known that all the nations might be reconciled to God.  

‭‭

2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

This is what God has said. 

What has made you believe something different?

What this Scripture means is that the whole world is under the same type of sin, deserving of death and hell, lest they have a savior who went to the cross to pay the price for them.  

So the love of Christ compels us. 

If you don’t feel like you yet have the love of God for others, pray for it - God will break your heart for the nations.  

Because of the mercy that God has shown us, we look at no one from a worldly point of view.

We must look at everyone through the lens of Christ which makes both grace and forgiveness available to them through repentance and faith in Jesus. 

We must not be lulled to sleep by our culture believing that God no longer cares about this as his primary purpose (Luke 15).  

There are sins in every culture that attempt to dull our fervor for God.  

What is it in your culture?

“When an ancient temptation or trial becomes a feature in the culture, a way of life that is expected and encouraged, Christians have a stumbling block put before them that is hard to recognize for what it is, for it has been made into a monument, gilded with bronze and bathed in decorative lights.”

-Eugene Peterson

We are God’s ambassadors as if God were making his appeal through us.  

The goal is for your family members, neighbors, co-workers and friends to be reconciled with God.  

Jesus is not just for your nation - he is for every nation under Heaven - for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).  

This is why we have our Acts 1:8 mandate and together reach out to Chicago, Madison, Charleston, Turkey (this summer) and Luxembourg. 

‭‭

Romans‬ ‭10‬:8-‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"” 

The beauty is that we not only have the nations in our city, but an international community that might not otherwise be exposed to the gospel right in our back yard.  

And in this light, we are called to serve and invite everyone to the wedding banquet of the Lamb of God.

The Wedding Banquet of the Lamb

We are called to belong to Jesus and therefore are called to invite people from every nation to the wedding banquet of the Lamb of God.  

‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭1‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast."' But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.' And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen."

This is what God has said. 

What has made you believe something different?

It is not our job to force people to come to Jesus, but as the body of Christ, it is our responsibility to make the invitation to every person under heaven.  

We do not get to choose who we think is or is not a good candidate - we invite as many as we find.  

Again, we look at no one from a worldly point of view, but remember that Christ died for all, therefore all died.  

It is important to note three things here:

1. People missed the grace of God because of both animosity and because they were too busy with other things to make reconciliation with God a priority.  Do not be one of them.

2. Those who were invited to the banquet were both bad and good - do not disqualify anyone from an invitation.

3. *It is not enough to just be spiritual - without the right clothes, the wedding garments (being clothed in Christ’s righteousness alone, by faith) the attendee was thrown out.

We need to not only know what to do, but to persevere in doing it until we see Jesus face to face.  

“For it is apathetic, sluggish neutrality that is death to perseverance, acts like a virus in the bloodstream and enervates the muscles of discipleship. The person who makes excuses for hypocrites and rationalizes the excesses of the wicked, who loses a sense of opposition to sin, who obscures the difference between faith and denial, grace and selfishness—that is the person to be wary of. For if there is not all that much difference between the way of faith and the ways of the world, there is not much use in making any effort to stick to it.”

-Eugene Peterson

I believe it is a gift from God that we were given our church building in one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the nation.  

May we make the most of loving people and serving them with the good news of Jesus. 

What has kept you from answering God’s invitation to the wedding banquet of Christ?

What has kept you from making the invitation to others?

What will you do now? 

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

Close Enough

Close Enough

 This message is meant to be a bridge between our pillars of community and culture. 

Focus: The Christian community that you have should be close enough to sharpen you in the Lord. 

• That’s Close Enough!

• Discipleship through Relationship

• The Iron of the Cross

That’s Close Enough!

God desires to gift us people in life who will be close enough to encourage us when we need it and cross us when we don’t feel it. 

‭‭Mark‬ ‭8‬:‭27‬-‭38‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets." And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

Many times, to maintain control in our lives (rather than submitting to the Lordship of Jesus), we keep people at arm’s length so they can not interfere with our personal plans, desires and ambitions. 

Yet Jesus modeled for us a relationship with Peter and the other apostles that landed these disciples in the center of God’s will.  

Peter was Jesus’ right hand man.  

Peter would have thought that he had all of the good intentions in the world towards Jesus. 

Jesus and Peter were side by side building a life together for the three plus years after Jesus entered his public ministry. 

Together, they were doing so much good in the world.  

Yet Jesus kept bringing up the cross. 

Peter could have thought…

Why should Jesus go to the cross when he was doing so much good in the world - performing miracles, driving out demons, healing the sick and raising the dead?  

Peter did not understand that Christ’s entire mission was about seeing the lost turn from their sin to be reconciled with God, and that this could not be done without Jesus going to the cross. 

So at that moment, Peter did not have in mind the purposes of God, but the comforts of men. 

Jesus said “Get behind me Satan” because Peter was, in that moment, giving the counsel of Satan, not God, trying, in a well meaning manner, to turn Jesus from the cross. 

But Peter was wrong in that moment because he took his eyes off of God and his ultimate purposes which would lead to Jesus taking up the cross to save the world.  

*This can happen when we neglect to seek God in anything - through the word, prayer or gospel-centered counsel.   

Jesus and Peter were in close enough relationship for Peter to hear this rebuke and course-correct, as Peter would eventually be one of the greatest preachers of Christ’s cross after experiencing Jesus’ forgiveness and restoration (Matthew 26:30-35; John 21; Acts 3). 

I want us to consider some questions today and allow God to help us better understand community within his purposes and how we make decisions.  

Let’s begin with these questions with the above Scripture in mind:

1. How have you been in similar circumstances in your life?

2. When have you, like Jesus, been headed to a cross to fulfill God’s purposes and had someone try to convince you to do something easier?

3. When have you been like Peter, giving erroneous counsel to others?

4. Do you live with the things of God or the things of men in mind?

5. Where is the counsel that you are getting really coming from?

6. How does your community lead you to the cross or away from it?

Again, Jesus said:

"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.”

How do does your community lead you to save your life or lose it for Jesus and his gospel? 

Jesus said to Peter:

"Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."

Are you in close enough relationship with God to hear this from him if necessary?

If the apostle Peter was ever in need of such a correction, who am I to think that I would never be?

Are you in close enough relationships with people in your church community to be known and hear this from others if you miss God speaking? 

Who in your life is close enough to you, has walked closely enough with God and you that they would 1) be able to say this to you and 2) be a person from whom you would actually receive such a rebuke because you are walking together in such a covenant bond?

The Bible is filled with important covenant relationships between followers of Jesus that helped them fulfill the call of God together. 

For example, King David and Jonathan’s covenant is a fantastic model of relationship which helped propel them both in the purposes of God (I Samuel 17-II Samuel 2).  

It also acts as a warning as Jonathan was influenced too long by old relationships that were not going in God’s direction and caused Jonathan to suffer for it. 

So how do we live in community in such a way that it propels us forward in the things of God?

Discipleship through Relationship

Following Jesus is not just about you and God. 

We learn to be disciples of Jesus as we relate with God’s Word, develop a prayer life and interact with other believers.  

‭‭

Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

We receive encouragement in the call, commands, comfort and purposes of God when we are in a devoted, shared life with one another.   

Life in a vacuum leads to deception.  

The Holy Spirit had the author of Proverbs offer this warning: 

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”

*Discipleship is ultimately about learning how to follow Jesus in the things that he cares about, learning how he thinks and finding our place in his unfolding story. 

Relating with Jesus is the foundation of being a disciple but there is more.  

Once we spend time with God, he points us right back to interaction with people - flesh and blood in our homes, our church and our community.  

This is where the rubber meets the road so that what God has whispered to you in the prayer closet, he now expects to be put into action and to be shouted from the rooftops (preaching his gospel).

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.”

God develops us in Christ through the consistency of godly relationships. 

Yet many do not wait on God’s timing or take the time to be developed anymore. 

Many are not sharpened by others as iron sharpens iron because they have more interaction with people online who don’t know or see their real lives, than people who are actually able to do so in person. 

This is exacerbated by the fact that if you don’t like the discomfort of being sharpened, you can distance yourself, cancel, unfriend, and escape people because you feel erroneously that you have all of the interaction that you need in the palm of your hand. 

But are you hitting the mark of God’s high calling in Christ (Philippians 3)?

We need to overcome certain pressures to come into a healthy, godly community. 

Have you felt these ways?

1. *There can be a false pressure to figure everything out by yourself.

This generation suffers from the pressure that because every piece of information is at your fingertips, you should have all the answers.  

God did not design us to live life this way.  

Though AI can share information, it does not have the anointing of God, or the motivation to see you set apart to Christ. 

1. *I don’t want to be a burden with my issues - I feel shame having the questions that I do or about things with which I am struggling.

I entertain the lie that I need to get myself together before I press into the community. 

I know what I am doing is wrong and I keep doing it - I want to stop but it can be vulnerable and scary to be sharpened. 

I don’t want to disappoint others. 

These can all be real feelings, yet when you know that God and the church community that he gives you are for you and not looking to condemn you, then you can come into the light to break free from bondage. 

The old song "Locked Away” asks the question in all of our hearts - “Would You Still Love Me the Same?”

*Relationships are not designed by God to be disposable, so stick in there when the temperature gets hot!

“In friendship...we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years' difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another...the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting--any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you," can truly say to every group of Christian friends, "Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another." The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.”

-C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

It is the proximity and frequency of committed church relationships that sharpen you unto God’s life, freedom and Kingdom purposes. 

The Iron of the Cross

The Lord uses Christian community to help us find our way to the cross. 

Just because you receive counsel, doesn’t mean it is from the Lord.  

“Get behind me Satan…”

What does it mean for you to lose your life for the gospel?

It means that you make decisions in the Lord with this criteria:

1. The word of God is the foundation (plumb line) - it tells you that on which God is focused

2. Prayer is the illumination of your specific, practical direction from the Lord (Proverbs 3) - God tells you how to participate in what he is doing

3. Godly counsel from the church community  in your life with whom you are walking is the confirmation - it should help you keep your eyes fixed on the things of God rather than just the things of men

Godly counsel should lead you to Calvary. 

The cross is not only what Jesus bore for us to reconcile us with God as we repent of our sins and put our faith in him, but the cross is what Jesus calls us to carry as his disciple (Luke 9:57-62). 

The cross is the specific decisions that you have to make as God calls you to deny yourself individually and as a family to follow him (Luke 14:25-33). 

It will not be identical for you and someone else (John 21), but no disciple escapes their personal cross to carry as they follow Jesus through the word of God, prayer and community (Luke 3:10-14). 

So the question is:

1. How has Christ carried the cross for you?

2. What is your cross by which you will glorify God and advance his Kingdom?

3. How have you tried to save your life?

4. How have you seen elements of people actually losing their lives when they tried to save it?

5. Who has tried to convince you not to carry your cross?

6. Who has encouraged you to carry your cross?

7. How will you now respond?

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭19‬-‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity." Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

Christian Community: What, Why, and How

Christian Community: What, Why, and How

Section 1: Intro to Christian Community – What is it?

1. Turn your Bibles, if you have them, to Acts 2:42-47.

   1. I have been given the great honor and task to speak to you today about Second City Church’s second pillar – Community. What is it, why should we practice it, and how exactly we can live this out.

   2. Community is vital to this church, and hopefully it is vital to every church because it was absolutely a pillar in the early church and part of the blueprint of how churches should operate according to the Bible.

   3. Kendall and I, when we first arrived in Chicago, did a lot of “church shopping”. We had and have high standards for the local church that we attend, a lot of that surrounding theological issues. So, some churches we went to didn’t quite meet those standards, but others did! However, after attending a few churches where we agreed with what was being preached from the pulpit, we kept searching because we felt like a face in the crowd, like we couldn’t establish a community there. Obviously we found one, this church, and we decided to stay not just for the bible-based theology we found from the leadership, but because the people here feel like home. This is a church, a congregation, that is deeply rooted in community, and so it is a blessing to be able to speak to you about this pillar of what has been our home for the past 9 years.

   4. So then what exactly is biblical community? Let’s take a look at our key passage today – Acts 2:42-47. Let me set the scene:

      1. Jesus Christ has just finished His earthly ministry, that is the ministry He did while He was literally on earth. He had lived a perfect 33 years, did signs and wonders, traveled to many places healing, preaching, and teaching, died a sinners death in our place at calvary, was buried in a tomb for 3 days, rose again on the third, showed himself to his apostles and 500 more, and then ascended into heaven. His apostles, after seeing the Lord ascend, went into town, the Holy Spirit descended upon them, and then Peter preaches the first sermon to the onlookers. He finishes his sermon, 3,000 people repent, are saved, and are baptized, and the first Christian church is established. Not a building, mind you, but a people. Then our passage begins:

      2. "And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.  And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved."

   5. The first church practiced community immediately. They:

      1. Met together (e.g. this passage emphatically states “they” when describing its events)

      2. Worshipped together by learning (devoting themselves to the apostles teaching), spending time and eating with one another (fellowship to the breaking of bread), and praying with one another.

      3. They were unified (had all things in common)

      4. Supported one another no matter the cost (selling possessions and distributing to all who had need)

      5. They did not limit this to weekly gatherings (day by day)

      6. And they had “favor with all the people” even as they were praising God.

      7. The result: the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Section 2: Why is this important?

1. So then, why? Why was this such a big deal and why is it still a big deal that we live out community with one another?

   1. First and foremost, being a community, being relational with one another, is a direct reflection of God Himself.

      1. You don’t have to read very far in your Bible-in-one-year reading plan to find this theological principle. In Genesis 1 God says in verse 26:

      2. Let us make mankind in our image…

      3. God Himself before the creation of the world, before any of us were even here, was and is relational. Our God is triune, three in one, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The father did not make us in his image, the Son didn’t make us in his image, the Holy Spirit did not make us in his image. The Trinity, God, Son, and Holy Spirit made us in his image. But we are not triune, we do not have three parts that can commune with one another. God made us to reflect his perfect self by being with one another.

      4. So why is it important to practice community? Quite simply, if we are to be more like God, the highest calling of our lives, then we are to be in community with one another.

   2. Secondly, we practice community for a purpose. That purpose is of course the aforementioned – to be more like God. But it doesn’t stop there, by doing that it has a radical effect on each of our lives. We practice community to stir up one another to love and good works.

      1. Hebrews 10:19-25 says, “Therefore, brothers [and sisters], since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

      2. Christian community is not just for the sake of a good hang. It has a radical purpose with a radical result. Here is a challenge to all of us, “When you leave a gathering of believers, do you feel encouraged to love more and do good? And, have you contributed to that end for others?”

      3. Within our three pillars, Christ, Community, and Culture, the first two are our root system for the third. By being rooted in Christ and Community, we are able to affect the culture. We do not first become holy, generous, loving, etc. within our culture and then bring that into our relationship with Christ and each other. Rather, we are sanctified through our relationship with Christ and each other in order to successfully affect our culture.

      4. There is a reason our pillars a structured in this order. Those are ranked from most important to third most important. If you skip Christ and Community, you will be ineffective with your influence among your secular communities! We’ll talk about Culture in the following weeks, but I almost want to say “forget about that pillar” if you have not rooted yourself in the first two – Christ and Community. I remember listening to a sermon from another church where the pastor said something to this effect, “If you have come here and gotten saved, this church is no longer for you. This church is for those seeking Christ.” I remember thinking, “that misses the point of church entirely.” Yes, it is a wonderful thing that people get saved in church, but the church is for believers in him to come and meet together in order that they may go out and change the world. Meeting together, in person, under Christ, is vital for the lifeblood of our great commission, to go out and make disciples of all nations.

         1. This is why a local, in-person church is so important! This passage says do NOT neglect meeting together as is the habit of some. I set up our online service during covid and it was a sufficient stand-in while the world was in chaos, but now I see it as a fulfillment of three things: for posterity so we can streamline the recording of our services, for our church members who are ill or out of town, and for the few who want to tune in to see a loved one who may be participating in the service. I want to offer a challenge to our online viewers: if this is your substitute for attending a local church in your area, make this your last service with us. Next Sunday, go out and find a solid church community or come and join ours (if you’re using this to see what we’re all about). Do not neglect the assembly of the saints – online church does not count! There is so much more to be experienced by being with one another, worshipping, learning, eating with one another!

         2. If you were here during our covid online season, you might remember that when we got up and running it was really cool and exciting… for a little while. But something was missing. What was missing was this community, being together, worshipping in person together. Don’t miss it.

   3. Third, we are to practice community so that others can know that Jesus is Lord.

      1. In John 17 we read about the Lord’s prayer. You may know the prayer “Our father who art in heaven…” as the Lord’s prayer… that’s not the Lord’s prayer. That’s our prayer. This is the Lord’s prayer – the prayer he gave for us in the Garden of Gethsemane before he went to the cross.

      2. He says in verse 15-23, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

      3. Jesus’ prayer is that we would be one – that we would be together, unified in his gospel, his death, burial, and resurrection – so that the world may know that God sent his son to love them even as God relationally loves Jesus.

      4. What does this look like? Jesus explains just a few chapters earlier to the disciples. John 13:34-35 says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

      5. Christian community is radical. By living this out, the world should see that we are disciples of Christ because of the way we love one another in community!

      6. Here is another challenge: Do your non-Christian communities know that you are a disciple of Christ by how you love your family in Christ?

Section 3: How do we do this?

1. This is a high calling! Ultimately, Jesus’ prayer for us is that our root system in Christ and Community will affect our Culture. But what does this look like practically? How exactly can we start or continue to do this?

2. Let’s take a look back at our blueprint for community – our key passage in Acts 2 – and I’ll give you some thoughts on how this can be practically lived out.

   1. Met together (e.g. this passage emphatically states “they” when describing its events)

      1. We need to meet together! This is a good place to start! We are here, at church. Where are we? We are literally at Green House Theater, but we are at church. The church is the body of Christ. If you’re coming here, we want you to be coming for the church. If you came for Rollan, well sorry you got me but even still that’s only part of what this is! This is the gathering of the body – it’s about us coming together for God. Ask yourself this, if the Green House Theater kicked us out, if our Rogers Park location burned down, if Rollan went on sabbatical, would you still have a church? I hope your answer is emphatically yes because you have this community.

   2. Worshipped together by learning (devoting themselves to the apostles teaching), spending time and eating with one another (fellowship to the breaking of bread), and praying with one another.

      1. This sounds a lot like our Sunday service, but it extends to far more than this!

      2. This describes community groups! If you are not part of one, get in one! It is a Sunday service concentrated into a small gathering within the hospitality of our leaders during the week where we can worship, eat, and pray together and for one another. It is such a practical way to be in community together and live these things out.

      3. This describes lunch after this service! If you don’t have lunch plans, grab someone and go to Johnny’s Beef, Velvet Taco, or one of the many great local places around here and share a meal. There is so much power in good food and good company. Experience this within the next hour!

      4. This describes inviting one another to your homes! Cook for one another, encourage one another in the apostles teachings (the Bible), pray with and for one another! 

      5. Remember, the early church did not limit this to once-a-week gatherings. They met together day-by-day! If you can’t do this physically, start a text thread or group chat and commune with each other, send prayer requests, praises, encouragements!

      6. This looks like COMMUNION! We are going to take part in Communion after this message and it’s such an exciting and powerful thing. We’ll take some time to describe what communion is before we participate in it together, but ultimately it is a foreshadowing of the community we will experience in heaven. Communion is literally communing with Christ alongside believers; it is this incredible moment where we together as the body of Christ commune with His saving power, His broken body and spilt blood for our sake. By taking communion we are declaring Christ’s death until He comes – but once we are in His presence, when we are together with Him in Heaven, we won’t literally do the sacrament of communion (the eating of a piece of bread and a bit of juice) but we will instead commune with Him and each other in person for all eternity. Communion is the melding together of our first two pillars, Christ and Community. So if you are a believer in Christ, get excited to take this with us later in the service.

      7. This describes Community Day! More on that later!

      8. This might feel overwhelming. You might know people here involved in this type of community I am describing, you might know me – I’m involved in a lot of things; I serve on different teams, I help oversee Community Groups, Kendall and I run Community Day, like it or not we are a heavy presence in this place. You might be thinking, “I want this, but where do I start?” I want to encourage you with this: start now. Start by doing this – after service, don’t bolt out of here. Stay. Talk to someone you don’t know, get prayed over by our banner, make lunch plans - come to lunch with me! Just start by not leaving immediately. If you have to leave, talk to me and let me point you in the direction of a community group. Commit to going for the next four weeks whether you feel like it or not. You don’t have to do everything I’ve said at once – just start simple and go from there. We want you here.

   3. They were unified (had all things in common) and supported one another no matter the cost (selling possessions and distributing to all who had need)

      1. This one is tougher! It starts to make us feel uncomfortable because it requires us to give, not just take. But Community is about sharing space, time, and resources with one another.

      2. This looks like supporting one another in hard times – emotionally, spiritually, and financially. Kendall and I have been very blessed financially and we’ve had the opportunity to share with those in our church who are in need. Right now, a family from Booklat is in great need of resources. If you want to help out a family who has been part of our after-school community, reach out to Christa. Put this sermon to practice and give! I guarantee you that you will receive far more than you give, it is one of the greatest ironies that God has blessed his family with.

      3. This looks like opening your home to those who need a place to stay. Kendall and I have hosted 2 young men in our home for extended periods of time – Gabe and Garrett. Since then, one has gotten engaged and the other is in a serious relationship. Good things happen to those who stay with us! We have another guest in our home right now, Caroline. Caroline, buckle up and start ring shopping!

      4. This looks like asking for help from your community. If you are in need, we want to know. We want to raise you up, to bless you, to love you.

   4. And they had “favor with all the people” even as they were praising God.

      1. This is a strange dichotomy in the scriptures because even in the Lord’s Prayer, right before the passage I shared with you, Jesus says that the world will hate us because we are not of the world. So how can we be hated and yet have “favor with all people”?

      2. It is simply this: the church and its community is supposed to be attractive to the outside world. Even when people disagree with our beliefs, they must not deny that the way we live is better.

      3. The Bible says that we are a city on a hill (Matthew 5:14-16). That means we cannot be hidden, we are not called to live this life of community in isolation. If that is all we are, then congratulations, you’ve just joined a cult. But we are not a cult – we are a community that welcomes others to come and see that the Lord is alive, that he is transforming us to be more like him, that there is a better way to live. 1 Peter 2:9-12 tells us to live such good lives among unbelievers that, though they accuse of us doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and have no ground to stand on. That the result of this is that they will be among us to glorify God on the day he returns.

      4. Can I tell you more about Community Day? The purpose of Community Day is to have a space where the church can come and fellowship together. But much more than that, we want you to invite others into this space so they can come and hopefully leave that place thinking, “that was different. I want that.” And what is “that”? It’s Christ within a Community of people, being put on display for all to see, hear, and experience. So please, come to Community Day, invite your friends, RSVP, and come and see that the Lord is good.

   5. What was and is the result of lived out community according to Acts 2? The Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

3. Two more passages for you and then I’ll close.

   1. Zechariah 8:23 says, “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.”

      1. Who is the Jew under Christ? Galatians 3:28-29 says, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
         If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

   2. My prayer is that we would be that Jew in Zechariah that the nations take hold of, that someone would say “Let me go with you, because we have heard, tasted, and seen that God is with you.”

   3. In a world that idolizes individualism, self-expression, and self-sufficiency, true Christian community is radically different.

      1. We admit weakness and seek help from our brothers and sisters.

      2. To that end we carry one another’s burdens.

      3. We slow down our schedules for one another and stay with one another to encourage and lift each other up.

      4. We commit to imperfect people in love so that other imperfect people can see that the Jesus is Lord.

         1. We are not perfect. I am not perfect. Voddie Baucham, a pastor in Zambia, says, “I’m just a beggar, telling another beggar where I found bread.” We cannot live out the gospel perfectly, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, by being rooted in Christ and Community, we can show others where we found bread, where we found home.

   4. So go, and radically live out this calling, be in Community with one another, love one another as Christ has loved you, and see the nations turn to God because of it.

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

How Can You Spend Time with Jesus

How You Can Spend Time with Jesus

Focus: When we overcome the intimidation of time spent with God, it becomes the joy of our hearts.   

Our Calling 

Our Apprehension

Our Expectation 

The Lord our Healer

Our Calling

Our primary calling is to know Christ and to be with the Lord.  

A Maskil of the Sons of Korah

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭42‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?”

Whether we realize it or not, this is the cry and deepest need of every heart.  

The Sons of Korah understood this and Jesus made an unhindered way for it. 

‭‭Mark‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.”

When we make time to be with Jesus, the Lord transforms us and invests in us his authority to advance his Kingdom with his gospel and power.  

Our Apprehension

Though God calls, we can be apprehensive when we don’t know how to respond.  

So what should we do when we are with God?

Set a time and place every day - plan for it like a date night. 

As we discussed last week, it seems that both Moses and Jesus had a rhythm of times and  places to pray (Exodus 33:7-11; Mark 1:35-39). 

‭‭

Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭35‬-‭39‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, "Everyone is looking for you." And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out." And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.”

In the Jewish culture, there was “the hour of prayer” where Peter was able to encounter the lame beggar and see him supernaturally healed by the power of God and the name of Jesus (Acts 3:1-10).  

We begin with worship. 

To spend time with God, the Scripture encourages us first to worship, which means to pay God our respects, lavish on him our love and honor him for who he is.  

‭‭

Psalm‬ ‭100‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”

When we worship, we humble ourselves and exalt God as holy - meaning he is, amongst other things, greater, purer, wiser, more compassionate, more powerful, more able and more willing than ourselves. 

This is why we begin and end our Sunday services in song. 

When we do this, we are reminding ourselves of who God said that he is, shown that he is and posturing ourselves for proper interaction.  

How to worship?

When we worship, we can stand, we can kneel, we can bow, we can prostrate ourselves, we can be silent, we can play music, we can clap, we can dance.  

All of these are expressed as legitimate expressions of Biblical worship of the Lord and it is good when we engage them all at different times.  

To seek the Lord and to wait on him is our high calling in Jesus. 

What happens when we do?

When we seek the Lord through the word of God and prayer, we are cleansed in our souls (mind, will and emotions) to begin to see things as God sees them, think his thoughts and have a desire to do his will. 

We begin by meditating on his word. 

This is important because we are sensitized to God’s voice through Scripture. 

What does it mean to meditate on God’s word?

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭119‬:‭9‬-‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.”

Storing up the word in your heart can practically mean memorizing it in small portions at a time so that you can both remember and access it in time of need. 

We learn to walk with God through prayer.  

How should I pray?

Prayers should be Biblical.  

Many people pray things that God never intends to answer and get discouraged while doing so.  

When you approach God, he intends to show you who he is and deal with the sin (areas where you are missing the mark) in your life. 

‭‭

Psalm‬ ‭66‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!”

As you are developing your prayer muscle, faith, and confidence of what to pray, you can begin by praying the word of God, using Scriptural prayers as examples. 

Why do we pray Scripture?

John the apostle gave this encouragement to believers as a motivation: 

‭‭1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

When we understand how to pray Biblically, we also understand that prayer gets personal.  

Talk to God openly and honestly.  

This is what the Psalms highlight for us.  

*Begin with honesty and end in faith - your declared trust in who God said that he is and what he said he will do. 

We must also learn to listen to God.  

How to listen?

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words. When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.”

Why do I think that I could ever hear from God?

Jesus himself gave us this great comfort when he said:

‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."

How do I know if I’ve heard God? 

• God will never contradict his written word. 

• The fruit of the Holy Spirit testifies to it. 

• Other believers confirm it.  

How to apply Scripture?

We need to juxtapose our manner of living and habits to the prescriptions of God’s word to bring our lives into alignment with God’s will. 

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Jesus said:

‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭63‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

This is why the writer of Hebrews would later say:

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

How do I learn to sit and be ministered to?

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭139‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

Go through Tozer’s checklist and allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you to give you practical correction and direction. 

Rules for Self Discovery:

1. What we want most;

2. What we think about most;

3. How we use our money;

4. What we do with our leisure time;

5. The company we enjoy;

6. Who and what we admire;

7. What we laugh at.

-A. W. Tozer

For those who would desire a structured format to help mitigate distractions, a good resource is: 

In this book is a chart that helps provide five minute increments of how to spend your time with the Lord. 

Leave that space with a practical way each day to serve the community with the gospel. 

Our Expectation

Our expectation is that when we approach God, he responds to us - and we are continually transformed as we wait on and submit to him. 

Jairus the synagogue ruler and the woman with the issue of bleeding came to Jesus based on his reputation as a healer, surmising that if he healed others, he was also able to show mercy to them.  

‭‭Mark‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬-‭43‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live." And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well." And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my garments?" And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'" And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, "Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, "Talitha cumi," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.”

The picture of Jairus the synagogue ruler and the woman with the issue of bleeding can both give us pictures of how to develop a life of prayer.  

The beauty of God’s instruction to wait on him without a time limit gives us a foundation of perpetual hope.  

Mark 5:35,36 ESV

“While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." 

Because God did not clarify how long we are to wait on him, whether long time or short, it is just a matter of time before he shows himself faithful to his word.  

If you are waiting on the Lord, you can be too rushed, but you can never be waiting too long.  

It is never too late for God to fulfill his promises, even when we think the opportunities are dead. 

The Lord our Healer

When we choose to submit to Jesus, whether now or in the life to come, there will be complete healing, restoration and joy.  

Because of the cross, we have access to God’s present and eternal healing. 

We appropriate, meaning we see that healing applied, as we approach Jesus as did the synagogue ruler and woman with the issue of bleeding. 

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

The apostle Peter, who witnessed Christ’s miracles first hand, would later apply this directly to Jesus as an encouragement to believers who put their trust in Jesus’ sacrificial death, burial and resurrection. 

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬-‭25‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

As we repent of our waywardness and put our trust in Jesus’ sinless life, sacrificial death at the cross for us and resurrection from the dead, we can be forgiven and have unbroken access to the Lord, our healer.  

Jesus can start the healing in a moment, and does so progressively each time we choose to meet with him.  

God will complete our healing when we see Jesus face to face, as all of those whose names are written in the Lamb of God’s book of life are welcomed into their eternal home.  

The irony is that once we spend time with God like this, he points us right back to interaction with flesh and blood - to represent him to real time people in our home, our church and our community.  

We’ll speak about this in the following weeks.

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

An Invitation to Greater Depths

An Invitation to Greater Depths

 Pastor Rollan Fisher

Focus: We must learn Jesus’ lesson from the parable of the sower if we are to move to greater depths and fruitfulness in God.  

Shallow Christianity

Distractions

God’s Invitation to Greater Depths

‭‭

Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: "Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold." And he said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." 

Shallow Christianity 

Jesus is sowing the word into our lives, but we can still remain shallow Christians. 

“Some Christians want enough of Christ to be identified with him but not enough to be seriously inconvenienced; they genuinely cling to basic Christian orthodoxy but do not want to engage in serious Bible study; they value moral probity, especially of the public sort, but do not engage in war against inner corruptions; they fret over the quality of the preacher's sermon but do not worry much over the quality of their own prayer life. Such Christians are content with mediocrity."

-D.A. Carson

*The goal of your faith is to become a worshiper of God who relates and serves the world in the ways of God - in Spirit and in truth (John 4:19-26). 

To become these people, we must spend the time and energy developing our ongoing, deepening relationship with God. 

We must resist the “arrival” mentality or succumb to spiritual boredom because of all of the other distractions in the world.  

As the first question of the Westminster Catechism states:

Q: What is the chief end of man?

A: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. 

This can seem foreign to us if we have a shallow Christianity. 

“I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven.

- A.W. Tozer

Jesus’ parable of the sower helps us leave the place of shallow Christianity and walk with God as he intends. 

‭‭

Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬-‭20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."

The four types of soil represent the condition of our hearts. 

1. Seed along the path (on the surface)

2. Seed on rocky ground

3. Seed on thorny soil

4. Seed on good soil

5. Seed along the path (on the surface)

‭‭

Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.”

Satan is able to steal the word sown into us when we don’t understand it.  

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.”

Those who want to understand set aside time and effort to get to the Lord.  

‭‭

Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that "'they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven."

1. Seed on rocky ground

Those on the rocky soil received the message with joy, but did not develop a secret life in God, a root system that no one else could see but him. 

Our walk with God needs to have a deep root system if we are to be effective in the life and mission of God to be a disciple and go into all the nations to make disciples. 

If we never take the time to develop a root system, when trouble, trial or persecution come because of the word, we can fall away. 

“There's a difference between knowing God and knowing about God. When you truly know God, you have energy to serve Him, boldness to share Him, and contentment in Him.”

- J.I Packer

1. Seed on thorny soil

We want to be those who walk with Jesus and bear multi-fold fruit for his Kingdom.  

To do so, we need to identify and weed out the unholy things, the things that are not set apart to God and that try to choke out his Kingdom purposes in our lives.  

As we endeavored to understand holiness in last week’s message, I want to make each of the things that follow reflect holiness (being set apart to God) in my life.

Rules for Self Discovery:

1. What we want most;

2. What we think about most;

3. How we use our money;

4. What we do with our leisure time;

5. The company we enjoy;

6. Who and what we admire;

7. What we laugh at.

-A. W. Tozer

Distractions 

Distractions keep us shallow. Waiting allows us to go deep.  

“The man who would truly know God must give time to Him.”

- A.W. Tozer

Responsibilities are real, but we must make time to prioritize God. 

And let’s be honest, it’s not always responsibilities that prevent us from doing so. 

We can give in to the addiction of the phone and being entertained too much to go deep in the Lord. 

The problem is that the supply of the internet is endless. 

The myth of multitasking has us believe that we can have divided attention and go deep in the Lord.  

These resources would help you learn otherwise:

‭‭Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.”

Again, if we are to go deep in the Lord, we must give him undistracted time. 

“God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which He must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.”

-A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God: The Human Thirst for the Divine

When we do give God this time, it affects every area of our lives positively - our relationships, our marriages, our parenting, our careers and our ministry in them all. 

God’s Invitation to Greater Depths

God invites his people into intimate friendship with himself.  

In John 15, Jesus is essentially describing a life of walking with God in ongoing relationship with him through the Word, unceasing prayer and loving fellowship (a shared life) with other believers. 

Jesus said something profound when he spoke about abiding in the Lord:

‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭15‬-‭17 ‭ESV‬‬

“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

We want to be those who walk with Jesus and bear multi-fold fruit for his Kingdom.  

1. Seed on good soil

Mark 4:10-12 ESV

“But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."

How do we bear this kind of fruit?

Time spent with Jesus (and his people). 

Moses and Joshua give us an example of this. 

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭33‬:‭7‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.”

Smoke vs. Fire 

The Israelites were satisfied with seeing the cloud from a distance.  

Joshua wanted to experience all that God had and remained in the tent of meeting to get it.  

“I want the presence of God Himself, or I don't want anything at all to do with religion... I want all that God has or I don't want any.”

- A.W. Tozer

Joshua, with this mentality, would later be appointed by God to lead the Israelites into the promised land. 

We have access to this because Jesus would ultimately go outside of the camp (Mark 1:35-39), not just to pray, but to give his life in ransom on the cross to make atonement for our sins (Hebrews 13:13).  

‭‭Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭35‬-‭39‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, "Everyone is looking for you." And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out." And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.”

Now, as we turn away from our sins, we have not only reconciliation with God, but access to his throne of grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16).  

Of David

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭25‬:‭12‬-‭20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land. The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins. Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me. Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.”

God is ready to meet with those and befriend those who would fear him and learn to wait for him. 

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

You Are What You Eat

You Are What You Eat

 Pastor Rollan Fisher

Focus: If we want to walk in the vitality and freedom of Christ, we need to watch what we consume. 

• Junk Food 

• Understanding Holiness 

• Feeding on Christ

Junk Food

We need to consume things that will strengthen us in the Holy Spirit rather than weakening us in the flesh.  

Health in life starts with coming to repentance and becoming a new creation in Jesus Christ. 

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭43‬-‭45‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“"For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

What we do after we say that we’ve become Christians matters. 

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.”

We need to get rid of that which contaminates our spirit if we are to please God and perfect holiness out of reverence for Jesus.  

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭14‬-‭7:1 ‭ESV‬‬

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”

 Don’t allow escapism to contaminate your spirit or relationship with God. 

We need to learn to distinguish between the clean and the unclean. 

We need to stop eating at the table of the Lord and of demons (I Corinthians 8 + 10). 

Understanding Holiness 

We need to find out what pleases the Lord and feed on that.  

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

It doesn’t just matter that you go to the gym. 

What you eat also determines your health.  

*If you work-out 3-5 times a week, but are still a glutton with junk food - you will still end up unhealthy.  

On what, then, should I feed?

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

We need to learn to discipline ourselves to feed on that which pleases the Lord.  

And again, do not sacrifice your convictions for the sake of amusement and entertainment. 

You will reap what you sow (Galatians 6). 

Feeding on Christ

Our health and salvation are dependent upon  feeding on Christ and his gospel. 

‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭48‬-‭58‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever."

• Second City Church

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

Micah 6:8

Micah 6:8

Pastor Rollan Fisher

Focus: What is required of us is to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God. 

In times of war, threats of war, protests and uprisings what posture should we take as Christians?

• Do Justice

• Love Mercy

• Walk Humbly

Do Justice

God is just in all of his ways and expects his people to act with justice.  

‭‭Micah‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“"With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Justice means that there are rules to be obeyed.  

All of our obedience should begin with a respect for God’s divine rules.  

Even in the pagan, corrupt Roman Empire, Paul gave this instruction in how to deal with the rules that governed their lands:

‭‭Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”

*This implies that both rulers and those who are subject to them will inevitably be held accountable to God’s divine law.  

And in the midst of both righteousness and corruption, the people of God are called to do justice. 

We need to stop with the herd and mob mentalities. 

We need to be those who love God with all of our hearts, minds, souls and strength.  

And through this, we need to learn to love our neighbor as ourselves. 

The word justice implies something has been tried in a court, weighed and a verdict has been reached. 

This means that two sides of a story or case are heard to get the facts. 

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.”

Ultimately it’s about discovering the mind of Christ and living according to God’s law which supersedes any man-made law.  

We start by reading the civil and moral codes found in the Torah to get a foundation of God’s wisdom.   

We layer onto it the spirit behind the law - looking at the New Testament revelations and commandments. 

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

Then with prayer and consecrated thought, we look to represent Christ in the way that he would to bring application to our interactions and affairs.  

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.”

Our goal is to be a vessel for the justice of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭18‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“"Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles will hope."”

Jesus is concerned about justice and is determined for things to be done right in the end.  

What is it about Jesus that would make even the Gentiles place their hope?

It is that despite any circumstances, the gospel is good news to all people of all nations at all times - if we would turn to Jesus. 

For all the world, he brings his Kingdom, his rule, full of kindness and mercy.  

Love Mercy

God wants us to love kindness and show mercy, because we have been shown mercy in Christ.  

The word kindness in the Scripture above can also be translated as mercy.  

A man I know recently said:

“You can not co-opt the language of Christianity while ignoring the substance and teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the mount.  

If you do it is idolatry and not Christ.”

‭‭Micah‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

God does not tolerate sin in the name of mercy.  

He rebukes the sin, the lawlessness, from whatever the source, and calls people to repentance and faith in Christ.  

God is not a God of disorder (or confusion), but of peace (I Corinthians 14:33). 

So the question then becomes, “what would God have us do in our civil affairs?”

If you feel that you’ve sought God’s word, have labored before him in prayer and have a burning within you to address modern affairs then you may need to answer a call to help be a voice of godly wisdom and order. 

But know this - God has told us how to recognize the sound of his wisdom:

‭‭James‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬-‭18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

Act Humbly

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.  

‭‭Micah‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

The proud forget where they’ve come from and of what they’ve been forgiven (Matthew 18:21-35).  

The humble act as firm agents of Christ to stand for what is right and not mask unrighteousness with mercy. 

The humble don’t look at anyone as better, worse, less than or greater than another (II Corinthians 5:16). 

They know that all will stand on level ground before the judgement seat of Christ (II Corinthians 5:10). 

Could it be that I need to see what Christ might be trying to accomplish in the midst of the chaos?  

In humility, we are servants of the Lord and his gospel is to be our primary message, his Kingdom come and rule, that for which we ultimately strive (Matthew 24). 

Whether in law, politics, government, healthcare, business, law enforcement, academia, the service industry, the military, engineering, entertainment, technology, social work, research or homemaking, you are called to be an ambassador for Christ - to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God as Jesus would. 

You are to be Christ’s hands, his mouthpiece and his representatives to illuminate his kingdom and demonstrate his gospel of grace.  

Sin is never ok. 

It had to be paid for with Christ’s own death at the cross. 

Because of Jesus’ sinless life, death, burial and resurrection, we now have both a source and a pathway to redemption - reconciliation with God and one another.  

We now call people in love and humility to repentance and faith that they might escape hell on earth and the hell to come for those who would continue to rebel against Almighty God.  

The humble receive God’s grace and then can offer it with boldness, wisdom and love to the world.  

Yet in all of these things, we must avoid the trap of self-righteousness.  

If you were to stand before Jesus today, would standing for these things make you right with God or give you entry into his wedding banquet (Matthew 22:1-14)? 

No. 

We’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:21-26). 

Walking humbly leads us to the cross where we understand that doing justice and loving mercy alone will not justify us before God.  

We need a perfect Savior who alone has done these things perfectly and gone to the cross to pay the price for our failings, our lack of love for him and others.  

In humbly repenting of our sins and turning to Jesus, he not makes us new creations, but continually sanctifies us to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God as we stand in his righteousness alone.  

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

-Second City Church

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

Perfect Father

Perfect Father

Pastor Rollan Fisher

Focus: We have a perfect Heavenly Father who desires to grow our identity, place and purpose in him.  

Wayward Children

Perfect Son

Perfect Father 

‭‭

1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬-‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

The apostle John addresses three stages of development in our walks with God - when we are children in the faith, when we are fathers and when we are young men.  

Wayward Children 

We’ve all been wayward children that God calls to return to him in Jesus. 

God’s expectation is that we would mature in our faith as we seek Jesus and walk with him. 

*What marks a child of God is the foundation of repentance and faith in Jesus - knowing that because of the cross, your sins have been forgiven on account of what Jesus has done for you.  

I John 2:12 ESV

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake. "

This is where most people remain, but it is not where we are to stay. 

Even as last week we were speaking about the Holy Spirit, in I Corinthians 12-14 the apostle Paul has a whole discourse of the operation of the Holy Spirit in the church, and in this context says the following about how the people of God should grow:

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”

When we are children, we are myopic relating to the world as if everything is about us and how things affect only us. 

We have a selfish orientation.  

But the beauty of God’s grace is that children too can know the Father (though their depth of understanding of the Father grows over the years through interaction and life experience). 

I John 12:13c ESV

“I write to you, children, because you know the Father.”

God here is establishing our identity as our Heavenly Father.  

Perfect Son

Jesus was the perfect son who modeled relationship with the Father for us.  

What marks young men is that they have overcome the evil one.  

‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭13b‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.”

They are not trapped in the cycle of sin or the fallacy that selfish living is acceptable.  

They understand they have died, and their lives are now hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).  

They therefore understand that their lives are no longer their own, but they’ve been bought with a price (I Corinthians 6:19,20).  

They overcome the evil one because they make it their ambition for it to be no longer they who live, but Christ living through them (Galatians 2:20). 

What marks a young man in the faith is the development of a Biblical worldview, where you begin to see not just your life, but the world as God sees it.  

In doing so, the word of God becomes alive and active in you. 

You begin to love what God loves (Christ, his church, righteousness and people), and hate what God hates (sin and the demonic - Hebrews 1:9). 

I John 2:14b ESV 

“I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

You begin to grow in strength of love, conviction, faith and the Holy Spirit.  

*You begin to see your place in God’s great family (the church) and find your role in God’s great commission to go into all the world to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28). 

Even on difficult days, you learn how to fight and stay engaged because the word of God is not something that you just agree with, but it is living in you.   

What you learn is that your place matters in the family, on the team, to accomplish God’s purposes on the earth.  

Perfect Father 

Jesus served a perfect Father who now comes to adopt us as his children and make us like him as his sons and daughters. 

The Roman idea of adoption that was the context of the early gospel’s writing included the idea of a change of legal standing, inheritance and responsibility - which included family continuity.  

I John 2:13a ESV 

“I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.”

*What marks a father is the narrowing of options unto obedience in the Lord and taking responsibility for others.  

The fathers in the faith are able to do this because they know the Heavenly Father, see that he has set the example and receive grace from the Heavenly Father to do the same.

‭‭John‬ ‭21‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go." (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me."”

God the Father first loved us and made the ultimate sacrifice by sending his only Son, Jesus, to fight for us, bleed for us and die to rescue us from our damnation to hell.  

Because of his perfect obedience to the Father - his sinless life, Jesus was victoriously raised from the dead according to God’s own word. 

God now intends to reap the reward of his suffering through his family’s life and purpose. 

Think about your family - we are the product of those who’ve gone before us and those who will come after us.  

It is no different in God’s family, the church.  

What makes a father is that he is defined by his family - those who’ve gone before him and those who will come after him in Christ. 

Because they’ve know the Heavenly Father, fathers in the faith help bring definition. 

Fathers are necessary to hold the line of God’s word and give the next generation a vision of God’s purposes and God’s promises to come. 

“What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace.”

-John Wesley

I John 2:14a ESV 

“I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.” 

“Never underestimate your role as a father. Remember, Dads, that your children’s view of God will largely be dependent on their view of you.”

-Tony Evans, Kingdom Man: Every Man's Destiny, Every Woman's Dream

We’ve all been wayward children in need of a complete redemption. 

Jesus alone is the perfect son who provides for us absolute forgiveness as we turn from our sin to put our trust in his sacrificial death at the cross, burial and resurrection from the dead. 

God is a perfect father who offers us an everlasting reconciliation and purpose through Jesus his Son.  

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more