The Macedonian Call - Part 8

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers,  you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle,  encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Second City Church - The Macedonian Call - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2018

The Macedonian Call - Part 7

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification:  that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

"Alien and archaic as the idea may seem, the task of the church is not to make men and women happy; it is to make them holy." - Chuck Colson

Colossians 1:15-20
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

1 Thessalonians 4:9-18
Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

"Hopes are for the living; the dead have no hope." - Theocritus

1 Thessalonians 4:13 
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

Second City Church - The Macedonian Call - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2018

The Macedonian Call - Part 6

Last week we spoke about the family unit that God provides for us through his church.  This week we will discuss the dynamics of walking as such through the adversities that inevitably come in a fallen world.  

1 Thessalonians 3:1-13
Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Interconnected in Affliction 

Know your enemy before the fight 

The tempter comes in the midst of trials to discourage the people of God and lure them back to old destructive ways as coping mechanisms.  What would that be for you?

Do not go into isolation or hiding during times of struggle.  Allow your brothers and sisters in Christ to be there for you. 

What Does it Look Like?

Stop, Drop and Roll

STOP running from God and other believers when you face afflictions.  Paul was concerned that his labor for the Lord with the Thessalonians would be in vain if they threw off their God-given anchors in times of trial.  Identify your church family with whom you will share life in Christ and stay in the pocket.                                

Mark 4:16-17 
16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.  

Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

DROP to your knees In prayer.  Drop facades, protective walls, and defenses.  In your community groups, establish your go-to people with whom you willingly choose to be vulnerable and to divulge the realities of your life.  Give them permission, as Timothy did with the church in Thessalonica, to “check in” on you as well.  The cross of Jesus Christ levels the playing field so that no man or woman should feel inferior or superior to another.  We are all saved by grace through faith, forgiven of damnable sins and can encourage one another in the mercy of God that is available to us all. 

Proverbs 17:19
Whoever loves transgression loves strife; he who makes his door high seeks destruction.

Proverbs 18:1-2
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable. - C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

ROLL with the people who are in your immediate vicinity, who can see the whole picture and give godly counsel which can be followed-up upon.  Identify the things in life that are trying to burn down your faith, confidence in God, health, marriage or family. They may be emotional, financial or circumstantial struggles. Apply the water of the Word of God to these things and contend for the salvation (rescue/deliverance) of God with those whom Christ has given you.  Christ’s resurrection from the dead gives us access to an eternal life that begins with our reconciliation with God.  The life abundant that Jesus promises is developed through life shared with those who also are longing for their heavenly home in Christ.  

Proverbs 27:9-10
Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend, and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.

I have no duty to be anyone's Friend and no man in the world has a duty to be mine. No claims, no shadow of necessity. Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art, like the universe itself (for God did not need to create). It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival. - C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

Second City Church - The Macedonian Call - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2018

The Macedonian Call - Part 5

1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed— God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

The Church as a Family

When God brings you to himself through Christ, he brings you into a family.  The church is to function as a family with family dynamics as we grow into spiritual health and maturity. 

Why don’t we live and function like a family?

*Part of this generation’s dysfunction with relationship is that as opposed to other generations, people have an expectation of others putting them first.  This was not the case in other generations.  In our stunted culture, people gravitate to those relationships that will make them center focus and move on from those relationships that do not.  This is not the design of God (Jesus leaving the 99 to get the one, the command to honor others above yourself, If you exalt yourself you’ll be humbled, people gathering around them those who tell them what their itching ears want to hear, etc.)

When allowed to go on like this, relationships develop co-dependent tendencies.

v. 8 - “So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”

For relationships to be healthy and fruitful, they have to be more than one-sided.  Take an interest in others beyond what immediately concerns you.  Hear the stories of others to earn the right to tell yours.

There are multiple familial terms represented in the Thessalonians passage - mother and children, brothers and fathers. As you continue to grow in Christ, there should always be three relationships that are developing in your life:

1. Mother/Father - who is someone that is mentoring you, helping to you mature in the things of God?

2. Brothers - who is someone that is a peer to you that is helping to push you further in the things of God? Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

3. Children - who is someone that YOU are helping to disciple, helping to raise in the things of God (i.e. investing in them by teaching them the Purple Book)?

Those trying to figure out their calling in God, let's find a place for you in and through this community of faith.  As you make decisions about what you'll do and where you'll be in the coming years...We need people in Chicago. We need people in the mission field.

“For any team, if you don’t fight for community, it won’t happen. Community is the intentional pursuit of being intertwined in each other’s stories. It’s being a part of the highs and the lows together, being hope for each other, having fun together, working together, encouraging one another, helping each other grow and calling out the gold in one another.” - Paul McClure

The atoning work of Jesus Christ made this possible for us. When he sacrificed himself on the cross for the forgiveness our sins, his blood was spilled to cleanse us, draw us near to God the Father and make us one family.  Through his resurrection from the dead he offers us not only eternal life, but a new life of relational dynamics different from the dysfunction from whence we sprang.

The Church as a Force

1 Thessalonians 2:13-20
And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last! But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.

This is not anti-Semitism.  Jesus was of Jewish lineage.  The majority of the earliest Jewish believers were Jewish in Judea that the Thessalonians were now imitating.  

*Being of Jewish lineage himself, Paul thought the opposition to the gospel particularly grievous because the commission of Israel has always been to be a blessing to the nations (Genesis 12) through the spread of the knowledge of the one true God revealed through his Son, Jesus, the promised Messiah.  Reflecting the pattern initiated with Israel, Paul understood God’s heart that the church was to be an agent of revelation and reconciliation for the world - a force for the gospel (Exodus, Isaiah 49).

Recognizing the Voice (of God) in the Invitation

Acts 16:1-5
Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

Encounters with the living God in dreams, visions, burning bushes and prophetic words do occur.  However, you are called into the work of God through daily circumstance and human interaction (think the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37). 

“We are always falling in love or quarreling, looking for jobs or fearing to lose them, getting ill and recovering, following public affairs. If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favorable conditions never come.” - C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

Christ-centered community should intentionally lead to impacting the culture together with the gospel.  Community is not an end in and of itself.  

Mark 8:34-38
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Mark 10:29-31
Anyone who loves his father or mother more...

Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Second City Church - The Macedonian Call - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2018

The Macedonian Call - Part 4

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly  mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Passion

v. 3

Work of faith, labor of love, steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ - all of these are a result from real encounters with Jesus. 

“God's salvation does not come in response to a changed life. A changed life comes in response to the salvation, offered as a free gift.”

Timothy J. Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters

You cultivate your passions by what you focus on and what you feed on 

Feed on the Word of God.  

If you’ve not done the Purple Book, finish it this summer.  If you’ve done it before, do it again to sharpen your focus on the foundations of the faith. 

Perspective 

v. 9,10

...how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

“An idol is something that we look to for things that only God can give. Idolatry functions widely inside religious communities when doctrinal truth is elevated to the position of a false god. This occurs when people rely on the rightness of their doctrine for their standing with God rather than on God himself and his grace. It is a subtle but deadly mistake…. Another form of idolatry within religious communities turns spiritual gifts and ministry success into a counterfeit god…. Another kind of religious idolatry has to do with moral living itself… Though we may give lip service to Jesus as our example and inspiration, we are still looking to ourselves and own own moral striving for salvation…. Making an idol out of doctrinal accuracy, ministry success, or moral rectitude leads to constant internal conflict, arrogance and self-righteousness, and oppression of those whose views differ.”

Timothy J. Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters

 

“Have you heard God's blessing in your inmost being? Are the words, "You are my beloved child, in whom I delight" an endless source of joy and strength? Have you sensed, through the Holy Spirit, God speaking to you? That blessing- the blessing through the Spirit that is ours through Christ- is what Jacob received, and it is the only remedy against idolatry. Only that blessing makes idols unnecessary. As with Jacob, we usually discover this only after a life of "looking for blessings in all the wrong places." It often takes an experience of crippling weakness for us to finally discover it. That is why so many of the most God-blessed people limp as they dance for joy.”

Timothy J. Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters

Second City Church - The Macedonian Call - Cole Parleir 2018

The Macedonian Call - Part 3

Acts 17:1-9
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews[a] were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
 

1.    Point 1- The Heavenly Vision

a.    Macedonia--->Philippi---->Thessalonica....WHY?
i.    Not because it was the capital city of Macedonia...or 10x’s larger in population than other cities... but because God called Paul, Silas, and Timothy to go there. Period. Though I suspect there may not have been a Jewish synagogue in Amphipolis or Apollonia and God reveals Christ first to the Jews.
1.   Acts 16:6-10
a.    6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul[c] had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
ii.    Proverbs 12:15
1. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
iii.    Proverbs 16:9
1. The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.
iv.    Rollan Fisher
1.    “You have a green light until you have a red light”
2.    This is when wondering if you should act on something general the Lord has told us to do in his Word.
b.    The Jewish Synagogue
i.    Paul kept in step with God’s method of revealing His plan first to his chosen people the Jews. God has a priority.
1.    Romans 1:16
a.    16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

2.    Point 2- The Heavenly Source

a.    Paul reasoned with them from the scriptures
i.    2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
 
ii.    Paul knew the scriptures were authoritative to the Jews and used them to ‘renew their minds’ like Jesus did with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
1.   Amos 3:6-8
a.    'Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it? "For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?"'
2.    Ephesians 3:4-6
a.    'When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery
is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.'

3.    Point 3- The Heavenly Message

a.    Paul knew there main objection would be the misunderstanding of the scriptures missing the fact that the messiah needed to suffer, die, and raise from the dead.
i.    3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”
ii.    Isaiah 52:13-53:
1.    Behold, my servant shall act wisely;[b]he shall be high and lifted up,and shall be exalted.14 As many were astonished at you—his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—15 so shall he sprinkle[c] many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see,    and that which they have not heard they understand. ' Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—everyone—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will
of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes
intercession for the transgressors.'
Isaiah 53:1-12 https://www.bible.com/bible/59/ISA.53.1-12

4.    Point 4- The Heavenly Response

a.    Be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ and join His body
i.    4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
b.    Some joined, and some were jealous
i.    5 But the Jews[a] were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
 

Action Challenge

1.    Learn what the churches vision/call is for reaching the nations by talking the staff and visiting https://secondcitychurch.com/missions/
2.    Study the Bible and learn to preach the good news from the source. Go to https://peacewithgod.net for interactive tool
3.    Practice your two minute testimony
a.    Check out http://bethel-church.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/testimony.pdf for guidance
4.    Join the team and either pray, give, or go
a.    https://secondcitychurch.com/give/

Second City Church - The Macedonian Call - Cole Parleir 2018

The Macedonian Call - Part 2

The Father (God) in Phillipi

The Father Brings Salvation to Households

A good father takes the time to make each opportunity a teaching moment

Acts 16:11-15
So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

The Father Delivers from Demons

A good father opens our eyes to things otherwise unrealized.  His desire is to empower us and set us free.

Acts 16:16-24
As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

The Father Frees Us From Our Prisons

A good father fights for us in our struggles.  Through Christ, our Heavenly Father sets us free from our prisons. 

Acts 16:25-40
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

Worship your way out of prison

*Have mercy on the ones who once imprisoned you that they too might find the salvation of God

“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”
- Nelson Mandela

“I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”
- Nelson Mandela

“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.” - Nelson Mandela

Jesus and his sacrificial death on the cross for our sins was the perfect expression of the Father’s love.  Christ’s resurrection from he dead is the perfect encouragement from the Father than forgiveness, a new hope and new life can be ours as we turn to him in repentance and faith.  

Second City Church - The Macedonian Call - Rollan Fisher 2018

The Macedonian Call - Part 1

 

Part of theology is to understand and discern the ways of God.  We can discover what God intends for Christ-centered living by looking at how He’s interacted with and directed His people throughout Biblical history. 

To whom God has called you
To whom God has called you to minister
With whom God has called you to minister 

Acts 16:1-10 
Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily. And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

To whom God has called you

God calls you to himself in Christ as an individual.  (This is most important and is provided for as we turn away from our sins and put our trust in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross and provision for new life through his resurrection from the dead). He calls you to his purposes as a part of his people. 

V. 1 - Timothy joins Paul, Silas, Luke and their missionary companions.  
Find your people, find your purpose.  
It is here that you are discipled and grow. 

Who you are doing things with is just as important as what you are doing for the Lord. 

This is true in marriage and all areas of life 

I Corinthians 15:33
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

“Find your people, find your purpose.”
-Jim Laffoon 

To whom God has called you to minister

2. God gives you a place and a people to whom you minister. 
“Come over to Macedonia and help us.”  
This includes your workplace, your friendship group, your neighborhood, your school, a city or a nation. 

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.” - Francis Chan, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God

Godly counsel helps protect us from this. 

God steers moving ships. Paul was set apart for his missionary work in Acts 13.  This was not in question.  The rest of his ministry became his efforts to fulfill that call through prayerful planning and evangelistic efforts with the people with whom God had joined him.  The dream from God to reach the Macedonians (which inevitably resulted in the churches in Phillipi, Thessalonica, Berea, etc.) would come as they were on the move to fulfill that Acts 13 call.  The Acts 13 call would become the Macedonian call. 

With whom God has called you to minister

3. God gives you plans and purpose in the counsel of your people with whom he’s called you to minister.  
Find your people, define your plans. 

How Will I Know?

The Ways of God are building and interconnected.  He is a wise master builder and calls us to be as well.  

You don’t need to be a maverick. 

God has not left it to you to have the entirety of His Kingdom plans on your own.  It keeps you from being isolated, running solo and keeps you connected to the people/leadership with whom he wants you to advance His Kingdom. 

Proverbs 15:22 
Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.

Proverbs 20:18
Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.

Proverbs 24:3-7
By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might, for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the gate he does not open his mouth.

There is room for you.  If you don't see something represented at the church, come forward and help create it.  We are the body and all the parts need to function.  If you don't see something, it may be because we haven't heard from you yet. 

Second City Church - The Macedonian Call - Rollan Fisher 2018