Life after Death: Truly Triumphant (Palm Sunday)

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 Life after Death: Truly Triumphant (Palm Sunday)

Associate Pastor: Cole Parleir

What is Palm Sunday?

According to Crosswalk, “Palm Sunday was the first day of Holy Week leading up to the Jewish holiday of Passover. Jesus rode on a donkey through the town of Jerusalem on His way to conquer death and bring us life through His sacrifice on the cross.” 

—Emma Danzey

What does God want to do for us at 2CC? 

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/59/rom.12.1-2.esv

God wants to renew our minds regarding what it means to be truly “obedient”, blessed”, and “triumphant”. 

PRAY 

Focus: When we embrace Jesus as the suffering Messiah, we too can be truly obedient, truly blessed and truly triumph over sin and death. 

• Truly Obedient

• Truly Blessed

• Truly Triumphant

God is going to do this as we focus on the account the Bible calls the ‘Triumphal Entry”.   

Scriptures: Luke 19:28-48

“And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, 

“Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’”  

So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives— the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, 

“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 

And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” 

And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, 

“It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” 

And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19:28-48‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/59/luk.19.28-48.esv

Truly Obedient

Obeying God’s Word is what it means to be truly obedient.

Obeying my idea or peer pressure of what it means to be godly is NOT true obedience.

We must know God’s Word to obey God’s Word.  

As we read the account of Jesus entering into Jerusalem we see him obeying the commands of God as they had been written.  

God had made his command for the promised Messiah known  through the prophet Zechariah where we read:

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭9:9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/59/zec.9.9.esv

Jesus fulfilled this command in the obtainment and riding of the donkey colt.  

Jesus could have chosen to enter Jerusalem in a much more convenient manner.  Instead, he chose the inconvenient route of fulfilling the prophetic word spoken of God’s chosen Messiah.  

Jesus did this to confirm his calling and identity as the Messiah by 

TRULY obeying God’s Word rather than the expectation of the crowd.  

Let’s talk about expectations.

Jesus already had a 3 year reputation as a miracle worker and preacher with rumors of his miraculous birth floating around I’m sure. Now he is fulfilling Messianic scripture ridding on a donkey into ‘The City of The Great King’.  

Riding in a  donkey meant different things to the crowd members.  The Israelites looking for the Messiah would have recognized the donkey as fulfilled prophecy and grown in their faith. 

They celebrated Jesus’ entry with palm branches signaling their expectation of a military deliverer from Roman occupation.   

Yet they didn’t see the whole picture.  God had such bigger plans!

Even though they didn’t see the whole picture they still laid down their branches and cloaks in an act of submission.

“Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.””

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭9:13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://www.bible.com/59/2ki.9.13.esv

The Romans didn’t recognize what was happening because if they knew Jesus was being welcomed as king they would have intervened.  

It was imperative for Jesus to truly obey God’s Word In order for God’s plan of saving us from sin and death to come to pass.  If Jesus had compromised by taking up a sword and a war horse he may have mustered an army to overthrow Roman oppression for a while, but the sinful human heart would have still prevailed in the end. 

You and I have visions and ideas of what it looks like for us to please and serve God.  

The truth is that God has revealed what pleases Him in His Word, the Bible.

Jesus was confirming his God chosen identity as the Messiah through truly observing and fulfilling God’s Word concerning the Messiah.   

In the same way you and I also confirm our calling as children of God as we truly obey God’s Word and rely on His promises.

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 

Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1:3-11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://www.bible.com/59/2pe.1.3-11.esv

As children of God we have a shared calling to a holy life here and now in preparation of the Kingdom.   

Jesus has called his disciples to obey all He commanded and to teach others to obey his commands as well. This is our shared calling that confirms our shared salvation and entrance into God’s eternal kingdom. 

Jesus had a unique calling as the Messiah that would save the world from sin and earth. You and I also have a unique calling to bring about God‘s purposes in the earth.

In order to bring about God‘s purposes that were prepared in advance for you to fulfill you must truly obey God‘s commands that are specific for your life and calling. Jesus has set you free from the power of sin so that you can walk with him.

When you choose to truly and fully obey God‘s commands you will know what it means to be truly blessed. 

Truly Blessed

To be blessed is to be like God.  

What do I mean?  You and I were created in the image of God.  

This is our destiny. This is why Jesus came. So that you and I could could be forgiven of our sins, reconciled to God, and empowered to walk in righteousness.

Jesus is God in the flesh.  Jesus is the righteous one.  Jesus is the one whom God the Father says “with you I am well pleased”.   Jesus is truly blessed.  He is the one we are to obey and imitate as his disciples. 

This is who Jesus calls blessed:

““Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:3-12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://www.bible.com/59/mat.5.3-12.esv

Let me ask you: are you blessed? Do you want to be blessed? 

Jesus exemplified all of these for us. To be his disciple is to share in his suffering so that the world may know his salvation.  

To embrace this kind of blessing and suffering as we walk with Jesus is what it means to be truly triumphant.  

Truly Triumphant

Why was Jesus’ entry ‘triumphant”?  

Despite the amiss expectations of the crowd and even the disciples, he marched intentionally and adamantly toward the cross for the salvation of those who would believe in him later.

As the son of God Jesus had all authority over legions of angels. 

He could have stopped the suffering and crucifixion at any moment.  Instead, He chose to love us by becoming a sacrifice for us.

By loving us in this way he has truly triumphed over mankind‘s biggest enemy: sin and Satan.  

He has truly triumphed over mankind‘s biggest fear: death.

This is why in the kingdom of God every tear will be wiped away. 

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭2:14-16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://www.bible.com/59/2co.2.14-16.esv

Will you except Jesus’ triumphant victory at the cross in your place today? If so please pray with me.

Second City Church - Associate Pastor: Cole Parleir 2021

Life After Death: Truly Alive

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Life After Death: Truly Alive

Pastor Rollan Fisher

Focus: There is true life after death when you put your trust in Jesus.

• Behind Closed Doors

• Help Believing

• True Life after Death

Behind Closed Doors

Jesus comes behind our closed doors to strengthen us in our hour and areas of need.

John 20:19-31 

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, 

“Peace be with you.” 

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, 

“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”  

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,  

“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” 

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 

“Peace be with you.” 

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, 

“Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

The disciples locked themselves behind closed doors for fear of the repercussions for the years they had spent associated with the now crucified Jesus.

We don’t need to hide our discouragements, pain or struggles from God.  

Jesus enters into our weakness to strengthen us and deliver us from our fears.

How so?

Publicly, Thomas would have seemed to have it all together.

He was one of Jesus’ hand-selected twelve apostles, had seen and performed signs, wonders and miracles while leading others to faith in Christ.

Yet behind closed doors, Thomas had doubts with which he needed to deal, which left unchecked could derail the rest of his life and ministry in the Lord.

Thomas’ struggle was unbelief.

Yours may be something else.

This is important because...

*What we do behind closed doors is who we truly are.

“People will eventually begin to relate with you as they do behind closed doors.”

-Rollan Fisher

*In what area of your life have you been closed off to or hiding from God?

If you’ve been wandering, now is your time to come back!

Help Believing

God grants aid to those who need help believing the good news of Jesus.  

Jesus came to remind Thomas that what we see on the surface is not the whole story of what God is doing.

We don’t see it all, but the word of God gives us a picture of what God is doing behind the scenes.

Give it some time.

*If it seems like something is dead, wait three days and see what God is doing.   

We can always start by receiving encouragement from the testimony of others.

You don’t have to have yet experienced something for it to be true.  

The Bible records Thomas receiving the affirmation of being able to touch the wounds within Jesus’ resurrected body.  

Yet are there reasons for us to believe today?

First, you need to know there are reasons to believe the Biblically recorded, historic testimony, of Jesus Christ’s sinless life, miracles, crucifixion and resurrection from the dead.

“The Old Testament records the preparation for the coming of the Messiah. The Gospels record the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ our Lord. The book of Acts records the propagation of the gospel (the good news) concerning Jesus Christ. The Epistles (letters) explain the gospel and its implications for our lives. The book of Revelation anticipates and describes the second coming of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His eternal kingdom. From beginning to end, the Bible glorifies Jesus Christ and centers on Him. Its Christ-centeredness is one of its wonderful features.”

-Josh McDowell

Thus we don’t need to be rash in our decision making regarding if there is a God and, if so, who he is and what he is up to without first looking into these historic facts.

Why?

Because in the testimony of the Bible, we see that....

“there is an important difference between the apostle martyrs and those who die for their beliefs today. Modern martyrs act solely out of their trust in beliefs that others have taught them. The apostles died for holding to their own testimony that they had personally seen the risen Jesus. Contemporary martyrs die for what they believe to be true. The disciples of Jesus died for what they knew to be either true or false.”

-Gary R. Habermas, The Case For The Resurrection Of Jesus

“Historians employ a number of common-sense principles in assessing the strength of a testimony. Here are five of those principles:

1. Testimony attested to by multiple independent witnesses is usually considered stronger than the testimony of one witness.

2. Affirmation by a neutral or hostile source is usually considered stronger than affirmation from a friendly source, since bias in favor of the person or position is absent.

3. People usually don't make up details regarding a story that would tend to weaken their position.

4. Eyewitness testimony is usually considered stronger than testimony heard from a second- or thirdhand source.

5. An early testimony from very close to the event in question is usually considered more reliable than one received years after the event.”

-Gary R. Habermas, The Case For The Resurrection Of Jesus         

Thus these truths need to anchor us:

1. He’s working.  God is still working behind the scenes even when death has been pronounced. 

2. Wait for it.  I need to remember what Jesus said and wait for his appearance. 

3. Why?  Resurrection life is always the result when we look to Jesus. 

True Life after Death

There can be true life after death for those who actively put their trust in Christ.

Part of our faith is believing the truth of who Jesus is.

The other is believing that we can be different because of that truth.

This is the power of the resurrection.

Jesus ministered this way:

Mark 1:14-15 

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

Just as Jesus lived in resurrection life with the nail holes in his hands and side, so we can live in the resurrection life of Christ despite our scars.

No matter what you’ve experienced, because of the cross of Jesus Christ, that which was your sin and shame has been paid for. 

The resurrection of Jesus Christ proves that God continually brings dead things to life. 

John 20:30,31

Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

The clear lesson of Easter is that Jesus proved with power that He is the unique Son of God by his resurrection from the dead.

“Many people entertain the idea that Christianity, like almost any other religion, is basically a system of beliefs - you know, a set of doctrines or a code of behavior, a philosophy, an ideology.

But that's a myth.

Christianity is not at all like Buddhism or Islam or Confucianism. 

The founders of those religions said (in effect), 'Here is what I teach. Believe my teachings. Follow my philosophy.' Jesus said, 'Follow me' (Matthew 9:9).

Leaders of the world's religions said, 'What do you think about what I teach?' Jesus said, 'Who do you say I am?' (Luke 9:20).”

-Josh McDowell, Don't Check Your Brains At The Door

Believe the good news of Christ’s resurrection today and experience true life after death.

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2021

The Big Ten: Enough’s Enough

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 The Big Ten: Enough’s Enough

Pastor Rollan Fisher

Focus: You will experience greater joy when you obey the commands of God.

• No Need to Lie

• No Need to Keep Up

• Everything You Need is Found in Jesus

• PRAY

No Need to Lie

You do not need to lie to get ahead in the world.  

Commandment #9:

Exodus 20:16

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

This is a pretty self-evident command but let’s dig a bit and find modern application.

Be truthful, not spiteful, regarding your neighbors.

In our world it seems that people will do anything to get ahead or to press their agendas.

However, you don’t need to lie about yourself to push yourself forward or tear others down falsely to get where God is going to take you. 

This means do not lie about anyone, whether maliciously or merely for your personal benefit.  

Bearing false witness against someone is an assault on their reputation and future interactions with the world.  

This is especially true in the world of cyber-bullying, cancel culture and online defamation.

God commands that we steward the reputation of others carefully and never let out in impetuous anger that which we can not take back.

In fact Jesus said this:

Matthew 12:36-37 

36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Tell the truth. 

When you tell the truth about someone or a situation, you are able to experience the joy of knowing you can sleep well at night.

Choosing not to lie is freeing because you do not have to keep up with what you said or remember to whom you said it, because what you communicated was simply true.

When the truth is communicated in love, you equally know that while you are not involved, the seeds that you’ve sown are still working for your neighbor’s good.

You are free from having to cover your tracks and conversations because your integrity allows you to say the same thing about people when they are in front of you as when they are absent. 

We’ve all had enough frienemies.  

In friendships, on social media, in the workplace and in the home, we should be those who are looking to build others up, not tear them down.

Don’t buckle to the pressure of self-preservation, selling others out to save your own skin when telling the truth may cost you something.

God will back the man or woman of integrity.

Proverbs 28:18

Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.

Be faithful, not fearful, as you testify about God.

Proverbs 29:25

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

It cost Jesus to come and bear truthful witnesses about his Heavenly Father, the state of the world before him, the consequences of sin and the judgment to come.

In doing so, however, it led to our faith, forgiveness and freedom.

We need to do the same for others when testifying about the cross of Jesus Christ and the redemption of God.

When we are truthful about God by faith, not only does it lead to others’ salvation, but God is able to supernaturally back us with his favor (Hebrews 11).

No Need to Keep Up

You do not need to have what others do to experience true joy. 

Commandment #10:

Exodus 20:17

“You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”

Remember, in each of these commandments, God is trying to set you free.

God does not owe you a particular sized home, spouse with certain measurements, type of career or number of checks on your bucket list. 

God is always more concerned with saving a man or woman’s eternal soul than fulfilling their modern, entitled vision of manifest destiny promoted in our media.

God does, however, enjoy blessing his children as they obey His commandments so that they can enjoy his goodness and be a blessing to others (Genesis 12). 

What I’ve noticed in our world is that we need to be both sensitive and aware during challenging times.

People need to make sure that their disdain for others’ successes are not covetousness disguised as righteous indignation.

How can you tell the difference?

*If you would be happy if you were in someone else’s shoes, but are unhappy that someone else is now enjoying what you desire for yourself, then that is envy, not justice for which you long.  

Carnal jealousy and ungodly rivalries always produce a wanton soul (Galatians 5:20).  

Selfish ambition breeds discontent that will never allow you to rest in the life of promise that God intends for you.  

What causes coveting?

Beyond greed, it is our modern battle with the idea of self - derived not from God but from society’s value placed on self-actualization. 

The daily frustration and disappointment that people feel comes from an imagined sense of who they thought they should be, what they should do or what they should accomplish.  

Yet who told you these things?

If it was not God, it can actually lead to slavery.  

And in the quest to fulfill a self-created dream, we can reject the everyday life, relationships and opportunities that fulfill God’s 

Kingdom narrative for us with Christ, rather than ourselves, at the center. 

This type of “keeping up with the Joneses” can enslave us and distort our lives.  

As Dr. Timothy Keller continues to relate in his book, Counterfeit Gods,

“...counterfeit gods come in clusters, making the idolatry structure of the heart complex...Sin in our hearts affects our basic motivational drives so they become idolatrous, “deep idols.” Some people are strongly motivated by a desire for influence and power, while others are more excited by approval and appreciation.  Some want emotional and physical comfort more than anything else, while still others want security, the control of their environment.  People with the deep idol of power do not mind being unpopular in order to gain influence.  People who are most motivated by approval are the opposite - they will gladly lose power and control as long as everyone thinks well of them.  Each deep idol - power, approval, comfort, or control - generates a different set of fears and a different set of hopes.  

“Surface idols” are things such as money, our spouse, or children, through which our deep idols seek fulfillment.  We are often superficial in our analysis of our idol structures.  For example, money can be a surface idol that serves to satisfy more foundational impulses.  Some people want lots of money as a way to control their world and life.  Such people usually don’t spend much money and live very modestly.  They keep it all safely saved and invested, so they can feel completely secure in the world.  Others want money for access to social circles and to make themselves beautiful and attractive.  These people do spend their money on themselves in lavish ways.  

Other people want money because it gives them so much power over others.  In every case, money functions as an idol and yet, because of various deep idols, it results in very different patterns of behavior.   

The person using money to serve a deep idol of control will often feel superior to people using money to attain power or social approval.  In every case, however, money-idolatry enslaves and distorts lives.”

-Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters (page 64-65)

The Bible reminds us, however, that on the other side of God’s commandments, including, “do not covet”, are His blessings and freedom.  

How is this so?

We are filled with joy when we are able to “rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15).

When I can congratulate someone else for their success and be content to fulfill my stewardship before the Lord, I am truly free.  

*I do not need to covet when I know that God will take care of me.

The beauty of God is that his principles work for everyone who would believe his good news and employ his principles.  

It does not mean there will not be obstacles because of the sin and fallenness of our world, but it does mean that God’s favor and blessing are stronger.  

Let’s get practical.

This is the hope that we have in God:

Proverbs 14:23

In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.

Remember that Jesus is the God who opens doors that no man can shut and shuts doors that no man can open (Revelation 3:8). 

God will give me the exact measure I need so that my heart might maintain worship and fulfill his purposes.

This is why Agur son of Jakeh wrote by the Holy Spirit:

Proverbs 30:7-9 

Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.

Joy is a product of thankfulness.  

When we are ungrateful or feel entitled to something that we did not receive, we are soured in our souls.

Nothing pleasant happening to or for us ever fills the void.

When we maintain God’s perspective that what we ultimately deserve is punishment for our sins, death and hell, then everything that we receive is a cherry on top and a product of grace.

This transforms every good thing in my life to a gift for which I am truly grateful.

It is in this way that I am freed of coveting and am content to ENJOY everything that the Lord has graciously given me, whether it be a gift, or the product of my own labors.

I know that it all comes from the Lord and I don’t need what another man or woman has to be happy.

Everything You Need is Found in Jesus

You will experience true joy when you begin to embrace all that you’ve been given In Jesus.  

John 6:25-35 

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

Everything that you need for abundant life and godliness is truly found in Jesus. 

God wants to give us joy in that which he’s entrusted to us. 

Choosing to be content is freeing because it allows us to finally rest in the truth that we can actually be happy in what God had lovingly given us.  

True joy begins and ends with the Lord.  

God allows life to show us that no experience, no lover, no number in your bank account, no title, no measure of power or control will ever be able to substitute for the joy that is found satisfied in a relationship with Jesus. 

We can learn now or later, but we will learn. 

*When we learn that Jesus is our great reward, we are free to accumulate in life to be a blessing, not to be happy. 

This is the great justification of the call to worship Jesus alone, our champion.

He is the one who stood in proxy for fallen humanity to do battle at the cross against sin and death at the cross and so save all who would come to the judge through the merits of Christ’s sinful life alone.  

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2021

The Big Ten: Love the One You’re With

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The Big Ten: Love the One You’re With

Pastor Rollan Fisher

• The commandments of God remind us that God is a consuming fire, burning up what is detrimental and lighting a flame for what will be eternally life-giving to us.

• God’s Word is ALWAYS SUPERNATURALLY DERIVED, with PRACTICAL APPLICATION.

• This means that God’s commands are the every day ways to love and worship Him while looking out for the benefit of others, as well as your own.

• More than a means to simply cross your will, God’s commands lead to the created world’s, humanity’s and your personal good.

• Both commandments seven and eight have to do with how much we feel like we have vs. how much we think we need to be satisfied.

• This is, in effect, God starting to get into your stuff.

• Remember, in each of these commandments, God is trying to set you free.

Focus: You will experience greater satisfaction when you obey the commands of God.

• Partner

• Possessions

• Perfect Satisfaction in Christ

Partner

God wants to be at the center of your desires. 

Commandment #7:

Exodus 20:14

“You shall not commit adultery.”

We realize that many of the commands of God now seem counter-cultural. 

However, Jesus gave this clear instruction:

Matthew 5:17-20 

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Now let’s speak about adultery.

According to Jesus, adultery is not just a physical interaction, but it begins in the heart.  

*It is closer to home and involves the trappings of what is offered as every day entertainment. 

Can there be adultery in singleness?

Matthew 5:27-30

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

What does it mean to gouge out our eyes or cut off our hands?

It means to cut off your access to any habit or relationship that would cause you to sin.

A good Lenten goal may be abstaining from some of the normal entertainment, social media or otherwise and see how your pipes get cleaned.  

King David, the Second king of Israel who had his own failings with adultery, said this:

Psalm 101:1-4 

I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music. I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil.

It is when he did not practice this command that he inevitably fell with Bathsheba. 

Do not sacrifice God’s convictions for the sake of entertainment.  

We know that it is a struggle when you are inundated with a culture bent against Biblical purity. 

However, God is holy and will fight for you and strengthen you to walk in the freedom of holiness.  

God makes a good promise when he says this:

1 Corinthians 10:12-14 

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 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. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

In God, our many spiritual and physical infidelities can be redeemed, so that there is hope for marriages and psyches that have been damaged by sin.  

2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1 

What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Singleness of devotion to God frees you from the entrapments of the world that spring from trying to please others (I Corinthians 7).  

*Purity is freeing because it allows us to focus on cultivating the very relationships that God is looking to bless. 

Adultery in marriage 

We have compassion for those who’ve been through the pain of adultery and a message of hope for those who've been involved in such sin. 

We know that it is a serious matter since marital unfaithfulness is the only legitimate justification that Jesus sites as a reason for divorce (Matthew 19:1-12 - though things like abuse are a further discussion).  

If that is the case, why do people commit adultery?

Amongst many reasons, people often site dissatisfaction in their relationships.  

Because of the relational dynamics with their significant other, those who commit adultery feel like they are withering from some form of neglect or missing something that they feel like they are due.

When those in this situation feel like cultivating their present field won’t work, they look for easier pastures. 

This too, however, can be a form of idolatry, where we have chosen the promise of an emotional or physical savior over our devotion to God and our spouses.

Yet idols are deceiving since the devil, who is the father of lies (John 8:44) is making empty promises through them.

*Always remember it is easier to love people at a distance and those that you don’t really know. 

Think about the club scene. 

The great tragedy is we idealize people we see only on social media, or with whom we have minimal interactions. 

We neglect and villanize the people we actually do life with, those that we live around and those in our own homes. 

It is easier to think well of someone when you don’t have to interact with them regularly. 

It will always be the case that when you do, you see their shortcomings and their imperfections - their sins. 

Think about a vanity mirror. 

The only reason you think so well of people you put on pedestals is because you are not close enough to them. 

And in this distortion, you place judgment on, criticize and become dissatisfied with those with whom you actually have the opportunity to have relationship. 

This is the great trap of the devil - the greener pasture syndrome. 

It happens in marriages, friendships, churches and workplaces all of the time. 

You have too many options and convince yourself you have connections that you simply do not.

In the meantime, you end up neglecting the land God’s actually given you. 

This is not love. 

It is fantasy. 

In the case of marriage, adultery, having “a little something on the side”, seems like a viable way out - but should you take it?

“An idolatrous attachment can lead you to break any promise, rationalize any indiscretion, or betray any other allegiance, in order to hold on to it. It may drive you to violate all good and proper boundaries. To practice idolatry is to be a slave.”

-Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters

Let’s talk about sex 

Too many people feel dissatisfied with their intimate lives because of what they watch online, thinking their lives are supposed to simulate the fabricated portrayals that they see on the screen.  

People grab for greater highs that can never be satisfied until a violation of some sort occurs.  

God wants to protect you from this while blessing you with holy fulfillment.  

It is not your spouse’s responsibility to keep you from sin.  

If you are married, your body is not your own, though is to be treated by your spouse with respect, gentleness, consideration and honor (I Corinthians 7). 

Your intimacy should not be limited to sex, but it is given by God in marriage for procreation, our pleasure (Song of Solomon) and protection. 

It is the responsibility of the spouse to love God and not commit adultery, even if the other is in the sin of withholding sexually.  

Sin is not condoned as a response to sin. 

There will be different seasons of ups and downs in life, times that you feel closer or less connected to your spouse.  

However, in every season, God has given marriage to be a place of safety, security, encouragement and protection as you are passing through these varied times. 

Deeming your relationship unsatisfying emotionally, sexually or even financially does not give you permission to look outside of the covenant to have your needs met.  

The first place we go in all things is to God in his Word and prayer to have our soul (mind, will and emotions) filled in Him. 

From that place of renewed strength we have hope to cultivate our marriages for the good, even as there may be suffering as you wait on that change.  

This, too, is participating in the sufferings of Christ.  

Times of infirmity are an example of why you need self control. 

But is there prolonged hope?

*Enjoying the life within which you’ve found yourself can be realized when you learn to patiently and persistently cultivate that which God has entrusted to you.

There is hope for you in your marriage - that you’ll be able to thrive in your communication, intimacy and purpose together as you submit all three of these things to Jesus.  

When you meet God in each of these areas, it fills you to understand that your fidelity to your spouse who you can see is to be a reflection of your faithfulness to the Lord who you can not see.  

Fidelity is about loving God before and even above you love your spouse.  

By loving God who is unchanging, you gain a deeper appreciation for your spouse who will forever be changing (whether spiritually as they become more like Christ, physically or mentally as they age). 

Adultery is quenched by the fear of the Lord and an active cultivation of the relationship that you have with your spouse.   

Possessions

You don’t have to steal that which God wants to provide. 

Commandment #8:

Exodus 20:15

“You shall not steal.”

In the very real and no judgment event that you’ve fallen on hard times, please do not feel like you need to steal to meet your needs.  

If you or someone you know is dealing with food scarcity or basic needs of clothing and shelter not being met, there are various loving church ministries with whom we partner throughout the city that can help meet those practical needs while you look to get back on your feet.  

Please reach out and let us know.  

*People often steal when they are convinced that they do not have enough (or there is no help for their situation).

We don’t want to steal from other people or from God.   

When you understand God as your provider, you know that every need will be met as you are diligent to follow His commands, working hard and stewarding his resources according to his commands.  

When God is your source, you will not steal because you know that you can not ultimately keep that which God does not bless.  

We want to first make sure that we are not robbing God.  

In the book of Malachi, God shared a curious Scripture when he said:

Malachi 3:7-12 

From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

This is explained well when we understand our New Testament dynamic in Christ:

“‘I’ll tell you why you don’t see the tithing requirement laid out clearly in the New Testament. Think. Have we received more of God’s revelation, truth, and grace than the Old Testament believers, or less?’ Usually there is uncomfortable silence. ‘Are we more ‘debtors to grace’ than they were, or less? Did Jesus ‘tithe’ his life and blood to save us or did he give it all?’ Tithing is a minimum standard for Christian believers. We certainly wouldn’t want to be in a position of giving away less of our income than those who had so much less of an understanding of what God did to save them.”

-Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods, Hodder and Stoughton, 2009, pg 62.

Dr. Keller went on to say:

“Jesus warns people far more often about greed than about sex, yet almost no one thinks they are guilty of it.”

-Timothy Keller

The Old and New Testaments have about 800 Scriptures combined regarding wealth, including verses on savings, investments, income, tithing, offering, spending, running a business, family budgets, etc.  

Jesus spoke about money about 25% of the time because it has and will always be such a big issue in your life. 

Jesus' teaching ultimately comes down to your perspective regarding money, its source, and whether or not you trust God to instruct you about what to do with it.

Yet it is not just about our giving, it is also about how we execute our work.

Especially in things like the remote pandemic work, “do not steal” means making sure that you are in integrity, working the hours for which you are being paid and not undercutting from your employer.  

It means remembering that you are working for the Lord, not people and your reward will come from God.  

This also allows you to achieve while reinforcing the proper boundaries of placing God and his commands first. 

Colossians 3:22-25

Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

God knows our needs and there are so many promises regarding his provision in the Scripture.  

When you have God as your source, you have greater faith, encouragement and ingenuity for righteous provision because you know that it is the Lord who gives you the power to produce wealth when you do things His way.  

Deuteronomy 8:18

You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

*Giving God and others what they are due is freeing because we know that we have God’s backing to bless that which we entrust to him. 

We do not have to steal because we have an inheritance from the Lord as a reward for obeying his commands. 

Perfect Satisfaction in Christ

You can live a truly satisfying life with Jesus at the center. 

In Jesus, not only was the wrath of God satisfied for our sins against our holy God, but he became the existential solution to our souls’ need for satisfaction.  

Because everything into which I sow for Jesus will last forever, I know that my greatest loves will endure and my soul will be eternally satisfied in Christ. 

Perfect Satisfaction in Christ regarding:

• Relationships - eternal, ever-living family (Mark 10:28-31)

• Health - eternal vitality (I Corinthians 15)

• Provision - eternal treasure (Matthew 6:19-24)

• Purpose - eternal responsibility and reward (Revelation 1-3)

• Pleasure - eternal joy (Psalm 16:11)

• Soul Gratifying Worship - eternal life, intimate knowledge of and fellowship with God (John 17:3)

And so the cross of Jesus becomes a beautiful thing to me because in it, not only did he fully satisfy the wrath of God, but he opened the door to which all true needs can also ultimately be satisfied in me when I obey his commands, whether now or in the life to come.

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2021

The Big Ten: Better Response. Better Relationships. God’s Commands.

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The Big Ten: Better Response. Better Relationships. God’s Commands.

Pastor Rollan Fisher

Focus: You will have better relationships when you obey the commands of God.

• It Starts in the Home

• It Affects Every Relationship

• The Commands of a Perfect Father

It Starts in the Home

We will better understand God’s gospel of grace when we learn to honor our parents.

Commandment #5:

Exodus 20:12

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”

This commandment is the bridge between loving God and loving people.  

The relationship that we have with our parents is meant to be the first and most shaping relationship that we have in our early development. 

Amongst other things, parents are to be our first:

1. Caregivers

2. Instructors

3. Source of Definition and Stability

4. Authority

*This is important because what we learn from our parents, whether consciously or subconsciously, affects how we perceive God.

Parents were given by God to be the first earthly reflection of our Heavenly Father.

The reality is, no matter how godly our parents are, they will be imperfect.

God knew this when he gave the command and expects us to honor them anyway.

Honoring someone does not mean agreeing with everything that someone does.

Honor means that you accept the object of honor within the same human frailties that you have and treat them with the same grace that you have received from the Lord.

When you are a child, obedience is expected.

Earthly parents set a foundation of relationship with God.

It is the authority that we can see to be a practice for obedience to the authority of God that we can not see.  

1 John 4:19-20 

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

When you are an adult, honor means valuing and speaking well of your parents even as you obey your Heavenly Father in what you think, say and do.

Because of the damage done by sin, our relationship with our parents and perspectives of God can both be distorted, in need of renewal. 

The Word of God provides a way to a better response.

*It shows us that our parents may not be perfect, but this does not disqualify them from receiving your honor, just as our sin does not prevent us from receiving God’s agape love.

Why is it the first commandment with a promise?

It does not matter how old you are or how removed from an active relationship you find yourself.

*When we refuse to honor our parents because of their shortcomings, we are ultimately the ones who end up bound in our souls, destined to either repeat or overcompensate for their visible sins.

The honor that you show for your parents will directly affect your relationship with your Heavenly Father, and if you have children, the honor that they replicate towards you.

Practicing Honor:

1. Understand their shortcomings with a Biblical worldview, that your parents, just like the rest of humanity, are fallen creatures in need of a Savior because of sin

2. Pray for their salvation if they are still living and share the gospel of their own redemption when able

3. Identify any positive qualities that you can encourage and for which you can thank God

4. Love them with demonstrations of respect (in interaction), value and kindness. The cost may be great but your absorption of sin will allow you to better understand both the sufferings and love of Christ.

The same is true for relationships outside of the home.

It Affects Every Relationship

We will have better relationships with others when we learn to lay down the offenses that we carry against them. 

Commandment #6 

Exodus 20:13

“You shall not murder.“

Matthew 5:21-26 

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

The truth is when we don’t forgive others, we are the ones who remain in bondage while the offenders are allowed to go about their lives, possibly never giving our condition a second thought.

When we hate or hold animosity towards people in our hearts, God counts it as murder.

The reason why is that the meditations of your heart are the precursors of all human activity.

Whatever we allow to grow in our hearts, whether for good or ill, whenever given the opportunity, we will find ways to fulfill.

This is equally true of altruism as it is of evil which we would undertake more readily if we thought there were the possibility of indulgence without consequence.  

The Commands of a Perfect Father

We have the humility needed for better relationships when we embrace the forgiveness of a perfect Heavenly Father.

Matthew 5:43-48

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Really, it comes down to forgiveness and reconciliation.

Can we forgive those who have wronged us and can we choose to reconcile with those who’ve offended us?

Well, because of the cross of Jesus Christ, through the gospel of God’s grace, you can.

Some people find it hard to forgive themselves for their past or wrongs that they have done.

You will experience the forgiveness of the Lord when you offer others the pardon that Jesus has first offered you. 

Remember, all of the commands of God reflect God taking us out of slavery into the freedom of new life in Him.

“Love difficult people.  You’re one of them.”

-Bob Goff

And so am I 😆. 

“Mercy and forgiveness must be free and unmerited to the wrongdoer. If the wrongdoer has to do something to merit it, then it isn't mercy, but forgiveness always comes at a cost to the one granting the forgiveness.”

-Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2021

The Big Ten: It’s Not In Vain

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The Big Ten: It’s Not In Vain

Pastor Rollan Fisher 

Focus: You will be more fruitful when you obey the commands of God.

• You Can’t Just Slap His Name on It

• Sabbath Rest

• True Rest in Christ

You Can’t Just Slap His Name on It

Exodus 20:7-11 

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Taking God’s name in vain means treating what is revered as mundane, what is to be holy as common. 

Commandment #3:

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” 

1. You don’t want to dishonor God who is our uncreated, all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful deity using His name without reverence or as a pejorative.  

Yet it cuts deeper than this on a daily basis for us.

2. You can not just attach the name of God to anything that you choose to do.   

This is taking God’s name in vain and cuts against the essence of being a disciple or servant of the Lord. 

The detriment of this is it not only reduces a healthy fear of the Lord in our hearts, but it also strips our existence of the holiness that is to permeate all aspects of our lives. 

*This was at the heart of King Saul’s disobedience to the Lord and God’s subsequent rejection of Saul as king of Israel (I Samuel 15). 

When we are followers of Jesus, our LIVES ARE NO LONGER OUR OWN. WE ARE TO NO LONGER DO WHAT WE WANT, WHERE WE WANT, WHEN WE WANT WITH WHOM WE WANT.  

2 Corinthians 5 shows us that when we were bought back from death by Jesus, that our lives moving forward are no longer about us.

They are about Christ, his glory and then our good. 

Our lives have to be laid out in that order to be eternally significant and that for which you receive an enduring reward. 

2 Corinthians 5:15 

and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

The essence of being a disciple is learning to deny YOURSELF, pick up your cross daily and FOLLOW JESUS.

We follow Jesus through God’s written commands and Holy Spirit directives fulfilled alongside the people to whom God has attached you.

We don’t want to be those who miss the ways of the Lord because our minds are focused more on God blessing our comforts rather than His Kingdom purposes in our lives.

Mark 8:31-38 

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

So how do we make sure that we are not taking God’s name in vain?

You pray about everything

Proverbs 3:5-6 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

You have accountability with covenant believers helping to shape your life

John 21:18-19

18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.)  And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”  

Sabbath Rest

*The commands of God lead to a life-giving existence. 

Commandment #4:

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

The Sabbath was designed to teach us to trust and find our rest in God.

“Rest time is not waste time.  It is economy to gather fresh strength….It is wisdom to take the occasional furlough.  In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less.”

-Charles Spurgeon

Each Sabbath, by pausing their work, the Israelites were expressing their trust in God as their source of provision and defined significance. 

Consider these promises.  

Leviticus 25:18-22 

“Therefore you shall do my statutes and keep my rules and perform them, and then you will dwell in the land securely. The land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and dwell in it securely. And if you say, ‘What shall we eat in the seventh year, if we may not sow or gather in our crop?’ I will command my blessing on you in the sixth year, so that it will produce a crop sufficient for three years. When you sow in the eighth year, you will be eating some of the old crop; you shall eat the old until the ninth year, when its crop arrives.

Matthew 6:31-33 

31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

The Sabbath is meant to be a time of worship where we are not finding identity merely in our work, but in the God who brings significance to our work.

*When we honor the Sabbath, we are reaffirming the fact that work is meant to be worship unto God rather than work being that which we worship.

Each Sabbath we are pressing a reset button allowing God to once again reorient our lives around His Word and Kingdom purposes.

It is here that we are each reminded of our divine purpose affirming God’s commands as healthy boundaries to provide necessary direction to our pursuits and outlets for our resources.

*Being a disciple of Jesus affects the decisions that we make on a daily basis, where the rubber meets the road. 

How does this help free us from common trappings?

There are only twenty four hours every day. 

Lose the extra stress - God will never call you to do something which he doesn’t give you the time or discoverable provision to fulfill.  

God will never “call you” to something that requires you to break his commandments to fulfill. 

If you feel like you don’t have enough time in the day to obey the commands of God, the issue is that your days are being filled with things God has not called you to do. 

You can not serve two masters. 

Trust the Lord - it leads to your peace, prosperity, God’s glory and Kingdom good. 

*One is not sacrificed for the other, but it does begin with sacrifice. 

Reference Andy Stanley’s book - Choosing to Cheat

True Rest in Christ

True rest is ultimately found in Jesus Christ.

True rest means that we are freed to no longer be driven by the tyranny of the urgent, #YOLO or #FOMO motifs.  

True rest in Christ means that we work hard for our provision, but we do so with boundaries recognizing that our needs will ultimately be met by the hand of a caring Heavenly Father. 

Because of Christ’s sacrifice at the cross, you no longer have to work your way to God or his salvation, but rest in Jesus’ finished work for you.

And with this we subsequently find rest in our soul’s from the burden of trying to forge an identity, significance or ultimate success in life outside of God’s loving plan.

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2021

The Big Ten: Your Clear Number One

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The Big Ten: Your Clear Number One

Pastor Rollan Fisher 

It is with the Ten Commandments that God’s covenant with the Israelites began.

Ancient rabbis identified 613 separate commandments throughout the entire Law of Moses, which consisted of the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.  

The Ten Commandments are the principles upon which the 613 Laws are based.

The first four focus on man’s relationship with and reverence towards God, with love for God as their ultimate theme (Deuteronomy 6:5).

The latter six give instruction regarding man’s relationship with other human beings, exhorting us towards the “golden rule” (Leviticus 19:18).

*In essence, in the Ten Commandments, you see the two greatest commandments to which Jesus referred given practical application (Matthew 22:35-40).

Focus: You will experience the freedom of the Lord when Jesus is first in your life.  

• Where God Belongs

• Distorted Images

• True Freedom

Where God Belongs

When God is not first in our lives, we will be enslaved to lesser, harsh things.    

All that God requires of us is predicated on the fact that He heard our cries of desperation (whether silent or loud) just as He heard the Israelites’ cries when they were groaning in slavery.  

The Israelites were in bondage in Egypt.

We were in our slavery to sin and the resultant consequences.

Exodus 20:1-6

And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

The first commandment deals with who or what god has priority in your life.  

“You shall have no other gods before me.”

When gods are mentioned in Scripture, it was referring to any manner of rulers that lorded over people’s lives. 

The question is what has received the priority of your time, attention and affections before and above Jesus?

What has that produced and why is it detrimental?

*The commands of God always place Jesus first in your life for your good.

People deceive themselves to believe that they experience greater freedom without the commands of God.  

However, from anger and hatred to insecurity and fear to lust and an inability to forgive, without Christ, we are all enslaved to the frailties of our carnal fallen nature.  

Ironically, all of the commands and law of God are meant to truly set humanity free.  

James 1:25 

But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Distorted Images

Distorted images of God enslave rather than free us. 

Whereas the first command deals with God’s place as priority, the second deals with idolatry and what we are in fact, serving.  

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God,”

Though all of humanity was made in the image of God, today we are encouraged to reshape God in our own image, according to the whims of our changing culture, reflecting our preferences and the loudest voices in a distorted society.  

This is the essence of idolatry. 

*An idol is made whenever we substitute God’s direct, self-revelation and commands for a caricature of God we remake in our preferred image.  

The damage done is palpable personally, relationally and societally. 

To that point, in his 2009 publication Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters, Timothy Keller states:

“When anything in life is an absolute requirement for your happiness and self-worth, it is essentially an ‘idol,’ something you are actually worshiping. When such a thing is threatened, your anger is absolute. Your anger is actually the way the idol keeps you in its service, in its chains. Therefore if you find that, despite all the efforts to forgive, your anger and bitterness cannot subside, you may need to look deeper and ask, ‘What am I defending? What is so important that I cannot live without?’ It may be that, until some inordinate desire is identified and confronted, you will not be able to master your anger.”

Yet the good news is that at this point we see God’s jealousy enter in. 

God’s jealousy is for our benefit.  

He will not be reduced to a caricature in any extreme nor be hijacked for any human cause.  

He is jealous not only for his own honor, but jealous to keep us from harm because of his love for us.  

A life of disobedience brings about generational curses, where we and others are damaged by the idols that we worship. 

A life lived in obedience to God brings generational blessings.  

It is only through the cross that Jesus redeems and redirects family histories to bring us from generational curses into generational blessings.

When we serve God as He’s revealed Himself rather than as we’d like to remake Him, it leads to our freedom.  

True Freedom

*The commands of God lead to true freedom.  

John 8:31-36 

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

*Think about it.  

When has anything that you’ve ever put before God ultimately turned out for your enduring good?

Career?  Your physical appearance and looks?  Romantic relationships?  Finding identity in the success of your children?

Ultimately we become obsessive about these things, they become task masters to us, and we end up in slavery to them in our souls.

*Idolatry always takes more from us than it gives. 

It offers false hopes and promises that are temporary at best and must be fed constantly to simulate life. 

Jesus, however, invites you into his finished work where you are freed to neither hunger nor thirst for fleeting pleasures in your soul.  

Life in Christ always gives more than we can ever repay. 

“Nothing but God ever completely satisfies, because the soul was made for God.  Don’t starve your soul.”

-Billy Graham

*When we serve God first and before all things, everything important in our lives is put in their right place and in the right order so that rather than being life-draining, they might be life-giving.  

This is true freedom. 

This is where we’ll pick up next week. 

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2021