Reflections: Pentecost

Reflections: Pentecost 

Pastor Rollan Fisher 

Focus: The resurrected Jesus tells his disciples to wait on the promise of the Father to minister to the nations in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

• The Resurrected Son 

• Waiting on the Father 

• Encountering the Holy Spirit 

The Resurrected Son

Jesus prepared his disciples for Pentecost.

‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭11 ‭ESV‬‬

“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.  So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 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." And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."”

Jesus was resurrected and over the course of forty days gave many convincing proofs that he was alive, prior to his ascension.  

He also spoke about the importance of Pentecost to come.  

John the Baptist spoke of One who would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire (Luke 3:16) - John was speaking of Jesus.

Jesus promised to send us a Helper and a Guide (John 14:16-17).  

Before his ascension, Jesus instructed his disciples to wait in Jerusalem to receive power to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:4-8).

This power would come when the Holy Spirit, the third person of the triune God would come upon his disciples to be Christ’s witnesses in the earth.

Pentecost is ultimately about harvest and mission. 

*God’s mission has always started with God.  

*God’s mission has always been to all nations.  

Have you experienced the Holy Spirit’s empowerment in your life to be Christ’s witness?

Waiting on the Father 

The disciples prepared for Pentecost in corporate prayer. 

‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬-‭26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry." (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) "For it is written in the Book of Psalms, "'May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it'; and "'Let another take his office.' So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection." And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”

The revival that started the early church was birthed out of corporate prayer. 

It was in the place of corporate prayer that the disciples studied the Scripture, understood the times that they were in and looked to God’s direction for what to do.   

The day of Pentecost would change everything: it was a turning point in redemptive history.  

Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit would fulfill ancient promises, lead to the founding of the church of Jesus Christ and initiate her mission in the world.  

Are you spending time waiting on God in corporate prayer?

Encountering the Holy Spirit 

Pentecost prepared the nations to receive the supernatural reality of the resurrected Jesus.  

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭36‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others mocking said, "They are filled with new wine." But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: "'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.' "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, "'I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.' "Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, "'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool."' Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."”

The Holy Spirit is poured out to give supernatural witness of the resurrected Jesus to the nations. 

In Jewish tradition, the annual Festival of Pentecost was known as Shavuot (sounds like shuh-voo-owt) and celebrated the anniversary of Moses receiving the Torah (the first five books of the Bible, Genesis-Deuteronomy) from Yahweh on Mount Sinai.  

This receiving of the Law from God took place fifty days after the first Sabbath after the Passover (Exodus 23:16). 

This coincides with the 50 days after Christ’s resurrection. 

These parallels point to Jesus and the gospel.  

The Shavuot was a day of joy at the end of the grain harvest celebrating the harvest that God had given his people.

Through this historic Pentecost, God was turning his church’s attention to the harvest of souls that Christ would reap in the nations. 

*God’s mission has always drawn the perplexed and scornful. 

Acts 2:6-13 ESV

“And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.  And they were amazed and astonished, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others mocking said, "They are filled with new wine."

Emotions in response to what God was doing at Pentecost:

Bewildered (2:6) - to cause such astonishment as to dismay

Amazed (2:7) - to cause to be in such a state in which things seem to make little or no sense; to be out of one’s normal state of mind

Astonished (2:7) - to be extraordinarily impressed or disturbed by something

Perplexed (2:12) - to be at a loss and to not know what to do; to be very confused

Mocking (2:13) - to make fun of someone by joking or jesting; 

to scoff, to jeer

*God’s mission has always required a human voice proclaiming his Word.

Here, the speaker makes sense of all that God is doing.

Acts 2:14 ESV

“But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.”

What did Peter explain?

Pentecost after Christ’s resurrection would be a fulfillment of the promise of the Father. 

The Old Testament prophets saw the promises of Pentecost coming.  

Ezekiel saw God promising a new heart and a new Spirit for restoration (Ezekiel 36:25-27). 

Isaiah likened it to water reviving scorched earth (Isaiah 44:3).  

So we see that Pentecost did not arrive unannounced - it was promised. 

In Peter’s inaugural sermon in Acts 2, the apostle cites Joel 2:28-32 to talk about the result of the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus - God pouring out his Spirit on all flesh.

‭‭Joel‬ ‭2‬:‭28‬-‭32‬ ‭ESV‬‬

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. "And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.”

The power and gifts of the Holy Spirit were and are meant to act as witnesses to Jesus Christ and his resurrection. 

The point of Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was to turn the church of Jesus Christ to global mission. 

By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are witnesses to the Father’s might, faithfulness, Christ’s life, grace and redeeming love for the world. 

*God’s mission has always offered salvation to the lost. 

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭37‬ ‭ESV

“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"”

‬‬

There can be no Pentecost without Christ’s salvific work.  

Jesus is revealed as the Word, God who took on flesh and came as the perfect rabbi to both explain and fulfill God’s law in perfection (John 1; Matthew 5:17-20). 

Jesus was also the blemish free Passover Lamb of God who lived sinlessly and died sacrificially at the cross for our atonement. 

Jesus would then be resurrected from the dead to provide an exodus for those who would put their trust in him to escape their slavery to sin and the judgment to come. 

Through his death and resurrection, Jesus inaugurated the New Covenant and enabled the Spirit’s outpouring (John 7:39; Hebrews 9:15).

At Sinai, God gave the Law on stone; at Pentecost, the Spirit inscribed his law on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34; 2 Corinthians 3:3).  

This empowers us to live as Christ’s witnesses. 

Through repentance from our sins and turning to Jesus, we can not only be forgiven for our wrongs, but be born again, reconciled to God to live in the freedom of Christ’s resurrected life.  

After Christ’s resurrection, Pentecost would  announce the harvest of lost souls coming to repentance and saving faith in Jesus from among all the nations. 

The Holy Spirit would be poured out, gifts of God would be released and the gospel would be proclaimed amongst the nations.  

Pentecost was not just an event but a commission - a climactic moment in redemptive history.  

It fulfilled prophecy, confirmed Christ’s work, and began the Holy Spirit’s empowerment of the Church.

The Holy Spirit enabled the church to overcome barriers, proclaim the gospel with love and boldness, and fulfill God’s mission to redeem all nations.

What started in that upper room surged outward, reaching nations and shaping the history of the world.

Are you joining your church community in making Christ known to the nations?

• Second City Church

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Reflections: Like Those Who Dream

Reflections: Like Those Who Dream

Pastor Rollan Fisher

Songs of ascents are particularly referring to a group of songs that are found in Psalms 120-134 which were sung by worshipers on their way up to Jerusalem for annual festivals including Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles.  

They were songs of reflection on the goodness and faithfulness of God that inspired hope and joy at the prospect of reuniting with God and experiencing his full redemption.  

In between now and Pentecost (which this year we will celebrate June 9th), it is a good reflection as we meditate on the implications of the hope we have in Jesus.  

A Song of Ascent 

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭126‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them." The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.”

Focus: The life transformation that Jesus gives brings joy to the world.  

Like Those Who Dream

Asking the Right Questions 

Pentecost

Like Those Who Dream

When God brings us back to himself, the experience of life in him so far exceeds what we previously experienced that we can hardly describe it - we are like men who dream. 

This particular Psalm was sung year after year as a repeated reflection.  

So often we are only looking for what is new in life and miss the depths of God’s anchoring truths.  

There is no mention of the particular circumstance of trial or of discipline that the Israelites were experiencing from God’s hand. 

All we know is that the Israelites had experienced hardship and that they thereafter had a return to the Lord which resulted once again in God restoring Israel’s fortunes. 

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭126‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them."”

Laughter and joy are prominent parts of a life restored in God.  

We are able to see both sides of the fence and can’t believe how good it is on God’s side. 

This is the content of a testimony.  

Everyone should have one if you’ve been redeemed in Christ.  

What is your story?

Asking the Right Questions 

The right question to ask is if we are not experiencing this life in God, even in the midst of trial, what am I missing?

What makes a testimony?

BC (Before Christ)  ➡️  Cross (How You Met Jesus) ➡️  AD (Since Knowing the Lord) 

…then they said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them."”

Our testimonies and life change should impact the nations (our families, friends, neighbors and co-workers). 

What story has God given you to tell regarding his redemption in Jesus?

Rather than being self-sufficient and attempting to problem-solve on your own, learn to seek the Lord for his directives and counsel - which includes the godly counsel he gives you in your church community. 

Again, where people go astray is in major decisions of life including where to live, job pursuits and romantic relationships, they take no one’s counsel but their own. 

Seek God 

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Seek godly counsel

Proverbs 11:14 ESV 

“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”

Proverbs 12:15 ESV

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ 15:22 ‭ESV‬‬

“Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ 20:28 ESV‬‬

“Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king, and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ 24:5,6 ‭ESV‬‬

“A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.”

I don’t want to just fight this fight of faith - I want to fight to win and bring glory to Jesus!

*Make room for taking the right kind of advice.  

Not all counsel is created equal!!

Psalm 1:1-3 ESV

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

Psalm 141:5 

WE need people in our lives who will not go along with every well laid plan we have contrived, but by the Spirit of God can tell us “no”!   

When we have these anchors in our lives, we are able to successfully and joyfully pilgrimage from our BC days, to Christ, and finally into the purposes of God along with those whom God has called us to walk.  

The Parable of Bucky

BC

Cross and healing

The King gives Bucky a new arm and re-commissions him for the fight!

AD with counsel

Man on a mission with renewed purpose and joy!

How is God restoring your joy?

Pentecost 

When God restores our fortunes, there is a harvest.  

There was a material/agricultural harvest that Israel experienced which acted as a testimony to the world of Yahweh’s (God’s) goodness and provision for his people.  

The testimony of changed lives is a pronouncement of the same through the cross of Jesus Christ.  

At the cross, there is forgiveness for our sins, healing for our mistakes and redemption for our wrong choices.  

As we repent of our sins, turn to Jesus and are made new, people observe the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and acknowledge the work that can only be done through God.  

Psalm 126:3, 4 ESV

The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb! 

The Negeb is the arid southern region of Judah. 

If its dry gullies were to run as streams it would mean that God was turning dry, desert lands into environments flush with green plants and life.  

Psalm 127:5,6 ESV

Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.”

In the midst of joy, there is also weeping. 

When we go out weeping, it means we feel the pain of the world.  

When we go out weeping carrying seed to sow, we are taking the gospel, the good news of Jesus’ redemption with us.  

Yet we are still sowing in tears and with pain. 

God’s word tells us that when we enter into the pain of the world with the gospel, we will return with sheaves and shouts of joy.  

Pentecost was a celebration of the harvest. 

How will your weeping turn into harvest amidst your family members, co-workers and friends?

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Reflections: A Fruitful Family

Reflections: A Fruitful Family 

Pastor Rollan Fishe

Songs of ascents are particularly referring to a group of songs that are found in Psalms 120-134 which were sung by worshipers on their way up to Jerusalem for annual festivals including Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles.  

They were songs of reflection on the goodness and faithfulness of God that inspired hope and joy at the prospect of reuniting with God and experiencing his full redemption.  

In between now and Pentecost (which this year we will celebrate June 9th), it is a good reflection as we meditate on the implications of the hope we have in Jesus.  

A Song of Ascent 

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭128‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! May you see your children's children! Peace be upon Israel!”

Focus: What Once Was Lost Can Be Found In Christ

Those Who Fear of the Lord

Model Family

Unto the Peace of God 

Those Who Fear of the Lord

The fear of the Lord is what leads to blessing and life.  

What is our hope?

Psalm 128:1-4

“Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. 

Hebrews 8:5

Build according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain. 

As parents, we are the example that is being set. 

*If you are a parent, the most important disciples that you will ever make come out of your home. 

If you are a spiritual mother or father in the faith, your example is just as powerful.  

The question that I need to ask is:

What pattern do I need to model for the children  that is not only permissible, but is best as seen in God’s word so that they might be arrows in the hand of the Lord that hit God’s target?

Romans 12:1-2

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world….

We need to set the example for the arrows for what is not only permissible, but pleasing to God, not just what is culturally acceptable, but established as best as a pattern from the mind of God to fulfill God’s purposes.  

Model Family

No family is perfect, but we have a perfect Savior who can redeem the people who make up these imperfect families.  

With whom do you most identify?

*If we are not careful, following the patterns and identity of your blood family can make us deviate from the person and principles of Christ.  

Jesus is to be our ultimate standard, not our family of origin. 

Modeling = Reflections

Model family 

It’s not that you would be a perfect family, but that you would model a godly, Christ-centered family growing in the grace of God, in your relationships with your children in the home and in your relationships with the church community.  

When you don’t have the example of a godly family, God rebuilds your image of it in the city of God, the place of worship. 

This is why Zion is important - from which comes the laws, commands and wisdom of God. 

Psalm 128:5 

The Lord bless you from Zion! 

What does God want your arrows to look like?

What happens if you’ve grown up without that godly influence in your home?

The beauty of the gospel is that he puts you into not just a natural family, but a spiritual family, where you have the opportunity to have mothers and fathers in the faith who will help encourage, mold and guide you into all that God has for you, just as God intended.  

‭‭Mark‬ ‭3‬:‭31‬-‭35‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you." And he answered them, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother."

The great news of the gospel is that your family of origin does not determine your future.  God does!  We are not only forgiven but freed from the power of sin present in our families over generations.  God’s very life - in the person of the Holy Spirit - now resides within us.  We receive a new heart, a new nature, and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:25-27). 

When we place our faith in Christ, we are spiritually reborn by the Holy Spirit into the family of Jesus.  We are transferred out of the Kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.  What determines our new identity is no longer the blood of our biological family but the blood of Jesus.  It is a radical new beginning. 

The most significant language in the New Testament for becoming a Christian is adoption into the family of God (Romans 8:14-17). The apostle Paul used the familiar practice of Roman adoption to communicate this profound truth, emphasizing we are now in a new and permanent relationship with a new Father, God.  Our debts (sins) are cancelled.  We’re given a new name (Christian), a new inheritance (freedom, hope, glory, the resources of heaven), and new brothers and sisters (from around the world). 

The New Testament assumes that growing into maturity as a disciple happens within the context of a healthy local church.  God’s intention is that our local churches and parishes are the communities where, slowly but surely, we are re-parented in doing life Christ’s way.”

-Peter Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Discipleship (pp. 167-168)

Unto the Peace of God 

Through Christ, both we and our families can know the peace of God.  

Psalm 128:5-6

The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! May you see your children's children! Peace be upon Israel!”

What happens when we’ve done our best and children go astray?

We continue to fight for them through persevering prayer, loving, but firm interactions and through faith along with the people of God from Zion, the place of worship.  

What was lost can be found in Christ. 

Remember the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. 

As we build our lives around the worship of Christ, peace with God and peace within our families is God’s desired end for us.  

However, because not everyone will follow Jesus, we must know that God still offers peace with himself and a spiritual family within which you can find that eternal peace through Christ.  

‭‭

Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭28‬-‭31‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Peter began to say to him, "See, we have left everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

As you receive from those in the spiritual house, you then mature and become that for others as well as we wait in hope for Christ’s redemption. 

Because we all like sheep have at one point or another gone astray, we know what it is to need to be found by God.  

Jesus is God who took on flesh, the good shepherd who came looking for his lost and wandering sheep. 

He came on a rescue mission to live the perfect lives that we should have lived, on the cross die the death that we should have died, in our place, and three days later rise from the dead for not only our forgiveness, but our redemption. 

No matter what your family of origin or present family state, God calls you into the family of God where Jesus can both heal and restore your broken heart as you turn from your sin and put your trust in Jesus.  

He will make you a new creation with a new name and help you to build a new life within the family of God.  

Reflections: We Belong Together

Reflections: We Belong Together 

Pastor Rollan Fisher

Focus: May we become a house where God is pleased to dwell.

• Glad to Worship 

• Together 

• A Dwelling Place for God

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭122‬:‭1‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord!" Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together, to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! "May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!" For my brothers and companions' sake I will say, "Peace be within you!" For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.”

Glad to Worship 

God desires hearts that are full of gladness as they approach him in corporate worship. 

Psalm‬ ‭122‬:‭1 ‭ESV‬‬

“I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord!" 

When we understand God in his goodness, the gospel in its fullness and encounter the redeemed people of God in their kindness, it is a joy in our hearts when we are encouraged again to go to the place of worship. 

We are glad because we know that when we go to meet with God and his people, we will receive God’s direction, his help, God’s healing, encouragement and strength.

Together

Your presence matters in worship.

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭122‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!”

Daily, personal devotion is important.

However, there is something about being in the presence of the Lord and his people that will not be replaced with independent worship.  

*What a gift it is when we experience the tangible presence of the Lord in worship (I Kings 8:9-11).

There is nothing like it, and in its fullness, it is that for which we all longingly groan (II Corinthians 5:1-10).

“OUR FEET have been standing within your gates” implies the importance of corporate worship - being in the presence of both God and his people. 

Whereas because of the distance, corporate gatherings for worship in the temple were only commanded by God three times a year, once the Jews found themselves scattered in the diaspora, synagogues sprung up that facilitated weekly worship gatherings.  

“Many of our sources tell us that Jews would gather in synagogues regularly, perhaps every Saturday on the Sabbath, or perhaps more often than that, in order to read the laws, to read the Torah, the sacred book of Moses and to expound upon it.’'

PBS.org

The Sabbath was honored throughout the unified nation as a time of rest and recalibration - worship unto God. 

After Christ’s resurrection, by necessity in the midst of a hostile Roman environment, the church gathered to encourage one another even more.  

It is no different today.

Yes, it is easier to stay at home and watch a service. 

But you, like they, know that it is different when you are in the presence of the Lord with other believers - encouraging and being encouraged.  

Your focus is different, and therefore what you both give to the Lord and receive is different.  

Think about what it is like to read your Bible on the phone, distracted by all of the notifications coming up as you read.

Though there may still be some benefit, God’s intended impact, sanctification and transformation can be muted because you are not all there.  

God’s intent is that we would gather, worship him, be edified and receive charges to go and serve him as a people - together. 

Hebrews 10:24,25 

“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.”

Act like you matter because God says that you do. 

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭87‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“On the holy mount stands the city he founded; the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God. Selah”

We think independently, God thinks corporately and generationally.

God’s generational blessings are established through his gathered people.

Act like your decisions impact others (for the better or worse) because God says that they do - Selah. 

Psalm 122:3-5

built as a city that is bound firmly together, to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.  There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David.”

The new culture of our virtual and remote work world tempts us to diminish the importance of the points above.

Why your presence actually matters:

1. The brightness of your face encourages others

2. The gathered church is an oasis in the middle of a spiritually parched land (the church is where we can share the gifts of God, including the prophetic water of the word with one another - I Corinthians 12-14)

3. Each person is a brick to lean on when we need support 

4. The boldness that comes when you are surrounded by those also serving our King Jesus 

Have you ever felt like the only Christian in your

work-place or home?

Proverbs 30:29-31

“Three things are stately in their tread; four are

stately in their stride: the lion, which is mightiest

among beasts and does not turn back before any; the

strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king whose army

is with him.”

1. Blessing of serving in person (worship, children, greeting, hospitality, set-up, sound and tech, etc., welcoming those who are coming to Christ into the family)

A Dwelling Place for God

Our highest joy and aim should be to become a place together where God is pleased to dwell by his Spirit.

The Holy Spirit had the apostle Paul glove this picture of the church in his letter to the Ephesians:

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭19‬-‭22‬ ‭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, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

The higher God wants to take us and the more impactful God wants to make us, the more important each piece becomes.

Whether you realize it or not, this is what the church is like without you!

The Apostle Peter said it this way:

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Thus, God told us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭122‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!” For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, “Peace be within you!” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.”

Why pray for the peace of Jerusalem?

It is the place where God’s anointed king ruled to bring his decrees and commands to the earth. 

This is what the church does uniquely for the world today through preaching God’s word, bringing his rule and pointing to King Jesus.  

*Jerusalem was also the place where the temple was - where the people of God would go out of their way to meet with God, one another and worship together.  

Thus, we need to pray not only for Jerusalem the city, but also God’s church.

We need to love the church, the ekklesia (meaning the assembly of the called out ones) of Jesus Christ!

The word was used 115 times in the New Testament and it translates to mean a called out assembly or congregation.  

Remember this song was being sung as a song of ascents that brought people from great distances on pilgrimage to experience the goodness, covenant and purposes of God together.  

The psalmist is here pronouncing the blessing of security that comes to those who are not simply building their own lives, but are concerning themselves with God and that which he is concerned - choosing to love what he loves.  

What does God love and what is Jesus building?  His church!

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭13‬-‭18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 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.”

As distinct from all other gatherings on earth, it is the revelation of Jesus as the unique Son of God and the salvation that comes through him alone that the church has a responsibility to proclaim.   

And so as we align ourselves with God and what he is doing, there is eternal peace.

There is a supernatural peace and security of soul when we know that our lives are found hidden in Jesus Christ.  

Because of Christ’s sinless life, death on the cross for our wrongdoing and resurrection from the dead, as we turn from our sins and put our trust in Jesus, we escape the just judgment and wrath of God.

We are then lifted to the towers of heavenly places, wherefrom comes our new citizenship and the perspective of Christ to live in the security of God’s provision and care as we are on our pilgrimage to see him face to face.

Though made imperfect by people like you and me, we say peace to God’s assembly, the place where God has chosen to meet with his people and establish his rule.

*For the sake of all of those who would honor the name of Jesus and depend upon his grace, we seek the good of his church, the places of worship, because in this world, there is no better option - no other place where God has chosen to dwell and place his name.

This should be our attitude regarding communal worship. 

So why devote ourselves to such gatherings?

Because at the end of the day, what God intends and what we ultimately want to see is this:

Acts 2:42-47

“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.”

Therefore today, may we devote ourselves to the Lord with gladness and thanksgiving in our hearts for all that he is and all that he has done for us in Jesus Christ!

• Second City Church

Reflection

Reflections

Pastor Rollan Fisher 

Focus: We must learn to sing our ongoing song of ascent to God.  

• A Cry 

• For Forgiveness 

• Watching and Waiting 

A Song of Ascents 

‭‭

Psalm‬ ‭130‬:‭1‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”

Songs of ascents are particularly referring to a group that are found in Psalms 120-134 which were sung by worshipers on their way up to Jerusalem for annual festivals including Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles.  

They were songs of reflection on the goodness and faithfulness of God that inspired hope and joy at the prospect of reuniting with God and experiencing his full redemption.  

In between now and Pentecost (which this year we will celebrate June 9th), it is a good reflection as we meditate on the implications of the hope we have in Jesus.  

Eight verses communicate eight truths about the pilgrimage on which we find ourselves as we walk towards maturity in Christ.  

A Cry 

We all have a cry that comes out of our hearts which clamors for God. 

Verse one:

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭130‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!”

Along the journey there will be highs and there will be lows - do not be surprised by this nor lose your grounding because of it.  

Instead, learn to cry out to the Lord in the midst of these times - develop a life of prayer.  

Verse two:

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭130‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!”

There is an expectation that we not only cry out to God, but that he hears us - not because of our goodness, but because of his mercy.  

God’s mercy is him withholding from us what we actually deserve.  

Verse 3:

Why does God show us mercy?  

Have you gone too far?

Are you the exception?  

‭‭

Psalm‬ ‭130‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?”

No one has been perfect and no one is perfect on the journey.  

Don’t give up as you are being conformed into the image of Jesus Christ. 

The fact that you are here is a sign that God is still drawing and working on you. 

‭‭Romans‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“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?”

For Forgiveness 

At its heart, the cry is for redemption and forgiveness. 

Verse 4:

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭130‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.”

We fear God because not only because he created us, not only because he breathed life into us, but because he can also destroy our lives in judgment

That judgement would be just because he is righteous and fair. 

Yet in the midst of a just judgment, God offers a pathway to forgiveness.  

Your life does not have to be marked by condemnation.  

There is forgiveness and freedom in Christ and therefore he is honored, revered and feared.   

‭‭

Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Watching and Waiting 

Learning what it means to watch and wait are key to our life in God. 

Verse 5: 

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭130‬:‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;”

These things are true not because I feel it, but because God said it.  

I wait for the Lord by putting my hope and trust in not what my heart tries to tell me (it can lie to me), but the gracious words God has said. 

Verse 6:

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭130‬:‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.”

The watching and waiting of the watchmen was one of both responsibility and duty.  

The duty was a charge given to watch for the blessings and dangers of oncoming caravans and hordes.  

The execution of their responsibilities had personal, familial and impact for their people.  

It is no different as we learn to wait on the Lord today, having an eternal impact for the Kingdom. 

I serve God dutifully whether feeling up or down because I’ve been given a charge and God is on his way. 

Waiting for the Lord does not mean that we sit and do nothing.  

Waiting means attending to him as one would as part of a wait staff at a restaurant, as we look to and help speed his return by being involved in his great commission (Matthew 28:18-20). 

‭‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭35‬-‭48‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?" And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”

Verse 7:

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭130‬:‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.”

We need to have our minds renewed to God’s disposition towards us.  

Plentiful means plentiful. 

Redemption means that he is able to buy us back from both the power and penalty of our sin.  

It does not mean there is no consequence.  

However it does mean that because of God’s steadfast love, we can be set on a different course. 

Verse 8:

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭130‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”

We need to camp here. 

This is what helps us to persevere.  

God is willing and able to buy us back from all of our wrongdoing.  

As the song goes:

There's no sin too great

There's no pain too deep

The cross declares it is done

There's no shame too real

That His love won't heal

Forever the victory is won

(Let's sing it out)

He has broken the chains

He has conquered the grave

His grace changes everything

And by the power of His blood

We are daughters and sons

His grace changes everything

His grace changes everything

- Grace Changes Everything by Victory Worship ‧ 2014

Where do we see a summary of this reflected clearly in the New Testament?:

‭‭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.”

This is all because Jesus lived the perfect life that we should have lived, on the cross died the sacrificial death that we should have died, in our place, and three days later rose from the dead to offer forgiveness of sins and eternal life to those who would repent of their sins and entrust themselves to Christ.  

Let’s come to God and sing our song of ascents to him today!