Declarations Of The Advent - Part 2

I Will Prepare for the Coming of the Lord

The Themes of Advent 

Week 1: Prophecy 

Week 2: Preparation 

Week 3: Joy 

Week 4: Adoration/Peace

“The second week focuses on preparation: Over many centuries, God prepared the hearts of the Jews for Christ's coming, just as He is now working in our hearts to prepare us for Christ's second coming. “

- Benjamin Hettick

How do I prepare for the coming of the Lord?

1. Recognize his nature

2. Recognize his work

3. Recognize your role 

Luke 1:5-25
In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

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

How do I prepare for the coming of the Lord?

1. Recognize his nature - Jesus would be fully God and fully man

Hypostatic union - Jesus is:

Fully God

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE

Fully man 

Son of the Most High God, born of a virgin woman

Christology

"He is God from the essence of the Father, begotten before time; and he is human from the essence of his mother, born in time; completely God, completely human, with a rational soul and human flesh; equal to the Father as regards divinity, less than the Father as regards humanity. Although he is God and human, yet Christ is not two, but one. He is one, however, not by his divinity being turned into flesh, but by God's taking humanity to himself. He is one, certainly not by the blending of his essence, but by the unity of his person. For just as one human is both rational soul and flesh, so too the one Christ is both God and human."

- Athanasian Creed 

The name IMMANUEL (reference Isaiah 7:14) means “God with us” and indicates Jesus’ identity (fulfilled in Matthew 1:23).

*This helps you relate to Jesus properly. 

1. Recognize his work - 
   

Jesus means “the Lord Saves” and specifies what Jesus does, as opposed to Immanuel, which speaks of who Jesus is. 

*This helps you receive from Jesus humbly

1. Recognize your role - CONSECRATION of no wine or drink was John the Baptist’s preparation. You need to ask yourself what it is that God would have you refrain from, and what he would have you give yourself to to be most useful in the hand of the Lord.  This is consecration. 

*This helps you run after Christ’s purposes passionately 

What does God want to birth through you to shape the world for His Kingdom?

Find your voice

It may be a business or an organization to help the poor that gives glory to God.  It may be helping establish a church to proclaim his truth in a city.  It may be children who will be disciples carrying Christ’s name to the nations.  Whatever it is, like John the Baptist, you are called to help restore families, turn the wicked to righteousness and help make people ready to meet the Lord Jesus.

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

“Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

- Corrie Ten Boom

Matthew 24:30-31 
30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Titus 2:11-14 
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

1. If you’ve never considered Jesus, put your trust in him today as God and Savior to prepare for Christ’s inevitable return.  The cross of Jesus provides for forgiveness of sins that you might meet him as an adopted child and not a foe. 

2. Wherever you are, repent of your self-centered living and serve Jesus as King - in your relationships, with your time, with your resources, with your pursuits

3. Actively develop a heart of consecration that you might develop a life that’s useful in helping others become ready to meet the Lord

Second City Church - Declarations Of The Advent - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2018

Declarations Of The Advent - Part 1

The Prophecy

“But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭9:1-7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Fulfillment

“Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned." From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4:12-17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Second City Church - Declarations Of The Advent - Pastor Cole Parleir 2018

Declarations - Part 3

Isaiah 7:1-14
In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. When the house of David was told, “Syria is in league with  Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. And the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field. And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,” thus says the Lord God: “‘It shall not stand, and it shall not come to pass. For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. And within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered from being a people. And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is the son of Remaliah. If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all.’” Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

“No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good.”
- C.S. Lewis

“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.” 
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

1 Peter 1:13-21
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 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.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Second City Church - Declarations - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2018

Declarations - Part 2

Psalm 50:22-23 

“Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver! The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”

Psalm 118:1-29 

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord  does valiantly, the right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord  does valiantly!” I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord , we pray, give us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord . The Lord is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar! You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

The tragedy today is that many Christians think they are fighting flesh and blood in their marital and parenting issues, rather than realizing that Satan has an agenda to destroy their home. Whoever controls the family controls the future.

Tony Evans, Victory in Spiritual Warfare

When we allow our faith to be defined by our feelings, we will be confused. Faith must have an objective standard by which it is defined—truth. In fact, when faith operates by an objective standard of truth, it will eventually dictate our emotions rather than the reverse.

Tony Evans, Victory in Spiritual Warfare

Most of your unhappiness in life comes from the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself.

John Piper, When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy

I believe that the attacks on your life have much more to do with who you might be in the future than who you have been in the past.

Lisa Bevere, Girls with Swords: Why Women Need to Fight Spiritual Battles

Second City Church - Declarations - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2018

Declarations - Part 1

Luke 4:16-21 
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

“Personal piety and formal worship are essential to the Christian life, but they must lead to lives that “act justly and love mercy” (Mic. 6:8).”

Steve Corbett, When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself

“If you are a North American Christian, the reality of our society’s vast wealth presents you with an enormous responsibility, for throughout the Scriptures God’s people are commanded to show compassion to the poor. In fact, doing so is simply part of our job description as followers of Jesus Christ (Matt. 25:31–46). While the biblical call to care for the poor transcends time and place, passages such as 1 John 3:17 should weigh particularly heavy on the minds and hearts of North American Christians: “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” Of course, there is no “one-size-fits-all” recipe for how each Christian should respond to this biblical mandate. Some are called to pursue poverty alleviation as a career, while others are called to do so as volunteers. Some are called to engage in hands-on, relational ministry, while others are better suited to support frontline workers through financial donations, prayer, and other types of support. Each Christian has a unique set of gifts, callings, and responsibilities that influence the scope and manner in which to fulfill the biblical mandate to help the poor.”

Steve Corbett, When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself

Luke 14:12-24 
He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

Second City Church - Declarations - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2018

In It Not Of It - Part 6

Of it, not in it

Jeremiah 29:1-15
29 These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said: 4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,[a] 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.

10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[b] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Message Summary

As the redeemed of Christ who have been filled with the Holy Spirit. Our spirits have been saved and we are currently seated in heaven at the right hand of God with Jesus (we are ‘Of It’), but our souls and bodies are still on earth (‘not in it’). We must run this earthly race with all endurance having the proper sight of the trials and prize ahead, sobriety to walk through the trials, and the power of the Holy Spirit to endure until Jesus returns.

Three S’s of Christian Endurance

Sight

- We must know God’s will for us if we’re going to endure until Jesus returns.

We must be aware of the enemies schemes Jesus describes in ‘The parable of the sower’ in Mark 4. When we can see the spiritual world and the enemies plans we can take refuge in God, put down roots in Christ’s love shown at the cross, and expect power to overcome and lead a fruitful Christian life.

13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.[a] 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

We need to see that God’s will is that we prosper while in earth and AND that persecutions will come. Persecutions aide in the formation of Christ in us. - Mark 10

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

We need have the sight to understand Jesus is coming back and tribulation will come on the WHOLE world. The Gospel is for all people at all times in all places. God’s will is that we be spiritually awake and not caught off guard. - Luke 21

34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Sobriety

If we’re going to endure we need to have all sobriety, being fully aware of our present time, condition, and situation. The devil is lurking to find someone not spiritually sober to seduce them. - 1 Peter 5:8

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

We need to be sober because we don’t know when Jesus is returning. Love for Jesus will keep us sober as we don’t want to miss him.. - 1 Thes 5:1-10

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers,[a] you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children[b] of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

As a church we are excited to appoint deacons and elders. Sobriety is required for deacons and elders who can help the church endure and grown in Christ. - 1 Tim 3:1-5

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer[a] must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,[b] sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?

Vs 13 - For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

Be sober minded and endure sound teaching. Sobriety will help us accept truthful teaching. - 2

Tim 4:3-5
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound[a] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Sobriety leads to hope which leads to powerful grace to endure - 1 Peter 1:13

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

Spirit

Will power, strength, and smarts won’t get it done, only the Spirit of God. - Zechariah 4:6-7

Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”

We need a fresh living walk with God by the Spirit of God to endure with joy. - Galatians 5:16-25

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy,[d] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do[e] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Quotes

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” - Jim Elliot

More scriptures to meditate on

Matt 10
22 and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved

Matt 13
20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.[a] 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Matt 24
12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

1 Cor 10
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

1 Cor 13
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

2 Cor 1
5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.[a] 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.

2 Tim 2
11 The saying is trustworthy, for:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him;

12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;

if we deny him, he also will deny us;

13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—

for he cannot deny himself.

Heb 10
32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For,

“Yet a little while,

and the coming one will come and will not delay;

38 but my righteous one shall live by faith,

and if he shrinks back,

my soul has no pleasure in him.”

39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

Second City Church - In It Not Of It - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2018

In It Not Of It - Part 5

Wake Up Call

The Delusion
The Dream
The Doubling of Grace

Engel’s Scale 

Daniel calls Nebuchadnezzar to repentance, speaking the Word of the Lord

The God Test Community Groups and on-Line training

Nebuchadnezzar begins to testify to others

as in the “I Am Second” Video testimonies 

The Delusion

Daniel 4:1-9 
King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation. I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation. At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods —and I told him the dream, saying, “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation.

What was Nebuchadnezzar's worldview that would be shattered?

He's invincible.  He is self-made - all of the vastness of his kingdom is the work of his own power, intelligence, acumen, leadership and skill.  He is favored of Deity.

What are the world-views of those who surround you - the things in which they trust?

Their youth.  Their beauty.  Their economic status or earning power.  Their intelligence and sense of progress or enlightenment.  They're invincible. I'll be young and able to live free forever.  Today is all that matters (#YOLO perverted).

“Properly understood, Christianity is by no means the opiate of the people.  It’s more like the smelling salts.”

-Timothy Keller

The Dream

Daniel 4:19-27 
Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies! The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong.Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven periods of time pass over him,’ this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

God humbles to:

1. Grab our attention

2. Show our limitations

3. Demonstrate His sovereignty and might 

4. Give you compassion for others who are like yourself but fully aware of their own weakness as they are in need or in pain

5. To open our eyes to REALITY and ultimately to usher you into a life of grace.  Through circumstances, we are brought to the cross of Jesus Christ that we might be reoriented in regards to that in which we trust.  

Nebuchadnezzar hadn't listened to the subtler signs (like Pharoah in Egypt). 

Proverbs 29:19 
By mere words a servant is not disciplined, for though he understands, he will not respond.

Nebuchadnezzar's dip into senility was God's megaphone.

“Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

C.S. Lewis

Our lesson: We want to have sensitive feet on the beach.  Don't wait to be humbled.

Our role as translator

Daniel was used as the translator to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's circumstances as his worldview began to crumble (we must be sensitive about this as not to turn into Job's friends).  

Be ready when the House of Cards crumbles.

Before you can interpret someone else's worldview, you must have a realistic assessment of your own.  What frames the way that you live?  Is it in accordance with God's priority and design?

Matthew 7:1-5

II Corinthians 13:5-10

The Doubling of Grace

Daniel 4:28-37 
All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” While the words were still in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails were like birds' claws. At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?” At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Second City Church - In It Not Of It - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2018

In It Not Of It - Part 4

Our Tension

God’s Total Allegiance Required

Christ’s Trustworthiness 

Daniel 3:1-18 

King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Our Tension

Obeying the king’s command to attend the dedication and bow before the image was an occasion for officials to reaffirm their loyalty to the king.

Why weren’t they ok with bowing to the image?  What’s the big deal? 

Deuteronomy 6

God’s Total Allegiance Required

Jesus, his cross and resurrection, the gospel of God’s grace and the Kingdom of God must be “your ride or die”.  These will constantly be tested throughout your lifetime.  

Luke 4:1-13

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

“Who stands fast? Only the man whose final standard is not his reason, his principles, his conscience, his freedom, or his virtue, but who is ready to sacrifice all this when he is called to obedient and responsible action in faith and in exclusive allegiance to God- the responsible man, who tries to make his whole life an answer to the question and call of God. Where are these responsible people?”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Calling resists privatization by insisting on the totality of faith. Calling resists politicization by demanding a tension with every human allegiance and association. Calling resists polarization by requiring an attitude toward, and action in, society that is inevitably transforming because it is constantly engaged. Grand Christian movements will rise and fall. Grand campaigns will be mounted and grand coalitions assembled. But all together such coordinated efforts will never match the influence of untold numbers of followers of Christ living out their callings faithfully across the vastness and complexity of modern society.”

Os Guinness, The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life

Things that are highly valued amongst men can be detestable in God’s sight.  

Luke 16:10-15 

10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

Ultimately, a Kingdom is an administration, a value system with assumptions and goals reflected in the order in which we choose to get things done.  The Kingdom that we serve is demonstrated in that which we prioritize.

When things get busy, put God first.  When you have need, sow your seed and seek the Kingdom first.  When exams or project deadlines come, get the mind of the Lord first.  When kids have sports practices and games, teach them to find themselves in the house of worship first.  When you want to have brunch, dine at the table of the Lord first.  When you have adventures that you want to pursue, find the eternal pleasures in the presence of the Lord first.  Honor Jesus and serve God first.  Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.  This is true religion and true worship.

Christ’s Trustworthiness 

*Each time the Israelites took a stand for the Lord, God showed up, God was honored and the Hebrews were promoted (Daniel 1, Daniel 2 ; Daniel 3). After that, as we would, I’m sure they would have liked the last trial to be the final trial.  However, another persecution would inevitably come.

Daniel 3:19-30 

Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. Because the king's order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

*There was also a progression of the king’s acknowledgement of God.  It reflects Engel’s Scale:

1. The Hebrews are 10 times better in all wisdom, learning and appearance after keeping themselves from being defiled with the king’s food (Daniel 1). 

2. Daniel’s God is the only one who can tell and interpret dreams (Daniel 2). 

3. If anyone speaks a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, they’ll be punished (Daniel 3). 

4. By chapter 4, Daniel is calling for Nebuchadnezzar’s repentance and faith. 
   

Second City Church - In It Not Of It - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2018

In It Not Of It - Part 3

Your Gift, God’s Grace to Save

Your Gift

God’s Preparation 

God’s Grace 

Daniel 2:1-19 

In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic,  “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” The king answered and said, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm— if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.” The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. He declared to Arioch, the king's captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king. Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

1. Your Gift

*God was speaking to Nebuchadnezzar before Daniel

Purpose of prophetic gifts according to I Corinthians 13.

1 Corinthians 13:2 

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.

You will be positioned by God in your everyday work life, friendship group and community living to interpret dreams leading to the gospel.

1. God’s Preparation

Daniel had to be prepared with his gift.

This means you must have a vibrant Word and prayer life on your own to be prepared for it and confident enough to seek answers when the opportunity comes.

You must, like Daniel, be in a lifestyle rhythm that has your thoughts, faith and activities turned towards heaven and oriented to the purposes of God.  Otherwise, you will miss the eternal, soul saving opportunities that are presented to you and suffer the fate of those who surround you. 

*Daniel cultivated his focus and his gift with his brothers Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

Statistically, American church-goers show up 1.5 times/month - Ben Crawshaw of The Rocket Company

It is hard to develop any momentum for winning souls, discipleship, growth, giving or community impact with a lack of commitment.  The church is not meant to be interacted with as you interact with your Amazon, Netflix, Google or Instagram accounts. 

Hebrews 10:19-25 

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

*Don’t just show up when you are serving.  That is no way to be a disciple or make disciples.  It takes consistency, faithfulness (which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit). 

You must learn to choose God’s blessed life vs. My #best life now.

1. God’s Grace 

The gift was meant for the saving of lives. 

Daniel 2:46-49 

Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king's court.

Tech Team Vision:

• Our vision for tech team is to remove any distractions to help enable the congregation to worship Jesus freely. We also aim to serve the worship team and assist with any technical needs. Our overarching vision is to magnify Christ through behind the scenes service so that our church can experience Christ during our Sunday service, be further knit into community with other believers, and go out into our weeks engaging the culture! 

And this is true of every area of service in the house of God, whether you are on the worship team, in the children’s ministry, a community group leader, hanging curtains, greeting the newcomer to church or bringing the Word on a Sunday.  

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”

“No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”

 - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Second City Church - In It Not Of It - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2018

Guest Speaker - Pastor Reggie Roberson

 

Second City Church: Guest Speaker - Pastor Reggie Roberson 2018

In It Not Of It - Part 2

Boundaries In Babylon

Background of the book Of Daniel

The foretold exile had begun and Daniel and his friends were of the first to go. The exile was of

God’s doing because the Israelites had broken the covenant with God. God allowed the

Babylonians to come and discipline the Israelites because of his justice, not because of His

favor on the Babylonians. This was the beginning of 70 years of exile for the Israelites.

Meaning of the exiles names

• Daniel “God is my judge” to Belteshazzar “O lady, (wife of the god Bel) protect the King!”

• Hananiah “Yahweh is gracious” to Shadrach “I am very fearful of god”

• Mishael “Who is what God is?” to Meshach “I am of little account”

• Azariah “Yahweh is a helper” to Abednego “servant of the shining one”

Daniel 1:8-21(ESV)

8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that

he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. 9 And

God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, 10 and the chief

of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink;

for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own

age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” 11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom

the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Test

your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our

appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and

deal with your servants according to what you see.” 14 So he listened to them in this matter, and

tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in

appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food. 16 So the steward took

away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

17 As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and

Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 At the end of the time, when the king had

commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before

Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. 20 And in every

matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten

times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. 21 And Daniel

was there until the first year of King Cyrus.

Pray

Though we are in this world we are not of the world. We once were of the world, but after

coming to the cross of Christ, having our sins washed away, and being indwelled by the Holy

Spirit of God through faith in Christ, we are now new creations. Our spirits now sit with Christ

Jesus in Heaven at the right hand of God where we are citizens of Heaven. How should a

citizen of heaven conduct themselves while in a foreign country, the world?

3 supporting points with 1 testimony

1. Resolve Not To Be Defiled By The World

a. 8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with

the wine that he drank.

i. Make the decision BY FAITH to trust God in the circumstance He has put

you in. Stop blaming God, repent if you brought this discipline on

yourself, and trust God to sustain you.

b. Resolve leads to favor and compassion even in a hostile circumstance

c. Merit does not guarantee acceptance or favor, but God brings it

2. Welcome The Testing Of Your Faith By The World

a.

b. Supporting scripture

3. Promoted and Preserved

a. 21 And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.

i. By God’s faithfulness Daniel was promoted and preserved in Babylon the

whole 70 years of the exile.

b. Remain in the circumstance you were in when God called you

i. 17 Only let each person lead the life [ c ] that the Lord has assigned to him,

and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. 18

Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek

to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call

uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. 19 For neither circumcision

counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments

of God. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.

21 Were you a bondservant [ d ] when called? Do not be concerned about it.

(But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22 For

he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the

Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. 23

You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. 24 So,

brothers, [ e ] in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain

with God.

4. Testimony

“To be in the world, but not of the world, you must be in the light”

We are not of the world just as Jesus is not of the world

15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. [ a ] 16

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them [ b ] in the truth; your word

is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake

I consecrate myself, [ c ] that they also may be sanctified [ d ] in truth.

Faith overcomes the world

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has

overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes

that Jesus is the Son of God?”

1 John 5:4-5 ESV

http://bible.com/59/1jn.5.4-5.esv

We are citizens of heaven

18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer

strangers and aliens, [ d ] but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household

of God , 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the

cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in

the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by [ e ] the Spirit. -

Ephesians 2:18-22

Discern the character of those around you

6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample

them underfoot and turn to attack you.”- Matthew 7:6 ESV

Don’t love the world

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father

is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and

pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along

with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

1 John 2:15-17 ESV

http://bible.com/59/1jn.2.15-17.esv

How to know when the world is speaking vs God

“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the

flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit

of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children,

you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the

world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to

them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not

listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

1 John 4:2-6 ESV

http://bible.com/59/1jn.4.2-6.esv

We love because He first loved us

Action Points

1. What does it look like for me to be ‘set apart’ by God as salt and light that point to Jesus

in the school, workplace, and community that I am in?

Invitation to follow Jesus

“Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up

his cross and follow me.”

Matthew 16:24 ESV 

Second City Church - In It Not Of It - Pastor Cole Parleir 2018

In It Not Of It - Part 1

Matthew 5:13-16 
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 13:31-33 
He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.  32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”

We must ask the question, who is influencing whom?

Daniel 1:1-7
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

“Yale historian Jeroslav Pelikan wrote, “Regardless of what anyone may personally think or believe about him, Jesus of Nazareth has been the dominant figure in the history of Western Culture for almost 20 centuries. If it were possible, with some sort of super magnet, to pull up out of history every scrap of metal bearing at least a trace of his name, how much would be left?”

It turns out that the life of Jesus is a comet with an exceedingly long tale. Here are some shards of his impact that most often surprise people:

Children

In the ancient world children were routinely left to die of exposure — particularly if they were the wrong gender (you can guess which was the wrong one); they were often sold into slavery. Jesus’ treatment of and teachings about children led to the forbidding of such practices, as well as orphanages and godparents. A Norwegian scholar named Bakke wrote a study of this impact, simply titled: When Children Became People: the Birth of Childhood in Early Christianity.

Education 

Love of learning led to monasteries, which became the cradle of academic guilds. Universities such as Cambridge, Oxford, and Harvard all began as Jesus-inspired efforts to love God with all ones’ mind. The first legislation to publicly fund education in the colonies was called The Old Deluder Satan Act, under the notion that God does not want any child ignorant. The ancient world loved education but tended to reserve it for the elite; the notion that every child bore God’s image helped fuel the move for universal literacy.

Compassion 

Jesus had a universal concern for those who suffered that transcended the rules of the ancient world. His compassion for the poor and the sick led to institutions for lepers, the beginning of modern-day hospitals. The Council of Nyssa decreed that wherever a cathedral existed, there must be a hospice, a place of caring for the sick and poor. That’s why even today, hospitals have names like “Good Samaritan,” “Good Shepherd,” or “Saint Anthony.” They were the world’s first voluntary, charitable institutions.

Humility

The ancient world honored many virtues like courage and wisdom, but not humility. People were generally divided into first class and coach. “Rank must be preserved,” said Cicero; each of the original 99 percent was a personis mediocribus. Plutarch wrote a self-help book that might crack best-seller lists in our day: How to Praise Yourself Inoffensively.

Jesus’ life as a foot-washing servant would eventually lead to the adoption of humility as a widely admired virtue. Historian John Dickson writes, “it is unlikely that any of us would aspire to this virtue were it not for the historical impact of his crucifixion...Our culture remains cruciform long after it stopped being Christian.” 

Forgiveness 

In the ancient world, virtue meant rewarding your friends and punishing your enemies. Conan the Barbarian was actually paraphrasing Ghengis Khan in his famous answer to the question “what is best in life?” — To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women.

An alternative idea came from Galilee: what is best in life is to love your enemies, and see them reconciled to you. Hannah Arendt, the first woman appointed to a full professorship at Princeton, claimed, “the discoverer of the role of forgiveness in the realm of human affairs was Jesus of Nazareth.” This may be debatable, but he certainly gave the idea unique publicity.

Humanitarian Reform: 

Jesus had a way of championing the excluded that was often downright irritating to those in power. His inclusion of women led to a community to which women flocked in disproportionate numbers. Slaves—up to a third of ancient populations—might wander into a church fellowship and have a slave-owner wash their feet rather than beat them. One ancient text instructed bishops to not interrupt worship to greet a wealthy attender, but to sit on the floor to welcome the poor. The apostle Paul said: “Now there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave or free, male and female, but all are one in Christ Jesus.” Thomas Cahill wrote that this was the first statement of egalitarianism in human literature. 

Perhaps as remarkable as anything else is Jesus’ ability to withstand the failings of his followers, who from the beginning probably got in his way at least as much as they helped.”

-Excerpts from a Blog written by John Ortberg, Pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church on the eve of the 2012 presidential election

John 17:13-19 
13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 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. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Jesus sanctified himself through the cross so that we could be set apart, set free from and forgiven of sin.  Through Jesus’ resurrection life, God intends us to be the shapers and reformers of a world he looks to reconcile to himself in Christ. 

Second City Church - In It Not Of It - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2018

What Would Jesus Say - Part 4

Mark 12:28-31
And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Matthew 12:46,48-50
While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Matthew 16:13-20
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

"Emphasize reconciliation, not resolution.”
― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?

2 Corinthians 5:16-6:2
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

“The church is not a theological classroom. It is a conversion, confession, repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness and sanctification center, where flawed people place their faith in Christ, gather to know and love him better, and learn to love others as he designed.” ― Paul David Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change

Revelation 7:9-12
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Love is creative and redemptive. Love builds up and unites; hate tears down and destroys. The aftermath of the ‘fight with fire’ method...is bitterness and chaos, the aftermath of the love method is reconciliation and creation of the beloved community...Yes , love-which means understanding, creative, redemptive goodwill, even for one’s enemies-is the solution. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Resistance and nonviolence are not in themselves good. There is another element that must be present in our struggle that then makes our resistance and nonviolence truly meaningful. That element is reconciliation. Our ultimate end must be the creation of the beloved community. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Second City Church - What Would Jesus Say - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2018

What Would Jesus Say - Part 3

John 14:12-24
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.

“Being a Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively pursuing God’s will.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

“Pray first. Then make plans. Don’t plan and then pray for your plan to work.” - Toby Mac

Matthew 28:16-20
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

"I had motive for not wanting the world to have a meaning; consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption. The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics, he is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do, or why his friends should not seize political power and govern in the way that they find most advantageous to themselves. … For myself, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation, sexual and political." --Aldous Huxley, Ends and Means (London: Chatto & Windus, 1946), pp. 270, 273

1 Corinthians 8:1-3
Now concerning  food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.

Second City Church - What Would Jesus Say - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2018

What Would Jesus Say - Part 2

Fasting

Luke 5:27-39 ESV (c.f.- Matthew 9:9-17, Mark 2:13-22)
27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”  33 And they said to him, “The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.” 34 And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” 36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’”

Luke 18:9-14 ESV
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed[a] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Three Points

1. Following Jesus precedes fasting for Jesus  

   1. Jesus gave Levi an invitation to follow, not to fast.  

      1. This was an invitation into a relationship whether that would blossom into further obedience rather than law.

   2. Before we fast, we must leave everything and follow. We must repent.

      1. The disciples who would in the future fast first left everything to follow.

         1. Luke 5:27-28

            1. 27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And leaving everything, he rose and followed him

            2. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

   3. Though Jesus was well acquainted with fasting He did not put this on Levi or his disciples during this time, for a bruised reed he will not break

      1. Luke 4:1-2 ESV

         1. And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.

      2. Matthew 12:19-21

         1. 19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
               nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
            20 a bruised reed he will not break,
               and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
            until he brings justice to victory;
            21     and in his name the Gentiles will hope

2. Fasting is for humbling, not grumbling

   1. The Pharisees were at a feast, and instead of being ‘humbled’ through fasting, they ‘grumbled’ at the disciples because they themselves were fasting rather than feasting. Attitude matters for a fast or a feast to be pleasing to God.  The fast of the Pharisees caused them to despise God and His love and compassion for the lost, while Jesus’ fast in the desert launched Him in his ministry to the lost sheep of Israel.

      1. Luke 5:30-31

         1. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick

   2. Everyone knew the Pharisees fast twice a week on Monday and Thursday, and it was not done in secret, but in superiority and self righteousness.   This is how we should fast.

      1. Matthew 6:16-18

         1. 16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

   3. Everything is beautiful and acceptable in it’s time.  Fasting can either humble us to be used by God or harden us to sink us into self righteousness.  As we see here, God desires mercy, not sacrifice and was drawn to the humble and contrite heart exalting him.

      1. Luke 18:9-14

         1. 9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed[a] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

3. Fasting speeds up God’s mission in us and through us

   1. Fasting breaks chains in our lives and others

      1. Isaiah 58:6-9

         1. Is not this the fast that I choose:
               to loose the bonds of wickedness,
               to undo the straps of the yoke,
            to let the oppressed[b] go free,
               and to break every yoke?
            7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
               and bring the homeless poor into your house;
            when you see the naked, to cover him,
               and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
            8 Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
               and your healing shall spring up speedily;
            your righteousness shall go before you;
               the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
            9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
               you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’

   2. The time to fast is now

      1. Acts 13:1-3 (After Jesus has ascended into Heaven)

         1. Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger,[a] Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

            1. Fasting is worship

            2. Holy Spirit speaks when we fast

            3. Fasting is coupled with praying 

Application:

1. Follow Jesus today!

2. Receive grace by fasting this Friday!

3. Order the book God’s Chosen Fast!

Second City Church - What Would Jesus Say - Pastor Cole Parleir 2018

What Would Jesus Say - Part 1

Luke 18:1-8
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

"If you never heal from what hurt you, you'll bleed on people who didn't cut you."

FIRST FRIDAY FAST - September 7th

"He who lays up treasures in heaven looks forward to eternity." - Randy Alcorn 

Leaders Must Be Examples, Not Exceptions

Far too often, leaders drift. Once they get some experience under their belt and a track record of accomplishments, they often abandon the lifestyle that helped them reach the top. They chafe under the very rules that they once established or endorsed. Sadly, leaders like these forget the number one management principle in the world: People do what people see. If they want to succeed, leaders must incarnate the life they desire in their followers." - John Maxwell

"The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried." - Stephen McCranie

Luke 11:1-13
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

"The Christian religion alone has been able to cure these two vices (pride in human dignity and despair in human misery), not by expelling the one through means of the other according to the wisdom of the world, but by expelling both according to the simplicity of the Gospel." - Blasie Pascal

Second City Church - What Would Jesus Say - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2018

The Macedonian Call - Part 8

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

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

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

The Macedonian Call - Part 7

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Guest Speaker - Matt Rasch

 

Second City Church: Guest Speaker - Matt Rasch 2018

The Macedonian Call - Part 6

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

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

Interconnected in Affliction 

Know your enemy before the fight 

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

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

What Does it Look Like?

Stop, Drop and Roll

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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