Hearts at Rest

Passion of the Christ: Hearts at Rest

(Pastor Rollan shared about the September 9, 2013 hard launch vision after Labor Day (September 2).)

Though being the eternal God, who is the source of love, hope, and happiness, Jesus was often misunderstood and His ways mistrusted. What we choose to believe about God and His heart for us in the midst of an estranged culture effects everything about who we are and what we will become.

Jesus passionately invites us into His life by exposing the source of our discontent, encouraging us to recognize the signposts for godly decisions, and leading us to the rest for which our souls so desperately yearn.

The Source of Our Discontent

Matthew 11:1-19 (NIV)

1After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. 2When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” 4Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” 7As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written: “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 Whoever has ears, let them hear. 16 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 17 “ ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

“The punishment of every disordered mind is its own disorder.” ― Saint Augustine of Hippo, Confessions

It feels like we have too many choices in life, and no choice ever becomes the right one.

The question of Jesus Christ's identity and the subsequent life decisions that follow are defining our generation. Our inability to settle the weighty matters of life affect everything from our career pursuits, to our romantic relationships, to how we use our finances and time.

How Can I Be Sure About Jesus?

"Are you the one to come or should we expect someone else?"

Jesus answered the question by giving a résumé of HIS historic fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies (Isaiah 26:18,19; 29:18,19; 35:5,6; 53:4; 61:1). In the same way, God's Word gives us a clear description of what we are truly looking for in His design for life, love, and happiness. He said to study the Scripture to see the heart of this loving God, compare it to the freedom being produced in and around us through his Word, and contend to trust Him during life's challenging moments. After demonstrating his devotion to God, showing faithfulness throughout the entirety of his life, this is exactly what John the Baptist had to do during his time of testing in prison.

"What did you go out... to see? A reed swayed by the wind?"

Commentaries note that Jesus is here broaching the subject of instability and vacillation. Just as the reeds swayed with the wind by the Jordan, so we have a proclivity to lose our Christ-centered focus and resolve with every wind of opportunity or ideological challenge that comes our way. This is often the product of coveting people, positions, and things that we think will make us happier than what we already have, or what God has prescribed, as is referenced in Jesus' mention of fine clothes and king's palaces. We are deceived into thinking that there is always someone or something better, and it is the thing that we do not presently have.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17 NIV)

The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the Lord your God. Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction. (Deuteronomy 7:25, 26 NIV)

Coveting is the source of so much discontent in the world. Sociological studies have shown that people in the West deal on a whole with more unhappiness than those in less affluent nations because of the number of choices that they have. It is the psychosis intrinsic to the fear of missed opportunity that has us refuse to commit to anything because something better may come along. This is true, for example, in romantic relationships where people refuse to settle on their present options, while picking apart every viable suitor that they may have, and, in the end, miss a life of love and happiness that could have been theirs. It is also true of churches where people look to give as much criticism as they can while contributing as little as they can, and, ironically, end up doing very little to aid in Jesus' cause to heal and save a broken world. The result is that people lose the ability to be fully engaged or make a lasting impact on anything.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/magazine/money-changes-everything.html?_r=0

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/your-money/27shortcuts.html

(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John. Luke 7:29, 30 NIV)

Can you imagine John the Baptist's thoughts in prison on the eve of his execution?

If it was only a matter of whether his trust in Jesus was "working for him" rather than the truth of who Jesus is, John would have abandoned His trust in God. The culture today has told us the most important thing to remember is that it is all about us and our life experiences. A recent birth control commercial artistically promotes a trip to Paris and having the freedom to indulge in extravagant getaways as far superior to a life-time commitment of parenting. We long for, yet lack, the joys that only relational and Kingdom commitments can bring: i.e. - marriage, children, seeing lives saved and transformed, beginning a movement that will transform a city.

How do we make godly decisions?

The Signposts to Godly Decisions

Matthew 11:20-24 (NIV)

20Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

It is evident when our life is transforming for the good, when we are experiencing encouragement based on truth, healing based on love, and hope based on God's eternal promises. Though the people of the cities where Jesus ministered were in direct contact with the author and source of life, they deliberately rejected the signposts that would lead them to eternal life. We need to be careful not to do the same.

John's questioning of Jesus' identity came at a time of trial and discouragement. This is never the time to reevaluate God's character or identity. We need to instead find a place of sobriety by following Christ's example of quantifying the many ways that He has been working miracles in your life to bring you to Himself, His people, and the positive life transformation that proceeds from these. These are the signposts that point you in the direction of trusting His goodness in its fullness, even when we don't understand His ways or circumstances that He allows.

Why does this all matter? What we resign to believe affects how we think, how we live, and to what things we give ourselves.

What Jesus is calling for is a spiritual discernment that must become a quality that is valued in our day.

The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps. The wise fear the Lord and shun evil, but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure. A quick-tempered person does foolish things, and the one who devises evil schemes is hated. The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. (Proverbs 14:15-18 NIV)

Most people express preferences about God rather than making statements of truth. People feel today that truth can be defined by their preferences. It is the "Build-a-God" mentality. Truth does have bearing on and consequences for our lives whether we like it or not (i.e. - gravity, aging). This is how we must relate to Jesus because of His audacious claims. We must ask whether there is veracity to His teaching and self-proclaimed identity.

“It is an impressively arrogant move to conclude that just because you don’t like something, it is empirically not good. I don’t like Chinese food, but I don’t write articles trying to prove it doesn’t exist.” ― Tina Fey, Bossypants

This is never more pertinent than when our wills or ideologies are crossed by the God who made us and loves us. We tend to desire to reconstruct the identity and existence of God when He does not fit into our cultural or philosophical paradigms (i.e. - issues of family, marriage, parenting, finances, and sexuality). It is here that, while reasoning with the facts, we are tested to respond to God based on our trust of His goodness, rather than our emotional reactions to His desire to reestablish our identity in the eternal Christ in lieu of lesser, changing, and degenerative things. The quality of His definitions are far superior in grand scale wisdom, for both individuals' and humanity's flourishing.

Rest for Your Souls

Matthew 11:25-30 (NIV)

25At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

“I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are wise and very beautiful; but I have never read in either of them: Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.” ― Saint Augustine of Hippo

We want to walk in the divine tension that Jesus did, having hearts that are disturbed (with a desire to grow and see His Kingdom come) while being undisturbed (by the past, present or future. Romans 8. We can relinquish control, because we don't have it anyway. What we can do is walk with God as long as it is called today with His sure promise of eternal life for those who please Him.)

Jesus is gentle and humble in heart. He longs to show you the goodness of God, which can only be fully realized through a trust walk with Him, because everything that belongs to the Father has been entrusted to Christ.

Having the ability to take Jesus' yoke of teaching, the subsequent obedience in life and activities that follow will provide rest for your souls. Because of Jesus' life, sacrifice on the cross, death, burial and resurrection, it is no longer about what we can do to work for approval or God's love. The matter is settled, and it is all about what He has done for us.

Practically: 1) Identify the sources of discontent in your life and come to repentance where you find covetous tendencies. 2) Make a decision today to do something that will contribute to the eternal Kingdom of God through our local church. 3) Find rest for your souls by coming into agreement with Jesus Christ's values and pursuing them as your own.

Second City Church- Passion of the Christ Sermon Series 2013

Compassionate Hearts

Passion of the Christ: Compassionate Hearts - Guest Speaker Cole Parleir

Revelation: God is a compassionate and good shepherd who helps His people.

Application: Have you received this help and freely given it away? (Two types of people are here today: those who have a good shepherd and those who don’t.)

Ephesians 3:14-21 (NIV)

14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Matthew 9:35-37, 10:1-8 (NIV)

35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

1Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

God is compassionate. Some Greek dictionaries say that the Greek word for compassion means “to have the bowels yearn,” to be moved with sympathy in your inmost being. This is God’s character. He doesn’t just feel compassion for people; God IS compassionate. This deep yearning characterizes the passion we so frequently hear and read about in reference to Jesus. We see God’s compassion in four ways:

The four P’s of Godly compassion:

1) Presence—He is with us. 2) Perception—He sees our plight. 3) Power—He heals us. 4) Pursuit—He empowers others to be His healing agents.

God’s Presence

The first aspect of God’s compassion is simply His being present. As we see in Genesis 3, Exodus 34, and Matthew 9-10 God is present with His people. He’s not impersonal and aloof. He is “in the mix” with us. He is in the Kool-aid, and He knows the flavor! He knows if its sugar free! He doesn’t just sympathize; He has empathy because of His presence.

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” –Psalm 16:11 (NIV)

Many times we accuse God of being distant, faceless, and out of touch, like a father who has abandoned his children and left them to fend for themselves. This just isn’t true. God has gone to great lengths to reveal Himself to us. Ultimately, in the man Jesus Christ, but even for those who haven’t heard the name Jesus Christ, the book of Romans tells us that it is evident in nature that God exists, but we have repressed His voice (and His presence) through our persistent sinful lifestyles. A divine intervention is needed.

If we go back to the account of creation in Genesis, He’s present.

In the time of Moses, God proves Himself to be a compassionate shepherd as well. In the account of God delivering the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He gives a sermon about Himself to Moses on Mount Sinai after Moses cries out to him to see His glory. The account reads:

4So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 5Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. 6And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” Exodus 34:4-7 (NIV)

Have you recognized the ever present God described in Psalm 139:7-8:

7Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

Today, God is inviting you into His presence like He did Moses and the disciples so that He can reveal himself to you and begin the process of redemption. As Moses brought blank stone tablets (this was round two because Moses broke the first ones in his anger) for God to write on, have you brought an accepting heart to Jesus for Him to write His self-revelation? If not, today is the day.

God’s Perception

The second aspect of God’s compassion is His perception, or understanding, of he dire situation of His creation.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36 (NIV)

When Jesus is on the scene, He is keenly aware, like a good doctor. He sees behind the scenes of the apparent distress all the way to the root of our problems. He sees the spiritual warfare in our lives like no one else does. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. God is moved with compassion to help us, because He sees us.

One of my favorite Old Testament accounts is of Hagar, Sarah’s maid servant whom she gave to Abraham in her frustration of bareness. After Hagar gave birth to Abraham’s first born son, Sarah harassed Hagar out of jealousy causing Hagar to flee. When Hagar fled, she took her son to the desert, but God showed up and saw her dismal situation. He had compassion on her. He went to her, and He heard her and blessed her with dignity and prophesied of the future of her child Ishmael giving her hope. She then said, “You are the God who sees me,” knowing the she was seen and understood. This caused her to dig a well that future generations would drink from and remember the compassion of God.

Today, know that God is not only present with you in your affliction, but He perceives and understands your harassment. Do you know this? If you do know this, have you shared this compassion with others, like the many who were healed by Jesus? Have you dug a metaphorical well of remembrance that future generations can drink from?

God’s Power

God, in His compassion, is not impotent today; on the contrary, He is omnipotent. God is here, God perceives, and He wants to fix what is broken.

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness” Matthew 9:35 (NIV)

God the Father sent Jesus Christ to seek and save the lost as well as destroy the works of the devil. What are the works of the devil? The devil has been sinning since the beginning, 1 John 3 says. His mission is to kill, steal, and destroy, but Jesus says, “I have come to bring life, abundant life. I have come to forgive sin. I have come to set the captives of Satan and sin free. I have come to protect the harassed, to help the helpless, to bind up broken hearts, to preach good news to the poor, to heal every sickness and disease, to cast out demons, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers. I have not come to condemn the world, but to save the world. I make all things new. I am called the Christ, because I am His anointed one with power and authority to bring the Father's will to pass.”

God does not tease us. I will say it again, “GOD DOES NOT TEASE US”! When he says He came to do all these things, He means it.

Today, God is here in power to give you a second life. Have you received forgiveness of sins and began to live a new life lead by this Jesus? Have you received healing in your body? Have you received grace to forgive your abusers like God has forgiven you? Today is your day of freedom and healing.

God’s Pursuit

Compassion is not content with the ninety-nine in the flock if there is one who is lost. Jesus is God in the flesh, the Christ, the perfect image of the invisible God. One thing He is not, is omnipresent in His human nature. He traveled all throughout the towns and villages, but the world is so ravaged and distorted by sin and its consequences that His compassion drove him to ask those who love him to help him and delegate His authority.

37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:37-38 (NIV)

1Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Matthew 10:1-8 (NIV)

The disciples had been with Jesus and seen Him having compassion on people. Compassion is contagious. When we spend time with Jesus, not only in the secret place of our prayer closets, but also in His work place, the world, we begin to catch His heart. These disciples had been approached by Jesus and called to follow Him. God found them. Now Jesus, with the impetus of His asking for help being His compassion, asks the disciples to pray for God to send out workers to preach good news, find the lost, heal the sick, and free the demon oppressed. This is very funny to me because Jesus is essentially saying, “Ask me to send you out into my field”. The disciples left their fields, their careers, and became laborers in the Lord’s field.

We must not say to ourselves, “This authority that was delegated was only for the 12 apostles and not for me.” Luke 10:1-21 (NIV) says:

1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. 5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. 8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. 13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. 16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.” 17The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” 18He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” 21At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

God loves delegating power and authority. He will continue to do so until Jesus returns and completely realizes God’s Kingdom and all the elect are brought under the head shepherd Jesus.

Practical Application

1) Who’s your shepherd? (Because we’re all sheep.) 2) Have you freely received? (Do you need forgiveness, healing, or hope?) 3) Have you freely given? (What have you received that you can give?) 4) Who have you been sent two-by-two with? (It’s a team sport.)

Second City Church- Passion of the Christ Sermon Series 2013

Faith-Filled Hearts

Passion of the Christ: Faith-Filled Hearts

Matthew 9:18-34 (NIV)

18While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. 20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” 22Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. 23When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, 24he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. 25After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26News of this spread through all that region. 27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. 29Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; 30and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region. 32While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." 34But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”

As we've unpacked Matthew's biography of Jesus, we see that it has been organized thematically to highlight express emphases of Jesus' ministry. This segment has clearly shown that Jesus is passionate about reaching lost people who do not know Him and healing the broken through His supernatural power. As we continue with the narrative, Jesus is ministering from His base of operations in Capernaum, where we find that He takes multiple moments to emphasize His passion for faith-filled hearts. The Bible provokes us to understand that Jesus is ready to work miracles as we endeavor to understand Biblical faith, learn how to create atmospheres of faith, and position ourselves to allow Jesus to meet us according to our faith.

Understanding Faith

Because of the stresses of life, the changing economy, and the mortality of human beings, we will all hit walls in our lives where we will come to the end of ourselves. People generally turn to either despondency or faith when they reach the emotional limits of their time, talents, and reasoning.

“Life, as we find it, is too hard for us; it brings us too many pains, disappointments and impossible tasks. In order to bear it we cannot dispense with palliative measures... There are perhaps three such measures: powerful deflections, which cause us to make light of our misery; substitutive satisfactions, which diminish it; and intoxicating substances, which make us insensible to it.” ― Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents

At any point on your journey, you may find yourself like one of the four groups of people who encountered Jesus in need of a miracle:

-You may be like the man who came on behalf of his dead daughter - "I feel like something towards life inside of my family member or friend has just died - they've lost the will to live."

-Or the woman who came to Jesus by herself on behalf of herself - "I've gone to all of the best therapists, support groups, and doctors, but instead of getting better, it seems like I've gotten worse."

-You and a co-worker may be like the two blind men, possibly friends who came together - "We have no real direction in life. We don't know where we are going or why we even do the things we do each day."

-Or you may be like the friend who brought the demon-possessed man to the assembly - "My friend is literally oppressed in life. The trauma of life, seemingly otherworldly, has stolen their ability to connect with the world around them. It seems like they've lost both their voice and the capacity to relate to people in a healthy manner."

The good news is that Jesus is the living God who can meet us before, during, and after we hit these challenging times. When we see the people approaching Jesus, these are ultimately prayers synonymous to the manner in which we can relate to Him today. Imbedded in the encounters with Jesus was a recurring expectation of faith which moved the heart of God to intervene on behalf of those who would seek Him.

What is the faith to which Jesus responds?

Biblical faith is not just wishful thinking. Though believing in yourself or having a positive attitude is a far better posture than walking around hopeless, not every fantasy that we have, or even the hard work that springs from it, can produce a miracle.

Life in God is not reduced to motivational speaking. It is only the intervention of God that can restore sight to the blind, raise the dead, and even free us from our sins. Biblical faith is defined as trust - nothing more, nothing less. It means that you have believed not only in the testimony of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, but that you continue to entrust yourself to the person of Jesus as He works in and through your life today. This begins as we submit to obeying his commands and continues as we make relational requests as we walk with Jesus.

If you are going to pray, you have to know the disposition and character of the one to whom you are praying. In this manner, the woman with the issue of bleeding was able to take a stand of faith, and Jesus rewarded her resolve. To persist in prayer and accompanying action, we need to offer at least three answers to the troubling question:

What happens when we have faith for something and it does not happen?

1) It may be a matter of fully comprehending the big picture of God's will (Jesus at Gethsemane).

God's plan is always redemptive as we maintain the posture, "Not my will, by your will be done." i.e. - Could it be that in your years of singleness, God needed your undivided attention to form your character and have your devoted time for the greatest amount of Kingdom advance?

Atmospheres of Faith

Seeing as He Sees

“We modern people think of miracles as the suspension of the natural order, but Jesus meant them to be the restoration of the natural order. The Bible tells us that God did not originally make the world to have disease, hunger, and death in it. Jesus has come to redeem where it is wrong and heal the world where it is broken. His miracles are not just proofs that he has power but also wonderful foretastes of what he is going to do with that power. Jesus' miracles are not just a challenge to our minds, but a promise to our hearts, that the world we all want is coming.” ― Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

Our best decisions are never our first response decisions. We need to get before the face and in the counsel of God.

Nothing creates an atmosphere of faith more than a functioning discipline of worship and prayer. It is here that you are not limited to your immediate and limited assessment of a relationship, financial state, or area of health, which more often than not is negative. Instead, prayer brings you into the counsel of Jesus by first discovering the will of God through His Word.

You will always have people around who are "professional wailers," those who are ready to mourn over why things are the way that they are. These are the people who will mock and laugh when you say that God can work a miracle in your situation. They laughed at Jesus before He raised the dead girl, but Jesus put them out of the room to create an atmosphere of faith. Whose voice do you need to sequester in your life because it does not align with God's written word of hope that He is offering you?

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. (Psalm 1:1-6 NIV)

What happens when we have faith for something and it does not happen?

2) It may be a matter of repentance from sin so that you might not gain the desired thing but lose your soul.

The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him. (Proverbs 15:8 NIV)

We only have so much emotional energy and space, so much time in a day. The things of God take focus and investment if they are going to be a completed work. (Rollan referenced the half-completed structures throughout the city as an example.)

The sin of coveting can steal the focus necessary to have a transforming faith.

Some of us need to disassociate with those who are dragging us down in sin. If they're not willing to come now, put them out of the room for a while until you have life and strength enough to be a witness to them. This is what the parents did. They didn't get rid of the family members and wailers forever, but they did have to create an atmosphere to strengthen their trust in Jesus to see their daughter raised from the dead. Practically, bar hopping may not be the after hour activity of choice for a while.

According to Your Faith

"Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness." - Martin Luther

What happens when we have faith for something and it does not happen?

3) It may be a matter of timing (i.e. the blind men and Joseph in Genesis 37-50).

Faith can be a process, as we see with the two blind men who did not get immediate answers. The result of faith is not a determination of how spiritual or not you are, it is rather a matter of the privileged decision and intervention of a loving Father who works out all things for the good of those who love Him. Some healings come immediately. Some come gradually. Christian counseling can be a fantastic way to have the Word of God appropriately applied to wounded areas, allowing us to unravel knotted emotions, relieve trauma, and apply the balm of right thinking. God has also obviously allowed medicine to provide relief from pain, help balance body chemistry, and treat symptoms. We always want to allow God to work through the various means that He will to bring us to a place of health and peace, while avoiding addictions that will strip them from us.

We go to either one extreme or the other: We either reduce our faith to a self-help program without real relationship with Christ, or we try to make it an independent study where we forsake the process of healing which includes other relationships in the church. Make sure they are the right relationships.

There are periods when it seems that Jesus is not answering, like the blind men who had no word from Jesus until He went indoors.

During that time of perceived silence, our speech needs to come in alignment with the word of God.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. (Romans 10:17 NIV)

From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward. (Proverbs 12:14 NIV)

You can only imagine that the two blind men were reminding each other of how Jesus had healed others as they continued to follow Him in his silence, into the house. The persistence of their faith allowed them to gain an audience with Jesus and be healed. In the case of the mute who was delivered, the religious pundits proceed to give their opinion.

And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.” (Matthew 9:33, 34 NIV)

Once again, it was the religious Pharisees, with their lack of exposure to and understanding of the spiritual realm, who began to denounce Jesus and call the very work of God something as having its origins in the devil. The same happens today and we must beware.

Take note that this was the ruler coming on behalf of the dead daughter, yet Jesus chose to resurrect the daughter. There is no mention of the daughter's request, the one who actually needed the resuscitation. This is a clear picture of our intercession which is expressed through prayers and ministry of the Word of God to others. Jesus is good to respond and work with you in the midst of your faith for another person. That faith can be used by Jesus to prepare the way for God's healing when your loved one does not have faith for himself or herself. In the other instances the people had faith of their own. In either case, we need to pray with tireless faith, giving Jesus the opportunity to move, and do so with community who will hold us up until we see the goodness of God.

“The great people of the earth today are the people who pray! I do not mean those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor those who explain prayer; but I mean those who actually take the time to pray. They have not time. It must be taken from something else. That something else is important, very important and pressing, but still, less important and pressing than prayer. There are people who put prayer first, and group the other items in life's schedule around and after prayer. These are the people today who are doing the most for God in winning souls, in solving problems, in awakening churches, in supplying both men and money for mission posts, in keeping fresh and strong their lives far off in sacrificial service on the foreign field, where the thickest fighting is going on, and in keeping the old earth sweet a little while longer.” -S.D. Gordon

Practically:

1) Identify which areas of life you need to take a stand of faith to see Jesus work a miracle on behalf of yourself or another. 2) Find a way to replace the professional wailers with a community that will create atmospheres of faith for your miracle. 3) Establish a consistent time of meditation on God's Word and prayer so that Jesus can grow and meet you according to your faith.

Second City Church- Passion of the Christ Sermon Series 2013

Too Small A Thing

Coming Soon: Too Small a Thing

*** Isaiah 49:1-7 ***

It is hard to conceptualize the relevance of God's thoughts towards man when God is an afterthought in our minds and culture. We want to relegate the divine to positive thinking and self-help programs, yet the problem is that He is so much more than a motivating force. He is the unique, independent, personal Creator of the universe who, out of His love for us, makes demands on our lives. Through the Scripture He is calling us back to relationship with Himself while placing preeminence on the purposes that He has for our lives.

Whether you are walking with Him presently or not, God had something in mind when he created you that was to be part of His redemptive plan for humanity and all of creation. Though we often sell out to lesser things, to throw off the shallowness of our daily living, we must ultimately consider the call of God, press through discouragements, and embrace the extent of Christ's salvation.

The Call of God

Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the Lord called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 NIV84)

*** Life's struggles are a matter of identity and people's perpetual search for who they are outside of God. This is an incessant losing quest, because from the outset, God is the one who reveals Himself and gives His creation identity. If we try to base our identity on what we have, what we've accomplished, or what we have done, when those things are removed from us, our worlds crumble. Things will change in life - the tax rate, your portfolio, your health, your age, your relationships. If, however, we know to whom we belong, and to what He has called us, we pivot from a place of security and strength, because ultimately our value and reward are in His hands.

What was Jesus appointed to do? He was appointed by God the Father to bring His wandering people back to Himself. The question becomes for us, what have we been appointed by God to do with our days? There is no fulfilling the call of God if you are walking free of His direction or in rebellion to His commands in the manner in which you choose to live. Jesus was the example of consistent submission and perfect fulfillment of the call of God that we are to emulate. So many people have abundant resources in their life, but squander it in either selfish living or thinking that the value of their skills cul de sac with their personal enjoyment. Your call is to give to God, in service to others, as a part of His redeeming plan in the world. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. (Isaiah 49:2 NIV84)

The message that you have to communicate and the contribution that you have to make of eternal worth is developed in the hidden place where you are seeking the face of God. It does not matter how old or young that you are; Moses began at 40 and stepped into his role of a deliverer at 80.

There is a process that all of us will have to endure to find ourselves fully immersed in the purpose of God. Much to the chagrin of our pride, like Christ, our road often begins in humble service and in obscurity. Though knowing that he was the unique Son of God, the 27th, 28th, and 29th years of Christ's life brought no relief to this process, but it was all in preparation for his three years that would turn the world upside down.

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back-- Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.” ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

A naturalist perspective would say that we are lucky mud waiting to expire when the last cells in our body degenerate. Yet we all, unexplainably outside of the call of God, long for something more, to be of value and to be able to contribute something of worth. To know God is to know your purpose. To follow Jesus is to be faithful to the divinely delegated tasks for which you were created as a part of His church.

The Enemy Named Discouragement

He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.” But I said, “I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the Lord 's hand, and my reward is with my God.” (Isaiah 49:3, 4 NIV84)

Discouragement arrives when, on the surface, our circumstances look different than what we expected them to be. The only way to battle it is not with the placebo of fantasy and positive thinking but with a sincere confidence that your life is being led in such a way worthy of God's reward. Do you have that confidence?

*** Damaged trust in God and a discarded faith is the natural result of being in religious environments where there has been hypocrisy, abuse, or a lack of life-transforming power. Was there a reason for such impotency? Where is God in the midst of these institutions? Is He even there? The Son of God Himself had to wrestle with similar stuggles in the midst of life's trials, and so will we. The voices that you entertain during your years of hiddeness can make or break you, because discouragement will come. How do we recover after being exposed to such empty shells of spirituality? The answer is found in the models laid out in his Word.

As opposed to Western individualistic thinking, the call of God is not found in isolation where you are the end unto yourself. Rather in God, our destiny is found in the community in which He places us, and is fulfilled when we find the local expression of our part of the greater whole. This is the importance and value of the local church, where your presence is felt and you are both known and know others. This is why the company that we keep is so important and can make or break you in God. It is not only the danger of those who are outright rebellious, but the lukewarm attitudes of the religious, that prove to be lethal.

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God–I say this to your shame. (1 Corinthians 15:33, 34 NIV84)

God wants and we want people to do life together in community. However, community isn't an end unto itself. We are to live life together, serving together to bring the Kingdom of God, making this world a better place until His return. Our relationship with God and our relationships with one another are functionally intended for us to become the body of Christ, the hands and feet of Jesus in the earth.

The Extent of Christ's Salvation

*** Let there be no doubt about it, God is in pursuit of those who are wandering and those that have been lost.

And now the Lord says— he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength— he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:5, 6 NIV84)

When the text speaks of restoring the tribes of Jacob, the concept of restoration has a powerful connotation. Destruction was common because of both war and neglect. As was the divine assignment of the kings, Jesus comes to restore our devastated lands. He does this individually, in cities and in nations.

The reason God continues to extend His work, and why we as the church join Him, is because He wants to extend His family. Family was God's original idea for the church, and the work of Jesus provided the way for that family to be ultimately inclusive of everyone everywhere who would love Him as He's loved them. Healthy families have children who want to grow even as the family itself desires to grow.

This is what the Lord says— the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel— to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: “Kings will see you and rise up, princes will see and bow down, because of the Lord , who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” (Isaiah 49:7 NIV84)

We need people, both young and OLD to be a part. In doing so, we will follow the adage to think globally while acting locally.

What does our participation in God's redemptive plan look like in action?

Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord . “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 1:17-20 NIV84)

Understanding that all of creation was made through Him, we are free to consider how Jesus is applicable to the whole world, rather than being imperialistic.

If I found a key on the road, and discovered it fit and opened a particular lock at my house, I would assume most likely that the key was made by the lock maker. And if I find set of teachings set out in pre-modern oriental society that has proven itself of such universal validity that it has fascinated and satisfied millions of people in every century, including the best minds in history and the simplest hearts, that it has made itself at home in virtually every culture, inspired masterpieces of beauty in every field of art, continues to grow rapidly and spread and assert itself in lands where a century ago the name of Jesus Christ was not even heard; if such teaching so obviously fits the locks of so many human souls, in so many times and so many places, are they likely to be the work of a deceiver or a fool? In fact it is more likely that they were designed by the Heart Maker… —G.K. Chesterton

The importance of consistent community to model and build such lives is clearly demonstrated in Acts 2 and 4. It is what we invite you to now. If you have not, please get right with God today. If you are following Jesus already, please sign up for our listserv through which you can become a productive member of God's church with a tangible, local expression.

Second City Church – Coming Soon Sermon Series 2013

My Word is My Bond

Man on a Mission: My Word is My Bond (God's Promises)

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus resolves to make clear what He's after in His teaching.  Life is ultimately about relationships - relationship with God and with one another.  Therefore, there is no serving God without coming to a submitted understanding of how we will relate with those with whom we interact on a daily basis.

“We value virtue but do not discuss it. The honest bookkeeper, the faithful wife, the earnest scholar get little of our attention compared to the embezzler, the tramp, the cheat.” ― John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley

*** Matthew 5:33-37 ***

To understand the value that God places on our words, we will talk about God's character, the detriment of empty words and the results of being trustworthy.

God's Character

*** Our entire relationship with God is predicated on the fact that He is faithful to His Word.  It is the foundation of His holiness

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Numbers 23:19 NIV84)

Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. (Isaiah 46:9-11 NIV84)

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17 NIV84)

The Zondervan commentary makes note that in the Old Testament, God guaranteed his promises with an oath.  The Old Testament also permitted people to swear by the name of God to substantiate important affirmations or promises.  The Pharisees developed a complicated series of rules regarding oaths.  Some interpreters began to say that only oaths made by invoking the name of the Lord would be binding, while they could swear "by heaven" when they weren't taking their oath as seriously.  This search for loopholes in oaths had them include less potent associations with their oaths including things like swearing by "the earth" or "Jerusalem" and led to the devaluation of people's words.

The Detriment of Empty Words

“Emma has been meaning to read more ever since she was twelve years old. I have seen a great many lists of her drawing up at various times of books that she meant to read regularly through—and very good lists they were—very well chosen, and very neatly arranged—sometimes alphabetically, and sometimes by some other rule. The list she drew up when only fourteen—I remember thinking it did her judgment so much credit, that I preserved it some time; and I dare say she may have made out a very good list now. But I have done with expecting any course of steady reading from Emma. She will never submit to any thing requiring industry and patience, and a subjection of the fancy to the understanding.” ― Jane Austen, Emma

How many of us have this type of reputation - a lack of commitment and follow through with our family members, our peers and our co-workers?  My mom and my soccer.  It is time to break that pattern!

Here are some of the common mentalities that show us that we've become too comfortable with breaking our word:

1) I meant to do it, so it shouldn't matter that I didn't come through.

Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give. (Proverbs 25:14 NIV84)

It is not enough to live in good intentions.  The weakness of a man or woman's character lies in the fact that they are comfortable talking about what they would have, could have or should have done, rather than acting in even a small measure to make something happen.

2) I'm not up for it anymore/right now.  Can't we just do it later? There are certain circumstances that are out of our control.  Many times, however, dropping the ball has more to do with what we do or do not want to do than we'll admit.  At the end of the day, we find a way to do what we want.  It is pride that allows us to think that people having to reshape their lives and schedules around our offhand change of plans, is of no consequence.  It is a lack of consideration for someone else, valuing your time above theirs.  How many times has this happened to you and cost you at work or with a friend?

*** Our generation's fear of commitment has its root in insecurity and selfishness.  We live in such a way as not to inconvenience ourselves.  We are in a perpetual high school mentality always looking for the cooler party or better opportunity while all the while missing the ability to have any significant impact on the world because we give ourselves to nothing.  Humble and consistent contributions are the measure of a man or woman's greatness. Half of the battle is won by just faithfully showing up in the right places.  The other half is won in the attitude with which you show up (i.e. - parenting).

Why would Jesus speak with such strong language that anything else comes from the evil one?

The erosion of confidence in people's word often begins with parents and their children. Whether it be parents' abdicating their pledge to come to a game, or their marriage vows to one another, broken promises remove a sense of relationships being reliable, safe or secure.  We become damaged and hardened by it, then perpetuate the cycle outside of the home.

An obvious example of this morally unbridled politics.  Another is poor business practices.  Christians should be those with the most excellence in the work force, full of the most integrity and the be the most dependable in their field of industry.  However, the misnomer of grace is thrust upon clients and co-workers to many times give Christian businesses the reputation of being slack or irresponsible.

“I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche

When a word is broken, someone always suffers. That is why it is called evil, Biblically defined as what is harmful or detrimental.  This is why no liar will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Whether we like it or not, breaking our word is lying.  When we lie enough, we get used to it and develop an immunity to it.  It becomes our common vernacular.  When our words become empty, we are untrustworthy to our families, our co-workers, our clients, our constituents, our friends and even ourselves.  What develops is a culture of skepticism where people are suspicious about everyone and everything.  The first assault that the devil made was on the trustworthiness of God's Word, with devastating results. We are emulating the devil, not God, when we promote a pattern of weightless words and cavalier assertions.

How does this directly relate to our walk with God?

“Christians don't tell lies they just go to church and sing them.” ― A.W. Tozer

When we become followers of Jesus, we are making a pledge to love Him and obey His Word.  This is what our baptism symbolizes.  Whether we acknowledge it or not, the measure of our adherence to God's Word in its fullness is a measure of our love for Him.  When we pick and choose that to which we will be faithful, we are showing the holes in our understanding and devotion.

Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 12:28 NIV84)

How often have we said "God, forgive me"  with the implication that we're turning away from our sin, only to go right back to it the next day.  We remain in our sin because we don't take our vows seriously.  When we lack follow through, we not only break fellowship with others, but with God.  We don't believe that we can change because we've broken so many promises to ourselves.   The good news is that through the gospel, we can, and protect the strength of our words!

The Results of Being Trustworthy:

We begin to look at God and life differently.  Because we acknowledge God's reliable character, we depend on His word to shape our days and his promises to give us perseverance as we chase his unchanging plan.  As we emulate God's consistency with our words, steadfast relationships can form because you have given yourself to the ingredients that make them work.

The church is to be a community of faithfulness, trust and commitment.  As we look to see God do something great in this city as a church, it takes everyone finding and repeatedly playing their role in word and in deed.  As we are all in, we can build a culture of consistency and dedication to the unchanging plan of God though which we grow individually and as a church.

2nd City Church – Man On A Mission Sermon Series 2013

The Chosen One

Coming Soon: The Chosen One

*** Isaiah 42:1-9 ***

Throughout Biblical history, several individuals were referred to as royal emissaries for God, those set apart to accomplish His purposes.  A constant subject of Isaiah's ministry is the servant of the Lord, who would turn people away from idols, false saviors, to the only true God.

*** For the salvation that we all need, we must look to Jesus, who is God's chosen one, perfectly expressing his justice, his mercy and his might. ***

God's Justice:

Historical background of Isaiah, the Babylonian exile, Cyrus and Jesus Christ.

Justice is the Hebrew word mispat and determines the difference between right and wrong in the way that we walk out our relationships, conduct our business practices, execute societal governance and utilize our resources.  Scripture is filled with references to God's love for justice.  Justice is directly linked to his law and is a foundational attribute of His character.

Humanity's downward slope begins when we think that we can liberate ourselves from God's commands.  When we substitute anything else as having the highest value in our lives rather than God, whether it be our romantic relationships, careers or beauty, we have succumbed to idols.  As with the king of Babylon, these are the things that try to identify us, and if we place ultimate value upon them, when we lose them, inevitably ruin our lives.

The moment you have a self at all, there is a possibility of putting yourself first-- wanting to be the centre-- wanting to be God, in fact. That was the sin of Satan--and that was the sin he taught the human race. ... What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could 'be like gods'-- could set up on their own as if they had created themselves-- be their own masters-- invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history-- money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery-- the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.

The reason why it can never succeed is this. God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing." (C. S. Lewis - Mere Christianity. Macmillan Publishing, 1978. Pgs. 49-54)

Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters–one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.) While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen. (Luke 9:30-36 NIV84)

Jesus is the chosen one sent by God the Father to bring us back to God and his liberating law.

God's Mercy:

God sent his Son because though we wander, he is full of mercy, and does not leave us in the bondage that our wanderings deserve.

First to the faithful believer:

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.” (Isaiah 42:3, 4 NIV84)

Faithfulness is the Hebrew word Emet which means firmness, stability, security and continuance.  It speaks of integrity; to be reliable and sure.  It is was a term used frequently of God in the OT and is the primary Hebrew word for truth.  This is what the chosen one provides.

Then to the irreligious: The spiritual but not religious likely to face mental health issues, drug use, study says http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/09/the-spiritual-but-not-religious-likely-to-face-mental-health-issues-drug-use-study-says/

“I, the Lord , have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. (Isaiah 42:6, 7 NIV84)

God's Might:

To come into God's freedom and salvation, we must identify what we have allowed to replace God as the one who defines us.  What people or things have become our functional idols, our subconscious Saviors?

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. But those who trust in idols, who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back in utter shame. (Isaiah 42:16, 17 NIV84)

Lance Armstrong ordeal

“Our need for worth is so powerful that whatever we base our identity and value on we essentially 'deify.' We will look to it with all the passion and intensity of worship and devotion, even if we think ourselves as highly irreligious. ” ― Timothy Keller

When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals–one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” (Luke 23:33-35 NIV84)

God most clearly expressed his might through Jesus' work on the cross, turning us through repentance to the true Savior.

Next week we will continue to walk through our series in Matthew, Man on a Mission, talking about one of those areas of intrigue, God's design for human sexuality

2nd City Church - Coming Soon Sermon Series 2013

Re-establishing Priorities

Man on a Mission: Re-establishing Priorities

Matthew 5:13-20 • As we begin the year, we are getting on the same page in a unified manner to officially launch our church in the next several months!

• As we will see in Jesus' teaching, any Christian ministry begins with our own dedication to modeling Jesus' life and commands.  Jesus is never more clear than when he speaks of grudges, sex, marriage, divorce, keeping promises, revenge, how we treat our enemies, generosity, sacrifice, money, prayer, faith, judgments, forgiveness, holiness and personal disciplines.  All of these are covered in the Sermon on the Mount, and in effect, give us the tools to both love and be on mission with Jesus.

The Nature of Salt: • Salt was used as a preservative, flavoring agent and fertilizer.  As such, we are called as the people of God to add to the flourishing of individuals, cities and nations.

• The salt that was used in Jerusalem mostly came from the Dead Sea and was full of impurities.  It therefore lost some of its flavor and was thereafter thrown out.  This is the net result of the church that does not maintain its adherence to the unadulterated, unchanging wisdom of God found in His Word.

• From the outset, discipleship, which means intentionally creating growing communities of those who love, fear and honor God, is on Jesus' mind.

The Dynamics of a City:

• (The habitual reference to cities in the Scripture imply God's love and purpose for the urban environment where ideas, values and cultures are formed, exchanged and exported)

• The very nature of Jesus' first analogies makes things much less ethereal and more tangible than one would expect.  It points to the outward influence that your life is to have on others as salt, the environmental effect you are to have as light and the impact that you are to have as a part of a city, an alternate city within your present city, known as the city of God.

“The Heavenly City outshines Rome beyond comparison. There, instead of victory, is truth; instead of high rank, holiness; instead of peace, felicity; instead of life, eternity,” 
― Augustine of Hippo, City of God

It immediately speaks of the community to which He's called you.  The you is plural as no man or woman is a city by themself.  Nor can a single grain of salt flavor or preserve an entire stock of meat on its own. To be a city set on a hill, it has to be about what we do outside of our Sunday morning gatherings.  Sunday, within the walls,  we rationally understand that we are in a place where God's Word is honored, his name is exalted and His people are built up even as they are built together.  This is imperative for our development and spiritual health as we live and work in environments that deny Jesus' identity, much less reject His commands.

Following Christ means that you always have two sets of people in mind - Jesus, whom you serve, and others, through whom you serve him and with whom you make up this alternate city on a hill.  The challenge is that you don't choose with whom you are living in the city and are therefore dependent - i.e. - bus drivers.

In the city that works, how do I build such relationships?

The Purpose of the Law: • In any city, there is a law that governs it as a representation of its ruling Kingdom.

• The challenge in our generation when everyone is able to share their opinion and deem themselves an authority on the Internet, is how to avoid the Word of God being lumped into the category of white noise.  The city gives a visual image of why things are better in His community and His Word explains how we get there.

“We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behavior.” 
― John R.W. Stott

The fulfillment of the Law meant: 1) Jesus would fulfill the sacrificial system's requirements by becoming our Passover lamb 2) Jesus would fulfill Messianic prophecies begun in his first coming, to be completed in his return 3) The term pleroe (fulfilled) in Greek speaks to his completion of the interpratation and application of the prophets words, clarifying God's full intent and meaning behind them.  Therefore, when Mohammad  comes 500+ years later, acknowledging Jesus as a prophet, but claiming to be "the seal", that role had already been taken by the one who showed his authority by his life, miracles, death, burial and resurrection.

Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19, 20 NIV84)

The Pharisees were legendary in Israel for their external righteousness, supported by the oral law which they added to stay several paces away from the ledge.  However, Jesus is pointing to a righteousness that can only come from him.  It is because, as we we see in the six examples that follow, it is about the heart.  Jesus brought us to a point of complete helplessness in our own efforts, with the only option being the redemption that He would ultimately provide through His death, burial and resurrection.

2nd City Church - Man On A Mission Sermon Series 2013

The Pursuit of Happiness

Man on a Mission: The Pursuit of Happiness

As we traverse this time between elections and the Christmas season, we are reminded about the things that people hold dear.  It is engrained in the foundation of our nation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
― Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence

Without a doubt, God cares about us living fulfilled and significant lives. With obvious comparisons to Moses giving the Commandments on Mount Sinai, Jesus shows us how in the Sermon on the Mount.  It is a good reminder to us of the good things into which we will invite people as we prepare for our December 9 prelaunch.

Matthew 5:1-12

The Set-Up:

The story of human history is people's quest chasing things, attempting to be happy without God, and their disappointments that follow.  As a person ages, the temporary, fleeting pleasures of food and sex give way to deeper, more permanent desires that drive a person to the ultimate search for meaning in life.

In the Beatitudes Jesus goes through a survey of the categories and arenas in which people most often pursue happiness.  He addresses each one exhorting them to find rest in Him.

In typical pattern of Jewish teachers, Jesus sits down with his disciples to expound the Law.

• If scholars are correct the location of this mountain was actually a ridge of hills to the West of Capernaum called Eremos, a transliteration of the Greek word for "lonely" or "solitary."
• It is the first block of teaching that Matthew records following Jesus' exhortation to a repentant life.
• In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus paints a picture of what that repentant lifestyle looks like, what it means to follow Him as a disciple, and the blessedness that ensues.

*The meaning of blessed (Greek: Makarios) : blissful (extremely happy or full of joy).  Biblically, one is pronounced blessed when God is present and involved in his/her life.  It means to be fully satisfied.  It is far more than just being happy, which is often associated with a person's "luck" or circumstances.

The Pursuit (and why each substitute fails):

1.) Eternal realities, transcendent inheritance and reward He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV84)

We are on strike, we, the men of the mind.  We are on strike against self-immolation. We are on strike against the creed of unearned rewards and unrewarded duties. We are on strike against the dogma that the pursuit of one's happiness is evil. We are on strike against the doctrine that life is guilt.” 
― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

The truth is, if we could, most men would desire to find a way to be happy without the effort of God.  For those with this mentality, the unfortunate fact is, we are like a car that wishes that it did not have to run on fuel.  The reality is, however, that because we were made by Him and for Him, we are not designed to function that way.

2.) Comfort in the midst of the harsh realities of life Leads to escapism and addictions

Psalm 126 Ecclesiastes 7:1-6 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (Proverbs 4:23 NIV84)

• There are both present and future realities to the Kingdom of God, as reflected in the tenses of the Beatitudes. Those that are future are also progressive, having their full expression in the culmination of Jesus' return with the New Heaven, the New Earth and the unchallenged Kingdom of God.  It is unchallenged because it is then that God exerts His full authority and strength.  He came first in His mercy as a sacrificial Lamb, He will return with justice as the conquering Lion.  We see the same reflected in the Beatitudes.

But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet.” In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:6-9 NIV84)

• TV watching all day does not revitalize you. You still end up tired at the end of the day because there was no rest for your soul which is only found in Him.

Psalm 62

3.) Power to rule their surroundings Exertion of strength, extortion, cut throat business and politics, exploitation, etc

A man wants to earn money in order to be happy, and his whole effort and the best of a life are devoted to the earning of that money. Happiness is forgotten; the means are taken for the end.” 
― Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays

Many of the Jews of the time were waiting for the Kingdom promise that indicated that His people would be given delegated rule over all the earth, and thought that it would be brought about by Messianic political and military force.  Jesus once again turns this expectation on its head.  When He comes to judge, it is clear that it will be against those who persist in evil, or rebel against the loving design of His government.  If this internal work hadn't been the tone of His first advent, we all would have been lost because we would have been the recipients of that judgment.  We would have continued as slaves to sin and pride attempting to usurp His benevolent rulership in our lives.

What you see in the temptation of Jesus is where we live every day in our workplace, relationships. It's not just financial power, but the power to control our world through manipulating relationships with family, lovers and friends trying to extract from them the satisfaction and security that can only come from God.  Thus we bend our convictions or throw off what we know is right to obtain that which we can never really keep. The recent recession was a reminder of this and the broken marriages and relationships that we see daily reaffirm this fact as we forget the ways of God.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe. 
The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;
they imagine it an unscalable wall. (Proverbs 18:10, 11 NIV84)

4.) Sense of morality and decency Why pluralism, relativism and moralism are so popular.  Straight-edge people without religion.  Peace corps and other charities that spring from Judeo-Christian ethos

5.) Mercy in the midst of their shortcomings We want to be shown mercy, but are quick to judge others in the world to alleviate our own sense of bitterness and self-derision

6.) A relationship with the Creator, to know and be known People are open to this as long as they can make their own version of God which bends to their whims, preferences, desires and ideologies imposed by their experience or culture


7.) Belonging and value


8.) A sense of sacrificial fortitude Many find this one difficult because they have not truly identified themselves as followers of Jesus above all else in the world.  They've chosen to gravitate more to cultural norms and memberships in communities that seem more acceptable to them - like being African American, a republican, an artist or a young, independent businesswoman. It is when these measures of identity and our good standing within these subcultures are threatened that our devotion to Christ is tested.

9.) This was ultimately expressed and demonstrated in Christ Himself, the lawgiver Most People at the time did not think that prophets in the OT sense still existed.  It is often spoken of as the intertestamental period with 400 years of perceived silence from God.  As in the Exodus, Jesus shows up to lead the people to deliverance.  He makes the association to the prophets to speak of the importance of His disciples’ life and work.  Like the prophets, they would help turn others back to relationship with the one true God and His standards for living.

They represent paradoxes that contradict the manners in which people think that they are attained.  When you are appealing to people, it is a part of the good news.  Some are intuitive, yet when disconnected from God, incomplete

*When a Christian (this is a shaking question) or non-Christian finds themself without the extreme happiness and joy to which the Beatitudes refer, it is because a substitute has been made for one of the "if", "then" qualifiers.  

• For example, instead of being poor in spirit, trying to be self-reliant or self-righteous gives you no assurance of an eternal home.  Who can ever guarantee that they've been good enough to measure up to the perfection of God.  No one.  Enter the gospel.  Or, instead of taking the time to mourn, being sober about things pertinent to the Kingdom, people ride an emotional roller-coaster searching incessantly for momentary pleasures of temporary highs and devastating lows when the party is over.  There is no sense of stability, people or place that you can truly call home because it is all about finding the next source of entertainment to fight off the boredom and emptiness that lingers.  We can go on and on.

The Rest: The solution is to realign ourselves with the original recipe that Jesus prescribes.   Only then can we once again find our rest in He who holds the destinies of men, past, present and future in His hands.  He is the one who distributes the zoe life of God (John 10:10).
 All of this background in regards to the Jewish expectation of the Messiah and the contextual interaction with the Law and the Prophets is what we see Jesus expound in the rest of the Sermon on the Mount.  Next week, during our first prelaunch, we'll take a look back to examine what one of those Prophets who has already been mentioned several times has said.  We'll begin our prelaunch series, "Coming Soon" working through the book of Isaiah

Practical Faith Challenge of the Week: Let as many people as you can know why the happiness they are looking for is found in Jesus alone and invite them to next week's prelaunch

2nd City Church - Man on a Mission Sermon Series 2012

Following and Fishing

Man on a Mission: "Following and Fishing"

Matthew 4:18-25

1. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. (Luke 4:14, 15 NIV84)
2. The environment of Capernaum Jesus makes his base of operations for His ministry Capernaum, a prosperous fishing district by the Sea of Galilee, where he would select His first disciples to turn the world upside down.  Because the trade route Via Maris, "way to the sea" ran through it, it was constantly filled with Gentiles, as well as Jews who would take his message of salvation throughout the Roman world.
3. It was called Galilee of the Gentiles because the tribes of Israel in this Northern region were surrounded on three sides by non-Jewish populations.  Ever since the disciplining of Israel through the Assyrian conquest that made it a province under an Assyrian governor in 732 BC, this region experienced continually forced infiltration of Gentile influence. The Sea of Galilee.  Parallels to Chicago are obvious.

*Why did Jesus have such a concern with fishing for people?  Why not just leave them where they are?

1. Understanding the references that Jesus was making within the culture gives us a better understanding of what he intends of the church's activity today.  He frequently uses three activities which describe how the church will be established, sustain itself and grow - fishing, farming and building.As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. (Matthew 4:18 NIV84) 
2. Because fish at the time was a staple food that was cooked, dried and pickled,  fisherman were prosperous businessmen in that area compared to the agrarian farmers who worked the land throughout the Roman Empire.“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19 NIV84)

• When Jesus said, "Come, follow me," he is establishing this as a message and relationship of grace.  In Israel, disciples would go looking for a rabbi who would instruct them, however Jesus turns this on its head.  We do not go looking for God, God comes looking for us.  Even those who look like they're seekers are those that God is drawing by His loving-kindness.  This is why joining Him in fishing for people is imperative.
• *Why would Jesus use the analogy of fishing?  It is because though by grace, any experience, encounter or benefit that we are going to receive in regards to the life of God is going to take effort. It, like anything of value in life, is a product of God multiplying the effort that you put into it.  Like relationships

This is the pattern of God that we see with Abraham, in pagan worship, Moses and the burning bush, etc.  God comes to initiate by interrupting the well worn flow and mundane affairs of people's live

• This is a living relationship, not a philosophy.  We cannot afford to ignore what Jesus is highlighting here - faith is not described as a mental assent, a mere agreement with a set of doctrinal tenets, though they are infinitely important and the foundation of our relationship with God.  For example, the acknowledgement of Jesus' identity as the only, unique Son of God, who came in the flesh, born of a Jewish virgin, was sinless, performed miracles, died and was resurrected from the dead in fulfillment of hundreds of years of prophecies gives us the premise through which we trust him and serve Him as Lord.  However His resurrection and eternal rulership is the catalyst for our daily pursuit of His will as He continues to direct the affairs of men today.  We look for Him to keep in step with Him, FOLLOWING him accordingly.
• When we speak of following Jesus, we are acknowledging the relinquishment of our rights.  It is the essence of Lordship.  We, like Abraham are not told where we will be heading, only the promise that God will be with us and has a better inheritance for us.  In relinquishing control, we are submitting to the idea that Jesus knows what is best, when it is best and how things should be done in our relationships, with our time and our finances and careers, all things that pertain to our security and future, though He has not given us a detailed map of what it looks like.  This is why we live on every word that proceeds from His mouth.  This is why His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.  This is what we rejoice when the instability of the world around us is revealed.  Psalm 46.  This is the essence of Biblically defined faith - trust, or more specifically, entrusting yourself to someone.  He said repent for the Kingdom is near. We have to remember the benefits of the Kingdom (Psalm 103), righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Spirit

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, (Romans 14:17 NIV84)

At once they left their nets and followed him. (Matthew 4:20 NIV84)

• There will always be a leaving of something that is familiar, to follow Jesus.  It is not necessarily a job that you're leaving, though on some paths, it may require such a crossroads.  More often, it is a leaving of comforts, well worn patterns of thinking, and our thoughts of what the future that we planned would look like.  it is putting our security fully in the hands of Christ who we acknowledge as sovereign in this fleeting world.   It is a casting off of the identity to which you've clung so dearly, and allowing the loving, living, omnipotent God to redefine you ("for they were fishermen").  Remember, for Peter, Andrew, James and John to leave their fathers, they were leaving the family business and their promise of a worldly inheritance.  If you did not have to leave anything, if it did not require a change, you would have already been following him, and your life would have reflected the liberties of Scripture.

Practically, we ask these questions:

1. What have you shown through your Word to be your general, overarching will?
2. How are you moving today to accomplish that will in my relationships, family and workplace?
3. What is my part today in serving you to help accomplish that will?
   • Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. (Matthew 4:21, 22 NIV84)
   • Immediacy is the key to obedience in The Lord.  Many a graveyard of calling has been filled with those who took the time to contemplate whether following Christ was feasible and expedient.  With whom are you trying to deliberate when the maker of the universe calls your name?   The term is called "playing the devil's advocate" for a reason.  The longer you wait to obey, the harder it becomes to move, because you begin to be loaded down with anxieties, fears and excuses as to why the middle road of nominal, rather than dynamic, faith is better, doesn't require as much and is acceptable to God.
   • Our faith walk was never intended to cul de sac with our own personal devotions, solely getting our own needs met.  Abraham, the father of our faith, was blessed to be a blessing.

*Jesus, in His call to discipleship, commences with a paradigm disallowing the idea of just showing up at church each Sunday solely thinking of yourself.  This is what the majority of American Christians do, but we are challenged to come looking to contribute in worship as much as we are expecting to receive from God in the community of faith.  Conversely, Jesus immediately establishes the foundation that we should continuously think about how to see others who don't know Him come onto His boat.  This is where we are blessed being a part of a church plant, because it naturally accentuates this goal and need.

• Without a doubt, fishing for men is not a gifting or a characteristic of a special class of Christian, but is the mark of any true disciple of Christ.  If we are following, we're going to be fishing.
• *Whether or not it is on our minds, the penultimate agenda on Jesus' heart is the reconciliation of the individuals of this world with His Father.  It is the very reason for the incarnation, the cross and the talk of the Kingdom of God.

“Give me all of you!!! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self---in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

A young girl, in citing this passage once asked me, "If Jesus said that when we follow Him, He'll make us fishers of men, does that mean that if we are not fishing for people, we are not following Him?"  Most times, we try to define for ourselves what it means to follow Jesus, rather than allowing Jesus to define it for Himself.  In doing so, we are deceived.  At the very least, the girl's inquiry is a penetrating question exposing the incomplete paradigm in which we live.

A description of fishing in the ancient world :

1. the nets
2. by team - why it is good to bring friends, family and co-workers to an environment of faith where they can be touched by God. The general statistic is it takes 3-7 significant encounters with the gospel before someone comes to Christ and just as many relationships to stick in his church.
3. Repetition in casting the nets

Casting their nets vs. the trammel net

For what type of people should we be fishing?

1. The non-Christian
2. The unconnected Christian
3. The co-worker, friend or family member willing to check things out (John 1)

When should we fish for people?: Jesus comes to the first disciples more than likely after a long night of fishing when they are mending their nets

Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. (Ecclesiastes 11:6 NIV84)

• As one of the disciples, John would witness the first miracle of Jesus at the wedding in Cana (John 1:35-2:11).  First, Jesus shows how powerful and practical he is by touching even their business endeavors. He is saying there is nothing too big for Him to transform in someone's life and nothing too small for him to care about.  He is indicating that when He enters an individual's life, there is no area or sphere that He will leave untouched by His covenant.
• It is no mistake that one of Jesus' first miracles in direct relationship to the disciples had to do with fishing. Luke 5:1-11

*In summary, when you are called by Jesus to be a Christian, you are commissioned by Him to also be a co-laborer of His to build His church and Kingdom.  It takes absolute diligence and focus to be a builder alongside of Jesus.  As we spoke about warfare last week, there is every discouragement and distraction that will attempt to throw you off of the faithful and consistent course of prayer and reaching out.  Though men and women born of the Holy Spirit, we far too often resign to our carnal judgments to determine if an activity is worthwhile.  We know that prayer is important, but we want to see the immediate results of our single request offered to God before we'll consider investing further time into it.  We live in the microwave generation of instant messaging, instant downloads and instant gratification.  However, what this does is make our souls weak.  We lose the value and practice and fruit of patience.  If we do not see an instantaneous finished product, then it is not exciting.  And boy, aren't we encouraged to live for pleasures and the next "new" thing.  We know that it takes love and consistency to make disciples, but if someone doesn't fall on their knees immediately, we assume that either God is not at work or that He is not interested in using us.  These mentalities completely contradict the nature of faith and undercut the analogy that Jesus intentionally made of successful fishing.  There is no parent who has been able to experience the overwhelming joy of parenthood, whether through adoption or natural birth, without the travail of the process.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, (Luke 5:4-9 NIV84)

• We often feel like we do not have the strength to help others, but here is part of the good news of the gospel, that Jesus heals us so that we might have the strength to love and serve Him. It is so often that we are waiting for healing before we move, but instead it is as we go, as we are looking to give, that we are actually healed (Luke - ten lepers).

What does fishing for people look like in our context?:

• Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demonpossessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.  (Matthew 4:23-25 NIV84)
• Just as people BROUGHT to Jesus people in these conditions, physically, psychologically, emotionally or circumstantially, so can we.  And they can be healed.  INVITATION is the key here.
• There is a crescendo leading to Matthew 10 where the disciples first see Jesus' ability, and then are sent to the people to heal themselves by the power of Jesus' authority and the Holy Spirit.

This is one of the unique purposes of our Purple Book groups that are beginning.  Please join not only to be exposed, but to learn to articulate what you have come to believe.  Strengths and weaknesses of invitational style

Different styles of evangelism found in Becoming a Contagious Christian by Bill Hybels of Willow Creek: Invitational Style

• Percentage of people who said they would come if someone invited them to church vs. percentage invited.  Bringing people to Jesus does not have to be limited to an invitation to church - there are a multiplicity of environments and scenarios to aid this.
• Christmas is an easy time to invite people. It will be fantastic practice for the city even as many of you go home for the holidays.
• This is a fantastic realization as we approach our first Pre-launch service December 9

Practical faith goal for every disciple:

1. Pray for at least three unconnected Christians or non Christians in your sphere daily for the next three weeks.
2. Invite them to join us with the hope of at least one of them coming and drawing closer to Jesus and his church December 9

2nd City Church - Man on a Mission Sermon Series 2012