Friends with Benefits - Friendship from God

Refer to these Scriptures alongside the podcast sermon by Pastor Rollan Fisher:

Ephesians 1 (NIV)

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. 11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

18I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

James 1 (NIV)

1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

6But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. 9Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

12Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 16Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

19My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. 26Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Colossians 1 (NIV)

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. 3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.

7You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. 9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

24Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

Second City Church- Friends with Benefits Sermon Series 2015

GOD'S NOT DEAD: Living Proof

(All sermon notes are provided entirely from the outline provided by Rice Broocks for the God's Not Dead preaching series. If churches or ministries are interested in using these materials as a resource, visit godsnotdead.org to download content. God's Not Dead books and evangelistic materials are also made available on godsnotdead.org.)

INTRO: We've come to the conclusion of this series. It's time to look at the impact of God and His grace on Cultures, Countries, and Countless lives of individuals.

VERSE: Acts 1:3 “After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.”

1. CULTURES:

John Lennon sang what has become the international anthem of unbelief:

"Imagine"

Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people…living for today

Lennon made the challenge that if there were no religion, the world would be a better place.

One of the tactics of the new "skeptics" is to try and take every bad thing done in the name of religion and group it together into one monstrous picture. In philosophy this is called a "straw man argument"—painting a false picture of something and then arguing against it.

This is as big a logical fallacy as you can make. It's also grossly unfair. It attempts to remove any distinction between different religions, and also between those who call themselves Christians.

If you get rid of all religion, do you think that evil would end?

That's what happened in the 20th-century communist world of it’s co-founder Vladimir Lenin: Millions of people died...more than all the wars and crusades of history.

While horrible things have been done in the name of religion, the real story is this overwhelming reality: The impact of God and His grace on the world has given us too many blessings to count!

Imagine a world of paganism and darkness 2000 years ago: • No rights for women or children • 1/4 of Rome's citizens were slaves • 1/3 of Athenian citizens were slaves

In fact, God had given the human race the first taste of deliverance (or redemption) from human bondage when He brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt.

It was God's word that introduced rules for treatment of those called servants or slaves and lead ultimately to their freedom from bondage.

God's purpose from the beginning has been to free men and women on the inside first and then the outside as well. It's called redemption.

The unfolding of the plan of redemption gave humanity the startling picture of a slave becoming free in Christ and becoming a brother or sister to those that formerly enslaved them.

It would be people like William Wilberforce, a committed follower of Christ in England, that would lead the way in seeing the evil practice of the African slave trade abolished.

The impact of grace has been felt in crucial areas of our culture. (More information on pages 195-207, GND)

• Protection of children: Children had no rights or value until Jesus came and talked about the value of children...

“Unless you become like a child” “Whoever causes one of these little ones to stumble it would be better to have a millstone around your neck and thrown into the sea”

• Elevation of women: The Bible teaches that women are co-heirs of the grace of life.

• Charity: The concept of giving to those in need came from Scripture.

• Hospitals: …and care for the sick, eg: The parable of the “Good Samaritan.”

• Education: The first 100 Universities in America were built to teach and promote education in the Christian faith.

Overall, it is the Christian concept of the “strong serving and protecting the weak” (instead of the evolutionary mindset of the “strong dominating the weak”) that originated from Jesus, not Darwin, and gave our culture the sense of everyone’s human dignity.

(For more, see the testimony of the Fiji Islands on page 196 of GND.)

2. COUNTRIES: The Growth of Christianity across the world.

VERSE: Acts 19:20 “The Word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.” The growth of the Gospel around the world has been astounding. This growth flies in the face of the notion that you become a Christian based on being born in America.

• AFRICA In 1900, Africa was 8% Christian…Today it’s almost 50%.

There are gatherings of millions of believers in places like Nigeria and Uganda.

• ASIA The largest Churches in the world exist in this area of the world.

In China, where Western missionary activity is basically illegal, Christianity has grown to over 100 million believers.

One-hundred years ago, Korea had no evangelical believers…Today it’s over 25%.

Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim country and yet has more Christians now than are in Korea.

• SOUTH AMERICA It hosts some of the world’s largest churches as well.

There are massive gatherings of 2 million people in Brazil for simple worship services.

• AMERICA & EUROPE Nominal faith is declining, but there is a growth in churches where Christ is preached and Scripture is valued as the guide to life and morality.

3. COUNTLESS LIVES:

The God’s Not Dead book records the testimonies of 7 people who went from atheism to faith. For more, see those stories to share with others about the many lives that have been changed through the Gospel.

CONCLUSION:

The Cross and Resurrection set Christ apart from every other philosophy or religion.

VERSE: Revelation 1:18 “I was dead, but am alive forevermore.”

Second City Church- God's Not Dead Sermon Series 2015

GOD'S NOT DEAD - Jesus and the Resurrection

(All sermon notes are provided entirely from the outline provided by Rice Broocks for the God's Not Dead preaching series. If churches or ministries are interested in using these materials as a resource, visit godsnotdead.org to download content. God's Not Dead books and evangelistic materials are also made available on godsnotdead.org.)

While we have examined the scientific and philosophical evidence for God’s existence in this series, there is also the historical witness that provides for us firsthand evidence for His existence—the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

C.S. Lewis said that Jesus claimed to be the son of God. There is no way you can simply give Him lip service as merely a good man or even a great man. He offered this tri-lemma; Jesus was either a...

LIAR - because He knew He wasn’t the son of God, but perpetrated the lie anyway (which certainly wouldn’t make him a great man).

LUNATIC - because He thought He was the son of God (which wouldn’t give us a credible reason to trust Him with our lives and eternal destiny).

LORD - He was who He said He was—the only begotten son of God sent from the Father to save the world.

We will now look at Jesus and answer three questions:

“Was He MAN, MYTH, or MESSIAH?

MAN:

It’s critical that we understand that Jesus did indeed exist. He was a real person.

Books have been written such as “The Quest for the Historical Jesus” that cast doubt on the reality of Jesus ever living.

History records just the opposite:

As one of the greatest skeptics of our time, Bart Ehrman attests to: (Refer to the Bart Ehrman quote from the top of page 144 of God’s Not Dead.).

Not only do the Gospels (which we will discuss in a moment) give the testimony of His life, words and actions, but ancient historians and writers do as well:

- The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus mentioned Jesus and John the Baptist toward the end of the first century.

- Among the many non-biblical references were Pliny the Younger in a letter to the Roman Emperor Trajan in AD 112. (See quote on page 145 of GND.)

- And then there are the Gospels. Remember the Bible isn’t one book, but 66 books written over 1,500 years by 40 different authors. Historians and scholars compiled them into one place so we can conveniently carry them around.

The Gospels were written by four different authors, and are the firsthand accounts of the events of Jesus’ life and death. What distinguished them from other spurious accounts is that these Gospels were all written in the first century while the events and people mentioned would have still been living.

The overwhelming conclusion is that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed real. To quote Bart Erhman again: (See Ehrman’s quote from the top of page 139 in GND).

MYTH:

Skeptics will concede that maybe Jesus lived, but they claim that all the miracles and wonderful deeds were merely evidence of Him being mythologized.

Some have tried to dismiss the Gospel as a fairy tale...a legend or myth. It’s curious; 106 out of the first 108 Universities in America were started to promote the Christian faith...There is no Disneyland University!

Thomas Jefferson had a Bible where he cut out all the miracles of Jesus and simply kept His teachings.

Others have asserted that the Jesus story wasn’t original, but copied from other stories from the Egyptians and Persians that also had gods that were born of a virgin on Dec. 25th, performed miracles, had 12 disciples, were crucified, and then rose again.

First there are no ancient records of any of this being true. There was no similarity between the life of Jesus and ancient gods and myths. The truth is that the success of the Gospel caused people to rewrite ancient history centuries later, and try to retell their stories to sound like the Jesus story.

Even skeptics like Richard Carrier admit this (See quote on page 148-149 GND).

As Josh McDowell said (See quote on top of page 139 GND), “That a few simple men should in one generation have invented so powerful and appealing a personality, so lofty an ethic, and so inspiring a vision of human brotherhood, would be a miracle far more incredible than any recorded in the Gospels.”

MESSIAH:

Finally, we must look at the reality that He was and is the Messiah, the Christ, the Savior of the world.

His Words were like no other. “No one ever spoke the way this man does.” When prophets like Isaiah or Jeremiah spoke, they said “Thus says the Lord.” But when Jesus spoke He said, “Truly I say to you” and “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” Why? Because the Lord was speaking!

His miracles; raising Lazarus from the dead, walking on water, and feeding 5,000 with just a few loaves and fish, caused people to say, “We have never seen anything like this.” (Mark 2:12)

But His resurrection from the dead was the proof that He indeed is the Messiah.

Lee Strobel, a former journalist with the Chicago Tribune, examined the case for Christ with a critical eye. He summarized the evidence that this indeed happened in 5 E’s:

1. Execution - Jesus was indeed executed on a Roman cross.

2. Empty Tomb - Three days after His execution, His tomb was found empty by a group of His women followers. This is significant because the testimony of women was usually dismissed in the ancient world.

3. Eyewitnesses - After His resurrection He was seen alive by over 500 eyewitnesses… overwhelming evidence that He indeed had been raised from the dead.

4. Early Records - The Gospels were the key witnesses, as well as numerous writings by the early Church fathers, that He had been raised from the dead.

5. Emergence of the Church - The sudden emergence of Christianity in the first 30 years has no other explanation than the fact that Christ’s resurrection birthed a worldwide unstoppable movement.

As one historian wrote: (See quote at bottom of Page 156 to top of 157 GND).

Conclusion

Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matt 16:15)

If you really believe He is the Creator of the universe and Savior of the world...

THE ONLY LOGICAL RESPONSE IS TO FOLLOW HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART!

Second City Church- God's Not Dead Sermon Series 2015

GOD'S NOT DEAD - Life is No Accident

(All sermon notes are provided entirely from the outline provided by Rice Broocks for the God's Not Dead preaching series. If churches or ministries are interested in using these materials as a resource, visit godsnotdead.org to download content. God's Not Dead books and evangelistic materials are also made available on godsnotdead.org.)

KEY VERSE: Psalm 139:13-16

INTRO:

1) There is a skeptic in your future! You'll be amazed at who God leads into your life if you're prepared. Most of you believe in God, but have not been able to give the specific reasons for your faith to unbelievers. You KNOW God is real – but need to be able to SHOW that He's real.

2) Strengthen Your Foundations. We’re hoping to strengthen the foundations of your faith. Jesus said when storms come to the house with a weak or missing foundation, it will collapse. (Luke 6:46)

There may even be a skeptic growing up in your house.

Every day you hear about someone who used to be strong in faith walking away because of tragedy, calamity, disappointment or disillusionment.

The fact is: More people turn away from God because of emotional reasons than intellectual ones. They find the intellectual reasons after they decide to walk away from God.

3) Build Your Spiritual Immune System. There are specific attacks and arguments against God's existence that are strategies of the enemy to get you and your children to let go of your faith. This book and series “God’s Not Dead” addresses those arguments specifically. It's like a flu vaccine for a specific strain of the flu virus.

Also, by learning the evidence for God, you are bolstering your spiritual immune system. There is a danger that in ministering to people who are skeptics, that their ideas will end up negatively impacting you (like a ‘well’ person catching the flu from someone they are around).

4) Prepare you for the coming crisis. Crisis is coming to people and cities around you. We want to help people turn to God, not turn away from God!

Remember, the existence of evil isn’t evidence of God’s absence from the universe, but evidence of His absence from our lives.

So far we've talked about how real faith isn’t blind. We are to use our reason as a key part of our faith. All faith has reason and all reason has faith…they are inseparable. God has given us evidence for our faith—from the beginning of the Universe, to the reality of good and evil, to the historical proof of Jesus Christ and His resurrection from the dead.

This week we have one the most exciting topics in the series..

LIFE IS NO ACCIDENT

We’re going to look at 3 areas of evidence for this:

1) Scientific 2) Philosophical 3) Psychological

1. SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE: There is no greater impression of the human mind than the existence of design in nature. It is so overwhelmingly present, that skeptics try to tell us it is just an illusion!

QUOTE: “Biology is the study of living things that appears to be designed” - Richard Dawkins. Dawkins called it “the illusion of design.” (The reason they say that design is an illusion is because they have to.)

If something is designed, then there has to be a Designer.

So they (skeptics) ask “Who designed the Designer?” as if that question should end the debate. (pg. 100, GND)

Our response? No one designed the Designer. You don’t have to have an explanation for your explanation.

Dr. Daniel Came, an Oxford professor and atheist pointed out this fallacy in Dawkins’ thinking...

QUOTE: “Darwin maintains that we’re not justified in inferring a designer as the best explanation of the appearance of design in the universe because the new problem surfaces; who designed the designer? This argument is as old as the hills and, as any reasonably competent first-year undergraduate could point out, is patently invalid. For an explanation to be successful we do not need an explanation of the explanation. One might as well say that evolution by natural selection explains nothing because it does nothing to explain why there were living organisms on earth in the first place; or that the big bang fails to explain the cosmic background radiation because the big bang is itself inexplicable.” (GND pg. 100)

So the evidence for God could be demonstrated if living organisms could be proven (beyond a reasonable doubt) to be designed intentionally and not the product of random processes.

That’s why macro-evolution (one species changing into another) has to be true in their eyes. If there isn’t a natural explanation for the obvious complexity and design in living things, then God or a Creator has to exist.

In Darwin’s day, the cell was seen as more or less a blob of protoplasm (goo). Today we can see that a cell is like a small city. The complexity and order of the systems that are functioning are staggering. You have everything from UPS trucks (delivery systems) carrying messages to and fro, to intricate factories and engines that make the cell function properly.

Then there is DNA…DNA is like the software that runs every living thing.

As you have heard us say, and have read, in the book, the information in the human genome is too staggering to have developed by chance. It’s like getting a pocket text 3 billion letters long.

Then comes the question of where did life come from? Evolution only tells you what happens after you get life—no one knows where the first living cell came from.

Two atheists wrote a book they called “Evolution from Space.” They said the probability of life starting itself was 1 chance in 1040.000.

That’s the same probability they say that a tornado could blow through a junkyard and throw up the debris and it fall to the ground and piece together a 747 airplane, full of gas, ready to fly.

Their response has become a standard atheist response when faced with such overwhelming evidence for design: “Maybe it came from aliens.”

Notice what Dawkins says on camera when interviewed by Ben Stein in the movie “Expelled”: (There’s a great clip from YOU TUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoncJBrrdQ8)

You can see that any explanation other than God is acceptable.

The resounding testimony of the design of living things is that, “we are fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Because life is most certainly designed, then logically, there must be a Designer.

2. PHILOSOPHICAL EVIDENCE:

This leads to the philosophical evidence for life having meaning and purpose.

This is a vital area of knowledge. Radical skeptics try to say that science can answer every question...but science can’t answer the most important questions: Why are we here? Why do we exist? That’s why philosophy is a vital branch of learning.

For you see if there is no God, then life can have no ultimate meaning and purpose. How could it? If we came into existence for no reason and we are headed for an oblivion where there is no purpose, then how could this existence of ours having any real meaning?

QUOTE: “Nature is not cruel, only pitilessly indifferent. This is one of the hardest lessons for humans to learn. We cannot admit that things might be neither good nor evil, neither cruel nor kind, but simply callous- indifferent to all suffering, lacking all purpose.” - Richard Dawkins (pg. 118, GND)

Yet we know life has meaning and purpose. It is seen in not only the order and complexity of living things but in the fact that everything that exists seems to have been made for a purpose. Purpose fills our existence—whether the eye to see or the ear to hear…the fish to swim or the bird to fly.

Skeptics have pointed to things like the appendix as evidence that there are things about our existence that don’t seem to be needed, therefore it’s evidence for a poor design. But the more we learn, we are finding out that things like the appendix actually have a purpose after all. (It has a large part to play in our immune system.)

Here is the logical thinking process: • If there is no God, then there is no ultimate purpose or meaning in life. • There is purpose and meaning in life. • Therefore…God exists.

3. PSYCHOLOGICAL EVIDENCE:

The final area of evidence for the reality of purpose and meaning in life—pointing to God—lies inside of us as humans.

QUOTE: Harvard evolutionist Stephen J. Gould said: “Wind life’s tape back and you will never get human life again.” (pg. 126, GND)

QUOTE: Lawrence Krauss who Dawkins hailed as the “Darwin of Physics” wrote: “We constitute a 1% bit of pollution in the Universe...we are completely irrelevant.” (pg. 114, GND)

Deep inside we know that we are not merely freaks of nature as evolutionary dogma suggests. We also know that we as humans are not just another animal. In the atheistic world view, when you’re dead, you’re dead.

Is that really true? Is this the only life there is?

If that was the case, why should anyone be asked to sacrifice the only life there is for anything or anyone else? Every funeral becomes almost a cruel joke.

The Bible tells us we are made in the image of God. When we lose our sense of purpose and significance, not only can we expect a cloud of despair to settle over our souls, but also one that will settle over the nation.

VERSE: Ephesians 2:12 “Remember when you were strangers to the covenants of promise...without hope and without God in world.”

CLOSING STORY from Rice Broocks:

“Lessons from an atheist funeral”

This past week, my friend Pastor Dale Evrist conducted a funeral of a life long atheist in California. The family who were not believers, still wanted Dale to do the funeral. A life of ignoring God, was suddenly forgotten when they faced the finality of death. Dale said that he was open with the people and said, “This man was not a believer, but I am. I’m here to offer you the hope that belief in God gives us…that life doesn’t end at the grave.”

No one was offended. In fact they came up to him and thanked him for being there.

Is this the only life?

The answer to that question should define your beliefs and your focus in life. I am asking you to recognizing the fact that this life is an amazing gift. God has designed and fashioned you to make a unique impact while you are here on this earth.

Don’t waste any more time listening to the voices telling you otherwise.

Second City Church- God's Not Dead Sermon Series 2015

GOD'S NOT DEAD - There Was A Beginning

(All sermon notes are provided entirely from the outline provided by Rice Broocks for the God's Not Dead preaching series. If churches or ministries are interested in using these materials as a resource, visit godsnotdead.org to download content. God's Not Dead books and evangelistic materials are also made available on godsnotdead.org.)

KEY POINTS FROM OUR SERIES: 1) Good and evil are real and only understood in light of God and His Word. This means that without God there really wouldn’t be any evil...It would just be the way things are.

2) When we are touched by tragedy, it makes us long for a world where evil doesn’t exist. The only hope for such a world is found in Christ.

3) Evil will not win.

4) The Bible says, “overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)

We have the power through the gospel to see evil vanquished...one heart at a time.

This is why this message of God's Not Dead is so important. Because we can be sure that God exists, we can have real hope that His promises of overcoming evil are true.

1) THE UNIVERSE WAS BEGUN BY GOD.

To know God exists, you can start at the very first sentence in the Bible: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

It’s vital to understand that science only recently came to understand that the Universe had an absolute beginning a finite time ago.

From Aristotle to Einstein the consensus was the universe has always existed. If there was no beginning, then the question of who or what began it was not relevant.

It was a Catholic priest and physicist from Belgium, Georges Lemaitrae, that first proposed the theory that is known as the “Big Bang.” The term “Big Bang” was in fact a derogatory term coined to discredit this notion of a beginning.

As Fred Hoyle—scientist and atheist—admitted, “The notion of a beginning is tantamount to allowing a ‘divine foot in the door.”

Noted Bible scholar Dr. Dan Wallace says that though the Bible is not a science book, it is true when it touches on science.

Scientists tell us that at the moment of this beginning, all matter and energy, as well as space and time itself, came into existence. Not only that, but the Universe that resulted contains rationality as well as personality.

Belief in God is logical and rational

When someone claims that faith in God isn’t logical they are simply hurling an insult.

Here is the simple logical progression: (GND pg 70)

• Premise one: Everything that begins to exist has a cause.

• Premise two: The Universe began to exist.

• Conclusion: The Universe has a cause.

The cause must therefore be space-less, time-less, uncaused, rational, and personal.

2) THE UNIVERSE BEGAN WITH HUMAN LIFE IN MIND Let’s look at one of the most startling pieces of evidence for the existence of an Intelligent Mind behind Creation:

THE FINE TUNING OF THE UNIVERSE (pg. 78- 79, GND)

The Universe was “fine-tuned” from the very beginning.

EXAMPLE: Imagine a “Universe Starter Kit”...Imagine it looking like a huge sound board with a bunch of knobs (say 50 knobs) that have to be adjusted within a fantastically small range, but the possibilities are almost infinite. What are the chances of each one of these knobs being set precisely right? (All of them!!!!)

EXAMPLE: It’s like winning the lottery a million times in a row and thinking that you simply have “extremely good luck.”

That’s exactly what the atheists believe, that there is in fact an infinite number of universes. But if you are truly dealing in science and not science fiction, this is the only universe we observe or there is evidence for!

So the Universe was begun by an intelligence beyond human comprehension.

We know enough to know how amazing this God is.

Another way to see this is through what is called the Anthropic principle. (pg. 81, GND)

Scientists admit “our universe” (implying there may be others) is a universe that seems to be designed with human life in mind.

EXAMPLE: The example of going to a hotel room and all of your favorite things are already there. Therefore, someone must have known you were coming...In a similar way, the Universe knew we were coming.

This is so fantastic that atheists can dismiss this with a yawn and say “no big deal...There are an infinite number of possible universes.”

It’s almost comical to hear people gazing at the wonder of the heavens and saying things like “we should thank the universe” for this wonder.

Thank the Universe?

I would no more thank the Universe than I would thank the gift someone gave me on my birthday, or thank the present someone gave me at Christmas. (You thank the giver not the gift).

THERE ARE 3 KEY POINTS THAT WE NEED TO NAIL DOWN:

Summary so far.....

1) The Universe was begun by God.

2) It began with human life in mind.

Now the final point...

3) HE DID IT THROUGH HIS WORD.

Is God’s Word true? This is one of the most important questions of this generation.

So much of western civilization is hanging in the balance. (ie: marriage, civil law, etc.)

The unraveling and rewriting of the moral codes of our society have been the consequence of trying to erase or at least marginalize the impact of the Scripture on our lives.

Many skeptics will concede the existence of a Creator or Designer, but balk at the thought of any kind of clarity as to who or what that God is like.

EXAMPLE: The Bible mini-series (on the History Channel) was popular, but are these stories true?

(Chapter 8 of GND gives the details of why the Bible can be trusted as historically reliable and not a book that was tampered with and changed over the centuries.)

God’s revelation to man in creation is called “General Revelation.”

His communication through Scripture is “Special Revelation.”

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word.” God tells us in Genesis how He did it...He spoke it.

Think about how our world works... Our world is created and shaped by information...LOGOS is the root word for logic.

God communicated to us through Christ.

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." (John 1:14)

We can know that God’s Word (Christ) is dependable because of His resurrection from the dead. He verified His identity and showed that His words could be trusted.

CONCLUSION:

The same God that spoke in Genesis 1 and brought light out of the darkness is able to bring light into the darkness of our hearts and our world today. (2 Corinthians 4:4, 6)

1) The god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving...

There is a spiritual battle that takes belief in the existence of God beyond a mere mental or intellectual exercise.

You can have all your questions answered and still not believe.

2) They can’t see the light of the glory of Christ who is the image of God. God came down and demonstrated His reality and His character in Christ.

3) The God who commanded light to shine out of darkness. In other words, He is the only One that can make something out of nothing.

His Word can change you into a new creation!

Second City Church- God's Not Dead Sermon Series 2015

GOD'S NOT DEAD - Good and Evil are No Illusions

(All sermon notes are provided entirely from the outline provided by Rice Broocks for the God's Not Dead preaching series. If churches or ministries are interested in using these materials as a resource, visit godsnotdead.org to download content. God's Not Dead books and evangelistic materials are also made available on godsnotdead.org.)

Without question, the biggest stumbling block to many people believing in God is the existence of evil and suffering. Even those who believe in God have turned their back on Him because of negative, tragic circumstances in their life or in those they love.

WHY? (Why do bad things happen?) This is the most frequently asked question of God.

Skeptics claim that God is either not loving because He allows evil, or not all–powerful because He can’t stop it. (But God is also all–wise, which means that in His wisdom, a world like ours, with all it’s suffering, is also a world with great joy and happiness, and we are created in such a way that we can understand this.)

Evil is not just an issue to debate — it is the central struggle of the human race.

Evolution has no answer for the problem of evil. That’s because (looking through the eyes of Darwin) the struggle for survival is what pushes all of life forward. Therefore how could you curse the process that actually caused humanity to exist? No two world-views could be as opposite: Darwin says the law of life is “the strong survive and eliminate the weak.” Jesus said, “Let you who are strong bear the burden of the weak and the helpless.”

Which is really true?

Richard Dawkins: The world’s most famous atheist says we are simply here to propagate our DNA. DNA just is...and we dance to its music. He also says that we shouldn’t look to Darwinian evolution as a model as to how to set up our values.

But if that’s the way we are then how can we go against our DNA?

Shouldn’t we just accept our fate as merely evolutionary beings with no real right and wrong?

This is the kind of world where a good God can make Himself known as far as His nature and character.

1) IF GOD IS AN ILLUSION, THEN GOOD AND EVIL BECOME ILLUSIONS TOO. (simply things we imagine or invent)

But we know good and evil are no illusions; therefore, there must be a transcendent Lawgiver behind this very real moral law.

QUOTE FROM C.S. LEWIS (Page 48 of GND)

“These, then, are the two points I want to make. First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and the universe we live in.”

2) “WITHOUT GOD, ALL THINGS ARE PERMISSIBLE.” (Famous quote from the Russian writer Dostoyevsky, pg 53 GND).

The quote was written amidst the backdrop of the Russian culture being in upheaval and reflection of the implications of throwing God out.

Legendary atheists such as Nietzsche acknowledged the connection between the existence of God and the reality of evil. They would admit that in reality, good and evil were not real.

Note: The phrase “God is dead” was coined by Nietzsche. He wasn’t saying that God had actually died, but that the concept of Christian morality had been killed by the hypocrisy of those that claimed to believe in God.

3) IF THERE IS NO GOD, THEN THERE IS NO EVIL. (pg. 42 GND)

If there is no God, then there is no such thing as evil. You can’t describe the world we live in without borrowing the Bible’s descriptions of reality.

4) AS THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD DECREASES IN A PERSON OR A CULTURE, EVIL RISES. THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD ACTS LIKE AN IMMUNE SYSTEM THAT HELPS A SOCIETY RESIST EVIL. (Romans 1:28-29)

5) THEREFORE, THE EXISTENCE OF EVIL DOESN’T INDICATE THE ABSENCE OF GOD FROM THE WORLD, BUT THE ABSENCE OF HIM FROM OUR LIVES.

6) BELIEVING IN GOD WON’T GUARANTEE THAT PEOPLE WILL DO RIGHT THINGS.

People who don’t acknowledge God can do good things, just like people who do acknowledge God can do bad things.

EXAMPLE: Just because you believe in the existence of the police as well as the speed limit doesn’t mean you won’t break the law.

7) ATHEISM DOESN’T TAKE AWAY THE PAIN, IT JUST TAKES AWAY THE HOPE. People turn away from God because of pain and suffering in the world. It’s more of an emotional decision versus a logical or rational one.

8) THE GOSPEL IS THE CURE FOR EVIL. (pg. 60-61)

•God defines evil…He tells us what it is.

•God denounces evil…He tells us to stay away from it (while allowing us the chance to choose).

•He defeated evil at the Cross.

1 Peter 2:24 “He bore our sins in His own body at the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”

He will destroy evil totally from the world in the near future.

The story of the Bible is, from start to finish, the beginning and end of evil from Genesis to Revelation.

The choice is still set before us...

Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 “If anyone is in Christ they are new creations, the old is gone and the new has come.”

Second City Church- God's Not Dead Sermon Series 2015

GOD'S NOT DEAD - Real Faith Isn't Blind

(All sermon notes are provided entirely from the outline provided by Rice Broocks for the God's Not Dead preaching series. If churches or ministries are interested in using these materials as a resource, visit godsnotdead.org to download content. God's Not Dead books and evangelistic materials are also made available on godsnotdead.org.)

INTRODUCTION:

1 Peter 3:15 - “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 - “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

NOTICE THAT THE SCRIPTURE SAYS “DEMOLISH”....THAT MEANS THE TRUTH WILL HAVE THAT KIND OF IMPACT ON THE DECEPTION AND MISINFORMATION OF THIS SKEPTICAL AGE.

As we embark on this important series “God’s Not Dead”, let’s look back briefly on the some of the Historical drama that has contributed to the current challenge:

1) CHARLES DARWIN: The scientific world was overturned in 1859 by his radical theory of evolution through natural selection. He proposed that all of life arose from a common ancestor, completely by natural processes. There is no question that the world was changed by the presentation of this theory. It provided another explanation, other than a Supernatural agent, for how life emerged.

It’s important to remember that evolution only tries to explain what happens after you get life—it can’t tell you how life began. (We will deal with this fully in a message called “Life is no Accident.”)

2) FREDRICK NIETZSCHE: The phrase “God is Dead” was introduced by this German Philosopher at the end of the 1800’s. He wasn’t saying that God had actually died, but that the idea of God was now dead and with it all the moral restrictions that went with that faith. He was well aware of the connection between belief in God and morality.

3) SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES: Gave false impression that God wasn’t necessary to explain the Universe.

A. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity —redefined the way we understand the BIG PICTURE of TIME AND SPACE. B. Quantum Theory  —revolutionized our picture of the subatomic world. At the smallest level, particles don’t seem to follow the same cause and effect rules of the larger world of planets. C. Big Bang Theory —of the beginning of the Universe…contrary to the prevailing view of the time that the Universe simply had always existed, this discovery told us that there was an absolute beginning of space and time.

All of this added to the feeling that Science was now giving us the explanations that we used to look to religion to give us.

4) TIME MAGAZINE: By the 1960’s this skeptical worldview had become entrenched into academic circles and the philosophy of naturalism with it, which prompted to ask on it’s cover edition on Easter of 1966, “Is God Dead?”

Atheism, though never officially more than around 5% of the American people, has affected the view of reality of many Americans as well as the laws of the land. Prayer was banished from public schools and a radical secularization of society continued to grow.

5) SEPTEMBER 11: After the tragedy of 9/11 there was a surge in the writing of books that condemned religion as the reason for the attacks.

Men like Richard Dawkins, a biologist from England wrote “The God Delusion.” The late Christopher Hitchens work was called “God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.” Sam Harris called for “The End of Faith” and Bill Maher said “religion must die.”

All of these types of writings demonstrated that extremism is just as prevalent among skeptics as it is among religious extremists.

For the most part the average Church-goer goes along un-phased by books like these. Where the impact is really felt is among young people. Through these kinds of books and the proliferation of atheist blogs and YouTube channels, young people get assaulted by their peers with questions and accusations against belief in God and the Bible that they are not prepared for.

THE NEGATIVE IMPACT IS UNDENIABLE:

In 2007, Millenials (age 18-29) were asked, “Do you ever doubt the existence of God?” 83% said NO. In 2012, they were asked the same question and 68% said NO. It was a change of 15 points in just 5 years!

Young people (and everyone for that matter) are going to need more than an EXPERIENCE if they are going to withstand the SKEPTICAL ONSLAUGHT that awaits them once they leave high school.

What is tragic is that the evidence for God and the truth of the Christian faith is overwhelming while much of the skeptical challenges are baseless and even absurd. Many times they are the equivalent of a ‘drive-by shooting’ intellectually, or better yet, a sensational super-market tabloid headline…fabricated yet attention getting.

Just as the English reformer William Wilberforce (who almost single-handedly ended slavery in Great Britain) said, ”Christianity has been successfully attacked and marginalized because those who professed belief were unable to defend the faith from attack, even though its attackers’ arguments were deeply flawed.” (Quote from Introduction of GND).

As we embark on this series we want to give you the evidence for God in a way that you can grasp it and share it with others. As Rice Broocks told his own teenagers, “This stuff may be over your head, but it’s not out of your reach.”

Also, we want to give you answers to the challenges that skeptics are raising in this generation. This message is addressing an overall claim that faith in God is blind, meaning it is without evidence as well as unreasonable. This is closely connected to the charge that you must choose between faith and reason as well as God or science. Of course this entire series is addressing this and giving the evidence for God.

Let us look at 7 important FOUNDATIONAL POINTS:

1. GOD COMMANDS US TO USE REASON!

Mark 12:30 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

KEY PHRASE: “WE COME TO GOD THROUGH REASON, NOT AGAINST IT!”

Isaiah 1:18 “Come let us settle the matter...” Most translations say “come let us reason together...”

We are called to reason, think, consider, and then act on what is reasonably true.

SCIENCE ROSE OUT OF A CHRISTIAN WORLD VIEW because the first scientists believed the Universe was rationally understandable.

“Men became scientific because they expected law in nature and they expected law in nature because of a belief in a Lawgiver”- CS Lewis

“The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that the universe is comprehensible” - Albert Einstein

2. EVERYONE STARTS WITH A WORLD VIEW… a lens of a framework through which you interpret the facts and phenomenon around you. Yet, if you’re committed to a philosophy of naturalism, then no amount of evidence for God is enough. Naturalism is a world view that everything arose on its own by strictly natural processes—there is no reason behind the universe or life and no purpose looking forward. But if you are really willing to follow the evidence where ever it leads as Socrates suggested, then you are willing to follow it if it leads to an intelligent uncreated mind behind the Universe.

None of the discoveries in the past 150 years, in any way, disproved the existence of God. It all comes down to the philosophical grid (or “worldview”) that you are looking through. This is why, if you are committed to the philosophy of naturalism, no amount of evidence will convince you.

3. UNDERSTANDING HOW SOMETHING WORKS DOESN’T MEAN THAT A DESIGNER OR CREATOR ISN’T NEEDED. We certainly applaud the advances in Science but none of the discoveries means God isn’t necessary.

Scientists recently heralded the discovery of the “God Particle”…the name doesn’t mean what it suggests. It was the missing piece in sub-atomic physics for 50 years.

Science knew a particle existed for over 50 years because of it’s impact on the surrounding particles, even though it was undetectable and still is virtually undetectable.

Remember, just because we know how a car engine works doesn’t mean Henry Ford did not exist.

We must know what we are looking for when we are looking for evidence for God.

If we are looking for Steve Jobs we won’t find him by breaking down an iPhone or an Apple computer!

When skeptics assert “there is no evidence for God”, our response should be, “What experiment did you run that proved God doesn’t exist?” or “What was the evidence you were looking for that you claim you didn’t find?”

It’s like the Russian cosmonaut that went into space in 1968 and reportedly claimed he didn’t see any God. We aren’t looking for something physical we are looking for a uncaused, non-material, uncaused, intelligent mind that designed and created everything.

It’s like looking for the evidence of the existence of an actor by tearing apart the TV set or the evidence of an artist by tearing the painting apart. We see the marks of their brilliance, creativity, and intentionality in the things they made.

4. GOD HAS GIVEN US ENOUGH REASONS TO BELIEVE! Our problem is not a lack of information or evidence, but a lack of willingness to acknowledge what is obvious.

Rice told his atheist brother in law school (Chapter 1 of GND), “It’s not what you don’t know about God that’s keeping you from Him...it’s what you DO know.”

Romans 1 says that men “suppress the truth” in unrighteousness…like someone trying to hold a beach ball under the water. Or better yet, a lawyer who tries to suppress evidence that hurts the case he or she is trying to prove.

Sigmund Freud said that belief in God was really a wish-fulfillment. He claimed that people with faith simply wanted a “father-figure” in the sky that could straighten everything out. In reality, atheism is the ultimate wish-fulfillment. Most atheists don’t want God to be there. If the God who created the ear can hear and the eye can see then there will be an ultimate accountability.

5. INSULTS AREN’T ARGUMENTS. Contrary to perception of atheism being a deeply scientific and intellectual position, much of it boils down to a series of emotional rants against religion.

Pastor Rollan Fisher shared the story of Rice Broocks going to a Global Atheist Convention in Australia where the opening night speakers were four comedians! (pg. 19) Richard Dawkins, perhaps the world’s most famous atheist, told a crowd of atheists at the US atheist gathering a few weeks before: “Mock them, ridicule them in public...” (pg. 25)

It’s important to remember that Jesus was the biggest critic of empty religion. You can’t take all the mistakes done in the name of religion and build a “straw man” that isn’t real.

THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SUICIDE BOMBER AND A SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER!

SKEPTICS FAVORITE INSULTS:

1) Believing in God is believing in a fairy tale. It’s like believing in the tooth fairy or Richard Dawkins personal favorite, ”The Flying Spaghetti monster.”

RESPONSE: There are no good reasons to believe in the tooth fairy or the Flying Spaghetti monster...there are good reasons to believe in God!

THINK ABOUT IT: 106 out of the first 108 Universities in America were founded to promote the Christian faith. No one has raised a university to a fairy tale.

2) The Bible is full of contradictions. As you can read in Chapter 8 in GND...the Bible stands head and shoulders over every other ancient writing.

RESPONSE: Nothing comes close to the Bible in terms of it’s Historical accuracy. We also have more manuscripts of the Bible than any other ancient document. (We will deal more on this as the series goes forward).

3) The miracles in the Bible couldn’t have happened. (i.e: Parting the Red Sea, Jonah swallowed by a whale, the Virgin Birth, Walking on water etc...)

RESPONSE: Miracles aren’t a violation of the laws of nature. Because God is the creator, He is free to inject a unique event into the system. Here is where the philosophy of naturalism is seen…“Miracles don’t happen because they can’t happen.”

THINK ABOUT IT: It’s because we understand the laws of nature that we know when something different has happened. It’s because people knew in Jesus’ day that dead people usually stay dead, that they knew a miracle had happened at the resurrection. It also explains why so many of His disciples had a hard time believing the news. Even seeing Him alive, the Bible says “When they saw Him, they worshipped Him, but some doubted” (Matt 28:17).

6. FAITH IS THE PRODUCT OF THINKING—UNBELIEF IS A PRODUCT OF NOT THINKING (pg. 31, Chapter 2)

Unbelief is, many times, the result of a lack of EFFORT not lack of EVIDENCE!

Either a person hasn’t heard the truth or they simply don’t want to hear something that might challenge their beliefs and especially their lifestyle.

Unbelief is not just a lack of information. You can answer people’s questions and they will still not believe.

Prior to this Easter, six pastors had a panel discussion with 6 atheists before the American Atheist convention in Austin, Texas. One of the pastors asked the atheists’ panel, “What would it take to make you believe?” They said that witnessing an undeniable miracle would make them believers.

We know there are millions of people that have claimed to have had an undeniable miracle...the problem is that if you are skeptical, no amount of evidence is enough.

Luke 16:30-31-  Pastor Rollan Fisher gave an overview of the story of the rich man in hell who asked that Lazarus (not the one Jesus raised from the dead), a poor man who had died as well, be sent to the rich man’s family to tell them to repent.

If they don’t believe the Word, they won’t believe even if someone rises from the dead. (Luke 16:31)

7. FAITH INVOLVES 3 KEY INGREDIENTS: (pg. 28-30 for more)

i) KNOWLEDGE: The Knowledge of God is not just in Scripture, it’s in Creation all around us. Like entering into an agreement with someone, knowledge of the terms of the agreement is essential in business, marriage, or life. God wants us to have knowledge of Him and His covenant.

ii) ASSENT: We must want to obey and follow what we know to be true. Our will must be exercised, and choices must be made. God isn’t coercing you into a relationship with Him.

iii) TRUST: Commitment of the heart. This is what most people think faith is...trust. But our trust has been earned through Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection. He has earned our trust!

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

Second City Church- God's Not Dead Sermon Series 2015

An Unexpected Journey - Fire That Burns

Last week, we looked at a picture of the early years of Jesus. As He asked Mary and Joseph, "Didn't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?" we saw a key to His growth and eventual world changing ministry. At the same time, in the wilderness of Judea, Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist, was developing the same type of relationship with God the Father, which had very specific results. Today as we look at the beginning of John's service to the Lord, we will discover what a holy fire looks like in our lives and the practical means for keeping it burning hotter, brighter, stronger and longer.

Starting a Holy Fire

God wants to start a fire of salvation that will burn through you to the city in which you live.

Luke 3:1-6 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation.’”

Governments, cultures and rulers change, but the Word of the Lord to people will always remain the same.

God wants to bring His salvation to all people. The Word of the Lord for family members, co-workers, neighbors and friends will come to you as you continue to walk with and honor Jesus.

You may think to yourself, "How can this be?"

In the wilderness, John was able to spend time seeking God just as you and I are.

Even in obscurity, you can walk with God, find His pleasure, and learn His ways. You can increase rather than decrease in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and men. John and Jesus learned to lead this way pleasing their Heavenly Father 30 years in obscurity prior to their public ministries.

“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
― John Wooden

This is important because who you are in the private place will eventually make its way public.

Jeremiah 30:18-22 “This is what the Lord says: “‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tent and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place. From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing. I will add to their numbers, and they will not be decreased; I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained. Their children will be as in days of old, and their community will be established before me; I will punish all who oppress them. Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me—for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me? ’declares the Lord. “‘So you will be my people, and I will be your God.’”

The key to true biblical leadership is devoting yourself to being close to the Lord.

The environment may be different, but God and His ability to meet with you is still the same.

In God's presence, you develop:

1) Heat for God's honor and mission

It is a clear sign that God wants to bring you out of the mundanity with which you live when you light up more about news regarding celebrities that you don't know or the events of your favorite sitcom series rather than your real life.

When you seek God, you will find Him. You will then see that His honor and purposes are worth far more in regard to your time, efforts and resources than anything else that you can give yourself to.

2) The ability to hear God's message.

As it was with John the Baptist, God will give you a message to deliver to the people.

"A baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."

This word is summarized in the gospel that there is a Creator God who is perfectly good, loving, pure, eternal, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent who made humanity by His power and for His pleasure. We have all as humanity been estranged from God by going our own way in our actions, thoughts and pursuits. This is what the Bible calls sin and is the destructive consequence that the world is now enduring in all types of hatred, greed, fear, oppression, addictions and the like as a result of separation from God. The gospel is the good news that in the historic period of Tiberias Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was ruler of Judea in Israel, God became flesh and would rescue humanity through Jesus' sinless life, miracles, death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. As we turn away from our sins choosing to trust and follow Jesus, we receive forgiveness of sins.

3) The heart of God for people and ministry.

God is so loving that He will raise up every person who trusts in Him out of the valleys in which they find themselves - both here and in eternity.

God is so holy that He will level every person full of themselves living in prideful rebellion. It is because these people are destroying their lives and others.

The goal of your meeting with God is not to merely cultivate a private spiritual life, but to go out into the world and make disciples of Jesus.

"Where passion for God is weak, zeal for missions will be weak."
-John Piper

Thus, we must find God's wisdom to keep the fire burning.

Burning Hotter, Brighter, Stronger and Longer

Once you start a fire, you've got to continually feed it for it to burn.

Mark 12:28-31 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Once you find Jesus, you must keep your eyes on Him.

Walking with Jesus means that you are learning to love Him with all of your:

1) Heart You nurture this through worship and prayer, both private and corporate. This is how you burn hotter for Jesus. It is where the flames of passion are stoked. Guarding your heart with the words that come off of your mouth is a key to maintaining that heart of worship.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. A dream comes when there are many cares, and many words mark the speech of a fool. When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.

Practical Each day, set aside time to speak with and listen to God. Download songs that we worship with at church and sing them to God in your own private moments with Him. Write down what you feel like is impressed upon your heart during that time as a point of instruction and action. If you want to learn to pray for others, follow a daily guide like Stormie Omartian's, "The Power of a Praying..." book series.

2) Soul - Meditate on God's Word and practice obedience.

This is where you burn brighter for Jesus as a star while you hold out the word of life.

Jesus was a man of the word.

He studied it in community through the synagogues of the day (community groups), in the temple (church) and privately. All three are important and have different functions.

What you meditate on comes out of you.

Practical Begin a Bible reading plan from You Version. Read a passage from the Bible and write down what speaks to you. What is the Holy Spirit saying to you and how will you apply it?

3) Strength - You grow in this through service.

Service around kingdom purposes helps facilitate true biblical fellowship and is the essence of a shared life. A shared life is not just having a cup of coffee together, but building something tangible and of eternal significance together with your lives.

This is where you burn stronger for Jesus and that strength is felt by others.

Practical Where is your place of service within and through the church in this new year?

4) Mind - Read things inspired by Scripture.

“Tell me how you read and I'll tell you who you are.”
― Martin Heidegger

This is when you burn longer in God because you develop a depth in your faith established in your intellect and reasoning capacity rather than in mere emotion or momentary zeal.

Practical God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty by Rice Brooks: Read this book. This book will help provide real world answers as to why everyone should trust in, love and follow Jesus.

As the greatness of God is conceptualized you are able to understand why David Wilkerson would have this sentiment in reaching out to those who are not walking with Jesus:

“You win over people just like you win over a dog. You see a dog passing down the street with an old bone in his mouth. You don't grab the bone from him and tell him it's not good for him. He'll growl at you. It's the only thing he has. But you throw a big fat lamb chop in front of him, and he's going to drop that bone and pick up the lamb chop, his tail wagging to beat the band. And you've got a friend. Instead of going around grabbing bones from people... I'm going to throw them some lamb chops. Something with real meat and life in it. I'm going to tell them about New Beginnings.”
― David Wilkerson, The Cross and the Switchblade

"Each one reach one" has been a theme for us here. It essentially means, in every season of your life, to "be a disciple and help make disciples." Despite your trials, who are you praying for and making efforts to see come to Jesus this new year? As a professional who lives in the city? As a man or woman fighting to raise a godly family? As a student returning to school?

If you'd like to lead a community group around this material as an outreach to friends during or after the series, we have material for you. Talk to John. If you need to repent of sin and be baptized, we have our next baptism scheduled Jan. 31. Let's all commit to allowing God to light a fire that will burn within us in ever-increasing measure this new year!

New series: Everyone get their New Year's gift today!

Second City Church- An Unexpected Journey Sermon Series 2015

An Unexpected Journey - Finding Jesus

When the Holy Spirit has birthed something in you, don't ever let anyone dissuade, discount or diminish what you are doing with your daily life in connection to the eternal purposes of God. Mary, a stay-at-home mother, and Joseph, while working a blue collar job, were both devoted to Jesus and were helping to raise God incarnate, the Savior of the world. Like these parents, we all want to be faithful and productive in our lives before the Lord, but ironically, in the midst of our daily pressures and routines, we can unexpectedly find ourselves in a place where we feel that we've lost our connection with Jesus, the relationship which was our greatest responsibility of all. As we begin the new year, we will look at how Mary and Joseph found Jesus when He went missing.

Finding Jesus

If you are not careful, your connection to Jesus can be lost.

Luke 2:41-52 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Every year Jesus' parents made the trip to the temple. It was regular and according to custom. It is good to have God honoring customs in your life that will set you up for necessary frequencies of spiritual health and development.

For Jesus' parents to get to Jerusalem would have taken sacrifice - time off work, money, and energy to travel. If you want to meet with God in your daily routine, do not expect it to happen for you without sacrifice.

You can think that you are in the company of Jesus when really He is somewhere doing something else.

Mary and Joseph lost God but were confident enough to travel because of the community dynamic. Walking with others in a church family is great and how it is supposed to be, but never mistake having community for having Jesus.

Mary began looking for Jesus when He was missing. It is because He belonged to her. We need to position ourselves to look for three categories of people in the new year: 1) For Jesus our Lord; 2) Our brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone missing and fallen out of fellowship; 3) The lost, which we'll speak about more next week.

To make the trip from Nazareth to Jerusalem, Mary and Joseph would go from a town of hundreds to about 100,000 at the time. In such a setting, it is easy to get distracted, much like in Chicago, and in the meantime lose Jesus. It took Mary and Joseph three days to find Jesus. If you have been disconnected for a while, don't get discouraged if it takes you time to develop a rhythm in your time with Jesus.

People often wonder why they can't "find Jesus" in their everyday life. It is often because we think that He will follow us into the pursuit of our own personal ambitions and dreams rather than Him being about what He said that He is always about, the advance of His kingdom. When you recognize that we are to be submitted to Him and His purposes rather than Him being submitted to ours, we'll be able to reconnect with Him and know where to find Him.

Just as we discovered last week that Simeon and Anna were able to be introduced to the Messiah in the temple courts, Jesus again validated the fact that His purposes will always begin in and through His house, the church.

The best place to get reconnected is in the temple courts. Keep showing up– you at least know He's there.

"Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" We must have the same mentality as Jesus if we are to have our identity grounded in and our trajectory centered on the purposes of Jesus Christ.

It was a given that He needed to be in His father's house. Not only do you become what you behold, but you become like the company that you keep (1 Corinthians 15:33).

A person's ability to understand God, His gospel and its application to the season of life in which they find themselves does not depend on their age. Begin teaching your children how to relate with Jesus now.

Jesus wasn't so spiritual that He had no practical application of the Word of God. Jesus put the Word of God to "honor your father and mother" into practice by going home with Mary and Joseph. Obeying rather than merely being familiar with the commands of God will make you a better son, daughter, husband, wife, mother, employer, employee, sibling and friend.

How are you applying, not just being exposed to the Word of God?

Because of Jesus' study of and adherence to the Word of God, He grew in:

wisdom - the proper application of knowledge;

"The internet is full of information and empty of thought."
Tim Keller

and stature - the weight of a person's respected presence;

and favor - pleasure from and. therefore, the benevolent backing of someone;

with God - the most important and our constant pursuit;

and man - grows as we follow Jesus, even when people disagree with or reject our positions.

It will be the same for you as you search for Jesus daily and are set apart for His purposes. He went to the cross to pay the penalty for your wrongdoing and bridge the gap between you and God. As you repent of your sin and believe the good news of Jesus' resurrection, you can find Jesus, be cleansed and begin a new year with Him today. It will be a second chance and the beginning of a second life.

Second City Church- An Unexpected Journey Sermon Series 2015

An Unexpected Journey - The Old Man and the Prophetess

 

As time goes by, the unexpected circumstances of your existence can push you into the slump of reactionary rather than intentional living. This can happen in your relationships, your career, your use of your resources or your walk with Jesus. To truly live an intentional life in the grand design of God, you must arrange your life based on two things: your worldview and your place within that story. As we look toward a new year, we will continue to reflect on the implications of the arrival of Jesus, taking our cues from an older righteous man named Simeon and an elderly prophetess named Anna. In them, we will find the manner in which God expects you to posture yourself to participate in His overarching purposes.

What Are You Waiting For?

Simeon was waiting with eager expectation for God's salvation.

Luke 2:22-35 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”, and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

God had promised Simeon that he would be able to see the consolation, the comfort, of Israel after years of oppression at the hands of foreign empires, though Simeon had no idea how God would bring it about. The four Gospels and the book of Acts give us clues as to how God will bring His salvation to our city in our times. Read them as Simeon did the Old Testament Scriptures and expect Jesus to bring His salvation.

To better understand Simeon's joy at meeting Jesus, we need to understand the storyline upon which Simeon was placing all of his hopes. Why was he so enthralled when he met the person of Jesus and why should we be?

Timothy Keller expressed it well in a 2012 post explaining the reality of the Christian worldview and storyline in which the world finds itself:

Look again at the uniqueness of Christianity. Only the Christian worldview locates the problem with the world not in any part of the world or in any particular group of people but in sin itself (our loss of relationship with God). And it locates the solution in God’s grace (our restoration of a relationship with God through the work of Christ). Sin infects us all, and so we cannot simply divide the world into the heroes and the villains. (And if we did , we would certainly have to count ourselves among the latter as well as the former.) Without an understanding of the gospel, we will be either naively utopian or cynically disillusioned. We will be demonizing something that isn’t bad enough to explain the mess we are in; and we will be idolizing something that isn’t powerful enough to get us out of it. This is, in the end, what all other worldviews do.

The Christian story line works beautifully to make sense of things and even to help us appreciate the truth embedded in stories that clearly come from another worldview. The Christian story line, or worldview, is: creation (plan), fall (problem), redemption and restoration (solution):

The whole world is good. God made the world and everything in it was good. There are no intrinsically evil parts of the world. Nothing is evil in its origin. As Tolkien explained about his archvillain in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, in the beginning ‘even Sauron was not so.’ You can find this ‘creational good’ in anything.

The whole world is fallen. There is no aspect of the world affected by sin more or less than any other. For example, are emotion and passions untrustworthy and reason infallible? Is the physical bad and the spiritual good? Is the day-to-day world profane but religious observances good? None of these are true; but non-Christian story lines must adopt some variations of these in order to villainize and even demonize some created thing instead of sin.

The whole world is going to be redeemed. Jesus is going to redeem spirit and body, reason and emotion, people and nature. There is no part of reality for which there is no hope.

- Timothy Keller post 12/26/12 on The Christian Storyline, http://kellerquotes.com/the-christian-story-line/

Simeon had been waiting for the predictions of the prophets to be fulfilled for the entirety of his life. Upon meeting Jesus with Mary and Joseph at the temple, Simeon rejoices in the fact that everything God promised the people of Israel was finally coming to pass. He quotes the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6), who wrote about the Savior of all the world 700 years prior to Jesus' arrival.

In the midst of all that Jesus would do, Simeon accurately prophesied about Jesus:

1) He would be a great source of controversy amongst the people.

2) Jesus' work would expose the thoughts of people's hearts and pierce their souls.

Jesus does this as He reveals His unique identity as the only living God, the Messiah who comes to make all wrong things right as He delivers His righteous commands that are to be obeyed.

3) He would be the source of salvation for the Jews and the Gentiles.

This is what Jesus is through His sinless life, death on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice for sins, and His resurrection from the dead. Jesus offered Himself for all of humanity and turned the known world upside down as He brought men, women and children to repentance and faith.

As it was with the shepherds' finding Jesus in the manger, all things that God has said will turn out exactly as He said they would be. To find ourselves in right standing with God and ready to be a part of His redemptive story, we want to have the same posture of expectation that Simeon had.

Peter, one of the inner circle of disciples during Jesus' earthly ministry, exhorted us to be like Simeon in this manner:

1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Looking with expectation prepares you to see what God is doing and how you can be involved.

What To Do While You Wait

Anna was preparing for God's salvation with faithful fasting and prayer.

Luke 2:36-40 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

Anna would have hardly expected to have lost her husband at such an early age. Despite this tragedy, Anna found her refuge in the house of God and built her life around the coming kingdom of God through fasting and prayer.

What do fasting and prayer do?

Fasting humbles you before God when you acknowledge your deep need for the Holy Spirit to move in and through your life. It intensifies your sense of dependency upon Him.

Prayer involves you in the purposes of God by preparing you for action.

In the midst of her loss, Anna's response enabled her to play a special role in announcing the arrival of the Messiah that, undoubtedly, prepared the people of Israel for the redemption of Christ. With fasting and prayer, you can take part in Jesus' gospel purposes in your family, city and the nations today.

Anna never left the temple. We should never leave these two postures of a lifestyle of fasting and prayer. The kingdom of God is not to be an interesting or a beneficial part of your life; it is to be the central thing. It is those who are looking for the redemption of Christ that will be a part of what He is doing when the times will have reached their fulfillment.

Being devoted to God and righteous like Simeon and Anna does not at all mean entering a convent and spending the entirety of your days there. It does mean devotedly doing business, relationships and life according to the leadership of God's Word and counsel. It means they stayed connected to the house of God, were able to meet the Messiah and be involved in announcing His redemption that Jesus would one day bring to the world, particularly to all of those who have been waiting for Him.

This was part of the inspiration behind the name "Second City."

Why Second City Church? (Pastor Rollan shared the vision behind Second City Church.)

“At present we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the splendours we see. But all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumour that it will not always be so. Some day, God willing, we shall get in.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

Let's welcome Christ this holiday season with the same expectation and devotion that the old man (Simeon) and the prophetess (Anna) displayed. If you've never repented of sin and put your trust in God as they did, do so today and watch Him bring His redemptive purpose to your life. If there are sin cycles in your life of which you have not repented as a believer, do so today. Let's build expectation for what the Lord will do in every area of your life and this city in the new year!

Next week we will speak about how to, like Christ, grow in strength, wisdom and the grace of God on our lives.

Second City Church- An Unexpected Journey Sermon Series 2014

An Unexpected Journey - An Unexpected King

After 400 years of Scriptural silence, God once again pierces history in dramatic fashion by the first Advent of the Savior and His heavenly kingdom. The unexpected journey would be epitomized by Jesus Himself. The literal king of the world to be born to parents of seemingly insignificant pedigree, in a small town, amongst various animals with His first bed being a manger used to feed them. With such a paradoxical beginning, it is clear that we need to learn to find Jesus in the details and be ready for unexpected challenges in our life that are meant for God's glory and our good.

Jesus in the Details

God is sovereign and controls world affairs unto His ultimate ends. You better believe that He is in the business of supernaturally directing your life as well.

Luke 2:1-7 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

The Nativity story is a picture of the sovereignty of God and His perfect placements.

Seven-hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Micah would deliver with supernatural accuracy the birthplace of Jesus and reveal important details about His identity.

Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

What this means is that:

1) Jesus is the eternal God.

Jesus has been around the block several more eons than you. Therefore, when He gives you commands through the Bible that are to obeyed for your good, you can trust that He has the wisdom to know what He's talking about.

2) God moves sovereignly throughout history.

The fact that Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus, would be of the line of King David confirmed the covenant made to David (2 Sam. 7; Ps. 89), where David was promised that God would raise up one of his descendants after him, who would reign forever on his throne. This promise to David was made 900 years before Jesus' arrival and became the foundation for Israel’s hope for a coming Messiah. God is faithful to watch over and fulfill His promises over a long period of time.

It is not a mistake that you are here or with the people with whom you find yourself - in your family, church, workplace, school or neighborhood. It is all part of God's overarching plan.

The times and places that you were born, live and are now reaching out to find Jesus are part of the design of God. You are in the right place. Settle down allowing Him to do His work in and through you there until He says otherwise.

As a lesson from the specificity involved in the birth of Christ, two great questions to ask are:

1) Where are you now that you did not expect to be?

2) How has God arranged the exact times and places in which you now find yourself for the birthing of His kingdom purposes through your life?

The answers to these questions reflects the unexpected challenge that Jesus brings to follow Him both then and now.

An Unexpected Challenge

Jesus comes to rule your life because He can do it better.

However, this reality posed a threat to the:

1) Romans

Caesar Augustus was the adopted son of Julius Caesar who had transferred political power to Augustus and two other men. After his defeat of Marc Antony and Cleopatra, Augustus' ascendency to the throne was complete, and through his Pax Romana, he would provide unprecedented unity and safety of travel for those of the Empire. This would be a perfect environment for the spread of the gospel which would highlight the worship of Jesus rather than the Caesars in their imperial rule.

2) Jews

The Zondervan Bible commentary gives us a picture of messianic expectations in the time of Jesus:

"In the century leading up to Jesus’ birth, when the powerful Roman empire dominated Palestine, hope for the coming Messiah to free God’s people from their oppressors became particularly intense. Though these expectations were diverse in the various strands of first-century Judaism, the dominant hope was for a messianic deliverer from King David’s line. In the Psalms of Solomon, a pseudepigraphic work (written under an assumed name) from the first century B.C., the following hope is expressed: See, Lord, and raise up for them their king, the son of David, to rule over your servant Israel…. Undergird him with the strength to destroy the unrighteous rulers, to purge Jerusalem from gentiles who trample her to destruction; in wisdom and in righteousness to drive out the sinners from the inheritance; to smash the arrogance of sinners like a potter’s jar; to shatter all their substance with an iron rod [cf. Ps. 2:9] to destroy unlawful nations with the word of his mouth; [cf. Isa. 11:4] At his warning the nations will flee from his presence; and he will condemn sinners by the thoughts of their hearts. (Pss. Sol. 17:21–25). The Gentiles who “trample [Jerusalem] to destruction” are the Romans. It is not difficult to see why such excitement surrounded Jesus and even John the Baptist (Luke 3:15), when people suspected either might be the Messiah, the Son of David."

It was disconcerting to many that the first order of business for the anticipated deliverer would not be to overthrow the Romans, but the autonomy and rebellion in their hearts. It is the same for us today as Jesus looks to bring people first to repentance so that He might forgive us of our sins and free us of the internal oppression of sin that has ruled our lives.

3) Us

We like to piecemeal our devotion to Jesus, but relationship with Him is an all or nothing proposal. He came to marry a bride, His church. Jesus does not come to make happy suggestions for your life, He comes to benevolently rule it. As you repent of sin and meet Him at the cross you receive His abundant life.

“Men will allow God to be everywhere but on his throne. They will allow him to be in his workshop to fashion worlds and make stars. They will allow Him to be in His almonry to dispense His alms and bestow his bounties. They will allow Him to sustain the earth and bear up the pillars thereof, or light the lamps of heaven, or rule the waves of the ever-moving ocean; but when God ascends His throne, His creatures then gnash their teeth. And we proclaim an enthroned God, and His right to do as He wills with His own, to dispose of His creatures as He thinks well, without consulting them in the matter; then it is that we are hissed and execrated, and then it is that men turn a deaf ear to us, for God on His throne is not the God they love. But it is God upon the throne that we love to preach. It is God upon His throne whom we trust.”
― Charles H. Spurgeon

Jesus came in fulfillment of God's specific promise to the chagrin of the Caesars who hoped to be deified. Jesus brought bigger plans than the Jews of the time anticipated. He would bring an eternal kingdom to rule in the hearts of men and women with His first coming. This is the purpose of the first Advent as He provides an avenue of reconciliation between God and humanity through the cross. The second Advent of Jesus the Messiah will come and overthrow the enemies of God. He will be the long-awaited king of both Jews and Gentiles alike coming to assume His throne. Therefore, let's worship Him now and forever give Him the throne in our lives.

Second City Church- An Unexpected Journey Sermon Series 2014

An Unexpected Journey - The Pregnancy and the Promise

Transforming Truth: Our plans are not always God's plans, but Jesus' plans are always bigger and better.

Who in here is a planner?

We all have plans and dreams of what we want and expect our life to look like in regard to: your career, your spouse, the number of kids you'll have, your achievements, financial portfolio, etc.

Mary and Joseph more than likely had plans of their own to be like all of their young Jewish friends. Growing up in the lackluster town of Nazareth scholars estimate to have had a population at the time between 300-1000 people, the young Joseph would aspire to start his carpentry business. Mary, a girl between twelve and thirteen years old, would be looking to have a nice, respectable Jewish man between twelve and eighteen years old who would provide well for a home and allow them to be a part of the normal happenings of the culture. It is not much different today as people aspire to establish a career, 401K, go on select vacations each year, have a nice donkey or car, beautiful home and settle down like the rest of the American landscape. Yet things still seem to go awry.

The good news is that God always has bigger, unexpected plans!

What We Know About Jesus

There is no plan B with God. God's promise has always been and will always be to send Jesus to be the answer for this broken world.

Luke 1:26-33 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

What we know about Jesus is:

1) His entire life would be great and a sign from God.

All the world and history looks to Jesus as a signpost of what is good, true and right. God expects that you acknowledge the signs and serve Him with your life.

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

2) Jesus would be born of a virgin; thus, 100% human as well as 100% God.

He would literally be God incarnate, meaning He came in the flesh and would be named Immanuel, meaning "God with us." God would not remain distant amidst the hurt and pain of the world's fallen state, but would get His hands dirty and come near to rescue.

Jeremiah 23:5-6 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.

Jesus is the "righteous Branch" (a Messianic reference) who would rescue the people from the powerful consequences of their rebellion and be their "Righteous Savior" from the penalty of their sins. You may not think that you need a Savior, but you will when the day of judgement comes.

“Knowledge of God without knowledge of man's wretchedness leads to pride. Knowledge of man's wretchedness without knowledge of God leads to despair. Knowledge of Jesus Christ is the middle course, because by it we discover both God and our wretched state.”
― Blaise Pascal

3) He will be the one to assume King David's throne with a kingdom that never ends.

This meant that Jesus would somehow live and rule forever. This is exactly what He does today after offering Himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sins on the cross and rising from the dead.

How we fit into that clear plan today beyond our personal salvation is often a surprise.

What We Didn't Realize God Was Doing

God's plans will unite you with specific people to fulfill His promises.

Luke 1:34-38 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

The relational joining of the Lord often takes place when you are not even looking for it. You, like Mary and Elizabeth, get joined to other Christians in the purposes of God when the Holy Spirit is birthing something in you.

Mary had no idea what had been gestating in her relative Elizabeth for the past six months. The beautiful thing is that God places one piece of the puzzle in your spiritual womb (like Elizabeth) which will only find its fulfillment when joined to what God has birthed in your brother or sister's womb (like Mary).

Lessons from the Immaculate Conception:

What God does in your life will be:

1) Stretching

The call of God will pull you beyond your personal ambitions, life goals and dreams.

2) Require Interdependence

Mary and Elizabeth each had vital roles in fulfilling biblical prophecy. The relationships that God places you in play an indispensable part in the redemptive plans of God for our times.

3) Take Faith

Mary's pregnancy had to be conceived by the Holy Spirit and carried out through confidence in God's Word.

"I'm willing to do whatever you say, God, whatever is going to glorify you," is the attitude that Mary had. It is the posture that God is looking for from you.

Surprising Complements

Who you walk with is just as important as what you are pursuing.

Luke 1:39-45 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

These are the types of intentional conversations we need to have, asking those in the church, "What has God called you to do for His Kingdom and how can we accomplish it together?" As with Elizabeth, a great deal of the joy that God has for you will only be found as you respond to God's purposes with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

The call of God will force you to depend on relationship with the people of God. Mary, a teenager, may not have been expecting to hang out with her elderly relative Elizabeth, but she's exactly who she needed during the pregnancy.

No one but the people of God will fully understand, hold you accountable to or encourage the things that God wants to do because ultimately they are all centered around the person of Jesus Christ.

It will take encouragement from other Jesus loving, kingdom-oriented believers.

Abilities wither under faultfinding, blossom under encouragement. 
- Donald A Laird

It is only when we come together with these Holy Spirit inspired ambitions that the fulfillment of God's promises take place. This is to happen in and through Christ's church and is the power He releases in fellowship, biblically defined as a shared life.

Browsing vs. Belonging

Part of our culture's economic engine is run off of the rewards program for loyalty to particular businesses.

Cash Back Featuring Samuel L. Jackson- Capital One Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWfpEjc7XVw

Instead of asking, "what's in your wallet?", we need to ask, "Who's in your life?"

1) When you belong to a church family, you are able to make plans with other believers for your growth, safety and success. When you are simply browsing, you often stand alone.

2) When you are grounded in a church community, people can walk with you through the highs and lows of life. When you are simply passing through, you lack the friendship that God has for you to follow-up your victories and defeats.

Don't try to go it alone. Again, there is great joy in the relationships God forms as His people pursue Jesus and His promises together.

How can you come together to exalt the person and gospel work of Jesus Christ this holiday season and new year?

Second City Church- An Unexpected Journey Sermon Series 2014

An Unexpected Journey - The Preacher and His Wife

The Advent season as recorded in the Gospel of Luke begins with one of the most closely hitting stories to home that one could imagine. If we simply glaze over it, we can miss it. It is the story of a preacher (Zechariah) and his wife (Elizabeth) who must choose to trust God after years of disappointment during the intertestamental period, and ultimately see God bring a history shaping redemption as a reward for their faithfulness. As we prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ today, we will see God's purpose behind our winter waits, acknowledge the power of consistency and embrace our redeeming Lord who brings beauty through it all.

Winter Weight

The wintry seasons of your soul where you feel like you are waiting on the goodness of God to be revealed can be God's shaping agent to make you the man or woman that you are created to be.

Luke 1:5-7 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

Trial in life does not always equate to God's displeasure. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in the sight of God, yet were still denied for the purposes of God one of the greatest longings of their hearts. Where have you been in a waiting period and what is God using it to produce in you?

The purpose of trials:

1) Develop Sight

They show you Jesus more clearly.

Hebrews describes Jesus as becoming a merciful and faithful high priest to people through what He suffered (Hebrews 2:17,18). Through Christ's perfect life and sacrifice that would come on the cross, you are offered forgiveness, healing and restoration.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

God's goal is not that you would always remain in the place of trial, but that you would be sensitized to the plight of others and become a vessel of the comfort that God Himself will provide.

2) Develop Sympathy Trials are the mechanisms through which you develop genuine sympathy for others that you will inevitably lead.

It fosters empathy in you in regard to matters that otherwise in your undisturbed state would not concern you or you would have no concern for (i.e. - sickness, racism, financial struggle, etc.).

Zechariah would have this in spades as he helped lead the Israelites through 400 years of canonical silence from the Lord.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

3) Develop Strength

Proverbs 24:10 If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!

Through trial, you can also develop faith for the gifts and power of God to heal, both for yourself and others.

In this way, you learn to truly love others and offer genuine hospitality.

People pack on winter weight because they are not active. If you want to be all about that bass physically, that's fine, but in the spirit you need to remain lean and strong. Zechariah and Elizabeth understood this as they were pressing through their trials.

The Power of Consistency

Make no doubt about it, consistency counts. God hears every prayer, sees every deed and shows himself faithful to those who are faithful (Psalm 18:25,26).

Luke 1:8-20 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

We think that our obedience to God is only for us. We forget that it also for those who will come behind us (our children, family members, co-workers and friends).

One of the keys to building anything of value in life is consistency. Doing anything one or two times may make you feel good about yourself but most times it does not build anything that is weight bearing. That would be the exception and not the rule. Don't be a one hit wonder.

This is difficult as a concept for our generation to embrace because we live with a sense of entitlement, feeling that we should have, do and experience anything that we can imagine. Zechariah had to live above this self-absorbed thinking to be consistent in his service in the temple.

Our generation suffers from a stop and go syndrome. The kingdom of God does not operate that way.

If you want to build a deep relationship with Jesus or mutually beneficial relationships with His family, you will need to be consistent. If you want to build a Christ-centered business you will need to be consistent. If you want to build a godly family or have an incredible marriage, you will need to be consistent. If you want to build a kingdom-oriented career, you need to be consistent. If want allow Jesus to use you to build His church, you need to be consistent.

You need to set boundaries for your life and live within them. You can not, nor should you, do everything.

Psalm 16:6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.

Know what God intends to build with your life as a part of His church and give yourself wholly to that. Be consistent.

As time goes by, the challenges that you face in school, the marketplace and family life grow more, not less, intense. The decisions that you make to seek Jesus and His kingdom first have greater reaching implications because your decisions impact more and more people. The faithfulness of Zechariah and Elizabeth would ultimately shape John the Baptist who would be used of God to shape the entire nation of Israel in preparation for Christ's ministry.

Do you realize the weight of responsibility that Jesus has placed on your life, even in the midst of your trials? How will your decisions to pursue or not pursue Jesus and His kingdom affect your family? Your friendship group? Your work environment? The city? Your daily decisions as a thriving part of the kingdom community has greater impact than you realize.

Redeeming Lord

God will never waste the pain in your life, but will redeem it for His glory as you trust in Him.

Luke 1:21-25 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Don't waste seasons of trial and obscurity.

The season of righteous pain and longing in Elizabeth's heart was eventually redeemed by God's faithfulness. Her life became a testimony to both God's perfect timing and watchful eye camped in the magnitude of His purposes. Her story still speaks to you and me many centuries later.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you stand in the midst of your trial and continue to pursue the Lord. Don't let disappointment into your heart because breakthrough tarries. Know that your Savior will bring breakthrough.

Second City Church- An Unexpected Journey Sermon Series 2014

Famous Last Words - The Coming of the Lord

As we've done an initial overview of the story of the Bible, we've seen God's design in creation, been introduced to several of the patriarchs and matriarchs of the Torah, continued God's plan of redemption in the historical books with the lives of several kings of Israel, and through Malachi have been introduced to the prophets. The prophets of Israel were raised up by God for two primary functions, to call the people back to relationship with God through His law and to announce the coming of the Messiah, the savior of the world. After several eras of prosperity, rebellion and judgment, the last prophet to speak in the canonized Old Testament prior to the coming of Jesus would be the prophet Malachi. After him would be 400 years of canonical silence until the appearing of John the Baptist who would prepare the way for Jesus Christ. Malachi declares the things that are imperative for us to pay attention to since it is the last official recording of a Father to His children about the things that are important to Him. Today we will end this series by venturing to see the world clearly, highlighting the truth about where we are headed and finally acknowledging what God identifies as the key to our future.

Seeing the World Clearly

One of our greatest challenges to a walk with Jesus will be to remain faithful while the world prospers.

Malachi 3:13-16 “You have spoken arrogantly against me,” says the Lord.“Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’ “You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’” Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.

We can get discouraged when we see the wicked prospering around us while we try to faithfully serve God. This discouragement can attempt to veer us off course if we don't remember the truth of God's Word.

God's scroll of remembrance is for those who have been faithful. Faithfulness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit where you build your life on something other than your emotions or wants in the moment. This is the zeal Jesus calls His people to maintain daily for Him and His kingdom purposes.

The Reality of Where We're Headed

What would you say to a beloved family member if you were sharing a last piece of communication before a very long separation? You would tell them that you are coming again.

Malachi 3:17-4:4 “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty. “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.

This day marks the beginning of the advent season for 2014. Advent means "coming" in Latin and annually celebrates the first coming of Jesus Christ. It will be followed by His second coming.

What accompanies the coming of the Lord?

For the righteous: Those who are righteous are those who revere God's name, who have responded to the gospel, who at the preaching of God's law given through Moses have responded in repentance and put their faith in what Jesus did for them on the cross. Christ's resurrection brings healing to our bodies physically, our minds psychologically, and our souls emotionally.

Great joy is the result of meeting the Lord, so that we frolic like well-fed calves. There will be an even greater amplification of this when Jesus brings the restoration of all things. This is when we will see the true distinction between the righteous and the wicked as a result of God's judgment and reward. You can also see the distinction today as a fruit of godly living.

True hope for the world is not found in human programs, education or exposure but in the person of Jesus who sets hearts free.

For the wicked: There is a coming judgment of God. There comes a day when the arrogant who thought they were getting away with things will be punished with everlasting destruction. The righteous who have persevered in honoring and serving Jesus will be rewarded with everlasting life.

Revelation 21:1-8 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

The Key to our Future

The key to our future is reconciliation with God and one another through the gospel.

Malachi 4:5-6 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”

The entire Bible is one continuous story chronicling specific instances of God's interaction with humanity throughout history. It also gives us a picture of what is yet to come.

Elijah was of the greatest Jewish prophets of the Old Testament who spoke to the people at a time of great straying from God and apostasy.

John the Baptist was a forerunner to Jesus who came in the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah calling people to repentance. He pointed to Jesus as the one who would take away sins and save the world (John 1).

Elijah made an appearance with Moses during Jesus' earthly ministry on the on the Mount of Transfiguration to verify that all of the Law and prophets were pointing to the person of Jesus, having their fulfillment in Him (Matthew 17:1-13).

In announcing the birth of John the Baptist, God's messenger, the angel Gabriel said this:

Luke 1:17 And he (John the Baptist) will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

The restoration of the family unit centered around the gospel and Christ's kingdom is the key to renewing the cities and nations of the earth.

Just as God is restoring the natural family unit, He is building spiritual family within the church. Jesus comes to bring you into a new family and, through it, to create cities within cities, a kingdom culture meant for the redemption of the world.

If you want to walk in real relationship with Christ and His people, it will cost you all you have. Church hopping, coming to fellowship or having devotions with Jesus merely when it's convenient and focusing solely on how your needs are being met rather than looking to serve are killers to genuine faith in Christ and your relationship with others. The power of God's grace is seen when you learn to be a giver rather than a taker, faithfully giving yourself so that the gospel can truly transform you and, thereafter, the city.

Timothy Keller speaks of this great relational cost to God and to us when he says:

“...God's grace and forgiveness, while free to the recipient, are always costly for the giver.... From the earliest parts of the Bible, it was understood that God could not forgive without sacrifice. No one who is seriously wronged can "just forgive" the perpetrator.... But when you forgive, that means you absorb the loss and the debt. You bear it yourself. All forgiveness, then, is costly.”
― Timothy Keller

This all leads to the 400 years of canonical silence and the coming of the Messiah, who we will begin to discuss next week with our new series, An Unexpected Journey.

Second City Church- Famous Last Words Sermon Series 2014

Famous Last Words - Will a Man Rob God?

Transforming Truth: Your relationship with money is an indicator of your relationship with Jesus.

Prior to 400 years of canonical silence, one of the last things God makes clear to His people through the prophet Malachi is that their relationship with money is a big deal and a huge indicator of what is going on in their hearts. God does not change. From beginning to end, Jesus wants to be your provider, your confidence, your security and your source. He demonstrated this for you on the cross by becoming a substitute for your sin, taking the wrath of God on Himself and giving you His righteousness. He continues this idea of provision with your finances as you give Him what He's entrusted to you to receive His blessing in return. Today, as we walk through the books of the Bible, we will deepen our worship by understanding the tithe and understanding the heart of God behind it all.

Understanding God's Tithe You are to acknowledge God as your source with your firstfruits - the first and best of all your income.

Malachi 3:6-12 “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.

Being blessed means to have God's divine hand and favor working on your behalf. Being cursed is living with God resisting you.

People often find themselves struggling and feeling cursed because they do not involve Jesus in their financial lives.

As you are faithful to give, God is faithful to take care of every need that you have (Philippians 4:10-20), and then some. By trusting Him, you come into the joy of being blessed to be a blessing (Genesis 12:2).

Exodus 34:26a “Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God."

When God speaks of your firstfruits, it means that He expects that what you spend your money on first would be your tithe. It is giving back to Him what belongs to Him. It is not your leftovers. It is the best of what you have.

Make no doubt about it: your giving is an act of worship, faith and obedience to God.

“The worship to which we are called in our renewed state is far too important to be left to personal preferences, to whims, or to marketing strategies. It is the pleasing of God that is at the heart of worship. Therefore, our worship must be informed at every point by the Word of God as we seek God’s own instructions for worship that is pleasing to Him.”
― R.C. Sproul, A Taste of Heaven: Worship in the Light of Eternity

Leviticus was the book that began to describe to the people of God what true and full worship should look like.

Leviticus 27:30-33 “‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. Whoever would redeem any of their tithe must add a fifth of the value to it. Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the Lord. No one may pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If anyone does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.’”

Tithe means tenth.

Tithe, tenth and firstfruits are all key words used throughout the Scripture to help us understand God's overarching principle reiterated throughout the generations. God expected the whole tithe, the first tenth and best of all of the Israelites' income to be returned to Him in worship.

Where is the storehouse?

Deuteronomy 12:4-7 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way. But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.

The original storehouse was the temple in Israel, the place God prescribed for worship. Your storehouse is where you worship Jesus, find your Christian community, are being pastored, are serving and are being fed through the Word of God. There is the universal church, but it is important that you embrace the practical function of the local expression of the body of Christ.

Should I begin when I think that I have enough money?

No. It will not get easier as your income grows if you do not develop the right habits now. The truth is there is a big difference between our wants and our needs. When you are making your assessment of having enough, you are often referring to your idea of where you would like to be, not what you need to have. By beginning with what you have now, you are developing a lifestyle through which God can entrust you with more as you are faithful with the little you presently have.

Do I give off of the gross or net of my income?

Luke 20:20-26 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” He saw through their duplicity and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”“Caesar’s,” they replied. He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.

You tithe off of the gross. The government is unapologetic about asking for their share. God is unapologetic in requiring that we give Him the firstfruits before anyone else.

Did Jesus endorse tithing?

Matthew 23:23-24 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. When you belong to Jesus, your life is not our own. Nor is your money. All 100% belongs to God. He tells you clearly what to do with the first 10%. Bring it into His house. He then expects you to be a steward, led by the wisdom of His Word, the unction of the Holy Spirit and the generosity of your heart to know what to do with the rest.

Understanding the Heart of God There is great joy, liberty and peace when you begin to trust God with your financial life.

Jesus wants your heart, not just your money. The issue is having a generous heart like Christ. When you involve God in your resources, you are giving Him the gateway to everything that is most important to you. You are putting confidence in Him that all of your needs will be met by a good Father and will bless you with your desires according to His wisdom (Psalm 37:4).

However, you end the robbing of God in two ways:

1) You give Him the honor He is due as the true provider when you pay your whole tithe. True worship is a wholistic lifestyle, not a sentiment. He established a faith mechanism through which you acknowledge Him by the giving of your tithes, not your lip service.

2) You demonstrate your concern for His house beyond the borders of your desires when you give joyful offerings beyond your tithe. The full extent of God's gospel purposes are realized when God's people give their offerings. Churches, missions and ministers are funded, the poor are fed and the gospel is advanced. All of these things are accomplished through the resources that God entrusts to us.

God said that He must be recognized as our source.

Deuteronomy 8:10-20 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God.

When we tithe and make our offerings to Jesus, we are breaking the dominating spirit of self sufficiency in wealth by declaring that we will not live in fear, but rather in faith and trust in God as our ultimate provider, multiplier and source.

I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess.
-Martin Luther

Second City Church- Famous Last Words Sermon Series 2014

Famous Last Words - A Priesthood of Believers

Transforming Truth: As a follower of Jesus, you are called to be part of a royal priesthood.

The story of the Bible is the history of God's good creation gone bad through humanity's sin and God's subsequent plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. Throughout this narrative, the nation of Israel had been at a height of prosperity when the people were obeying the Law of God. When the Israelites went into rebellion, God disciplined them by sending them into exile at the hands of foreign nations. God in His kindness also promised restoration for the repentant, which took place after the Babylonian exile under the leadership of men like Ezra, who rebuilt the altar of worship that had been destroyed, and Nehemiah who rebuilt the walls of defense around Jerusalem. Unfortunately, by the time Malachi arrives on the scene, abuses had already begun to reappear in the community. God uses Malachi to return people to the commands of God by reminding them of their identity, their responsibility, their first love and the only true God that they should be seeking.

Your Identity and Responsibility

Jesus gives you a priestly identity so that you can become like him in person and mission.

Malachi 2:1-9 “And now, you priests, this warning is for you. If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me. “Because of you I will rebuke your descendants; I will smear on your faces the dung from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it. And you will know that I have sent you this warning so that my covenant with Levi may continue,” says the Lord Almighty. “My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin. “For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth. But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi,” says the Lord Almighty. “So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law.”

A priest is one who both worships and facilitates the worship of the one true God who was without predecessor or repetition incarnate in Jesus Christ.

How the Priests Became Priests

Those who were appointed to serve at the temple did so at the intersection of God's choosing and their holy zeal against loved ones to turn them from sin (Exodus 32).

When you belong to Jesus, you've become part of a royal priesthood.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

The knowledge and instruction of a priest are to lead people to a righteousness that comes by faith in Jesus.

There are two types of righteousness by faith: 1) Saving faith which is imputed (ascribed by exchange) to you when you believe the gospel of Jesus (Romans 3), and 2) Persistent faith which is imparted to us as we continually avail ourselves to Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Colossians 2:6). More is expounded about these two types of faith in R.T. Kendall's book, Holy Fire.

As a priesthood, we are to call people into both.

You will not fear calling people out of sin if you know it is for their good and is the mission of Jesus. John the Baptist, the forerunner preparing the people for the ministry of Jesus said it this way:

Matthew 3:8-10 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

There is a hyper-grace heresy today akin to antinomianism that says that because Jesus paid for all of our sin on the cross, there is no need of ongoing confession and repentance of sin. This leads to a diluted view of the severity of sin and our need to turn from it. It also diminishes the sacrifice of Christ and the price He had to pay for our forgiveness. In this way, we never truly understand the depth of His love.

We begin to compromise the commands of God when we lose Jesus as our first love.

Your First Love

To live out that identity, Jesus needs to define every other love in your life.

Malachi 2:10-16 Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our ancestors by being unfaithful to one another? Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the Lord loves by marrying women who worship a foreign god. As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the Lord remove him from the tents of Jacob—even though he brings an offering to the Lord Almighty. Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer looks with favor on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth. “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.

People often do not want God to speak into their romantic life and relationships.

God puts His hands in your stuff like you do with a puppy's bowl of food when they are young while they are eating so they will learn who is really in charge and from whom the good provision really comes.

What type of spouse should I be looking for? What type of spouse should I be? 1) One who is not an idolator, putting money, relationships or career above Jesus; 2) One who provokes you into kingdom purposes for your family and life (Matt. 6:33); 3) One who will be happy, and with whom you can see yourself, raising godly offspring who will also follow the Lord in this way (natural and spiritual).

If you are single, God is still looking for godly spiritual offspring from you, and who knows about adoption.

Does your romantic life encourage idolatry or greater holiness in your life? How is your significant other provoking and leading you to a greater love for and obedience to the Lord Jesus? This is the point of being equally yoked, and you should settle for nothing less because it leads to the life God has called you to. I would not commend a man of lesser stature to my daughter or a woman to my sons. Your Heavenly Father will not do that for you either.

"If you cannot trust God for the temporal, how dare you trust him for the eternal?"
- Charles Spurgeon

The Lord You are Seeking

We must be messengers to lead people to Jesus.

Malachi 2:17-3:5 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years. “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty. You have wearied the Lord with your words.“How have we wearied him?” you ask. By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?”

You can desire to be so inclusive in your idea of religion, that you exclude the only living God who made exclusive claims about Himself to truly be inclusive of all people (John 14:7).

To truly be preaching the gospel, you need to call people out of sin, and to Jesus.

To be sure, it is solely our trust in the atoning, propitiary, substitutionary death of Christ on the cross that will save us; however, we become like Jesus and useful in the hand of the Father for His holy purposes through our ongoing purification. This is worship as we honor God and reflect His glorious design for relationships, family, work, use of wealth and stewardship of His creation in the earth. As a priesthood of believers, we are to walk in the reality of our cleansing by the blood of Jesus and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. We are also charged to lead others to that place of repentance and faith.

You can only do this effectively if you lead people to the person of Jesus and the grace shown through His cross.

The truth is there is right and wrong before God. Our culture tries to blur those lines, but Jesus does not.

Jesus is our great high priest. We should have His same attitude as we live as a priesthood of believers today.

If your fundamental is a man dying on the cross for his enemies, if the very heart of your self-image and your religion is a man praying for his enemies as he died for them, sacrificing for them, loving them - if that sinks into your heart of hearts, it's going to produce the kind of life that the early Christians produced. The most inclusive possible life out of the most exclusive possible claim - and that is this is the truth. But what is the truth? The truth is a God become weak, loving and dying for the people who opposed him, dying forgiving them.
-Timothy Keller

Remember your own redemption. Through this you will both offer and see others receive the kindness of God that leads them to true life.

Romans 2:1-4 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Second City Church- Famous Last Words Sermon Series 2014

Guest Speaker - Shundrawn Thomas

Strictly Business

Matthew 4: 18 (NIV) 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. 19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 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, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Early on Jesus picked a small band of disciples. These men became the pioneers of the evangelical movement that Jesus launched and leaders of the Church He established. The first disciples chosen by Jesus were not political figures, religious leaders or royalty, but rather commercial fisherman (Four men, two sets of brothers – Simon, Andrew, James and John).

Jesus does not speak of deliverance. This call was in fact a call to discipleship. Jesus invites them to do mission work telling them plainly that He would teach them to be fishers of men. In effect, Jesus invites them to join His mission or business venture – fishing for men.

As the Church, we must focus on both the “gospel message” and the “gospel mission.” The gospel message about the Christ and His kingdom redeems the life of the sinner. By grace and through faith in the message the sinner is saved. However, it is the gospel mission that transforms us. Through commitment to Christ’s mission we are converted. Thus, my topic for today is Strictly Business.

We will examine Jesus’ selection of four fishermen to expand His ministry or vocation. Specifically, we will discuss four aspects:

The Boat The Band The Bait The Business

The Discipleship Difference

-The offer of salvation differs from the call to discipleship. Salvation is an open invitation (…whoever believes Jn 3:16). Discipleship is a special invitation (…I chose you Jn 15:16).

-Salvation has a price that Christ paid (you could not pay the debt of sin). Discipleship has a cost that you must pay (deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ).

-While the sinner who accepts the gospel message is delivered (salvation), the believer who responds to the gospel mission is deployed (commission).

The sinner who is delivered must receive God’s grace. The disciple who is converted must serve God’s mission.

-The sinner who is delivered repents (encourages self) and the disciple who is converted witnesses (encourages others).

So let’s turn to the four aspects of discipleship:

The Boat – a vessel for transport (on water) The Band – a company of persons working together The Bait – something used to attract or lure The Business – mission, calling or vocation

Luke 5: 1 (NIV) One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2 he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." 5 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." 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 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. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

The Boat

While this might seem obvious, the first consideration if you are going into the commercial fishing business is the acquisition of a boat. As they performed their work the boat kept them afloat. It was the means to effectively access the environment of the fish. In a proverbial sense, faith keeps us afloat. If we trust in Christ and His Word it will keep us on the seas of life.

The Band

The second ingredient you need for any lasting business is co-laborers or partners. This is why Jesus went about the careful task of identifying and selecting His future business partners… His band of disciples. In a business venture the owner chooses the partners based on the mission. The fishermen offered several very attractive qualities to Jesus including skill, patience and humility. This is in part why they were chosen.

The Bait

Commercial fishermen principally used different types of nets and bait to catch different types of fish. In fact, they could target different types of fish through the type and usage of bait. In the ministry of discipleship the key is also the bait that we use. In order to attract sinners, God has entrusted us with the most effective form of bait, the gospel message. When offered with the hook of Christ’s finished work you can effectively fish for men.

The Business

As we noted earlier, the term business is defined as a mission or purposeful activity. It is synonymous with the term calling. The first chosen disciples had a vocation that they’d chosen. Jesus was in essence compelling them to a higher calling or vocation. We must move past the selfish work of our own soul's salvation to the selfless work of winning souls for Christ. This is the family business and our shared mission.

Conclusion

During Jesus’ earthy ministry, He identified the single biggest challenge to His going concern (fishing for men). It wasn’t the boat, the bait or the business itself. It was the band. He told His disciples that the harvest was plentiful but the laborers (disciples) were few. Indeed He didn’t say pray for greater harvest but more disciples (Matt 9:37:38). Consider the commission, which concludes the gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 28: 16 (NIV) Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Second City Church- Guest Speaker Missions & More Sermon Series 2014

First Things First

Famous Last Words: First Things First

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Transforming Truth: Jesus wants your first and your best, not your leftovers.

The narrative of the Bible is a continuous, unbroken story. It begins with creation, God's perfect, grand design. Genesis describes humanity's fall and the beginning of God's restorative plan through the Jewish people. He introduces covenant relationship and the ground rules for redemption through the Torah, the law, found in the first five books of the Bible. The books of wisdom (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon) expound on this law giving practical instruction for every day living as you follow God. Joshua through Esther give a historic account of the Israelites living under and perpetually straying from the Law. The prophets are God's messengers throughout that time returning the people to that Law. All of the Old Testament speaks of Jesus who would inevitably come to save the world as He perfectly fulfilled that Law on our behalf. Today as we look at the last of the canonized Old Testament Prophets, we will see how God's last recorded communication to His people before a 400 year period of silence emphasized the love that God had for His people, identified some of the unique obstacles to our returned devotion and, finally, the manner through which we properly honor God.

Knowing the Love of God

The first thing you must know is that God has loved you.

Malachi 1:1-5 A prophecy: The word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi. “I have loved you,” says the Lord.“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.” Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.”But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord. You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’

Why do you have confidence to come to Jesus? Because He has loved you demonstrably.

As someone who is not yet a Christian, God shows you His love today by pursuing you.

As a Christian, God has shown you His love by choosing you.

The wrath and love of God

The gospel tells you the truth about your condition.

“The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” ― Timothy Keller, The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God

God loved you by sending Jesus to die on the cross for you that the wrath of God might be paid for your wrongdoing through Christ's sacrifice.

God wants you to choose Him with the same type and intensity of love.

The determination to walk in the love and purposes of God can be a losing effort if you don't identify the competition to that commitment.

The Competition

There are several things that will try to keep you out of the foxholes of your life. Some of the more overlooked ones include:

1) As we move into the colder months in the city, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and vitamin D deficiencies will attempt to make you feel alone and force you into hiding. As you remain in God's word, prayer and the community of Christ, you will overcome.

2) Fights with loved ones before the worship service will attempt to convince you it's not worth showing up at the times of worship. As you show up to the life giving church environment, Jesus and His people will arm and fight with you.

3) Self-indulgence, which is the spirit of the age, encourages you to put your desires before God's or anyone else's.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

In the life of every Christian, there must come a transition in thinking from church just being about getting their needs met to our gatherings being a time of worship where we look to honor God and be equipped to serve others for His purposes.

When you understand this, you will submit yourself to learning how to truly honor God.

How to Honor God

Jesus expects to be treated as a great king.

Malachi 1:6-14 “A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty.“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.“But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’ “By offering defiled food on my altar.“But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’“By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty. “Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”—says the Lord Almighty. “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you profane it by saying, ‘The Lord’s table is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food is contemptible.’ And you say, ‘What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously,” says the Lord Almighty.“When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the Lord. “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations.

How many of you have had holiday leftovers that stayed in the fridge too long? Would you serve it to your guests? Why would we give our leftovers to God our king?

God gave you His first and best in Jesus. You honor God by giving Him your first and best in everything, not your leftovers.

You need to begin today to break from the mold and write a different script.

Audi Script Commercial: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq50Ah_-13M

The apostle Paul described the gospel this way, calling people to offer themselves to God in a new way through Jesus:

Romans 6:19-23 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What are the practical ways that you can begin to give Jesus your first and your best in your time? In your relationships? In your finances? With your skills? In your pursuits? In your heart? In your life? Second City Church: Famous Last Words Sermon Series 2014

Take Me To Your Leader

Boot Camp: Take Me To Your Leader

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Transforming Truth: Jesus develops leadership in you as you faithfully steward unexpected responsibility.

Ultimately, what we see that God was preparing David for was a life of leadership. This leadership began in the midst of his trials. Today, as we conclude studying David's preparation for a life of purpose, we will identify key leadership lessons that we can extract from David's life. Specifically, we will identify the purpose behind seasons of obscurity, reveal loyalty as the basis for leadership and, finally, be encouraged by the reality of the ever-present leader in our lives.

Seasons of Obscurity

Jesus births leadership in you while you are in obscurity.

1 Samuel 22:1-5 David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him. From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?” So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold. But the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

David in obscurity

David was called to be king and publicly lead the people of Israel. However, he repeatedly found himself on the back end of the "corporate ladder of progress," this time in a dark, damp cave. Have you had apparent seasons of ups and downs?

Seasons of obscurity can be character forming and good for the soul. God uses them to clarify your calling because during these times it becomes not about you and the accolades that you receive, but about Jesus and His kingdom purposes.

We are refined as we ask the question, "For what am I willing to endure when I am not receiving the reward of people's praise?"

Have you found that eternal fire that gives value to your daily work life, relationships and service in obscurity? The answer to these questions can help clarify what God has actually called you to do because it is in these crucibles that the fire of Jesus alone will sustain you.

Faithful with little, ruler over much David would learn the skills he needed to eventually lead the nation of Israel by first leading the sheep, the armies of Saul and then the 400 well.

Psalm 78:70-72 He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.

In which place do you find yourself today? What level of excellence are you bringing to your work, academic life and present church assignment? Are you approaching it with integrity?

You will eventually have to leave the cave.

As the prophet Gad let David know, the time will come when what you have built when no one was watching will be put to the test. David was no longer a lone shepherd looking after his father's sheep. He was now the commander of hundreds of men who he would lead into battle. David's pursuit of God literally shaped the direction that he was giving the 400 - their destiny. He needed to have the right character to do it.

Loyalty as the Basis for Leadership

Jesus forms the character for leadership in you as you are being led.

1 Samuel 22:6-19 Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul was seated, spear in hand, under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing at his side. He said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.” But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub at Nob. Ahimelek inquired of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelek son of Ahitub and all the men of his family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.”“Yes, my lord,” he answered. Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?” Ahimelek answered the king, “Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father’s family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair.” But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and your whole family.” Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.”But the king’s officials were unwilling to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord. The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.

Where did David learn to lead well? Any good leader must first know how to follow.

Your real influence is caught not commanded.

The loyalty that David would one day expect of his followers, he had to first demonstrate toward Saul. Ahimelek was willing to follow David's lead because he had first seen him follow King Saul well.

Loyalty is demonstrated when you do what you are asked to do in your job, not just what you want to do or what you think needs to be done.

Being obedient to and of use to the one in authority is your platform for promotion, not what you think of yourself.

Whose lead are you following for kingdom purposes? Leadership comes as a product of being a servant to all.

Mark 9:35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

The Ever-Present Leader

Jesus is the ultimate leader we must cling to.

1 Samuel 22:20-23 But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to join David. He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. Then David said to Abiathar, “That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your whole family. Stay with me; don’t be afraid. The man who wants to kill you is trying to kill me too. You will be safe with me.”

In trial, you learn compassion for other people's plights and begin to champion their causes. This is what David did for his family with the king of Moab. It was what he did for Abiathar after his loss. This is the gospel of Christ.

God provided a sanctuary for Abiathar and the 400 men. It would become the incubator for their development in the purposes of God.

You need to find your people when you are in a challenging place, a time of transition.

The culture you live in tells you to float around from one community to another to find what fits you, rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to shape you for service amidst a company of men and women who will be on mission together. When you approach church like an amazon.com purchase, you are off.

As we mentioned a couple of weeks ago, a recent Facebook post I saw read, "Don't just go to church, belong to one."

I think it is better said, "Stop shopping for a church and get grounded in one."

Abiathar and the 400 found their new identity and direction in the company in which they found themselves a part. How is Jesus pairing you with other believers for His purposes?

Abiathar, the 400 men and the gospel

The 400 men that began to follow David during this time were those in distress, those in debt and those who were discontent. Abiathar had just lost everything. The good news, the gospel, is that God does not choose us because of what we have to offer Him, but because we humbly receive what Jesus has to offer us. We are able to "be real," but moldable, in this community enjoying the love described by C.S. Lewis:

"Eros will have naked bodies; Friendship naked personalities." -C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

David gave himself fully to Abiathar and the 400 men, absorbing their frailties as Christ did at the cross for those who would turn away from their sin and follow Him. Though starting in weakness, Abiathar and the 400 are those who would be shaped by grace and help extend the borders of God's kingdom all across the land (I Chronicles 11+12). Jesus does the same in those who trust in Him.

To whom might you might you avail yourself in this manner, ultimately pointing them to Jesus?

The Apostle Paul summarized the gospel highlighting the reason for our confidence in Jesus this way:

Romans 5:6-11 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

It is through seasons of obscurity that Jesus refines our motivations and our focus. As we continually avail ourselves to His redeeming work done on the cross, the Holy Spirit instills virtues such as loyalty and compassion in us. As we find ourselves in gospel community, we are able to successfully follow our ever-present leader, being shaped into the useful men and women who will advance God's kingdom all throughout the land.

Second City Church- Boot Camp Sermon Series 2014

Maximizing Windows of Openness

Guest Speaker: Pastor Reggie Roberson: Maximizing Windows of Openness

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Introduction

Thursday I felt the burden of God, or massah or word, come on me in the shower; the rest of it, I was on the plane.

In general, there is getting ready to be a unique window of openness in the next six to nine months that will establish some ongoing ministry beyond that period of time.

I want to talk this morning on some critical truths that will guide us through what God is going to do.

John 4:39-42 ESV Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

1. God reveals Himself to broken people.

James 4:6 ESV But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 

2. God uses people to bring people to God.

Acts 26:15-18 ESV And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles— to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

3. Every person needs an encounter with God. John 17:3 ESV And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 

Psalm 16:11 ESV You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Second City Church- Guest Speakers Missions & More Sermon Series 2014