Christmas - Part 1

Who Is This Jesus?

Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Jesus is the supernatural, prophesied Jewish Messiah - king and ruler of all the earth. The very meaning of His name points to the mission of the Son of God who comes to save this fallen world from its sins, it's self-destruction.

Matthew 1:21-23 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” which means, God with us.

What He Meant to Elizabeth

Jesus was Elizabeth's source of redemption taking years of pain and disappointment and replacing them with fruitfulness. Elizabeth's faithfulness would make ready her son, John the Baptist, who would be the forerunner to the Savior of the world.

Luke 1:39-45 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Jesus brought restoration to Elizabeth's barren years and importance to her older years.

What He Meant to Mary

Jesus was Mary's definition, giving purpose to her youth. He is the one who the Father used to birth a heavenly call by the Holy Spirit taking Mary out of obscurity and placing her in humble service. She would have the enormous charge to care for, protect and nurture the Savior of the world.

Luke 1:46-56 And Mary said,“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm;he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things,and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers,to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

God chose Mary and it was her responsibility to believe Him and order her life accordingly.

In the same ways, God is calling out to you.

What He Means to You

Jesus has come to be your king. You can be made new through repentance for the forgiveness of your sins. Through faith in Jesus as the Son of God, you can receive adoption into His family.

Like Elizabeth, because of the cross, Jesus can redeem your barren years of pain and disappointment. He is ready to entrust one who has been faithful with responsibility in His Kingdom that your latter years may have eternal impact.

Like Mary, He is here to give you definition, birthing significance through His word to give your life a purpose that will ultimately glorify God through Jesus Christ.

You will not fulfill the purposes of God on your own.

Jesus wants to join you to others upon whom He is moving for His eternal purposes. You are together with those in God's church to be a part of His story of redemption for humanity. All parts are indispensable. Elizabeth was the older woman who had the life experience and wisdom of how to walk with God even through the trial of her barrenness. Mary was the youth, the teenager who was learning reverent submission to the divine will, overcoming stigma and allowing her life to be an offering to God.

In the church, God wants both the wisdom of age and the zeal of youth meeting at the feet of Jesus to provide redemption for this city and the world. Let's commit to this as a perpetual offering to God as we celebrate the birth of His Son, Jesus.

Second City Church- Christmas Sermon Series 2015

The Unshakables - The Unshakable Destiny - Week Twelve

The Unshakable Destiny: The unshakable life is destined for eternity with God.

Death and Resurrection The Justice of God and the Sinfulness of Humanity The Judgment of Sinners The Judgment of Saints

Psalm 9:7-8 But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.

Ecclesiastes 3:17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.

Death and Resurrection

Hebrews 9:27-28 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Romans 14:10-12 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written,“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

An excerpt from The Purple Book:

Annihilationism is the view that human beings cease to exist at the moment of physical death. This view denies the eternal existence of the soul and the Justice of God.

Reincarnation is is the view that upon death a person's soul passes into a new body of either the same or different species as punishment or reward. This view denies the biblical teaching of eternal judgment.

Resurrection is the biblical teaching that the dead shall rise, be judged, and be given either eternal punishment or eternal rewards.

Hebrews 2:14-15 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

The Justice of God and the Sinfulness of Humanity

An excerpt from The Purple Book:

"Many who don't know God and assume that people are basically good wonder, "How can a loving God send people to hell?" The goodness of God's creation was scarred by humanity's sin. Once we see how sinful we are and how perfectly holy God is, we will wonder, "How can a holy God allow sinful people into heaven?"

Psalm 89:14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.

James 2:10-12 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.

The Judgment of Sinners

Romans 2:5-11 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.

Revelation 20:15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Matthew 24:48-51 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Hebrews 10:26-31 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

An excerpt from The Purple Book:

"The Bible teaches that God is loving, kind and compassionate. But he is also holy and just. That is why we are commanded to "fear" him - that is, to treat him with reverence and awe. We do not "fear" God because he is fickle and unreliable. Far from it! God will always show mercy to those who fear him (Luke 1:50).

The Judgment of Saints

An excerpt from The Purple Book:

"All who repent of their sins and put faith in Christ will be with him in paradise forever. Because God is just and our justifier, we will not be judged with those who die apart from Christ. But our life work will be judged - not to determine our eternal destination, but to determine our eternal rewards."

Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

To the church in Ephesus: Revelation 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

To the church in Smyrna: Revelation 2:11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

To the church in Pergamum: Revelation 2:17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

To the church in Thyatira: Revelation 2:26-28 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star.

To the church in Sardis: Revelation 3:5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.

To the church in Philadelphia: Revelation 3:12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.

To the church in Laodicea: Revelation 3:21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Romans 3:21-26 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Second City Church- The Unshakables Sermon Series 2015

Guest Speaker - Peter Ahlin

From Division to Diversity: How Christ's Church Demonstrates Love and Advances the Gospel

I was all set to preach a different message up until two weeks ago. But as I was reading an article in the Wall Street Journal about recent events in the city of Chicago, particularly centered around the shooting of Laquan McDonald, this message dropped into my spirit. Because you see, there are families mourning the loss of sons, brothers, parents, or friends. There are citizens living in fear right now, whether in specific neighborhoods or on the police force. When we perceive injustice, it’s natural to respond with anger, frustration, fear, sorrow, offense, confusion, and even hopelessness. In the midst of all this raw emotion, how do we find the grounds to respond as Christ would have us do?

On the flight here, I was reading a book written by New Orleans Saints receiver Benjamin Watson, entitled Under Our Skin: Getting Real About Race—And Getting Free from the Fears and Frustrations that Divide Us. The introduction was taken from his Facebook post upon learning of the jury’s decision in Ferguson, and I think it’s so valuable that I’d like to read it verbatim:

At some point while I was playing or preparing to play Monday Night Football, the news broke about the Ferguson Decision. After trying to figure out how I felt, I decided to write it down. Here are my thoughts:

I'M ANGRY because the stories of injustice that have been passed down for generations seem to be continuing before our very eyes.

I'M FRUSTRATED, because pop culture, music and movies glorify these types of police citizen altercations and promote an invincible attitude that continues to get young men killed in real life, away from safety movie sets and music studios.

I'M FEARFUL because in the back of my mind I know that although I'm a law abiding citizen I could still be looked upon as a "threat" to those who don't know me. So I will continue to have to go the extra mile to earn the benefit of the doubt.

I'M EMBARRASSED because the looting, violent protests, and law breaking only confirm, and in the minds of many, validate, the stereotypes and thus the inferior treatment.

I'M SAD, because another young life was lost from his family, the racial divide has widened, a community is in shambles, accusations, insensitivity hurt and hatred are boiling over, and we may never know the truth about what happened that day.

I'M SYMPATHETIC, because I wasn't there so I don't know exactly what happened. Maybe Darren Wilson acted within his rights and duty as an officer of the law and killed Michael Brown in self defense like any of us would in the circumstance. Now he has to fear the backlash against himself and his loved ones when he was only doing his job. What a horrible thing to endure. OR maybe he provoked Michael and ignited the series of events that led to him eventually murdering the young man to prove a point.

I'M OFFENDED, because of the insulting comments I've seen that are not only insensitive but dismissive to the painful experiences of others.

I'M CONFUSED, because I don't know why it's so hard to obey a policeman. You will not win!!! And I don't know why some policeman abuse their power. Power is a responsibility, not a weapon to brandish and lord over the populace.

I'M INTROSPECTIVE, because sometimes I want to take "our" side without looking at the facts in situations like these. Sometimes I feel like it's us against them. Sometimes I'm just as prejudiced as people I point fingers at. And that's not right. How can I look at white skin and make assumptions but not want assumptions made about me? That's not right.

I'M HOPELESS, because I've lived long enough to expect things like this to continue to happen. I'm not surprised and at some point my little children are going to inherit the weight of being a minority and all that it entails.

I'M HOPEFUL, because I know that while we still have race issues in America, we enjoy a much different normal than those of our parents and grandparents. I see it in my personal relationships with teammates, friends and mentors. And it's a beautiful thing.

I'M ENCOURAGED, because ultimately the problem is not a SKIN problem, it is a SIN problem. SIN is the reason we rebel against authority. SIN is the reason we abuse our authority. SIN is the reason we are racist, prejudiced and lie to cover for our own. SIN is the reason we riot, loot and burn. BUT I'M ENCOURAGED because God has provided a solution for sin through the his son Jesus and with it, a transformed heart and mind. One that's capable of looking past the outward and seeing what's truly important in every human being. The cure for the Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner tragedies is not education or exposure. It's the Gospel. So, finally, I'M ENCOURAGED because the Gospel gives mankind hope.

As Benjamin Watson shared with eloquence, transparency, and grace, the Gospel is the only hope! The root cause of violence, injustice, mistrust, and fear is SIN, and the good news of Jesus Christ the only hope. So how do we very practically experience that hope and put it to work in our lives?

I want to break this message into four simple parts:

(a) The Reality

(b) The Response

(c) The Revival

(d) The Revelation

We are going to be mostly in the book of Acts, to see a specific example of a cry of injustice, a response, and what happened following that response.

First, what is the present REALITY? Though laws and cultural mores change from country to country and century to century, the same reality persists, because there is nothing new under the sun. What did Solomon say in Ecclesiastes?

Moreover I saw under the sun: In the place of judgment, wickedness was there; And in the place of righteousness, iniquity was there. (Ecclesiastes 3:16) (In the very places where a lawful response should have been made. In the very place where officers should have sought to protect. And so on. In the very place where there should have been righteousness, there was wickedness.)

Let’s look at our main passage, Acts 6:1:

1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

Satan comes to bring ethnic division; the church is called to celebrate ethnic diversity. Not just peaceful coexistence. How does it happen? The apostles have received gifts for distribution to those in need, but the Grecian Jews (i.e. those not native-born) perceived that they were neglected in the daily distribution. This created disunity and murmuring among the believers – there had been this beautiful unity of meeting together in each other’s homes, breaking bread together, sharing everything they had – and now division and dissension was striking near the very core of what made apostolic Christianity so vibrant. The health of the Christian church was at stake in what happened next.

2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.

So what was the apostles’ RESPONSE? Like good leaders should, they responded with proactivity and wisdom. They did not

(a) ignore the problem (aaawww, it’s fine, it will work itself out)

(b) act as though the church had no role (this is really a welfare issue, kinda political, and we’re a church. We had best stay out of it.)

(c) not prioritizing one extreme at the exclusion of the other (James 1:27); word of God and serving the poor (Galatians 2:10). Ah we just do theology here. We just evangelize here. We’re not really into social issues. OR we don’t really evangelize, we just feed people and trust that they’ll figure out how to be saved by a revelation.

They empowered a team (this is God's way: to have His children share the weight of ministry and steward/develop their gifts). REMEMBER Jesus said ask the Lord of the harvest, and in the very next verse, they were sent! Of

(A) diverse individuals (Nicolas a convert to Judaism from Antioch). It wouldn’t just be one homogenous group serving the diverse population they needed to reach with food. They also didn’t decide to have two groups, kinda separate but equal, to serve the Palestinian Jews and the Grecian Jews. Instead, it would be a diverse team, mutually benefiting each other with their gifts.

(B) capable of loving each other in their diversity (under persecution, Philip went straight to Samaria (Jews don't associate with Samaritans) and witnessed to an Ethiopian eunuch). ROLLAN AND I – he is exuberant, energetic, bold evangelist, light-up-the-room extrovert, with a Jamaican flair. I am an introverted, Swedish bookworm. That could either drive us crazy, or that could give us cause to celebrate and praise God for those differences that complement each other and fill out the beautiful fulsome picture of God’s infinitely amazing character.

(C) humble enough to serve in obscurity though amazingly and dramatically gifted. Stephen, we know you're full of faith and the Holy Spirit. People trust you ... So we want you to wait tables very Tuesday.

Stephen could have taken offense. I am so gifted and important, and they want me to take food to widows? No one sees my gift! No one values me! I know where I can find prominence -- with the Pharisees. I'm out of here.

Stephen could have bided his time and done a half-hearted job. I'll just wait til I am discovered. No one sees anyway. Instead, Stephen said: I am honored to serve. Thank God I have faithful leaders who want to empower me, not hoard responsibility for themselves. Thank God I have a commission to serve the poor, rectify ethnic injustice, and a good reason to be out preaching as I serve.

(D) good reputation (unimpeachable character -- they will rectify the problem and replace dissension with dynamism. Have you ever noticed, even when you are working for God with all your heart, accusations against your motives can still come? Maybe especially when you are working for God with all your heart. What’s needed are men and women, like Daniel, about whom it is said – “We can’t find anything on him, unless it’s something about his God.”)

(E) full of the Spirit (as they serve, they will preach the gospel. They’ll say, this is great! Now we can reach the Greek-speaking world, because I’m gonna witness to everyone who gets my food delivery.)

(F) full of wisdom (welcoming diverse perspectives while promoting the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Naturally there will be different ideas about how to do things, and it takes tremendous wisdom to listen to those viewpoints respectfully and reach a just, equitable conclusion.)

(G) able to take responsibility because they have been charged by the church leadership to make a difference. Laying hands confers commission, approval, blessing, and anointing.

Wow. What can happen with a team this great? Wisdom of diverse perspectives, filled with the Spirit, great reputations, connecting with the population they are going out to serve, devoted to rectifying injustice and bringing equity and fairness! Now that’s a team!

What happened when they got to work?

The REVIVAL

7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:1-7)

(1) the Word of God spread and the disciples multiplied greatly!

(A) the apostles could focus on prayer and preaching the Word

(B) Stephen and others shared the Word as they served

(C) real and unhypocritical faith was on display. Ethnic unity was preserved as the church acted justly. Feeding the poor was done justly, not corruptly.

(2) priests became obedient to the faith!

(A) they had resisted the preaching of Jesus and worked to see Him killed

(B) they had initially opposed the apostles and had them persecuted

(C) they had everything to lose from a system that elevated common believers. They wouldn't have special seats in the synagogue anymore! They wouldn’t have a temple that corruptly extracted excess money from those who came to sacrifice. They were the last people you might have predicted would become obedient to the faith. So why turn to Christ now? They repented at the sight of the preaching of the gospel via an empowered church, ethnically diverse yet unified. They had seen the form of religion but denied its power their whole lives, but now – after they didn’t turn at the preaching of the greatest teacher who ever lived, his resurrection which they denied, the miracles in the early church – they repented because they saw authentic love in diversity.

Want to see those “hard cases” come to faith, those family members or friends who act like they would never believe? They will believe, when they see God’s church modeling just, authentic love in a diverse population. Watch the people you have prayed over for years and even decades repent when they see this. The world does not have it! The world’s choices seem to be either unrepentant anger, pointing fingers, closing doors, and huddling up with people exactly like me. They will know that you are Christians when they see this love, against all expectation, against the societal trend, in the face of every painful reality we are seeing in this great city.

Finally, the REVELATION. Even the apostles who had witnessed this experience needed a fresh revelation of God’s ultimate plan. I want to share three moments with you, when the apostles of God caught a vision for God’s design for the nations of the world, and the revelation transformed them forever.

34 PETER: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. (Acts 10:34-35)

24 PAUL: The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. (Acts 17:24-27)

9 JOHN: After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9-10)

When you catch that revelation, when it is written on your heart with the indelible ink of God’s Spirit, it will never leave you.

I want to close by reminding you of a comment from the Isaiah 60 message preached in September of 2013, about four key attributes that would mark this church. A penetrating light in deep darkness. A refuge of tranquility in a sea of turmoil. From a small beginning, a mighty army to reach thousands here and worldwide. And finally, love in diversity: a beautiful picture of God’s kingdom diversity from many nations will be joined together in your church family, and those who come will be able to build and minister with great efficacy. (Isaiah 60:5-10a)

You see, the Bible does not teach that nations and cultures are homogeneous, nor that their differences are irreconcilable ones. The biblical picture Isaiah shares is that even in the perfected future, national and ethnic distinctions persist. Tim Keller points out here that every culture brings something different, something for which it is known, and that each culture has strengths and contributions to the flourishing of mankind that cannot be replaced. This is a restoration of the beautiful diversity that existed within the twelve tribes of Israel. Further, these cultural distinctions will persist for all of eternity – John looked into heaven and saw a countless multitude of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. And so with this promise to the church comes a commission for every member in it – to demonstrate love in diversity, to model a community of believers from every nation about whom it may be said – see how they love each other! Jesus went through Samaria when his Jewish contemporaries who hated Samaritans walked miles out of the way to avoid it. Now that He has ascended to heaven, He has called each of us to show his love in diversity. Jesus is the one who reconciled divided foes both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity between them, and if you’ll allow Him, He’ll fill you with His love as your church fills up with a beautiful diversity of cultures, languages, and nations.

Let me summarize. The only hope to bring authentic, loving diversity to our city and world is the gospel of Jesus Christ lived out by the church of Jesus Christ. There is no plan B, no other alternative. There’s injustice at work in places where there ought to be justice. The goal is not just peaceful coexistence or separate but equal – remember how Martin Luther King said “I have a dream that one day the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood.” Not peacefully coexist, but sit at the table together as brother and sisters. We cannot ignore the problem, or opt out because that’s “not our focus.” Instead, we must empower God’s diverse, loving, humble, wise, Spirit-filled, wisdom-oriented, anointed, unimpeachable team to sit at the table of brotherhood and sisterhood to rectify injustice. When we do, we will see the Word of God spread, those people who have rejected the gospel for years or decades turn to Jesus, as we embrace His revelation. Jesus has made the two one! Jesus reconciled enemies to Him through the cross, and we will see the full beauty of his variegated creativity in the church that is built.

Second City Church- Guest Speakers Series 2015

The Unshakables - The Unshakable Compassion - Week Eleven

The Unshakable Compassion: The unshakable life moves compassionately towards people with the gospel through word, deeds and power.

Everyone a Minister Boldness Spiritual Conflict and Evangelism Miracles, Signs and Wonders To the Ends of the Earth

Everyone a Minister

2 Corinthians 5:16-20 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Romans 1:14-16 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Romans 10:14-15 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

Acts 10:24 And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.

Acts 20:17-21 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. And when they came to him, he said to them:“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Boldness

Acts 4:29-31 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues,but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man lays a snare,but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

Ephesians 6:19-20 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Spiritual Conflict and Evangelism

2 Corinthians 4:4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

Acts 16:14-15 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

Miracles, Signs and Wonders

Acts 8:4-8 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city.

John 14:12-14 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

To the Ends of the Earth

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Second City Church- The Unshakables Sermon Series 2015

The Unshakables - The Unshakable Generosity - Week Ten

The Unshakable Generosity: The unshakable life stewards God’s provision well in order to live a life of generosity.

The Dangers of Wealth Biblical Principles of Prosperity Putting God First Extreme Generosity

As we enter into the Thanksgiving season, we want to be sure to give honor to God for all that He has so generously provided for us - in life, in family, in finances, in fruitfulness through His church. As God has been abundantly generous to us, we want to learn to do the same in being generous as a people unto His kingdom cause.

The Dangers of Wealth

Mark 4:18-19 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

Luke 16:13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

What does it mean to serve money?

Every decision that you make and action that you take is done for its accumulation or preservation. You live out of fear of not having enough to meet your needs or desires.

1 Timothy 6:9-10 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

What does it mean to love money?

You begin to look to money as your source of identity, value, worth and security rather than the God who ultimately provided it for you. You give it the majority of your time and attention. The lion's share of your goals have to do with your incessant pursuit of money. It becomes an end in and of itself rather than a means to God's greater kingdom good. A life driven by the love of money is focused on its continued acquisition with no greater purpose than having more of it and spending it on your pleasures. It is a frustrating search for fleeting satisfaction and pseudo-stability outside of a vibrant, growing relationship Jesus Christ, His church and His eternal gospel mission.

Proverbs 11:28 Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

Proverbs 23:4-5 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

Luke 12:15-21 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Biblical Principles of Prosperity

Proverbs 10:3-4 The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.

Proverbs 22:9 The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

2 Corinthians 9:6-11 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;their righteousness endures forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Putting God First

2 Chronicles 31:5-8 As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything. The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the Lord their God, and they piled them in heaps. They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month. When Hezekiah and his officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the Lord and blessed his people Israel.

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.’”

Extreme Generosity

Luke 21:1-4 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

2 Corinthians 8:1-7 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

A generous life is one centered in the gospel.

2 Corinthians 8:8-9 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

There is no outgiving God. He demonstrated this by giving the life of His own son on the cross that we might be reconciled to Him.

Second City Church- The Unshakables Sermon Series 2015

The Unshakables - The Unshakable Hope - Week Nine

The Unshakable Hope: The unshakable life is anchored in hope through faith in God.

Saving Faith, Faith and Obedience, Faith and Hope

Saving Faith

You are saved solely through what Jesus has done for you, not what you do for Him.

Romans 3:21-28 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Faith and Obedience

If you have faith, it will produce a move towards God and obedience to His Word.

1 John 3:2-3 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Faith puts you on a trajectory in life by the leading of God's revealed Word to you (Hebrews 11).

Faith and Hope

Biblical faith is not merely grounded in a concept, but your trust in the character, heart and disposition of the person of Christ.

Hope is the longing of your heart based on that person. Elpizo: to expect, wish for; rely upon, place confidence in, count upon. To wish or desire something to be true, long for a favorable event to occur or a circumstance to arise.

Hebrews 11:1-2, 6 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

We can be trapped by our previous experiences and comfortable paradigms regarding God.

Matthew 13:53-58 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

Jesus responds to our hunger.

John 6:1-15 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

We live in a fallen world that Jesus has come to redeem. It began with His sinless incarnation and sacrificial death on the cross. It continued with His resurrection from the dead and outpouring of His Holy Spirit to give ongoing testimony to His victorious life and work. It will culminate with His triumphant return where the Father will judge both the living and the dead, bringing the new heaven and new earth as the home of righteousness (Isaiah 66; Revelation 21). Suffering takes place in the time between our present circumstances and God's inevitable manifestation of His care, whether now or in the life to come. We have an eternal hope in Christ that will not be disappointed.

Romans 8:22-25 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Timing is the issue. Either now or in the life to come, we have Christ's sure promises. Go down swinging.

How should we posture ourselves in a present hope?

Matthew 9:27-31 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

Jesus will at times limit Himself to the extent of our desire, even when our need is obvious.

Luke 18:35-43 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

What do you want Jesus to do for you?

The Emmaus Road

Luke 24:27-32 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

Faith will cry out for Jesus to move in your life even when it seems He has passed you by.

Second City Church- The Unshakables Sermon Series 2015

The Unshakables - Guest Speaker Reggie Roberson - The Baptism of the Holy Spirit - Week Eight

Introduction

(Pastor Reggie shared about his family, showing a picture.)

We’ve been in a series called The Unshakables.

Have you ever had someone give you a task to do but did not give you the right equipment?

Personal examples:

College entrance exam on Spanish Paper writing Trying out for football (Wonkey)

Jesus has given us a great task.

Jesus has given Christ followers the task of bringing Him glory and helping others to grow spiritually in order to fulfill His purpose for their lives. (Pastor Reggie showed a picture about being made great for a great purpose.) This is called being a disciple and making disciples. Matthew 28:18-20 speaks of this task.

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

We need special equipment to complete the task.

(Pastor Reggie showed a picture with wrong equipment.)

Without the right equipment this can be a daunting task. Why?

• People immerse or baptize themselves into things that will promote them, give them possession, or give them pleasure.
• Our natural tendency is to be self-centered and not consider other people.
• We don’t want to be rejected.
• We don’t want to hold others to a standard because we don’t want anyone to hold us to a standard.
• People seem to love doing what they want to do: sin.
• We are convinced that other assignments are more important instead of that which will impact eternity.

When Jesus gave this task to His followers they were facing similar situations. Jews -thought a suffering savior was foolish. Romans -thought redemption of the world was foolish. They persecuted Christ's followers. Epicureans -emphasized enjoying earthly pleasure as the highest state of happiness. Stoics - believed that life was not about feelings, only ethics and morality which ultimately a man’s mind could control. Christians taught a need for Christ to change.

Despite all of these challenges they faced, His followers were able to complete the task. Christ followers multiplied and spread all over the earth. (Pastor Reggie referenced China, Sudan, and Indonesia.) How did they do it?

Jesus makes the right equipment available to us:

(Pastor Reggie showed a picture with firefighters.)

Let’s read the parallel verse to Matthew 28:18-20 which is Luke 24:

Luke 24:44-49 NIV He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Jesus is saying He is going to give Christ followers special equipment to glorify Him and make disciples. This equipment is power. Acts 1:4-5 gives us another version of the same story:

Acts 1:4-5 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 1:7-8 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

In both of the stories we see that Jesus is promising to give special equipment to Christ followers through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 2 they receive the equipment or power:

Acts 2:1-5, 7-8, 11 NIV When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? both Jews and converts to Judaism; Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is: An immersion into the Holy Spirit’s power; That happens immediately or some point after you’ve become a Christ follower; Accompanied with physical manifestations of the Spirit; For the purpose of power to serve and minister to others for Christ's glory.

Many other times throughout the Book of Acts we see this power through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit being used to glorify God and help others to grow spiritually in order to fulfill His purpose for their lives.

In Acts 4:8 Peter is again filled with the Holy Spirit and speaks with such power that the Jewish leaders were amazed at his boldness in spite of his being relatively uneducated (4:13). In Acts 4:31 other disciples were praying and the place where they were was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. The effect of their fullness was that they spoke the Word of God with extraordinary boldness and Christ-exalting power. In Acts 6 we meet Stephen who is full of faith and the Holy Spirit (v. 5). And Luke tells us in verse 8 that he was therefore full of power and did wonders and signs among the people, but especially in verse 10, the leaders could not resist the wisdom and Spirit with which he spoke. His fullness gave him an extraordinary power for Christ-exalting ministry. In Acts 9:17 Paul is filled with the Holy Spirit at his conversion and the result was that he spoke with such extraordinary power that the Jews of Damascus were confounded (9:22). In Acts 11:24 Barnabas was full of the Holy Spirit and faith and the effect Luke mentions was that “a large company was added to the Lord” (as at Pentecost).

Conclusion

Jesus has given us a great task. We need special equipment to complete the task. Jesus makes the right equipment (power) available to us through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit so we can complete the task.

If you have not yet, receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Pastor Reggie shared some testimonies.) If you have already, be active in using your equipment: God gave it to you for accomplishing His task.

1 Timothy 4:14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

Second City Church- The Unshakables Sermon Series 2015

The Unshakables - The Unshakable Devotion - Week Seven

The Unshakable Devotion: The unshakable life passionately pursues God through a life of devotion.

Personal Prayer The Power of Prayer Corporate Prayer Biblical Prayers Worship

Personal Prayer

Matthew 6:5-15 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:“Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

The Power of Prayer

What did Jesus say about the power of prayer?

Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Mark 11:22-24 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Matthew 21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Corporate Prayer

Matthew 18:19-20 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Biblical Prayers

1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

Worship

Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Emotionalism vs. Biblical Praise

Psalm 47:1, 5-6 Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

God has gone up with a shout,the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

Psalm 96:8-9 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!

Psalm 150:3-6 Praise him with trumpet sound;praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Second City Church- The Unshakables Sermon Series 2015

The Unshakables - The Unshakable Family - Week Six

The Unshakable Family: The unshakable life commits to the family of God.

The Victorious Church

Matthew 16:13-18 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

From p. 68 in The Purple Book:

Peter preached the very first sermon of the New Testament church. He called his listeners to repent, to be baptized and to receive the Holy Spirit. All who responded were then added to the local body of believers - called the church. Everyone who is saved, baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit today should also become part of a church - a local community of believers.

Why? Because we were not made to live the Christian life alone. We were not meant to follow God by ourselves. As you'll discover in this study, the early church did nearly everything in community. They didn't just meet together once a week; they shared life together. They taught one another, encouraged one another and met each other's needs.

Just as God determines our parents and other family members, he has also chosen the spiritual family that we are born into. The church is God's instrument for advancing his kingdom. He has no "plan B." The church is the only legitimate setting for living the Christian faith. No long-term "lone ranger' can be a true disciple of Christ. All who truly desire to follow Christ must find their place in a church family.

Acts 2:42-47 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 4:32-37 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas which means son of encouragement, a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

The Body of Christ

Find your place of service.

1 Corinthians 12:14-26 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Church Leadership

Jesus is the head of His church but He also appoints leadership.

Ephesians 4:1-16 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says,“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,and he gave gifts to men.” In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

1 Timothy 3:1-13 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

Titus 1:5-9 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

Church Discipline

Proverbs 6:16-19 There are six things that the Lord hates,seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans,feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

Matthew 18:15-17 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

Holy Communion

1 Corinthians 11:23-32 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

From the One 2 One App:

PERSONAL APPLICATION

Are you being discipled, either one-to-one or in a small group setting? Are you making disciples? Who are you teaching to obey God's Word? Are you an active member of a local church? Name three Christians you can call for help in case of a spiritual emergency.

Second City Church- The Unshakables Sermon Series 2015

The Unshakables - The Unshakable Mission - Week Five

The Unshakable Mission: The unshakable life helps others find and follow Jesus.

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Cost

2 Timothy 2:1-7 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

The cost of discipleship is absolute surrender: Reputation, time, money, comfort, worldly stability, relationships, laziness, prior autonomy, etc.

Luke 14:25-33 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

The Cross

Understanding the cross is the key to discipleship.

Colossians 2:13-15 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 6:14-15 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

The Commitment

One evidence of true discipleship is growing Christian character. The other is growing involvement in Christ's mission.

2 Peter 1:3-11 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Matthew 4:19-20 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

Next week we'll speak about the community that is imperative to both shaping that character and fulfilling that mission.

Second City Church- The Unshakables Sermon Series 2015

The Unshakables - The Unshakable Hunger - Week Four

The Unshakable Hunger: The unshakable life is both satisfied by and hungry for God’s Word.

Acts 6:4-7 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

The word of God shows us our maker.

Because God has already spoken, we know and come to recognize the sound of His voice through His Word.

John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 17:14-18 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

The word of God gives us our mission.

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

John 12:48-49 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Hebrews 4:12-13 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

The benefits of the Word

Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,nor stands in the way of sinners,nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord,and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.In all that he does, he prospers.

Psalm 84:1-2, 10 How lovely is your dwelling place,O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

Psalm 119:9-11 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you;let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Meditate on it

Memorize it

Confess it (Matthew 4)

Teach it

Psalm 119:72 The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Psalm 119:97-105 Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers,for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged,for I keep your precepts. I hold back my feet from every evil way,in order to keep your word. I do not turn aside from your rules,for you have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste,sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 119:160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

God expects obedience to His Word.

The Word of God brings us into His might.

James 1:22-25 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Luke 6:46-49 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Second City Church- The Unshakables Sermon Series 2015

The Unshakables - The Unshakable Direction - Week Three

The Unshakable Direction: The unshakable life is a lifestyle of repentance.

Acts 2:36-47 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

True repentance involves the entire Trinitarian Godhead and His body.

1. Turning away from sin and to God the Father.

2. Be baptized in the name of Jesus.

3. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

4. Be added to the church - the community of believers.

Luke 15:11-24 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

Mark 1:14-15 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Luke 13:1-5 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Who should repent?

Acts 17:30-31 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Acts 26:19-20 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.

Proverbs 28:13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

2 Corinthians 7:10-11 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.

Restitution is evidence of real repentance.

Luke 19:1-10 He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

The sacrament:

Romans 6:4-5 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

1 Corinthians 10:1-4 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.

Colossians 2:11-12 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

1 Peter 3:18-21 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Second City Church- The Unshakables Sermon Series 2015

The Unshakables - The Unshakeable Surrender - Week Two

The unshakable life lives in surrender to the lordship of Jesus.

Acts 2:36
Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Lordship is one of the central messages of the Bible. Jesus is referred to as Lord ninety-nine times in the book of Acts and 616 times in the whole New Testament, while being referred to as "Savior" only twice in Acts and twenty-four times in the New Testament. The biblical emphasis is overwhelmingly on the concept of Lordship. Lord means master, the one who calls the shots, the one who makes the decisions. (From the One to One App)

Philippians 2:5-11
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Matthew 7:13-20
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

John 14:15, 23-24

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. Jesus answered him,

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.

Ephesians 5:1-8
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous that is, an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light..

(The free One to One App is a great resource to use.)

Personal Application

1. Are there areas in your life that you have not yet submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ?

2. Are your relationships under His Lordship?

3. Are your finances under His Lordship?

4. Is your time submitted to His Lordship?

1 John 3:7-10
Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

1 John 1:5-9
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Second City Church- The Unshakables Sermon Series 2015

The Unshakables - The Unshakable Life - Week One

The Unshakable Life: The unshakable life is built upon the unshakable rock of Jesus and His Word.

The Unshakable Story: The unshakable life knows its place in the story of God.

Genesis 3:1-13
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Isaiah 59:1-2Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Romans 3:9-20What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written:“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands;no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good,not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave;they use their tongues to deceive.”“The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Romans 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Revelation 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

John 3:3-7 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Matthew 16:24-26Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Second City Church- The Unshakeables Sermon Series 2015

Designer God - A Design for Your Finances

 

“Having, First, gained all you can, and, Secondly saved all you can, Then give all you can.” —from a sermon in the Works of John Wesley

Gain All You Can

In regard to finances, there are generally two mentalities driving people to two extremes: poverty and greed.

God wants to bring us to a place of contentment and generosity. Before we can be generous, we must have something to share.

Deuteronomy 8:11-20 “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God.

Save All You Can

If you are going to save successfully, you must also have a plan to get out of debt.

Debt:

Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

We can not escape the trap of debt when we do not control our impulse to nickel and dime ourselves to death.

How Good Is Your Money Game?

Proverbs 21:17, 20 Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich. Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.

Didn't Jesus say not to worry about saving money?

Matthew 6:19-24 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." No. He was a Jewish Rabbi in agreement with all of the wisdom of Proverbs, which says the following: Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.

What He is saying is not to let the desire to reach a certain goal keep you from your ultimate devotion which is generous obedience to Christ.

What does it mean to serve money as your master?

It means to look to money as the source of your security, stability, happiness and salvation.

It is through the practice of worshiping God through your tithes and offerings that He frees you from the idolatry of looking to your job or people as your god, rather than Jesus Christ.

Give All You Can

People have the false idea that they should begin a life of generosity when they have accumulated enough. However, it is a deception to feel like you will ever have enough if you do not live by Christ's standard of contentment.

“There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.” - G.K. Chesterton

Where and how does God say giving should begin?

Deuteronomy 26:1-15 When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name and say to the priest in office at the time, “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labor. Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household. When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. Then say to the Lord your God: “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them. I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God; I have done everything you commanded me. Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

The tithe is a mechanism through which you continually renew your covenant with God, reestablishing the trust that you have in your heart toward Him in regard to His provision and protection (i.e. - Old Testament times' covenants with kings). It is for your benefit to free you of the idolatry in your heart, looking to another god or savior.

Proverbs 11:24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.

The place that I will show you...

The church is not a charity like the Red Cross or Habitat for Humanity. Though wonderful organizations like these found their beginnings through the motivation of Christian benevolence, they do not replace, supersede or divide the portion that belongs in the house of God alone. It is a place of consecration where, by the command of God, our hearts are shaped in worship as we give the first and the best of our time, talent and resources to Jesus for His direct, unadulterated Kingdom/gospel purposes in the earth.

I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.
- Maya Angelou

Old Testament tithe or New Testament generosity?

Matthew 5:17-48

The writers of the New Testament make reference to the fact that we are not under the law of sin and death for our reconciliation (to be counted innocent in the sight of God) because of Jesus' atoning sacrifice for us. Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law for us (Romans 8:1-5), paid the penalty for our rebellion on the cross and rose from the dead for our justification (Romans 4:25). However, through Christ, we now have a greater expectation to the law of the spirit of life (being led by the Holy Spirit), which leads us to the eternal principles that were at the heart of the law, rather than the letter. This calls us to greater righteousness, not less, as some would suppose.

The Old Testament tithe to the local storehouse is to be the floor, not the ceiling of our generosity. As we saw in The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus always took the law to a higher, not lower level. Do you think that Jesus would want you to be more or less generous in the New Testament? Use the tithe, the tenth, as your starting place to know, "at minimum," I should do this...

Should I wait until I'm out of debt or reach all of my financial goals before I begin?

No.

You don't make up for years of disobedience by perpetuating it. You begin with obedience now as a mechanism to invite God to reverse the curse. Additionally, if this is your first time learning about this, you develop a lifetime of trust by taking the first steps of obeying what you now know.

Generous like Jesus Christ:

Joy comes as a result of having Jesus' perspective, when you know that the sum total of your life is part of a larger story. Do not let the longing for individual desires weigh you down. You must live for and give yourself to something, to someone, bigger than yourself to truly find authentic, sustainable, increasing joy. The only lasting, eternal cause is Jesus Christ and His everlasting Kingdom. Let's meet Jesus at the cross today and allow Him to produce His promises in our lives by the power of obedience to His wisdom and Spirit.

Second City Church- Designer God Sermon Series 2015

Designer God - A Design for Your Family

It is said that "home is where the heart is."

A Home Built Around God's Word

The greatest benefit of the home is to provide a safe, consistent environment where the love and purposes of God can be cultivated in the lives of an individual.

Deuteronomy 6:1-9 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

1) Have a daily time in your home where you study the word of God and pray together.

2) Through prayer, develop a family mission statement through which you can serve Christ in your local community.

A Heart Built Around God's Word

Have your heart connected to a local church.

Mark 3:31-35 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Mark 10:29-30 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

The nation of Israel was divided into tribes, clans, families and individuals.

It takes time to build healthy, deep, committed relationships: spiritual family. It is worth it. Be all in. It will make all of the difference.

(Pastor Rollan gave the example of merely podcasting versus having a commitment to the local church.)

You can not have true biblical fellowship this way.

It is like identifying with people on sitcoms versus filling your tank through flesh and blood relationships.

Second City Church- Designer God Sermon Series 2015

Designer God - A Design for Your Faith

It has been said that "the Old Testament is God's will concealed. The New Testament is God's will revealed."

Designed through the Law

The purpose of the Law is to show us who God is and show us the way to right relationship with Him by walking in His ways.

Deuteronomy 4:15-31 “Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day. Furthermore, the Lord was angry with me because of you, and he swore that I should not cross the Jordan, and that I should not enter the good land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance. For I must die in this land; I must not go over the Jordan. But you shall go over and take possession of that good land. Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. “When you father children and children's children, and have grown old in the land, if you act corruptly by making a carved image in the form of anything, and by doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, so as to provoke him to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess. You will not live long in it, but will be utterly destroyed. And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. And there you will serve gods of wood and stone, the work of human hands, that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice. For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.

Galatians 3:24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.

The Content of the Law

The law of God establishes His authority in our lives.

“Don't be scared by the word authority. Believing things on authority only means believing them because you've been told them by someone you think trustworthy. Ninety-nine per cent of the things you believe are believed on authority. I believe there is such a place as New York. I haven't seen it myself. I couldn't prove by abstract reasoning that there must be such a place. I believe it because reliable people have told me so. The ordinary man believes in the Solar System, atoms, evolution, and the circulation of the blood on authority -because the scientists say so. Every historical statement in the world is believed on authority. None of us has seen the Norman Conquest or the defeat of the Armada. None of us could prove them by pure logic as you prove a thing in mathematics. We believe them simply because people who did see them have left writings that tell us about them: in fact, on authority. A man who jibbed at authority in other things as some people do in religion would have to be content to know nothing all his life.” - C.S. Lewis, The Case for Christianity

Deuteronomy 5:1-22 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. Not with our fathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, while I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. He said: “‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “‘You shall have no other gods before me. “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. “‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. “‘You shall not murder. “‘And you shall not commit adultery. “‘And you shall not steal. “‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. “‘And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.’ “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.

"Obedience is very, very, very hard; disobedience is lethal." - Timothy Keller, Praying Our Fears - 18:30-23:45

How should we interact with the law today?

Anything fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ is the basis of our righteousness and relationship with God. It is finished. This includes, for example, the sacrifices that were made regularly at the temple in payment/atonement for sin. This was settled at the cross and through Jesus' resurrection. Anything left to daily decision making is the present responsibility of the Christian to demonstrate love for Christ.

The sermon on the Mount took the law to the next level, making it about the heart rather than mere external works.

Matthew 5:17-20 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

This applies to your career:

"There is no future in any job. The future lies in the man who holds the job." - George Crane

Faith and the Law

Trusting in the finished work of Jesus at the cross establishes the basis of our confidence in relationship to God and our resultant walk of love in obedience to Him.

Romans 3:27-31 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Second City Church- Designer God Sermon Series 2015

Designed for Leadership

Designer God: Designed for Leadership

[powerpress] People need leadership.

Purpose more than Private Spirituality

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” ― Mother Teresa

For the great things God wants to do to serve, reach and transform our cities, it's going to take the persistent initiative, creativity and leadership of the many, not the few.

Deuteronomy 1:9-18 “At that time I said to you, ‘I am not able to bear you by myself. The Lord your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous as the stars of heaven. May the Lord, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are and bless you, as he has promised you! How can I bear by myself the weight and burden of you and your strife? Choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads.’ And you answered me, ‘The thing that you have spoken is good for us to do.’ So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and experienced men, and set them as heads over you, commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, commanders of tens, and officers, throughout your tribes. And I charged your judges at that time, ‘Hear the cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien who is with him. You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God's. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’ And I commanded you at that time all the things that you should do.

Those who were appointed as heads from the tribes were not just the priests or Levites, but those who worked in agriculture, business, government, law, the military, construction and various other professions. It is no different today as God calls men and women from every sphere of society to help build His church and take responsibility for the people that Jesus has called to Himself.

If you have a burden for something or see a place in the church that we can advance, more than likely, God is appointing you to help develop something to improve it and lead it.

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

God is interested in raising up construction workers, not critics.

1 Corinthians 3:5-13 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.

People more than Position

“A lowly knowledge of thyself is a surer way to God than the deep searching of a man’s learnings. Not that learning is to be blamed, nor the taking account of anything that is good; but a good conscience and a holy life is better than all. And because many seek knowledge rather than good living, therefore they go astray, and bear little or no fruit.” ― Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ

There's a difference between positional leadership and relational leadership based on love and trust.

The requirements for leadership should be your aspiration: Wisdom Understanding Experience

You need to be around different types of people for a balanced diet, like different types of food.

You don't choose your family. Nor do you choose the ones God has appointed you to lead.

Jesus over All

We have come to serve Jesus as Lord, who is the head of His church.

Romans 10:8-13 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” that is, the word of faith that we proclaim; because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Second City Church- Designer God Sermon Series 2015

Designed to Advance

Designer God: Designed to Advance

[powerpress] Deuteronomy 1:1-8 These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. It is eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea. In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him in commandment to them, after he had defeated Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth and in Edrei. Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to explain this law, saying, “The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negeb and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them.’

The Obstacles to Advance

What are the areas in your life where you've been going in circles and need to commit to forward progress?

Has it been your relationship with your spouse or children? Has it been a sin habit that needs to be overcome?

You need Jesus and you need consistent Christian community.

We don't advance when we get lulled to sleep by the distractions that surround us.

Can We Auto-Correct Humanity

We need a biblical commitment and perseverance.

The Grace to Advance

"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: A desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill." -Muhammad Ali

"By perseverance the snail reached the ark." -Charles Spurgeon

Advance begins with conversion meeting Jesus at the cross allowing yourself to break and receive His aid.

The Need for Conversion

Timothy Keller made reference to John Stott's teaching in Basic Christianity saying that there are only three responses that you can have to Jesus: 1) Run away 2) Kill Him 3) Sell everything to follow Him when you understand who He is.

There is a difference between being around Jesus and meeting Jesus.

Luke 20:9-18 And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:“‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

Life is just better when you do it together.

Whenever there is advance, there is pushback.

What does it mean to fight together?

We need to be an environment and a people who are quick to encourage. We have enough critics in life. In Christ, you need some cheerleaders.

Hebrews 3:12-14 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

Those with prophetic gifts need to arise (I Corinthians 14:1-5).

Constructive criticism is fine but who will remind their brother or sister of the promise of God?

Fall on the rock of Christ, meet Him at the cross and allow Him to define your life in His purposes.

Second City Church- Designer God Sermon Series 2015

Designed for What is Good in His Sight

Designer God: Designed for What is Good in His Sight

[powerpress] Judges 3:12-30 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amalekites, and went and defeated Israel. And they took possession of the city of palms. And the people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his clothes. And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. But he himself turned back at the idols near Gilgal and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And he commanded, “Silence.” And all his attendants went out from his presence. And Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he arose from his seat. And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the dung came out. Then Ehud went out into the porch and closed the doors of the roof chamber behind him and locked them. When he had gone, the servants came, and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, “Surely he is relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber.” And they waited till they were embarrassed. But when he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them, and there lay their lord dead on the floor. Ehud escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond the idols and escaped to Seirah. When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the people of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was their leader. And he said to them, “Follow after me, for the Lord has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites and did not allow anyone to pass over. And they killed at that time about 10,000 of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man escaped. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.

How we utilize our time, our talent and our resources may be evil in the sight of the Lord though things may be ok in our eyes. Just because something is right in your eyes doesn't mean it is ok in the Lord's.

Is how you spend your free time edifying to you and those that you are with in the Lord? Is it biblical fellowship or meaningless, carnal revelry? Do you come away from these encounters loving Jesus more, being provoked to love of others and good deeds? Are you stirred to pursuits which would aggrandize Jesus and further His gospel purposes or some other worldly passion?

Are the relationships that you are forming useful in introducing people to Jesus and making disciples?

Do you think that you and the Lord ever have differing standards about what is good to do? About what is evil? Who do you consult and who do you most obey?

The Lord strengthened a foreign nation against His people. The length of the captivity was increasing.

The Israelites were a people with a national identity. They both prospered and suffered together, as when they took the land and when the Moabites, Amalekites and Ammonites defeated them. Many times we don't even notice the subjection and we don't cry out to God because we are so assimilated in the world we can't tell the difference. How identified are you with Christ and being a Christian? Is that your identity? That is the only thing that will provoke you to cry out to God.

Ehud was not raised up with fanfare but took the opportunities that we're presented to him to serve the Lord. Are you doing the same in the church and your sphere of influence?

Ehud made a double-edged sword and strapped it to his side.

Get the word of God in you and begin to pray/think about how you are going to shape the environments in which you find yourself through it.

“We are the people that we have been waiting for and no one else is coming.” ― T.D. Jakes

Being put in proximity to rulers, you will have opportunity to bring change.

Repentance demands that you do something different, out of the ordinary to break free. Thus God raised up a left-handed man to plunge the sword into the belly of the oppressor.

Mark 9:42-43, 45, 47-50 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Has your sin been getting large while feeding off of your incessant defeats, while for years you've become used to serving it?

In my gym, "Get a perfect life!" is advertised. If living "the good life" is your ultimate goal, you will throw off things important to Jesus to obtain it.

In the following quote, you have this designation of characters: The speaker: Screwtape, a devil The recipient: Wormwood, another devil The Enemy, "He": God The man: a Christian

"To be sure, the Enemy wants men to think of the Future too - just so much as is necessary for now planning the acts of justice or charity which will probably be their duty tomorrow. The duty of planning tomorrow's work is today's duty; though its material is borrowed from the future, the duty, like all duties, is in the Present. This is now straw splitting. He does not want men to give the Future their hearts, to place their treasure in it. We do. His ideal is a man who, having worked all day for the good of posterity (if that is his vocation), washes his mind of the whole subject, commits the issue to Heaven, and returns at once to the patience or gratitude demanded by the moment that is passing over him. But we want a man hag-ridden by the Future - haunted by visions of an imminent heaven or hell upon earth - ready to break the Enemy's commands in the present if by so doing we make him think he can attain the one or avert the other - dependent for his faith on the success or failure of schemes whose end he will not live to see. We want a whole race perpetually in pursuit of the rainbow's end, never honest, nor kind, nor happy now, but always using as mere fuel wherewith to heap the altar of the future every real gift which is offered them in the Present." -C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters - Letter 15

Romans 13:11-14 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Second City Church- Designer God Sermon Series 2015