Grow - Part 1

Grow in Partnership

Philippians 1:1-11
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Grow in Perspective

Philippians 1:12-20
I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

Grow in Perseverance

Philippians 1:21-30
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Second City Church- Grow Sermon Series - Rollan Fisher 2017

Gifted - Part 3 - Gifted for Glory

I believe God wants to fill this church with His glory, with His goodness, creating spiritual growth and life transformation.

Gifted for Glory - Guest Speaker Pastor Reggie Roberson

Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

When the church is glorified the goodness of God is revealed throughout the earth which means the earth becomes a better place.  How many you think we could use better on our planet?  Shootings in Las Vegas, ethnic tension, political upheavals, personal challenges -we need the goodness of God.

Right after Paul makes the statement about glory in the church and in Christ Jesus we find…

Ephesians 4:1-13 NIV
“Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all. However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.” Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself. Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”

Main thought: God’s glory fills the church when each one of us actively uses our God given gifts.

I have 3 thoughts related to our main point:

1. Godly character and unity makes gifts well received.
2. Jesus paid the price to give every believer a gift.
3. God's gifts are to help the church grow. 

Godly character and unity makes gifts well-received v. 1-6

It’s like eating lettuce at a restaurant (Mexican). It looks delicious but when you bite into it feels like you are eating rocks.  (Something tastes bad and you keep tasting it out disbelief. You even pass it over to others). 

Have you ever known anyone who was incredibly gifted but just had really bad character?   How many of you think you would enjoy working with someone like that?  

It’s a poorly wrapped gift. 

If a person does not have character or does not seek unity they are like that lettuce I ate or a poorly wrapped gift. 

●      People will tolerate them and eventually, no one will want to work with or be around them, him or her.

●      Even more dangerous, they will build something up with his or her gift and tear it all down with their character.

Godly character can be summed up in these verses as love and unity. Love is humble, gentle, patient, forgiving, peacemaking. Unity is when we gladly make concessions and are inconvenienced to be with each other because we are focused on Jesus and not ourselves.  Complaining, gossiping, and having a critical attitude is not going to release the glory of God in this spiritual community. 

Love and unity will. Love and unity is what makes our gifts well received. 

God is pleased with love and unity. 

Love and unity will make a gift effective and powerful in helping other people. (Helpful Help).  Love and unity come from focusing on Jesus and making him a priority in your life! That is what this scripture is saying.

Let godly character and seeking unity be the foundation of your gifts.
 

Jesus paid the price to give every believer a gift (v. 7-11).

 In our main text Paul applies Psalm 68:18 to the life, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ where He is pictured winning a war, taking spoils, and distributing gifts to His people.  Paul’s says that Christ gave people as gifts -apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors or shepherds and teachers.  In his letter to the Corinthians, which you have been reading, Paul expands the list saying God has appointed people as gifts in the church.  As we read through this list I want to ask, what is your appointment or function? 

1 Corinthians 12:28

Apostles

Prophets

Teachers/shepherds

Miracle workers/evangelists

Gifts of healing

Helpers

Administrators

Various kinds of tongues speakers

You may be asking how do I know which one I have? Your gift is whatever you do well with that benefits others but doesn’t require a massive amount of effort. You do it with ease. (Admin-Eric; Leah; Rollan and B- leadership, Cole- pastoring, my wife- creativity & communication) 

Ways you discover your gifts that Jesus gave you are:

●      Prayer: Since He made you He knows better than anyone else what is your purpose. Acknowledging God and inviting Him into your life through prayer is a vital piece to discover your gifts.

●      Building Christ centered relationships: Gifts are identified and called out by our brothers and sisters in Christ.  (As student being called a prophet)

●      Assessments that help you to understand your personality, leadership style, and spiritual gifts. 

●      Serving: When I am sharing about gifts I always get questions about what is my gift.  Do I have healing?  Have you ever prayed for healing?  I watched Rollan and B’s gifts emerge as they served the church and our campus ministry.

Make every effort you can to figure out what gifts Jesus gave you since He paid the price for your gift.  

God's gifts are to help the church grow. (v. 11-13).

God’s gifts are categorized into two types that help the church or body of Christ to grow.  There are equippers; apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.  There are ministers; people serving in the church and through the church to show God’s goodness to the community.  The Fisher's and Parleir’s are equippers; guess what you are?  Ministers! What this reveals is that every person is actively using the gifts Jesus purchased for them with His blood, with godly character, to build or grow the church.  There is no one hidden in the dugout. There is no one on the bench.  The bench is all the people who are in heaven. That's right. Hebrews 12:1 tells us. Everyone is playing his or her part. 

That happens when we do life together, strategize together, and pray together. We learn and serve together.  It also happens when you have support, encouragement, and accountability from other believers and church leaders as you use your gifts in the community and at your workplace. 

Let me summarize what I’ve said.

God’s glory fills the church when each one of us actively uses our God given gifts.
If we recognize the gifts Jesus paid for through His blood, if we have godly character and seek unity, if we use them to grow the church, then the glory of God, His goodness, will fill this church to produce spiritual growth and life transformation. 

Second City Church- Gifted Sermon Series - Rollan Fisher 2017

Gifted - Part 2

I Corinthians 13:1
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Gifts are the tools that God gives us to build His kingdom with supernatural grace.  

Love is the way that these gifts are to be administered.

Don't Be Fooled

I Corinthians 12:31
But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

The higher gifts are those that build up others in love.  As an example, Paul teaches about the gift of tongues, which God gives you as a prayer language to build yourself up, unless there is an interpretation so that others may be edified (I Corinthians 14:1-5).

The gifts of God can cause us to be a distraction if used improperly.  A resounding gong or a clanging cymbal are distractions unless they are played in harmony with the rest of the orchestra.  You need to be unified with your local church and find ways to play in concert.  When used properly, these instruments were effective in times of war to call people to arms.

The gifts of God can cause us to think that we are something in the sight of God and man when we are not.  Love allows prophetic revelation to be utilized for the strengthening, encouragment and comfort of other believers as we look to serve God together (I Corinthians 14:3).  It allows the possessor of knowledge to come as a servant to those by whom they are surrounded to engender a greater love for Jesus and others expressed through obedience to God's holy commands (I Corinthians 8:1-3).  Love motivates those with the gift of faith to roll up their sleeves in the trenches with those who need mountains moved.  Those with the gift of faith begin calling upon God faithfully in prayer, repeatedly declaring the promises of His Word and contributing to life-transforming action until the mountains of life are moved. What matters is being able to (as we did with Christ) see your "blood on the ground" - how like Christ in humble service, your life, time, resources and efforts have been utilized to directly impact others' lives through Christ's church. This is where you are transformed from a pundit into a participant in the kingdom.  

The gifts of God can cause you to think that you will have or deserve a reward that is not truly yours.  Love is the motivation through which God honors our sacrifices (Matthew 6). 

Double Down on Love

I Corinthians 13:4-6
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

If I don't have these character traits in my interaction with family members, co-workers, church family and the community on a daily basis, I am missing God and what He requires. Our focus on not just what, but how things need to be done is just as important to God. 

Don't Be Worried You Missed It

I Corinthians 13:8-13
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

How do I know I haven't missed my chance to walk in the gifts of God?
"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face."
"Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."

When we meet God in judgement, as Christians it will be in the righteousness Jesus Christ made available to us through His sacrificial death on the cross and resurrection from the dead.  As now on earth we've put our faith in Christ and chosen to love Him, we will then bow humbly, seeing Jesus face to face, knowing Him fully (I Corinthians 15:50-58).  No Christian can say that they are walking with God in the body yet, able to see Him face to face (II Corinthians 5:1-10) or know Him fully at this point.  We have the Word of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit to both prepare us and strengthen us for that time to come.  

How can I discover my gifts?

1. Find an outlet for your natural skills within and through your church. 
2. Pray.  Ask God for the greater supernatural gifts that point people to the truth of Jesus' gospel and build others up in Christ.  (Come to the training for a practicum.)
3. Ask what needs to be done, not just what I want to do.  God gives gifts to meet the needs of His people, His church, His kingdom and world, not just our interests.  If you haven't found your gifts, it may be that you are not looking for the actual needs.  Don't hold out until you see where you prefer to use your skills.

I Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

Childish thinking causes me to think only about doing what I want, when I want, not what Mom and Dad had to do to run a household in love. 

“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
- John F. Kennedy 

4. Commit to doing everything in love and God will make you aware of your gifts that will actually be useful in building His church and kingdom.

Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

Second City Church- Gifted Sermon Series - Rollan Fisher 2017

Gifted - Part 1

1 Corinthians 12 (ESV)
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 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. 16 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. 17 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? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 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.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 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, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

Second City Church- Gifted Sermon Series - Rollan Fisher 2017

Guest Speaker - Charles Kiefer

Your Root Determines Your Fruit.

The Presence of God
Prayer
Possibility of a Productive Life
The Person of Jesus
The People of God
Practical Instructions

Colossians 2:6-7
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Colossians 1:1-2:6
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. 9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. 24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. 2 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. 6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,

1- Let the Word live in you richly (3:16)
2- Work as for the Lord (3:23)
3- Wrestle in prayer (4:2,12)

Second City Church: Guest Speaker - Charles Kiefer 2017

Revealed: The Names, Qualities and Character of God- Part 9

Back to Church Sunday is next week!

Jehovah-Shammah

Exodus 29:45
I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God.

The word used here for dwell is Shekinah, speaking of God's intimate, glorious presence among His people.  (As the good shepherd Jesus walks among and cares for His flock - Exodus 33:14-16)

Are you satisfied to have God's gifts without the presence of the Gift-Giver Himself?  

The real danger of our lives is to become content with the pursuit of God's blessings rather than His person.  This is the derivation of all human folly, suffering, and sin. 

Context of Ezekiel 

Ezekiel 48:35 
The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.”

Jehovah-shammah means Jehovah is there. 

In the world there is constant devastation, both natural and man-made in turmoil, ruin, misery and war.  However, in the city of Jehovah's constant presence, there is safety, tranquility, healing, security and peace.  

Psalm 126:1-6
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. 

"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them."
- Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience and Other Essays

Ephesians 2:11-13 
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:14-22 
For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Jesus is the embodiment of the presence of the Lord with all of God's fullness dwelling in Him (Colossians 1:19).  Because of Christ's reconciliatory work on the cross, as believers, we have individually become temples of the Holy Spirit whereby God chooses to dwell (I Corinthians 3:16).  God walks among us as a people as we commit to living holy lives (II Corinthians 6:16). However, there is a greater, final fulfillment when the Lord Himself, in His glorious presence, will be both the temple and light in which the people of God dwell in uninterrupted fellowship with Jehovah (Revelation 21:22-27).

The Return of the Mack

The good news of the gospel is that a crescendo is coming in the Lord, and for this we labor even as we pray "let your Kingdom come, let your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."  

Jesus alluded to this when He said:

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

Revelation 21:1-8 (esp. v. 1-2)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 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.” 

"In that beautiful city, foursquare with its precious stones, its crystal river, its delectable fruits, and tree of life with its leaves for the healing of the nations, all will be light, and love, and holiness, and worship, and joy, and safety.  There shall be no more curse, no adversary, no defilement, no sorrow, for every wicked doer shall be cut off from that city of the the Lord or Jehovah.  Then will be realized the full and final rest of of the redeemed, the Sabbath rest of creation restored.  The glory of Jehovah will be fully manifested in the Lamb that was slain.  He will be seen and known in the full meaning and beauty of the names by which he revealed Himself to man's imperfect apprehension.  And we shall join in saying "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever (Revelation 5:13)."
- Nathan Stone, Names of God

Second City Church: Revealed Sermon Series 2017

Revealed: The Names, Qualities and Character of God- Part 8

Guest speaker Matt Jones

Second City Church: Revealed Sermon Series 2017

Revealed: The Names, Qualities and Character of God- Part 7

Jehovah-Rohi
Jehovah-rohi means Jehovah my Shepherd. 

The term Ro'eh meant to feed or lead to pasture, as a shepherd does his flock.  Ro'eh is used in relationship to rulers and their people.  Ro'eh is also translated "companion" or "friend" with the idea of intimately sharing life, food and the like.  It signifies to associate with, take pleasure in and to cherish something as treasured.  Though not a direct name of God, the description is one of the most intimate and heartfelt in all of Scripture.  

Psalm 23:1-6
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

God's tireless care looking over the welfare of His people throughout the day and in sleepless nights was related in Jacob's care of Laban's sheep in the fields (Genesis 31:37-40).  God's watchful eye and constant protection even in the face of danger are depicted in David going up against the lion and the bear to protect his father's sheep (I Samuel 17:34-37).  Here, in unaided combat against the wild beasts (except for the aid of his heavenly Father), and later against Goliath, David showed himself to be resolute, resourceful and strong.  This is Jesus on the cross, and thereafter as our good shepherd, fighting for those He would redeem. 

Isaiah 40:10-11
Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

Our good shepherd is both strong and gentle.  He has both collective and individual relationship with us, calling us each by name. Thus, each of His people can say that Jehovah is my shepherd. 

Ezekiel 34:11-16 (esp. v. 15-16)
“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

"Shepherding does not change much in Palestine where wild beasts may descend still upon unprotected sheep and suddenly destroy them.  The Palestine shepherd lives night and day with his animals.  He establishes a degree of intimacy with them that is touching to observe.  He calls them all by their names and they, knowing his voice and hearing his only, heed.  He protects the sheep from thieves and preying animals who would devour them at night, by sleeping in the opening of the often makeshift sheepfold and they, sensing his watchfulness, fear 'no evil.'  He provides pasture and water even in the wilderness and the presence of enemies, and they, casting all their anxiety upon him, are fed.  There is a singular communion between the shepherd and his sheep which, after one has visited Palestine and observed it, makes the symbol of the good Shepherd peculiarly apt and the Twenty-third Psalm strangely moving." 
- Harriet Louise Holland Patterson in Around the Mediterranean with My Bible

John 10:1-18 (esp. v. 11-17)
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

We have now come to understand that everything the shepherd is with his sheep, our Jehovah Rohi is with us, His people.  This intimate relationship with the shepherd is the greatest privilege that the sheep have.  It is what Jesus made available to us through the cross, taking our sin and removing hostility. You do not follow or obey a voice that you do not recognize.  To know our Jehovah Rohi and His voice, as the sheep know the shepherd and his voice, we must have long, abiding and ongoing time in His presence to become familiar with His voice so that like wandering sheep we might not go astray.  Jesus is the shepherd of Isaiah 40 who gently leads those with young ones, the good shepherd of Ezekiel 34 who goes looking for the lost sheep.  It is the message of reconciliation that marks His life as He brings those He loves back home, into His fold.  The gospel is entrusted to His under-shepherds, those who've come to know Him, to do the same. 

Revelation 7:15-17
“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Second City Church: Revealed Sermon Series 2017

Revealed: The Names, Qualities and Character of God- Part 6

Jehovah-Tsidkenu

This term means Jehovah our righteousness.  The word tsidkenu is derived from the word tsdek and one of the most important in the Old Testament. Tsedek originally meant to be stiff or straight and signifies God's dealings with men carrying the ideas of righteousness, justification and acquittal.  As God revealed the acceptable manner of worship and the basis of our approach to Him as a holy God as Jehovah M'Kaddesh in Leviticus, as Jehovah Tsidkenu, He reveals right and just relationships among men. 

Jeremiah 23:1-8 (esp. v. 5-6)
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord. “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’ “Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.”

The name of the last king of Judah before their exile to Babylon was Mattaniah (which means the gift of Jehovah), but was changed by Nebuchadnezzar to Zedekiah (which means the righteousness of Jehovah).  It was a scathing rebuke for those who had forsaken Jehovah Jireh, their provider, and thus forsook the healing that could have come from Him as Jehovah Rapha. Though the ten northern tribes of Israel had already been taken captive for over one hundred years because of their sin, those in Judah did not look to Jehovah Nissi, their banner, and were therefore plundered in war.  Without the sanctification that came from Jehovah M'Kaddesh, they no longer knew the peace of Jehovah Shalom and would inevitably lose His gifts.  

Jeremiah 33:6-26 (esp. v. 14-18)
Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it. “Thus says the Lord: In this place of which you say, ‘It is a waste without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord: “‘Give thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!’ For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the Lord. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: In this place that is waste, without man or beast, and in all of its cities, there shall again be habitations of shepherds resting their flocks. In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the Lord. “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’ “For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.” The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Thus says the Lord: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers. As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me.” The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Have you not observed that these people are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two clans that he chose’? Thus they have despised my people so that they are no longer a nation in their sight. Thus says the Lord: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, then I will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.”

Through the cross, Jesus was shown to be our Jehohvah Tsidkenu, taking our sin and shame on Himself while providing the righteous covering for us that can come from God alone. 

Romans 3:9-26
What 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. 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.

For our daily sustenance we need Jehovah Jireh our provider.

For the terrorist attacks in Barcelona, Spain we need our Jehovah Rophe and Jehovah Nissi, our healer and our banner.

For the White supremacist and Neo Nazi rally in VA, we need our Jehovah M'Kaddesh, our sanctifier.

For the nuclear threat out of North Korea we need our Jehovah Shalom, our peace.

In it all, because of humanity's sin, we need Jesus our Jehovah Tsidkenu turning us to repentance at the cross, and providing us with a righteousness through which we live by the power of His resurrection and new life in us! 

Hymn: I Once Was a Stranger by Robert M. McCheyne and Adoniram J. Gordon

I once was a stranger to grace and to God,
I knew not my danger, and felt not my load;
Though friends spoke in rapture of Christ on the tree,
Jehovah Tsidkenu was nothing to me.
I oft read with pleasure, to sooth or engage,
Isaiah’s wild measure and John’s simple page;
But e’en when they pictured the blood sprinkled tree
Jehovah Tsidkenu seemed nothing to me.
Like tears from the daughters of Zion that roll,
I wept when the waters went over His soul;
Yet thought not that my sins had nailed to the tree
Jehovah Tsidkenu—’twas nothing to me.
When free grace awoke me, by light from on high,
Then legal fears shook me, I trembled to die;
No refuge, no safety in self could I see—
Jehovah Tsidkenu my Savior must be.
My terrors all vanished before the sweet name;
My guilty fears banished, with boldness I came
To drink at the fountain, life giving and free—
Jehovah Tsidkenu is all things to me.

Second City Church: Revealed Sermon Series 2017

Revealed: The Names, Qualities, and Character of God Pt 4

Jehovah-rophe 

Isaiah 6:9-10 
And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Exodus 15:22-27
Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.

1 Peter 2:24-25
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Revelation 22:1-5
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Jehovah-nissi

Exodus 17:8-16
Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Romans 8:31-39
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Second City Church: Revealed Sermon Series 2017

Revealed: The Names, Qualities, and Character of God Pt 3

Adonai

Genesis 15:1-6
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Isaiah 6:1-10
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Jehovah-jireh

Genesis 22:1-19
After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the thirdday Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.

John 1:29-31
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”

Revelation 5:5-14
And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Second City Church: Revealed Sermon Series 2017

Revealed: The Names, Qualities, and Character of God Pt 2

The first recorded language in which we have God reveal Himself is Hebrew. This is the language from which these names are transliterated.

Elohim

Translated in our English Bibles most times as "God."

The opening statement of Scripture begins with Elohim.  "In the beginning, God..." is the word Elohim here.

Not the most frequently cited term for the deity, but it occurs 2,570 times.

His Qualities

The derivation of the name is thought to come from two possible sources, one which points to God's:

Power (derived from the shorter Hebrew word El which means mighty, strong or prominent).

The other possible source of Elohim's derivation is which implies an important aspect of His nature which speaks of:

His Character

Covenant (derived from Alah which means to declare or swear).  This speaks of the right of the omnipotent being to establish designated and defined relationship with His creation, the basis of which is His authority as the sovereign Creator. 

He fulfills the covenant Himself (Genesis 15).

Many scholars believe that the plural in the name Elohim points to the Trinity, even as a singular pronoun or adjective was used to describe Him. 

This speaks of the unity in the Godhead as well as the person and purpose of Jesus.

Jehovah

Translated in our English Bibles most times as capitalized "the LORD."

*Most frequently used name of God in the OT, utilized 6823 times beginning in Genesis 2 where it is combined with Elohim.  YHWH transliteration which Jews after the destruction of the temple in 70AD used.

From the Hebrew verb havah which means "to be" or "being.

His Qualities

This means that He is the self-existent one, without beginning or end.  He is eternal and is the possessor of essential life with a permanent, unchanging existence.  The word translated "He" when relating to God is strikingly similar to the Hebrew havah, the word for being.

"The most noted Jewish commentator of the Middle Ages, Moses Maimonides, said with regard to this name (Jehovah): "All the names of God that occur in Scripture are derived from His works except one, and that is Jehovah; and this is called the plain name, because it teaches plainly and unequivocally of the substance of God."  Another has said: "In the name Jehovah, the personality of the Supreme is distinctly expressed. It is everywhere a proper name denoting the person of God, and Him only...Elohim....denoting usually the Supreme.  The Hebrew may say the Elohim, the true God, in opposition to all false gods; but he never says the Jehovah, for Jehovah is the name of the true God only.  He says again and again, my God or my Elohim, but never my Jehovah, for when he says my God he means Jehovah.  He speaks of the God (Elohim) of Israel but never of the Jehovah of Israel, for there is no other Jehovah.  He speaks of the living God, but never of the living Jehovah, for he cannot conceive of Jehovah as other than living."
- Nathan Stone, The Names of God

This is the name God used of Himself when He revealed Himself to Moses in the deliverance that He would bring about for Israel.

Exodus 3:13-17
Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”’

"Elohim is the general name of God concerned with the creation and preservation of the world, that is, His works.  As Jehovah, He is the God of revelation in the expression of Himself in His essential moral and spiritual attributes.  But He is especially, as Jehovah, the God of revelation to Israel."
- Nathan Stone, The Names of God

John 8:51-59
Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

El-Shaddai

Translated in our English Bibles most times as "God Almighty."

Exodus 6:2-4
God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners.

The name was revealed to Abraham and Sarah as God gave the promise of overcoming the natural death in their bodies and produced a supernatural lineage beginning with their son Isaac.  It had an even greater connection to the concept of God's self- and all-sufficiency - meaning that He is the one who nourishes, supplies and satisfies us fully as at a nursing mother's breast.

Genesis 17:1-8
When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”

Because of our sin, we are brought to the end of ourselves and must rely on Jesus' sinless life and sacrificial death on the cross to be reconciled to God.  It through His resurrection from the dead and forthcoming return that our El Shaddai will satisfy us with eternal life, purpose, and hope. 

Second City Church: Revealed Sermon Series 2017

Revealed: The Names, Qualities, and Character of God

An Introduction

Psalm 138:1-8 
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth, and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

What's in a Name?

2 "you have exalted above all things your name and your word"

1) God is self-revealing. 
It is important how someone identifies themselves so that you might know who they are and how to relate to them. 

Throughout Scripture, we have historical accounts of God revealing Himself by certain names (through which gives us a picture of His personal qualities and reputation on which He wants us to stake our hopes) and word (through which He gives us promises on which we build our lives based on His character). 

2) God's qualities give you a foundation through which you relate to Him.

It answers the questions:

What do I do? 
1-2a "I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods, I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple" 

Why? - God possesses the qualities of steadfast love and faithfulness

3) God's character gives you a foundation to which you respond to Him and others in the midst of life's circumstances. 

3 "On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased."

Psalm 138:4-6
All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth, and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.

The gospel is found in all of His words 

7 "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. "

The right hand was known as a source of strength, deliverance, a form of rescue.  Jesus stretched out His arms on the cross to show us His strength through the weakness of dying that our sin might be atoned for and we might be forgiven through repentance and faith in His name.  

1 Corinthians 1:22-25 
For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

The Most Important Name

The most important name through which God revealed Himself is the name of Jesus (which means the Lord saves and comes with the reputation of Christ's necessary sinless life, sacrificial death on the cross for our sins and triumphant resurrection from the dead to provide eternal life). There is no knowing God without this penultimate revelation of His Son who encompasses all of His qualities and expresses all of His character. 

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.

Yeshua/Jesus - He will save his people from their sins
Immanuel - God with us 

John 14:8-9 
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

John 17:1-5 
When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

John 17:6-19
“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 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. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Through that same faithfulness, God fulfills His purpose for our lives. 

Psalm 138:8
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Second City Church: Revealed Sermon Series 2017

Guest Speaker - Cole Parleir

The Story Of Us

(Come to Me, Come to us)

Matt 11:28-30 NIV
“Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Jesus

God wants us to come to Jesus for our rest.  When we come to Jesus we get Him and His family, in this order.  The last two letters of “Jesus” is “Us.” 
It’s no longer about “I,” but it is about “us.”  It’s no longer “me,” but “we.”  

Come to Me

“Come to me”
This an invitation to be with Jesus, the savior.  This is the call that all our hearts are longing for.  Just to hear the voice of Jesus is the beginning of restoration, the beginning of knowing that your maker desires you, wants to be with you, loves you, and is present.

This is a command to be with Jesus, the Lord of all, as there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved.

When Jesus invites us to come to Him, we go to where He is, and partake in what He is doing.  It may not be what you expect, but He is God and He is good, knowing what you need more than you do.

What if I don’t hear Jesus’ invitation?  
You seeing or hearing Jesus isn’t as important as whether He sees and hears you.  So start yelling!  Help!  What if I am not sure where Jesus is? Yell some more! Send out a homing beacon, a flare, raise your voice! You can do what Peter did and ask Jesus to call you, if you think you might see or hear Him.

Matthew 14:28-33
“Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”  Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.””

Jesus’ call is also to those whom you may not think deserve it, such as little children.

Matthew 19:13-14 NIV
“Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.””

“All who are weary and burdened”
Who is the invitation for?
All people!  All places!  All times!  

Acts 17:26-28 NIV
“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 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. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’”

All who are weary and heavy burdened! 

The context of this invitation to the weary and heavy burdened is those who are like the Pharisees and are trying to gain a right relationship with God through obeying the law.  This also applies to those of us who have done what the Bible says in Romans and have “become a law unto ourselves,” meaning we don’t believe in God but yet we have a system of morality we have constructed or adhered to.

Why “all” people?  All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  We were made in God’s image, but we’ve blown it.  Only Jesus has perfectly been the image of God on the earth.  

“And I will give you rest (for your souls)”
Jesus is the rest giver for your soul.
Jesus addresses the greatest need that underlies and is the foundation of all other needs.  In the case of rest, He knows we need rest for our souls.  When we have rest for our souls, the foundation has been laid for your body and mind to rest.

What is rest for your soul?  It is righteousness, being back in relationship with your heavenly Father. 
Jesus is the only person, the only thing, that can give us rest for our souls.
Jesus’ way of living can give you rest for your body and mind, but without Jesus being the one you go to for “rest for your soul,” all these good things that help us rest just become a bandaid or distraction from real rest.  

2 Timothy 3:5 NIV
“having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me”
The great exchange: trading the yoke of the Law or a yoke we’ve made ourselves, for the yoke of Jesus. The context of the previous parts of Matthew 11 are rebuking people and cities that experienced many miracles of God but never repented.  They experienced partial temporary salvation for their bodies, not for their souls because they continued on in their sinful lifestyles.  All who sin are a slave to sin, or are yoked to Satan, but Jesus wants us to be free from sin, but the only way to be free from sin is to be a slave to righteousness. 

The call to discipleship is the taking on of Jesus' yoke and learning from Him.

“For I am gentle and humble in heart”
Because of God’s character we can come to Jesus, take on His yoke, all without fear of abuse, fear of rejection, or fear of failure because He is gentle and humble in heart.

The authority structures on earth that require you to make a commitment may have abused you: your boss, your spouse, your parent, the police, etc., but Jesus will never abuse you.  On the contrary, everything He does, allows, and commands is for our good.  He is humble, so we can humble ourselves and cast all our anxiety on Him because He cares for us.

1 Peter 5:6-11 NIV
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

“and you will find rest for your souls”
Rest for our souls is a promise.
Jesus has authority of all things and, unlike people, has the power to back up His words.

Matthew 11:27 NIV
““All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
It’s still a yoke, but it’s Jesus’ yoke.
Being attached to Jesus is not a pass from serving God, but the way to fulfill our destiny in God.

Come to us

The way that Jesus gives us what we need to walk with Him, to rest in Him, is usually through His Body (the Church).  He gave Himself for our salvation, His Spirit for our sanctification, and His body (our brothers and sisters in Christ) for our edification.

His Spirit and His Body
When the people of God come together this is what it looks like:

The Holy Spirit
Acts 2:1-4 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.”

The Body of Christ
Acts 2:40-47 NIV
“With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

The Benefits of Christ’s Body

Companionship
“It is not good for man to be alone…even in the garden of Eden; paradise!”

Signs and wonders
“Where two or three are gathered together there in my name I am among them”

Healing
“Call the elders of the church to anoint them with oil if they’re sick”

Encouragement
“Build one another up in love”

Accountability
We “walk in the light” because as long as we live in these current bodies we will be buffeted by temptation. 

My favorite benefit:
We hasten the coming of Jesus and His kingdom through sharing the gospel.

Application
The next time you feel weariness or burdens come on, go to Jesus and His body (your family) for rest. Take His yoke upon you and surrender to His will. Rest will come. 

Second City Church: Guest Speaker - Cole Parleir 2017

Freedom

Dominican Republic Update

What an amazing first day! We were able to enjoy an authentic Dominican breakfast as a team before heading to Pastor Pive's.  Once we arrived, he was able to tell his story, give updates and explain the way the feeding program works. It was an amazing experience for us as a team to be able to walk the neighborhood, meet families and feed over 200 children. A couple hours later we were blessed to see children sitting in on their own children's service at Casa Belen. The children are amazing.  Tomorrow we start VBS with the kids . We are ending the night with worship as a team. We have grown so much as a family already.
 
You can follow (some of) our photos at #2ndcityDR2017 

John 8:31-38
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

The Importance of Abiding

Abiding in God's Word helps you remember the reality of His meta-narrative. It centers you in worship, the gospel and the purpose of God expressed through Jesus and His cross.  Without this, we drift quite naturally into worship of some other kind. 

"Man, so long as he remains free, has no more constant and agonizing anxiety than find as quickly as possible someone to worship."
- Fyodor Dostoevsky

True Freedom

The truth about relationships, pleasures, happiness and life purpose, satisfaction and peace are all in Christ through His word.  It is your very plain roadmap to achieving what stands at the heart of all mankind as most desirable.  It is because we were made that way, designed by God and for Him.  True freedom is being able to walk in your ultimate design and life calling. 

"Free will is not the liberty to do whatever one likes, but the power of doing whatever one sees ought to be done, even in the very face of otherwise overwhelming impulse. There lies freedom, indeed."
- George Macdonald

Real Slavery

"He that is kind is free, though he is a slave; he that is evil is a slave, though he be a king."
- Augustine

They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you.  - Jesus

Who's Your Daddy?

Unbeknownst to us, we can be shaped by the pattern of the world around us if we are not being shaped by Christ.  This is when someone other than God begins fathering you.

 "If a thing is free to be good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having."
- C.S. Lewis

Jesus fought the penultimate battle for us, voluntarily laying down His life for our sins at the cross.  He became sin so that He might not only take the punishment for our sin, but redeem us/buy us back from its power having paid the price of our servitude.  

"Either sin is with you, lying on your shoulders, or it is lying on Christ, the Lamb of God. Now if it is lying on your back, you are lost; but if it is resting on Christ, you are free, and you will be saved. Now choose what you want."
- Martin Luther

We are no longer slaves, but free to live as children of God in His resurrection power as we choose to love Him as He has loved us. 

"In almost everything that touches our everyday life on earth, God is pleased when we're pleased. He wills that we be as free as birds to soar and sing our maker's praise without anxiety."
- A. W. Tozer

Second City Church: Freedom Sermon 2017

Guest Speaker - Charles Kiefer

II Peter 1:1-21
1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: 2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. 10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. 19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

II Peter 3:1,2,11
1 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.

Second City Church: Guest Speaker - Charles Kiefer 2017

Why Not Sin? Part 2 Moment of Pain, Lifetime of Pleasure

2 Samuel 13:23-29
After two full years Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons. And Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold, your servant has sheepshearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant.” But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you.” He pressed him, but he would not go but gave him his blessing. Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” But Absalom pressed him until he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. Then Absalom commanded his servants, “Mark when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.” So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled. 

2 Samuel 13:34-39
But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain. And Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king's sons have come; as your servant said, so it has come about.” And as soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king's sons came and lifted up their voice and wept. And the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly. But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son day after day. So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years. And the spirit of the king longed to go out to Absalom, because he was comforted about Amnon, since he was dead.

2 Samuel 14:1-17
Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart went out to Absalom. And Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, “Pretend to be a mourner and put on mourning garments. Do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been mourning many days for the dead. Go to the king and speak thus to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth. When the woman of Tekoa came to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and paid homage and said, “Save me, O king.” And the king said to her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead. And your servant had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. And now the whole clan has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Give up the man who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed.’ And so they would destroy the heir also. Thus they would quench my coal that is left and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.” Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.” And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “On me be the guilt, my lord the king, and on my father's house; let the king and his throne be guiltless.” The king said, “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again.” Then she said, “Please let the king invoke the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood kill no more, and my son be not destroyed.” He said, “As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.” Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Speak.” And the woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring his banished one home again. We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast. Now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid, and your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant. For the king will hear and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the heritage of God.’ And your servant thought, ‘The word of my lord the king will set me at rest,’ for my lord the king is like the angel of God to discern good and evil. The Lord your God be with you!”

To the Fathers

David needed to deal with the sin of Amnon against Tamar appropriately.  In failing to do so, he lost Absalom as well. 

Ephesians 6:1-4
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” this is the first commandment with a promise, “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

To Those Heeding Fatherly Advice

One of the greatest gifts that a father can give his children is God's wisdom of properly handling His concept of delayed gratification. 

The delayed gratification theme - we see its necessity when dealing with things such as: 
Not getting trapped by credit cards.
A weight lifting regimen.

There are two sides of the coin when handling God's principle of delayed gratification:

1) Ammon - As sons of the king, there may not have been much they were denied in the way of material wealth, opportunities and pleasures. You can imagine delayed gratification being a challenge in such an environment.  There are parallels in our lives today. 

What is immediately at your disposal that can be a hindrance rather than a help to you?

Wait on God the avenger when you've been wronged.
Romans 13

2) Absalom used the idea of delayed gratification for his revenge. 
It was a misplaced appropriation of delayed gratification. 

Our lack of zeal for the Lord can turn into delayed obedience.  You need to do what God commands you to do when you have the opportunity to do it.  Don't put it off. 

Proverbs 3:27-28
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.

Seek the kingdom of God first means seek it first.  It does not mean after your studies, job, family, hobbies or pleasure pursuits.  It means first.  It means first with your time, your talent and your resources.  It means first in your affections, thought life, emotional life, and strength.  This is what it means to love Jesus and serve Him as King. This is what a godly father or father figure in the faith needs to impart to his children. 

You don't put Jesus aside for years of study or work and hope to find that the burning heart of your devotion will have grown or even remained the same in that time.  You cannot serve two masters.  You can substitute the idea of money for your career amongst the millennial who often think it too plebeian or base a thing to say that their end goal is merely material wealth. 

No decision that you make in your life is benign or inconsequential. You are either gathering with Jesus or scattering. 

Christ-centered love doesn't mean catering to people's pleasures, being a vehicle or outlet solely for their frivolity.  It means helping them look to and build a life that is fruitful in Jesus. 

Matthew 12:30
Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

To lead in Christ's church, you need to live this way. 

Live for your heavenly rewards, not just your earthly ones. 

It can be done well - look at Greg, Oluchi, Lyndsey and the Fiedler's.  Look at the many in our professional ranks and follow their example as they follow Christ. 

Delayed gratification applies to:

Marriage
     Building the relationship
     Fidelity

Child-rearing

Proverbs 13:24
Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

Business ethics and strategies

     Built to Last by Jim Collins

Discipleship and Making Disciples

     Joshua 5
     II Corinthians 7

Sacrifice and Savings to live Debt Free

     Deuteronomy 28, 29
 
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.
(part of their inheritance is teaching them to be givers that they might be blessed)

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.

God preparing you for your calling

Isaiah 49:1-7
Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away. And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” But I said, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my recompense with my God.” And now the Lord says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him— for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and my God has become my strength— he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

To the Heavenly Father

God continually makes ways for us to be reconciled to Him through the cross of Christ. 

II Samuel 14:14
We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast. 

The delayed gratification of faith in Christ ultimately leads us to the kingdom of God. 

1 Peter 1:8-9
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Second City Church: Why Not Sin? Sermon Series 2017

Why Not Sin? Part 1 - Moment of Pleasure, Lifetime of Pain

As you travel for work and vacation this summer, don't vacation from Christ. 

2 Samuel 13:1-22 
Now Absalom, David's son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar. And after a time Amnon, David's son, loved her. And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her. But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother. And Jonadab was a very crafty man. And he said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.” Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’” So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.” Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Go to your brother Amnon's house and prepare food for him.” So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, where he was lying down. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes. And she took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Send out everyone from me.” So everyone went out from him. Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” She answered him, “No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this outrageous thing. As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of the outrageous fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her. Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up! Go!” But she said to him, “No, my brother, for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.” But he would not listen to her. He called the young man who served him and said, “Put this woman out of my presence and bolt the door after her.” Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves, for thus were the virgin daughters of the king dressed. So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe that she wore. And she laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went. And her brother Absalom said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this to heart.” So Tamar lived, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom's house. When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry. But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar.

Apprehend Your Thought Life 

If you don't discipline your secret thought life, you will eventually find a way to fulfill the sin you've been imagining. 

Romans 8:5-11
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

The time will eventually come when some sort of temptation seizes you becoming tormenting to you if you don't control your thought life. 

I Peter 4

How do I apprehend my thoughts?
What you watch, listen to, etc., matters.  You are feeding your spirit man/woman with the ingredients that will lead to life or death. 

Clean eating is all the rage for healthy living today.  It's what we need to apply to our walk with God.

Avoid the Counsel of Jonabad

Be careful of your inputs.

Amnon listened to Jonabad because he was deceived.  Sin always comes from a place of deception. Eve in the garden sinned when she was deceived by Satan. 

Jonabad gave counsel that satisfied the desires of the flesh, not the Spirit of God. You need to surround yourself with people who increase your love for and devotion to Jesus. 

Who are those people in your life and how do you regularly connect to make sure that you are perpetually standing strong?

Wherever you travel for work, pleasure or life, find a good Jesus loving, Bible preaching church and make it a priority to gather with the believers for mutual worship, edification and a reminder of focus on the kingdom of God. 

Needing rejuvenation after your vacation

There was no work, travel or vacation clause from God's command to honor the Sabbath. 

People come back weaker or condemned from such things because they forget about the one who brought them to the dance, living segmented and fragmented lives - being detached from the WAYS of God through which He builds His people and kingdom. 

Stay connected to godly inputs as you travel. 

Our aim should be to be holy - set apart in all of our deeds and purposes.

1 Peter 1:14-16
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Holiness
It matters not just what you believe but how you think and how you interact with the people/world around you.  

This is how you cultivate and demonstrate your love for God. 

A Saturday afternoon community group for consultants would be a good way to serve a population that travels during the week. 

Playing scenarios out to the fullest extent, you will begin to despise the thing that tempted you. 

Sin always disappoints. 

"Sin always takes you further than you want to go, makes you stay longer than you want to stay and makes you pay a price higher than you want to pay."
- Ron Lewis

Say "I Ain't Too Proud To Beg"

Ask the King. Your Heavenly Father knows what you need before you ask Him. 

Secondly, talk to your spouse and or godly counsel to find righteous fulfillment of your desires. 

Repent and meet Jesus the King at the cross to redeem mistakes that have been made and hurt that has been experienced because of sin.  He can forgive, restore and heal as He took our sin on the cross, died for our punishment and was resurrected to write us a new story as we enter into eternal life with Him.

Second City Church: Why Not Sin? Sermon Series 2017

Chicago Fire - Jesus and a Church that Practices the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Pentecost Sunday

God raises up multiple types of leadership within the church with gifts of the Holy Spirit to both strengthen and build it. 

Acts 15:22-33, 35-41
Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Sometimes, when you have spent a long time rejecting the gifts of the Spirit and come to believe in them, you almost feel as if you are being born again. You feel as if you have a whole new Bible. By that latter statement I mean that the Gospels and Acts come alive for you in a way that they never have before. Things that you had relegated to the first century now become a possibility for today's church.
- Jack Deere, Surprised by the Power of the Spirit: Discovering How God Speaks and Heals Today

1 Timothy 4:12-16 
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Fathers and mothers in the faith, operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, are often taken for granted but provide stability.  They are the ones that drive true change. 

Some people have a warped idea of living the Christian life. Seeing talented, successful Christians, they attempt to imitate them. For them, the grass on the other side of the fence is always greener. But when they discover that their own gifts are different or their contributions are more modest (or even invisible), they collapse in discouragement and overlook genuine opportunities that are open to them. They have forgotten that they are here to serve Christ, not themselves.
- Billy Graham, Hope for Each Day: Words of Wisdom and Faith

God's glory is most majestically displayed not through you or through me, but through US. God raises up the Church, and says to all Creation in the heavens, on the Earth, and under the Earth, this is the bride and body of My Son, bought and purchased by His blood to be My people and receive My power, and enjoy My presence, and declare My praise forever and ever.
- David Platt, Follow Me: A Call to Die. A Call to Live. 

Second City Church: Chicago Fire Sermon Series 2017

Chicago Fire - Jesus and a Church Provides Protection

1 Timothy 4:12-16
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Acts 15:1-21
But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.” The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, “‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.’ Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

Protection in Life

It doesn't matter how long you've been walking with God.  If you get disconnected from church community where you can sharpen one another in the faith, are building towards a common purpose in Christ's kingdom and have people with whom you are transparent and can peer into your life to see how things are truly going, deception will inevitably creep in to lead you astray and away from an ardent pursuit of Christ.

Protection in Doctrine

The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
      the Father almighty,
      maker of heaven and earth,
      of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
      the only Son of God,
      begotten from the Father before all ages,
           God from God,
           Light from Light,
           true God from true God,
      begotten, not made;
      of the same essence as the Father.
      Through him all things were made.
      For us and for our salvation
           he came down from heaven;
           he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
           and was made human.
           He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
           he suffered and was buried.
           The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
           He ascended to heaven
           and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
           He will come again with glory
           to judge the living and the dead.
           His kingdom will never end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
      the Lord, the giver of life.
      He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
      and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
      He spoke through the prophets.
      We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
      We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
      We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
      and to life in the world to come. Amen.

The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
      creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
      who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
      and born of the virgin Mary.
      He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
      was crucified, died, and was buried;
      he descended to hell.
      The third day he rose again from the dead.
      He ascended to heaven
      and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
      From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
      the holy catholic* church,
      the communion of saints,
      the forgiveness of sins,
      the resurrection of the body,
      and the life everlasting. Amen.
*that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places

"This creed is called the Apostles' Creed not because it was produced by the apostles themselves but because it contains a brief summary of their teachings. It sets forth their doctrine "in sublime simplicity, in unsurpassable brevity, in beautiful order, and with liturgical solemnity." In its present form it is dated no later than the fourth century. More than any other Christian creed, it may justly be called an ecumenical symbol of faith."
- Christian Reformed Church

Protection in Purpose

God wants to raise up mothers and fathers in the faith in the house of the Lord. 

"If you want to go quickly, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together."
- African Proverb

Second City Church: Chicago Fire Sermon Series 2017