Explore God - Can I Know God Personally?

Can I Know God Personally?

We all feel distant from God from time to time. And very often, we resort to religious deeds to try to get into God’s graces, to try to please him. How many of us have: 

• tried to do really good things to get right or even make up with God? 

• tried to stop doing some things in order to make God happy? 

We all have!  But let me ask this: Did it work? Did you feel closer to God by jumping through those hoops? 

Reverence for vs. Relatonship with Jesus

We have to be able to trust God

Is God a Moral Monster? by Paul Copan 

The greatest African-American intellectual and abolitionist of the pre-Civil War period said this:

“I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of the land... I look upon it as the climax of all misnomers, the boldest of all frauds, and the grossest of all libels. Never was there a clearer case of 'stealing the livery of the court of heaven to serve the devil in.' I am filled with unutterable loathing when I contemplate the religious pomp and show, together with the horrible inconsistencies, which every where surround me. We have men-stealers for ministers, women-whippers for missionaries, and cradle-plunderers for church members. The man who wields the blood-clotted cowskin during the week fills the pulpit on Sunday, and claims to be a minister of the meek and lowly Jesus. . . . The slave auctioneer’s bell and the church-going bell chime in with each other, and the bitter cries of the heart-broken slave are drowned in the religious shouts of his pious master. Revivals of religion and revivals in the slave-trade go hand in hand together. The slave prison and the church stand near each other. The clanking of fetters and the rattling of chains in the prison, and the pious psalm and solemn prayer in the church, may be heard at the same time. The dealers in the bodies of men erect their stand in the presence of the pulpit, and they mutually help each other. The dealer gives his blood-stained gold to support the pulpit, and the pulpit, in return, covers his infernal business with the garb of Christianity. Here we have religion and robbery the allies of each other—devils dressed in angels’ robes, and hell presenting the semblance of paradise.” Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845)

Yet when because he met the real Jesus, the God of the Bible, Douglass in the second installment of his autobiography was able to state this:

“I was, for weeks, a poor, broken-hearted mourner, traveling through the darkness and misery of doubts and fears. I finally found that change of heart which comes by “casting all one’s care” upon God, and by having faith in Jesus Christ, as the Redeemer, Friend, and Savior of those who diligently seek Him.”

Frederick Douglass, My Bondage and My Freedom (1855)

Harriet Beecher Stowe, daughter of Lyman Beecher, one of the great abolitionist preachers of the Second Great Awakening, wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852.  Having experienced the grace of God, they too were compelled to aid in ending evils perpetuated by those who misrepresented Jesus.  

These and many other accounts give us a picture of the effects of the gospel coming alive in a man or woman’s heart, turning them to Christ and overflowing to impact a fallen world.  These things were not done to receive God’s favor, but as a result of his grace. 

The bad news is that none of these things helps us measure up to God’s standards.  But the good news is that God’s love is given to each of us freely. 

• Titus 3:5: “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” 

• John 1:12: “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” 

John 6:35-40 
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. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

• James 4:8a: “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” 

Revelation 3:14-22 
14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. 15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

John Newton and the history of Amazing Grace 

“The Gospel must not be assumed.  It’s to be articulated clearly and constantly...if not you get moralistic pragmatism.” - Matt Chandler

Here’s the truth about knowing God personally:

• God loved. God gave. We believe. We receive.

“The world’s full of lonely people afraid to make the first move.”  
From Movie The Green Book

• God loved us so much that he sent his son to save us; if we believe in him, we will spend eternity in deep, personal relationship with him.

If we all trusted that simple, profound truth, it would change everything. Our friendships, our marriages, our work relationships, our work ethic, our contentment, our finances—everything.

The entire reason Jesus came to earth was so that everyone who trusts in him can know God personally—the relationship we were born to enjoy.

How can we also respond to God’s grace?

1. Turn in faith and repentance to Jesus Christ, receiving forgiveness of sins because of his sacrifice for you on the cross and resurrection from the dead providing eternal life for you.  

2. Serve God with his people to be salt and light in a fallen world Christ is looking to redeem.  

“The Place God call’s you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” - Frederick Buechner  

Second City Church - Explore God - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2019

Explore God - Is the Bible Reliable?

Is the Bible Reliable?

All of us have a perspective on the Bible. Some are very familiar with it. For others, it’s foreign or even frightening. If you’ve been reading the Bible for a long time, you can think back to those early days of trying to figure it out. And some of you are just now beginning. Wherever you are, this is a great message for you.

This is all important because Jesus had a very high view of the Scripture 

Genesis 3:1-5 
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

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.

Jesus said that your success in life and eternal destiny depend on your right interaction with his Word:

Matthew 7:24-29
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

Matthew 24:34,35 
34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

The Bible, though hard to understand at times, is a beautiful collection of books that tells the same consistent story throughout. And it’s very, very reliable. Let’s examine why that is.

• It’s a collection of 66 different books, written from 1500 BC to 100 AD, by 40 different authors, in 3
  different languages.

• The first 39 books make up the Old Testament and include the Law of Moses, the history of the Jewish people, and the foretelling of the Messiah.

  • It comprises the sacred Scriptures of Jewish and Christian people.

• The last 27 books make up the New Testament and were written by eyewitnesses of Jesus’s life, documenting his ministry and explaining God’s plan to bring about his kingdom. It also includes letters about how to live out the gospel.

• How can we be confident it’s reliable?

The uniqueness of the Bible:

"Any part of the human body can only be properly explained in reference to the whole body.  And any part of the Bible can only be explained in reference to the whole Bible." - FF Bruce

"The Bible, at first sight, appears to be a collection of literature - mainly Jewish.  If we enquire into the circumstances under which the various Biblical documents were written, we find that they were written at intervals over a space of nearly 1400 years.  The writers wore in various lands, from Italy in the West to Mesopotamia and possibly Persia in the east.  The writers themselves were a heterogeneous number of people, not only separated from each other by hundreds of years and hundreds of miles, but belonging to the most diverse walks of life.  In their ranks we have kings, herdsmen, soldiers, legislators, fishermen, statesmen, courtiers, priests and prophets, a tent making Rabbi and a Gentile physician, not to speak of others of whom we know nothing apar from the writings they have left us.  The writings themselves belong to a great variety of literary types.  They include history, law (civil, criminal, ethical, ritual, sanitary), religious poetry, didactic treatises, lyric poetry, parable and allegory, biography, personal correspondence, personal memoirs and diaries, in addition to the distivntively Biblical types of prophecy and apocalyptic. 

For all that, the Bible is not simply an anthology; there is a unity which binds the whole together.  An anthology is compiled by an anthologist, but no anthologist compiled the Bible.  

-FF Bruce

Prophecy: Some 1,800 prophetic statements can be verified or refuted. None, to date, have ever been refuted.

Textual evidence: We have more high-quality copies of the text than any other historical document.

Self-declaration: The text itself claims authority. 

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

Objections:

Written by man

“Inerrancy means that when all the facts are known, the Scriptures in their original autographs, properly interpreted, will be shown to be wholly true in everything they affirm, whether this has to do with doctrine or morality or with social, physical, or life sciences. 

The bottom line is that the Bible has been breathed by God.  He used men to write out exactly what He wanted them to write.  He kept them free from error but at the same time used their unique personalities and styles to convey exactly what He wanted.  

Peter tells us that “Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).  The idea conveyed is that just as the wind controls the sails of a boat, so also the breath of God controlled the writers of the Bible.  The end result was exactly what God intended.”

-Josh McDowell, The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict

Translated or transmitted inaccurately - Describe the Process of the Scribes 

Supposed Discrepancies/Contradictions in Scripture 

Summary of Principles for Understanding Apparent Discrepancies in the Bible (Taken from The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell)

1. The unexplained is not necessarily unexplainable. 

2. Fallible interpretations do not mean fallible revelation.

3. Understand the context of the passage. 

4. Interpret difficult passages in the light of clear ones. 

5. Don't base teaching on obscure passages. 

6. The Bible is a human book with human characteristics. 

7. Just because a report is incomplete does not mean it is false. 

8. New Testament citations of the Old Testament need not always be exact. 

9. The Bible does not necessarily approve of all it records.

10. The Bible uses non-technical, everyday language. 

11. The Bible may use round numbers as well as exact numbers.  

12. Note when the Bible uses different literary devices. 

13. An error in a copy does not equate to an error in the original. 

14. General statements don't necessarily mean universal promises. 

15. Later revelation supersedes previous revelation.

2 Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

“Among the major religions of the world . . . only three religions claim to have a supernatural foundation to be found in a sacred scripture that purports to be a divine revelation. The three religions distinguished by this claim are Judaism, Christianity, and the religion of Islam. Among the other religions, only some claim to have logical and factual truth, but the truth they claim to have is of human, not divine, origin.” —Mortimer Adler

Corroboration: You don’t hear people say they regret following the words of Scripture. 

You don’t hear: “Ten years ago I decided to read and follow Scripture, build my business, nurture my marriage, raise my kids, handle my money, and take care of my body according to the wisdom of Scripture—and I completely regret it.” 

Psalm 19:7-14
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Universality and Invitation: No other sacred scriptures invite all people of all time. 

In Genesis 12:3, God tells one man, “I will bless you and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 12:1-3
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

When you’re wondering about the reliability of the Bible, consider these facts. But more than that, remember that the Bible is God’s love letter to you. Open it, read it, and consider how God wants you to live out his kingdom calling.

Psalm 138:1-2
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

John 14:25-26
25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

John 17:6-21 
6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 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. 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

If every one of us left here confident in the Bible’s reliability and excited to live out its ways, imagine what our church would look like! Imagine your business, your family, your relationships.

Luke 24:44-49 
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

The Bible is more than a book: it is God’s love letter to humanity. We have more reason to trust its claims than those of any other book in history. We can trust the Bible because of prophecy, history, integrity, and what it’s done in people.

Second City Church - Explore God - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2019

Explore God - Is Jesus Really God?

Is Jesus Really God?

For all of us, there was a time when we didn’t fully understand who Jesus was.  And yet, billions of people over the course of the past two thousand years have reached the conclusion that there is something special about Jesus. That he was no ordinary man. How did they come to that conclusion?  Well, let’s take a look.

Jesus is God in the flesh, who came to restore our relationship with him. How do we know that?

The Trinity is a recurring theme throughout Judeo-Christian Scripture:

Genesis 1:26-27 
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

John 1:1-5,14-18 
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ( John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side,  he has made him known.

• Prophecy

   • Psalm 2:1–8 (written at least one thousand years before Jesus lived): predicts Jesus’s life and reign

Psalm 2:1-8 
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.

Matthew 22:41-46 
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, 44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’? 45 If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

• Isaiah 53:5–6 (written hundreds of years before Christ): predicts his suffering and the reconciliation it enabled 

Isaiah 9:6-7
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 53:5-6
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

In the midst of a fiercely monothestic Jewish culture, in the Babylonian Exile the stateman and prophet Daniel foresaw the following:

Daniel 7:13-14 (NIV)
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

• Teaching • Matthew 26:64–65: Jesus accepts the messianic title, Son of Man, claiming equality with God 

Matthew 26:63-65
But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy.

John 6:44-46
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.

Jesus has a fantastic sense of self-awareness

John 8:56-59 
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

John 10:27-39
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.

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

Mark 2:7–11: Jesus claims godly power

Mark 2:5-12 
And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” —he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

• Resurrection

John 2:19: Jesus metaphorically predicts his death and resurrection

John 2:19
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

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.”

Acts 10:25-26 
When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.”

• History

• Regarding the truth of Jesus’s death, resurrection, and divinity, Peter Kreeft muses: “Why did thousands suffer torture and death for this lie if they knew it was a lie?” “What force sent Christians to the lions’ den with hymns on their lips? What lie ever transformed the world like that?”

 • Aquinas argues, “If the Incarnation did not really happen, then an even more unbelievable miracle happened: the conversion of the world by the biggest lie in history and the moral transformation of lives into unselfishness, detachment from worldly pleasures and radically new heights of holiness by a mere myth.”

External early testimony to Jesus’ divinity by Roman non-sympathizers:

“Nero fastened the guilt ... on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of ... Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome....”

-Tacitus A.D. 62

“On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald ... cried, "He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy."

-Babylonian Talmud A.D. 70-200

“They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food – but food of an ordinary and innocent kind.”

-Pliny the Younger in A.D. 112

What do you say about Jesus? Is he merely a good teacher, a prophet, or a wise man? Is he more than that?

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God.” —C. S. Lewis

If everyone of us—me included—decided to set our life’s compass to Jesus’s bearing, I believe we’d impact the entire world.  Will you join me?

Bottom Line:

Because of His own testimony about Himself, Jesus is either God or a fraud. There is no logical middle ground. Jesus demonstrated His deity through prophecy, teaching, and the resurrection.

Reflected by writers of the New Testament:

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.

Second City Church - Explore God - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2019

Explore God - Is Christianity Too Narrow?

Is Christianity Too Narrow?

• To nonreligious people, religion almost always includes some odd—and even narrow-minded things—such as:

   • Legalism

   • Judgment

   • Hypocrisy (in its worst incarnations)

• But when people attempt to bridge the gap between God and us, the seen and unseen, the temporal and eternal, by definition, it’s bound to include some unusual things.

• The problem is when these things are human additions rather than genuine attempts at

connecting with God.

   • Religion is humanity’s attempt to reach God.

   • Christianity is God’s attempt to reach humanity.

This is not new. In fact, the Bible speaks to the narrowness of religion and how to maintain faith in a culture of unfaith.

Acts 17:16-31 
Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

   • Paul demonstrates how to maintain faith in Jesus among a people who are not comfortable with exclusive claims about God.

   • Paul asked the Athenians questions, complimented their search, and then, when asked, proclaimed the truth with gentleness and respect.

• When Paul preached about Jesus and the resurrection (v. 18), he began to contrast Christianity with other religions. Most religions can be described as humanity’s attempt to reach God. But Christianity is God’s attempt to reach humanity. Through the person of Jesus, God extends grace to everyone. His gift is broad, available to anyone who will receive it.

“All claims are exclusive.  The Gospel is an exclusive truth but it’s the most inclusive exclusive truth in the world.” - Timothy Keller

How do we know this?

God’s exclusive claim

John 14:6 
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

*The cross and its necessity

Someone has to pay the price for our sin and rebellion against a holy God.  Either we’re going to pay it ourselves, or Jesus, the sinless, blameless Lamb of God, already did for us. 

Galatians 2:20-21 
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Hebrews 9:22
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

God’s inclusive heart

Ezekiel 33:11 
Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

1 Timothy 2:1-6 
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

The emotional response to faith

People don’t care, ignore the issue, neglect it or cast it off as long as possible to live how they want to.

"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

John 3:16-21
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Does your lifestyle prompt others to ask why you live the way you do?  If not, what needs to change?

• Are you satisfied with practicing religion and striving to reach God?  Or will you accept God’s free gift and reconciliation through Jesus Christ?

I pray that our church can be a community of people who are so winsome that the world cannot ignore it. I pray that we’ll be bombarded with questions about why we do the things we do (or don’t do), go the places we go, and hang out with the people we do. And then I hope we have the faith, the courage, the gentleness, and the respect to share our faith boldly and humbly.

• Imagine if we all were able to do that this week. Would the world accuse us of being narrow- minded?  I hope not. I hope people will say that we’re the most welcoming, loving, and inclusive people they know.

Bottom Line:

God provided a way for everyone to have peace, forgiveness and eternal life. This is profoundly inclusive—not exclusive. Following Jesus is different from every other faith on earth in that He sacrificed to get to us, rather than us sacrificing to get to Him. Most religions boil down to humanity trying to reach God, but Christianity is God reaching humanity.

Second City Church - Explore God - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2019

Explore God - Why Does God Allow Pain and Suffering

Why Does God Allow Pain and Suffering?

Pain and suffering are the product of a fallen world separated from God. 

We long for Eden, what people view as a utopic existence and society.  God longs to bring people back here, in the paradise of God.

This topic is important to all of us. We are all touched by pain and suffering in such realms as our:

• Jobs, relationships, finances, family, school, unforeseen deaths, violations, systemic societal injustices, sexism, agism, health issues, crime, poverty, bigotiries...

• Here’s what we’re not going to do: 

  •  We’re not going to solve the issue of pain and suffering. 

  • We’re not going to minimize pain and suffering and provide simple platitudes like, “All you need to do is pray.” 

• Though we might not be able to figure it out enough to make perfect sense of it, we can be confident that God has a reason. 

Quotes related to pain and suffering: 

“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” —C. S. Lewis

“The most beautiful people are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” —Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

“In order to have great happiness you have to have great pain and unhappiness— otherwise how would you know when you’re happy?” —Leslie Caron

“Our heavenly Father understands our disappointment, suffering, pain, fear, and doubt. He is always there to encourage our hearts and help us understand that He’s sufficient for all of our needs. When I accepted this as an absolute truth in my life, I found that my worrying stopped.” —Charles Stanley

“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” —Helen Keller

God:

God’s not uninterested in your circumstances. Like any good father, he desires good things for his children. Believe it or not, there’s an entire book of the Bible that addresses issues like these.

• Background to the book of Job:

  •  Style: prose and poetry

  • Purpose: history and prophecy

  • Date: It might be the oldest book in the Bible. Either way, it’s a few thousand years old. 

  • Author: We know this person believed in God, but not much more info is given.

Job 1:1-22
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord  gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

Job 2:1-13 
Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord . And the Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes. Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”  In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

Job never asks, “Why me?” Instead we can almost hear him asking, “What now?” 

Other passages to consider: 

God’s Judgements 

Isaiah 26:9-10 
My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly and does not see the majesty of the Lord.

Psalm 119:67 
Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.

God’s Mercy

Romans 8:18-25 
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

God is preparing you for another world full of redemption, life, redemption and healing.  This fallen world is not all that there is. 

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”  
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Revelation 21:1-4 
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

God’s Discipline 

Hebrews 12:9-11 
Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

God’s Glory

John 9:1-7
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.

God’s Suffering

Christ on the cross displayed our God entering into our suffering to inevitably set us free from it by his substitutionary work.  

God’s Love

At the end of the day, we trust in his goodness and his divine plan.  

Romans 8:28-39
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

Romans 8:18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

1 Peter 5:9-10
Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

Romans 5:3–5
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

When things go bad for you, how will you respond?

   • Will you lament or will you look forward?

   • Will you ask, “Why me?” or “What now?”

   • Will you remain bitter or seek to be better?  Can you imagine if our entire community decided never to play the victim? 

Can you imagine if our entire community decided, like Job, to ask not “Why me?” but “What now?” no matter our circumstances?

Because God is greater than we are, we cannot fully understand or explain all of the problems we encounter. However, we can be certain of God’s perfect power, his perfect timing, his perfect purpose, and his perfect love.

Second City Church - Explore God - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2019

Explore God - Is There a God?

Is There a God?

We all think about God from time to time, even if we conclude we do not believe. It’s nearly impossible not to consider it occasionally. 

Here are some letters that children have written to God:

Dear God, I read the Bible. What does “begat” mean? Nobody will tell me. Love, Alison 

God, I bet it’s very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only four people in our family and I can never do it. —Frank 

Dear God, Are you really invisible, or is that just a trick? —Lucy 

Dear God, I wish there was no such thing as sin. I wish there was no such thing as war. —Tim 

Dear God, Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each other so much if they had their own rooms. It works with my brother. —Larry 

The problem for some of us is, if God doesn’t write back, eventually we wonder if he even exists. Have you been there before? Are you there now?

God:

The good news is that God is not intimidated by our questions—and neither is Second City Church. If you have questions about God, you’re welcome here, because all of us have questions. We’ve all written letters to God. Even if it wasn’t a literal letter, we’ve all tossed up prayers in the midst of struggles. And God welcomes those questions. Though he might not write his name in the sky or respond to your letter with a handwritten note, he’s given us lots of indications of his presence.

• Natural indicators such as creation and beauty.

Psalm 19:1-4 
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. 

Romans 1:19-23 
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

All of these things point to what theologians call God’s general revelation.

There are principles that point to God’s “fine-tuned universe.”  Examples include:

• Earth’s distance from the sun

• Gravitational Force

• The combination and concentration of atmospheric gases

• The charge of subatomic particles that make up our molecular structure 

• The human genome and the intelligence necessary for its orderly composition 

The Anthropic Principle 

An Explore God resource article spoke of a discussion noted pastor Timothy Keller conducted with a brilliant young scientist struggling with belief in God.  These were their conclusions:

1. The existence of something rather than nothing—that is, our very existence—is more likely if a creator exists than if one does not.

2. The universe is orderly to a remarkable degree, and in more than one way. (Natural laws are both simple and uniform, the capacity for reproduction is pervasive, and great complexity is produced using only a very small number of elementary particles interacting according to a small number of laws). Any one of these features suggests that it is more likely that the universe is the product of design than that it is the product of random forces impelling purposeless particles that resulted in accidental stability. Taken together, these two statements are even more formidable as an argument for a designer.

3. Value—both moral and aesthetic—appears to be an objective feature of the world (and not merely imposed by human preferences), a fact much more likely to be the case if a creator exists than if the universe is a grand accident.

4. Human consciousness and intelligence are more likely the products of a conscious and intelligent creator than of a physical universe devoid of either.

5. Humans have numerous features that are more easily explained by theism than by metaphysical naturalism, if only because metaphysical naturalism currently explains all human capacities in strict terms of their ability to enhance survival. Among such features are the possession of reliable faculties aimed at truth, the appreciation of beauty, and a sense of humor. Metaphysical naturalism also does not explain why humans possess (or at least convincingly appear to possess) free will.

• Ethical indicators such as conscience and a sense of right and wrong.

Romans 2:14-16 
For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

“If God does not exist, everything is permitted”
- Fyodor Dostoyevsky 

In other words, the fact that we all have an innate sense of right and wrong is an indicator of a God who instilled morality in us.

Could there really be any such thing as horrifying wickedness [if there were no God]? I don’t see how. There can be such a thing only if there is a way that rational creatures are supposed to live, obliged to live. . . . A [purely naturalistic] way of looking at the world has no place for genuine moral obligation of any sort . . . and thus no way to say there is such a thing as genuine and appalling wickedness. Accordingly, if you think there really is such a thing as horrifying wickedness ( . . . and not just an illusion of some sort), then you have a powerful . . . argument [for the existence of God]. -

Alvin Plantinga

Yet there’s more. 

The Scriptures, prophecy, etc.

The health code contained in the Law of God

In over a 1000 year period, men from various socio-economic backgrounds, professions and periods of both geopolitical turmoil and peace wrote over 300 prophecies concerning the coming of a Jewish Messiah who would be the Savior of the world.  All of these were fulfilled in the life, miracles, death burial and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. 

Special Revelation in the person of Jesus Christ

Hebrews 1:1-4 
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

“Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for these desires exists. A baby feels hunger; well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim; well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire; well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” —C.S. Lewis

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” -C. S. Lewis

Is the evidence convincing? Statistics show that 80–85 percent of people believe in God (even among those who do not consider themselves religious). Are you among them? Even more, are you living as if God exists?

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”
- A. W. Tozer

If each person here were truly to live not only as if God exists, but like he cares for us and has a plan for us, what would change in our lives? In our families? In our schools and workplaces? In our neighborhoods? In our city? Imagine if we lived as if God were with us always. It would be enough to change the world.

Bottom Line:

Evidence of God comes from creation, morality, intelligence, and love. Once we establish that there must be a God, we are ready to discover who God really is.

How should I respond?

John 1:1-5,9-14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people  did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Second City Church - Explore God - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2019

Explore God - Does Life Have a Purpose?

Does Life Have a Purpose?

Most of us do not spend a lot of time thinking about our purpose, at least on a cosmic scale. But the times we do can be pretty troubling, especially if we suspect that there is no purpose. On the other hand, even for those who believe that our lives are heading somewhere—who believe there is an ultimate meaning—finding answers to life’s simple, everyday questions can be difficult.

Who should I spend time with? Where should I work? How should I spend my money?

“Then what is life for? To die? To kill myself at once? No, I am afraid. To wait for death till it comes? I fear that even more. Then I must live. But what for? In order to die?”

- Leo Tolstoy 

Ernest Hemingway wrote, “Life is just a dirty trick, a short journey from nothingness to nothingness.”

“They give birth astride of a grave, the light gleams an instant, then it’s night once more.” - Samuel Beckett

Henry David Thoreau said, “The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation.”

The first person to write, in detail, about this search for meaning was king over the ancient nation of Israel. King Solomon was more rich, powerful, and wise than any living person. He had it all, tried it all, and discovered some profound things as a result.

Ecclesiastes 1:2 
Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 1:16-18 
I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind. For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

Ecclesiastes 2:4-6 
I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees.

Ecclesiastes 2:8-11 
I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 3:10-14 
I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man. I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 
He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 12:1,7,13,14
Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;

and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Conclusion: Life is meaningless without God. But God gives everything meaning.

One of the fastest growing religions in America is “practical atheism,” which is populated by those who claim to believe in God but live as if he doesn’t exist.

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle.”

- Brennan Manning

When you are taking your last breaths, will you be longing to have earned more money, achieved more status, or networked with the right people?

Matthew 6:25-34 
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 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. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

You are invited to embrace Jesus’s challenge to seek God’s kingdom and discover your purpose in light of God’s plan.

Bottom Line:
Every person on Earth was created to know and love God personally. Life is meaningless without God, but God gives everything meaning.

Second City Church - Explore God - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2019

Declarations Of The New Year - Part 2

My Eyes Will See the Salvation of God!  

Epiphany Sunday

What can the early years of Jesus let us know about how we should approach our New Year?

You will always have a mixture of experiences, hopes and expectations going into a new season. Simeon, Anna and Jesus represented these for us as we learn to:

Walk With God 

Talk With God

Run With God

Walk with God

Luke 2:22-40 
And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

Old Faithful

Here we’re reminded of the importance of God’s spoken word. 

Simeon walked with God and therefore had the Holy Spirit upon him to give him great expectation of God’s salvation and moved him to see it at Christ’s appointed hour of revelation. 

Isaiah 43:18-21
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.

These words were life to a man’s soul like Simeon who after years of faithfulness, could have gotten into a rut of just expecting the same old thing - “this is just our lot in life (under the Roman oppression)”.  

Talk with God

Simeon had a word from God, a promise that had been spoken to him that he would see the salvation of God in his lifetime.  He had a life where he heard from God.

Anna had a different challenge.  

Overcomer

Here we’re reminded of God’s written Word

Anna faced unexpected disappointment early in her marriage.  However, the tragedy in her life pushed her further into God rather than away from Him,  to a life of prayer and fasting to see the salvation of God.  This also needs to be our response.  

Prayer and Fasting Week

Psalm 27:13-14
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

These words had to be life to someone like Anna, who with continued fasting and prayer expected to see the salvation and goodness of God despite her difficulties.

Run With God

Our Lord

Here we’re reminded of the application of God’s Word

Jesus learned to walk, talk and run with God in his Heavenly Father’s house.  It prepared him to be a bringer of salvation and one who see it over and over again in his earthly life and ministry.  We need to have the same expectation (as we go into things like our Explore God Outreach). 

“I Must Be In My Father’s House”

Luke 2:41-52
Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

“I will not glory, even in my orthodoxy, for even that can be a snare if I make a god of it... Let us rejoice in Him in all His fulness and in Him alone.”

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

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

Jesus’ life and ministry were shaped and directed by this dedication to his Father’s house, Word (the Scripture) and purposes.  In the new year we need a present work which leads to an eternal reward. 

Present Work

Have a purpose

New Year’s Resolutions 

Isaiah 42:8-13 
I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.” Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants. Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the habitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare his praise in the coastlands. The Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes.

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”

Michelangelo Buonarroti

*Is the one deed worth it even if the world continues to be fallen around you?

YES. 

Psalm 5:1-3,11-12 
Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. 

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.

Have a plan 

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”

Mike Tyson

How people respond in PANIC MODE

Devil drives us to non-sensical decisions 

Like gunshots fired in a crowded room - the panic causes more harm than good

Why would you leave your God or church family during a dark time?

Get counsel from seasoned leaders, down, not those who would panic with you. 

Have a group of godly people to counsel you

*A DIY job gone awry 

The bigger the job, the more input is needed. 

Don’t make plans or pursue even godly ambitions alone.  Pursue the counsel of God through the righteous in Christ 

*Joseph and Mary treasured up all the things that were said about Jesus in her heart to anchor their souls when their hearts were being tested/pierced. 

To see the salvation of God, you must receive Jesus’ work already done for you on the cross.  His sinless life was not only our model but our provision for meeting God’s righteous requirements.  Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was our substitute for a debt of wrath for our sins against a Holy God.  Christ’s  resurrection three days after his death and burial is the promise of forgiveness, new life in the land of the living and eternal life in Him.  Turn away from the old life of sin today and see the salvation of God as you entrust yourself to Jesus his Son who has come to deliver this good news!

Second City Church - Declarations Of The New Year- Pastor Rollan Fisher 2019

Declarations Of The New Year - Part 1

My Forgetfulness, His Faithfulness

Philippians 3:1-14 ESV
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord.  To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and it is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.  For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus and put not confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also.  If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.  But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

The Point

No matter how proud or how ashamed we are of our past, there is a battle waged in us and around us to find our identity in Christ alone.  We must forget what lies behind, abandoning our past by faith in Jesus Christ and entrusting it to the cross for our forgiveness, and press on to the only goal worth our entire lives: the goal of knowing Jesus Christ fully and being with Him eternally. When we recognize the incomprehensible eternal worth of Christ Jesus and His love for us as shown on the cross, we will see our past as God sees it: our successes as rubbish compared to Christ’s success of perfectly pleasing God the Father and our failures as opportunities to glory in Christ and His limitless mercy, grace, and love.

My Forgetfulness

What do I need to forget (repent of) that wages war against my soul being found in Christ alone?  EVERYTHING that lies behind. This is why Jesus said to even enter the Kingdom of Heaven you must be born again.  This is why Paul says he has been crucified with Christ and no longer lives but Christ lives in Him. The great exchange it has been called: my sinful life for his righteous life. Everything consists of:

• My failures

• My rebellion

• My fears

• My successes

• My hopes

• My dreams

• My ambitions

My prejudices

His Faithfulness

When we “forget” our past and remember the love of God shown in the cross of Christ and the power of God shown in the resurrection, we can move forward free from sin in the confidence of God’s love and acceptance.

‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:8-10‬ ‭ESV‬‬
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭ESV‬‬
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:12-13‬ ‭ESV‬‬
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

The Prayer

Lord, reveal to us by your Spirit the eternal worth of Jesus Christ, revealing Him as the only way by faith to a God based righteousness. Give us faith to lay down our lives with all our fearful failures and self righteous successes, in exchange for Christ’s righteousness, that we may receive the miracle of the freedom and joy of being found in Him alone, here and now and for all eternity.  This is salvation. Amen.

Second City Church - Declarations Of The New Year- Pastor Cole Parleir 2018

Chicago Fire - Jesus and a Church Provides Protection

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

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

Protection in Life

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

Protection in Doctrine

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

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

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

Protection in Purpose

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

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

Second City Church: Chicago Fire Sermon Series 2017

Easter - 2017

Thank you for a great Easter Egg hunt and for all of those who volunteered to make it happen!

What Would You Do?  What Will You Do?

Today we are going to review the familiar narrative of the events leading to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.  Good Friday involved the sobriety of Christ's sacrificial, substitutionary death on the cross.  Today celebrates the glorious reality of His resurrection.  During this time we will interact with Judas, Peter, Pilate and Jesus Himself.  

What drove them to the events leading to the crucifixion?

What would you have done in their place?  

What can we learn from these things that drive us today?

What will you do in the light of the resurrection?

Isaiah 25:8-9
He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

Judas

Judas was driven by his secret sin - in his case, the love of money.

Matthew 26:6-16
Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

John 12:4-6
But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples he who was about to betray him, said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.

Jesus was simply a means to an end.

Peter

Peter was driven by a fear of man.

He needed the power of the Holy Spirit to change him into a different man whose ultimate end was not comfort.

Mark 14:54
And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire.

Matthew 26:69-75
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

"Jesus Christ did not come into this world to make bad people good; He came into this world to make dead people live."
- Lee Strobel

Pilate

Pilate was driven by a sense of self-preservation.

This manifested itself in a desire to please people in an attempt to maintain his power.  Pilate was unwilling to allow the truth of who Jesus was to cost him anything.

Matthew 27:15-26
Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!” So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

"The cross is the lightning rod of grace that short-circuits God’s wrath to Christ so that only the light of His love remains for believers."
- AW Tozer

Jesus

Jesus was driven by the love of the Father.

The love of the Father pushed Christ to perfect obedience resulting in His death on the cross for the sins of humanity.  His love of the world drove Him to voluntarily lay down His life with the promise of a triumphant resurrection.  

Matthew 28:1-10
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

Regardless of whether you've been a Judas, a Peter or a Pilate, you can follow Jesus to the cross today and experience the power of His resurrection!

"Our old history ends with the cross; our new history begins with the resurrection."
- Watchman Nee

In the light of Christ's sacrifice for you and triumphant resurrection, what will you do now?

Second City Church: Easter Sermon 2017

Lent - Part 5

Lent for the Needs of the World

James 5:1-11
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you. Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Job was a man whose identity was tested. 

"God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede."
- Oswald Chambers

Here James was not attempting to condemn the rich or pit the rich against the poor, but to give both the rich and poor instruction in their situation.  As many of the Jewish Christians were displaced refugees in the Roman world, they would have found themselves in disadvantageous positions as they lived as the Diaspora.  Thus, James was instructing the Christian of means as to how they should live generously with their brethren while exhorting those in trying circumstances to persevere and take heart.  It is the same eternal focus of which God would remind us during Lent and have us live with today. 

We have all things and abound; not because I have a good store of money in the bank, not because I have skill and wit with which to win my bread, but because the Lord is my shepherd.
-Charles Haddon Spurgeon

2 Corinthians 8:9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

Lent for A Changing of Seasons

James 5:12-18
But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

Elijah was a prophet whose insistence for God to show Himself strong was tested. 

We are creatures of habit. Don't quit doing what's right even when you don't feel it.  If you quit, it will become easier and easier to do so each subsequent time so that your life drifts out to sea with no sight of the shoreline. Conversely the same is true of right habits, which God calls faithfulness. Commit to this virtue and the joy that's entangled in the fruit of the Holy Spirit will manifest itself in you. 

Until you know that life is war, you cannot know what prayer is for.
- John Piper

Lent for the Lost

Lent is a season to find God's wandering and lost sheep. 

James 5:19-20
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

We're all in a place where our intentions are tested.

Second City Church: Lent Sermon Series 2017

Lent - Part 4

As we continue through Lent, James instructs us how to humble ourselves like Christ, that the Father might lift us up in due time.  If we follow in Jesus' pattern of daily taking up our cross, we will avoid the pitfalls of fights and quarrels that disrupt God-ordained relationships. Instead, there will be a resurrection of the purposes of God in our lives as we remember that our final destiny is to stand before God having advanced His agenda and kingdom, not our own. 

Fights and Quarrels

James 4:1-10
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

In the NCAA tournament, it's not about individual accolades, it's about the success of the team. 

Do you live this way in your workplace?  In your family unit?  In your city?  In your church?

Family Ties

People often don't commit to deep, stable relationships in society.  In the church, God calls us to do so because we are family. 

James 4:11-12
Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

We should be filled with love to believe the best and speak the best about one another. Like God, we should be quick to forgive, slow to accuse or be suspicious.  When we are not slow to do these things, it is the enemy producing insecurity and disunity in the camp. We must fight for a culture of honor amongst us.  

Romans 12:9-13
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

We should be like the Amazon Echo - always listening and always searching for and responding with the voice of God over one another.

The greatest way to live with honour in this world is to be what we pretend to be.
- Socrates

The Final Bracket

James 4:13-17
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

We should be those who see from the whole to the part - meaning it's not just about me and my personal destiny.  It's about what God wants to do in his kingdom as exemplified through His gospel.  Lent reminds us to repent of sins of commission and omission - to do the good we need to do today since we will stand before God one day giving an account for it all.

Second City Church: Lent Sermon Series 2017

Lent - Part 3

During Lent, the sanctification process continues as we're shown the source of the restless evil in our lives and the right way of the wisdom of God found in Jesus.   The letter of James gives us guidelines for godly interactions with one another as we hope to share in the life of Christ together.

A Restless Evil

Through Lent, we're reminded that death was produced and directed in our relationships with God and one another by our tongues. 

James 3:1-12
Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Contain your speech

Say only what is useful for building others up according to their needs.
Ephesians 4:29

Complaints poison the well
Differentiate between your preferences and sin.  Correct sin, corral your preferences. 

Come into agreement with God
Speak the word of faith over others by saying only what God would say about them.  Be redemptive in your speech regarding your family, friends, co-workers, city, leaders, nation and world. 

No act of virtue can be great if it is not followed by advantage for others. So, no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sigh continually, if you do no good to others, you do nothing great.
-John Chrysostom

A Righted Way

Through Lent we're reminded of the wisdom and peace of God found in Christ. 

James 3:13-18
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

Come into the light regarding shortcomings
Don't conceal (hide) them and don't keep them.

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

Continue to repent that you might become a peacemaker

How do I know when I'm walking in a destructive manner/being influenced by the demonic?

It tears down rather than builds.

2 Corinthians 13:10
For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

The fruit of our interactions produce envy, disorder and every evil practice (i.e. - gossip, slander, grumbling, disunity and mistrust).

How do I know when I'm giving/walking in the wisdom of God?

It builds up rather than tears down.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

What are peacemakers?  
They are those who live out the redemptive qualities of and point people to the cross of Jesus Christ. Through Lent we recognize that Jesus came as the Prince of Peace, the very wisdom of God to make peace with God through His sacrificial death, burial and resurrection from the dead. Turn away from sin and put your trust afresh in His saving work today. 

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

May this be our Lenten cry:

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
- St. Patrick

Second City Church: Lent Sermon Series 2017

Lent - Part 2

Lent is a period where we reflect on the person, coming, sacrifice and purpose of Jesus Christ. In doing so, today we will focus on how He came to redeem both our attitudes towards one another and our actions produced by faith (or a lack thereof). 

Attitude

Your attitude towards others reveals your heart.

Lent reminds us not to show partiality in our love/treatment of others. 

James 2:1-13
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

"God's tolerance for sin has not softened around the edges.  And while his only begotten Son has since laid down his life as the ultimate, blemish-free sacrifice for our sins, it does nothing to diminish the directive in this three-word sentence: "Stop doing evil (Isaiah 1:16)."  Don't take a break from evil.  Or fast from evil.  Or be sure to clean up after yourself when you're done.   Stop doing evil."
- Sharon Hodde Miller

Actions

Your actions reveal your faith/trust in God.

Lent reminds us not to piecemeal God's commands. 

James 2:14-26
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

In reference to Isaiah 4:2:
"Divine judgment on society begins to manifest itself in the disappearance of solid leadership, and the appearance of immature, capricious leaders."

"Redemption always has the last word.  No matter the darkness and confusion, chaos never reigns.  God reigns.  He is always in control, leading the sadness and mess toward one inevitable conclusion:

HE WINS.

Death dies.

Suffering is extinguished.

Joy comes in the morning.

Whether our present leaders are corrupt, or our personal lives are in shambles, this present darkness is not the end of the story."
- Sharon Hodde Miller

"Heard this today: You don't have to participate with church to be a Christian. You don't have to go home to be married. But in both cases you will have a very poor relationship.
- Charles Kiefer, via Facebook

Second City Church: Lent Sermon Series 2017

Body Talk: Part 2

Is your identity what you do or who you belong to?  What you do can change or be taken from you, but if you live out of who you belong to, joyful obedience is your sole goal and primary reward.  

Saul's Insecurity

Where do you receive your honor, security and praise?

Saul, who lacked depth in his identity in God, was insecure when God called him (I Samuel 10) and proud when God rejected him because he lacked depth in the Lord.  Saul was always looking for public recognition for his validation.  He was jealous of King David's success and looked to tear him down.

1 Samuel 15:24-31
Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may bow before the Lord.” And Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.” Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow before the Lord your God.” So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul bowed before the Lord. 

Proverbs 27:21
The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise. 

How are you passive aggressive with your brothers and sisters in the church? In your workplace? 

Saul tried to have the Philistines kill David. 

Romans 12:14-21
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 

Christ's Security

Finding your identity in Christ enables you to respond securely to His call and humbly to His reproofs. 

1 Peter 2:20-25
For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 

A secret life in the Lord allowed David to write Psalms, privately kill the lion and the bear in defense of his father's flock, publicly defeat Goliath and faithfully shepherd the people Israel, leading them in the Lord's battles. 

David was not insecure, but humble, when the Lord made His promises to David.  There is a stark difference between insecurity and humility, which the Lord commands.  One finds its rest in God.  The other finds it in the shifting sands of anything but the Lord. 

This humility allowed David to respond gracefully when the going got tough. 

"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him."
-David Brinkley

David's Humility

How do I know if my heart is in the right place?

2 Samuel 7:18-29
Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! Because of your promise, and according to your own heart, you have brought about all this greatness, to make your servant know it. Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making himself a name and doing for them great and awesome things by driving out before your people, whom you redeemed for yourself from Egypt, a nation and its gods? And you established for yourself your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. And now, O Lord God, confirm forever the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, and do as you have spoken. And your name will be magnified forever, saying, ‘The Lord of hosts is God over Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.” 

Jesus is our perfect example of both security and humility, dying on the cross for our sins and rising again in the triumphant power of God.  He calls us to follow His lead.

Second City Church: Body Talk Sermon Series 2016

Chicago Fire - Jesus and a Church that Strengthens You

Acts 11:19-30 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world this took place in the days of Claudius. So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God's job to judge and my job to love. - Billy Graham

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

Proverbs 15:22-24 Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is! The path of life leads upward for the prudent, that he may turn away from Sheol beneath.

Proverbs 16:24 Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

Second City Church: Chicago Fire: The Spirit-Led Church in the City Sermon Series 2016

Chicago Fire - Jesus and a New Paradigm Church

 

Acts 10:1-8 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Acts 10:34-48 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ he is Lord of all, you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

"The average man has no central core of moral assurance, no spring within his breast, no inner strength to place him above the need for repeated psychological shots to give him the courage to go on living. He has become a parasite on the world, drawing his life from his environment, unable to live a day apart from the stimulation which society affords him." - A.W. Tozer

"I remind you that there are churches so completely out of the hands of God that if the Holy Spirit withdrew from them, they wouldn't find it out for many months." - A.W. Tozer, Tozer Pulpit

"When you strip it of everything else, Pentecost stands for power and life. That's what came into the church when the Holy Spirit came down on the day of Pentecost."- David Wilkerson, The Cross and the Switchblade

Second City Church: Chicago Fire: The Spirit-Led Church in the City Sermon Series 2016

Guest Speaker Peter Ahlin on Isaiah 60

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Peter Ahlin Speaking on Isaiah 60- September 1, 2013

Greeting

Brief background on prophecy:

Prophesy in conjunction with love, to encourage:  (1 Corinthians 14:1,3) -->  Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.  The one who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.

Prophecy should be neither blindly accepted nor rashly despised:  (1 Thessalonians 5:20-22) -->  Do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.

Words from God will encourage you to follow God and His revealed will: (Deuteronomy 13:1-3) --> If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Brief background on Isaiah:

He lived in a city and region characterized by intensified moral darkness and corruption.  Isaiah said that he was a man of unclean lips living among a people of unclean lips.  He lived during the reign of several Judean kings, including Ahaz, a king who bowed to foreign idols and even had his own son sacrificed in fire.  According to church tradition, Isaiah is said to have been killed during the reign of King Manasseh, who also sacrificed his own son, practiced sorcery, and led the people to do more evil even than the pagan nations that had lived in Judea before them.

He lived in a time of deep national division.  God's people started out as one family and one nation.  Because of the sin of King Solomon, ten tribes out of twelve were torn away from his family and given to someone else to rule.  The strength that should have come from the diverse skills, abilities, and propensities of these twelve tribes was greatly attenuated into the separate nations of Israel and Judah.  In fact, during Isaiah's life the king of Assyria captured the land of Israel and deported its people.

He lived in a land constantly threatened by violence.  The powerful Assyrian kingdom was active throughout Isaiah's life, and, at various points, three of their kings attacked Israel, extracted gold and silver tribute from Judah's temple and treasury, and came up to threaten Jerusalem with 185,000 soldiers.

He had every reason to feel insignificant and powerless to bring about any real change.  He was just one man, dwelling among a people of unclean lips!  He felt the magnitude of the task before him, and he clearly saw the extent of the depravity in the culture around him.  Yet, by the Spirit of God, Isaiah received a prophetic vision of how things would be not just slightly improved around the margins, but entirely and miraculously transformed.

As you think about the cultural ethos in America, Illinois, and particularly in Chicago, does this picture ring true?  Moral darkness, corruption, ethnic division, violence, and the temptation to feel utterly insignificant and powerless to change anything?  Everyone doing as he or she sees fits.  Political corruption.  A heightened sense of ethnic division and misunderstanding.  Incredibly high rates of homicide and other violent crimes.  Less than 100 people in a city of 2.7 million.  It's tempting to wonder if anything can be done to turn the tide.

This July, the Holy Spirit showed me in Isaiah Chapter 60 four specific things that will happen in the life of Second City Church.  And so, with Pastor Rollan's agreement and oversight, I wish to share those four things with you.

(1) In a dark and adverse hour, your church will shine as a bright light and beacon of the radiant presence of Jesus Christ, attracting the sons and daughters of God.  (Isaiah 60:1-4)

Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.  For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.  The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.  Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.

LIGHT IN ADVERSITY

This is an age of financial hardship for so many.  Does anyone know the city that in 1960 had the highest GDP per capita in the country?  Detroit!  And now more than 50,000 dogs roam the streets in packs as the population rapidly dwindles.  Financial difficulty is present here as well; for instance, Illinois is the last state in the country for the funding of its long-term pension liabilities; for every dollar that must be paid out in the future to fulfill these obligations, it only has 45 cents.

This is also an age of increasing disintegration of public morality.  Conduct that was thought unthinkable for centuries is now being mandated by judicial fiat.  When public figures get caught acting inappropriately, they no longer even show any sincere remorse:  I’m sorry if anyone was offended.  I’m going to take responsibility for my actions, which means finding out how long I have to hide out before running for office again.  I spent the last two years insulting anyone who questioned my integrity until the moment I was caught – now I have been caught and I really mean this apology!  It seems the only unpardonable crime is believing in absolute standards for right and wrong that emanate from an eternal Creator.

Unfortunately, I cannot tell you that the surrounding financial and moral darkness is just a passing moment; indeed, the darkness is deep.  But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.  Through the pages of the Bible, we see this again and again: Matthew Henry comments on Isaiah 60 that it evokes the ninth plague in Exodus, when terrible darkness fell upon the land of Egypt, darkness that could be felt, yet the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.  Paul wrote to the Philippians that they were living in a crooked and perverse generation, but that they could shine blameless and pure, like bright stars against a dark sky.  And so, with this promise to the church comes a commission for every member in it – to shine as a bright light in dark adversity, not to engage in moral compromise in your marriage, in your job, in your academic pursuits.  Jesus said, While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.  Now that He has ascended to heaven, He has called each of us to be the light of the world.  And this church will not be hidden under a bowl. It will eventually be put upon a stand to bring light to the entire city.  Jesus is the Lamb who lights the heavenly city so that it needs no sun or moon, and, if you’ll allow Him, He’ll shine brightly through you into desperate darkness; and those in the dark will be drawn to the light.

(2) A beautiful diversity of many nations will be joined together in your church family, and those who come will be able to build and minister with great efficacy.  (Isaiah 60:5-10a)

Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy;  Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.  The multitude of camels shall cover your land, The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah;  All those from Sheba shall come; They shall bring gold and incense, And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.  All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you, The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; They shall ascend with acceptance on My altar, And I will glorify the house of My glory.  Who are these who fly like a cloud, And like doves to their roosts?  Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish will come first, To bring your sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, To the name of the Lord your God, And to the Holy One of Israel, Because He has glorified you.  The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls, And their kings shall minister to you.

LOVE IN DIVERSITY

This is an hour of heightened tensions between ethnic groups.  Many civil rights advancements have occurred in the last fifty years, but we are still far from a society where people are judged, in Dr. Martin Luther King’s words, not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.  It seems that when people go on record, they often do one of two things –they pretend that no distinctions exist whatsoever among nations and ethnicities, or they talk as though the differences were utterly irreconcilable.  The world’s answer to offenses against other groups is not repentance and reconciliation; it’s sensitivity training.  In other words, it’s ok to continue having those hateful feelings and thoughts towards others as long as you are sensitive enough not to say them out loud or while being recorded!  The kingdom of God has a far different model.  It is not the model of ignoring distinctions, nor is it the model of despairing of ever been reconciled. Instead, it is the model of loving cross-cultural community, where God-given distinctions are preserved and celebrated in love.

How many of you have seen the movie 42?  While the movie tells a great story as Hollywood is at its inspiring best, it sells far short the Christian faith that Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey shared. When they first met, Rickey shared with Robinson a devotional passage from Papini’s “Life of Christ” on the Sermon on the Mount, specifically, the portion on “turning the other cheek.” Robinson’s strong moral character was the reason the Bible-quoting Rickey chose him, and Robinson’s amazing commitment to non-violence in the face of numerous hateful provocations was pivotal in the integration of baseball and much of society in the years that followed.  The real story of 42 was two Christian men, purposing to bring transformation to their sphere of influence.

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

(3) In a state known for corruption, you will bear a standard of justice.  In a city known for devastation and violence, you will exhibit incredible peace and wholeness.  Violence will stop at your doors and not come within your borders, for you will have the impregnable walls of Salvation and gates of Praise.  (Isaiah 60:17b-18)

I will also make your officers peace, And your magistrates righteousness.  Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls Salvation, And your gates Praise.

LIFE IN TRANQUILITY

This is a region known for corruption and violence.  4 of the last 7 Illinois governors have been convicted and imprisoned for things like racketeering, bribery, and fraud.  The city of Chicago saw 500 homicides in 2012; the rate was calculated in that year to be double that of New York and Los Angeles, with more youth homicides than any other city.  Many political officials use their power to promote themselves or enrich themselves, while many people use implements that should be employed for others’ protection for others’ destruction instead.

By contrast, the agents of the kingdom of God bring peace and righteousness where they go.  Think of the heroic decades-long labor of the Christian Parliamentarian William Wilberforce, to bring an end to the horrific British slave trade.  He was not a man who used his political office to obtain power and wealth for himself; he used his office to advance peace and promote righteousness.  He was also a man who would not give up easily; Wilberforce persisted year in and year out until the Slave Trade was abolished, and then slavery abolished.  The end result?  Righteousness was established and violence prevented.

Scripture teaches us that when our minds are stayed on God, He will keep us in perfect peace.  When every natural circumstance rages against tranquility, God’s peace which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus, as you pray to God with thanksgiving.  As violence may rage all around, you will have peace that this city is desperately craving.  You will also have righteousness.  If you read I Peter 5, where Peter writes to elders, he urges them to act as shepherds, to do with willing hearts and not to act with any dishonest motives or lording authority over others. As you all have gotten to know Pastors Rollan and B, I am sure you have seen hearts of shepherds, without guile, pretense, dishonesty, or desire to promote themselves.  Thank God for this!  But with this promise to the church comes a commission, not just for the pastors, but for every member in it – to embody life in tranquility.  Jesus slept when the most powerful storm career fisherman had ever seen raged around Him.  He also lived so perfectly righteous an existence that He could look around at those who hated Him, ask them if they had any accusation of sin against Him, and then sit back and listen to the silence.  Now that Jesus has ascended to heaven, He has called each of us to embody his life in tranquility.  Jesus is the one who said: “Peace I leave with you.  My peace I give to you, not as the world gives" (with strings attached or for something in return or with a great big catch), but true peace.  Jesus also allows us to be set free from sin and become slaves to righteousness, if we have been united with Him in his death.  And if you’ll allow Him, Jesus will fill you with his peace and his righteousness.

(4) From your church, the seeming least beginnings (both in individual people and in ministries) will grow to serve thousands of people and become like a mighty nation, at God’s right time.  (Isaiah 60:21-22)

Also your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified.  A little one shall become a thousand, And a small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.

LEADERSHIP FROM OBSCURITY

This city is the architectural wonder of America!  As I look up at these massive skyscrapers, including the tallest building in America, I am reminded that tall buildings are frequently, like the tower of Babel, just another sign of people's saying "let us make a name for ourselves.” (All the more ironic now that the tallest building has actually changed names from the Sears to the Willis Tower.  Human efforts to make names for ourselves will eventually fade.)

This church, however, is not motivated by making a name for itself, but by seeing the name of Jesus Christ exalted in every corner of this great city, and from here to the entire world.  Earlier today, I alluded to the fact that this church is less than 100 people in a city of 2.7 million.  But you need to know that Zechariah 4:10 is true ofSecond City Church: “Do not despise these small beginnings.”  The Lord rejoices to see His work begin.  The principle of the mustard seed is that the smallest seed grows to become a large tree that provides shelter to all kinds of life!  God definitely takes pleasure in starting small!  Remember what Moses said to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 10:22: “Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude.”  Remember that in one day, the early church grew from 120 people to more than 3,000 people!

But there’s a second principle I want to share with you: the Picasso principle.  The story goes that Picasso was out sketching when a woman stopped and asked him to sketch her.  He agreed, and in less than five minutes the sketch was completed and signed.  “How much do I owe you?” the woman asked.  “Five thousand francs,” the legendary artist replied.  “But that’s ridiculous!” the shocked woman cried. “It only took you a few moments.” “Au contraire, Madame,” answered Picasso, “it has taken my entire life.” Although a sudden change will come, when this church’s influence will grow exponentially, it will be years of preparation in the making.  The church didn’t just grow from 120 – 3000 by mistake; the 120 were meeting together constantly to pray in the days that preceded the day of Pentecost, after 3 years of following Jesus every day.

Isaiah uses the image that God’s people are like the branch of His planting.  And Scripture teaches what kind of plant flourishes:  Those who are planted in the house of the Lord will flourish in the courts of my God.  And so, with this promise to the church, comes a commission for every member in it: to grow into leadership out of obscurity into destiny, to be planted in this house and grow up like an oak of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor (not our splendor but His).  An oak grows up from an acorn, from obscurity to a mighty destiny.  Jesus started from humble beginnings in a poor carpenter’s shop, submitting faithfully to His parents and making tables and chairs, in a town from which people asked if anything good could come!  Then He launched the greatest movement of people the world has ever seen and will ever see.  The time spent in carpentry wasn’t 30 wasted years; it was an integral part of His preparation for world-altering ministry.  And now that He has ascended to heaven, He has called each of us to be planted in His house, to grow and flourish here, and be launched into our destiny.  At just the right time, God sent His Son.  At just the right time, He will launch you.  Jesus is the rock upon which the church is built, and if you’ll allow Him, He’ll show you how to make and lead disciples, first on a small scale, and then on an incredibly large scale, here and around the world.

Conclusion

Isaiah was a man just like us.  He lived in a spiritually dark time, in a deeply divided nation, in a land constantly threatened by violence, and he had every reason to feel insignificant.  But he chose to take God at His word, and when he heard the voice of the triune God asking: “Whom shall I send?  And who will go for Us?” He said, “Here am I!  Send me!”

The Holy Spirit has spoken. Second City Church is going to be a great light in darkness, a beautiful tapestry of cross-cultural loving community, a powerful example of peace and righteousness, and an influential evangelizer with explosive city-wide and world-wide impact.  But what about you?  If you would say, “Yes!  I’m in.  I want to be planted in the house of the Lord.  I want to be a light in darkness.  I want to be fully committed to a loving cross-cultural community.  I want to be an agent of peace and righteousness.  And I want to be part of Jesus Christ’s mission, here in this local body, to reach this city and this world.”  Stand to your feet and let’s pray.

Second City Church- Guest Speaker 2013

Hearts at Rest

Passion of the Christ: Hearts at Rest

(Pastor Rollan shared about the September 9, 2013 hard launch vision after Labor Day (September 2).)

Though being the eternal God, who is the source of love, hope, and happiness, Jesus was often misunderstood and His ways mistrusted. What we choose to believe about God and His heart for us in the midst of an estranged culture effects everything about who we are and what we will become.

Jesus passionately invites us into His life by exposing the source of our discontent, encouraging us to recognize the signposts for godly decisions, and leading us to the rest for which our souls so desperately yearn.

The Source of Our Discontent

Matthew 11:1-19 (NIV)

1After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. 2When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” 4Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” 7As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written: “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 Whoever has ears, let them hear. 16 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 17 “ ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

“The punishment of every disordered mind is its own disorder.” ― Saint Augustine of Hippo, Confessions

It feels like we have too many choices in life, and no choice ever becomes the right one.

The question of Jesus Christ's identity and the subsequent life decisions that follow are defining our generation. Our inability to settle the weighty matters of life affect everything from our career pursuits, to our romantic relationships, to how we use our finances and time.

How Can I Be Sure About Jesus?

"Are you the one to come or should we expect someone else?"

Jesus answered the question by giving a résumé of HIS historic fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies (Isaiah 26:18,19; 29:18,19; 35:5,6; 53:4; 61:1). In the same way, God's Word gives us a clear description of what we are truly looking for in His design for life, love, and happiness. He said to study the Scripture to see the heart of this loving God, compare it to the freedom being produced in and around us through his Word, and contend to trust Him during life's challenging moments. After demonstrating his devotion to God, showing faithfulness throughout the entirety of his life, this is exactly what John the Baptist had to do during his time of testing in prison.

"What did you go out... to see? A reed swayed by the wind?"

Commentaries note that Jesus is here broaching the subject of instability and vacillation. Just as the reeds swayed with the wind by the Jordan, so we have a proclivity to lose our Christ-centered focus and resolve with every wind of opportunity or ideological challenge that comes our way. This is often the product of coveting people, positions, and things that we think will make us happier than what we already have, or what God has prescribed, as is referenced in Jesus' mention of fine clothes and king's palaces. We are deceived into thinking that there is always someone or something better, and it is the thing that we do not presently have.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17 NIV)

The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the Lord your God. Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction. (Deuteronomy 7:25, 26 NIV)

Coveting is the source of so much discontent in the world. Sociological studies have shown that people in the West deal on a whole with more unhappiness than those in less affluent nations because of the number of choices that they have. It is the psychosis intrinsic to the fear of missed opportunity that has us refuse to commit to anything because something better may come along. This is true, for example, in romantic relationships where people refuse to settle on their present options, while picking apart every viable suitor that they may have, and, in the end, miss a life of love and happiness that could have been theirs. It is also true of churches where people look to give as much criticism as they can while contributing as little as they can, and, ironically, end up doing very little to aid in Jesus' cause to heal and save a broken world. The result is that people lose the ability to be fully engaged or make a lasting impact on anything.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/magazine/money-changes-everything.html?_r=0

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/your-money/27shortcuts.html

(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John. Luke 7:29, 30 NIV)

Can you imagine John the Baptist's thoughts in prison on the eve of his execution?

If it was only a matter of whether his trust in Jesus was "working for him" rather than the truth of who Jesus is, John would have abandoned His trust in God. The culture today has told us the most important thing to remember is that it is all about us and our life experiences. A recent birth control commercial artistically promotes a trip to Paris and having the freedom to indulge in extravagant getaways as far superior to a life-time commitment of parenting. We long for, yet lack, the joys that only relational and Kingdom commitments can bring: i.e. - marriage, children, seeing lives saved and transformed, beginning a movement that will transform a city.

How do we make godly decisions?

The Signposts to Godly Decisions

Matthew 11:20-24 (NIV)

20Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

It is evident when our life is transforming for the good, when we are experiencing encouragement based on truth, healing based on love, and hope based on God's eternal promises. Though the people of the cities where Jesus ministered were in direct contact with the author and source of life, they deliberately rejected the signposts that would lead them to eternal life. We need to be careful not to do the same.

John's questioning of Jesus' identity came at a time of trial and discouragement. This is never the time to reevaluate God's character or identity. We need to instead find a place of sobriety by following Christ's example of quantifying the many ways that He has been working miracles in your life to bring you to Himself, His people, and the positive life transformation that proceeds from these. These are the signposts that point you in the direction of trusting His goodness in its fullness, even when we don't understand His ways or circumstances that He allows.

Why does this all matter? What we resign to believe affects how we think, how we live, and to what things we give ourselves.

What Jesus is calling for is a spiritual discernment that must become a quality that is valued in our day.

The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps. The wise fear the Lord and shun evil, but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure. A quick-tempered person does foolish things, and the one who devises evil schemes is hated. The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. (Proverbs 14:15-18 NIV)

Most people express preferences about God rather than making statements of truth. People feel today that truth can be defined by their preferences. It is the "Build-a-God" mentality. Truth does have bearing on and consequences for our lives whether we like it or not (i.e. - gravity, aging). This is how we must relate to Jesus because of His audacious claims. We must ask whether there is veracity to His teaching and self-proclaimed identity.

“It is an impressively arrogant move to conclude that just because you don’t like something, it is empirically not good. I don’t like Chinese food, but I don’t write articles trying to prove it doesn’t exist.” ― Tina Fey, Bossypants

This is never more pertinent than when our wills or ideologies are crossed by the God who made us and loves us. We tend to desire to reconstruct the identity and existence of God when He does not fit into our cultural or philosophical paradigms (i.e. - issues of family, marriage, parenting, finances, and sexuality). It is here that, while reasoning with the facts, we are tested to respond to God based on our trust of His goodness, rather than our emotional reactions to His desire to reestablish our identity in the eternal Christ in lieu of lesser, changing, and degenerative things. The quality of His definitions are far superior in grand scale wisdom, for both individuals' and humanity's flourishing.

Rest for Your Souls

Matthew 11:25-30 (NIV)

25At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

“I have read in Plato and Cicero sayings that are wise and very beautiful; but I have never read in either of them: Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.” ― Saint Augustine of Hippo

We want to walk in the divine tension that Jesus did, having hearts that are disturbed (with a desire to grow and see His Kingdom come) while being undisturbed (by the past, present or future. Romans 8. We can relinquish control, because we don't have it anyway. What we can do is walk with God as long as it is called today with His sure promise of eternal life for those who please Him.)

Jesus is gentle and humble in heart. He longs to show you the goodness of God, which can only be fully realized through a trust walk with Him, because everything that belongs to the Father has been entrusted to Christ.

Having the ability to take Jesus' yoke of teaching, the subsequent obedience in life and activities that follow will provide rest for your souls. Because of Jesus' life, sacrifice on the cross, death, burial and resurrection, it is no longer about what we can do to work for approval or God's love. The matter is settled, and it is all about what He has done for us.

Practically: 1) Identify the sources of discontent in your life and come to repentance where you find covetous tendencies. 2) Make a decision today to do something that will contribute to the eternal Kingdom of God through our local church. 3) Find rest for your souls by coming into agreement with Jesus Christ's values and pursuing them as your own.

Second City Church- Passion of the Christ Sermon Series 2013