Christ's Community Shaping Culture

Christ. Community. Culture. - "Christ's Community Shaping Culture"

[powerpress]

Transforming Truth: Jesus' church is meant to shape culture as it acts to reflect God's heavenly rule on earth.

We have been going through a three week series defining the vision of Second City Church. We began with the preeminence of Jesus, the Messiah, and last week spoke about how He cares for and develops His people within His community, the church. This week we will see how Jesus has shaped civilization, and how Jesus' community now has a mandate to shape culture (Matthew 5:13-15).

How Jesus Has Shaped Civilization

Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo”

- Karl Marx, from Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right

Jesus revealed God to be a righteous, fully engaged, benevolent King who is wholly participatory with His creation. We would wholeheartedly disagree with Marx's assessment of Christ-centered religion, because Jesus has said and history has recorded the veracity of the following:

Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” (Mark 4:30-32 NIV)

Those who have done some of the most to alleviate the suffering of the world and put systems and values that are awry into the right order have been those who have known and loved Jesus. It was because of His transforming work in their lives and His revealed design for creation that these followers of Jesus worked so tirelessly, at much cost to themselves, to serve societies with the love and truth of God, thereby actively shaping culture.

How Christianity Changed the World is an excellent tome chronicling this.

The book categorizes where Jesus used the Church to change culture and gives examples of those who put into practice His principles in each of these following areas:

1) The Sanctification of Human Life Infanticide, child abandonment, human sacrifices and suicide were diminished through Christian influence.

2) The Elevation of Sexual Morality

3) Women's Rights - Freedom and Dignity

4) The Origin of Much of Western Charity and Compassion was derived from Christian ethics and teachings.

5) The Development of Hospitals and Modern Health Care

6) Education for the Masses - (i.e. Martin Luther and the catechism schools)

7) The Dignity of Labor, Economic Freedom and the Judeo-Christian work ethic (i.e. Tom's founder motivated by Christian convictions)

God will give you ideas that will be both profitable to your bank account and the community and nations.

8) The Development of Scientific Inquiry was based on the idea of God being an orderly Creator with discoverable laws that govern the physical universe.

9) The Equanimity of Liberty and Justice - Democracy and Civil Liberties had their inspiration from the throne of God whose foundation is justice and righteousness (Psalm 89:14).

10) The Abolition of Slavery, as well as the Civil Rights movements, had their catalyst within the Church.

As opposed to Karl Marx's opinion, we remember that William Wilberforce, whose mentor was John Newton, a former slave trader and author of the hymn Amazing Grace, was one who fought tirelessly against the injustice of his time.

11) Christianity's influence on Art and Architecture

12) Music - (i.e. Bono and the RED campaign)

13) Literature and Western themes

14) Holidays, Words, Symbols and Expressions

We are not saying that these people are Jesus or even fully represent the convictions by which Jesus will ultimately judge. However, they are examples of undeniable manners in which Jesus, His gospel, life, and teachings are causing people to work for the betterment of society.

These cultural transformations are concepts and categories which people in Western cultures take for granted today. However, before we assume that these values were always our own, it would be good to remember their roots and history. This is where the gospel and the cross of Jesus Christ come in, because man has not proven to be inherently good, but bent towards evil when given the opportunity. There are at least two reasons for any of the good that has been done:

1) People are made in the image of God and have a remnant of His law in their hearts, despite suppressing the truth (Romans 1 and 2). 2) The prevailing influence of the gospel in society has transformed cultures.

Humanity's disconnection from God has led to the massive greed, tyranny, poverty, selfish living, destruction of the family, and death that mark our world. On the cross, Jesus paid for our rebellion against God and His ways. Jesus died as your substitute, was buried, and restored to life as a picture of the restoration that God wants to bring to the earth through our repentance. He became a curse to break the curse handed down to us (Galatians 3:10-14) and will one day bring the rejuvenation of all things (Isaiah 65).

Jesus wants to transform culture for the better by first transforming your heart and mind (Romans 12:1-3) by reconnecting you to God today.

Today's Cultural Mandate

Why we must reach our culture for Jesus:

The Muppets spoof commentary: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wXfLrt90CHM. This is what society is focused on today.

What drove men and women like Wilberforce was prevailing prayer.

Jesus said: “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ’ (Matthew 6:9-13 NIV)

When Jesus spoke about prayer, it began with the worship of God who is above all and greater than all. As Creator, our Father in Heaven, he has the master plan for the world as we know it. The term "hallowed be your name" had the meaning of making His name and treating His name as holy. It was to understand God as the reference point for all things. Because of His holiness, you are to be holy (I Peter 1:15,16), striving for your life to be separate from ordinary or common usage, turned instead to devotion to divine service. It is having your life centered around God and lived for His glory. Worship begets Christ-centered ambition, motivating faithful action which results in transformed cultures.

What was Matthew's, a Jewish writer's, understanding of the kingdom of Heaven for which Jesus' followers were to pray?

They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours. “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.” I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. (Isaiah 61:4-11 NIV)

This speaks of the cultural mandate that we have as the church to serve the world for the flourishing of all people in all cities in all nations.

The question is: "What was God's intended design for each aspect of culture, industry, and influence?" The mission then becomes: "To bring God's kingdom on earth in each of these areas as it is in Heaven." This must be the governing thought for your work day and where the majority of your life is spent. We are able to do this as we remain faithful to God's Word and prayer. As we do so, we are able to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:52 NIV) We pray this continually for you.

Different than the lightweight character that defines our culture (Pastor Rollan referenced the Russian police choir singing Get Lucky at the opening ceremonies of the Olympics), by following Jesus as a part of His community, we hope to be bring the gravitas of such reproducible, concentrated involvement in the nations:

Orphanages and Recovery Centers for victims of human trafficking

James 1 model of widows caring for orphans

Marketplace ministry training center

Transform culture with things like urban farming

Entrepreneur Center linked to the gospel for church planting in this nation and for closed nation entry

Job Training and creation all with biblical principles

This can all begin now, like the mustard seed. We encourage college students to stay for the summer months and participate in the first freshman outreach, first Second City Church sports camp, the hosting of a youth mission trip to the city, the work with the Jessie White Tumblers, etc. If you have a God-given vision to shape an arena of culture with the kingdom of God, begin to prayerfully make plans, baby-step action points, with those in our community of faith. Never forget that these love revolutions began as a seed (John 12:24).

“Jesus's resurrection is the beginning of God's new project not to snatch people away from earth to heaven but to colonize earth with the life of heaven. That, after all, is what the Lord's Prayer is about.” ― N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church

This is another reason why Christ's community is important. As we come together as the church, the greater the number of committed disciples are on mission with Jesus, the greater our service to the city, its people and its issues, and the greater the ability to see God's kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven, here and in the nation and in the nations.

Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests. (Proverbs 14:4 NIV)

When the oxen don't gather in the manger, their efforts are scattered, diminished, and there is no tangible direction. We must remain in the community of Jesus, the church, if we are together to achieve Jesus' cultural initiatives.

In the following quote, you have this designation of characters:

The speaker: Screwtape, a devil The recipient: Wormwood, another devil "He": God The man: a Christian

"I know we have won many a soul through pleasure. All the same, it is His invention not ours. He made pleasures: all our research so far has not enabled us to produce one. All we can do is to encourage the humans to take the pleasures with which our Enemy has produced, at times, or in ways, or in degrees, which He has forbidden. Hence we always try to work away from the natural condition of any pleasure to that in which it is least natural, least redolent of its Maker, and least pleasurable. An ever increasing craving for an ever diminishing pleasure is the formula. ...

You have only to keep him (the Christian) out of the way of experienced Christians (an easy task now-adays), to direct his attention to the appropriate passages in scripture, and then to set him to work on the desperate design of recovering his old feelings by sheer will-power, and the game is ours. If he is of the more hopeful type your job is to make him acquiece in the present low temperature of his spirit and gradually become content with it, persuading himself that it is not so low after all. In a week or two you will be making him doubt whether the first days of his Christianity were not, perhaps, a little excessive. Talk to him about 'moderation in all things'. If you can once get him to the point of thinking that 'religion is all very well up to a point', you can feel quite happy about his soul. A moderated religion is as good for us as no religion at all - and more amusing." -C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters - Letter 9

This is what drives us at Second City and is what paints the picture for the vision God has given us for the church: Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV)

This is how the biography of Jesus Christ, the gospel written by the apostle Matthew, ended. You can tell a lot about what is important to a person based on the final words that they speak. These words are what summarize the heart, motivation, and drive behind Second City Church. In a nutshell: "We exist to love Jesus and fulfill His Great Commission."

The question is, "how do we practically plan to do it, and what will it look like when we do?" God willing, it will include the things that follow and so much more.

At Second City Church:

We envision being a house of prayer for all the nations to the glory of God.

We envision sharing the Good News of Christ's death and resurrection with thousands of unchurched friends and people in the greater Chicagoland area, many of whom will accept Him as Lord and Savior.

We envision developing people - new believers as well as established believers - into fully functioning followers of Christ through Bible study, worship services, community groups, special events, and leadership training.

We envision being a church that lives and models biblical community: a safe place where we are accepted, loved, shepherded, encouraged, forgiven, and are built into disciples of Jesus Christ.

We envision helping all our people - youth as well as adults - to discover their divine designs so that they are equipped to serve Christ effectively in some ministry within and outside our church.

We envision welcoming numerous members into our body who are excited about Christ, experience healing in their family, relationships, and marriages, and grow together in love.

We envision being a people who care for the orphan, the widow, the victim, and the poor through practical means that help to rebuild lives.

We envision training and sending out missionaries, church planters, and church workers all over the world. We also see a number of our people pursuing short-term missions service domestically and abroad. We see our people ministering to unreached people groups and serving the least Christianized cities of the world.

We envision training marketplace Christians to be fully devoted followers of Christ who help transform culture by bringing the kingdom of God to every sphere of industry and influence.

We envision being a generous people. We see the people of God giving radically to the advance of the gospel in the city and the nations because of the love of God in their hearts.

We envision being a beacon of God's truth and hope to the people of Chicago and to the nations of the earth.

To say all of this in three memorable words, we are about Christ. Community. and Culture. Come be a part of God's unveiling story!

Second City Church- Christ. Community. Culture. Sermon Series 2014

Christ's Community

Christ. Community. Culture. - "Christ's Community"

[powerpress] In our three week series defining the vision of Second City Church, we began by focusing on the preeminence of Jesus Christ.  We now turn to the importance of community which can not be overstated.  The Jewish context from which Jesus taught understood that life in God is to be carried out in community, not individually.  Historically, the inheritance that God gave to His people was for whole tribes and not for singular Israelites.  Our Western mentality has reduced Christianity to individualized perspectives and goals, whereas the gospel that Jesus preached was not one solely of personal salvation, but the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 24:10-14).  No one man or woman makes a kingdom, just as no one is truly a leader unless they have followers (otherwise they are just taking a walk).  It is deception to believe that you can live the fully obedient Christian life outside of Christ's family, the church.   To recapture God's design for His church, we are committed to God's community that shapes us and empowers us.

Community that Shapes You

“God hath thus ordered it, that we may learn to bear one another’s burdens; for no man is without fault, no man without his burden, no man sufficient of himself, no man wise enough of himself; but we ought to bear with one another, comfort one another, help, instruct, and admonish one another.” ― Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ

The church is a family that helps to shape your identity in Christ.

While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:46-50 NIV)

Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. (Mark 10:28-30 NIV)

The thoughts found in these and other Scriptures have governed the historic church which has been steered by such summarized doctrine as The Apostle's Creed:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,    maker of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord;    who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,       born of the Virgin Mary,       suffered under Pontius Pilate,       was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell;

   the third day he rose from the dead;    he ascended into heaven,    and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;    from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,    the holy catholic church,    the communion of saints,    the forgiveness of sins,    the resurrection of the body,    and the life everlasting. Amen.

Intrinsic to what it meant to be a follower of Christ in the orthodox context, was to have a devotion to His catholic (which literally means "universal") church.  This devotion is then played out in local communities that both shape you and send you with the purposes of Jesus into the world.

“Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious.” ― St. Thomas Aquinas

The church is to be a community where the family provides stability, security, and companionship as it helps to form your character.

Ultimately, the family that you belong to shapes who you are as an individual.  We belong to the family of God.  Healthy families have regular, consistent moments where they gather together to share life.  God's design for this begins with the Sabbath.

The importance of the Sabbath:

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11 NIV)

God's commands given to the Jewish community were setting a principle precedent for how He intended the church to function in Jesus-centered community living.

The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord ’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” The mouth of the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 58:11-14 NIV)

The Sabbath was and is without fail not a "personal day," as some suppose, where you do whatever you want in isolation.  How often have you been in front of the television on a day off, swept away in an 8+ hour Netflix marathon, only to realize that you are more fatigued, mentally drained, and have no more spiritual vitality than when you began your "down" time?  The Sabbath is meant to be a time of worship, instruction, and recalibration for the week ahead.  Through it, you are once again able to move forward God-centered and full of His grace.   This is made possible as the community of believers come into fellowship with one another, providing and receiving encouragement.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24, 25 NIV)

This encouragement, as modeled on that Sabbath day, is to continue on a daily basis, in the midst of the daily challenges of work, parenting, marriage, and aspiration to personal holiness.

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. (Hebrews 3:12-14 NIV)

When you are not in Christian community, your world becomes very small, and all of your concerns become simply about myopic issues, ambitions, and problems that seem to have no end, refreshing themselves without your help.  The Sabbath lifts your eyes to Christ and His victorious kingdom.  You're once again given a much grander perspective.  The result is that you have the vision, focus, and strength to impact the world.

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever. (Psalm 52:8 NIV)

You must make sure that your priorities align with God's design for your flourishing.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vYsVmSh4648

God said that it is not good for people to be alone (Genesis 2).  If that is the case by His design, He also provides the solution.  This city is big and can be isolating. However, your need for both platonic and romantic relationships are meant to flourish within the church, through all the seasons of life.

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” (Psalm 92:12-15 NIV)

Every time that we come together as a family of believers is important.  In the church, there is a two-way revolving door which will help you grow in your relationship with Jesus and others.  The first is our celebration services Sunday mornings where we worship the Lord together, observe the sacraments, like communion, give our hearts to the Lord through our tithes and offerings, and unify around a vision to serve the city with the gospel.  This is where our Christ-centered relationships are formed, reaffirmed, and many people can meet Jesus for the first time.  From this place, we encourage people to enter into community groups where relationships can be deepened and strengthened.  It is here that we continue to open our lives to one another, committing to the process of mutual accountability as we strive to become more like Jesus.  We have a growing number of stories about people who said that they are not yet ready for church, but are coming into relationship with Christians that will hopefully help lead them into relationship with Jesus.  These are our on-ramps where you can meet Jesus and His people.  Come to church and get involved in a community group.  Come through the door of the community group and get involved in the church.  By doing so, you become a part of a community that empowers you.

Community that Empowers You

“. . . the Twelve Apostles are the most evident sign of Jesus' will regarding the existence and mission of his Church, the guarantee that between Christ and the Church there is no opposition: despite the sins of the people who make up the Church, they are inseparable. Therefore, a slogan that was popular some years back, 'Jesus yes, Church no,' is totally inconceivable with the intention of Christ. This individualistically chosen Jesus is an imaginary Jesus.” ― Benedict XVI, The Apostles: The Origin of the Church and Their Co-Workers

The church is the community with whom you are empowered to serve the city with the gospel.

We are committed to gathering together in community, because it is a command.  No individual outside of Jesus has all of the gifts of God operating in them without need of others.   We are able to do more in the mission of Jesus as a church, than any one person can do on their own.

Central to our doctrine and the gospel of the kingdom is the primacy of Christ lived out through church community.  Where there is no church involvement, there is no ability to say you are fully following Christ.

You are loved and cared about here.  Your presence and contribution are invaluable.

In Christ-centered community there are: 1) Fathers and Mothers Many of you are struggling and wander much of your lives, because you never identify and submit yourself to godly counsel in your life.  If Jesus and the apostles did so, how much more do you and I need it, despite what "calling" that we feel like we have?  If you feel called to be a pastor, future church planter, missionary, or to make marketplace impact for the kingdom, you need authority in your life.  B and I have served in ministry under authority for over a decade and been trained under seasoned pastors.  We have older men and women who have done exactly what we're doing who we call and look to for advice, prayer support, and accountability.  Those who teach the Word should have a mechanism for vetting.

2) Brothers and sisters

You mutually strengthen one another in the Word and grace of God.

I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:14-16 NIV)

Community groups are a great place to engage in this.  We are all equals at the foot of the cross and are to submit to one another, under the Word of God unto the honor of Jesus.

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17 NIV)

As we commit to one another in this manner, we sharpen one another in Jesus and life.  Iron rubbing against against iron can at times cause friction and irritation.  However, the purpose is that it would be part of the process of your sanctification, so that you might become more like Jesus, knowing Him more fully.

3) Spiritual Children

Biblical discipleship and disciple making take place in community.

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Timothy 2:1, 2 NIV)

The Roots class will equip you for this.  If you have not been through the Purple Book, have only partially completed it, or have not done it in a while, we invite you to go through it with us Sundays at 2:30 pm - 4 pm at the Church of the Ascension.

These eternally purposed relationships are where the joy that you know should come from Jesus is stirred.  You find that joy chiefly in God's presence and additionally when you find yourself involved fully in the community of Jesus through which we experience His love.

Second City Church- Christ. Community. Culture. Sermon Series 2014

Jesus of First Importance

Christ. Community. Culture. - "Jesus of First Importance"

We are in a three week series, "Christ. Community. Culture.," defining who we are as a church and the subsequent vision that we believe God has entrusted to us.  Christ is the first and most important distinctive from which all of the others flow.

At Second City Church, everything begins and ends with Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  He is to be the centerpiece for all of our lives, around which everything revolves.  Christ-centered living is a challenge in our day as faith has become for most an additive rather than a focus.  As we seek to define the vision of Second City Church, we will look through the gospels to see why the greatest man and the greatest command speak of Jesus as of first importance.

The greatest man is Jesus, the incarnate Son of God.

As I was preparing for the message, I thought of the names I most associated with Jesus and realized that the majority of them were represented in the Gospel of John.  John was one of Jesus' twelve apostles and the "one whom Jesus loved" or had a special affinity for (John 13:23; 19:26; 21:7; 21:20).  This list is a summary of declarations that Jesus made about Himself in that memoir, or assertions that were made about Him that revealed His identity.

He is God. He is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end to all of history. He is the Word (the Greek word: Logos), our reason for living. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-5 NIV)

This means He is the Creator. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:9-14 NIV)

Jesus is the Lamb of God foreshadowed in the Jewish Passover. He is the only one who can make atonement (reparation, making amends through payment for a wrong or injury) for your sins. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29 NIV)

He is the chosen one who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit who empowers us for God-centered living. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” (John 1:33, 34 NIV)

Jesus is our good teacher and rabbi. He is to be your leader. The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. (John 1:35-39 NIV)

He is the anointed one of God coming to break chains, burdens, and yokes. He is the long-awaited Jewish Messiah who came to be our deliverer. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).  (John 1:40, 41 NIV)

He is the one who gives us identity, purpose, and mission in the midst of life's mundanity. And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter ). (John 1:42 NIV)

He is the one whom all of the Jewish prophets, the world's stories, and the whole Bible ultimately points. He is our prophet who knows and details our future. The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” (John 1:43-45 NIV)

Jesus is the bringer of grace and truth.  He gives you kindness that you don't deserve, while turning you to the truth that will set you free in your work, life, family life, and relationships. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17 NIV)

Jesus is the one who makes God known. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. (John 1:18 NIV)

Jesus is zealous for His Father's house. He is the builder of His church. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (John 2:16, 17 NIV)

His favorite self-designation was as the Son of Man to be worshiped by the nations. No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” (John 3:13-15 NIV)

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13, 14 NIV)

Thus, He is our focus of worship. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. (Hebrews 13:15 NIV)

Jesus is the Son of God sent as God's expression of love to the world. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18 NIV)

He is our commanding officer who makes all our places of meeting with Him holy. Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” The commander of the Lord ’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. (Joshua 5:13-15 NIV)

He is the one who sees us, knows us and calls us anyway despite our doubts and failings. “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” (John 1:46-48 NIV)

He is the only mediator between humanity and God. Jesus is the ransom paying the price for our rebellion that we might go free. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. (1 Timothy 2:5, 6 NIV)

He is Jacob's ladder connecting heaven to earth. Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.” (John 1:50, 51 NIV)

The one sent to finish His heavenly Father's work “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. (John 4:34 NIV)

He is the savior of the world who rescues us from the destructive force our sins. They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” (John 4:42 NIV)

He is our healer. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, (John 5:5-9 NIV)

He is our righteous judge, the final judge, the one whose opinion actually counts in the midst of a fickle world. Because of this, we call him our everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. (John 5:21-23 NIV)

Jesus is the one about whom all of the Scripture is about. You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (John 5:39, 40 NIV)

Jesus is the bread of life and the true water for your soul. Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35 NIV)

He is the light of the world. When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 NIV)

Who then tells us to be the same? “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)

He is our sinless example of a perfect life. He is our wisdom. Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? (John 8:46 NIV)

Jesus boldly declared himself the "I am," the one who has always existed. “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. (John 8:57-59 NIV)

Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “ I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘ I am has sent me to you.’ ” God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation. (Exodus 3:13-15 NIV)

We call him the Good Shepherd. He is our chief shepherd and senior pastor. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11 NIV)

Jesus is the gate through which people pass from death to life. Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. (John 10:7-9 NIV)

He is the giver of the full life for which everyone is looking. He is our animating presence and power for life. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10 NIV)

Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25, 26 NIV)

He resurrects broken hearts, marriages, families and dreams. Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” (John 11:38-44 NIV)

He is our evangelist proclaiming good news to the world. He is the one who, through the cross, draws all people to Himself. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32 NIV)

He is our humble, benevolent master. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13:13-17 NIV)

He is our model for love. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13:34 NIV)

He is our comforter. He is the one who prepares an eternal home for us. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:1-4 NIV)

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the only way to God. Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:5-7 NIV)

He is the one who answers prayers. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:12-14 NIV)

He is Immanuel, God with us. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. (John 14:18, 19 NIV)

He is the giver of commands to be obeyed. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” (John 14:21 NIV)

He is the giver of peace. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27 NIV)

Your example of one who perfectly submits to the Father He is the giver of joy. He is our big brother as we come to the Father through Him. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:9-11 NIV)

Jesus is your friend as you do what He commands. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15 NIV)

He is the one who chooses you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. (John 15:16 NIV)

He is our protector and great unifier of His church. He is the one who came to destroy the works of the devil. He is our high priest and great intercessor. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. (John 17:11, 12 NIV)

He is our great apostle. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. (John 17:18 NIV)

Jesus is the promised King of the Jews. He is God's suffering servant. He is our perfect sacrifice. He is the substitute for the death that you deserve. He is the propitiation (appeasement) for the wrath of God that you should have taken. He is your source of forgiveness. Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. (John 19:19 NIV)

He is the virgin born Son of Mary, crucified, who with His last breath said, "It is finished," so you never have to work your way to God. He is the one buried in a guarded tomb and three days later rose from death because of His innocence.

He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:39-42 NIV)

He is your resurrected king. He is the author and perfecter of your faith. He is the one at whose name every tongue will confess and every knee will bow proclaiming that He is Lord. A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” (John 20:26, 27 NIV)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LkNa6tLWrqk

The greatest command is to love Him. 34Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 41While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied. 43He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, 44 “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.” ’ 45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 46No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions. (Matthew 22:34-46, NIV) He is the only true God. One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:28-34 NIV)

Heart (Greek word: Kardia) - The seat of the desires, feelings, affections and passions. The goal of this is to relate to Jesus.  It directs your worship.

Mind (Greek word: Dianoia) -  Understanding, intellect, intellectual capacity.  Especially the thought process, the operation of reason, manner of thought.  The product of reason, a thought, something imagined. The goal of this is to know Christ and interpret all of the world through the lens of Jesus.  It shapes your theology.

Soul (Greek word: Psyche) - life, person.  The breath and animating seat of the senses.  The will and the seat of the appetites.  A person's spiritual and immortal nature with its rational and natural faculties. The goal of this is to be transformed by Jesus.  It is the process of your sanctification.

Strength (Greek word: Ischys) - Physical and mental power as an endowment. The goal of this is to serve Jesus.  It results in your ministry to the church and world.

The greatest command is to love God.  The second places a priority on loving others and is played out in community.  It is central to the gospel, and without it, there is no following Christ. We will elaborate on this more next week.

Second City Church- Christ. Community. Culture. Sermon Series 2014