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Psalm 91,He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place — the Most High, who is my refuge —10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Why does Psalm 91 exist?One reason is because threats to human life exist. Whether wars or wildfires; earthquakes or illnesses; hurricanes or heart attacks — threats to human life, hazards to human flourishing — they exist. And they're plenty in number, many in form, and perennially active. And have been since Genesis three, and humanity's exit from Eden.And so the question then becomes, how do you live, as a human, in a world, that's loaded with threats to human life? How do you live as a human who's: Not covered in steel-plating, but flesh. Not taller than the mountains, but shorter than the ceilings. Not immune to disease, but prone to it. Not beyond disaster, but within range of it. Not personally immortal, nor having loved ones who are immortal, but living as a mom, or dad, or sister, or brother, or friend, who's not even been promised tomorrow, let alone this afternoon?How do you live, as a human, in a world, that's loaded with threats to human life? You could lock your doors, and try to avoid reality. You could close your eyes and try to ignore reality. Or, you could face reality from a place of refuge. Why does Psalm 91 exist? Yes, because threats to life are real, and because refuge is available. And as we're going to see in Psalm 91, this refuge is in a God who is powerful, personal, faithful, and just.Let's pray and ask God for his help before going further.So, Psalm 91, a Psalm for finding refuge in God who is powerful, personal, faithful, and just. Let's begin with that first one — powerful. God, your refuge, is powerful.PowerfulLook with me at verse one. Psalm 91:1, where God is referred to twice, and by to two different titles:“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”Most High and Almighty — two terms communicating complete superiority over all things.He is not just high, but Most High. Meaning that no human ruler nor so-called god ever rises above him. When God looks up, he sees no thing and acknowledges no one. He is Most High.And he is the Almighty. Having all power and all authority throughout all the universe. Reality is entirely contingent upon him, and never the other way around.God, your refuge, is powerful, brothers and sisters. His titles in Psalm 91 assert this, as does his activity. See with me down in verse 11. Psalm 91, verse 11, where it says of God:“For he will command his angels…” Now, admittedly, that may not strike you right away as a verse that communicates God's power. And the reason for that is because in our modern minds, we tend to think of angels as being small, harmless, and kinda like children in form. And so for God to command them in verse 11, well, it doesn't strike us as being all that impressive.But when it comes to how the Bible actually talks about angels, almost nothing could be further from the truth. Friends, angels in the Bible are fearful beings. Just ask Zechariah in the Temple (Luke 1:12), or the shepherds in the field (Luke 2:9), or Daniel in Babylon (Daniel 8:17), or Cornelius in Caesarea (Acts 10:4) — when angels show up, people run for cover. When angels show up, people collapse in fright — cowering before the colossal power of these magnificent ones.But not God. No, as God sits on his throne in heaven ever surrounded by a vast army of these mighty ones — God unhesitatingly commands each and every one of them, and they obey him. They bow down to him. They recognize the immeasurable gap between their relative greatness and his, and act accordingly. God command his angels.Do you believe God is powerful? Do you believe he has total authority? You may fear political tension. You may fear economic turmoil. You may fear disease and disorders. You may fear vandalism and robbery. And as you fear those things, the size of each one might only ever seem to grow larger and larger in your mind. Consider God. Consider the almighty. Consider the commander of angels. Consider the one in whose hands the hearts of kings are like streams of water.Cities Church, looking out upon a world that's loaded with threats: find your refuge in one who is powerful — the Most High, Almighty, and commander-of-angels powerful. God, your refuge, is powerful. And, he is personal as well.PersonalLook again with me at verse one, and consider for a moment just how fantastic of a thing it is that God being the supreme authority that he is nevertheless calls his people near to him. The Maker of the universe beckons his 5-foot-tall, highly vulnerable, injury-prone people, “Come close to me.”See it with me, verse one:“He who dwells, in the shelter, of the Most High…”He who dwells in — not he who lingers nearby, or remains just outside, but dwells in — the shelter of the Most High.Now, make no mistake, this is personal proximity to God. Personal proximity to the one who speaks worlds into being. Yes, there is language here in this psalm of shelter and refuge and fortress, but don't for a moment think that connotes anything like a building. For the shelter of the Most High, at least in Psalm 91, is not a building; it's God himself.See it with me in the second part of verse one. For it is not within a bunch of high walls that we are to dwell. Nor behind a set of heavy gates that we are to abide. No, but it's “…in the shadow of the Almighty.” See, he is the covering. His shadow is the shelter.And that's why, in verse two, the psalmist says not that God has a refuge, but that God is “My refuge and my fortress.” And even further, down in verse 9:“Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place...”Not the Lord's house, but “the Lord” himself. Psalm 91 is saying God's proximity is our security. So, God is personal. We see an even more intimate picture of this in verses 3-4 where, amazingly, the psalmist has us looking upon our situation from the perspective of a helpless baby bird. Look at it with me, verses 3-4:“For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler [a fowler is a person who hunts or traps birds] and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions [feathers], and under his wings you will find refuge;”So, baby-bird-in-a-nest-type imagery is what we've got here.Now, it just so happens that a few weeks back, I actually got a real life look at this. The kids and I had, yet again, gone over to the neighbor's yard to get a look at his pet frogs. We we're standing over in his yard when all of a sudden, I began to hear this kind of high-pitched chirping coming from the bush behind me.So I turned and looked into the bush, and sure enough saw deep within the branches, one single thinly framed, lightly feathered, baby cardinal, sitting in its nest. I was not intimidated by this bird. It appeared to me as neither strong nor ferocious. In fact, just one look at this tiny bird, and I think you'd agree with me that this thing stood no chance against the many other predators lurking all around it. No chance.This is where the psalmist brings us in verses 3-4. This is where he frames up our situation, saying, you are the baby bird in this picture. You, in and of yourself, are totally vulnerable to all that is around you. You're totally vulnerable to:Verse 3, the snare of the fowler and deadly pestilence.Verse 5, the terrors of the night, and arrows by day.Verse 6, pestilence that stalks in darkness and destruction that wastes at noonday.In and of yourself, you are totally vulnerable to it all, and yet, you need not fear. In fact, verse 5, you will not fear. And we think, why wouldn't I fear? Why would I not be afraid? Why should I not go running for cover?Answer: Because of the wings.Verse 4:“He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge…”In other words, look up — Christian, you've got wings over you. You've got your protector watching over you. You're under the shelter of the wings that rule the world. You live under those wings. You can face every trial underneath those wings. You never need leave the wings.What do you most fear in life? Illness. A car accident. Natural disaster. Death of a loved one. Go ahead, don't ignore it, put it right out there in front of you. And now, see Him, God himself, your refuge all about you. How does your fear change when facing it from the shelter of God? When facing it with God, and in God, and near God? Threats exist, but so do the wings. Cities Church, in a world loaded with threats to human life: find your refuge in God who is personal (covers you with wings).And, third, faithful. God is faithful.FaithfulNow, here is where I want us to recognize a tension. A tension some of you may be feeling in this moment. A tension that some of you began feeling the moment this psalm was read. And it is a tension between what it seems this psalm could be saying and what we know throughout history has in fact occurred.I mean, we've got world history — which tells of innumerable Christians, innumerable people who found their refuge in God, who ended up being persecuted, tortured, and even martyred for their faith. You've got that in world history, and you've got your own personal history: That day you did get the diagnosis, that evening you did get in the car accident, that morning you did get the phone call, that night the terror did show up, that day the arrow did sink deep, that noontime the destruction did come about.And so when you read verse 4…“His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.”…You might think, is it? It seems some things have gotten past his shield. Some enemies have pierced through his shield.Or, when you read over all these “will” promises from Psalm 91:“For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler” (v. 3).“He will cover you with his pinions” (v. 4).“I will deliver him; I will protect him” (v. 14).You might think, did he cover me? Did he protect me? Or when you read the even more sweeping statements like:“A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you (v. 7).“No evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent” (v. 10).You might think, Christians have fallen. Evil has come near.It makes us wonder: How do you understand God's Psalm 91 faithfulness in light of life experience?Another way to ask it: How do you read Psalm 91 as a Christian?As a ChristianFirst, you recognize that even within this very psalm there's a hint of the fact that not every trouble in life will be avoided. Note verse 15:“When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble;”Not, “I will keep him from trouble,” but “In the trouble, there I will be with him.” So, the shadow doesn't leave. The wings don't fly away. God stays, but, at least here, the trouble stays as well. So, that's the first thing. Here's the second: Recognize Psalm 91 was first written to Israel under the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant which did contain literal promises for physical safety that were contingent upon the peoples' faithfulness.And so when those members of the Old Covenant read Psalm 91, they likely took every one of these promises to be literally true, and were basically right to do so, assuming they were following the Laws of Moses.But, as the church, we're not Old Covenant Israel. We're members of the New Covenant which, while being so much better than the old, contains no promise of worldly safety. Safety, to be sure, but of a far greater order and greater scope than mere safety in this life.As an example, Jesus says in Luke 21:16-19,“You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name's sake. But [and catch this] not a hair of your head will perish.”You're going to die, but not a hair of your head will perish. Safety, yes, but a safety stretching well past the vapor that is this life.Or, from Romans 8:“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”In other words, these things may happen to you, and Paul even adds…“For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” But can any of it separate you from Christ? Verse 37:“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”You see, there's a safety of a different order that's been promised us as Christians. A safety that's far more long lasting, far more secure, and far more satisfying. Knowing that can help us get perspective here as we read these very specific promises in Psalm 91. The promise of safety that God gives us as Christians is not less than Psalm 91, but greater. Last one: How do you read Psalm 91 as a Christian? First, note the hint of trouble even in Psalm 91: “Be with you in trouble.” Second, note the difference between safety in the Old Covenant verses safety in the New.Third, note how Jesus responded when Satan quoted it.Jesus and Psalm 91Now, turn with me to Luke 4. It's in the New Testament. I really want you to see this with me so grab your Bible and find the Gospel of Luke, chapter 4. The setting is just after Jesus officially began his ministry. Baptized by John, filled with the Spirit, Jesus has walked out into the wilderness for a forty-day solo journey without food. He's starving — literally starving — by the time we see him in Luke 4. And there we find Satan whispering in his ear. He first tempts Jesus to turn the stones into bread. Jesus refuses. He'll keep starving.He then tempts Jesus toward riches and idolatry — “worship me and I'll give you worldly splendor.” Jesus refuses. He'll keep serving God only. Then, Satan quotes Psalm 91. Why? Why would Satan quote Scripture? Wouldn't that run entirely counter to his schemes? Wouldn't Scripture just spur Jesus onward?See it with me in Luke 4:9,And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written [Psalm 91:11-12],“‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,'11 and“‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'”And so it is Psalm 91, but set up as a question… “If you are the Son of God,” and a challenge… “throw yourself down from here.”The intended effect is clear: to take what is a testimony to God's faithfulness and turn it into a set of criteria for testing God's faithfulness.Satan is saying, “If you really believe Psalm 91, Jesus, then make God prove it in this particular way and at this particular time.”Now, let's ask: What does Psalm 91, no-evil-shall-befall-you, trust in God's faithfulness look like in such a moment? What does Psalm 91, trust in God's faithfulness look like when trouble comes and you are, like Jesus, staring it right in the face?When you get home from travel and realize that while you were away, the house was broken into; or when you pull up your bank statement, recognize your credit card got stolen, you've been robbed; or when the boss calls you in, fires you without reason or explanation; or the car gets backed into; the cough gets worse; the teenage rebellion continues; the doctor calls you and gives you the diagnosis you've always feared. Does it look like:“God, you must now prove to me your faithfulness by protecting me in this exact way?”“God, if you are who you say you are, then you must rescue me at this exact time.”“God, here are my Psalm 91 criteria, you better toe-the-line or I won't believe you.” Or does it look like Luke 4:12?…And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'”You see it? Psalm 91 trust says: Father, because I know that you are who you are, I trust you to guard me in your way and your time. I don't need you to prove yourself to me; all I need you to do is keep me under your wings.God is faithful, brothers and sisters. His wings won't lift. He'll be with you in the trouble. Your safety, in him, is sure and lasting. What can separate you from Christ? Nothing. You are more than a conqueror through him.Cities Church, in a world loaded with threats to human life, find your refuge in God who is faithful — in his time, in his way, for your eternal security.Now, last point, and this will be very quick. God is powerful, personal, faithful and, lastly, just. JustPsalm 91:8,“You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.”Another way to render that word recompense is judgement. In other words, Christian, there may be a gap between the moment trouble comes and the moment trouble leaves. There may be a time between the hurt and the healing. There may be a difference between what you are expecting in heaven, and what you're experiencing on earth. There may be a prolonged season in which you need to fight to keep believing that God is who he says he is. There may be decades in which it seems you're not more than a conqueror, but a conquered one, whose enemy is just having a field day. Nevertheless, your eyes will see your enemy bite the dust. Your eyes will see your enemy fleeing in terror. Your eyes will see Jesus, your King, come again, and condemn all who ever wronged you and remained unrepentant.No one gets away with anything with God. No injustice will ultimately stand. It may linger for a time, the gap may remain. It will end. God will make it end. God is just. You will, one day, “look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.”And so, Cities Church… In a world loaded with threats to human life, find your refuge in God who is powerful enough to command the angels, and personal enough to cover you with his wings, and faithful enough to keep you in him through all of life, and just enough to punish any evil ever committed against you. The TableNow, what brings us to the table this morning is the fact that not only did Jesus trust his Father while suffering in a desert, but also while hanging on a cross… On that day when the terror of the night in Gethsemane gave way to the arrows of the day through his hands and feet. On that day when the people challenged: “He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him.” On that day when Jesus took his final breath and kept trusting:“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”This table reminds us of our savior who died trusting, and then rose again three days later. Our savior who now invites all who believe in him to eat with anticipation for the day when we'll eat with him in heaven with all life's threats finally and forever behind us. That's what this table represents.I gladly invite those who are trusting in Jesus to take and eat this meal with us. If you've not put your trust in Jesus, we ask that you'd let the elements pass for now, but encourage you in this moment — turn to Jesus. Ask him to become your refuge. You need one. The threats are real. You're human. And God is inviting you, right now, find your refuge in him by faith.

Psalm 86,Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.2 Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.3 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day.4 Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace.7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours.9 All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.10 For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.11 Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.13 For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.14 O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seeks my life, and they do not set you before them.15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.16 Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant.17 Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me. This Sunday begins another summer in the psalms for us at Cities Church, and after several years, we're now more than halfway through the book. The psalms are something of the Bible's prayer guide and songbook. They teach us, in more than a hundred shapes and sizes, how to sing and how to pray. They model the inner life of genuine faith — the emotional life of a follower of Christ. They give us the mountains and valleys that come with trusting and following him. And there are great mountains, and great valleys, that come for anyone who follows Christ.Psalm 86 is a valley psalm. It's a desperate psalm — not a hopeless psalm, but a desperate one. It teaches us how to pray when trouble comes.Do you know how to pray when trouble comes? Not just: “Lord, help me” or “fix this,” but do you pray about trouble the way the Bible prays about trouble? I know I don't always pray the way this psalm prays. Preparing for this sermon, I was reminded of a prayer we prayed before meals in our home growing up:“God is great, God is good, and we thank you for this food.”I have no idea where the prayer came (maybe my parents made it up), and I don't entirely understand it. “God is great, and God is good. . . .” Isn't great better than good? Maybe “great” means big, mighty, awesome, and good means he's for us? Whatever it means, I'm so thankful for those thirteen simple words. How many children grow up in homes where they never acknowledge God has anything to do with the food on the table? How many children never hear their parents acknowledge God at all (except maybe to use his name in vain)? But I heard — PB&J after PB&J, spaghetti after spaghetti — “God is great, God is good, and he's the one who gave us this food.”It was a good prayer for 3-year-old, 4-year-old, 5-year old heart and mind — and yet if you and I had lunch this week and I still prayed like that, there would be something off, right? Hopefully I've grown some in the ways I express my thankfulness for spaghetti. Hopefully I still grow in thanking him.I wonder if some of us are praying 4-year-old prayers about trials. We haven't learned how to pray grown-up prayers about the trouble in our lives — and we all have trouble in our lives of various kinds. We haven't said, like the disciples, “Lord, teach us to pray.” And that's my prayer for this morning, “Lord, teach us to pray, in this case about the hard things in our lives.” Four Prayers for Any TroubleBefore we try and learn how to pray about our trouble, we need to ask about the actual trouble here in Psalm 86. Why is David crying out to God like this?We don't know a lot, and it takes a while before we really learn any details about his situation, but we do find out what's going on near the end of the psalm. Look at verse 14:O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seeks my life, and they do not set you before them.We have plenty of insolent men in our day, but we don't call them that. Insolent men are rude men who don't show respect for others (even the king). They're troublemakers who stir up division and hostility. These horrible men are trying to kill the king. We don't know who these particular insolent men were, and unfortunately there were so many insolent men who tried to kill David throughout his life that we can't even guess which ones these might be. Can you imagine? I don't think any of you have ever gone to bed knowing someone is driving around looking for you, trying to kill you. That was normal for David. He was in serious trouble here.And while our trouble is different from his, I believe God means for David's trouble to teach us how to pray in our trouble, whatever trouble we face. I want to summarize the lessons in four simple prayers:Meet my need.Glorify your name.Teach me your way.Gladden my heart.Grown-up prayers don't need to be long or complicated. There are precious lessons for us in these four simple prayers.Prayer 1: Meet My NeedFirst, “Lord, meet my need.” David doesn't mention the insolent men in the first verses, but he does start right off by praying for what he needs in the moment. Beginning in verse 1:Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you — you are my God.Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day.In other words, meet my immediate need. These guys are really trying to kill me, and I'm asking you to stoop down and intervene on my behalf. Do something about this, God. I know there are millions of people on earth, but I'm asking you to focus your infinite wisdom and strength to protect one of those millions from a few men.When you think about what the psalms are — these divinely-inspired prayer-songs, meant to be studied, memorized, and rehearsed for thousands of years — it's kind of wild how specific some of them are. God clearly wanted us to hear godly saints pray for specifics. It's one of the great gifts of the psalms (and of all the prayers in the Bible). We get to hear real people pray about real stuff. God knew we would have our own specifics (and he knew that our specifics would be really different from theirs), and he wanted us to know how to pray for specifics.Do you still pray for the specifics in your life, even the little specifics?Philippians 4:6 says:Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.God wants us to pray for specific needs — large or small, anything and everything. If you're anxious about something this morning — about anything — he wants you to pray about it. One way God accomplishes his God-sized plans for the world is to address you-sized needs in the world.Lord, meet my need.Prayer 2: Glorify Your NameOkay, so the first prayer — “Meet my need” — is a real and good prayer. We pray for specifics — like when mad men are trying to kill us or when the youngest child's eye starts swelling suddenly. David really wants God to intervene in his actual human life and change something. Meet my need! That's not the highest prayer in Psalm 86, though. And this is where our prayers start to grow up into fuller maturity. Let's start in verse 6:Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace.In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. He's still asking for help. Give ear to my prayer — meet my specific need. What does he say next? This is the second prayer: “Glorify your name.” Here's how David prays it:There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours.All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.Why would he pray like that? Lord, I need you to protect me from these bad guys. They're trying to kill me, and I need you to stop them. “There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.” Why does he pray like that? Why would he suddenly go from his particular need that day to the promise that all nations are going to worship this God? David prays like this because our confidence in asking God to do anything in our lives is rooted in his commitment to do all things for his glory. God will glorify his name — we see this all throughout the Bible, from beginning to end — and, amazingly, he chooses to glorify himself through showing kindness to us. He pours grace on undeserving people like me — grace to forgive me and save me from hell, grace to change me and empower me to live more like him, and grace to meet my very practical needs — to provide the food I need, and the home I need, and the job I need. God spreads his glory by loving his needy people. And so we don't just pray, “God, deliver me from insolent men because you like to help people.” (He does.) No, we pray, like David, “Meet my need, because meeting my need will show the world what kind of God you are — that you are gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, that you never abandon your children, that you own everything in the universe and will spend your infinite riches to care for us, that you have the power and authority to heal any illness and mend any relationship, no matter how hopeless it seems right now. How glorious will you look, God, if you do this! Glorify your name through my need.This prayer — for God to glorify his name among all the nations — serves at least two great purposes in trouble, though. First, it grounds our hope that he might actually do something. He'll care for us because that's how he reveals his glory. But second, a prayer like this widens our eyes beyond our immediate need or heartache to remember what God is and will absolutely do in the world. “The nations you have made shall come and worship before you.” That's going to happen, no question — no matter what happens in my little circumstances here. And when that happens, all my little (or big) circumstances will be made right. Oh man, things are hard right now — really hard — but I know what you're doing in the universe. And I know no one can stop you. And when you do it, I won't have to pray these prayers anymore. Praying “glorify your name” gets us out of the ruts of only praying about our needs. You've probably been here. I know I have been. Our prayer lives can become almost all about the job, the job, the job. The spouse, the spouse, the spouse. The child, the child, the child. The injury or sickness or weakness or conflict. Praying like David lifts out of our need to see the bigger picture. God is glorifying his name all over the world, and one day soon all the nations will worship him. That doesn't mean we don't pray meet-my-need prayers; it just puts those prayers into perspective.God, meet my need, for your glory.Prayer 3: Teach Me Your WayThose aren't the only two prayers in this psalm, though. When trouble comes to David, he prays, meet my need, glorify your name, and then, third, teach me your way. Verse 11:Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.Let this trouble, this trial be an opportunity for you to make me more holy — to refine away more of the remaining sin in my life. More than peace or relief from this trouble, I want greater godliness. Notice he says, verse 2: “Preserve my life, for I am godly.” He doesn't think God's using this trouble mainly to confront him (we see that in other psalms). But even though he believes he's doing the right things in this case, he wants to be even more like God. God, use this trouble to sanctify me. Teach me your way, O Lord.This is James 1:Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2–4).And don't just teach me to do certain things (and avoid others). No, this prayer is much bolder than that.Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.I don't want you to just help me do the right things (and not the bad things). I want you to change me somewhere deeper than my doing. I want you to change me in here. I want you to unite my heart toward you. I feel how distracted and divided my heart can be, and I want my whole heart to be united, aligned toward you.And I know that you often change me for the better in here through something hard out there. Do you think that way when trouble comes? You get bad news of some kind. You feel hostility or opposition of some kind. Do you think, Oh, God's about to make me more like God. I know I don't always think that way. I think, I don't like this. God, why this? Why now? Why this long?I've talked before about a bad leak we had in our kitchen late last summer. Well, that trial isn't over yet, now more than nine months later. I won't get into all of it, but it's been a real trial. I call it a “small-t trial” because we're praying for some of you going through far worse. But it's been a trial. And in my low moments, I haven't had a Psalm 86 heart about it. I've had a can't-this-just-be-over attitude. We've wrestled with God. Reading these verses again these last couple weeks, as the back-and-forth with the contractor took another bad turn, was so good for my soul. Oh Lord, this is getting worse again, you must be about to make me more like you. . . . Lord, deliver me from bad actors, for we are godly. We're doing all we can to deal with this in a way that honors you. But we're not content to be delivered. We want to be sanctified. We want the fire of this trial to burn off more of our sin and to prove and fortify whatever in us pleases you. Teach us your way, O Lord.And, at least in this psalm, we want you to make us more like you in one way in particular. This brings us to the fourth and final prayer. This one's the most surprising to me.Prayer 4: Gladden My SoulI really want you to see this fourth prayer. We'll start again in verse 3:Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day.Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.Do you pray like this when trouble comes? Not just, “Get me through this,” but “God, make me happier in you, even now, even here.” Gladden my heart in this darkness, this valley. Give me reasons to rejoice in you, reasons bigger than all the pain and uncertainty I'm experiencing right now.I want to have faith like David's. It was so dark in his life at this moment that he can't see around the corner — he's not sure if he'll survive — and yet he can see enough to enjoy God. This reminds us of the Christians in 1 Peter 1, who were being grieved by various trials, and yet Peter writes, verses 8–9,“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.” All David can see is hostility and deceit and loneliness, and yet his joy doesn't rest on what he can see. It rests on what he can't see, because he knows he can't see the most important things, the most precious things. His treasure is in heaven. His citizenship is in heaven. His hope is in heaven. And so his valleys, even his darkest valleys, hold a joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory. The world can't explain this kind of joy — in David or in you.And it's here that we remember that David is not only teaching us to pray here in Psalm 86, but he's also teaching us to sing. The psalms were not written merely to be read and recited. No, they were written and memorized to be sung. As we walk through some especially dark psalms this summer, it's good to be reminded that these are songs. This is worship. Is there anything more Christian than singing through suffering? God is teaching us to bear what we have to bear by lifting our voices in praise — because songs like these say more about reality than our eyes ever could. Our eyes betray us, but the psalms never betray us.We always have a reason to sing about who God is for us and what he's done for us, and that's where I want to close.You Have Delivered My SoulAs we prepare to baptize two people now, they're coming to declare that God has delivered them. He hasn't delivered them from pain and suffering yet. In fact, they may experience more trouble because they've chosen to follow Jesus. Many do experience more trouble. Maybe you have suffered more trouble in your family, your neighborhood, or your workplace because you're a Christian. Jesus says,“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). These two haven't been delivered from all trouble, but they have been saved from the worst trouble. And David prays that way right here in Psalm 86. Verse 12:I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.I might die, but I'm not going to die — because you have already delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol, from that awful prison called death. I'm still suffering for now, but you've already delivered me. . . . How much more boldly can we sing this now, in Christ? This is Hebrews 2:14–15:Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.And how did he destroy the one who has the power of death and deliver those who were enslaved to the fear of death? By dying at the hands of insolent men. And he didn't bear it with groaning, but with gladness.“For the joy that was set before him, [he] endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).In other words, when insolent men came to arrest him, abuse him, and crucify him, the Father gladdened the heart of his servant. He took the cross for you, with joy. And if he could bear that trial with joy in the Father, surely I can bear my small-t trials with greater joy in him.

Weaponised Empathy - The Psyop DESTROYING Western Culture. Join Chris Thrall in a compelling conversation with Dr. Joe Rigney, Fellow of Theology at New Saint Andrews College and author of The Sin of Empathy, as they unpack how weaponized empathy and counterfeit compassion have ensnared men, institutions, and entire nations. Discover how the West has fallen under the progressive gaze, a subtle yet powerful force of emotional manipulation rooted in untethered empathy. Dr. Rigney, a former president of Bethlehem College & Seminary and pastor at Cities Church, reveals practical ways to identify weaponized empathy, resist emotional blackmail, and reclaim Christian compassion grounded in truth. In this eye-opening discussion, learn how victimhood culture and progressive ideology exploit the sin of empathy to undermine society, and explore actionable steps to move forward with clarity and conviction. Perfect for those seeking to understand the balance between compassion vs. empathy and navigate the challenges of cultural manipulation. Don't miss this deep dive into empathy critique and Christian theology that challenges conventional thinking. Socials: instagram.com/chris.thrall youtube.com/christhrall facebook.com/christhrall christhrall.com Support the podcast at: patreon.com/christhrall (£2 per month plus perks) gofundme.com/christhrall paypal.me/teamthrall Our uncensored content: christhrall.locals.com Mailing list: christhrall.com/mailing-list/ Life Coaching: christhrall.com/coach/

John 4:27-42,Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” 28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him.31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.' 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” I want you to imagine yourself walking down a hard-packed, weather-worn trail. An arid wilderness of dry, cracked earth all round you, the heat of the midday sun upon your skin. And a group of twelve Jewish men walking alongside you whose faces seem to all-too-closely match that of their surroundings — they too appear worn, vacant, and tired.You ask this group of 12 men where they've been traveling. They say they've been on a journey — one that had begun with a wedding up in Cana of Galilee — a most festive occasion, they say. From there, they'd traveled south to Jerusalem in Judea. After spending some time there, they'd begun their travel back up to Galilee, cutting through Samaria on their way.Earlier that day they'd left their Rabbi back at Jacob's well to rest while they headed into town to buy bread — much needed sustenance for the remaining miles in front of them. And now, with Jacob's well just a few hundred yards out in front of them, and their master's form seated beside that well now visible just off in the distance, they were growing more and more eager to, at last, sit down, eat their bread, and rest.And then, they fall quiet. You assume it's because they're so sapped of strength. But a few minutes later, you look up, and discover their silence is owing to another reason. Before them stands their Rabbi, and he is no longer alone. A woman from Samaria is there as well. In this morning's text, we're going to cover the second half of this unexpected scene involving Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Last week, Pastor Marshall preached through part one involving the private conversation between Jesus and this woman. Today, we're going to walk through part two, which will have us looking on at this scene mainly through the eyes of the disciples. Along the way, we're going to see two ways Jesus uses this moment to invite his disciples — they and us included — to become even more like him. Let's pray and ask the Lord for his help.So, part two of Jesus and the Samaritan woman. And we're looking for two ways Jesus uses this moment to invite us to become even more like him. Let's begin with the first one — Jesus invites us to see as he sees.See What Jesus SeesSo, verse 27, the 12 disciples return to the well to find not Jesus alone, but Jesus and the Samaritan woman. And we shouldn't think it incredible that they find the Samaritan woman there. They are, after all, in Samaria. And while its true, most of the townspeople would've gone earlier that morning to draw water from the well, it's not unthinkable that at least one woman, especially one so socially despised and rejected as her, should've chosen to come to the well midday. However, what is unthinkable, is the fact that Jesus had not immediately turned his back to this woman upon her arrival. Jesus had not sneered at her, jumped to his feet, and stomped off in disgust. Instead, Jesus began conversing with her. He, a Jewish man, had turned his gaze upon her — a sin-stained, Samaritan woman.And when his disciples see that, they're stunned. Verse 27:“Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman.”They marveled. They wondered. They began thinking to themselves, “This is not a part of the plan. This is not the point of our travels. We are in Samaria, not because we're wanting to linger here, much less engage the Samaritan people in conversation. We're here to get in, get rest, and get out. Samaria is just a sidewalk to us — an unfortunate sidewalk, an unseemly sidewalk — but a sidewalk, nonetheless. And we mean to step over it as quickly as possible.” Well, you could imagine the awkward tension of that moment. I mean, the disciples are just standing there. Jesus and the Samaritan woman have wrapped up their conversation, and the disciples enter in, and just stand there. Silent. Stunned. Looking on in dislike and disbelief.And the Samaritan woman notices. In fact, my guess is that she took one look at the twelve tense, standoffish disciples and thought, “My, how astonishingly different they are from their master.” She sets down her water jar, turns around, and hurries back into town.Pause for a moment… How do we account for the disparity of that one moment? How do we explain the stark difference between Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman which had been so full of love and consideration and the disciples' interaction with her which had been so cold and disinterested?I mean, think about it, their entrance made the woman want to leave. Made her want to turn away. She took their arrival as her signal to exit the scene.And for all they know, she's headed right back to a life of shame, isolation, and unrelenting soul-level thirst. And the disciples don't run after her. They don't say, “Wait, come back, stay here with Jesus. You don't need to leave. We want you to stay. We want you to linger before the one who can help you, save you, satisfy you. You've found Jesus, don't walk away from him.” No, they don't say any of that to this woman, because they don't care two cents about this woman. “She's gone,” they think, “and so are our troubles. Now, Jesus, its time to eat.”How do you explain the incredible gap between Jesus' love for the Samaritan woman, and his disciples complete and total lack thereof? Well, I believe Jesus explains it for us in verse 35. We're skipping over a few lines that we'll get back to in a moment, but for now, take a look at verse 35. It is here, I believe, that Jesus exposes the problem:“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest?' Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.”Notice all the sight-related language in that sentence…“Look”“Lift up your eyes”“See.”Think about it… What is Jesus trying to teach here? What is Jesus trying to show? It's this: the disciples have a problem with their vision. A problem with their sight. Though they have begun to follow him, it appears they have not yet begun to see like him. For them, all they saw in the Samaritan woman was a nobody. A nuisance. A being not worth their time, or effort, or attention. They failed to see her as Jesus saw her.And so, now with the entire town of Samaria approaching — note how verse 30 says, they (the people of Samaria) went out of town and were coming to him. So we've got the entire town of Samaria approaching. And Jesus takes that as an opportunity to correct his disciples' vision. Verse 35,“Look, lift up your eyes, see that the fields are white for harvest.”“I want you to see,” Jesus is saying, “These Samaritans are not nobodies. They're not unimportant to me, or unimportant to my father. They're not people I want you to dismiss, or ignore, or avoid. They're the harvest. They're the prize. They're the yield we're here to receive. The exact harvest I've led us here to find. The exact harvest I've led us here to reap. Samaria is not our sidewalk, it's our mission field. Do you see? Look, lift up your eyes, can you see them, can you see them, how I see them?”Cities Church, when we look out at the world, out at the multitude of non-Christians all around us, do we see what Jesus sees?When we see our neighbors hanging out in the backyard together, or our co-workers typing on their laptops in the office, or our classmates walking by us in the hallway, or our family members seated next to us at the dinner table — do we see them, do we see those people, the way Jesus sees them?What if Jesus we're to say of us, friends — you're missing the harvest. You're ignoring the harvest. It's ready, it's ripe, I've prepared it, I've brought you here to find it and reap it — do you see it? Do you see it? Or, do you see a wasteland? An empty field? A sidewalk? A bunch of people who are quite simply not worth your time? If so, then we need to repent, and pray and commit to daily praying, “Jesus, make us to see the way you see. Help us to recognize the harvest field that is the world all around us. Help us to envision, if he were standing right beside us at work, or in the neighborhood, or at the dinner table, how you would care for, and speak to, and invite to drink and be satisfied. Help us to see as you see.” The first way Jesus invites us through this text to become even more like him — He invites us to begin seeing as he sees. See with eyes focused upon the harvest. Now, the second way Jesus invites us to become more like him. For this, we'll back up in the story to verse 31.Be Satisfied as Jesus Is SatisfiedThese are the first words the disciples speak upon their return to the well, just as soon as the Samaritan woman has left them. Verse 31: “Rabbi, eat.”We've brought back the bread — let's eat.And Jesus' response to them takes them a bit off guard. Verse 32:“But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.'”You know, I said that to Amelia once. I had packed a lunch for work but then left it in the fridge — you guys ever do that? Well, my wife felt terrible about that because she assumed it meant me taking on a full days' work on an empty stomach. I got home later that day and she said, “I'm so sorry I wasn't able to run your lunch up to you.” And I said, “it's okay, I have food to eat that you do not know about.” And it was true, I did. I had like half a dozen frozen burritos in the staff fridge at my disposal. I was good to go.It's a bit of a funny story, but I share it with you because when Jesus says this to his disciples, “I have food to eat that you do not know about,” his disciples assume something along the lines of burritos in the fridge. Like, perhaps he had an extra loaf of bread he'd been carrying around. Perhaps a passerby gave him some food while we were away. Or maybe one of the other disciples had given him something to eat prior to heading out into town. That's why in verse 33 they begin asking one another: “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” I mean, if Jesus says he has food, then he must've gotten it from somewhere.But the truth is, Jesus had not gotten his fill of bread. In fact, he had not taken in any physical food whatsoever. His stomach was just as empty in that moment as those of his disciples. But his soul was full!See, he had found sustenance at that well. He had found heart-enlivening provision while conversing with the Samaritan woman. He had enjoyed a feast — one that had satisfied his soul far more than any four-course dinner ever could. But what was that feast if not food? Verse 34,“My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”My food is the joy-giving recognition of God's smile upon me as I carry out his will in the world. My food is to receive real, necessary sustenance through obedience to him.For no, just as Jesus said to Satan in the wilderness after being tempted to turn a stone into a meal, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” He's not trying to be cute in that moment. Not trying to be clever. In fact, he's quoting there from Deuteronomy 8:3, not because he's trying to be cute, or clever, but because he believes it! God designed us, you see, to crave a certain satisfaction that comes only from him and living for him, and crave it far more than we crave our bread and water. And security and rest.Obedience to God, living for God, going out to gather the harvest for God is literally God-given food for the soul. Jesus had come upon one of his Father's beloved — a woman dying of soul-level thirst. A woman who'd been drinking her entire life from wells that held no water. And he showed her where true life is found. He showed her where her thirst could be quenched. He made her alive! He made her to see! He saved her! He changed her life's trajectory for eternity. And in that moment, it did not matter that his stomach was still empty. His heart was full. His soul was full. He was full and well-satisfied.Do you believe that if you were to engage in the good work of the harvest — the good work of going out into the world to win people to Christ — that tiring as it may be, challenging as it could be, it would actually produce in you a sort of joy and fullness no amount of feasting and rest and relaxation ever could? Do you believe that?If you don't believe me, then take a stroll up and down Grand Avenue this afternoon, and meet the hundreds of people who walk these streets as men and woman living entirely for themselves and entirely for their comfort. They're in the prime of life, and in the greatest of health, and have the fullest of wallets and the most comfortable lifestyles — and they're empty, bored, and lifeless.Afterwards, get on a plane, travel to the most poverty-stricken, war-torn most hellish places on earth and find Christian missionaries there who could've lived on Grand Avenue, and could've chosen a life of comfort, and who gave up all the money they had in order to become poor, and hungry, and friends to all the needy souls around them, and find them to be tired, a bit worn down, and yet radiating with joy!Friends, have you been starving your souls of the much-needed sustenance found by those who seek after God's harvest? Have you — in your hurry, in your self-focus — been skipping meal after meal of hearty, filling, joy-giving ministry to others? Have you been fasting from the experience of God's smile upon those who do the work he prepared for you to do?The disciples had bread in that moment, I doubt they felt full. The woman had left her water jar, I doubt she felt thirsty. Jesus says, I believe in reference to the Samaritan woman, verse 36: “Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.”Jesus saw those Samaritans, those fields ready for harvest, and, O, it made his heart to swell. The Samaritan woman led all her townspeople toward Jesus, and O, how it made her soul glad. See, joy is being had, my brothers and sisters, by those who have entered into the good work of the harvest. By those who are bringing others to Jesus to drink their fill of living water. Joy — soul-sustaining, heart-filling, spirit-enlivening joy is being had by those who are doing the will of him who sent us, which Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:“Go and make disciples.”Verse 36 states,“Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.” Will you, today, get in on that joy as well? Will you, today, begin tasting the spiritual food of carrying out the Father's will?First way Jesus invites us through this text to become even more like him — He invites us to begin seeing as he sees. Second way, he invites us to be satisfied as he is satisfied.Share Your storyNow, a word of application. Because many of you may be thinking: “I'm seeing it, I'm seeing my neighbors afresh, I'm seeing them with eyes of love and care rather than dismay and disinterest. And I'm wanting to be filled, I'm wanting to be satisfied by the kind of joy that comes from sowing and reaping of the harvest. But how do I do it? Where do I begin? What do I say?”And really, there is no one way to answer that question. In fact, I encourage you, following the commission, to ask a few people around you how they've sought to answer that question. But for now, there is at least one way we can answer it, from this text. Look with me back up at verse 28: The woman goes back into town and says to the people, verse 29,“Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”She gave them her personal testimony. She says, “Come, let me tell you what Jesus has done for me.” She didn't offer an intellectual defense for Christianity — though it wouldn't have been wrong for her to do so. Instead, she told her people what she knew. And that is that no one had ever treated her so kindly as this man. No one had ever spoken so directly to her as this man. No one had ever so known her faults, and yet loved her all the same, as this man. “Would you like to come with me to meet him for yourself? Would you like to come see for yourself if this be the Christ?”Brothers and sisters, in a world of fake-news, and phony salesmen, and people who are more concerned about what's on their phone than what's on the heart of the person in front of them, there is incredible power in the genuine, humble, love-driven sharing of personal testimonies.Did Jesus rescue you out of a pit of depression? Did Jesus cover the shame you felt was visible all over you? Did Jesus guide you by a wisdom far greater than your own? Did Jesus calm the mountains of anxiety that you'd been suffocating under? Did Jesus save you from a life dedicated to the hollow approval of man? Did Jesus heal the pain you experienced from growing up in a broken home?Did Jesus love you when you felt unlovable?Did Jesus care for you when you felt uncared for? Did Jesus protect you when you felt fearful? Did Jesus draw near to you when you felt all alone? Did Jesus free you from judgment, assure you of his love, lead you to the Father, provide for you an inheritance, build a room for you in heaven, promise you what no human being (no mom, no dad, no husband, no wife, no friend, no confidant) could ever promise you — that “He would never leave you nor forsake you?”Did Jesus save your life? Did Jesus satisfy your thirsty soul?If so, you should tell someone. If so, you should share that story with another. No, our testimonies don't always lead to others immediate salvation. That was the case for some upon first hearing of the Samaritan woman's testimony. Verse 39 says,“Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony.”Not all of them did though. Some remained skeptical. Some were not yet sold. But they were intrigued enough to travel to the well. Intrigued enough to go and check out Jesus for themselves. Intrigued enough to ask Jesus, verse 40, to stay in their town just a bit longer. And Jesus did. He, a Jewish man, expected to despise these Samaritans, gladly stayed two days later in their town, with the result that, verse 41:“And many more believed because of his word.”They said to the woman:“It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”And just as John the Baptist, I trust the woman was all-too-glad for her and her testimony to fade into the background as her townspeople met Christ firsthand.Picture it brothers and sisters: Your non-Christian neighbor, your non-Christian co-worker, your non-Christian family member coming to you, maybe months after you shared your testimony with them, saying, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” What joy would erupt within you? What soul-satisfying sustenance would you take in at such a moment. Cities Church, see as Jesus sees. Be satisfied as Jesus is satisfied. And go out into the harvest, with testimony ready upon your lips, and take joy in the work alongside the other sowers and reapers you meet there.The TableWell, what brings us to the table this morning is Jesus' sacrifice of his body in death upon a cross for our sins. Without this ransom which he paid there so that we who trust in him might be forgiven of our sin, we'd have no good news to share. No harvest to reap. No joy to take in. No future feast in heaven at Jesus' table to look forward to. Because that is what this table represents, it is for those who are presently trusting in Jesus. If this is you, please eat and drink with us. If this is not you, whether you have yet to receive Jesus and his life, death, and resurrection for you, or believe that you are presently living in disobedience and are in need of repentance, please allow the bread and the cup to pass by. The pastors will come, let us serve you.

John 4:1-26,Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3 he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4 And he had to pass through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband'; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” Before we get into the story here in John 4, and the conversation with the Samaritan woman, I just wanted you to see something unusual and beautiful here about Jesus.In the last chapter, Jesus is ministering to a curious Pharisee, a teacher of the law, a ruler of the Jews — untouchable. And yet Jesus reaches out to him to invite him in, answer his questions, and challenge his thinking, to draw him into the kingdom. This is a guy from the highest, most intellectual, most religious stratosphere of society. . . . And then here, just a few verses later, he's stopping to minister to a sexually-immoral, socially-alienated woman — untouchable. And yet Jesus reaches out to her, engages her questions, and invites her to drink from his fountain of living water. These two couldn't be more different. He's a Jew, a leader in society, steeped in Scripture, rigorously observing the law; he's a man and he comes at night, and we know his name: Nicodemus. She's a Samaritan, and an outcast even in Samaria, in and out of relationships with men, far less familiar with God's law; she's a woman and they meet in broad, scorching daylight; and we don't even get her name. These two people couldn't be more different — and I believe that's utterly intentional. What do I take from it? It doesn't matter who you are this morning, Jesus has something to say to you. It doesn't matter if you're a politician or a prostitute, a priest or a thief, a CEO, a stay-at-home mom, or a college student, a Jew, a Samaritan, or a lifelong Minnesotan — Jesus has something to say to you this morning: something convicting and renewing, something hard and something really, really good. It was true with Nicodemus, and it's true here with this woman, and it'll be true here in this room — if we have ears to hear him.Give Me a DrinkOkay so we read here, verses 1–3, that Jesus leaves Judea because of pressure from the Pharisees (they were getting jealous and angry), and so he heads for Galilee. And you had to go through Samaria to get to Galilee. But “Samaria” was a bad word for Jews. Jews hated Samaritans, and Samaritans hated Jews.But he had to pass through Samaria to get to Galilee, and as he did, he gets tired from all the walking, and so he finds a well where he can stop and get a drink. It's the sixth hour (probably about noon), the hottest part of the day. No one draws water at noon in Samaria. They come earlier or later in the day when it's cooler. No one comes at this time. But while he's there, a woman stops at the well. A “woman of Samaria,” so this is Mrs. Bad Word. And as we'll find out in a minute, she's here at the well in the hottest part of the day for a reason. She's likely ashamed to be around the other women — because of all the men she's been with. Despite all that, Jesus says to her, verse 7, “Give me a drink.” You can tell how surprising it was for him to even talk to her, because of how she responds, verse 9:“How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?' (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)”No dealings. Not even a cup of water in the heat of the day. Why did Jews and Samaritans hate one another? In the beginning, the nation of Israel had twelve tribes, one each for the twelve sons of Jacob. And the capitol of that nation was (and is) Jerusalem. And Israel still had twelve tribes when Solomon was king, but when he died and his son Rehoboam took over, he ruled badly and alienated 10 of the 12 tribes. So those ten split off in a mutiny against Jerusalem. They formed a new northern kingdom, and they made Jeroboam their king. That makes them traitors in Jerusalem. And Samaria was the capital of traitor nation.Foreigners moved into the northern kingdom, and they inter-married with the Jewish people, making the people less and less Jewish over time. Eventually that mixed race is called “Samaritans,” after the capitol city. For the Jews, it was synonymous with “half-breed” or “impure.” They despised Samaritans. One scholar writes,“The ethnic and cultural boundary between the Jews and the Samaritans,” one scholar writes, “was every bit as rigid and hostile as the current boundary between Blacks and Whites in the most racist areas of the United States.” (From Every People and Nation, 163)Imagine refusing someone something as small and critical as water, simply because of their ethnicity. That's how malicious this rivalry was.But Jesus isn't offended. He answers, verse 10, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”You think you've got me figured out, that I'm like every other Jewish guy you've heard about, but you have no idea. If you knew who I was, you wouldn't have waited for me to ask for a cup of water.She's of course confused, so she says,“Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”This water's been just fine, and for hundreds of years. As far as wells go, this is a great well. Why would I need different water? (And besides, if you had better water, what would you even put it in?)To which he replies, Has this water really been enough for you? And if it has, why do you have to keep coming back here like you do? Here's how he says it:“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”What do we learn about this “living water”? When you drink it, you'll never be thirsty again. It might be hard for us to feel what this would have meant in that day. We have clean water everywhere we turn, coming out of every faucet in our homes. In that day, they had to carry these buckets back and forth, back and forth — for drinking, for cooking, for bathing. Water was a huge part of their lives. And Jesus says, you drink from my well, and you'll never be thirsty again. You'll never have to do this walk again. But he goes even further than that. “The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”When you drink this water, you'll never thirst and you'll never die. You're going to live forever.The woman still doesn't totally get it, as we'll see, but she's heard enough to be sold: “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”Give me this eternal water service, the gallons just showing up at my house every day. I don't want to come out here over and over and over again. I hate coming out here in the heat of the day. Please give me some of this special water you're telling me about.“Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come here.'”Seems straightforward enough. If you want what I'm offering, go grab your husband and we'll talk more. It's not straightforward, though, not at all — and Jesus knows that.“The woman answered him, ‘I have no husband.'”A little awkward, but not necessarily a problem (not yet). But, again, Jesus knows more than she thinks he does. “Jesus said to her, ‘You are right in saying, “I have no husband”; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.'” Okay, so we're not really talking about water at all, are we? This isn't about Jacob or buckets or H₂O. Her well was men. She had been trying to quench her thirst for love, for security, for life in the arms of romance. He asked her for a drink because he knew how thirsty she was. She was dying of thirst inside, and she had tried well after well after well — Greg, then Ryan, then Jared, then Dave, then Scott, then Tony (who knows what their names were). And she was still so thirsty. She was more thirsty than she was before she met the first guy. Sin is the anti-well, the anti-fountain. And some of you are drinking there every day. Maybe you're like this woman, and you've thrown yourself into relationship after relationship. Maybe your wells are online, in the dark places of the internet. Maybe you're fostering some bitterness or anger. Maybe it's indulging in alcohol, or over-eating, or binge-watching. The first time you put your bucket in, you got enough for a drink. And then a little less, and a little less, and a little less. Now you're scraping the dirty bottom for a thimble, for a drip of water. But you're so thirsty, so you keep trying. Put your bucket down. Whatever it is, put it down and walk away. Don't drink there anymore! Come to the fountain of life and you'll never be thirsty again.And all you have to do is ask. Did you hear that in verse 10?“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”Why would he give it? Because you asked. All you have to do is ask!Right here, in these verses, is a well, a spring — and it will never fail you. You don't even need your bucket anymore, because the well's inside of you. “The water that I will give him will become in him” — in you — “a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”Which Well Will You Choose?So which well will you choose? What's keeping you from asking? What's between you and the fountain right now?Jesus overcomes three great hurdles, three great barriers in this story, the kinds of barriers that might be keeping you from coming to the fountain. Three great barriers, and you could summarize them like this: six husbands, two temples, one wall.1. No Sin Is Too GreatFirst, six husbands. Well, five husbands and the boyfriend. But six men wasn't too many. It might have gotten her canceled in town (she had to go draw water by herself in the heat of day), but six men didn't disqualify her from this well. No, these six husbands tell us that no sin is too great. You know that, but I want you to know it. Some of you know it, but you don't believe it. You don't. You think your sins are too great, too bad, too many. This woman's in the Bible to tell you that's not true.We don't find out that she's been with so many men until verse 18, but Jesus already knew in verse 1. He knew and he still stopped to talk to her. He still offered her a drink. He offered her the only drink she'd ever need, the one that would quench and heal all the aching dryness inside of her. He wasn't embarrassed to be seen with her. He wasn't too ashamed of her to bear her sins and make her his own — if she would just ask.So will you ask, will you forsake all your other wells, and drink from this fountain? Will you believe, repent, and be forgiven?2. No Place Is Too FarSecond, two temples. When Jesus knows about all her husbands, she realizes he's a prophet, and so she turns the conversation to how and where to worship. Verse 19:“Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”She's bringing up an argument between Jews and Samaritans. When the northern kingdom split off from Judah and Jerusalem, they built their own temple on Mount Gerizim (that's the mountain she mentions). The Jews in Jerusalem obviously didn't think that temple was legit, though, and so that was another reason to hate each other.She realizes this conversation's not really about water, or even about her husbands, this is a conversation about worship. And worship happens, in her mind, in either that temple or that temple. Jesus says to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.”For hundreds and hundreds of years, God's people worshiped in one big temple, a building — 150 feet tall and a million and a half square feet. It's a big, massive dot on Google maps. But it's one big dot. Not anymore, Jesus says. Up until now — up until me — you had to come to a place, a temple to offer right worship to God. Now, you can worship him anywhere. You can worship him at 1524 Summit Ave in St. Paul, Minnesota in a country that won't even exist for another couple thousand years.What do these two temples tell us in the story? That now, no place is too far. The hour has come when true worshipers worship the Father in spirit and truth. True worshipers worship in spirit — not just with our hands, and knees, and gifts, but by the work of the Spirit inside of us. This is what Jesus just told us in the last chapter, verse 5:“Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”And true worshipers worship in truth, that is, they worship according to how God has revealed himself in his word and in the Word made flesh, his Son. Those are the essential ingredients: God's supernatural work in you by the Spirit and God's supernatural revelation in the Bible, most fundamentally in Jesus. And now, in Jesus, if you worship in spirit and truth, you can worship God anywhere.You don't have to come to this building to worship Jesus. You should absolutely join a local church and faithfully attend their gatherings, but you can worship Jesus in the temple high on the mountain or down by a well in the heat of day, in the sanctuary on Sunday morning or alone in your bedroom on your knees. Because of Jesus, you can meet and worship God in any place. And one day soon he will be worshiped in every place, when his glory covers the earth as the waters cover the sea. No place is too far.3. No Wall Is Too HighThird, the wall. Jesus calmed the raging storm with a word, and he brought down the mile-high racial-ethnic-religious wall between Jews and Samaritans with a drink of water (with less than a drink of water, because as far as we know, he never got the drink). This raging hostility — between Jews and Samaritans — this hostility tells us no wall is too high. This Jesus overcomes every conceivable boundary and hostility between us. So what walls seem too high today?Are they in the Middle East or Asia? Jesus had to pass through Samaria — and he has to pass through Iraq, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. He has to pass through Cameroon, the Philippines, and Turkey, where our global partners serve right now. Those are high, high walls. And no wall's too high. Why does he have to pass through those hard places? Matthew 24:14,“This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”One day we will sing, Revelation 5:9, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”Do you want to reach an unreached people with the gospel, to help bring down walls around the world so that people dying of thirst might finally hear about Jesus? You won't find a wall too high. Jesus can bring any wall down, and he can do it with a cup of water. How much more might he do through you?You won't find a wall too high in the Middle East, and you won't find a wall too high in Minneapolis. In your neighborhood. In your family. These walls are a lot closer, so they might look and feel a lot higher, a lot thicker, (in the case of family) a lot more sensitive and painful. How could God ever save him? Or her? There's no sin too great, no place too far, and no wall too high. Do you still believe that — even for them?The Father Is Seeking WorshipAnd why is no sin too great, no place too far, and no wall too high? Because, verse 23, the Father is seeking people like us to worship him.“The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.”Despite all the barriers, it's going to happen. Why? Because the God of heaven is out looking for them — he's meeting them at wells and in temples, he's finding them at big Christian conferences and in conversations at the gas station, he's using parents and neighbors and little-league coaches and roommates and co-workers — he's seeking. He's seeking worshipers. Does that sound selfish to you? “The Father is seeking worshipers.” If one of you talked that way, it would be gross, right? If I said, “Pastor Daniel is seeking worshipers who will worship him,” you'd say he shouldn't be a pastor. We'd think he'd lost his mind. We don't like people like this. So why is it any different with God? Why can he do everything he does for his own glory (and he does do everything he does for his glory)? And why can he tell us to do everything we do for his glory? (“Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”)Because he's worthy of all the glory — more than we could ever give him, more than the sun and moon and stars and mountains could ever say — and because his glory is the best news in the world for people like us.Why do I find so much hope and comfort in him seeking worship? Because when this God finds a worshiper, he gives us the spring of living water in him. Worship is our well of living water. And if he wasn't seeking, we'd never find him. That's how blinding sin is. This God reveals his glory by satisfying the dry and weary souls of the undeserving, of the sinful. I want a God like that. And he's the only one there is.And this Father was so relentlessly committed to finding you, knowing you, saving you that he sent his Son into the world to die for you. The woman says, verse 25,“I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”And Jesus says to her (maybe the clearest, most shocking statement he makes about himself in all the Bible):“I who speak to you am he.”And in that moment, she hears what we've known since verse 1: The normal-looking Jewish man standing by this well, at the heat of day, asking her for a drink, is the Savior of the world, the Son of God, the Messiah.This brings us to the table. One of the sneaky startling things about this passage is hiding in verse 6. We read right over it.“. . . so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well.”Jesus was wearied. It should take our breath away that the Son of God was wearied. He didn't count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself. He got tired like we do, and needed a drink like we do. He was willing to be wearied for you. And far more than wearied, “he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, death on a cross.” This long, hot journey from Jerusalem to Galilee, through terrible hostility, it's a picture of this whole Gospel, of the whole Bible. Jesus was wearied for you, betrayed for you, pierced for you, crushed for you, so that you might worship him in spirit and truth — and never be thirsty again.He's still seeking. Will he find worship in you? This table, this meal is a meal for the members of Cities Church, but if by faith in Jesus Christ you have to come to drink at the fountain of living water, we invite you to eat and drink with us. If you're not yet a believer in Jesus, we'd ask you to let the bread and the cup pass. But let today be the day you put your bucket down and follow Jesus.

Joe Rigney of New Saint Andrews College, stops by to talk about his much anticipated new book, The Sin of Empathy.   #JoeRigney #Empathy #Compassion #Emotions #Manipulation #Psychology #Politics #Faith #Book #News   Show Notes: https://americanreformer.org/author/joerigney/ Purchase Dr. Rigney's Book, The Sin of Empathy Canon Press: https://canonpress.com/products/the-sin-of-empathy Amazon: https://a.co/d/7VXmnur   Dr. Rigney is an Associate Pastor at Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho and serves as Fellow of Theology at New Saint Andrews College. He is the author of seven books: Live Like a Narnian: Christian Discipleship in Lewis's Chronicles (Eyes & Pen, 2013); The Things of Earth: Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts (Crossway, 2015); Lewis on the Christian Life: Becoming Truly Human in the Presence of God (Crossway, 2018); Strangely Bright: Can You Love God and Enjoy This World? (Crossway, 2020); More Than a Battle: Experiencing Victory, Freedom, and Healing from Lust (B&H, 2021), Courage: How the Gospel Creates Christian Fortitude (Crossway, 2023), and Leadership and Emotional Sabotage (Canon Press, 2024). Previously, Dr. Rigney served as a professor and president of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, a pastor at Cities Church in St. Paul, and a teacher at Desiring God. Joe lives in Moscow, Idaho with his wife Jenny and three sons.   Learn more about Joe Rigney's work at: https://nsa.edu/contributors/joe-rigney https://emotionalsabotage.com   ––––––   Follow American Reformer across Social Media: X / Twitter – https://www.twitter.com/amreformer Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AmericanReformer/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanReformer Rumble – https://rumble.com/user/AmReformer Website – https://americanreformer.org/   Promote a vigorous Christian approach to the cultural challenges of our day, by donating to The American Reformer: https://americanreformer.org/donate/   Follow Us on Twitter: Josh Abbotoy – https://twitter.com/Byzness Timon Cline – https://twitter.com/tlloydcline   The American Reformer Podcast is  hosted by Josh Abbotoy and Timon Cline, recorded remotely in the United States, and edited by Jared Cummings.   Subscribe to our Podcast, "The American Reformer" Get our RSS Feed – https://americanreformerpodcast.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-american-reformer-podcast/id1677193347 Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/1V2dH5vhfogPIv0X8ux9Gm?si=a19db9dc271c4ce5

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. Okay, I've got really good news and really bad news — which do you want first?I'll explain the bad news first, but let me at least start with the good news just by reading verse 18. Here it is, verse 18: “Whoever believes in him [in Jesus] 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.”This is super straightforward. Everybody get that?Whoever believes in Jesus is not condemned (that's really good news!)Whoever does not believe in Jesus is condemned already (that's really bad news, for those who don't believe).And a keyword in both statements is the word “whoever” — that's whoever as in anybody …Whoever as in — it doesn't matter who you are or who your momma is; it doesn't matter where you're from or what you've done; it doesn't matter how you look or the place you live or what anybody else thinks about you — it doesn't even matter what you think about yourself — “whoever” is the broadest, most inclusive way to refer to humanity. Whoever means whoever — this is every human on this earth, it's any person you could ever think of, whoever is all of us all the same — and the apostle John says there's one thing that makes the main difference with the whoevers — it's: Do you believe in Jesus or not?John has written this book so that we would believe in Jesus, and he wastes no time putting the fork in the road here.Will you believe in Jesus and not be condemned? Or will you not believe in Jesus and be condemned?Those are the only options for us, and I hope that you hear this as both really good and really bad. It's really good if you believe (it's amazing — I want this to be all of us!) but it's really bad if you don't believe … or if you love those who don't believe (which I hope is also all of us). Cities Church, God is speaking to us today in his word, in the good news and the bad news, and that's my focus in this sermon. I just have two points, and you've already heard them. I'll say a few more things about each one, but before we move on, let's pray again:Father, right now, your Spirit is at work like the wind! He does what he wishes according to your will! And we ask: would you will that he give life this morning! Give life! Revive life! Make us to see reality at it is. In Jesus's name, amen. For the first point, there's more on the bad news, here it is:1. We're going down. Y'all ever been in a situation before when you realized: “Oh no, this is not good. I'm doomed.”? You could call it the “moment of reckoning” or a “mayday moment.” I've had more than one of these but the moment that stands out was one time when I was a kid when I accidentally hit my brother in the face with a shinguard and knocked his front tooth out. I wasn't worried about him — he's tough; I knew he'd be fine — I was worried about telling my dad. I felt doomed. If you know the feeling, it's like your ears get really hot and something gets stuck right here. It's not pleasant. There's a historical figure who knew all about these moments — it was a woman named Violet Jessop. Maybe you've heard her name before. Violet was a ship stewardess and nurse in the early 1900s who is famous for being a passenger on three different ships — the Olympic, the Titanic, and the Britannic. (You recognize that second ship — the Titanic struck an iceberg and Rose let Jack freeze to death.) But get this: the Olympic, in 1911, collided with another ship and in 1916 the Britannic hit a naval mine. All three ships turned into disasters and Violet Jessop survived each one, which means she lived through at least three real moments in her life when she would have heard the words, and realized, literally, “We're going down! … I'm in a situation that is doomed.” … She felt that three different times — isn't that crazy?I want you to know verses 18–20 are meant to give us a similar realization. Original SinThe truth is, the coming of Jesus has a dooming effect — now, that's not the purpose for why Jesus came (we'll get to more on that later, but verse 17 is clear: “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world.”) Jesus didn't come with the purpose to condemn the world, but a result of his coming, and people not believing in him, is that it makes clear that people are condemned already. In other words, the reality of Jesus reveals the doom that already exists for everyone who does not trust him. Verse 36, the last verse of this chapter, says that for the one who does not believe in Jesus, “the wrath of God remains on him.”Deserving the wrath of God is something else that we all have in common — and it goes back to what's called original sin. We all face condemnation — we all face doom — because we all sin … because we choose to sin … because we inherited sinfulness. The first rebellion of our granddaddy Adam infects us as humans. It defiles us in all faculties and parts of the body and soul. None of us are just humans, we're broken humans. We are bent away from God. Our default thinking is that if we need to be saved, we can save ourselves. We are “by nature,” as Paul says in Ephesians 2:3, “children of wrath like the rest of mankind.” If we reject Jesus, the wrath of God remains on us because we start with that verdict. Verdict Exposed We all start with the verdict of condemnation because of our sin, but we don't know that until we're confronted with the gospel. That's what John is saying in verse 19,19 And this is the judgment [another word for judgment is “verdict” — this is it:] 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.See, people love the darkness but the darkness is all they know until the light comes — so, they don't actually know they love the darkness until the light comes and they hate the light; they want to avoid the light.Why? Because the light exposes them. The problem with this exposure is not that it makes these people look bad in front of others — we don't avoid the exposure because of what others might think — but we avoid the exposure because in the light we must face the verdict.The light shows things as they really are; which means the lovers of darkness can't be oblivious anymore to what the darkness means. The light is what makes everyone finally realize: “This whole thing is going down. … I'm in a situation that is doomed.”Why I'm Telling YouAnd let's be honest, if you like your situation, if you love the darkness, you don't want to hear this. So most times you stay away from places like this, or if you come, you plug your ears and stiffen your heart and you try to protect yourself from the fear of condemnation by pretending there's no such thing.If that's you, I'm so glad you're here, and the best thing that could happen right now is for the Holy Spirit to rush through here like a mighty wind and open your eyes. Because the bad news is that if you don't believe in Jesus, you are condemned.And I'm not telling you you're condemned because I'm trying to be a jerk — I'm telling you because there's a way out.This is the second point …2. Jesus was sent here on a rescue mission.This is verse 17. And you gotta see this. Everybody find verse 17. Verse 17, get ready to finish the sentence for me:“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.”Now “saved” is an important word in this verse, but another important word is the word “send.”Track with me here: “God” here is referring to God the Father, and “Son” is referring to Jesus — and along with the Holy Spirit, we should think Trinity. This is God in himself from all eternity happy and satisfied — the Father loving the Son, the Son loving the Father, and the Holy Spirit as the bond of that love.And John tells us that God the Father sent Jesus his Son here, into this world. And God the Father did that because of his love, verse 16,“God so loved the world that he sent [he gave] his only Son!”I want to make sure we get this right: Jesus did not come here so that God the Father would love us; but Jesus came here because God the Father loves us. John will say later, 1 John 3:1:“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”I can't improve what Pastor Marshall said last week, so I'll just say it again: We are loved by God. … By the triune God — the Father who chose us in love, the Son who came to save us in love, the Spirit who pours that love into our hearts. This is love, love, love. That is why the Father sent the Son. Amen. Now keeping hanging with me here:The word for “sending” in Latin is the the word “missio” — which is where we get our word mission. And there's range of meaning for how we use this word, but most of the time when we use the word “mission” we mean an important assignment or ambition. It's something that we aim to do, that we're sent to do. So I think it's appropriate to speak of Jesus as having a mission — his mission is what he was sent to do. What was that?Verse 17 says he was sent to [do what again?] … to save.And that's save as in rescue. That's save as in the ship is going down and we're all on it and we're all doomed … unless someone is sent to save us.What we find in these verses, very clearly, is that God the Father sent Jesus here on a rescue mission. Jesus came here to rescue us. Will you be rescued?Two Big OpportunitiesJesus was sent here on a rescue mission, and that leads to two big opportunities for us this morning … one opportunity is for those who are here and don't yet believe in Jesus and then the other opportunity is for those of us who are longstanding committed members of Cities Church. 1) To Those Who Don't Yet BelieveFirst, if you're here and you don't yet believe. The light shines this morning and the message is plain: If you don't believe in Jesus you are condemned, but if you believe in Jesus you are not condemned. If you trust in Jesus, he will save you, and he will do that right now.And look, I don't mean to ignore the complexities of our various circumstances. I know that we all come from different places, and that faith for some feels really hard. I understand that. I don't dismiss that. But I do want to emphasize the wonderful simplicity of the gospel as John puts it here. There's a lot more stuff you can think through and we can talk about, and I'd be happy to do that, but it is also biblical to cut to the chase, put Jesus in your face, and ask what you're gonna do with him.Your greatest need in all your life is to be saved, and Jesus came to save you. Will you be saved by him? Will you put your faith in him?This is what that looks like … you saying to him from the heart:Jesus, I'm a sinner who needs to be saved, And I know you came here to save me!You died on the cross and were raised from the dead,You are Lord and I trust you.Believe in Jesus and you will be saved. That's the first opportunity this morning.2) To the members of citiesHere's the second, and this one is for those of us who are part of Cities Church, the members of this church, if you're all-in here, this is for you …. We, as disciples of Jesus, we're on a rescue mission, too. Or really, the better way to say it is that Jesus continues his rescue mission and now he involves us — by his Spirit he works through us. Which means: the ministry of Jesus through us, our church's ministry, what we're about, most fundamentally, is a rescue mission. And man, it's so important that we get this. I've come to realize, for myself and for all our members, that we will give little effort to make more room in this church until we understand we're on a rescue mission. When I say “more room” I don't just mean physical space, but I mean first at the heart level, in our imagination.I've got this image. I'll tell you about it … it's a choice between two different ways of being for our next decade …The first way is that we're a nice cruise ship and we're just coasting along, and every now and then, when we're not on our phones, we might glance out over the deck and we see some stuff going on down in the water, but we don't really bother — just keep cruising. That's one way.The other way is that we're a life boat sent out because there's been a storm, and that stuff going on down in the water is people drowning, and so we're going out trying to get as many people in our boat as we possibly can. Church, see, we have a choice — Will we be a cruise ship with high walls, maybe throwing a rope down every now and then? Or will we be a life boat, going out in the storm, leaning over the edge, saying “Get in the boat! Be saved! Jesus is real! Trust him!”Cruise ship or life boat? Who do you want to be? And if it's not a life boat, then what are we telling ourselves to make us think that's okay?God, make us a life boat. Church, let's give our lives together to be a life boat.Father, we know that by your Spirit you are at work in our lives and in our church and we ask for more. Don't let us get in the way, but give us humble hearts and yielded spirits. Give us a deepening gratitude for what you've done in our past, and a growing passion for what you are yet to do, what you are able to do, what we believe you are pleased to do for your glory and our good. In Jesus's name, amen.

In Today's episode of the CBL Podcast, William Wolfe is joined by David Schrock, Pastor of Preaching at Occoquan Bible Church, and Joe Rigney, Associate Pastor at Christ Church and Author of "Leadership & Emotional Sabotage," to discuss Donald Trump's second Inauguration, the impact of his first week back in office and what's in store for the future.   David Schrock is the Pastor of Preaching and Theology at Occoquan Bible Church (Woodbridge, Virginia). He is an Adjunct Professor of Systematic Theology (Indianapolis Theological Seminary, Boyce College, and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; previously, Crossroads Bible College) and Associate Fellow for the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission. He is married to his wife, Wendy, and together they have four children.   Learn more about David Schrock's work: https://x.com/DavidSchrock https://davidschrock.com   Dr. Joe Rigney is an Associate Pastor at Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho and serves as Fellow of Theology at New Saint Andrews College. He is the author of seven books: Live Like a Narnian: Christian Discipleship in Lewis's Chronicles (Eyes & Pen, 2013); The Things of Earth: Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts (Crossway, 2015); Lewis on the Christian Life: Becoming Truly Human in the Presence of God (Crossway, 2018); Strangely Bright: Can You Love God and Enjoy This World? (Crossway, 2020); More Than a Battle: Experiencing Victory, Freedom, and Healing from Lust (B&H, 2021), Courage: How the Gospel Creates Christian Fortitude (Crossway, 2023), and Leadership and Emotional Sabotage (Canon Press, 2024). Previously, Dr. Rigney served as a professor and president of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, a pastor at Cities Church in St. Paul, and a teacher at Desiring God. Joe lives in Moscow, Idaho with his wife Jenny and three sons.   Learn more about Joe Rigney's work at: https://nsa.edu/contributors/joe-rigney https://emotionalsabotage.com   ––––––   Follow Center for Baptist Leadership across Social Media: X / Twitter – https://twitter.com/BaptistLeaders Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/people/Center-For-Baptist-Leadership/61556762144277/ Rumble – https://rumble.com/c/c-6157089 YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@CenterforBaptistLeadership Website – https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/   To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org.   Follow Us on Twitter: William Wolfe - https://twitter.com/William_E_Wolfe Richard Henry - https://twitter.com/RThenry83   Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today: https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/donate/   The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings.   Subscribe to the Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast: Distribute our RSS Feed – https://centerforbaptistleadership.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/center-for-baptist-leadership/id1743074575 Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0npXohTYKWYmWLsHkalF9t Amazon Music // Audible – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ababbdd-6c6b-4ab9-b21a-eed951e1e67b BoomPlay – https://www.boomplaymusic.com/podcasts/96624 TuneIn – Coming Soon iHeartRadio – https://iheart.com/podcast/170321203 Listen Notes – https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/center-for-baptist-leadership-center-for-3liUZaE_Tnq/ Pandora – Coming Soon PlayerFM – https://player.fm/series/3570081 Podchaser – https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-center-for-baptist-leaders-5696654 YouTube Podcasts – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFMvfuzJKMICA7wi3CXvQxdNtA_lqDFV

Psalm 19,The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.In them he has set a tent for the sun,5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.13 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.14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. I'm calling this message, “Foundations for the Future of Cities Church.” There are more than two foundational pillars of this church. But I'm going to focus on two because Psalm 19 focuses on two. The first foundation is the glory of God. The second foundation is the word of God. And these two foundations answer the questions, “What is ultimate reality?”—the glory of God, and “What is ultimate truth?”—the word of God. And what we will see is that the glory of God and the word of God find a perfect, personal union in the Son of God Jesus Christ, our Rock and our Redeemer: “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 1:14). If you're a child listening to me right now, you might be thinking, “Wow, that's a lot of big words. I'm not sure this sermon is going to be for me.” Listen carefully as I point something out. Every child I'm aware of who has been taught along the way that there is a great God who made everything, eventually asks, “Daddy, who made God?” “Where did God come from?” Which is the same as asking, “What is ultimate reality?” This sermon is about the questions of children. The great questions are children's questions. When a child is taught very early, “You must always tell the truth. You should never lie. Don't ever say something is true when it's not true.” Sooner or later a child is going to ask, “Daddy, who decides what's true?” And that's the same as asking, “What is ultimate truth?”By reality I mean what is. And by ultimate reality I mean what has always been, and which defines all of reality, namely the glory of God. God never had a beginning. He has always been there. And he has always been glorious. Ultimate reality is glorious, because God is glorious – infinitely great, infinitely beautiful, infinitely valuable. Everything else, including the entire universe, and 8 billion human beings, is secondary, dependent, derivative. Ultimate reality is the glory of God.By truth I mean reliable communication of what is, and what ought to be. And what ought to be is defined by what is, which is why God said, “You shall be holy because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). Holy is what I ought to be. Why? Because ultimate reality is holy. And what ought to be is determined by what ultimately is. “You shall be holy because I am holy.”I was led to choose Psalm 19 as the focus of this message largely because I am so burdened by the prevalence today of a kind of Christian who does not like to think in terms of ultimate reality and ultimate truth. They are allergic to those categories. They are kept at a distance and in their place are malleable, fuzzy ideas of tolerance, acceptance, love, justice, compassion, respect, openness. But as soon as you bring ultimate truth or ultimate reality to bear on any of those ideas so as to give them some measure of definition and clarity there is resistance. Truth and reality are felt to be a kind of straight jacket, limitation, constriction, restraint. Even though Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free . . . . So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:32, 36). So the burden that I bring this morning is to say, Cities Church, if the ultimate reality of the glory of God and the ultimate truth of the word of God cease to be the cherished pillars of this church, you will cease to be a true church. And if the kind of Christian that is allergic to ultimate truth and ultimate reality and the clarity and the definition and the doctrine that flows from them gravitate into the eldership of this church, that will be the beginning of the end. I believe you have a body of elders now that get this just right. Follow them as they follow Christ. Exult joyfully in the ultimate reality of the glory of God. Exult joyfully in the ultimate truth of the word of God. And exalt personally and gladly in the perfect union of the glory of God and the word of God in the son of God our rock and our redeemer Jesus Christ. You will see in just a moment why I stress the words, “joyfully,” and “gladly.”Now turn with me to Psalm 19. And if you think that was a long introduction, in fact it was exposition of this chapter. Everything I have just said flowed from my meditations on this chapter and I believe is explicit or implicit in Psalm 19. We have not been spinning our wheels.Verses 1-6 is about the ultimate reality of the glory of God. Verses 7-11 is about the ultimate truth of the word of God. And verses 12-14 is David's response climaxing in the reference to the Lord as he is Rock and his Redeemer.1. What Is Ultimate Reality?The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. 6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat. (Psalm 19:1–6) What's the point of those six verses? There is not a single word there about you or me or any human being. Those verses are entirely about God and how his glory is revealed. What is David doing? He is answering the question: what is ultimate reality? What is behind the universe? What's the point of the stars and the moon and the sun and everything we see? And his answer is: The point of the universe is to declare that God is glorious. And to proclaim that a glorious God built this with his hands. Sometimes you will hear a skeptic say, “If Christianity is true, why are there billions of light years of space and as far as we know trillions of uninhabitable stars many of which are millions of times bigger than the sun, while earth and its history is a tiny blue dot in the midst of this wild, vast universe of unimaginable power?” The message of the universe is not first about us. It's about God. In fact, since David said he built this with his hands, and psalm eight says he did it with his fingers, we may conclude it was easy, and is very much like a peanut that he carries in his pocket. The point of the universe is that God is glorious.Verses 1-2 speak of the heavens declaring and proclaiming and pouring out speech, all of which sounds as if we are supposed to hear something. But verse 3 clarifies: “There is no speech, nor are their words.” This is a wordless declaration, a speechless proclamation. Then that last phrase in verse 3 (“whose voice is not heard”) I think means something like this: The heavens have a voice, but it is not a heard voice. It's a seen voice. Because he goes right on to say in verse 4 their voice goes out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. A voice without speech, words without words. And there is no limit to this voice that we hear with our eyes—this declaration, this proclamation that we hear by seeing the work of God's hands. You remember the way Paul picked this up in Romans 1:20, “God's invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived . . . in the things that have been made” (Rom 1:20).Then, perhaps most amazing of all, from the end of verse 4 through verse 5 David zeros in on the sun. And what he says about the way the sun proclaims the glory of God is mind-boggling.“In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.”When you look at the declaration of the glory of God in the rising of the sun to its setting, what you are to see is a glory — a divine glory — that is like a bridegroom coming out of his tent and walking toward his wedding. What you are to see is a glory — a divine glory — that is like a strong runner who loves to run and therefore runs with joy. Picture Eric Liddell, Chariots of Fire, head back, arms flailing, smile on his face, feeling a joyful pleasure of God on his life.What's the point? I mean stop and think, this is amazing. This is mind-boggling. What else can the message be but that when you rightly see the glory of God it is an ecstatically happy glory. Happiness in God who thought this up, to make it this way. And happiness in us if we rightly see and savor the revelation of God's glory. I remember the night of December 20, 1968, lying alone on my bed in the motel room in Barnesville, Georgia, the night before I was to marry Noël, and thinking tomorrow morning is the day I have wanted for two and a half years. And I was so happy. Still am.If you see the glory of God as it really is, this will be part your experience—the enjoyment of the glorious overflow of God's joy. And David is not ignorant, nor was Jesus, of the horrible suffering of this world. Jesus said that God makes the sun rise on the evil and the good. David wrote before antibiotics, before anesthesia, before any knowledge of infection, before motors, or electricity, or refrigeration, or indoor plumbing, or central heating, or air conditioning, or 911. It was a hard and brutal world. And in spite of everything, when he looked up at the rising of the sun he saw a bridegroom on his way to his wedding, and a man running with joy. That's why I said, “Cities Church, exult joyfully in the ultimate reality of the glory of God.”2. What Is Ultimate Truth?Now we turn to verses 7-11 which focus on the ultimate truth of God's word. How are verses 7-11 with their focus on the ultimate truth of God's word, connected to verses 1-6 with their focus on the ultimate reality of the glory of God? There is more than one right answer to that question. One answer is that verses 7-11 are written to answer the question: “What if I look at the heavens and I don't experience the glory of God and the gladness of a bridegroom or a happy runner? Is there something wrong with my eyes? Is there something inadequate about the heavens?” And I think David's answer to those two questions is yes. God's revelation of himself in nature is inadequate for all that God wants us to know and experience of his glory. And yes, there is something wrong with our eyes, and looking at nature cannot fix it, but the written word of God can. As I read these verses look for six ways the written word of God is named, nine ways the word of God is described, and seven ways the word of God affects the reader.The law (instruction) of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord [viewed as the focus and aim of the word] is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. He names God's word as law (instruction), testimony (God's witness), precepts, commandments, fear, and rules. He takes the one diamond, the word of God, Scripture, and turns it so six of it's facets show. Then he describes it. God's word is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true, righteous, more precious than gold, sweeter than honey. In other words: It is complete, it contains all you need as a reader or a listener in order to know God as he ought to be known. It is flawless and will never mislead you. It is precious beyond estimation, because in its completeness and flawlessness—more valuable than the most valuable thing on earth, and sweeter than the sweetest thing on earth. And then he gives the amazing effects of this word on us. It revives (v. 7a). It gives life. You, O Lord, have the words of life. It makes the simple wise (v. 7b), keeps you from being a fool. It creates joy in the heart (v. 8a) for example, when it goes beyond sunshine, and shows the final meaning of the bridegroom and the runner. So the ultimate reality of God's glory and the ultimate truth of God's word are both joyful. They both are designed by God to make us glad forever. It enlightens the eyes (v. 8b)—which many of us need when we look at God's glory in nature, because we don't see the bridegroom exulting or the runner rejoicing. It endures forever (v.9a) and will never let you down. It keeps back from sin (v. 11a) and leads to final great reward (v. 11b).In other words, God's communication in his Word is fuller and more effective than God's communication in nature. Both are good and do what they were appointed to do. But the Word is better. I called the glory of God in verses 1-6 ultimate reality because the point of those verses was that the glory of God is why the universe exists. The glorious God was there before anything else. Everything else exists because of God to show the glory of God, and therefore the glory of God is ultimate. There is nothing before or under or over the glory of God. It is ultimate reality.And the reason I call the word of God ultimate truth in verses 7-11 is because of the sixfold repetition: law of the Lord, testimony of the Lord, precepts of the Lord, commandment of the Lord, fear of the Lord, rules of the Lord. Nothing is repeated more often than this. The word, the Scriptures are from God and about God and for God. And God is ultimate. He speaks the truth (v. 9), and since he is God the truth he speaks is ultimate truth.Cities Church, these are two absolutely essential foundations for your future. The glory of God as ultimate reality and the word of God as ultimate truth. Without these you will not be a true church. But there is a paradox here. When a church embraces the glory of God and the word of God as a treasure better than gold and the sweetness better than honey two things happen: joy overflows like a bridegroom coming out of his tent, and humble brokenheartedness bounds. The more clearly you see the beauty of God's holiness, his glory, and more deeply you are pierced by the living word of God, the happier you will be because of him, and the sadder you will be because of yourself. The more sweetly you embrace the glory of God, the more keenly you are aware of impurities in yourself. Other words at the end of verses 1-11, we need a Redeemer.We Need a RedeemerLet's read verses 12-14,Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 13 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. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. The last word of the Psalm, in Hebrew and English, is “Redeemer.” Justification by faith was a reality in the Old Testament. The apostle Paul based his teaching on Abraham. That's what David means when he says in verse 12, “Declare me innocent from hidden faults.” People who are not innocent in the presence of God's glory need to be declared innocent. You do. I do. But for God to be just and yet declare guilty people to be innocent there needs to be a Redeemer. A very special kind of Redeemer. So God's word teaches us in Romans 3 that God put Jesus Christ forward as a Redeemer because God had passed over former sins like David's, and so that he could pass over ours and declare us innocent and keep us back from the sin that leads to death.The Old Testament sacrifices, the Old Testament priests, could not do it. The glory of God and the word of God need to be more then the voice of nature and the voice of scripture. They needed to become a redeemer—a perfect personal union of the glory of God and the word of God. And that's who Jesus Christ is. John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.”So there is a third foundational pillar for Cities Church. The first is that ultimate reality is the glory of God. The second is that ultimate truth is the word of God. And the third is that ultimate reality and ultimate truth came to us in Jesus Christ our Redeemer.Therefore, Cities Church, on your tenth anniversary, declare this: We will be built on and we will rejoice in the foundations of the glory of God and the word of God and the son of God as a treasure “more to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.”

John 1:19-34,19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said.”24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.' 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” Today we're gonna talk a lot about John the Baptist, and I'll admit it feels a little bit strange because John the Baptist was so much not about himself. I think that if John the Baptist were here he'd tell us to Hurry up, move on, don't spend too much time on him — But we're still gonna talk about him because the Bible talks about him, and here in the Gospel of John he's not just in Chapter 1 but he also shows up in Chapter 3 and Chapter 5 and Chapter 10. John the Baptist is an important person in this Gospel, so we're gonna talk about him, but true to the wishes of John the Baptist, I'm gonna try to keep the part about him brief and I'll end with why he matters for us as a local church in St. Paul, in the year 2025. So for the sermon, I got two things about John the Baptist and one thing about us. Father, thank you for your Holy Spirit and for the Holy Scriptures. And thank you that as your people we can gather together for worship. As your children, this morning we have come eager and expectant. We want to hear from you. Speak our hearts, we pray, in Jesus's name, amen. First thing about John the Baptist …1. John the Baptist is a bridge. Remember the first time John the Baptist is mentioned is back in verse 6. Almost out of nowhere verse 6 says:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.The purpose of this mention in verse 6 is the same as the purpose of the mention in verse 15:John the Baptist is the one who brings the news of the eternal Word into history. Remember this Gospel starts in verses 1–5 with this tremendous explanation of the Word — the Word is God, is life, is light — and this is deep and wondrous and it stretches our minds, and then John the apostle, the narrator, he interrupts this depth with verse 6 to tell us that God sent a man named John … and John came to tell us about this Word. Verse 14 picks back up the wonder of this Word, telling us that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” — and we saw this last week: this is a profound statement — this is dense theology; it's full of Old Testament allusions — and then, Boom, again, there's John in verse 15! Same guy from verse 6! John bore witness about this Word made flesh.Mining the FitAnd I know that in some of our English translations verse 15 is put in a parenthesis, but it doesn't have to be. Verse 15 actually fits nicely with what comes after it and I want y'all all to see this. So look with me. Chapter 1, verse 15 … 1:15.Verse 15:John bore witness about him [Jesus], and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.' ” 16 For [or because] from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. “Grace upon grace” — now what's that mean? Well, let's keep reading …Verse 17:“For [or because] the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”Track with me here, okay? Verses 15–17 are a series of explanations: Verse 17 explains verse 16 explains verse 15. Verse 17 is a contrast between the law (which came through Moses) and grace and truth (which came through Jesus). These are two different moments in the history of redemption: The ‘law/Moses' is a stand-in for the old covenant; and ‘grace and truth in Jesus' is the new covenant. And that explains that phrase “grace upon grace.” Another way to translate that little preposition “upon” is to say “in the place of.”John is saying: From the fullness of Jesus we have all received grace in the place of grace, because the law (which was one grace) came through Moses; but grace and truth (a better grace) came through Jesus Christ.John is saying in verse 16 that in Jesus we have received new covenant grace in the place of old covenant grace.And remember verse 16 is supposed to explain verse 15 about John the Baptist. But how?Well, it's because in the movement from old to new, John is the bridge. A Foot on Both SidesWhen John stepped onto the scene of what became the First Century, there's no doubt that he was an Old Testament prophet. It had been a long time since Israel had seen a prophet, but John was sent by God as a prophet to Israel with a message. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, John the Baptist is this “Elijah figure” who was prophesied in the Book of Malachi — the other Gospel writers tell us that John the Baptist literally dressed like Elijah. He was an old school prophet leading a Jewish renewal movement. Even within Islam, they recognize John the Baptist as a prophet. Historically, this is a fact. Josephus, the Jewish historian, described John the Baptist as a moral-political troublemaker — which is prophet material.So John the Baptist was this Old Testament prophet and he came at an extremely important historical juncture. It's like John the Baptist has got one foot in the Old Testament and one foot in the New. He's got one foot in Promise and the other in Fulfillment. Imagine it like this: Say you're going on a hike. We've got some hikers in here, right?You're going on this hike, and it's a long one — there's a lot of ground to cover. It starts with a nice garden, but then there's a big river (or two) to cross, there's a high mountain, there's a desert, at times it gets really dark and quiet, and kinda spooky. There are some signs along the way pointing you forward, but this terrain goes on and on (for 39 books).But then you come to the edge of this thing, and there's like a ditch between you and the other side. And you look over at the other side and it's full of color, and they're having a party over there — it's a 27-book long party! But you're not exactly sure how to get from where you are to there. And that's when “There's a man sent from God whose name was John” — he's standing where you are but then he's able to reach one foot over to the other side and he says, “Come on!” He becomes a bridge.John the Baptist is the biblical bridge from the old to the new. That's what he is: a bridge. That's John the Baptist as a category. The second thing to know is that …2. John the Baptist is a voice.Verse 19 brings this all down to the ground even more. This marks the beginning of the official testimony of John the Baptist, and it starts with questions. John the Baptist was making a splash; he was gaining a following within the Jewish world, and the Jewish leaders wanted to know what's going on, so they send a delegation of men to look into it (we learn in verse 24 that it's the Pharisees who sent this delegation), and that's important because the Pharisees were a sect of Jews who were looking for the Messiah. They were devoted to the Hebrew Bible and they knew it said a Messiah would come, so they have that anticipation, and it's reflected in the questions these men ask John. They ask five questions and he responds to each one. That's verses 19–23, but I want to situate these verses within the whole of Chapter 1. Altogether, in Chapter 1, the identity of John the Baptist is referred to eight times (either by himself or by John the apostle). Seven of the eight mentions of John the Baptist are either negative or a deflection. The overwhelming majority of the times John the Baptist is talked about it's either about who he's not or it's about how great Jesus is — He ranks before me! I'm not worthy to untie his shoe! The only time we actually see a positive statement about John's identity is verse 23. Y'all look at verse 23.Just a VoiceThe delegation that's asking him questions basically gives up. In verse 22 they say, Okay, look, you keep telling us who you're not, but we gotta tell our leaders who you are. What do you say about yourself? (What a question! We're gonna come back to that!)But look what John the Baptist says, verse 23:23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said.”John the Baptist tells us that he's getting this from Isaiah, and we can turn back to Isaiah 40, verse 3, and we can read where Isaiah says this. Isaiah 40, verse 3,3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”John the Baptist is saying: That's me. I am the voice. Y'all know that singing competition show called The Voice? …It really has nothing to do with this. Except that, as I understand it, when that show started, the difference between that singing competition and all the others was that the judges could not see the contestants, they could only hear them. The genius was that they were de-emphasizing physical appearance, and focusing completely on the sound of the voice. So it's called “The Voice” as in just the voice. And that's what John means here — except that he's de-emphasizing his person entirely! He's solely focused on what he has to say. The voice is defined by its witness to the word. The Word is what he wants you to hear!So hear him — The Word, Jesus Christ, he is before me! John says …He's higher than me! I'm not even worthy to touch his feet! He is that great. Behold, he's the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He's gonna baptize with the Holy Spirit. John is saying that Jesus is bringing the kingdom of God — the promised end-time kingdom, where the Spirit is poured out, where God judges and saves — Jesus is bringing that here. So you better get ready! All of y'all better get ready!Preparing the WayThat's what Isaiah was talking about when he said a voice cries “prepare the way of the Lord.”He doesn't mean prepare the way for the Lord as in Jesus's way to us needs to be prepared. Isaiah is taking about our way to Jesus. Jesus doesn't need any help. We're the ones who need the help. In the context of Isaiah 40, Isaiah is prophesying about the end of Israel's exile. He's saying the road from exile to restoration should be made straight. Clear the way. Level the ground. Make the pathway from a dark exile to a restored Zion CLEAR — he's not talking about how the Messiah gets to us, but it's about how we get to the Messiah. That was the mission of John the Baptist. He was a voice — just a voice — sent for our sake. He's a bridge and he's a voice — two things about John the Baptist. Now one final thing about us. 3. We should be like John the Baptist.Within all of redemptive history, John the Baptist is the model witness to Jesus Christ. He's the paragon that every witness to Jesus thereafter is supposed to look to. That's why he matters to us as a local church in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2025.We want to have a voice like his, and there are two things especially that standout. These are two things from the example of John the Baptist that I pray would be true of us. 1. We should clear the way for people to get to Jesus. And I'm thinking first corporately: Cities Church — are we clearing the way for people to meet Jesus or are we getting in the way?That's a question worth asking. Jesus is the cause of our existence. We are here by him and for him, and he's everything to us. And we want more of him. We want more of him for ourselves and we want these cities to have more of him through us. Corporately, we want Jesus to take our utmost — all that we've got, all we can give — we want him to take our utmost for his highest. We're a church committed to his fame. We want him to be impossible to ignore in the cities. We want people to know Jesus. Amen?So are we doing that? Are we helping people know Jesus? What about people who currently don't know him? Does our being a church make any difference for the people in these Twin Cities who don't know Jesus?That's a question for our church corporately, but what about you as an individual Christian? Does your life — does the way you live, the way you work, the way you interact with neighbors and others — does your life forge a path for people to get to Jesus or does it put obstacles in the way?Hey, let's be like John the Baptist!Let's make straight — in this 21st century post-Christian land — let's make straight a highway to our God! Every valley lifted up, every mountain and hill made low, uneven ground made level, rough places made plain — let us resolve, altogether and as individuals, to do everything we can to clear the way to Jesus, not be in the way.2. We should remember it's Jesus people must get to, not us. I'll say it like this: we want to clear the way for people to get to Jesus while also remembering that we're not Jesus. This gets back to that amazing question in verse 22. They asked John the Baptist: “What do you say about yourself?”This is the question: how do you understand who you are? Everybody has some kind of self-understanding, so what is ours as a church? What do we think of ourselves as a church and what would we say about ourselves if asked?Well look, the first thing John the Baptist says when he's asked this question is “I am not the Christ.” Don't rush past that. This is really important. It is absolutely essential to know that in the work of being a witness it is not yourself you are pointing to. You need to know that right from the start. If you're planting a church, you need to know that. And I can't think of a better time to remember this than on our 10th birthday, which is today (we're gonna celebrate next Sunday, but it was this Sunday, ten years ago, when we first gathered to worship as a church). We've been doing this ten years. Ten years. And ten years is a milestone, because now we're way past imposter syndrome. We feel pretty legit, and maybe we stand a little straighter now. Maybe we can start to think, Hmm, look at us. Maybe we feel a little increase in our self-understanding. STOP IT. Don't go there. Remember who we are and why we're here. It's not for ourselves. The goal is not our comfort. It's not that people would know us. Hey, we are all about Jesus. Who the Twin Cities need is Jesus Christ, not Cities Church. Jesus must increase, we must decrease. We show him. We point to him. We clear the way for people to get to Jesus. Clearing the WayAnd I want to end like that: if you're a guest with us this morning, or if you're here and you don't know Jesus, I want to tell you about him. Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to this world as man to reveal and redeem. He came to show us what God is like, and he came to reconcile us back into a relationship with God. The short way of saying it is that Jesus came to save sinners, which is all of us. We were condemned because of our sin, but Jesus went to the cross in our place: took our sin upon himself, he suffered the punishment we deserved. He was crucified, dead, and buried, and then on the third day he rose from the grave in victory. Jesus defeated sin and death, and now in Jesus forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. If you turn away from trying to be your own savior, and if you put your faith in Jesus, he will set you free. He will make you alive. You will become a son or daughter of God — not because you've earned it, but because of what Jesus has done. So trust him. I'm trying to clear the way right now. If you've never put your faith in Jesus, put your faith in him now. Say to him: Jesus, I can't save myself and I'm done trying. You died and rose to save me, and I trust in you. Put your faith in Jesus. And if you have, if you are a Christian, we now come to this Table to remember what he did. The TableAt the Lord's Table, the bread represents the broken body of Jesus, and the cup represents his blood. Together, this is a symbol of his sacrificial death for us. So when we eat the bread and drink the cup, we are saying This is our hope. We have been united to Jesus by faith, and we eat and drink to give him thanks. So if you are a Christian this morning, if you have put your faith in Jesus, we invite you with us to this table.

John 1:1-13,1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. The first Sunday of a new year is a good time for a new series — and to give spiritual focus to a new year. New years are like new beginnings. The old is gone. It's over. You can't change it. Now the new has come. All of 2025 lies ahead. What might this new year bring? And who might we be together as a church in 2025?I'm not sure we could find a better new-year's passage than these opening verses of John, because what they mainly do is celebrate Jesus. That's how we will start 2025 as a church: making much of Jesus, considering him, enjoying him, marveling at him — which is how John opens his Gospel. Three Excellencies of JesusThe apostle John, who will five times call himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (13:23; 19:26; 20:2, 7, 20), knew Jesus as closely as anyone during his earthly life. And as his dearest friend and companion, he begins his Gospel in awe, in a spirit of worship. Perhaps you felt the dramatic flair as you heard these verses read.John begins like a show that opens with fog on the stage. He talks about a particular person, but uses images, and doesn't reveal this person's name until verse 17. This person is the Word, he says, capital W. The Word of God who is with God and is God.And he is the true Light. Other lights are secondary at best, and he eclipses them when he shines in his full strength. And this world was made through him, John says, and he came into the world he made, and the world did not know him. Who is this person? We'll see next week in verse 14 that he became flesh, human, and dwelled among us. Then finally comes verse 17: the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through . . . Jesus Christ.So, John begins in this dramatic, worshipful spirit with elevated and “rhythmical prose.” These opening verses are not poetry, but they are stylized, carefully chosen words with short, punchy sentences and striking repetition of key words: Verses 1–3: beginning, word, word, God, God, word, beginning, God, made, made, made.Verses 4–5: life, life, light, light, darkness, darkness.Verses 7–8: witness, witness, light, light, witness, light.There is fog and rays of light as John introduces and anticipates the key themes that are to come. And as John worships in these opening verses, he celebrates three particular excellencies of Jesus Christ.So, here's our plan: let's celebrate with John these three excellencies of Jesus as we begin 2025.1. Jesus Is God's Word to the World (verses 1–3)That is, he is the divine Word. This is the lead image in these verses; John starts with Word and comes back to Word in verse 14. Until he names him as Jesus Christ in verse 17, he is the Word.Why Word? John could have started, with his dramatic flair, in so many ways. Why start with Word? Why not Son, S-O-N? Why not sun, S-U-N? Why not Christ or King or Lord?John writes in Greek. And the word for word in Greek (logos) has a certain intrigue. It often was invested with philosophical significance. Logos was provocative, yet at the same time, its connotations were not too fixed and singular. It was flexible enough for Christian use.But more than that was the Hebrew background. The Old Testament is chalk full of the divine Word: God's word to his prophets, and God's speaking through them to his people. And John starts with “In the beginning,” which brings to mind Genesis 1, where the Bible begins with “In the beginning...” And you know what (or who) is the sleeper in Genesis 1? The Word of God. Eleven times Genesis 1 says, “God said”; four more times, “God called”; two more times, “God blessed.” If you ask, How did God create the world? What did he do to create? How did he act in Genesis 1? The clear answer is he spoke. He said. He called. He blessed. He made the world through his Word (as Hebrews 11:3 says, “the universe was created by the word of God”).But more than even that, as we'll see in this Gospel, Word anticipates the fullness of Christ, in his coming, as God's final, decisive Word. Jesus is not just a revelation of God, and even a very special revelation of God. He is the climactic and decisive revelation of God to humanity. As verse 18 will say, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.” And Jesus will say to Philip in John 14:9, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” Jesus is God's Word to humanity.All God's lowercase words are preparing the way and pointing to his uppercase Word, Jesus. God's singular word, for all time, for all humanity, is Jesus.So, John begins his Gospel in verses 1–3:In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.Here John bundles together two essential truths about this divine Word. One, the speaking, self-reveling, self-disclosing of God almighty — is God himself: “the Word was God.” And this divine Word is not just God's own self, but two, he is God's eternal fellow. He was “with God” — which is not an adversarial with but a with of peace, love, mutual joy, shared life. It's a with of intimacy, companionship, personal relationship — a with-ness of persons before creation.The divine Word is God and with God. One divine essence, as the church would learn to say, and (here) two divine persons, as we'll soon see in this Gospel — Father and Son. (And soon enough a third divine Person will emerge!)What do we mean, then, when we celebrate Jesus as the Word of God? As God, he is fully divine, fully God, God himself. And as God's Word, he reveals God, perfectly. He proceeds from God to reveal God. He makes God known to us. Jesus shows us God and tells us about God. He is God himself and the climactic and final place that we look to, and listen to, that we might know God. He is the divine Word who became human: Jesus Christ.Tangible Word in 2025So, how might we make it tangible here at the outset of a new year? What difference might it make in 2025 that Jesus is the divine Word, God's word to us?Well, for one, know this about yourself, and learn to live in light of it: you were made to receive a Word from God. Or, say it this way, God made you to hear his revelation and respond to him. One of the strangest things about you, next to your nose, is those holes in the side of your heads. Have you ever thought about that? You have holes, God-designed holes, on either side of your head. And you know what those holes are made for? Words. Not just sounds and noises. Mainly words. The height of human hearing is receiving words.God made us to hear the words of our fellow humans, and he made us to hear him through his word, whether read or heard from someone reading aloud or heard through preaching. God made our souls, our inner person, to feed and live by hearing words through our ears. Like Jesus said, battling Satan's temptations in the wilderness, and quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”Try this for 2025: What if you attempted to have God's Voice, through his Word, be the first voice you heard in the morning? Not the word of texts and emails and notifications. Not the anxious voice of national news. Not the endless scores and numbers of ESPN and fantasy football. Not the broken English your aunt posts to Facebook, or the clips from your niece on TikTok.What if day after day, the first voice you heard was God's through his Word, Jesus, through his word, the Bible? How might your soul live, really live, if you started the day hearing God himself, feeding on God himself, in Jesus, rather than on the gravel of news and other noise?2. Jesus Is Our True Light (verses 5–9)Divine Word is the main term, but true light is the dominant image (light appears seven times in verses 4–10).In the rest of the Gospel, we'll see light is about salvation from our sin and the death sin deserves. But here, right after verses 1–3, light is first about creation. The Word shines in his world and makes sense of the world like no other light. Verses 4–9:In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.Three quick clarifications. First, look at the word “overcome” in verse 5. Other translations have “comprehend.” A good word that's a close equivalent in English is “grasp” (another is the verb “master”). You can grasp someone physically and overcome them; you can also grasp something mentally and understand it. I think that's what John means here: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it.” This anticipates the rejection theme we'll see again in a few moments, and throughout this Gospel.Second, see the word “true” in verse 9. We will see this over and over. When John says “true,” he doesn't just distinguish true from false, but the real and genuine from rival claims — true bread, true worshipers, true drink, true vine. Sometimes, he means ultimate. The light that came before was true (in nature and in the Old Testament), but now the true light has come, the ultimate light. It's a contrast with what came earlier and anticipated what was to come, and has now come, in Jesus. Creation itself and all the more the Old Testament and Israel and its temple and regulations gave light. But now the true light has come, the definitive light, the climactic light, the ultimate light.Which leads, third, to that phrase “gives light to everyone.” What does John mean that Jesus, “the true light . . . gives light to everyone”? Or better, how does he shine on all humans?His shining on all humans does not mean he saves them all, or even that all humans hear the name and full story of Jesus. They will not hear his name and the truth about him if Christians don't send and go and tell. What “shine on all humans” does mean is that Jesus divides humanity. His light divides the world. We'll see this in verses 10–13. Before the light comes, all are in the darkness of sin and death:John 3:19,“…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.”John 12:46,“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”Because of sin, our world is in darkness. The divine light shines enough to condemn through creation. And the divine light shines through the law and prophets and God's first-covenant people. Then in Jesus comes the true light, and for two thousand years, he has been the decisive issue in the world. What you do with Jesus, how you respond when the true light shines on you, either leads to life, or keeps you in the grip of death.Which brings to mind a famous statement by 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.Jesus, the true light, is the one person who makes sense of the world. Or, Christianity is the faith that makes the most sense of the world in which we live. Its account of the world's goodness in the doctrine of creation. Its account of the world's pervasive darkness in the doctrine of sin. And its account of hope and redemption in the coming of the Divine Word, the true light, to secure for us real life. Which leads to the third image, and the one that meets us most deeply where we are as humans, as we'll see in verse 12.3. Jesus Gives Us Real Life (verse 4)The Gospel of John has much to say about life: God's life, human life, spiritual life, abundant life, and the most frequent mention, eternal life. For now, we'll just touch on this theme, and then we'll enjoy it scene by scene in the coming months.Just as the backdrop or contrast for light is darkness, so the contrast for life is death, or perishing (10:28), wrath (3:36), and judgment (5:29). Life begins with God. Jesus, like his Father, has life in himself (5:26). He creates and gives life, and he is able to give spiritual life to those who are spiritually dead because of sin. Jesus is “the bread of life” (6:48), “the resurrection and the life” (11:25), “the way, the truth, and the life” (14:6).In verse 4, Jesus, as God, is the source of all created life: “In him was life.” As God, he breathes life into all who live. But they are born into sin, and walk in darkness, under divine wrath and the just sentence of death, destined to perish forever. But Jesus lays down his own life to give life to his people (John 10:11, 15, 17; 15:13).This life is eternal, indestructible life, and it begins now, in the heart, in this earthly life (4:14 and 6:27, 33, 35; 6:63; 8:12; 10:10). We drink and eat now, by faith, and have divine life already in our souls by the Holy Spirit. And this spiritual life now leads to eternal life, which is the most important meaning of life. (Life eternal is already in those who believe: 5:24, 39-40; 6:53-54)And what is the essence of this eternal life? John 17:3: “this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”Death and Life in Verses 10–13How, then, does the life that is in Jesus relate to verses 10–13? Remember we said that Jesus, the true light, divides humanity. All are born into darkness. The light shines, and some come to the light; others turn from the light. Verses 10–11:He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him [the rejection theme we saw in verse 5]. 11 He came to his own [that is, his own land or home], and his own people did not receive him.The point here is life. Those who reject him, who is the life, do not have life — life in their souls now, and eternal life in the age to come.But then, verse 12:But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right [“authority”] to become children of God, 13 who were born [birth! That's life!], not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.There are two key elements here in having this life that is in Jesus. First is the legal, the “right.” What does John mean by “the right” to be children of God? This is right, not might. It's not power; it's authority. Official, formal, objective arrangements have been made such that there is a new covenant people, new covenant children, who are not based on ethnicity but faith. Not on first birth, but on new birth.When the Divine Word himself came, when the true light arrived, he brought with him a new formal arrangement for the people of God. Their right to be God's children, heirs of all his promises, and recipients of all privileges comes not through natural, human birth. John says: “not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man.” How, then, does it come?That's the second element: the subjective. The heart. The inner person. You are not born into his new-covenant people, but born again into his people. We call this “new birth.” What is it?God himself is the source of this new life in the soul. It is birth “from above,” birth by his choice, spiritual birth in his timing. Our action and choice is not determinative but God's. But we experience it.The cry of this new life, then, is believing in Jesus — not just faith (noun) but believing (verb). It's active, not static. John emphasizes this in his Gospel by never using the noun for “faith” (pistis), while using the verb “believe” (pisteuō) 98 times.Which leads us to John's stated purpose for why he wrote this Gospel, 20:31:“…these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”That would be worth memorizing and praying regularly for yourself and others in 2025: John 20:31: Father, help me to believe and keep believing that Jesus is the Christ [long-promised human hero-king], the Son of God [both rightful king of Israel and eternal second person of the Godhead], and that by believing I may have life in his name.” If you're with us this morning, and you do not yet believe, this Gospel was written that you might (for the first time) believe and experience real life in your soul, and one day, eternal life. And if you believe in Jesus already, as perhaps most of us do in this room, this Gospel was written that you might keep believing, and grow stronger in believing, and deepen and enrich your experience even now of the real life in Jesus. The essence of this new life is not the external, outward circumstances of our lives that we're so prone to focus on. The essence is in us, the inner person, the heart, the desires. And so we end with the word “receive” in verse 12: “to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”Receive Jesus with JoyWhat does it mean to “receive” Jesus? To receive him is to believe in him, but in what way? How do you receive him?You can receive something you don't like. You can receive a blow to the face. You can receive a pink slip. You can receive a traffic ticket. That's not the kind of receiving we're talking about here. We're not talking about receiving as a burden, or receiving with apathy. Jesus means to be received as a treasure.What's so amazing about this new birth, from God, is that he gives us a new heart. He puts in us new desires, so that when the divine Word comes to our ears, when the true light comes to our eyes, God's own life in us doesn't recoil from Jesus, or ignore Jesus, but receives him with joy. I believe in him. I enjoy him. I prize him. I treasure him.This heart is the heart of my prayer for us as a church in 2025: that we would receive him with increasing delight. Week after week, in the Gospel of John, glad reception. Give me more of Jesus. No apathy. No boredom. No burden. But eagerness. Joy.Our question for a new year is this: Where are you going for life? Where are you going for joy? Where are you trying to satisfy the deepest longings of your soul?Are you trying to drink it? Eat it? Watch it? Play it? Perform it? Accomplish it? Scroll it? I sat down next to a guy on a plane a couple months ago, just scrolling vigorously. Like he wanted life. He wanted joy. Like his soul was thirsty and he was trying to find something to satisfy. And he kept scrolling and scrolling, and I thought there's no way he can do this for more than a few minutes. And he scrolled like that, seeming so thirsty, for the whole flight from Atlanta to Springfield, Missouri.Are you like that, in front of a screen, at your job, in your eating and drinking, in your relationships, in your exercise, your automobile, your home decor — just vigorously clawing to find satisfaction there?What would it mean for you to “have life” in Jesus in 2025? Really have life? What needs to go? Or diminish? And what do you need to receive with joy more often and more deeply?Church Alive in '25And so we come to the Table to feed on Jesus for spiritual life, and drink in his grace, for life in our souls.Cities Church, let's seek to be fully alive in 2025 — alive in Jesus, and alive to Jesus.If you have new-year's resolutions, fine and good. Eat better. Exercise. Fine. Good secondary resolutions. But what are they serving? What's the focus? What if the focus were this: real life in your soul — Holy Spirit given and sustained affections for Jesus?

What is the difference between a mission and a vision? Six weeks ago I kicked off our series “We Are Cities Church” by talking all about our mission, and today I'm gonna close the series talking all about our vision — and so what's the difference between those two words? When we talk about mission, we're talking about what we're sent to do.Vision is what it looks like if we get it done.Mission is assignment, vision is success.Mission is action, vision is the result of you fulfilling the action.So, let me connect this to our passage this morning, Revelation 7, verses 9–12.Revelation 7 ConnectionThe whole Book of Revelation is basically all vision (John is describing what he sees in the future, and the purpose is to encourage us). So in Revelation 7, notice what he sees, verse 9:9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”This is a scene. John has seen this, and we're supposed to see it with him. That's what vision does. Vision is meant to be envisioned.So what are we envisioning here? What do we see?It's a crowd of people from all over the world — every nation, all tribes and peoples and languages are altogether. And what are they doing altogether?They're saying with a loud voice, verse 10:“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”These people are saying this to the Lamb, before his throne — and the Lamb, of course, is Jesus. So see this: these people are worshipping Jesus along with the heavenly host.Who again are these people?They're people from all nations worshiping Jesus. Revelation 7 is a vision of Jesus-worshipers from all nations. Can you see it?Back to Matthew 28This vision is the result of some action that's been fulfilled. But what action? What assignment must have been done in order for there to be Jesus-worshipers from all nations?Oh, we know this one! Matthew 28:19, the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”See that's the mission! That's what the church is supposed to do — make disciples of all nations — and when the church is ultimately successful, when the church gets that done (which she will get done!), these disciples of Jesus from all nations will be worshipers of Jesus from all nations forever.The disciple-making mission of Matthew 28 is what leads to the Jesus-worshiping vision of Revelation 7.What you do — mission; what it looks like when it's done — vision.In the ultimate sense, Matthew 28 and Revelation 7 is our church's mission and vision. And it's the mission and vision of every faithful local church. This is non-negotiable. To be a real church means to exist with the mission to make disciples of Jesus for the vision of Jesus being worshiped forever.That's why we're here. And we are here.Applied Here and NowWe live in a particular place and time — we live within a particular culture with it's particular challenges and opportunities. The “first half of the 21st century in the Twin Cities” has its unique provisions and needs, resources and limitations, blessings and burdens. And the question is: How do we apply that non-negotiable mission and vision to when and where we are?Well when it comes to our mission, we've tried to capture that with more details in the form of a statement. What do we mean exactly when we say “make disciples”? We mean that we want to make joyful disciples of Jesus who remember his realness in all of life. And that word “disciple” includes a four-fold calling:We are Jesus worshipersWe are joyful servantsWe are generous disciplersWe are welcoming witnessesThese are the kind of disciples we want to be and make. This is our mission. And when it comes to our vision — that Jesus is worshiped forever — how does that look now? How does that future reality get reflected here?That's what I want to tell you in this sermon. With the Book of Revelation as our ultimate vision, I want to show you five facts about our vision here. And these facts are not part of a statement — I don't expect you to memorize these things — but I'm trying to paint a picture for you. This is what it would look like if we are effective in making joyful disciples of Jesus who remember his realness in all of life.1. We are a healthy, vibrant church entranced by God as our all-satisfying joy. Again, this is something you have to imagine. We're talking about a vibe here. And the vibe is that we are a happy people. It's something that you just feel in the air when you're here and you're around us. We have joy — and it's not joy in our circumstances, because those are changing everyday — but we have joy down deep in our souls because God loves us. And we know God loves us because he has proven it to us — it's that when we were still sinners, dead in our sins and undeserving of anything good, Jesus Christ died for us. Jesus took the punishment for our sins! Jesus removed all of our guilt and shame! And on the third day, he was raised from the dead. Jesus has secured our eternal life and freedom in him. He has given us his Spirit as our Helper, to guide us in his truth. Jesus has drawn us into the joyous fellowship that he has had with the Father before the foundations of the world.We are now “in on” the divine smile that is behind everything.And do you know what that means? It means that we can smile here.Hey, it's gonna be okay. We are the richest people in the world! Did you know that even the hard things in your life are being used by God for your ultimate good? Look, there's not a hair that falls from your head without the will of your Father in heaven, in fact, all things must work together for your salvation! God sees you and knows you and loves you, and he wants you to know that he loves you. Because the more you are assured of his love for you (and how much you don't deserve it), then the more you're gonna be humbled and filled with joy, and then the more you're gonna be poured out in love, and this all amounts to magnifying the glory of God. And that's the point!The purpose behind it all is that God's glory be magnified in our being satisfied in all that he is for us in Jesus.We're a happy people because we have God — “Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy!” (Psalm 43:4)Can you see it? We are a healthy, vibrant church entranced by God as our all-satisfying joy. Also …2. We are deepening our knowledge of God for a life of faithful discipleship and gospel advance.We're a people happy in God, and we're a people who seek him.“4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. 5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation … (Psalm 25:4–5).We want to know God and the ways of God, because our faith is according to knowledge. The more we know about God, the more we can trust him. This is why Jesus says that making disciples means that we teach one another all that he has commanded us. We're supposed to learn together how to follow Jesus.So get this: we don't learn to get fat heads. The end-goal is not what you know, but it's who you are becoming, shaped by who you know. Christ clear for Christlikeness.We will be a well-taught church, able to discern truth from error, not tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of human doctrine, but we're gonna speak the truth in love and we are gonna be transformed (see Ephesians 4:14–16). We are a truth-telling outpost that serves as a refuge from the world of lies that surrounds us, but even more than that, we are a church that lives in the wonder of who God is. Yes, we will defend God's truth, but first we are amazed by God's truth! This is what The Cities Institute is trying to do.It's a recovery project to bring back the primacy of teaching in the local church, because that is the church's history. In the earliest days of the church, people were coming to Christ from all kinds of different religious backgrounds. That's what mission to the Gentile world meant. You had all the pagans who were getting saved and they had no Bible background. And so the church realized: if we don't teach these people sound theology, they're gonna mix some stuff up and eventually it's going to ruin our witness, so the early church had a “teach or die” mindset. They were just listening to Jesus, because Jesus said to teach. That's part of what discipleship is. So that's what we're going to do. We're going to seek to know God, to be amazed by him and transformed by him, to faithfully follow Jesus and be his witnesses.Do you see it? We are deepening our knowledge of God for a life of faithful discipleship and gospel advance. 3. We are actively organizing our lives to share our joy in Jesus with others. One of the great things about church planting is that sharing the gospel is on the front-burner of how you live. Every encounter with other people could turn into a spiritual conversation. You know God ordains divine appointments, and so you're just looking for them. I remember when we first moved into our current neighborhood. It was 12 years ago — Elizabeth was five. Melissa and I taught her that the reason we lived where we did was to tell our neighbors about God. I remember Elizabeth actually told our neighbors that. Not kidding. People would be out walking their dog out in front of our house and Elizabeth would be like “Hey, we're here to tell you about God.” And it was true! And all of us thought that way. But here's the thing: we're all just so busy now. There's so much going on, and over time, sharing Jesus is not on the front-burner, but it gets moved to the back, over to the side, and before you know it, you're just running through the motions like every other lost person in these cities. I'm not saying don't be involved in stuff — be involved, plug in, be active, but do it as a Christian. Everywhere we go we are a welcoming witness to Jesus Christ. We are opening wide our arms to make Jesus known, which means we want to double our joy. I remember a story years ago that Pastor John Piper told about his dad. His dad was a passionate evangelist who had been in ministry for decades, and one day, toward the end of his life, Pastor John asked him, “What the key to your joy?” How have you remained so happy for so long?And his dad said: “soul winning.” Leading other people to Jesus.See, when you're happy in Jesus, you wanna share that happiness with others, and when you do, your happiness doubles and deepens. It's like a fountain that just keeps overflowing.We say to God, Psalm 4:7, “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound!”And that's never gonna satisfy them, I want them to have this joy that I have in you!That's the prayer we take everywhere we go. That's what we're looking to do … in our neighborhoods, and in our work relationships, and at those school events, and through all those youth sports — we want to share Jesus. We want more people to be happy in God. And they will be.Through our witness, more and more people will trust in Jesus and be baptized. Because baptism is that symbol. Jesus gave us baptism as the way to declare that we are alive in him. And right now we have baptisms three or four times a year, but what if we had baptisms 12 times a year? What if so many people start coming to Christ through our witness that we start having “Baptism Sundays” every month!Can you see it? — we are actively organizing our lives to share our joy in Jesus with others. Also…4. We are deliberate to invest in the faith of future generations.We believe children matter. All children matter: pre-born children, little children, growing children. Children matter and families matter. And we all believe this whether we're unmarried or married, have a house full of kids or no kids at all, whether we're empty-nesters or newly-weds — we all share this conviction because of the Bible.And when we think about where we're headed as a church, I don't know if there's anything more important to remember than this: At some point, we're going to be handing the torch to our children. And we need to be preparing for that hand-off now. This is a new way of thinking for us compared to how we thought ten years ago when we first planted this church. When you're planting a church, you're just trying to get off the ground. You're starting something brand-new and that takes a lot of attention, and so we poured a lot into that, and we also had kids so we did ask: “Hey, what do we do with the kids?” But see, that's not the question we're asking anymore. In those early years, we were trying to build something, and we thought What about our children? — but now we're trying to build something for our children. Does that make sense?We're better now at thinking more long-term. And that's certainly the case with this steeple project. What we've done here is no “flash in the pan” restoration, but we've done it the way we have for our children's children. That's the way we're thinking now. We're building something for future generations. We're investing in the faith of those who will come after us.And this is something that comes naturally to women as cultivators and nurturers, but now this is something our men must think more about as builders. I just had a conversation last week with a few of our men in their thirties; they're all business leaders who've been transformed by Jesus; and they want to use their skills and expertise to start companies and create jobs and to build a legacy of generosity. See, it's thinking big picture. Long-term. I heard a story years ago about the Reformer Martin Luther, and I can't actually verify that this conversation really happened, but supposedly, somewhere at some point, Luther was out walking with some of his students one day, it was a beautiful fall day like today, and little Hans spoke up and said, “Herr Doktor, if you knew that the world would go to pieces tomorrow, what would you do today?”And Luther looked at him with a smile and said, “I would plant an apple tree.”His point was that he would do something most of which would not immediately, directly benefit himself — he wouldn't sit under the shade of that tree and he wouldn't eat any of its apples — but those who come after him would. And that's how we're thinking now. Can you see it? — we are deliberate to invest in the faith of future generations. And speaking of planting, fifth and final:5. We are a healthy, vibrant church with a high priority and capacity to multiply more churches in the Twin Cities who are entranced by God as our all-satisfying joy. In other words, we are a church who plants more churches like ours here.Since the very beginning, this has been the way we talk about vision. We want to multiply people, multiply Community Groups, multiply churches. And overall, to date, we've sent out six church planting couples to start new work, and countless couples to support new work. And I miss these people. Our budget misses these people. But we believe in Spirit-led sending — it's a value of ours — and we want to do more of it. Wherever you wanna go in the name of Jesus, we're gonna get behind you!And when it comes to our vision for here and now, it's to plant more churches in the Twin Cities metro, and there are a few reasons why:1. Growth leads to spreading.We learn this from nature. As an oak tree grows and matures and is healthy, it produces more oak trees. There comes a point when that oak tree itself is not going to get any higher and wider — it's solid and full and maxed — but it's got these acorns, and that's what will make the one tree become two and three and four — this is where forests come from. And that's the way we see it here. We're gonna use every square inch of this building for our church — and we do have some room, and we will make some room — but we want to see God work in the lives of more people than we can fit in here. So we're gonna multiply this and do it more places than just here. We've been planted, rooted, and now we're branching out.2. Spreading (or multiplication) makes a bigger impact than centralization.One strategy might be to move this whole thing to a third-ring suburb, get a smoke machine, and try to triple our size. See, this is the thinking: let's just make this bigger, whatever it takes (it's centralization). But that's not the long-term thinking. Multiplication, not centralization, makes a bigger impact for a longer period of time. We want Jesus to be impossible to ignore in the Twin Cities. If you come to these cities, we want it to be Jesus in your face. And you may not believe him — like our state government right now you may reject him — but you will not be able to ignore him, and you will recognize that these cities are saturated with churches of men and women and boys and girls who believe and live like Jesus is real. Multiplication.3. Planting reminds us that this whole thing is so much bigger than us.This vision to plant more churches in the Twin Cities is both impossible and possible at different levels. At the level of impossibility, it's just us. I don't know about you, but every morning I wake up I'm just happy to be here for another day. I made it for another one! That's a lot of us, right? We're just trying to survive — I'm just trying to get my kids to school on time and not forget that they have to be picked up — and here I am talking about starting a multiplying church planting movement that aims to make more people happy in Jesus forever — it feels impossible, at one level.But then at another level, we remember God, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that do no exist, and he is often pleased to bring his people to places where he must be who he says he is. …It is possible with God that he put it in the heart of a man and his wife to lead a new church plant, and then that he'd put it in the hearts of others who would plant with them. It is possible that they could build a team of 20-30 people who would want to branch out and be a new church. God could do that — God could do it once, twice, six times, fifty times — north, south, east, west — and before you know it, there is a movement of churches everywhere you look in these cities entranced by God as our all-satisfying joy. Can you see it? Impossible, and possible — and certainly way bigger than us. That's where I want to live. Don't you? If we're going to multiply, we need God to be God!That's our vision, church — but remember it's our vision here and now, until Jesus comes back. We can't forget the ultimate vision.Longing for New JerusalemThere may be just a few of you in here who were there on December 14, 2014. We were less than a month away from officially becoming a church, right at the starting line, and we had a meeting in the cafeteria at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis. And I gave a short message about our vision and I want to read to you what I said. Here are the exact words from December 14, 2014:Church plants can be high-adrenaline work. Many of us have been meeting since August, others since March, and some have been dreaming of this thing for five years, and we are getting close. I mean, this event right now [in the cafeteria] is a testimony to God's faithfulness to us, to his blessing on this vision and this church and what we want to do in the Twin Cities for his name. And with all this waiting and anticipation, with Cities Church just about to get off the ground, let me remind us (me!), that we have not arrived. That is the temptation, you know. As God blesses this thing, and we pray he does, there is going to be this subtle thing that happens where we want to start patting our ourselves on the back. We're going to feel like we've made it! Here we are! This is the dream! But no, it's not. Because, you see, our goal — our ultimate goal — is not a new church plant, but a new Jerusalem.Amen to that ten years later. And may we say that ten more years from now, and ten more years from then — and if Jesus hasn't come back yet, may our children's children say that! Because what we most want to see…a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”Jesus-worshipers from all nations. That is where we're headed, Cities Church. That is what we want. And that's what brings us to the Table.The TableHere at this Table we remember the death of Jesus for us, and we give him thanks. We come to this table to rest in him and to worship him together. And because of what this table means, it's only for those who trust in Jesus. If you're a Christian, we invite you eat and drink with us. But if you've not yet trusted in Jesus, let the elements pass, but look: you can become a Christian this morning, if you just put your faith in Jesus. Right now, turn from your sin, and ask Jesus to save you.

Join as we celebrate our 4th birthday and hear a special message from Pastor Jay on who we are as a church and where we are headed in 2025. 

I recognize that another event outside this building has the attention and hearts of many of us in this room this morning.Show of hands: How many here know and remember Pastor Kenny and his wife Malaina, who we sent out last year to plant a church in the Orlando area? Well, as we meet here this morning, Horizon City Church, led by Kenny, is having their first public gathering in Winter Garden, Florida.I don't think it's any coincidence that at the very time when we're turning our focus to being welcoming witnesses that we remember, and pray for, a man who embodies what it means to be a welcoming witness. So, if you feel a little distracted this morning, I get it. In fact, you might do well to keep Pastor Kenny in mind during this message, as a living lesson in being a welcoming witness.To be clear, what's going on in Winter Garden, and what's going on this morning at 1524 Summit Avenue, is vastly more important that any marathon or any American football game in London or anywhere else in the world.Growing Up and OutThis is now the fifth in a series of six sermons, called “We Are Cities Church,” on our vision and values. As we're approaching our tenth anniversary as a church (this January), we have found ourselves in a new season of church life. In broad strokes, you might see our first five years, from 2015 until COVID, as a time of being planted. And these last four years have been a time of becoming rooted here on Summit Avenue. Now we sense ourselves coming into a new season — of what? What would you call it? What do you call the next phase after being planted and rooted? What is an acorn planted and rooted for? To grow tall and wide. To stretch up high in worship and spread out in witness to the world. We're in a season of new growth and stretching and spreading our branches — of bearing fruit, we pray, and dropping acorns we hope will become new churches.So, for this new season, we've considered how we might freshly express our unchanging mission: we want to make joyful disciples of Jesus who remember his realness in all of life. And we have a fresh fourfold way of talking about the kind of disciples we hope to be and multiply. Each of the four brings together two realities to clarify with an adjective what kind of nouns we mean.First, we are Jesus worshipers. This is the vertical aspect, the up-reach. We are not just theists, or even monotheists; nor do we simply admire Jesus as a great moral teacher. Rather, we worship Jesus. That's what it means to be Christians. We not only worship God but worship his Son.Second, we are joyful servants. That is, we are not dour servants, doing our duty while biting our lip. Nor are we shallowly happy sluggards sitting around dedicated to self-service. Rather, we aim to have happy hearts behind our helping hands. We gladly provide shade for those scorched by the sun, and strong branches to give safety for those harassed by wolves.Third, we are generous disciplers. What do we say here — providing life-giving sap? We are not miserly mentors, nor generous donors, but generous disciplers — up close, involved, giving of our own time and energy to help others grow in the faith. Last week we saw this vision in Acts 20 of personally speaking God's word and living his word in real life while investing in the lives of a few. “Disciplers” is the big addition to our previous way of talking about a threefold calling as worshipers, servants, and missionaries. We still say worshipers and servants, but now we've added disciplers, and updated missionaries to witnesses.So, fourth and finally, we are welcoming witnesses. Here we're talking outreach in particular. Not just up in worship, and in through service and discipling, but out in Christian witness to an unchristian world.Welcoming witness means we are not okay being cold, off-putting witnesses; nor are we warm, welcoming pushovers. We are welcoming witnesses: those who open wide their arms to others to make Jesus known and enjoyed.So, we give the rest of this message to welcoming witnesses, and here's how we'll proceed. First, let's go to Acts 2, and the string of texts that follow it, and see the welcoming witness of the early church, and how it grew. Then let's consider what it means to be a witness, and then what welcoming adds to witness. You can call these three truths for our welcoming witness.1. The church and the gospel grow together.Acts 2:40 says that Peter “bore witness” to the gospel of Jesus, and verse 21 says that the people “received his word” — we'll come back to this. Then twice we hear about additions, that is, growth:Verse 41: “there were added that day about three thousand souls.” Verse 47: “the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”And this is the beginning of this remarkable theme in the book of Acts — the word growing, increasing, multiplying.So we hear in Acts 4:4: “many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.” So the (gospel) word is heard and believed, and the number grows.Then Acts 6:7: “the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem . . . .” Number grows, as word grows. Specifically, number multiplies as word increases.Then Acts 12:24, very simply: “the word of God increased and multiplied” — many more heard and believed and joined the church. So too in Acts 19:20: “the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.”The word, the message of the gospel, grows as people hear and believe in Jesus and are added to the church. Word growth and church growth go together.What If GodNow, I know that some of us hear that — all that adding and increasing and even multiplying — and think, Oh no, I just want a small church. We look around this room and think, There's already enough people here. Already too many! No more increasing, please. Okay, maybe just a little adding here and there, but no multiplying!We might think of it in terms of church size, but perhaps that's really a misplaced diagnosis. I suspect it's not really about church size as much as the rush and pace and complexities and relentless frenzy of city life. Our modern metropolitan lives are so crazy, we just want church small and simple, thank you. But our discomfort with gospel growth may really have more to do with our unrecognized calling to the city.You know what's good about city life? There are so many people nearby. And you know what's so hard about city life? There are so many people nearby.To be honest, just about all of us at Cities Church have small-church preferences. And you know what? It turns out a lot of us have small-church preferences. So many of us, in fact, that after a while, we small-church people find each other, and don't have a small church anymore.What might help us is to do business with the time and place to which God has called us. Brothers and sisters, you live in a very large city. Twin Cities. Depending on who's counting, this is the 12th to 16th largest metro in the United States. And this is where God has put you, whether you own it or not. Maybe God's loosening your roots and means for you to head to the hinterlands, but for now, if you live in the TC metro, you live in a very populated urban and suburban area. My hope for us as a church is that we would recognize our present calling, and embrace it, and persevere in it, and let it inform our expressed desire for small church.I get it. Most of us have some native bucolic longings that in the complexity and stress of city life we might try to pour into church life. Brothers and sisters, there are other ways to channel your rural dreams than into a church on Summit Avenue. Drive out-state to an apple orchard next Saturday, or get an AirBnB for a weekend. Take a trip in Duluth; visit the Brainerd Lakes area or Boundary Waters. Explore MN. Drive across South Dakota. And then come back to the big city, and own that we are a church in the city, and that it is good to have so many people nearby, and so many people to bring close to Jesus and into joyful discipleship.It would be very easy to look around week after week and think we don't have any more space. We don't have room for witness. We don't have room to welcome others in. We don't have space for more baptisms, at least not many.As pastors, we are wrestling in this season, and want you to wrestle with us, Lord, what are you calling us to? We want the gospel to increase and multiply. We want the church to grow and mature. We want to generously disciple many, and send them out like Pastor Kenny, and add to our number those who are being saved. Would you join us in praying for it? And would you join us in praying for Macalester? Amazingly, we've been seeing a new trickle of students from Macalester. What if God would be pleased to turn that into a stream, and into a river? What if God sent us 100 Macalester students? What's your gut response to that? Is it, “Oh no! We don't have room for many more people!” Or does your heart burn, “Yes, yes, do it, Lord, answer our prayers, make us a welcoming witness to Macalester, and Summit Avenue, and in these surrounding neighborhoods”?2. You are never alone when you witness to Jesus.The key verse that sets the program for the whole book of Acts is Acts 1:8: “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”Because of Acts 1:8, we often use this word “witness” for “sharing our faith” or “speaking the gospel.” Have you ever stopped to ponder what this word “witness” means for us as Christians?What is a witness? A witness is someone, who, for the good of others, chooses to testify to something they have seen or heard. Usually the witness did not choose to see or hear what they did. They didn't initiate the experience. The event chose them, so to speak. And then, for the good of others, they choose, they agree, to testify in court.So, to be a witness is both humble and brave. Something happened that you didn't do, but you saw it or heard it. And now, for the benefit of others, you testify to what you saw or heard or know.John the Baptist is a classic example of the witness: He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. (John 1:7-8)Brothers and sisters, pressure's off! You're not the light; you're just the witness. Jesus is the light, not you. It's his work, not yours. It's his grace, not yours. But this I know: I once was blind, but now I see. I'm not the light; he's the light. Look at the light!And not only do we witness like John but we never witness alone, but as we witness to Jesus, and what we have seen and heard and experience, we simply add our voice to the company of witnesses: to the witness of nature (Acts 14:17), and the witness of conscience (Romans 2:15), and the witness of Scripture (Acts 10:43), and to the cloud of witnesses that surrounds us (Hebrews 12:1).But the one I find most encouraging of all is that the Holy Spirit witnesses. Acts 5:32: “we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”The Spirit is the divine Person who works through and with the word to give it life and growth and increase and expansion. And God has given him to us; he dwells in us. You never witness alone when you bear witness to Jesus.Over and over again in Acts, the Holy Spirit fills Christians and empowers them for witness (Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 13:9), just as Jesus promised in Acts 1:8: “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses...”3. We adorn our witness with hearts and hands that welcome.Witness is the noun. Welcome is the adjective. Welcoming witness means that we adorn our gospel witness with the warmth and deeds of Christian love. Word is central in witness, and welcome adorns word.Biblically, a related concept to “welcoming witness” is hospitality, which is literally “love of strangers.” There is usual human kindness, where we welcome and love those who love us, and there is the unusual kindness of Rahab welcoming the Israelite spies (Hebrews 11:31) or the natives of Malta showing hospitality to the shipwrecked apostle Paul (Acts 28:2, 7). Love for strangers is so important to Christianity that hospitable is a requirement for office in the church (1 Tim 3:2; 5:10; Titus 1:8).For Christians, love for strangers means both that we welcome fellow believers in uncomfortable ways (Romans 12:13; 14:1; 1 Peter 4:9) as well as that we welcome strangers and unbelievers (Heb 13:2; Matt 25:35, 38, 43).Why would we do this? I remember I had a book as a kid called Never Talk to Strangers. It was not a Christian book. So, why would we do this? Why would we talk to strangers? And have a heart for strangers to know Jesus? And take action that we might welcome strangers to Jesus and witness to him?Because this is what Jesus has done for us. We were hungry and he fed us with the bread of life. We were thirsty and he gave us to drink from the well of living water. We were strangers, sinners, rebels, estranged from God, and he welcomed us.Christians learn to love strangers, and learn to be welcoming witnesses to those strange to us and estranged from God, because God himself loved us when we were yet strangers. His love for strangers compels us to be welcoming witnesses, rather than fearful of and suspicious of the strange and God-estranged.Three Spheres for WitnessSo, I end with three spheres of our welcoming witness, perhaps in increasing importance:1) We are a welcoming witness at 1524 Summit Ave. Each Sunday, we have a welcome team. You can participate in that. And let's not leave all the welcoming of each other, and strangers, to the welcome team. So, some welcoming happens on the way into this room, but mainly, after we worship, oh what amazing ministry, what welcoming witness happens on these grounds. Please don't run as a pattern. Linger and be welcoming witnesses.Then all week, as we meet people nearby, and represent our church, as we frequent businesses nearby, as we repair the steeple, and keep the lawn, we want to be together a welcoming witness to Jesus on Summit Ave and to these surrounding neighborhoods.2) We are a welcoming witness as we go out into other spaces during the week. So, your work, your school, coffee shops, gyms, ballfields. Just Thursday, I was given a new book called You Will Be My Witnesses (by Brian DeVries). I got it from someone in another city who had no idea I was preaching on “witnesses” this Sunday. It's very good. Chapter 5 summarizes the pattern of Christian witness in Acts like this, which is very applicable to our relationships with unbelievers across the metro: Christian witness is (1) usually preceded by prayer, (2) often explicitly Spirit-directed, (3) generally spontaneous, (4) with the church community itself as the dominant form of witness (DeVries talks about “contagious Christian living within an attracting church community,” 120), and all that, as we've seen, (5) with gospel communication central (and “authenticated by . . . faithful living,” 121).3) We are a welcoming witness in our homes.Sometimes we talk about someone having “the gift” of hospitality. It may be true that some are more naturally inclined toward good hosting, but hospitality is not something that falls from the sky (or not). It is first God-given love for strangers in the heart, and that love is either cultivated and grown (whatever your natural inclinations), or neglected and suppressed; and if it's cultivated, then that love overflows into practical, tangible outward deeds and welcome.I close with five practical, nitty-gritty ideas for welcoming witness in our homes.1) Pray about being hospitable and budget for it. Pray over who you'd like to invite into your home, and don't let the very minimal costs keep you from the very maximal rewards.2) Think in concentric circles of “strangers”: first, those who are not strangers at all: friends and family. Okay, that's very normal hosting. Then think of those who are strangers in that they don't live in your house but are fellow believers. Then don't forget those who are strangers according to faith. In other words, Christian hospitality incorporates both fellow believers and nonbelievers. Make use of it for both, for hosting Community Group and hosting unbelieving neighbors.3) A word for dads. I wish this lesson didn't take me so long to learn, and that I didn't still have room for growth. But it did, and I do. I'd love to save some younger husbands some grief if you'll hear an old man's counsel: dad's energy is key for hospitality. Husbands, fathers, we don't wave a wand and expect wife and kids to start singing, “Be Our Guest” — not for long. Dad, your masculine heart and hands and arms are critical; and so is her feminine heart and touch — and everyone knows her part is vital, but yours can get forgotten, especially by you. Don't forget it. Brothers, lead the way in prayer, planning, preparation, service, and cleanup. Put your male body to some use. Many marriages (not saying all) would be helped if dad sweated hospitality prep for more, and mom sweated it less.4) So, a word to the ladies: some of you may have to lower your expectations for domestic and culinary excellence. I promise, it is worth being hospitable, even if a perfect pic doesn't wind up on IG. You don't need to impress; just love. Use paper plates, and the house doesn't have to be perfect.5) A next-level consideration might be having a guest room, or plan for overnight hosting.Making a practice of welcoming others into our homes can be good for your marriage, in having shared mission and ministry together. It can be good for our kids, in the people they'll meet and interact with and learn from. And it's good for us to have open homes, open doors, open lives. An open home brings accountability with it that does us all good. Satan loves isolation and closed doors. And welcoming others into our homes might be not just an important way, but the key way in our times to witness to our faith in Jesus.Housekey?I remember the moment in evangelism class in seminary. The professor's name was Steve Childers. He asked the class, “You know what will be the key to evangelism in the 21st century, don't you?”I'm sure he could see on our faces how eager we were for his answer. Wow, the key, we were thinking. This is huge. He knew he had us. So he paused and smiled and waited. And he waited. And just when I was almost ready to burst with, “Just c'mon already!” finally he lifted the curtain: “Hospitality.”In an increasingly post-Christian society, he said, the importance of hospitality as an evangelistic asset is quickly growing. Increasingly, the most strategic turf on which to engage the unbelieving with the good news of Jesus is the turf of our own yards and homes.When people don't gather in droves for stadium crusades, or tarry long enough on the sidewalk to hear a gospel presentation, or look up from their phones, or take out their earbuds, what will you do? How will we be welcoming witnesses? Where will we testify to the unbelieving about what matters most?Invite them to dinner. Witness and Welcome at the TableEach Sunday, this Table forms us to be welcoming witnesses. First, this Table witnesses. It speaks a visible word to us about Jesus, his sacrifice of his body for our sins, and his new covenant inaugurated in the shedding of his blood. This Table witnesses to him, and as we partake we proclaim his death until he comes.And this Table welcomes — not without spiritual conditions but indiscriminately within the conditions of confession this Jesus as Lord, Savior, and Treasure and having had his name put on you publicly through baptism.

So this is sermon four of six in our series entitled: “We Are Cities Church,” the goal of which has been to communicate who we are, especially now that we're in our tenth year, and have gone from being a church planted to becoming a church rooted right here on 1524 Summit Avenue.Back on September 8, Pastor Jonathan began this series with a message on our church's mission, in which he said: “Our mission has always been, and will always be, to make disciples of Jesus” because that is what Jesus tells us to do. And when it comes to what we mean by making disciples, we mean making “joyful disciples of Jesus who remember his realness in all of life.”Now, what do those joyful disciples look like? What are their defining traits? Four things…As joyful disciples of Jesus we are Jesus worshipers, joyful servants, generous disciplers, and welcoming witnesses. And two weeks ago, Pastor David Mathis preached on that first one, Jesus Worshipers. Last week, Pastor Jonathan preached on the second one, Joyful Servants. And this week, if God allows, I'll preach on the third, Generous Disciplers. Let's pray and ask him to do so.So, we — as joyful disciples of Jesus — are Jesus worshipers, joyful servants, and, now, generous disciplers. To which, you might question, what is a generous discipler? Well, I'm glad you asked.Here's my definition: A generous discipler is someone who gladly and purposefully seeks to help other Christians follow Jesus.You like the definition? Good. But, what's with that, “other Christians” part? “A generous discipler is someone who gladly and purposefully seeks to help other Christians follow Jesus.” Why not just “other people?” Why limit it to Christians? I mean, don't we want to help those who are not yet Christians to begin to follow Jesus as well? The answer is yes — emphatically, yes! We most certainly want to help those who are not yet Christians to begin to follow Jesus because that is what Jesus commands us to do in Matthew 28:19 — a passage we recite at our commission each and every Sunday — where he says, “Make disciples of all nations.” That is, make people who, though they previously had not been followers of Jesus, are now followers of Jesus. And that process of — making those who, though previously had not been followers Jesus, are now followers of Jesus, sometimes referred to as “evangelism” or “witnessing” — is what we're going to drill down on in next week's sermon, our final defining trait — welcoming witnesses. But the focus for this morning's sermon is, assuming that we do in fact make disciples, what we should then do with them, once we've made them. That is, after we've shared the gospel with someone, and they've received Christ, and they've been baptized in his name, are we just to then say, “Alright, well, see you in eternity?” I mean, yes, Jesus calls us to make disciples. But is that all he calls us to do?See Jesus has more to say to us in Matthew 28 about this process of discipleship. He says,“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;”Do you see the transition? Make disciples, baptize them; and then teach them.Make disciples, baptize them; and then show them how to live. Make disciples; and then, we might say, gladly and purposefully seek to help them follow Jesus.It is that portion of the equation, that helping of current followers of Jesus to continue to follow Jesus, that we are focused on this morning as generous disciplers.And so, with that, I want to turn your attention to the text, Acts chapter 20. And I've got two things that I want to show you here from this text this morning. Two methods, if you will, for helping other Christians to follow Jesus. First: Christians help other Christians to follow Jesus by speaking the word of God to them.Second: Christians help other Christians to follow Jesus by living the word of God before them.You want to help other Christians to follow Jesus? Then speak the word of God to them and live the word of God before them.We'll focus first on speak.1. Speak the Word Acts chapter 20, beginning in verse 17, for some context,“Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.”The “he” there is Paul. So Paul is in Miletus, and while there, he sends for the elders of the church in Ephesus, saying, “Hey, come join me over here.” For some perspective, this is not like a quick trip out to a friend's house. That's like a 2-4 day journey on foot that he's just called them on. 30 miles as the crow flies, but more like 60 when it comes to all the twists and turns on the path to get there. But despite that distance, these elders in Ephesus hear the request, and they come.Verse 18,“And when they came to him, he [Paul] said to them: You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia…”So he's calling them back to the time they had spent together in Ephesus. And he's summing up his activity while he was there as, verse 19,“…serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house.” Now, Paul had spent nearly three years with those believers back in Ephesus. Three years! And what had he been doing throughout those three years? Among other things, he had been, verse 20: “Declaring” and “Teaching.” Mouth open and speaking to these Ephesian Christians. And what had he been speaking to them about?Well, he had been speaking to them about, “…anything that was profitable...” See it there, in verse 20?“…declaring to you anything that was profitable…”Now, at first glance, that makes it sound like Paul had been casting the net pretty wide in terms of things to speak to these Ephesians, right? I mean, anything that was profitable? Like, really anything?But just compare that somewhat vague statement with another statement of his, down in verse 27. Because while in verse 20, he says, “I did not shrink from declaring to you…anything that was profitable.” Look down with me to verse 27. In verse 27, he says almost the exact same thing. Almost. Verse 27,“…for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” Now, do you think Paul means us to read those two things as separate bodies of content? Like, “I didn't shrink back from declaring to you anything that was profitable, nor did I shrink back from declaring to you the counsel of God?” Are those two things separate? Or, are they synonymous — the one clarifying the other? I think we could paraphrase Paul's words here as, “Elders of Ephesus, verse 20, you remember how ‘I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable' that is, verse 27, how ‘I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.'” See, because the fact of the matter is, if you're in search for the body of words that can most profit a person's soul, in search of the corpus of truth that can most bring true soul-level benefit to a person, then you need not look further than to all the words that God has already spoken.And Paul is telling them, “Remember, I didn't hold back a single word that would've been profitable for you. For, I didn't hold back a single word that God has said.” The whole counsel of God.How do you gladly and purposefully seek to help another Christian follow Jesus? First, you speak the words of God to them. And all the words of God to them. You hold not one of them back.Why the Whole Counsel?Now, at this point, someone may argue: “Time out, that was Paul. Of course, he discipled others that way. He was an apostle. But look, I am not an apostle. I am an average, run of the mill Christian. Isn't it enough for me to simply seek to help other Christians follow Jesus by speaking portions of God's word? Like, can't I just share with them the parts of God's word that are especially comforting? Most encouraging? Or least likely to upset them or convict them about areas of needed change in their life? I mean, this book has some hard sayings — just take the gospels: Jesus talks about Hell, and the fact that some people are going there. Jesus talks about crosses and how we must take up ours to follow him. Jesus talks about sexual sin and how it's better to pluck out our eyes than take part in it. Jesus says we can't serve money. Jesus says we can't live for the praise of others. Jesus says he alone is the way, truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through him. Are we really to speak those words when seeking to help another Christian follow Jesus?”Well, what did Jesus say?Make disciples, baptize them, and “Teach them to observe all that I have commanded.” And he gave that commission not just to Paul. Nor just to the professionals. But to all who would claim to follow him — including you and me.Brother and sister, are you obeying Jesus in this regard? Who in your life right now needs you, needs you, to speak the words of God to them — even those that are both most difficult for them to swallow and most profitable for them to hear?So, Paul had spent three years speaking God's word, all of God's word, to the Ephesians because he knew that that was what Jesus has called his followers to do. And because he knew God's word was not going to be the only word the Ephesians were going to hear.What's at Stake?Look with me down in Acts 20:29-30. See it there with me. He says,“I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” See what Paul had were eyes to see the battle going on in the world for words and how each and every one of the Christians around him who he was seeking to help follow Jesus were living in the midst of that battle. And every day, following his departure, there were going to be twisted things like lies, deceptions, and half-truths reigning down upon them from all sides. From within, “among your own selves” and from without, “fierce wolves out there.” Each with the aim to hit and puncture and sink into their souls, so as to draw them away from Christ and toward the wolves instead. Now, just think for a moment — is our world any different than that? I mean, consider someone you know from this church. Someone who is just a bit younger, a bit further behind in their faith than you. Maybe they're in your community group, or your life group. They're likely here this morning, maybe seated near you right now. Now do you have eyes to see the battle for words that that person lives in? Do you have eyes to see that that person, a half-hour-or-so from now, is going to walk out of this place, get in their car, and go home? And tomorrow, they're not going to come here. They're going to go to work, or school, and then maybe the gym, or the store, or to see a movie, or to enjoy a concert, or to visit a friend, or to spend time with a family member, or open a book, or turn on a screen, or pick up a magazine. And as they do, ask yourself: how many words out there are they going to see and hear between now and next Sunday? And how many of them will be twisted — laden with lies, fanged with falsehoods, aimed at leading that person not to Christ, but away from him? A hundred of them? A thousand? Are there any words you might be able to say to that person this week to help them keep following Jesus, rather than turn away from him? Is there any way you might be able to, gladly and purposefully seek to help them follow Jesus by speaking the word of God to them this week?Paul knew what Jesus had called him to. Paul knew the battle his fellow Christians were in. That's why he spoke. And that's why we should to. So, as generous disciplers, we want to gladly and purposefully seek to help other Christians to follow Jesus. And the first way we want to do that is by speaking the word of God to them. The second way, is by living it out before them. 2. Live the Word Go back with me to verse 18,“And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia.”And you know, its interesting — the church at this time was neither rich nor powerful (least not in terms of how the world measures those things). Even still, this was the Apostle Paul. Surely someone in Ephesus has got a nice guest house somewhere outside the city for Paul to stay in, right? I mean, “Paul, get yourself set up somewhere out of the riffraff of commoners and townsfolk. Get somewhere cushy and secluded. You got important stuff to do, to read, to write. You can't afford to be interrupted by all these nobodies.” Right? Wrong.Paul did in Ephesus just the same as he did in every other city he visited — he lived among the people. Rubbed shoulders with commoners. “You yourselves know how I lived among you...”“Okay fine,” we say, “but at least Paul impressed these commoners while he was there, right? Showed them he was a cut above the rest — how strong, how intelligent, how skilled he was right?”Wrong again. Verse 18,“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews.”Humility, tears, and trials. I mean if Paul was trying to impress, then clearly, he failed. Good thing he wasn't. He let his tears fall. His humility show. He bore the marks of trial not because he was trying to impress anybody, but because he was living in response to God's word. TearsHis tears were there because God's word had told him that he should love people and care about their souls. His tears were there because God's word has told him what happens to souls if deceived by twisted things and led away from their Savior. His tears were there because God's word had shown him that the loss of a person's faith deserved them. He was not aiming to impress people, but help people to follow Jesus. And so he let his tears fall in the process.TrialsLikewise, Paul's trials were there because God's word had called him to the front lines of battle. His trials remained there because God's word had assured him that the battle was well worth fighting no matter how heavy or tiresome they got. He was content to have his trials there and to show the marks of them to others because God's word showed him that in times of trial, his weakness showed most, and God's power shined greatest — and that was a good thing. HumilityFinally, his humility was there because of God's word, not his skill. God's word, not his eloquence. God's word, not his work ethic. God's word, not man, was able to guard these followers of Jesus so that they kept on as followers of Jesus even in the midst of the battle. He says, verse 32,“And now [that I'm leaving, and false teachers are coming…] I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and give to you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” What enabled three years-worth of humble service to the Ephesians? The fact that he knew the power for his ministry was not in himself, but in God through his word.Brothers and sisters, go back to that young man or young woman who you had in your mind just a bit ago. The one who is just a bit younger, a bit further behind you in their walk with Jesus.What if you were to begin discipling them today? What if you were to begin gladly and purposefully seeking to help them follow Jesus by speaking God's word to them, and living God's word before them, this week? And what if, after you kept at it for three years, they were not impressed by you?Like, what if, as you discipled them, there came moments when you didn't have the answers, but were willing to seek them out alongside that person? And, what if, as you discipled them, it became apparent that even you are not yet totally sanctified, but are hoping to grow in sanctification alongside them? And what if, as you discipled them, there were no fireworks, and no fanfare, and no accolades, but instead, a thousand little moments, filled with the unimpressive and ordinary stuff, of speaking God's word to that person, and living God's word out before them?What if you did that? Well, then you would then be doing exactly what Jesus has commanded you to do. Making disciples, and then helping them to follow Jesus by teaching them to observe (to live out) all that he has commanded them. Cities Church, you can do this. You can help others to follow Jesus. With Bibles open, you can speak the word. With front doors open, you can live the word. With the desire to impress behind you, and humility flowing out from among you, and even with trials raging all round you, and tears welling up within you —You can help others to follow Jesus. And one last, quick word before we close. Cities Church, not only can you do this, but you can do so generously. Do So GenerouslyVerse 35, final word,“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”Do you see it? Jesus said, that it is more not less, but more blessed — more happy, more joy-producing, more delight-inducing — more blessed to give than to receive. To give than to withhold. To give and expend yourself for the good of others, rather than preserve yourself the supposed good of self. We don't want to be begrudging disciplers. We don't want to be exacting disciplers. We don't want to be duty-driven disciplers. Jesus tells us we should want to be generous disciplers because it is not less, but more blessed to give. The TableNow, what brings us to the table this morning is the fact that Jesus did not call his disciples to himself begrudgingly. He did not teach them his word disinterestedly. He did not cover up, but unfolded his life before them. And on the night he was betrayed, seated among his disciples, he invited them generously — take and eat, this is my body given for you. This table is Jesus' table. A fellowship meal for all who profess faith in him.

“We are Cities Church” means that we take our orders from Jesus, which he gives to us in the Bible. We are who we are and do what we do because of what he says. That's most basically what it means to be his church. We are a band of his disciples — and a disciple, most fundamentally, is a follower or an apprentice. We are apprentices of Jesus, and a couple of weeks ago we saw that means we get our mission from Jesus. Jesus tells us what we're supposed to do: as his disciples, he sends us out to make more of his disciples.Since the very start of our church a decade ago, that's been our goal. Our mission statement has been a direct quote spoken by Jesus himself in Matthew 28:19, “make disciples.” That's what he said, and so that's what we've been about; that's what we're still about — except that now we just want to say more. When we say “make disciples” we mean “make joyful disciples of Jesus who remember his realness in all of life.”And when we talk about disciples, we have in mind a fourfold calling that we find in the New Testament. First and foremost, #1, a disciple of Jesus is a Jesus-worshiper. Pastor David Mathis showed us this last week and Wow, it was good! We are Jesus-worshipers, Pastor Mathis showed us. Jesus Is Super ClearAnd today we're looking at a second part of our calling: We Are Joyful Servants. And I'll be honest with you: this is a softball sermon. And here's why: There are only two places in Scripture where Jesus just says straight up: Hey, look at what I'm doing, now you go and do the same thing.Now Jesus doesn't need to tell us this plainly to imitate him because, again, that's what a disciple does. To be a disciple, or an apprentice, is to follow your master, and that goes for everything about your master. So in all of Jesus's life and character, we should follow him and conform our way of being into his way of being. But for some reason, Jesus wanted to be super clear about two ways in particular that we should be like him, one is in John Chapter 20, but the first we see here is in John Chapter 13. Seeing John 13:15Go ahead and look at verse 15 here. John Chapter 13, verse 15. You've already heard it read, but I want you to see this again. Verse 15 — Jesus says:“For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”So there's no mystery here to what Jesus is saying, but I just wanna make sure we're all on the same page. The first thing he says is: “I have given you an example.” And what's an example? It's something to imitate. And then Jesus spells it out even more. He says the purpose of the example is … “That you should do just as I have done to you.”See what I mean when I say Jesus is being super clear? He says Here's an example, do what I do. And if we are truly his disciples it means that we're gonna say Okay! I'm in.Are you in? We wanna do what Jesus says! If we're onboard, then it means two things:We're gonna focus on the example of JesusWe're gonna figure out how to do what Jesus does1. Focus on the Example of JesusWhen Jesus mentions his example in verse 15, he's talking about something he just did, which goes back to verse 1. So I'm going to take us back to verse 1, and here's what I'd like to do…Instead of just giving you some bullet-point observations of Jesus's example here, I want to us to try and imagine the scene. Jesus gives an object lesson here. He does a thing that his disciples see, so I want us to try to see it too. I'm gonna ask that you try to use your imagination here as I tell you a story, okay?It had been a crazy week for Jesus (kinda like when we have a crazy week, except this was much crazier). Jesus started the week by coming to Jerusalem. It was the Jewish Passover and the city was packed, but Jesus didn't just enter the city by foot, like he normally does when he enters cities, but this time, he found a young donkey to ride into town, and as he rode it, crowds, who heard he was coming, lined the streets and threw down palm branches, and they said “Hosanna!” (Which is Aramaic for Hooray! Hooray!) “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”And Jesus's disciples are excited. They had just seen Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead! Jewish people were believing in Jesus! This is big, and Sunday to Wednesday is a blur! Greeks are now seeking Jesus, and Jesus says his time has come!There's some confusion among the people (and the disciples) about this, but Jesus is locked in.And then it's Thursday night. Jesus is having dinner with his 12 disciples, and he knew something nobody else knew: At this dinner he knew that within 24 hours he's going to be brutally killed, and everything about everything will change. And he's with these men, these men who he's spent everyday with for the past three years. Can you imagine how well he knew these guys? They were his friends and he loved them. And now he's at the table and he's looking at them, full of love, and he knows how all of this is gonna play out.He knows about Judas. He knows what Peter will do. He knows all the others are gonna run. There will be so much pain. But he also knows he's going home. Jesus knows that the Father is happy with him, that the Father is going to honor him and exalt him, and make him shine. The Father has given Jesus preeminence over all things, and Jesus knows it. Jesus knows who he is. He knows where he's going. And if we could see with our mind's eye what Jesus was seeing in that moment, it's blinding light. It's unspeakable, blazing joy. He's the freest of kings.But then Jesus gets up from the dinner table and he takes off his nice shirt. And he goes and gets a towel (and it was probably a damp towel — you know we always look for damp towels for things like this).He ties the towel around his waist, fills a basin with water, he kneels down, and he takes the feet of one of these guys, and he's starts washing them. I don't need to tell you how gross feet are. The water turns brown, and Jesus is wiping these feet with the towel around his waist. This man created Jupiter. He spoke the oceans into existence and now he scrubs the toes of men, and Peter didn't want him to. Peter said No, Lord, not you. You're never gonna wash my feet.And Jesus said, Peter, if you don't let me wash your feet, you're not with me. And it was an amazing moment. Peter said, Fine! Wash my feet! And my hands! And my head!Peter says I am so with you — but he wasn't that with him, because Jesus is about to tell Peter that he'll deny him. Jesus knew Judas was about to leave dinner early to betray him.Jesus knew everything and he washed all the disciples' feet. And when he finished, he took off the towel, now soaked, and he puts back on his nice shirt, and he goes back to his seat at the table, and all the guys are looking at him, and he says: “Do y'all understand what I just did?” And of course they didn't really understand.So Jesus tells them, “You call me your Teacher and Lord, and you're right. That's who I am.” These guys already recognized that Jesus is the one they're supposed to imitate.So Jesus says, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”And I think we just need to sit in this for a second. This was the most amazing dinner in human history. How could you be one of these disciples and ever have dinner the same way again? This was an unforgettable dinner, for these disciples and for every disciple of Jesus who has come after them.Jesus gives us an example. He demonstrates how he wants us to be. And we need to figure that out. 2. Figure out how to do what Jesus does.We need to figure out how we do what Jesus did. I don't think Jesus means that we should literally wash feet — I mean, you can — but it's more than that. Jesus wants us to be servants. That's the name we'd put on his example. That's what he's demonstrating by washing feet.He wants us to be servants like him, and if we're keeping his example in mind, to be a servant like Jesus means three things:1. We serve at a cost.I want to start here with the cost of serving because there is a real cost … because we're talking about real serving … It's serving, not partyin'.It's serving, not keeping your hands clean from the grit and grim of difficult things — Jesus had to change his clothes!Serving does not mean finding your happy place. Everything does not go perfectly. That's what makes it serving!William Carey and Sacrifice?I love the legacy of William Carey. He was an English Christian who served as a missionary in India from 1793–1834. He's considered to be the father of modern global missions, and he was a Calvinist Baptist. William Carey is my guy. And toward the end of his life, he made this famous quote about all the work and ministry he had done. He said, “I never made a sacrifice. Of this I am certain. It was no sacrifice. It was a privilege.”In the 41 years that William Carey spent in India he had to rack his brain everyday to learn and translate several local languages and dialects. He experienced frequent illness, including malaria and dysentery, often without good medical care.In 1807, he suffered the tragic death of his wife after she got sick. And of and on, over four decades, he faced constant opposition from Hindus and Muslims and he struggled at times with loneliness and isolation.William Carey made a sacrifice. There was a cost to his serving. Now what he means by “I never made a sacrifice” is that the end reward is so good it eclipses the cost. Like after a mother has given birth to her child (Jesus uses this example). Once the baby is born, it's just joy! — so much joy that you're not even thinking about the intense pain that you were experiencing five minutes ago, which was painful (I've been in the room a few times!) But the reward eventually transcends the cost — that's what William Carey is saying. But there's still a cost, and while you're paying, it's not a party.Troubled in SpiritIt is amazing that in this narrative of Jesus serving we're reminded constantly of what these disciples are gonna do. Judas's betrayal is mentioned in verse 2, then again in verse 11 and verse 18, and the whole passage is about Judas from verses 21–30, and then this chapter ends with Jesus foretelling Peter's denial. All of this in this chapter about Jesus serving — do you think Jesus was giddy about all this? You think Jesus would say none of this hurt? That there was no cost? Is that what we see when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane? Already here, at this last supper, John tells us in verse 21 that Jesus was “troubled in his spirit.” And John knows, because, remember, John was sitting right beside Jesus! There was a cost here.Brothers and sisters, if we serve like Jesus we serve at a cost too. And so if I could say so gently, when it comes to serving, some of us need to stop trying to be more spiritual than Jesus — don't ignore the cost; count the cost. And then tell Jesus he's worth it. #2 — to be a servant like Jesus means …2. We serve from freedom. There's something here we need to clarify: Jesus was a servant, we're called to follow his example and be servants too — but servants of who exactly? Are we servants of Jesus or servants of others?And the answer is both. And that might be obvious to you, but I think it's important how this comes through in the text. Jesus doesn't use a lot of servant language in the Gospel of John. The first time he mentions us being servants is one chapter before this one, in Chapter 12, and then there's a few key places in Chapters 13, 15, and 18, and in all these uses — every time Jesus talks about us being “servants” — he's talking about us being his servants (see 12:26; 13:16; 15:15, 20; 18:36). We serve him.And of course we serve others too — that's the whole point of our passage today — when Jesus says “you should do just as I have done to you” he implies “you should do to others.” In verse 36 he repeats the same idea and says, “just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”So yes, we serve others, but there's an important connection here we need to see: it's that we can never serve others the way Jesus served us unless we are first his servants. “You Are Serving the Lord Christ”Our calling is to serve Jesus first, and then as his servants, following his example, serving him, we serve others.And I love the way Paul captures this in 2 Corinthians 4:5 — this is a verse to memorize. Paul says about his ministry:“For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.”This is profound. Is Paul serving Jesus or others? He's serving both, but it's even more than that: because in Paul's serving of others, he's actually serving Jesus too. Paul serves Jesus by his serving of others, and in his serving of others he's serving Jesus.William Carey translated the entire Bible into six different Indian languages. He translated part of the Bible into at least 29 different languages and dialects. Which was painstaking work. He would have spent hours and hours hunched over his desk, laboring by candlelight, serving, but get this: he wasn't merely serving the people who would read his translations, but he was serving Jesus! So finally, we have the whole Bible in Bengali! Here, Jesus, it's for you.Hey mom and dad, when you feel at your limit with what you can give your children, and you wonder if it's ever gonna do any good, remember that you're not merely serving your kids in what you do, you're serving Jesus in serving your kids. Here, Jesus, this 10,000th PB&J, it's for you.People at work — employees — when you're tired at work and you'd rather be a hundred other places, you can work heartily for the Lord, not men — because “you are serving the Lord Christ”(see Colossians 3:23–24). Here, Jesus, this report, this project, these tasks, it's for you. We serve Jesus first!And get this: serving Jesus first is the only way we can serve from freedom. The Freedom of a ChristianServing from freedom means that our serving is not constrained by anything. It's not forced by some desired result, but it's willingly! Serving from freedom means we serve because we want to, not because we're trying to get something. And the reason Jesus is the only one we can serve this way is because Jesus is the only person who loves us purely by grace.We don't have to earn his favor or score points — he's already given us his favor! We have all the points! And he has given them to us not because of what we've done — it can never be because of what we've done — but it's all because of his grace.The grace of God is a life-changing discovery. Just ask Martin Luther. Back in the early 1500s, Martin Luther read the Bible and was transformed by the gospel of God's grace. We are saved not by our works, but by God's grace through faith in Christ. And there were a lot of people who did not like that, and one reason was because they said:Hey, if people know they're saved by grace, not by the good works they do, then they will stop doing good works. We have to tell them that their works earn their salvation, so they'll keeping doing them.And in the fall of 1520, Luther published a small treatise called The Freedom of a Christian (still is an amazing book!). And Luther argues that the gospel demolishes that way of thinking. He says the gospel implies two things:1) A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. 2) A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.This is what the gospel does. First, it means we're free!Luther says salvation by grace means “every Christian by faith is exalted above all things so that nothing can do the Christian any harm.” He writes, As a matter of fact, all things are made subject to [the Christian] and are compelled to serve him in obtaining salvation. Accordingly Paul says in Romans 8, “All things work together for good for the elect” and in 1 Corinthians 3, “All things are yours whether … life or death or the present or the future, all are yours; and you are Christ's …”He just rejoices! He says:The cross and death itself are compelled to serve me … This is a splendid privilege and hard to attain, a truly omnipotent power, a spiritual dominion in which there is nothing so good and nothing so evil but that it shall work together for my good … Christians are the freest of kings!It's amazing, brothers and sisters, how free we are in Christ! Ultimately we are untouchable! All by the grace of God, not because of what we do.But then, how does that affect what we do? How do we kings and queens treat one another? Luther says that because we are so free in Christ, all we care about is divine approval and therefore we are freed to serve. Luther writes, [The Christian] ought to think: “Although I am an unworthy and condemned man, my God has given me in Christ all the riches of righteousness and salvation without any merit on my part, out of pure, free mercy, so that from now on I need nothing except faith which believes that this is true.” …Behold, from faith flows forth love and joy in the Lord, and from love a joyful, willing, and free mind that serves one's neighbor willingly and takes no account of gratitude or ingratitude, of praise or blame, of gain or loss. For a man does not serve that he may put men under obligations. … But as his Father does, distributing all things to all men richly and freely, making his sun rise on the evil and on the good, as his Father does, so also the son! [The child of God, the Christian] does all things and suffers all things with that freely bestowing joy which is his delight in God, the dispenser of such great benefits.Brothers and sisters, we serve from freedom, and do you see that it's when we serve from freedom that we serve with joy?That's the third and final point. To serve like Jesus means …3. We serve with joy. We serve with joy — because our salvation is secure in Christ.Because my salvation is secure in Christ, I don't have to serve you to get Jesus to love me. I get to serve you because Jesus loves me. Do you see? Because we are so free, our serving one another is not a have to, it's a get to. We serve as the overflow of our joy in God — joy we have by grace! That's why we are joyful servants.Serving with joy is not an add-on — it's just what makes sense in light of what God has done. And it is the example of Jesus. Jesus knew who he was, he was free, and he knew the cost, and yet the Book of Hebrews tells us that “for the joy set before him, he endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). Still a cross, still a cost, But joy he found beyond the pain, Joy that carried him from loss to gain.That's what brings us to the Table. The TableAt this table each week, we remember this dinner that we've talked about. We remember the sacrifice of Jesus for us — that Jesus, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved us to the end. The bread and cup represent the death of Jesus, which means, they represent his love. And when we eat the bread and drink the cup, we are resting in his love. This is why this Table is for Christians. This remembrance is for those who have put their faith in Jesus. If you're here this morning and you've not yet done that, you can just pass the bread and cup to the person beside you, but don't pass on the moment. If you're not a Christian, today is the day of salvation. Today you can trust in Jesus. You can just pray, simply: Jesus, I can't save myself — I'm sorry for trying. I believe you died for me, you are raised from the dead.I trust you. Save me.You can just pray that, or something like that. You can rest in the love of Jesus this morning too.The pastors will come, let us joyfully serve you.

Last Sunday, we began a new six-sermon series called “We Are Cities Church.” We've been through some distinct seasons in almost ten years as a church, and now find ourselves on the front end of a new one. You might summarize our first five years, from founding to COVID, as a time of being planted. And from early 2020 until last summer, as a time of becoming rooted. Last fall we talked about coming into a new season of growth in the life of our church, and as part of this last year, the pastors have given time to revisiting who we are and what we're called to as a church.Last week Jonathan said, “If you've been around Cities Church for a while, we don't expect that you'll be surprised by anything you hear. If you're brand-new, we're excited for you to meet our church, and if you're semi-new, we hope this might fill in some gaps for you.”Jonathan finished the sermon last Sunday by introducing a fresh expression of our stated mission as a church:Our mission has always been, and will always be, to make disciples of Jesus. That's what Jesus tells us to do. And when it comes to what we mean by making disciples, we want to make joyful disciples of Jesus who remember his realness in all of life.This morning, and the next three Sundays, we'd like to flesh this out — in particular, we want to introduce a new fourfold way of capturing what we mean by “joyful disciples of Jesus”:We are Jesus worshipers.We are joyful servants.We are generous disciplers.We are welcoming witnesses. Until now, we've talked about our threefold calling as worshipers, servants, and missionaries. Now, we'd like to take that same pie, and cut it into four slices, instead of three — and add some adjectives. So, next Sunday, we'll focus on joyful servants. Then, in two weeks, generous disciplers. And in three weeks, welcoming witnesses. But this morning, we begin with what is first and foremost, and what remains most unchanged and totally untweaked from day one to year ten: we worship Jesus.We have it on the back doors, with no plan to remove it: We worship Jesus. We love one another. We seek the good of the Cities.If you want to know what's the first thing to say about Cities Church, it's this: we worship Jesus. For outsiders who ask, Who are those people? And for insiders who ask, Who are we? There is nothing more fundamental than we worship Jesus.So let's ponder what each of those three words carries for us. What do we mean by “worship”? And what's significant about that “we”? And why do we say “Jesus,” and not just “God” or “the Father” or “the Trinity”?And as we do that, we'll make some connections to the passage we just read in John 12:20–26. Let me give you three reasons why our first and foremost calling is to be “Jesus worshipers.” Let's start with the word worship.1. God made you to worship.Not just us, but you. This is very personal, and all important. If you don't realize this about yourself, much of your own life will be confusing, and if you do know this, and own it, then far more of your life, and your thoughts and your desires and impulses, will make sense.God made you. You were created by him. You do not simply exist. You are not matter plus chance plus time. You have a Creator, who had designs in making you, and the overarching design is that your life reflect the worth and value of the Creator. In other words, God made you to make much of him, and (good news!) that through enjoying him, and expressing your heart's satisfaction in him through words and deeds. Or, we might say it this way: God designed you to worship him — in body and in soul. Not only are your eyes and ears, and lips and tongue, and arms and legs, and hands and feet designed to display the value of God in his created world, but also your mind and heart were made to glorify him. God gave us brains and emotions that we might think true thoughts about him, and experience fitting feelings about him, and in doing so, glorify him.In other words, God wired us to be worshipers. To be human is to have a heart that worships. You will worship someone, or something, or yourself. And the problem with humanity, called sin, is not that we cease to worship but that we turn from God to worship other things. Sin is worship gone wrong. Romans 1 diagnoses our condition like this:…what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 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. 21 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. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.The 17th century philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal put it like this:There was once in man a true happiness of which there now remain to him only the mark and empty trace, which he in vain tries to fill from all his surroundings, seeking from things absent the help he does not obtain in things present. But these are all inadequate, because the infinite abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable object, that is to say, only by God Himself.In John 12, some Greeks, seeking to fill the infinite abyss, come to Jerusalem to worship. Look at verses 20–22:Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.So, some Greeks show up in the capital city of the Jews. They have come to worship, John says. God made them to worship, and they are seeking. Their hearts are restless, and who knows how far and wide their restless hearts have led them in their quest to find the only one who fills the infinite abyss. And now they are very close. They have come to Jerusalem, of all places. In fact, in making this request to one of Jesus's disciples (the one with the Greek name Philip), they are even closer to the end of their quest than they could have imagined.Come HedonisticallyLet's make something clear about worship, about these Greeks coming to Jerusalem, and about us gathering here together this morning. Hebrews 11:6 says, “without faith it is impossible to please [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”“Draw near” is the language of worship. With hungry souls, we draw near physically to this building — or for them, to Jerusalem — but most importantly we draw near in our hearts and minds, that is, in our attention and focus. We turn our minds and hearts, and our words of praise and postures of worship, to God. And Hebrews 11:6 says the kind of drawing near that pleases God is the kind that not only believes he exists but that “he rewards those who seek him.” He fills the abyss. He satisfies the soul. He feeds the hungry in spirit. God is pleased by those who take their longing, restless, aching, thirsty souls and draw near to him for satisfaction. He is pleased by worshipers who draw near, starved for him. Worshipers who come hedonistically. The heart of worship is satisfaction in God. And the praises we offer, and hands we raise, in worship on Sunday, and the words we speak and lives we offer all week, these are not mere expressions of hearts satisfied in God but, as C.S. Lewis says, they are the appointed consummation of our joy in God. Our emptiness, and his filling, lead us to fullness of joy in worship. We worship not just because we're satisfied but to be fully satisfied.God made you to glorify him by enjoying him forever. Or, we might say, God made you to worship.2. God made us to worship together. These Greeks do something very natural by coming to a designated place of worship at a designated time of worship. They “went up to worship at the feast” in Jerusalem. Not only do they personally long for God, and want to know him and appreciate him and praise him, but something in them longs to gather with others to worship together. The Creator is worthy not only of individual, private acknowledgement and reverence, but corporate, public praise and worship.Corporate worship is a public act. The God-given human longing is not only to worship God in our hearts privately, and in our homes privately, but we want to gather with others to declare our praise together. We were made for corporate worship.In corporate worship, we hear together God's word read and taught and preached, and we respond together in praise, in thanks, in song, in prayer, and at the Table, and in the giving of our finances, and in giving our attention and effort to strengthen each other in our common faith.And in it all, remember the essence of worship: satisfaction in God. Our lives as individual worshipers seek satisfaction in God, and we gather in corporate worship to seek our satisfaction in him together.God made us to glorify him by enjoying him together.3. God made us to worship Jesus.I said earlier that these Greeks speak better than they know when they say to Philip, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” They have come to Jerusalem to worship. They have come seeking the true God, and to fill the infinite abyss in their souls. And apparently, these worshipers hear about this Jesus, and they are intrigued. They'd like to meet him. So, they approach the disciple with a Greek name. And Philip tells Andrew (another Greek name), and they ask Jesus about it — and Jesus pivots in a way no one is expecting. And we hear no more about these Greeks after this. Their coming, and their inquiring after Jesus, signals something for Jesus. Look at verses 23–24. Jesus answered them,“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”Now, where in the world did that come from? Simple yes or no, Jesus: some Greeks are asking to see you. You willing to see them? And Jesus says “the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” What's that?First, what is this “hour”? So far in the Gospel of John we've heard several times that it's not yet been “his hour.” At the wedding feast at Cana in John 2, they run out of wine, and Jesus's mother comes to him, and he says, “what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4). And in John 7, Jewish officials are seeking to arrest him, but John reports, “no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come” (John 7:30). And again in John 8:20: “no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.” But some Greeks arrive in Jerusalem, to worship at the feast, and they want to see Jesus, and now he says, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” Greeks have come to worship. That is, Gentiles, the nations, the non-Jews are here, like the magi, and they've come to worship.It's a signal. Some Greeks are here for worship, which means Jesus's climactic hour has come. The prophecies are coming true! The nations are coming to worship Israel's God. So the Messiah, then, must be drawing near to the moment when he will complete the work the Father sent him to do. His hour has come to go to the cross.This, of course, is not the answer they were expecting — the disciples or the Greeks. However, their wish to see Jesus has not been rejected but redirected. It was an admirable wish, deeply so. They came to Jerusalem to worship, and they asked to see Jesus. They are on the trail — and if they remain in Jerusalem, they will soon see the most important sight of him, crushing as it at first will be. If you want to see me, Jesus says, my time has come to be seen, to be lifted up, to be “glorified” — which will not mean leading a charge to overthrow Rome and seize the crown, but it will mean laying down my life. Like a grain of wheat, I give myself to die first — then I will bear much fruit, among Jews and Greeks.These Greeks who have come to worship, will indeed see him, and get a sight far greater than they could have anticipated or imagined — far more horrible, and far more wonderful. They will witness the depths of his humiliation that will prove to be the very height of the glory of the one who truly is Israel's long-promised heir to the throne, as shocking and unexpected as it will be.And as they see him — in his divine and human excellencies, united in one person, and culminating in the cross and its aftermath — they will have all they wished and more in the request they made expressing the deepest longing of every human heart.The desire to see Jesus was far more profound than these Greeks could have guessed. They wished for amazement in the presence of someone great. And what they got instead, at the cross, anticipated the heavenly vision the apostle John would receive while in exile on the isle of Patmos.In John's vision, in Revelation 5, none in heaven, or on earth, or under the earth, is at first found worthy to open the scroll of God's divine decrees of judgment (for his enemies) and salvation (for his people). Sensing the weight and importance of the moment, John begins to weep — perhaps even wondering if his Lord, the one who discipled him, the one to whom he's dedicated his life as a witness, is not worthy. One of heaven's elders then turns to him, and declares, Revelation 5:5,“Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”Having heard this, John turns to look — and what does he see? Not a lion. He says in verse 6:“I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes . . . .”We might wrongly assume this was a disappointment, that John, hearing “Lion,” experienced some letdown to see a Lamb. But that is not how John reports it. This Lamb is no loss. The Lamb is gain. The one who was just declared to be the only one worthy is no less the Lion of Judah. He is also the Lamb who was slain. The Lion became Lamb without ceasing to be Lion. He did not jettison his lionlike glories, but added to his greatness the excellencies of the Lamb. He is a Lamb standing — not dead, not slumped over, not kneeling, but alive and ready — with fullness of power (seven horns), seeing and reigning over all (seven eyes).And so it will be for the worshiping Greeks in John 12 who wished to meet Jesus. Whatever disappointment they experienced in the moment in not having their immediate request fulfilled, and whatever devastations they endured on Good Friday as they watched in horror, it all changed on the third day. Then their desire was answered beyond their greatest dreams — not just to see Messiah, but God himself, the very Lion of heaven.And not just divine, but the added lamblike glory of our own human flesh and blood, and that same blood spilled to not only show us glory but invite us into it — Jew and Gentile, Greek and Barbarian.Which leads to that last question we asked at the beginning: Why, as a church, do we say “we worship Jesus,” and not just “God” or “the Father” or “the Trinity”?One, worshiping Jesus is not at odds with worshiping the Father or “the Trinity.” No one is happier when we “worship Jesus” than the Father (and the Spirit!). And no one's happier for us to “worship the Father” than Jesus, our mediator. Here in John 12 alone, Jesus speaks of himself being “glorified” — which will mean, among other things, his being exalted to the place of worship. And then he prays in verse 28, “Father, glorify your name.” Then the voice comes from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” So, who's being glorified, worthy of worship, Jesus or the Father? This is a glimpse of the back and forth we find throughout the New Testament.But why would we say Jesus, and not the Father? There is a special fitness in humans worshiping the God who became human, and died as human, and rose as human, and lives forever, as human, for our eyes to see, and ears to hear, and words to praise and eternal lives to exalt. Jesus is the litmus test of true worship.We were indeed made for God — with an infinite abyss only God can fill, with a restlessness of soul satisfied in nothing less than the divine. And even more particularly, we were made for the God-man — for the greatness of God himself who draws near, in our own flesh and blood and circumstances, in the person of Christ. The lionlike greatness of God in his divine glory is sweetened, deepened, and accented by his lamblike nearness and human excellencies.So, we exist to glorify God by enjoying Jesus together forever. We exist to worship Jesus.See and Savor JesusAs we come to the Table, let me ask a practical question: What is currently fueling or draining your ability to see and savor Jesus?You exist to worship Jesus. What's helping that? What's blocking that? As we receive these emblems of his body and blood, and so encounter him in faith, and nourish our souls in him, let's consecrate ourselves afresh to him.This is our first and foremost calling: “we worship Jesus.”

In this sermon, Pastor David Mathis provides three reasons why our first and foremost calling is to be Jesus worshipers making connections to John 12:20-26. The first thing to know about Cities Church is that we worship Jesus. Being Jesus worshipers is just part one of our new fourfold way of capturing what we mean by “joyful disciples of Jesus.”

Originally Aired on January 23, 2018. The Guys were joined by winemaker Gino Cuneo from Gino Cuneo Cellars, and Pastor Joe Rigney from Cities Church in Minneapolis in the studio to discuss the pink hair culture-connection to the transabled, and why it ultimately rejects truth, beauty, and goodness. They also discussed how winemaking imitates God’s gospel intention for the world, transforming us from glory to glory. Don’t forget to Sign up for The FLF Conference 2024 (Prodigal America) https://flfnetwork.com/prodigal-america/

Originally Aired on January 23, 2018. The Guys were joined by winemaker Gino Cuneo from Gino Cuneo Cellars, and Pastor Joe Rigney from Cities Church in Minneapolis in the studio to discuss the pink hair culture-connection to the transabled, and why it ultimately rejects truth, beauty, and goodness. They also discussed how winemaking imitates God’s gospel intention for the world, transforming us from glory to glory. Don’t forget to Sign up for The FLF Conference 2024 (Prodigal America) https://flfnetwork.com/prodigal-america/

Originally Aired on January 23, 2018. The Guys were joined by winemaker Gino Cuneo from Gino Cuneo Cellars, and Pastor Joe Rigney from Cities Church in Minneapolis in the studio to discuss the pink hair culture-connection to the transabled, and why it ultimately rejects truth, beauty, and goodness. They also discussed how winemaking imitates God’s gospel intention for the world, transforming us from glory to glory. Don’t forget to Sign up for The FLF Conference 2024 (Prodigal America) https://flfnetwork.com/prodigal-america/

So today we're starting a new sermon series that's gonna go on for the next six weeks, and the title of the series is: “We Are Cities Church.” The goal is simply to tell you who we are.The reason we wanna do that is because, going back to last year, the pastors recognized that God was bringing our church into a new season, and so we took that as an opportunity to hit pause and begin a process of re-clarifying our mission and vision as a church. We wanted to get down to the foundations and ask, in a fresh way, who has Jesus called us to be and what does he want us to do?So this series is about that — and if you've been around Cities for a while, I don't expect that you're gonna be surprised by anything you hear … if you're brand-new, I'm excited for you to meet our church … and if you're semi-new, I hope this might fill in some gaps for you. Today I'm talking about our mission and we're gonna be looking at Colossians Chapter 1, verse 28. We're gonna focus on just this one verse, and I'd like to ask you to do whatever you gotta do to get this verse in front of your eyes. Father in heaven, thank you for the Holy Scriptures, and thank you that we have them! In our hands, we have your very word to us, breathed out by you. Your word is “more to be desired than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb” — and we know that your word is for our good. So, by your Holy Spirit, we ask, speak to us, in Jesus's name, amen. Colossians Chapter 1, verse 28. Everybody look at verse 28.Verse 28 starts with the word “him” — Paul is talking about Jesus:“[Jesus] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”Now when it comes to the mission of our local church, there are at least three things we learn here from the apostle Paul, and #1 is this …1. Know the play you're running. So when I was a kid I played a little football — I didn't play a lot of football, just a little — I pretty much peaked in 8th grade. But that's when I played for the Four Oaks Middle School Cardinals, and I was the starting quarterback (and the only reason I was the quarterback, I think, is because I could say “down, set, hut” in the deepest voice). Because it really didn't matter who the quarterback was. We ran an I-Formation and every play I was either giving the ball to Melvin, my tailback, or to Jason, my fullback.We ran a true smash-mouth offense and it worked. All we had to do was get at least 2½ yards every carry, and we did most of the time. We were pretty good, but we were good not because we had the best talent, but because we knew our game. We knew the play we were running.And I think we see the same thing in the example of Paul in verse 28. We're gonna look closely at verse 28, but first let me back up a second and show you how we get there.Paul's Mission StrategyBefore verse 28, in verses 24–27, Paul says that God has given him an assignment for the sake of the church. God has called Paul to make “the word of God fully known” (verse 25). What used to be a mystery is now out in the open (verse 27) — and it's “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Now remember Paul is saying this to the church at Colossae. Paul is saying to this Gentile church that an amazing thing has happened: It's that Christ is in you, Gentiles! Christ, the Jewish Messiah, is a global Savior. He's not just the hope of Israel, but he is the hope of all nations — Jesus is for everybody from anywhere who trusts in him.And when you trust him, you become united to him — His Spirit lives inside of you and you become so joined to Jesus that all of his benefits as the Son of God become your benefits: you are declared righteous before God; you are forgiven for all your sins, you are adopted as a child of God with a future. And you have the hope of glory, which means, you will be with God in his joy forever.God has sent Paul on a mission to make that known! That's verses 24–27, and then in verse 28, Paul tells us what he does because of this mission. I think we can call verse 28 Paul's mission strategy. And if you'll bear with me for a minute, I want to explain a little distinction between the idea of “mission” and “mission strategy.” Think about it like this: A mission is what you're sent to do; and a mission strategy gets into how you do it.Now we know as a church that our mission is to make disciples of Jesus. This is what Jesus has sent us to do. He tells us this in Matthew 28, the Great Commission, that because he has all authority over all things, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” That's what we're called to do as a local church and it's non-negotiable.And now when it comes to how we do that — when it comes to our strategy — we're supposed to learn from the apostle Paul. This is how the New Testament is set up: in the Gospels we have the life of Jesus and his commission to us; in Acts we see that commission happening and the gospel advancing; and then in the letters we get into the details of gospel transformation and practice.“Christ Clear for Christlikeness”Look again at what Paul says in verse 28. Because of Paul's mission to make the word of God fully known — to witness to Jesus and make disciples — he has a simple strategy. It's a straightforward action-purpose. He does an action for a desired purpose.ACTION: Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom.PURPOSE: So that we may present everyone mature in Christ.Do you see that? Action-purpose. Paul is saying I preach Jesus for the purpose of making mature Christians.Or another way I think we could summarize Paul's mission strategy is to say: Make Christ clear for Christlikeness. Now there are more details and tactics when it comes to how we work this out, but I want you to see that this is the basic strategy — for Paul and for us. For our mission to make disciples of Jesus, the most important thing we can do is show people Jesus, and the highest goal we could aim for is that everyone become like Jesus. And it's not complicated. One of the things I love about this strategy is that we don't have to be superstars to do it. All we need is 2½ yards every carry — we just need to know the play we're running. It's been the same play we've been running since the very beginning. Back on January 18, 2015, in our very first church service together, I preached this verse, Colossians 1:28.In that first sermon, I highlighted two things: I called it our work and our goal. I said our work is to proclaim Christ and our goal is for us and others to be complete in Christ.Christ clear for Christlikeness — same thing. That's the play we've been running, that's the play we're going to keep running. Church, know the play. Here's the second lesson from Colossians 1:28 …2. Remember Jesus is the ultimate difference-maker.1928 was a rough year for the St. Louis Cardinals (we got swept by the Yankees in the World Series and we've had hard feelings ever since), but '28 was a great year for moms.Because in July of 1928, a man named Otto Rohwedder from Iowa, finally debuted this machine he had spent years inventing. It was a power-driven, multi-bladed bread slicer. And it was shocking. It could take an entire loaf of bread, and in seconds, it could make a beautiful block of perfectly identical bread slices each about an inch thick. It was incredible, and of course what do you do with bread like that? You bag it, distribute it, and sell it.Within two years, bags of pre-sliced bread were in grocery stores all over the country, and the first major brand to do this called itself Wonder Bread. And there's no doubt how big a deal this was. You may not realize this, but your life has been impacted by the bread-slicer. You have never had an experience with bread that was not affected by this machine. This doesn't mean that you always eat pre-sliced bread, but it means that if you're not, you know you're not. Like, if you want unsliced bread, you intentionally have to go out of your way to make that happen. The bread-slicer was a difference maker. Centered on JesusAnd in the same way, but on a more cosmic, ultimate level, Jesus is a difference-maker. Here's what I mean: ever since Jesus came into this world two-thousand years ago, nobody has been able to think about God or this world the same way. Now this doesn't mean that everybody believes in Jesus, but it does mean that you cannot ignore him. You either believe Jesus to be who he says he is, OR you have to come up with some theory that denies him (and those theories have been attempted since he was actually on the ground here). So there have always been only two options: you either believe Jesus OR you don't believe Jesus — and if you don't believe Jesus then you know you don't believe him. You intentionally do not believe him.Whatever you do, you can't ignore Jesus — the magnitude of his claims and reach of his impact are both too great. Nobody has changed the world like Jesus has and said the things that Jesus said. So you can't side-step him. Everybody must make a decision about Jesus.And because this is true, it makes sense that our mission strategy centers on him. It's him we proclaim.And look, I'll tell you, the pressure is always to make it about something else. We've felt that here at times over the last ten years. You've probably felt it in your relationships, with your friends and family and co-workers.I was having lunch with a friend last week over at Macalester and we were brainstorming the idea of starting a Bible study on campus, and he said Well, you know, the thing is with college students is that they just wanna talk about the issues. “The issues.” And I get it, but here's the thing: Jesus is real.We can get to the issues, but the question that every thinking person has to deal with first is Who is this man? Who is Jesus?So we talk about him. What we need is to see him and keep seeing him, and to show him and keep showing him — first and foremost, beginning, middle, end. Everything absolutely comes back to Jesus Christ. Who do you believe he is? Jesus is the ultimate difference-maker, and so Paul says, Him we proclaim. Sweeping and BuildingAnd then Paul explains more of what that means. He says it means that he warns everyone and he teaches everyone with all wisdom. Warning and teaching. That word for warning is sometimes translated “admonish.” It's the idea of putting things in order, or clearing things up. The word “teaching” is the idea of positive construction. It means we're building something. And there's an important dynamic between these two. It reminds me of when I was a kid … my dad used to bring me to his job sites and pay me to sweep the floor. And there was a little bit of a process involved. The first thing I had to do was get rid of all the big leftover material, and then I got the broom, and the whole idea was to make the place ready for the next subcontractor, so that construction could continue. Because, see, something was being built.And this happens when we proclaim Christ. Sometimes the reality of Jesus means that people (including us!) need to do some sweeping. I wrote an article for you two weeks ago called “The Vital Unmasking” and it was about the Holy Spirit's ministry to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. It's that if we're trusting in false saviors, we need them to be exposed, right? No alternative to faith in Jesus ultimately works, and if you're not trusting in Jesus, you're trusting in an alternative. We need the Holy Spirit to convict us of that (which he can do even right now; you can ask him to do that). If you're here this morning and you know you're not a Christian, you are trusting in some kind of fake savior and that doesn't end well. The proclamation of Jesus warns you. He's the only way.Sometimes we're sweeping, but then we're also building. We're seeing Jesus, and then we're seeing all of life in the light of Jesus. We're learning how to build the house of our lives on the rock, because the rain will fall, the floods will come, and wind will blow, but our house will stand because it's founded on the rock. That's a big part of what we're doing in our Sunday morning classes and in The Cities Institute (mark your calendars, November 1). We're building, teaching. This is our strategy: Make Christ clear. It really does all come back to him. Jesus is the ultimate difference-maker. Third thing we learn from Paul for our mission strategy …3. Aim for Christlikeness from the heart.This is more on the purpose, the goal. Paul says we proclaim Christ “so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” That means to be complete in Christ, to be grown-up in Christ. Paul is talking about Christian maturity — true Christlikeness.And I wonder what you think when you hear the word Christlikeness? What does it mean to be Christlike?If you're like me, you probably think that to be Christlike means to act like Christ. It's about what we do, how we behave. I used to think that, and to give credit where credit is due, the writings of Dallas Willard have really helped me here. Willard pointed out something so obvious that it feels crazy to think we could miss this — He points out that Jesus teaches that the heart is the center of the human person. Jesus says that our sinful behaviors flow out of our hearts. That's the problem. So then, when we imagine Christlikeness, how can we imagine anything less than our hearts being transformed? Willard says conformity to Christ must arise out of an inner transformation. The main goal, then, of Christlikeness, is not that we act like Christ, but it's that our hearts become like Christ's heart. I don't want to just appear like Jesus, but I want my heart to be like Jesus's heart, which means my thoughts and my feelings and my dispositions and my choices become what Jesus's would be if he were in my shoes, because they're flowing from my heart which has been made like his. This is heaven. Does anybody want heaven? In heaven, we will be transformed to be like Jesus, not just in how we look, but in our truest self.And get this: how God effects that transformation is not by just zapping us and making it happen out of nowhere, but it's a work that he is doing now, a little bit at a time, by the Holy Spirit. And we want it. For this we toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within us. There is grace-fueled, Holy-Spirit empowered effort to reach this purpose, for all of us, for everyone. For me and for you. That's the purpose of making Christ clear. Christ clear for Christlikeness. It's like what the Scottish pastor Robert Murray M'Cheyne said (in his 20s). He prayed, “Lord, make me as holy as a pardoned sinner can be.” We want to be as Christlike as is possible this side of heaven.” Christlikeness from the heart.Joyful Disciples of JesusNow imagine that … Take a second here and picture yourself being more Christlike from the heart. If you are that kind of Christlike, how are you? What are you like? … picture yourself.Now I would bet that a lot of you have just pictured yourself as having less fun and being more serious.Now why do we think that?Did you not know that God is happy?In his presence there is fullness of joy. At his right hand are pleasures forevermore. We have the glorious gospel of the happy God! And if we are made to be more like him, doesn't that mean that we will be happy, too?The Bible teaches that God in his essence is love, and therefore, joy. “This is the my beloved Son in whom I'm well-pleased!” — the Father says of Jesus, This is my eternal Son I love, in whom I delight! This means that joy is deeper than the universe. We came from joy, and headed back to joy, and that means the more Christlike we become, the more joyful we become. This is so fundamental to being a disciple of Jesus, and it's so important to our church, that we want to be more explicit about this in how we talk and what we do. We want to be and make joyful disciples of Jesus.What's New and ComingThis is a new way we want to start talking about our mission. Our mission has always been, and will always be, to make disciples of Jesus. That's what Jesus tells us to do. And when it comes to what we mean by making disciples, we want to make joyful disciples of Jesus who remember his realness in all of life. That's why we make Christ clear for Christlikeness. And over the next four sermons, we're going to tell you more about this. There are four aspects to being joyful disciples of Jesus. It means … We are Jesus worshipers.We are joyful servants.We are generous disciplers.We are welcoming witnesses. That is who Jesus has called us to be and then to multiply — That is Cities Church.Now we come to this Table.The TableThe Lord Jesus Christ is everything to us, and he has given us this Table to remember him together each week. The bread represents his body broken for us and the cup represents his blood shed for us, and when we come here to eat the bread and drink the cup, him we proclaim. We are making Christ clear to one another — we are saying that Jesus is our hope. We have been saved by him, and we adore him. And if that's your story this morning, we invite you to eat and drink with us.

What we have in Psalm 79 this morning is a Psalm of lament. A Psalm written to express sorrow, helplessness, and a longing to be saved. The progression of this Psalm is straightforward: It begins with the problem in verses 1-4. What's the cause of the sorrow? It moves on into a petition in verses 5-12. What's asked of God in the midst of such sorrow? Then, closes in one final word of praise in verse 13.Problem, petition, praise — that's the shape of lament in Psalm 79. Let's pray and ask for the Lord's help to understand it.The ProblemSo, what's the problem in this Psalm?What's the cause of the sorrow of Psalm 79? It's basically this: The people of Jerusalem are looking around at their city seeing that everything that God had done here, the nations have now undone. Everything that God had built up here, the nations have now brought down. All the order God had put into place here, the nations have now put into disorder. In short: The nations have ruined Jerusalem — the city of God (Ps. 48:8). How have they ruined it? Well, for one, they've defiled God's holy Temple — the structure built within the city that served as their meeting place between God and man. Verse 1,“O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy Temple.”Defiled it. Polluted it. Made it unclean.If you were here for our Leviticus series a while back, you might remember with what care and precision that holy Temple had been constructed — down to the specific type of materials, color of cloths, and style of engravings. Everything in its proper place, everything to show one main thing: God is Holy. That's what a clean, kept, well-constructed Temple would signify.A defiled Temple, on the other hand, would suggest otherwise. And, a defiled Temple would be an insufficient meeting place for God and man. God won't dwell in a defiled Temple. That's a problem. And the problem widens…Verse 1 continues,“They have laid Jerusalem in ruins.”Jerusalem, a city that had been bound firmly together. A city to which the tribes of the LORD had gone up to pray, “Peace be within your walls and security within your towers” (Psalm 122). That city now lay in the dust. “They have laid Jerusalem in ruins.”Ruin PeopleAnd not only Jerusalem. The destruction encompassed sanctuary, city, and its citizens. Verse 2,“They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.” Genesis tells us that God made man in his image and that man was to rule over the birds and over the beasts. And that the creatures in the sky, on the ground, and in the water would become food for man to eat. That was God's design. Not the other way around. In the nations giving over “the bodies of [God's] servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth” they created a grotesque reversal of God's created order. A distortion of God's design.Note that the nations not only killed the majority of the people within Jerusalem, but they didn't even care to bury the bodies afterward (v. 3). They left them out in the open to be seen, to be eaten, and to rot. With their blood poured out like water all round Jerusalem (v. 3), the death of God's people would've been inescapable to any passerby. The corpses would've been there to greet you every time you stepped out your door.This, in Jerusalem? In the land in which God had previously driven out these nations and apportioned for his people a possession? He drove the nations out to let his people in. But the nations have now come back in, killed many of the people, driven out others, and left only a few to remain and till the soil. When Asaph says, verse 7, “[They've] devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation” it is not a stretch of the imagination. Jerusalem had been devoured. And the nations who did it were laughing about it. Ruin MockeryVerse 4,“We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us.”Have you ever been mocked? Like not merely laughed at as when you drop something or say the wrong thing, but actually mocked? Ever had someone who saw that you were down and then wanted to put you down even further with words? What happens in moments of mockery?Maybe your cheeks begin to redden in shame and embarrassment. Maybe your anger begins to stew and boil. Maybe you feel like you got some sort of sign hanging above your head reading, “Weak, failure, fool.” With the nations taunting, verse 10, “Where is their God?” perhaps you begin to wonder as well, “Yeah, where is my God?”It's a terrible thing to be mocked by an individual. Even more by a group. But what would it feel like to be mocked by an entire army's worth of enemies as you look over your world that they've turned into wasteland?The PetitionThe truth is, none of us know exactly how that would've felt for the people of Israel. Their situation in Jerusalem is not the same as our own. And yet my guess is that nearly all of us here this morning know, at least in degrees, what ruin feels like: Ruin in the form of a break-up you're not sure you'll ever recover from; ruin in the form of the loss of a friendship that meant much to you; ruin in the form of a loved one suddenly passing away; ruin in the form of a life-threatening disease, or a life-altering disaster, or a broken home, or a broken car, or a broken body, or a broken mind. We may be somewhat strangers to the world of Psalm 79, but we are no strangers to ruin.This Psalm teaches us how, in the midst of our ruin, to pray. And not only that. But it teaches us how to pray in the midst of our ruin, even ruin that we have caused. What do I mean by that? Well, look with me at the beginning of the petition, in verse 5,“How long, O Lord?”And then see what the petition doesn't say. It doesn't say, “How long, O Lord? Will the nations be angry forever?” We'd expect it to say that. It was the nations who did all this, right? But the question in verse 5 does not concern the nations. Rather, it says,“How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever?”And,“Will your jealousy burn like fire?”What is the Psalmist saying here? He's saying that even though it was their enemies who had swung the axes, and broke the walls, and torched the buildings — it was ultimately not their anger, but God's, pouring out upon them. And it was God's jealousy burning within the gates. And why was it?Many years before, prior to God's driving out of the nations and apportioning for his people a possession Israel, he gave them a warning: Deuteronomy 4:23-24,“Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you…For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” Deuteronomy 5:9,“You shall not bow down to [carved images] or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God.”Deuteronomy 6:14-15,“You shall not go after other gods…for the LORD your God in your midst is a jealous God — lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you.”You see, the ruin of Psalm 79 was not random. It was response. Response, from God, to decades upon decades of the Israelite's unfaithfulness to God … decades upon decades of the Israelite's idolatry. Though God had set up his Law, and warned them with prophets, and prolonged their opportunity for repentance, this people over and again chose not to worship God, but to worship gods made of wood, and stone, and steel instead. Finally, God held back his anger no longer. He poured it out upon them by means of an invading army. This ruin was God's response to their rebellion.And so, this Psalm teaches us how to pray to God in the midst of ruin, even the ruin that we brought upon ourselves through our own sin…How to prayNow, I don't know about you, but I can think of at least a few moments in my past where I felt like I had ruined my life. Or, the life of another. Or, both. A few moments where, because of my sin, my choosing to sin, ruin seemed all round me. And I can still taste the despair of those moments … still remember the regret, the guilt — so heavy, so thick, so seemingly inescapable. Can you really go to God in a moment like that? Can you really go to God when the reason for your ruin is your rebellion against God?Yes, you can. And, in fact, you must. And this Psalm shows us how. Three ways…1) Pray according to God's compassion.Verse 8,“Do not remember against us our former iniquities [our former sins], let your compassion come speedily to meet us.”Our God is a God of compassion. A God who does good to those who don't deserve it. Just as a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him (Psalm 103:13). Our Lord waits to be gracious to his people, and exalts himself to show mercy to them (Isaiah 30:18). He introduces himself to the world as a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Exodus 34:6-7). Our God is a God full of compassion. It is his nature. It is his character. He is compassionate. He is the very thing you, as a sinner, need him to be. So the Psalmist wastes no time making excuses. He doesn't try to minimize sin, hide sin, or cast blame for sin upon another. The Psalmist simply prays, verse 8,“Lord, you know our former iniquities. You know our former sins. Lord, remember them no longer. Let your compassion come speedily to meet us.”He petitions God according to who God is, not according to what he himself deserves.Brothers and sisters, we will not go to God in moments of self-made ruin if we do not trust, deep within our bones, that God is full of compassion for sinners. We must believe what he says about himself is true. He is a God merciful and gracious. Say to God, “Let your compassion come speedily to meet me.”2) Pray assured of God's covering.So, first, pray according to God's compassion. And, second, pray assured of God's covering. The Psalmist prays, in the latter part of verse 9,“Deliver us, and atone for our sins.”“Atone” — it means cover over our sins. Do something about our sins. Put something over them so as to deal with the punishment they deserve.He doesn't tell God how he should do this, how he should atone for the sin, though the blood covered doorposts of the Passover and the blood covered altar at the Temple were likely in his mind. He doesn't tell God how to atone for his sins, only that he needs him to be the one to do it because only God can atone for the sins of man.Many of us agree to that statement, at least in word. But in action, we often find ourselves acting as if we didn't believe it at all. We experience guilt and mess from a sin we've committed. We know we ought to go to God about it. But we instead attempt to clean things up just a bit ourselves. Do a few good deeds, say some good words, check off some good works, think some good thoughts — we attempt to take the edge off our sin and our sin-produced mess before we go to God with it. That, friends, is not Christianity. Christianity clings to the truth that man cannot atone for his sins, not fully, nor even partially. He cannot even take the edge off of his sins. Only God can atone for our sins. And he does, for those who come to him empty-handed and asking him, “fix this.”The psalmist looks at the ruin and mess all around him, he considers the mountain of sins behind him, and he says: God, you and you alone can fix this.“Deliver us, and atone for our sins.”3) Pray aware of God's concern for his own glory.Pray according to God's compassion, and assured of God's covering, and (third and finally) aware of God's concern for his own glory.Now, it is evident from Scripture, that God is, in fact, concerned for his glory. God wants his glory in this world. He cares that his name and his glory resound around the globe. He says: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2:14). Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth… whom I created for my glory (Isaiah 43:6-7). I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory (Jeremiah 13:11). For my name's sake (God says) I defer my anger; for the sake of my praise, I restrain it…For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another (Isaiah 48:9-11).God is concerned for his own glory in this world. God's aim in his making and upholding of this world is the spread and proclamation of his glory. His glory is his deepest passion, greatest concern, and highest priority. He wants his name held high — higher than all others. “My glory [he says] I will not give to another.”What that means, is that though God may, for a time, permit his glory to be drug through the mud, he will not do so for long. He will not sit back uncaring and unconcerned that his name is being mocked, taunted and scorned. He will have his glory known among the world as the waters cover the sea.And the reason that matters is because here, in Psalm 79, his name is being mocked by the nations. Why should the nations say, verse 10 asks, “Where is their God?” “Return sevenfold,” prays the psalmist in verse 12, “into the lap of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!” See the nations have not just taunted this people, they've taunted God. They've not only overpowered this people, but interpreted that to mean they've overpowered God. Their defeat of this people led them to believe they had defeated their God as well. The Psalm gets at that even as far back as verses 1-4,“O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy Temple…They have given the bodies of your servants…the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.”Your, your, your, your … this place, this people — the psalmist is saying — they're yours. The things that ultimately belong to you are the things the nations have ruined. It's your name, O God, your glory that's at stake here. And, as we said, God is concerned for his own glory in this world. His greatest passion is for the spread and proclamation of his glory.Now, if you are a Christian this morning … if you have been united to Christ by faith … if you have confessed your sins to God and trusted in his forgiveness and grace, then God's concern for his glory should be your greatest source of comfort amidst ruin. Because, if you are a Christian, then you are the possessor of God's Spirit, the wearer of Christ's righteousness, and the bearer of God's name in this world. God has tied his name, and his glory, to you.For him to abandon you, would be for him to abandon his glory. For him to forget you, would be for him to forget his glory. For him to turn his ear away from when you cry out to him for help would be for him to let his enemy get the final victory over your life, rather than him.God's concern for the glory of his name should bolster within you the deepest confidence that God will not leave you in ruin. For God to show concern for his glory is for him to pour out upon you, Christian: the greatest, most persistent, most-reliable, most-indomitable form of love the world has ever known. He is after his glory in this world, and he has tied his name, and his glory, irrevocably to you. He broadcasts his glory not by getting his people partway to the finish line but getting them all the way home. No matter the ruin you may find yourself in, no matter how deep the hole you seem to have dug yourself, no matter how far you've wandered, if you are Christ's, God aims to get his glory in your life by getting you all the way home. See, God has so designed his world that: When God welcomes you home in love, despite the fact that you've been a rebel; when he responds to your prayers of repentance despite the fact you don't deserve it; when he atones for, covers over, your many repeated trespasses against him; when he, in his good time and in his wise way, pulls you out of the rubble of self-made ruin … He does so with such compassion, and such perfection, and such love, and such justice, that far from belittling his glory, he actually broadcasts his glory throughout the world and throughout the heavens as he works for his peoples' good.God never rescues reluctantly. God loves, God loves, God loves to get his glory through the rescue of his people out of ruin. He loves it. And that is why one of the most important prayers you could ever learn as a Christian is Psalm 79:9, “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name's sake!”We get the help, God gets the glory. We get deliverance, God gets the praise. We rise in joy — our salvation has come. God receives his honor — his salvation is extolled around the world. How great is it to be a Christian? … To serve a God who has so united himself to you that to defend his glory is to defend your eternal good? How great is it to be a Christian?God, get your glory. God, raise high your name. God, be the Helper of your people!Do you need his help this morning? Are you staring out at a life in ruins? Do you feel the guilt of sin upon your shoulders? Are you sitting in the muck and mire of defeat? Are you wondering if God would even hear you if you called to him? Does God even care that you are mourning? Is there any desire in God whatsoever to help? Cities Church, in the midst of your ruin, take the words of verse 9 upon your lips:“Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name's sake!”And if you do, you will praise him. If you call to him, you will praise him. His help may not come as speedily as you'd like. His help might not come in the way you would like. But if you call to him, you will praise him.The PraiseVerse 13, “But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.”At the time of the psalmist's prayer, the ruin was still around him. The walls were still broken. The Temple still defiled. Nothing visible had changed. But, he knows his God. His compassionate, cover-making, concerned for his own glory God. So he says, with confidence, I know how this trouble will end… “We your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.”And so will we. Though our enemy bring us into what may appear, at first, to be our ruin … though our enemy break the walls, and tear down the doors and torch the buildings, God will return his taunt upon his own head. Your enemy cannot win because God has already atoned for your sins. He has already come to help. He has already delivered us for his name's sake! And he did so when he sent his son to pour out his blood upon a cross for sinners. This is what brings us to the table.The TableThis table is meant to remind us of Jesus' sacrificial body broken and blood spilled to atone, to cover over, the sins of his people. Because that's what this table represents, if you're here this morning and you've trusted in Jesus, we invite you to take and eat with us. If you've not put your trust in Jesus, we ask that you'd let the elements pass, but we pray you would, in this moment, receive Jesus, and his covering over you.

Today we are pleased to share an audio essay written and read by David Mathis entitled "A Superlative Guide to All 15 Elder Qualifications". David serves as a pastor at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, as an adjunct professor at Bethlehem College and Seminary, and as senior teacher and executive editor at DesiringGod.org. He's also the author of 'Workers for Your Joy, The Call of Christ on Christian Leaders from Crossway'. Read the essay here. Complete this survey for a free audiobook by Kevin DeYoung! If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

Father, by the power of your Holy Spirit, accomplish your will in us now, through your preached word, in Jesus's name, amen.This Spring I've been helping to coach four different sports teams — three baseball teams and a flag football team — and apart from having to keep up with 46 boys' names, it's been doable. The focus has not been winning. One of the things I've told the guys since the start of the season is that the amount of games you win in middle school baseball is probably not going to make a difference in your life, but the things you learn might. The emphasis has been growth and development — not mainly in skills, but in character. What matters most is not winning but it's who you are becoming — how you are learning to be.And look, that goal has been put to the test because we've not been winning. Come to find out, the character development stuff has not just been for the players, but it's been for coaches. I feel my own need to keep growing — “God is still working on me!” And that's what our passage is about this morning, Philippians 4, verses 4–7. Paul is landing the plane of this letter, and beginning in verse 4 he gives a rapid-fire list of commands connected to three character qualities. And Paul ending a letter like this is not unusual. He does it in other letters. These are the things he wants to leave with the church. He's saying: While I've still got you, before you go, take this with you — and these verses in Philippians 4 are all about these Christians being a certain kind of people, having a certain kind of character. Three qualities: joy, gentleness, and peace. We're going to look at each one of these this morning, but before we get there, we need to answer two preliminary questions?How are these qualities connected?Why do these qualities matter?1) How are these qualities connected?This is a tricky question because, at one level, we know that joy, gentleness, and peace are connected — they're all fruit of the Spirit — but we're not exactly sure how they're connected in this passage. What is Paul thinking about their relationship to one another? Now, we could meditate on this, and put our sanctified reason to work, and we might say that … Joy is most foundational. It's at the heart, down deep in our souls, and then that joy is evidenced outwardly as reasonableness and experienced inwardly as peace.We could try to make a case like that, and that is all theologically valid. But here's the thing: the grammar of this passage does not tell us that. The actual wording of these verses doesn't say anything about how these qualities are connected. And so I'm reluctant to say a lot about that, at least in a sermon. Maybe in a different setting, or in a different kind of sermon, we could ponder the connectedness more, but my aim today is to give you an exegetical sermon. That's the kind of preaching that we do at Cities Church most of the time (not all the time; we've done some topical-theological sermons in the past), but most of the time we take a book of the Bible and we walk through it bit by bit, and we try to exegete or interpret meaning from the text. The Bible says about itself that it's inspired by God — breathed out by the Holy Spirit — which means that what the Bible says is what God says. Therefore the words really matter! We should never read into the text what we want, but we need to discover what the text says, and then sit under its authority as the word of God.And when I apply that conviction to these verses, it means I'm going to explain each of the qualities as standing on their own, separate from one another, because that's the way Paul writes it. 2) Why do these qualities matter?What's the point of character anyway? Why is it important to develop character and be a certain kind of person? Well, the truth is, for some people, it's not important, but for Christians it is, and it's all got to do with that short sentence in verse 5: “The Lord is at hand.”When Paul says “the Lord” here he's talking about Jesus, and the word for “at hand” simply means “near.” Paul is saying the Lord is near. Jesus is close. Close to who? To doing what? Jesus is close to us right now in his activity and care — he has sent his Spirit here in us and among us — and he's close to the event of this return. Jesus is always involved and at work in our lives and soon he's coming back. And that is not a novel idea to Paul — but it's the dominant theme in the entire New Testament. In fact, in several places when we're commanded to live in a certain way, it's connected to the event of Jesus's return. Our behavior now is connected to the future coming of Jesus. This is like the air we breathe when we read the New Testament. For example, take what Paul says in Titus 2:11. He says that God's grace has appeared to us now, and it trains 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.”Take what Peter says in 1 Peter 1:13, “… set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be comforted to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.”Take what James says in James 5:8 — even James (no offense, James), “You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another…”In other words, be a certain kind of person right now, church, because Jesus is about to walk through that door! He's close. He's right here, all the time. And to clarify something for us, one of the things that we like to say a lot at Cities Church is that “Jesus is real.” And when we say that, this is what we mean.When we say “Jesus is real” we're not talking about his historical reliability or anything to do with apologetics (now we could talk about that, because it's all solid and it can be helpful), but when we say Jesus is real we mean what Paul means here — the Lord is at hand. Jesus is the greatest, most all-encompassing reality in the universe. He has already changed everything about the world, and one day he's going to change it all for good, and out of all the things that we need to remember in life, THAT is the most important.Jesus is real. The Lord is at hand. He's close. That's the biggest assumption of the New Testament, and it should define us as disciples of Jesus. That's why you live a certain way now. That's why you should be a certain kind of person. We're not really interested in moral improvement for the sake of moral improvement — better ourselves to better our world — okay, fine, but that's not really the point. Instead: Be a certain kind of person now, Christian, because your Christ is about to split the sky wide open and you will see him and you will stand before him and so live right now in witness to that wonder. That's why character matters. … even more than winning. Paul exhorts us in three character qualities. Here's the first…1) Be a person of spiritual joy.This is verse 4: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”Paul gives the command to rejoice twice in this verse, and it's the same command he already gave in 3:1. In 3:1 he says, “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord.” He uses the exact same words in 4:4 — and now let's recall all the other places in Philippians where Paul talks about joy, like in … 1:18, when Paul rejoices that Christ is preached even though some of the preachers have selfish motives. Or 2:2, when Paul exhorts the church to complete his joy by being united. Or 2:17–18, when Paul tells the church to share his joy because they've shared in the same ministry. Or 2:29, when he says they should welcome Epaphroditus with great joy because he almost died for the work of Christ. Or in 4:10, which we'll see later, when Paul says he rejoiced in the Lord greatly because of God's provision for him through the church. There's a lot of joy in this book! It's no wonder that commentators call Philippians the “epistle of joy.” And Philippians 4:4 is where it's most emphasized, and some of you already know this …“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.Rejoice, rejoice, and again I say rejoice, Rejoice, rejoice, and again I say rejoice.”Clarifying Spiritual JoyThat's Philippians 4:4. Not only does Paul say it twice, but he says to do it “always.” And that is “always” as in every circumstance. Every circumstance as in your joy is derived from something deeper than your circumstances and it overflows from those depths into whatever you have going on. That's why Paul says “rejoice in the Lord.” This is not just any kind of joy, but the Puritan Thomas Watson simply calls this “spiritual joy.” Watson says,“Spiritual joy is higher built than [that which is built] upon creatures, for [spiritual joy] is built on the love of God, on the promises, and on the blood of Christ” (271). That's why he says it's like a spring of water underground. It's possible for this joy to abound in places the world would never expect it. Because remember who Paul is talking to here. This is a small church surrounded by the encroaching forces of the world superpower. These Christians were the social underdogs. Life for them was not smooth. Their beloved apostle is writing from prison, awaiting a trial, and they could be next. Paul is not saying to rejoice in their problems. He's not saying that they should be all “Gee golly everything's okay” when everything is not okay. Paul is not suggesting head-in-the-clouds escapism. This is not the irrational denial of hardship. But to rejoice in the Lord, means that whatever the hardship is, however painful the suffering may be, Jesus is who he is; Jesus has defeated sin and the grave, and Jesus will come again — so we rejoice in him. Always in him. Spiritual joy.And this kind of character is so vital to our witness. A friend once told me that the biggest hurdle in our evangelism is that we have a lot of sad Christians trying to convert happy sinners.In on the SecretBut when we rejoice in the Lord, that's different. This is at the heart of our faith.Paul doesn't talk about joy only in this letter, he talks about joy in almost all of his letters. One New Testament scholar has called Paul the “theologian of joy” and one of the most astounding truths Paul makes clear is that God himself is a joyful God.We see this all throughout Scripture — but Paul says it plainly in 1 Timothy 1:11 — he says we've been changed by “the glorious gospel of the happy God.” All of creation is the overflow of God's happiness and our great end as God's creatures is to share in his happiness. Everything, most ultimately, is from joy in God and for joy in God. God is the source of our joy, and although now we experience this joy dimly, it is real joy from God and one day we will have its full.And when we know this it's like being in on the greatest secret of the universe. If you've ever thrown a surprise party for someone or given a surprise gift for someone, I think you'll know what I'm getting at here … I recently threw a big surprise moment for my oldest son's 13th birthday. I had his grandparents surprise him from North Carolina, and in an unusual way. I had my dad meet Micah at a certain place, completely unexpected. I had planned the whole thing so that Micah would show up at this place and my dad would already be there, to Micah's surprise. And, in the weeks and days leading up to this moment, I got more excited. Because I knew what was coming. I knew it was gonna be good, and I'll be honest, there was a kind of lightness to my step. Y'all know what I mean? I knew something good was coming, and it gave me joy.And truly that experience can be applied to the Christian life overall. Because we know the truth about God and ultimate reality … Because we know that when Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord he's telling us to do what we're made for … because we know God's promise …No matter what, we can look to the future and say, Something good is coming.We're in on the secret, except we don't have to keep it a secret. We are headed to joy and we wanna bring people with us. And I know sometimes it doesn't feel like it. A lot times maybe. Days can be long and dark. Terrible things happen in this world. Frustrations happen in this world. But Jesus is close. Joy is coming. Like the psalmist says, “I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy!” (Psalm 43:4). In him we can rejoice.Be a person of spiritual joy. 2) Be a person of obvious gentleness.Verse 5:“Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.”The word there for “reasonableness” is also translated “gentleness.” That's the way it's translated in the handful of other places this word is used in the New Testament (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 3:2; James 3:17; 2 Peter 3:18). The main idea of this word is to be lenient. It's the opposite of insisting on every single letter of the law — it's the opposite of strict justice; it's the opposite of being “stiff and bristly.” You're not demanding, but it's to be gracious and patient. Gentle. Lenient. A word we might use is “chill.” Or maybe even a better word to capture the idea is be flexible.And we have to be careful here because right away, we can start thinking about this as a personality trait — it seems like some people are just wired to be this way more than others — but hold on. Remember: Paul is commanding this. He's not commanding a personality trait, this is a character quality. This is a matter of the heart. It comes from the inside-out. And honestly this is one of those unassuming qualities that's easier to recognize when you see it missing. For example, you are not being reasonable/gentle/flexible … If you lose your head because Chipotle added the wrong salsa to your burrito bowl. Or if you snap at someone in the kitchen because they're in your way. Or if you immediately think of retaliation when someone crosses you. Or if you argue balls and strikes with a 14-year-old umpire in a youth baseball game.You are not reasonable/gentle/flexible when you live in a constant defensive posture, when you are easily disappointed in others, when you are overly critical about everything, and when you are quick to be the victim.Now I'm so glad that this doesn't describe us or any Christians we know — but man, don't you want to be different than that? Don't you want to be large-hearted! Magnanimous! Reasonable! Flexible!Well we're called to be that, and we're called to make it obvious to everyone. We should think of this as foundational to our witness. It's kind of like pre-evangelism. It's necessary. Before you share the good news of Jesus with someone, how about you don't shake your fist at them in traffic?Look, what I'm about to say might blow your mind, but I think we're ready for this. Here it is: You cannot treat someone like they're a moron and then tell them that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their life.We're talking entry-level Christian living here. “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.” Be flexible. Be a person of obvious gentleness.3) Be a person of inner peace.This comes from verses 6 and 7, and this quality is different from the others because we are not commanded to have peace, but peace is the promise if we obey the command to pray. That's the shorthand way of putting it. Look at the language in verse 6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” This is a negative-positive command. It's a put off/put on — don't do this, but do this. And another way to say that last part is simply: Tell it to God.Don't be anxious, but in everything tell it to God — and tell him with thanksgiving, which is a fail proof to being a whiner. The best antidote to have a grumbling heart is to be mainly thankful. There are still things to pray about. There are still things you need and want God to do, but you ask God for those things in recognition of the past grace God has given you. We come to God, not with an attitude that says, “Ugh, he's never done anything for me. Here goes.” No, instead, we come to God, saying: I'm alive, right now, because of you. My heart is beating because of you. You've kept me all these years. You've always provided for me. Jesus Christ died for me. I know you love me, Father! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! And then you let God know what you want. That's the other side to not being anxious. Don't be anxious, but in everything, with thanksgiving, tell it to God.Now both sides of this negative-positive command give some insight to the other.What does prayer tell us about anxiety?Why are we anxious?We're anxious because we know we don't have the control to make things go the way we want them to. And without that control, we fear the thing will go badly. I can't make this certain thing happen, and therefore I'm anxious about it.At one level, to be anxious is to be merely human. We desire things that we ourselves cannot create. That's the human condition, and it's hard, and you can see why throughout history, humans have tried to figure this out. One alternative is to stop desiring things altogether. If wanting things and not being able to create them produces anxiety, then stop wanting things. That's Stoicism. It's indifference to reality. The thinking is that: If you care, you get hurt and disappointed, so stop caring. Be apathetic. Walk through life shrugging your shoulders.That's one pagan way to live in our humanity, but Christian, don't do that. And beware the Stoic mindset because it's out there. But the Christian way to wrestle with the human condition is to pray.Don't be anxious, but instead pray. Tell it to God. You don't have control to make things go the way you want them to, but you know the One who does have control — he is your heavenly Father and he loves you, and so ask him. Ask him. Let your requests be made known to God, and, verse 7, God will always give you exactly what you want — is that what it says?No, the result of not being anxious, but praying is that “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”There's a question here about the peace of God. Is this God's peace, as in the peace that God has in himself? Or is this peace from God that he gives us? I take this latter view. I think this is the experience of inner peace that God gives us from himself as the God of peace.And this kind of peace is greater than human thought. That's what “surpasses all understanding” means there. And this is important because a lot of times, in our anxiety, in life, we want to figure things out. We put our minds to work and we try to do the math and we think, think, think — but the peace God gives us transcends our ability to think. It means we don't have to have it all figured out and we can still rest. We may not get the things we're asking for, but we have peace.And, as it turns out, this peace is what we've needed most all along. It's a peace that guards our hearts and minds from anxiety. We know we're gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay. Even as we keep knocking, we keep asking, we keep telling it to God. And we do that with everything. I want us, each of us, to be this kind of person. I want us to be this kind of people. When someone is carrying anxiety, it is always a fair question to ask them if they'd prayed about it. My great-grandfather used to love to sing the song, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” And that first stanza just nails it:“What a Friend we have in Jesus,All our sins and griefs to bear!What a privilege to carryEverything to God in prayer!O what peace we often forfeit,O what needless pain we bear,All because we do not carryEverything to God in prayer!” If you're anxious about something but you have not prayed about it, start there. And an even better way to go about this as a church, is that when we meet anxiety in one another, rather than just refer people to God, let's take people to God. This is why it's so helpful to pray with one another on the spot. It's not just so that you don't forget to pray, but it's that you're taking the thing to God right away and you're bringing you're brother or sister with you. Because Jesus is close. He's right there. Tell him about it. Be a person of abundant joy.Be a person of obvious gentleness.Be a person of inner peace.Church, however many wins we get, character matters more. Let's be this kind of people in Christ Jesus.That's what brings us to the Table.The TableThe last three words in verse 7, “in Christ Jesus,” puts everything in perspective. The character we've been talking about is blood-bought. We don't become this kind of people in order to earn God's love, but this is because of God's love. God has shown his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! And his goal is to make us like Christ. He's still working on me.

Jeff Struecker is a friend of mine who served for 10 years in the 75th Ranger Regiment in positions ranging from Private to Platoon Sergeant. He also served another 10+ years as a US Army chaplain. Throughout his 23-year military career, Jeff has been awarded many commendations and decorations, including the Silver Star for Bravery in Combat. In addition, Jeff is the author of 6 books, founder of the Unbeatable podcast, lead pastor of 2 Cities Church in Columbus, GA, and is also a husband, father, and grandfather.On this episode of The RESGEN Giving Life Podcast, Jeff and RESGEN Founder Tom Henderson visit about:The people God placed in Jeff's life, at key moments, who led him to Christ.What it was like seeing a battle he fought in turned into the blockbuster movie Black Hawk Down.The peace and assurance the Holy Spirit gave him while on the battlefield.His transition from army ranger to army chaplain. What he is most proud of as he looks back on his military career.Simple things we can do to better help and care for our military veterans This is an excellent conversation I know will enjoy!The Giving Life Podcast: Conversations about being a man whose life in Christ gives life to others.Watch the video version on youtube - youtu.be/fo-_ZNgncYI More info about Restoration Generation - www.resgen.org

This week Greg sat down with Dr. Joe Rigney. Dr. Rigney serves as Fellow of Theology at New Saint Andrews College. He is the author of six book, the most recent titled “Leadership and Emotional Sabotage” which we are going to discuss today. He has served as a professor and president of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, a pastor at Cities Church in St. Paul, and a teacher at Desiring God. They discussed his book, what it means to be a leader, what type of sabotage a leader can expect, and why people pleasing is not an effective means of leadership. Dr. Rigney also stuck around for a "Fresh 10" segment, and some of his personal answers will surprise you! Enjoy! K&K Furnishings: Providing quality furnishings for business, education, worship, and hospitality for the Glory of God!Jacob's Supply: Quality building materials at wholesale prices! Facebook: Dead Men Walking PodcastYoutube: Dead Men Walking PodcastInstagram: @DeadMenWalkingPodcastTwitter X: @RealDMWPodcastExclusive Content: PubTV AppSupport the show

This week Greg sat down with Dr. Joe Rigney.  Dr. Rigney serves as Fellow of Theology at New Saint Andrews College. He is the author of six book, the most recent titled “Leadership and Emotional Sabotage” which we are going to discuss today. He has served as a professor and president of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, a pastor at Cities Church in St. Paul, and a teacher at Desiring God. They discussed his book, what it means to be a leader, what type of sabotage a leader can expect, and why people pleasing is not an effective means of leadership. Dr. Rigney also stuck around for a "Fresh 10" segment, and some of his personal answers will surprise you! Enjoy! K&K Furnishings: Providing quality furnishings for business, education, worship, and hospitality for the Glory of God!Jacob's Supply: Quality building materials at wholesale prices! Facebook: Dead Men Walking PodcastYoutube: Dead Men Walking PodcastInstagram: @DeadMenWalkingPodcastTwitter X: @RealDMWPodcastExclusive Content: PubTV App

This week Greg sat down with Dr. Joe Rigney. Dr. Rigney serves as Fellow of Theology at New Saint Andrews College. He is the author of six book, the most recent titled “Leadership and Emotional Sabotage” which we are going to discuss today. He has served as a professor and president of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, a pastor at Cities Church in St. Paul, and a teacher at Desiring God. They discussed his book, what it means to be a leader, what type of sabotage a leader can expect, and why people pleasing is not an effective means of leadership. Dr. Rigney also stuck around for a "Fresh 10" segment, and some of his personal answers will surprise you! Enjoy! K&K Furnishings: Providing quality furnishings for business, education, worship, and hospitality for the Glory of God!Jacob's Supply: Quality building materials at wholesale prices! Facebook: Dead Men Walking PodcastYoutube: Dead Men Walking PodcastInstagram: @DeadMenWalkingPodcastTwitter X: @RealDMWPodcastExclusive Content: PubTV AppSupport the show

Christian leaders have been largely routed by the agitated and the anxious. These emotional tyrannies manifest themselves in local communities, churches and even families. What is going on and how can we navigate these insidious challenges? On this episode of the Christian Emergency Podcast, Dr. Joe Rigney joins Andy to address the emotional sabotage present in Christian circles. Dr. Rigney serves as a fellow of theology at New Saint Andrews College and teacher at Desiring God. He served as a professor and president of Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, as well as a pastor at Cities Church in St. Paul. Dr. Rigney has also authored several books. His most recent publication is titled Leadership and Emotional Sabotage: Resisting the Anxiety that will Wreck your Family, Destroy your Church, and Ruin the World. Dr. Rigney borrows from this book to provide you helpful context and encouraging tips for overcoming these challenges.    If you find this episode helpful, please give us a positive rating and review wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also share this episode with a friend so they too can be blessed by these insights. To learn more about resources mentioned in this episode, see the following. Leadership and Emotional Sabotage: Resisting the Anxiety that will Wreck your Family, Destroy your Church, and Ruin the World (Book), by Joe Rigney: Christian Emergency Alliance (Website) Christian Emergency Alliance (Twitter / X): @ChristianEmerg1 Christian Emergency Alliance (Facebook): @ChristianEmergency Christian Emergency Alliance (Instagram) The Christian Emergency Podcast is a production of the Christian Emergency Alliance. Soli Deo Gloria

Over the course of the last few weeks, Philippians chapter 3 has been establishing, one layer upon another, a certain kind of mindset. A certain way of thinking that's for the Christian.The first layer in this mindset comes in verse 3, where Paul assures these Philippians, “We [Paul and them alike] are the circumcision [meaning we are members of God's true people], who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.”Layer two is seen in verse 9, where Paul emphasizes, “[I long to] be found in him [in Christ], not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law [so not in what he has done], but that which comes through faith in Christ, [in what he has done].” So, I'm a member of God's people. And the only reason I am a member of God's people is because of what Jesus has done.The third layer, perhaps the sweetest of all, comes in verse 8, where Paul says, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus.”I am a member of God's people, the only reason I am is because of what Jesus has done. And, as a member of God's people, Christ is my supreme treasure.When Paul writes then, in verse 15, “Let those of us who are mature think this way.” The “this way” he's referring to has these three layers as its foundation. But it's the fourth layer, which we saw last week, that rests on top of the foundation, for us to look at and consider. That fourth layer of, “I'm not there yet, but I am pressing on.”So, altogether, when Paul entreats the Philippians in verse 15, “Let those of us who are mature think this way.” It is the way that acknowledges: I'm a member of God's true people, because of Christ, who is my treasure. And I'm not there yet, but I am pressing on.That's the way Paul entreats these believers in Philippi to think. Christian MaturityNow, it is a bit interesting how he qualifies this way of thinking, saying, “Let those of us who are mature think this way.” Why those who are mature? Well, the text doesn't tell us explicitly, but it's likely there'd been a “certain way of thinking” that'd been creeping its way into Philippi, that said, “the ‘Mature Christian,' isn't the one who says, ‘I'm not there yet, but I am pressing on.' But instead, says, ‘No, I am there. I have arrived. I'm mature. Complete. Perfect.' That's what Christian maturity looks like.”It's not hard for us to imagine how this false sense of Christian maturity could come about, right? The train of thought would simply go, “Well, Paul said I am justified by faith, which means that things between me and God are now good, which means I've no longer got anything to fear when I die, which means that from here till then, it is all gravy. I don't need to press on. I don't need to strain forward…Maybe I did a bit of that back in my early twenties…had a season of that during summer camp back in my teens…there was that year or so from a while back when I was waking up early, praying eagerly, reading the Bible intently, serving willingly, sharing the gospel daringly, but now… Now, I'm mature. I've read the books. I've showed up to the events. I've done the things. I've got some years under my belt. I'm mature. I've arrived. You think we have any of that today in the church? Any of that today in us? Well, it's in contrast to that way of thinking then, that mindset, that Paul establishes. It is the mark of the mature Christian, not the immature Christian, but the mature Christian, to say: “I'm not there yet, but I am pressing on.” To say that, and then to continue to say that, season, after season, after season till the day the mature Christian finally makes it home.In fact, from this text, I believe we can say even more. That not only is it a mark of the mature Christian to continue in thinking, “I'm not there yet, but I'm pressing on,“ but to also increase and deepen in that way of thinking season after season after season. To get that way of thinking in you more and more pervasively season after season after season. See it in verse 15, “And if in anything you think otherwise [like, if, mature Christian, there are remaining areas of your mind not operating under this sense of, “I'm not there yet, but I am pressing on,] God will reveal that also to you.” God will help you to see your remaining inconsistencies. God will bring to attention where you still have areas of immaturity. Now, don't read this as a snide remark, like, “If in anything you think otherwise, well, you just wait till God shows you how wrong you are.” No, no, no, remember with what warmth and gentleness Paul has been writing these Philippians? This is not a jab, it is an encouragement. God loves you, Philippians. God will “bring the good work he's begun in you to completion.” And, one way he'll do that is by revealing to you, little by little, season after season, areas in which you can still grow. It's an encouragement — God reveals to us our remaining immaturities so that he can make us, thoroughly, his own. So, we take on this mature Christian mindset, and let it work its way into every nook and cranny of our minds. That is mature Christianity. At least part of it. Another part of it is described in verse 16.The Mature Christian Walk“Only [as in, whether you are already totally aligned with this mature mindset, or you still have areas in which you can grow] Only let us hold true to what we have attained.” Now, what does that mean? What does it mean to, “hold true?”Perhaps it'll be helpful to think about it in terms of a golf ball. Anyone here play golf, or watch golf? I don't, but as of four days ago I now officially own one golf ball — my son found it in our yard. Well, what would it look like for that golf ball to be hit off a tee and then hold true?It'd mean that the ball, upon impact, would take off soaring out in front of the one who hit it, and unlike so many other shots that end up veering off into ponds, or sand pits, or rows of trees, or other unsuspecting golfers, this one, this one, takes off straight and holds true. To hold true means to “stay in line with” or, “be in conformity to.” Paul's saying the mindset he's just described, charts out a course for a certain way of living from here till glory. It charts out a course for a certain way of talking, and behaving. The living out of, “not quite there yet, but on my way, and progressing forward.” In other words, “Look, I don't want you to just think like a mature Christian, I want you to live like one. Live, hold true, to the Christian faith, to what we as justified worshippers of Jesus have already attained.” It is, in fact, much in line with what we also read in 1:27, “Only [interesting, he again begins with that word “only”] let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Now, 3:16, “Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”So, take hold of the mature Christian mindset. Let it work its way into every area of your mind. And live accordingly. That's what we've gotten so far.Now, here's where things get practical. Here's one way to go about living accordingly. Verse 17. What Does it mean to imitate?“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”Now, before we go further, quick survey of the room — Who here is a kid? Raise your hand if you're a kid. Good, now, for the adults in the room, I want you to know that if you have questions on this next section here, verse 17, the experts in the room are the ones currently raising their hands. Okay. See ‘em? Good, now kids you can go ahead and put your hands down, and I'll explain why it is that you're the experts. It is because we have in verse 17 the call to, “imitate.” For the adults in the room, I think we tend to miss the point when it comes to this word, “imitate.” We hear it, and it does not immediately strike us as a challenging task. We just read right over it and move on. It's almost as if, to us, the word “imitate” is not even a verb. Like to simply read it, is to accomplish it. And I think it has a lot to do with the fact that as we “mature” we tend to lose our wonder and imagination. But, as for the experts in the room — the kids — when you hear the word imitate, you take it on as a call to action. A mission of the highest order, which you happily accept. You ready your mind, you focus your attention, every muscle in you prepares for action. He raises his right hand, you raise your right hand. He lifts his left foot, you lift your left foot. He says Simon says, you do it, he doesn't say Simon says, you don't do it. You are on, engaged, motivated. And the reason is because you understand what the word imitate means. Imitate means copy, replicate, follow along with. It is a call to action.Brothers and sisters, the Apostle Paul just charged you to imitate him. And not only him, but others who live according to his example. People like Timothy, Epaphroditus who he described in chapter two. This means he wants us to look back at their example: They count all things as loss for Christ, so we should count all things as loss for Christ. They show genuine concern for others, so we should show genuine concern for others. They seek the interests of Christ, so we should seek the interests of Christ. Paul entreats, “Brothers join in imitating me,” in hopes they would actually do it. Last little note here, when Paul says “join in imitating (him)” it implies this call to imitate is a team sport. A group activity. “Brothers, join in imitating me. Come together in imitating me. Link up with the others striving side-by-side in imitating me. Join in on this happy fellowship of imitators of those who are imitators of those who are imitators ultimately of Christ Jesus.” Because it is a lot easier to follow Simon in what he says, if you're in a room surrounded by others who are also following Simon.So, take on the mature Christian mindset, let it work its way through you, and live it out by imitating others ahead of you. Now, here's why that last part, Paul's call to imitate, is so crucial. It is because, in the end, you're going to imitate somebody. You will. Inevitably, without doubt, like it or not, you're going to imitate somebody. That somebody you imitate could be somebody who walks according to the example we have in the Apostles, or, that somebody could be somebody who walks otherwise. And guess what, there are many who walk otherwise. Verse 18, “Many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.”Description of the EnemiesNow, I don't know if there is a more terrifying title in all the universe than, “enemy of the cross of Christ.” I mean just let it sink in for a moment. To be an enemy of the cross of Christ is to be one who is against Christ, fails to benefit from the cross of Christ, who refuses to walk in the manner of the cross of Christ, who looks at Christ upon the cross and shakes his fist and picks up stones. I don't think you can over-estimate the terror of being called an enemy of the cross of Christ. And Paul says, there are many of them.What are these enemies like? Well, for one, their mind is set on earthly things. You see that at the very end of verse 19? Their “mind is set on earthly things.” It's a contrast to a mind that, 3:14, “presses on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God.” Upward call of God. Here, instead, is a mind focused on earthly things. Paul says that the mind set on earthly things turns one's eyes from the God of the universe to the god of their own appetites. See, middle of verse 19, “Their god is their belly.” What exactly is meant by “belly” is a bit unclear, but its certainly operating somewhere in the realm of fleshly appetites. Could be sexual. Could be food and drink. Could be ease and comfort. “It's this earthly stuff. It's the things I can get here. That's what I worship. That's what I adore. That's what I think about and want more of.” Jesus is not their God. They are their god.And, “they glory in their shame”, again, middle of verse 19. They glory in their shame. The things of which they will, in the end, be ashamed. Might not necessarily be inherently sinful things or actions. It could also be good things, but practiced for the sake of self-righteousness. See good things become bad things when we say of them, “This is what makes me righteous.” The point is that these people are heaping things up today, that will, in the end, be forgotten. Count for nothing. They'll either go up in smoke or be given to another — either way, in the end, they will stand before God, with only ashes around them. Ashes of what they once called glorious. Ashes of what they once looked to and said, “this can save me.” Glory turns to shame.Which brings us to the last descriptor here in verse 19. Where is their so-called glory bringing them? Where is the mind set on earthly things leading them? What is the final end for all who turn from Jesus and bow down instead to their own fleshly cravings? Destruction. Their end, verse 19, is destruction. And see here's what's crazy. They're walking as enemies of the cross. Their end is destruction. Paul says, verse 18, he is weeping about the disaster that is their life, the disaster that is their end. And yet, today, we catch ourselves envying them. We see them on the cover of magazines and envy them. We see ‘em in movies and shows and commercials, and envy them. We hear them in the songs they sing, the podcasts they produce, and we envy them. Man, I remember in college watching those shows that take a look at the normal day in the life of a famous athlete. You know what I'm talking about? And you know what watching those shows began to do to me? They began to shift in me the location of where I thought life was found. I began to see the really nice houses, super expensive cars, total freedom to focus only on themselves and do whatever it was that they wanted all day every day. And I began to hear a little voice inside me saying, “Hey, maybe this is where life is found. Maybe I ought to set my mind on these things.”Is there anyone on your social media feed who you look at that way? Anyone in the shows you watch? Anyone at your work place? Your neighborhood? Maybe even your own family? Has it began shifting in you the location of where you think life is found? Have you begun imitating them in any way?Like, when you see them pursuing only selfish interests, do you begin pursuing only selfish interests? When they begin to justify sexual sin, do you begin to justify sexual sin? When they make excuses for sloth and greed, do you begin to make excuses for sloth and greed? When you see them treat their spouse unkindly, or their children like they don't matter, or their body like it is their own and they can do with it what they want, what then? When they live as if Jesus is dead, and Hell is fake, and all roads lead to heaven, and god really doesn't expect much from of us — he's just happy we acknowledge him every once and a while. What then?There are those who are, right now, walking as enemies of the cross. And there are those who like Timothy, and Epaphroditus and a billion of others from throughout the history of the church who have walked or are walking, right now, according to the example of Paul, and ultimately of Jesus. Which are you going to walk after? Which are you already walking after?Who Will You Imitate?Paul wanted these Philippians to do the math.Philippians, you as people, are prone to imitate the people you see, and the people you're around. Many of the people you see and are around walk as enemies of the cross. You can choose to imitate me and keep your eyes on those who walk accordingly. You could do that. What do you think is most likely going to happen if you don't?See how vital it was that these Philippians take up Paul's call to imitate him? Might it be just as vital for us to do the same today? Cities Church, we, as people, are prone to imitate the people we see around us. And just as in ancient Philippi, many of whom we see around us today walk as enemies of the cross. We could choose, as a church, to take up Paul's call to imitate him, and keep our eyes on those who walk accordingly. We could do that. And church, it is essential that we do that. Here are two ways, and then I'll close. Two ways to take up Paul's call to imitate. The first is easier, I think the second, in the long run will be more fruitful.First: Read Christian biographies. Read people who gave their lives for the cause of God's glory in the world. Read of Adoniram Judson, Amy Carmichael, William Tyndale, Ellizabeth Elliot, and so many others. Read, and learn how they lived, how they loved, how they sacrificed, how they believed. Get your eyes on them, and imitate. Second: This takes more effort, but I think it has the bigger payoff in the end. Get time with someone in this room who is further down the road than you in the Christian life. They don't have to be that much further, just further. Don't have to be that much older than you, in fact, they may even be younger. Get time with them. Ask them about their habits. Ask them about their relationships. Ask them about fighting sin. Ask them about pursuing true treasure. Get your eyes on them, and imitate. So much about our lives will, in the end, come down to who we aim to imitate. And by God's grace, church, we will learn to be a people who imitate well. Let's pray.

The Christian life is a journey.This means that if you're a Christian, even this morning, you are on the way somewhere. From the moment you first put your faith in Jesus you've been on the way to meeting Jesus one day face-to-face. You are on a journey and today's passage tells us three things we need to remember for this journey.And Paul really is saying this for us. Now Paul is still giving us some autobiography in this passage — he's continuing to talk about himself — except that in verse 15 he concludes by saying that we should think like him. Skip to verse 15 for a minute. He says: “Let those of us who are mature think this way” — and if you don't — if this does not make sense to you or if you disagree — well, God will clear that up for you. Eventually you'll get there.This is for every Christian, but for those who have ears to hear, this is especially for you. We should think the way Paul is thinking in these verses. This is for your journey, called the Christian life, and here's the first thing to remember. 1. You're Not There YetNow that should be intuitive — because to be on a journey means you've not yet arrived at your destination — so we should know this, but it's something that Paul wants to make abundantly clear right away.We see this first in the first part of verse 12, and then Paul repeats it again in the first part of verse 13. Look at verse 12. Pauls says:“Not that I've already obtained this or am already perfect …”“Obtained what?” What is Paul talking about? One Train of ThoughtWell verse 12 is connected back to verse 11. So we need to look backwards for a minute. And in fact, this thing goes all the way back to verse 3. Over the last three weeks we've been looking at just one train of thought. Paul set the train in motion in verse 3 when he said that we, Christians, are the real people of God — we who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. And then, beginning in verse 4, he explains more of what that means. He says that although he has some impressive things in his past (according to one scorecard), all of his past religious achievements are now rubbish/garbage.“He counts everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.”That is what Paul wants — he wants to gain Christ and be found in Christ that he may know Christ, verse 10, “and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” — Paul has the death-conquering power of Christ at work in him as he walks in the valley of the shadow of death with Christ, like Christ, verse 11, “that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”What a Day It Will Be!Now what does that mean? There are three parts here: What does Paul mean by “any means possible”? What's he mean by “attain”? What's he mean by “resurrection from the dead”?Let's start with the last first. When Paul mentions the resurrection here, he's talking about the end-time resurrection, when everything's all said and done — the dead in Christ are raised first, and those who are alive and remain are gathered together to meet Christ and to always be with Christ (see 1 Thessalonians 4:14ff). Now Paul is not focused so much on the logistics of the resurrection, but he's thinking more about the state of resurrection. He's thinking: What a day that will be!Y'all know we like to talk about old songs around here, here's one I heard a lot as a kid. It goes like this:“What a day that will beWhen my Jesus I shall seeAnd I look upon his faceThe one who saved me by his graceWhen he takes me by the handAnd leads me through the Promised LandWhat a day, glorious day that will be!”That's a real day that's coming, and it will be glorious. But what makes it glorious? It's that we will be with Jesus. We will have a deeper experience of knowing Jesus than we do now in this world. That's what Paul is thinking about. That's what is on his mind.One Way or Another Notice that word “attain.” It could also be translated to “arrive” or “to come to.” Paul wants to arrive to that day — and he says: “by any means possible.” Some English translations put this as the word “somehow.”Here's what Paul means: he is certain there's a day coming when he's going to see Jesus, but he's not certain about the literal way he's going to get there. Remember, he's in prison right now. He's awaiting a trial. He could be executed! Which means: maybe the route that Paul will take to that day is martyrdom; Or maybe Paul will end up dying another way; Or maybe Paul will stay alive until Jesus comes back and raises those who have fallen asleep!Paul doesn't know how. He just knows he wants to get there. Paul is saying:One way or another, somehow, whether Caesar executes me or I die of cancer or I remain here until Jesus returns, I just wanna get there. I want to arrive at that glorious day. I want to see Jesus and I want to know him more clearly and fully! (see 1 Corinthians 13:12)Homesickness for HeavenAnd see, all that explains verse 12.Because in verse 12 Paul says: I'm not there yet. I've not already obtained this. I'm not already perfect or complete — that's what Paul means by “perfect” here. He's saying I've not yet reached the end. It's all the same idea.And he's really making sure we get this, because in verse 13 he says it again:“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.”I do not consider that I have taken hold of it yet. I don't yet know Jesus as fully now as I will know him then.Church, do we know that's also true of us? Did you know that we've not yet arrived? We're still on the journey. And some of us really need to hear this: You're not there yet.And that means sometimes you're gonna feel a little frustrated. You're going to feel disappointed — hey, you might even feel a little weary from the journey in this world. I think a lot of times all that stuff we feel is really just a homesickness for heaven. Because you're not there yet. So what do we do? This is the second thing to remember for the journey.2. You Keep Pressing On. Look at verse 13 again: “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.”Now does that mean we quit? Because we can't have it all to the fullest right now, do we throw the whole thing away? Some people think like that. And that's a sign of immaturity. One of the facts of immaturity is the inability to delay gratification. You must have it all right now or it's like it doesn't exist. You know that's one of the reasons we sin. If you keep falling into the same sin, it's not just that you're a sinner, it's that you're immature.What do you do when you want something, but you can't have it right now? What do you do? You don't abandon the pursuit, you don't settle for cheap knock-offs, but you keep going until you get there. That's what Paul says: I've not taken hold of it yet — 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.And you can hear in this Paul's radical singularity. This is the one thing. One thing. That's the character of his pursuit. Another way to say “one thing” is the phrase there in verse 13: “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.” You can hear in this that Paul is clearing away everything else. He is pushing everything else aside for the one thing of pursuing the prize.Eternal-Goal OrientedAnd verse 14 is a little bit of a clunky English phrase: there's toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God …It can get a little jumbled for us, but it makes more sense if we keep the “the goal” part with verse 13. Paul says, literally, “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, toward the goal, I press on for the prize …”Paul mentions the goal here still as a way to characterize his pursuit. He's headed in a direction. He's eternal-goal-oriented. That's how he pursues this prize. And what is this prize?It's the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.Paul once again is talking about knowing Christ more clearly and fully. It's the same thing he was talking about in verse 8, “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” It's the same thing he had in mind in verse 11 when he mentioned the resurrection.That's the goal he's looking forward to. That's what he's pressing on for, it's to know Jesus more clearly and fully.Compelled to Press OnListen: that's what compels Paul to press on. Does that compel you?Look, I'm preaching to myself here as much as anybody else. As I was preparing the sermon this past week, I came to this part and I was challenged. Here's the question: Does the fact of knowing Christ more fully one day compel my radical pursuit of him now? Have I had a foretaste of the glory of Christ salient enough in this life to make me want more?And my best answer is sometimes. I love Jesus, but I don't love him enough. And there are times when I feel bombarded and busied with the stuff of life, which is mostly good things, but I'm so busied with them that honestly a lot of times it feels like I'm just trying to make it through the day without sinning (and sometimes I can't even do that!) How do we radically pursue Jesus in this world when there's so much other stuff going on? That's the question we must answer, and as I've tried to figure this out, there are at least three ways we could go about this. There are three ways we might navigate pursuing Jesus along with the existence of everything else. The first way says:“I want everything else (and Jesus too).”This is what you might call the typical “American Gospel.” We want all the extras. Whatever the world is selling as the next best thing, we want that — but we don't realize that all these shiny things are actually the thorns Jesus talks about in his parable of the sower in Mark 4. We want all these things that are actually choking our pursuit of Christ. They are cutting the oxygen off of us having more of Jesus, but we want them and we allow them in because we've grown accustomed to a life that doesn't bear much fruit.“I want everything else (and Jesus too)” — that's one way. Now here's another way on the other side:“I want Jesus, therefore nothing else matters.”This is what you might call the “Monastic Ideal.” It's that you love Jesus more than anything. You want him more than anything, and you're pressing on to know him, but what about … people … we still need other people and they need us. Chip Dodd just told us yesterday that God created us for relationship. We can't live without them. So in your pursuit of Christ, what do you do about the other people around you in normal life?It's not an easy question. There is a tension here. Do you ever feel like other people make it harder for you to pursue Jesus? Kinda like this:A few Sundays ago, on Easter, I was driving down Snelling and I had a load of kids with me — gifts, arrows, a full quiver, I'm a blessed man — and as I'm driving I'm listening to this song about the resurrection that I listen to every Easter. It's a powerful song. It moves me every time and fuels my imagination. And I am close to Jesus listening to this song. And then right as the song is about to get to the best part, someone in the back says, “Dad!”And you know, sometimes as a parent, you think: Maybe they think I didn't hear them and they'll stop. So I just turn up the radio. You know I got tears in my eyes. “Dad!” But I'm still in this moment. I turn it up a little bit more. It just gets louder: “Dad! Dad! Dad!” So I'm with the Lord, but finally I'm just like “What?!” “Can we get Chipotle for lunch?”And I'm thinking, Yeah, I think I could be a monk.In case you didn't know, I have eight children and I live in a modest-sized house — each person gets approximately 218 square feet to themselves. And if I'm honest, I love it, and sometimes I wanna be in a desert.Is it right to say “I want Jesus, therefore nothing else matters”? No — it might sound good, but it's an illusion. It's not real life in this world. It's less than what God wants for us.So it's neither American Gospel nor Monastic Ideal — it's not “I want everything else (and Jesus too)” and it's not “I want Jesus therefore nothing else matters.”Instead, it should be: “I want Jesus, therefore everything else matters.”And of course the mattering comes in different degrees. This does not mean that everything else matters equally. It does not. Certain things are more important than others, and we need Christian wisdom to know what they are. But if we truly want Jesus and we are surrendered to him, everything else in our lives, every other detail, is brought to him and — if it's a thing, we ask: Will this thing help me get more of Jesus, or will it distract me from him? And if it's a person, we ask: Can we pursue Jesus together? Can we do the journey together? Can I bring this person along with me so that we can have more of Jesus together? I want Jesus, therefore everything else matters — and everything else is viewed through the lens of wanting more of him. That's how we radically pursue Jesus in this world. Here's how I've tried to put that into a question that I've been praying everyday for the last several weeks. The question is:How can I have as much of Jesus as is possible for a forgiven sinner this side of heaven and do that with others?I want us all to ask that question. I want that to be a question that Cities Church figures out. Let's keep pressing on.You gotta remember this on the journey. You're not there yet. You keep pressing on.3. You Were Made for This. Okay, so what if you're hearing all this, you read Philippians 3, and you think: “This is just too much for me”? … what you really want is just some sunshine and Netflix, and this “advanced Christianity” stuff is too much … First, I'd say, if you call this “advanced Christianity” your wrong. This is just biblical faith. It's maturity. And the next thing I'd say is to look back at verse 12. We've focused on that the first half of verse 12, but now I want us to focus on the second half. Let's read the whole thing again: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, [remember Paul is talking about knowing Christ more clearly and fully, which he will on that glorious day when he meets Jesus face-to-face. So I've not already obtained this, I'm not there yet —] but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”The word we translate here “make it my own” is connected to the same verb for “obtain.” Another way to translate it is to say “to lay hold of.” I press on to lay hold of it. This is important because Paul uses that same verb again in the last line of verse 12, but the verb is in the passive. Y'all look at the end of verse 12. The last line there in the ESV, “Christ Jesus has made me his own.” It's literally: “I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” Paul is saying:Not that I have already taken it or am already at the end, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Paul wants to take hold of knowing Jesus more clearly and fully, and that is actually why Jesus has taken hold of him. I want to take hold of Jesus because I was taken hold of by Jesus. Christian, do you know that? You have been taken hold of by Jesus. That's why in verse 14 Paul calls the prize of knowing Christ “the upward call of God.” It's your calling. Your purpose. You were made for this. If you are a Christian, you were made to know Christ. Christ has taken hold of you for that.And there's an amazing story for how this happened. It starts before the foundations of the world, when God the Father chose you in Christ, and Ephesians 1:4 says that he chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless before him. The Father chose you in Christ, before the world began, to be like Christ. That's your purpose, from before you were born. And then, in around 4BC, God the Father sent Jesus into the world, to be truly human in our place, to overcome all temptation, to bear our sins on the cross, to suffer the punishment we deserve. Jesus was crucified, dead, and buried, and then raised from the dead, to save you and bring you back to the purpose you were made.It's good news. And in God's timing, we've all heard that news, and what God does, upon us hearing that news, is he takes away our heart of stone and gives us a heart of flesh. He effectually draws us to Jesus by his free and special grace alone. We were dead, but he makes us alive, to begin the journey of knowing Christ, and he keeps us and preserves us — through all the ups and downs, through all the valleys and hard places — he keeps us until that glorious day when the good work he began in us is brought to completion. We will see Jesus and we will know him. Jesus has taken hold of you for that day.“Never Knew My Mother Could Hug So Tight”April 8, 1974 — we just celebrated that date last week. It's the golden anniversary of when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's career home-run record. Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth were baseball players — and one of the great things about baseball is that it's a game with a journey element to it. Think about this, how do you get points in baseball (we call them runs)? You get runs by by going where? Home.That's the point of the game. You're trying to go home, and you have to journey through these milestones: first base, second base, and third base. And you've got nine opponents out there trying to keep you from doing that. They are working together to stop you from going home. What a game!But see, in the game, there's this thing called a home-run. It's when you hit the ball over the fence, and it's the only hit you can get that guarantees you're gonna make it home safely. You still have to run through those same milestones, but your opponents can't touch you. You start the journey knowing you will make it home. That's a home-run.And well, anyways, Babe Ruth hit 714 of them, which was a crazy number. Nobody thought that record would be broken. In the 1973 season, Hank Aaron tied the record, season ended. But in 1974, in Hank Aaron's 20th season, at 40 years old — he keeps playing and everyone knows it's gonna happen. He's gonna hit at least one home-run and break the record. And a lot of people did not like it. The racism was intense — they didn't like that a black man was gonna beat Babe Ruth's record. Babe Ruth was a legend — people were pulling against Hank Aaron. He received death threats and boxes of hate mail. He was under incredible pressure. Security was increased for every game. It was wearing him down.And then on April 8, 1974, in Atlanta, against the Dodgers, Al Downing was the pitcher, Hank Aaron is up … I've watched the Ken Burns Baseball documentary so many times, I can hear the call…He's sittin' on 714. Here's the pitch by Downing. Swinging. There's a drive into left-center field. That ball is gonna be-eee ... Outta here! It's gone! It's 715! There's a new home run champion of all time, and it's Henry Aaron.And he runs the bases, the fans are going crazy, some are running on the field. But the most amazing moment is when Hank Aaron touched home. His whole team is crowded around the plate, cameras, and his mom was there waiting for him. And after he touched home, she laid hold him and just hugged him. It's an iconic photo. Photographers couldn't get a great photo of Hank Aaron because his mom has got him. You can Google it. She's just squeezing him. Hank Aaron said after the game, “I never knew my mother could hug so tight.”Hey, Christian, you're gonna make it home one day, and I think you might say the same thing about Jesus. You never knew he could hug so tight. And remember, he chose you for that. And in terms of what Jesus can see, there's no question for him. He's already got us. We have been laid hold of by Jesus.1) You're not there yet.2) You keep pressing on.3) You were made for this. And that's what brings us to the Table.The TableThis Table is for everyone on the journey. It's for Christians. If you're here this morning and you're not a Christian, it means you're not on the journey … yet … but you can be. You can begin the journey today. Turn from your sin, put your faith in Jesus. Tell Jesus: I'm done with trying to save myself, I trust you to save me.

Do you remember your first conscious “favorite song” as a child? Maybe it was a single, or an album, or a specific artist. I remember hearing a particular song on the radio as a four or five-year-old and saying out loud to my parents, “That's my favorite song.”Now, I realize I'm one of the older people in room. So, I'll ask, but I don't expect many to raise a hand: anyone know the name Larnelle Harris?Gospel singer Larnelle Harris was my first favorite singer. In January of 1985 (exactly thirty years before the planting of Cities Church), Larnelle released an album called “I've Just Seen Jesus,” and the first song on the cassette was called “How Excellent Is Thy Name.” I loved that song. Search it up.The reason I mention Larnelle is that two years later, in 1987, he released another album, and tucked away fifth on the cassette was a song based on Philippians 3 called “I Want to Know Christ.” Still today this song moves me deeply. Something about this song captured my six-year-old heart. I could tell its subject matter was unsurpassed. A song about “knowing Christ” felt so much bigger than your standard-fare Christian music of the 80s, or any decade. It went so clearly to the very heart of what God made us for.I'll read you the chorus, and you can hear our text this morning, as well as the “pressing on” we'll look at next week in verses 12–14: I want to know Christ I keep Him before me I lift up my eyes I drink in His glory I press toward the goal His goodness unfolds March on, oh my soul I want to know I want to know ChristDeep, Personal KnowingAt the end of the sermon last Sunday, Jonathan set the table so well for us for today. In fact, I hope this message will simply flesh out what he said near the end last week — that Philippians 3 doesn't just want us to be right with God (which is penultimate) but to know Jesus. Knowing Christ is the final goal, the ultimate goal; it's what makes heaven to be heaven:“Jesus is not just the means to get you what you want, but Jesus also becomes what you want. Jesus is means and end. To know Jesus is of surpassing worth. That is what is most valuable — to know “Christ Jesus my Lord.” . . . This is a deep, personal knowing. It's real experience in real relationship. Intimacy.”I see three pieces here, that map on with what we might call a (kind of) past aspect in verse 9, and a present aspect in verse 10, and a future aspect in verse 11. So, here's how we'll proceed this morning: we'll start by rehearsing what we saw last week in verse 9 (the penultimate), then jump to verse 11 and the future. Then come back to verse 10 and linger in what it means to “know Christ,” even now in this life, in the present. I hope to shoot as straight as I can about what it means to know Christ, and what that experience is like, and how we go about seeking to know him, and enjoy him, in our everyday Christian lives.So, we start with the penultimate in verse 9.1) We are fully accepted by God in Jesus. (v. 9)I'm not sure we used the word “justification” in the last two weeks, but this is the reality we've been talking about. Verse 3 mentions “boasting in Christ Jesus,” and “putting no confidence in the flesh.” This is justification talk. It raises the question, What is the grounds of your right-standing with God, your acceptance before God? How can an unrighteous sinner get right, and stay right, with the righteous holy God?Justification is God's declaration over sinners like us, You are righteous in my sight. I declare you to be in the right with me, fully accepted in my presence. How? Not because of anything we've done to deserve God's favor. But rather, because of what Jesus has done to win for us God's favor and the verdict, Righteous!Start back in verse 7, and get the flow of thought into verse 9:“whatever gain I had [and remember his amazing list of Jewish gains in verses 5–6], 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 [now verse 9] 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 . . .”Three pieces here to help us get clarity on this justification by faith alone.First, what is not the grounds of Paul's justification, and ours, before God: our own merit. He says “not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law.” The problem is not the law; it is holy, righteous, and good. The problem is us. We are sinners through and through. We are not holy, righteous, and good, and so even our very best efforts at obeying God's holy, righteous, and good law, cannot win his righteous favor and get us right with him.Second, then, what is the grounds of our justification? Answer: having the righteousness that “comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” Faith in whom? Faith in Christ. Righteousness from whom? Righteousness from God, through our believing in Jesus.But still one piece is missing, and it's easy to overlook, at the beginning of verse 9: “found in him.” This is relational language, and it's part of an interaction or an exchange. Paul has been talking about gaining Christ, getting Christ, and now he talks about Christ getting him, his being found in Christ. It's almost like, “I am my beloved's and he is mine,” from the Song of Solomon. I get Christ, because he got me. Which means the ground of our justification is Christ alone, not our doing. And the instrument that connects us to Jesus is faith alone, again not our doing. And the context or the location of that faith is our being “found in him,” our being united to him, by the Spirit, through faith.So, justification, in verse 9, is our being fully accepted by God in Christ. United to Jesus by faith, his righteousness is ours, and the Father's full acceptance of him is ours.Brothers and sisters, to know, really know, the grace of justification by faith alone will make you want to stand on your head for joy — and remember, verse 9 is penultimate. Justification is not the end. It's not the final goal or reality. Justification, amazing as it is, is the means — the means to knowing the one in whom we are justified.So, #1, we are fully accepted by God in Jesus. Now bounce ahead to verse 11, and the ultimate.2) One day we will fully know Jesus, and be satisfied in him forever. (v. 11)That is, we will live forever, together, in ever increasing bliss, in the unobstructed presence of and ever deepening relationship with Jesus.We call this “glorification.” One day soon when we see Jesus, the risen, glorified God-man, face to face, we too, like him, will be glorified. In that day, says verse 21, Jesus “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.”Let's read through verse 10, to verse 11. As we've seen, Paul is celebrating being united to Christ by faith and declared righteous in him, verse 10:“that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [now verse 11] that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”So, verse 11 speaks to a future reality: our attaining, our reaching, our arriving at, our coming to the resurrection from the dead. Just like Jesus rose again bodily, to a new indestructible, risen, glorified body — the same temporal earthly body that went into the grave, then raised and transformed into an eternal heavenly body — so we too, who are in Christ, will one day rise again bodily to glorified, transfigured, resurrection bodies.And in these perfected, indestructible bodies, we will live eternally with Jesus, experiencing to the full the life God made us to live. We will have eternal life. Which won't only mean living in the same new world as the risen Christ, but it will mean knowing him. Union with him by faith now leads to communion with him forever. This, at its heart, is what eternal life is, like Jesus said in John 17:3: “this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”Note two stunning moves in this statement: (1) Jesus puts “knowing God” at the heart of eternal life, then (2) he puts himself at the center of knowing God: “and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”Remember the new-covenant prophecy that we saw in Hebrews 8, from Jeremiah 31, that “they shall all know me”? The coming of Jesus, God himself taking human flesh, dying for us, and rising again as the glorified God-man forever is how God draws near to us that we might know him — “the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).So, with Christ's perfect work finished, justification by faith alone is the ground beneath our feet; and seeing him face to face is ahead of us, when we will be in the same space with the God-man, no distance, no obstructions, no remoteness, no more knowing in part but then knowing in full. But what about in the meantime? What about now, between our justification and glorification?3) We know Jesus even now, and want to know him more. (v. 10)We've seen penultimate and ultimate, and so finally we come to “deep, personal knowing, real experience in real relationship,” even in this life. Verse 10:“that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death . . .”What does it mean to know Jesus? Not just know about him but know him, right now, know the living Christ on the throne of heaven. Do you know him?What does it mean to know Jesus, when, unlike his disciples, you've never seen him with your own eyes, or touched him with your own hands, or heard his human voice with your own ears? How do you know a person who is at present physically inaccessible? How can you know him?One thing to make clear about Paul's expressed desire “to know him” is that Paul is pressing way beyond minimal saving knowledge to maximal satisfying knowing. He's not asking, What's the least I need to know to be saved? Rather, he's talking maximally knowing and enjoying a real, living, breathing person, who has made himself knowable both as God, and as man. This is maximal personal-knowing, not minimal information-knowing.Struggle as we might to capture in words what it means to “know Jesus,” we all know experientially as persons what it's like to know another living person. You don't know a person simply by being in the same room. Two people can sit in silence in the doctor's office waiting room and not know each other at all. Or, two people thousands of miles away can know each other profoundly through the sequenced exchange of words. Shared space is not the essence of how we come to know each other, but interaction. Communication. Self-revelation. Exchanging words is typically the main channel through which persons know each other. Our words reveal the unseen inner person, and so words heard, and responded to in kind, enable us to dialogue and interact, and so know each other in and through the exchange. We come to know a person by listening to him, and then in the rhythms of relational interaction, speaking back to him with questions or our own self-revelation.And, don't miss this, getting to know a person well also involves other people. You see more, and hear more, and know a person more by enjoying him with others. Other people draw out previously unknown aspects of the person. Also knowing someone deepens as you experience life with them, and especially life's ups and downs, both triumphs and defeats.As we get to know a living person, it often happens first in big chunks, and then through endless refinements over time. You never exhaust knowing a living person. Yet over time we can genuinely say that we come to know a person's heart, their essence, who they really are. So, when someone else talks about a person you know, you might say, Yes, that's him. Or you might say, No, I know him and that doesn't sound like him.And of course, Jesus is no ordinary person, so there's a special note to strike here: vital to our knowing him, and coming to know him more, is something unique to every mere human person we know. Those whom Jesus knows, he puts in them his own Spirit. If you are in Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells in you, and (as we've seen in Philippians 2:13 and 3:3) he is “the Spirit of Christ” (1:19). We hear Jesus's voice in his word by the Spirit, and we pray to him in the Spirit, and we come together as his people through the Spirit. Which leads to Paul's next phrase in verse 10.Resurrection PowerWhat does it mean, then, to “know him and the power of his resurrection”? Jesus not only died, in our place, to forgive for our sins; he rose again and he is alive. He is alive to know, right now, as a living person, as the God-man seated on heaven's throne, because of the power of the resurrection. So, to know the living Christ is to know him in the power of his resurrection. But it also means to experience his resurrection power in our own person by his Spirit, and be changed by him. To interact with him and so be transformed by him.In knowing Christ, in being united to him and communing with him, his resurrection power doesn't leave us unchanged. We are sanctified. We become more like him.Which means in coming to know Christ better, in his holiness and grace, we also come to know ourselves better in our sin and need. Knowing Jesus has major life entailments. Knowing Jesus will change us. In fact, knowing Jesus is the engine of true Christian change. But — get this straight — we don't change in order to know him; we know him, and his resurrection power, and so begin to change. Knowing Christ transforms the fight against sin, and our striving to be like him, by putting it in the right perspective. When you know Christ, and want to know him more, reading the Bible and meditating on Scripture is not a chore to be completed but a means of God's grace in the pursuit of knowing Jesus more. Prayer is not a box to check, but speaking back to the one we know, in the power of his Spirit, having heard his voice in his word. And fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ becomes a precious corporate context in which to see and hear what fresh glories they bring out about Jesus in their words and prayers and obedience to him.But we close with one more striking and unexpected means in verse 10 for how we know Jesus and come to know him more.Fellowship of SufferingsLook at verse 10 one last time:“that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death . . .”Now, what we've said so far about knowing Christ is true, but the accent Paul adds here is suffering. How we come to know most deeply the risen Christ, his nearness, his pattern, his obedience, his holiness, his heart, his grace is not in life's easiest times and our most comfortable moments but in our sufferings.What Paul has in mind here relates to what he's just said about Christ's example in chapter two: “he humbled himself” (2:8). I don't think that “becoming like him in his death” means that Paul is anticipating a crucifixion for himself, or for us, but that he wants to know Christ by echoing Christ's heart and “mind” (2:5):Being in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death. That's the pattern Paul wants to be conformed to, and know Christ by sharing in his sufferings, walking in the footsteps of his self-humbling, and experiencing Jesus's help and fellowship and nearness and resurrection power on the path of obedience when it's hardest.So, not only do we know Jesus as we walk with him in triumph, but also — and typically all the more — as we cling to him in our suffering, and find that he draws especially nearer to us in our suffering.So, we might sum it up like this: two big parts to knowing him — sunny days and stormy days. Bright days and dark days. Happy seasons and heavy seasons. In the bright, sunny, happy seasons, we establish the steps of our lives. We learn to walk with him and get to know him as we walk with him. We cultivate habits for hearing his voice in his word by the Spirit, and speaking to him in prayer, and in the fellowship of others who know him. Oh my how vital are our fellows in Christ for knowing more of Jesus!But what we're doing in those bright and sunny days is establishing trust and getting to know Jesus better, so that when the rainy, stormy, dark, difficult days come, then we go especially deep with him. As many in this room know, it is often the times when we know him in our sufferings that we really know him best and come to know him more.Supper TogetherAnd we know him through eating with him at this Table. Here we know ourselves afresh as sinners, desperate, condemned apart from him. And we know his grace here. Not just about grace, but know grace, experience his grace. And through his grace: Christ himself.So, while this Table is by no means the only practical avenue of knowing him, it is a vital one as we come here together week after week and eat and drink in faith. Which is why another name for the Lord's Supper is Communion. We don't just come here to eat and drink the grace he provides; we come here to encounter him. To know him.

The Lord is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!Whatever the origins of our English word Easter — and they are apparently too ancient and complicated to trace with certainty, even for Encyclopedia Brittanica — Easter has come to function for us today as a two-syllable designation for “Resurrection Sunday.” That's six syllables down to two.Easter is the highest day in the church calendar, the one Sunday that we specially celebrate the reality which we seek to live in light of every day of the year: that Jesus, the eternal Son of God, who lived on earth in full humanity, and died on the cross on Good Friday, rose again bodily, on Sunday morning.And this Easter we find ourselves at the halfway point of Philippians. In meditating on these verses, with Easter in view, I've paused over this word safe in verse 1. What does Paul mean that his “writ[ing] the same things . . . is safe”?As I was pondering Easter safety this week, I started seeing the word everywhere. Apparently, we are a people very conscious of safety, and very interested in safety, and perhaps hardly realize how much. In the news just this week was more of the Boeing “safety crisis.” And I saw headlines that read, “Eclipse safety: NYS task force has been working since 2022 to prepare for April 8”, “Senators say Meta's Zuckerberg is slow-walking child safety inquiries.”And I found appeals to safety in my own inbox: The city of Minneapolis directed me to get an HVAC “safety check” as part of a home inspection. I saw a message from SportsEngine with the call to action: “Keep your athlete safe.” And I received unwanted marketing emails that offered the option to “Safely Unsubscribe” (in small print at bottom).Some of our constant pursuit of safety is, of course, shallow and misguided and overly fearful. Our modern lives can be filled with petty and disordered desires for safety. And at the same time, there are wise, holy, reasonable desires for safety. That's what Paul appeals to in verse 1:“Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.”Easter JoyBefore we focus on “Easter safety,” which will be our theme this morning, let me first say something about “Finally” at the beginning of verse 1. I know there's a preacher joke here. “Just like a preacher! Paul says ‘Finally' when he's only halfway done!”However, this “finally” is actually a loose connecting phrase that can mean “finally” in some contexts, but in others, it can be “so then” or “in addition” or “above all.” The key here is that Paul just mentioned joy and rejoicing in 2:28–29. And before then, he mentioned gladness and rejoicing, twice each, in 2:17–18. And before that, he made a double mention of his own rejoicing in 1:18. Have you noticed how often Paul not only talks about joy in Philippians, but does it in pairs? We'll see it again in 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” It's like he just can't say it enough. To say it just once doesn't seem to do it. He needs to say it again.And Paul is aware of how often he's talking about rejoicing, and doing so in pairs, and so after saying “rejoice in the Lord” in 3:1, he adds a little bit of a defense for it. He wants his readers to know he's aware he might sound like a broken record, but he means it, in the best of ways. He's not being lazy, or simple-minded. He doesn't want to bore them, but to help them, to make them safe. He overcomes whatever dislike or distaste he might have for obvious repetition, and says, “To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.”It's safe to keep saying, Rejoice in the Lord. It's for your good. You can't overdo rejoicing in the Lord. Now, you can underdo all sorts of other things, while rejoicing in the Lord. You can underdo sorrow and grieving. You can underdo seriousness and playfulness. And you can overdo all those. You can overdo all sorts of good things. But joy in Christ, rightly understood, truly experienced, you cannot overdo. You cannot overdo rejoicing in Jesus.Three SafetiesOur question this morning on Easter is, Safe from what? What does Easter joy, the double joy, repeated joy, the great joy of the resurrection of Jesus, which is the beating heart of the joy of Christianity, what does joy in the risen Christ give safety from and how?I see three threats in these verses, and so three safeties for us in the Easter joy of rejoicing in the risen Christ.1) Easter joy gives us safety from foes.To be clear, foes, or opponents (1:28), in and of themselves, are the least concern of these three threats. Still real, but the least troubling on their own. So, Paul says in verse 2:“Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.”So, who are these “dogs” nipping at the Philippians' heels?My family and good friends will tell you I'm not a dog person. I recognize that many of you are dog people. I can respect that — to a degree. Sometimes when dogs come up, I like to say, with a smile, “Well, you know what the Bible says about dogs, don't you?”Let's just say the picture is very negative — but it does have a twist. Dogs were the scum of ancient cities. They were unclean and nasty, like we think of rats today. Dogs would devour dead flesh and lick up spilled blood. And perhaps related to this, the Jews came to associate “Gentiles” (non-Jews) with dogs. Gentiles were unclean, according to the old covenant; they were outsiders. You may recall Jesus's interaction with the Canaanite (Gentile) woman in Matthew 15 (and Mark 7), where he says, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. . . . It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs” — the Gentiles.For Paul, there is an insightful irony in calling these foes “dogs,” because they presume that they are the insiders, and that Gentiles, like the Philippians and us, are the outsiders. We're the dogs, unclean and unsafe, they think — unless we add old-covenant law-keeping (marked by circumcision) to faith in Jesus.We call these opponents “Judaizers.” They tried to Judaize Christianity; they tried to put Christ-believing Gentiles back under old-covenant Judaism, rather than letting them just be Gentile Christians in the new covenant without the baggage of the previous era. These Judaizers went around telling Gentile Christians that, essentially, they needed to become Jews physically in order to be truly saved, and safe. And these Judaizers often dogged Paul's ministry. They followed him around. After he'd bring the gospel to Gentiles, and move on to the next town, they'd sweep in and try to get new Gentile Christians to think they needed to add Judaism to their faith.So, when Paul calls them “dogs,” he's not aiming to insult them but to use instructive irony for the sake of his readers. He's turning the tables to make the point that believing Gentiles are actually the true Jews (spiritually), and these Judaizers have become the new Gentiles, the outsiders, the dogs. Now Christ has come, and been raised, and inaugurated a new covenant. With Easter Sunday, old is gone; behold, new has come. And these Judaizing foes might think of themselves as doing good works, according to the old covenant, but in fact they are “evil workers.” In trying to circumcise Gentile flesh in obedience to the old covenant, they are, in fact, mutilators of the flesh. They have missed how Good Friday and Easter have remade the world.So, how does Easter joy, rejoicing in the risen Christ, make us safe from such foes, these and a thousand others? Specifically, rejoicing in the real Jesus fortifies our souls against trying to add anything to the grounds of our rejoicing. In rejoicing in him — in who he is, in what he accomplished for us at the cross, in his rising back to life, and in that he is alive today and our living Lord on the throne of the universe — we come to know a fullness of joy that will not be flanked or supplemented by anything else. Being satisfied in the risen Christ keeps us from being deceived by other shallow appeals to joy, and keeps us from temptations to try to add to him.Rejoicing in Jesus is practical. Are you seeking to rejoice in him? Do you aim at this, and pray for this? When you open the Bible? When you pray? When you gather with fellow Christians, and when we come to worship together on Sunday mornings, and when you go to work, and when you live the rest of life, are you seeking to rejoice, to be satisfied, to be happy in the risen Christ?So, Easter joy gives us safety from foes.2) Easter joy gives us safety from our own flesh.This is a greater concern — the danger of self-ruin, the threat of our own sinful hearts, various habits and patterns that would lead us to trust in ourselves for salvation. Or, we might say, the way that foes are a real threat to our souls is through our own sin. Foes harm us by deception. Then, being deceived, we move to trust in ourselves. Verse 3:“For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.”Remember from verse 2 these Judaizing foes — who claim to be God's true people, his Israel, the circumcision — they are actually the dogs, the new Gentile outsiders. Because, Paul says, in verse 3, with emphasis, we are the circumcision. We Christians, both Jews like Paul and Gentiles like the Philippians, who — and this is such an important “who” with the sequence that follows. Here we get to the heart of the Christian life, which is the human heart. Oh get this clear on Easter Sunday. Get this heart. Get what it means to be God's new-covenant people. Circumcision of the flesh is not what makes and defines us. Human deeds and efforts and abilities do not make us and define us. Rather, what circumcision of the flesh had been pointing to all along is circumcision of the heart. That is, a new heart, new desires. A born-again soul. New creation in you. God opens the eyes of your soul to the wonder of his risen Son. He changes your heart to marvel at Jesus and rejoice in him. So, here in verse 3 we get three marks of what it means to really be a Christian.One, we “worship (live, walk, serve) by the Spirit of God.” That is, God has put his own Spirit in us. He dwells in us. We have the Holy Spirit. Can you believe that? If you are in Christ, you have the Holy Spirit. God himself, in his Spirit, somehow “dwells in” you. We saw it in 2:13: “it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” What power against sin! What power to rejoice in the risen Christ! What power for taking the initiative to love and serve others and gladly do what Christ calls us to do. The risen Christ has poured out his Spirit, and ushered in a new era of history following Easter. Now, God's people are no longer under the tutelage of the old-covenant law, but have his own Spirit at work in us. We do not worship and live in the old era but in the new, with God's own Spirit dwelling in us.And so, two, we “glory in Christ Jesus.” Which is more joy language, but elevated. “Glory” is literally “boast” — we boast in Christ Jesus. “Boasting” is tricky in English because it has negative connotations. So the ESV translates it “glory” (as in 1:26). What makes boasting, or glorying, good or bad is its object. And so we boast, The Lord is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!True Christians are those who glory in Christ Jesus as the sole grounds of our full acceptance with God. So, when someone asks, How do I get right with God? Or, how can I be truly safe — not in the little trivialities of this life but forever? We boast in Christ. “On my own, I'm ruined. But I glory in the risen Christ. I boast in the one who died for me and rose again. He is worthy. I glory in him!”So, “boasting” or “glorying” is stronger language for the rejoicing of verse 1. This is Easter joy. This is double joy. This is joy intensified, joy magnified, joy heightened, joy expanded, joy enriched, joy elevated, joy resurrected.Which means, third, by contrast, Christians are people who “put no confidence in the flesh.” We boast in the risen Christ, not self, for ultimate safety. And if you wonder what “flesh” means here, Paul will make it clear in verses 4–6, as we'll see next week. In sum: putting “no confidence in the flesh” means not trusting in ourselves or any mere human effort or energy to get and keep us right with God. Not any privilege of our birth, nor any natural ability, nor hard work, nor achievement, nor human wisdom — nothing in us or related to us, whether who we are or what we've done. Rather, we glory in Jesus.Which leads then to one last safety that's implicit beneath the first two. So, Easter joy gives us safety from foes and from our own flesh, and . . .3) Easter joy gives us safety from God's righteous fury against our sin.This is the greatest threat of all: omnipotent wrath. The offense of our sin against the holy God is the final danger beneath the other dangers. The reason foes could be a danger is they might deceive us to put confidence in ourselves and our actions. And the reason putting confidence in ourselves is a danger is that this discounts the depth of our sin and leaves us unshielded, unsafe before the righteous justice of God against our rebellion.When Paul says that rejoicing in the Lord “is safe for you,” what's at bottom is ultimate safety, final safety, eternal safety, safety of soul, safety from the divine justice that our sin deserves.But Easter joy keeps us safe from the righteous fury we deserve, because rejoicing in the risen Christ is the way we take cover in the Son of God who came, and died, and was raised, to deal with our sin and usher us safely with him into the very presence of God. You might put it this way: the safest soul in all the universe is the one that rejoices in the risen Christ.Rejoicing in the Lord is a place of great safety, shielded from every real threat, even the greatest. God will not destroy those who delight in him. Delight in him is a stronghold (Nehemiah 8:10), a fortress, a safe place, because God always preserves those who delight in him.So, Cities Church, rejoice in the risen Christ! To say it again is no trouble for me, and safe for you. The Lord is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!Seeds of Joy at the TableAs we come to the Table, let's address a question some of us have on a high feast day like Easter, and in a book like Philippians that accents the importance of rejoicing in the Lord. What if you're not feeling it? What if you don't feel happy in the risen Christ? Perhaps you want to rejoice in Jesus, you want to glory in him, but you're a sinner, your heart's not where you want it to be. One answer, among others, is this Table.This Table is not only for those who are boiling over with Easter delight, overflowing with joy in Jesus. It's also for those who feel their hearts to be sluggish, and know they're not rejoicing in the Lord like they want to, or like they should. And yet, in the ache of that desire is the seed of joy. In the longing. In the wanting is the seed of Easter joy that we come to nourish and strengthen at this Table.If you would say with us this morning, “I claim the risen Christ. However high or low my rejoicing, I know myself undeserving. I put no confidence in my flesh. But I do put my confidence, for final safety, in the risen Christ.” Then we would have you eat and drink with us, for joy.

In this sermon, Pastor Jonathan Parnell expounds upon Philippians 1:27-30 in which Paul tells the local church how they should be doing. There are things in this passage that are especially relevant for Cities Church as we enter our tenth year of life together as a church. The main exhortation from this passage is: It is absolutely necessary that our church's life together in this world witness to the all-satisfying value of Jesus.

A few weeks ago, my 7-year-old informed me that he wanted to be 8 — but not any older than that. “Buddy, why don't you want to be any older than that?” I asked. “Well, because when you get old, you die.” Fair enough. 8 seemed safe and exciting enough, I guess (he has some 8-year-olds in his class), but 9 . . . now 9 was a different story. Who knows what might happen then? Better stick with 8. It's a sobering thing, isn't it, to watch your children begin to wrestle with a reality like death and then to force you, as a dad or mom, to try and explain something like death. I think our verses this morning are a great help to dads and moms and teenagers and twenty-somethings and sixty-somethings in answering the biggest questions we ever ask. What's going to happen when we die? What does it mean to really live?A couple years ago, on June 28, 2021, my then 64-year-old dad had a heart attack. I'll never forget the moments I spent beside his hospital bed that week, waiting for quadruple bypass surgery. I felt my own mortality, watching the strongest man I'd ever known now fighting for his life. I know some of you have experienced this. When you're growing up, Dad is the embodiment of strength, almost immortal. I mean what can't Dad do? A toy breaks? Oh Dad'll fix it. Want to know what makes an airplane fly? Dad will know that. My 3-year-old's been worried that skunks are going to get into her room at night (longer story there), but I've said to her, “Honey, I promise Daddy won't let any skunks in your room.” And she believes me! Because I'm Daddy.And then dads grow older and their arteries fail — or they get really sick, or their minds begin to go. Slowly, they're a little less superhero, and a little more human. And in the process, we realize just how human we are.By God's grace, my dad's doing really well, but I thought of him leading up to this message because our conversations over these last couple years (one in particular) remind me of these verses. He told me that's he more aware than ever that every day he has is a day he's been given for Christ, that however many days he has left — whether hundreds or thousands or just one — he wants them to honor Jesus. My dad came close enough to death to be able to remind his son how to live.And that's what we have in Philippians 1:19–26: We have a man, a spiritual father, who has come close enough to death that he's able to tell us (whether we're 8 or 38 or 68) how to live and die well.The Happy, Driving PassionAs we've learned over the last several weeks, Paul wrote this letter from prison in Rome. The situation's serious enough that his friends in Philippi are worried if they'll ever see him again. And on top of the dangers and hardships of his imprisonment, he had enemies (even in the church) trying to make things even worse for him. I don't want it to be lost on us over these next few months in Philippians that the most joy-filled letter in the New Testament was written in horrible circumstances. That tells us something, doesn't it, about how much joy we can expect to experience even on our hardest days. Look how joyful he is even now, even in prison! And they tell us about how much we can still help others enjoy Jesus — even on our hardest days.As Pastor Jonathan showed us last week, Paul responds to all of this — imprisonment, mistreatment, betrayal — in an otherworldly way, because he had a different passion than the world. And what was that passion? The glory of God magnified through the advance of the gospel. That passion is why he can rejoice while his enemies preach Christ (verses 15–18). That's why he can rejoice even while he sits in prison (verses 12–14). That's why he prays like he does, verses 9–11. That passion is why his love for these people runs deeper and richer than many of our relationships (verses 3–8). And now, in our verses this morning, he's going to tell us about that passion. He leans in, after all of that, as if to say, Do you want the secret? “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.”What Kind of Deliverance?Our passage begins in verse 19: “Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance…” Now, right away, what kind of deliverance do you think he's talking about? What's he going to be delivered from? Is he talking about deliverance from prison (which is what we probably assume) or is he talking about some other kind of deliverance?Let's keep reading: “[I know that this will turn out for my deliverance,] as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.” Why do I expect that all of this will turn out for my deliverance? He doesn't go on to talk about judges changing their minds, or him developing some good will with the jailers, or about a large group of Christians putting together a petition. No, he says, I'm confident this will turn out for my deliverance because I'm confident that, whether I live or die, Christ will be honored in me. That phrase — “whether by life or by death” — that's the biggest reason I don't think he's talking mainly about being delivered from prison. He can't die in prison and be delivered from prison. I might die here in prison, he's saying, but I'll still be delivered. Even if I'm never released from these chains, I'll still be set free. How could that be? How could he be delivered without being delivered? I think that question's massively relevant for us, because some of you are praying for deliverance right now. Not from prison (because you're here) — but what you're suffering might feel worse than prison some days. Intense, prolonged conflict with someone you love. Hostility where you work. Cancer. A child who's walked away from the faith — and maybe from you. . . . By the end of this sermon, I'm praying that you'll be able to say, to anyone who cares about you: “Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that this pain, this conflict, this cancer will turn out for my deliverance” — not mainly because the pain might finally let up in this life, or because the relationship will necessarily get better, or because the cancer will go into remission, but because I believe my life, and my suffering, and even my death will say something true and beautiful and loud about how much Jesus means to me. About how much he's done for me. About how much I'm dying to go and spend the rest of my life with him. What kind of deliverance is Paul expecting? Not mainly deliverance from prison (although, as we'll see, he clearly expects that too). No, deliverance from spiritual ruin, from the intense temptations that come with suffering, from walking away from Christ. I'm confident I will be delivered, he says, because I'm confident that, whether I live or die, Christ will look great — and that's all I really want. “I count everything as loss,” he'll say in chapter 3, “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.” That's what deliverance looks like, the most important kind of deliverance, the kind we all need, especially when suffering comes. These next verses, then, are a mural of the delivered life — the life freed from self and sin and death, and filled with Jesus. Again, they teach us how to live and die well: “I know that Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death…” Verse 21: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” We know that verse, and we think we get it — but do we really get it? Could you explain it to a 7-year-old? These next verses help us see both sides of this precious, life-altering (and death-altering) verse.To Die Is GainLet's start with death, though, with the second half of the verse: “[I know] that Christ will be honored in my body . . . by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” How is Christ honored in a dying person's body? Our death honors Christ, he says, when we begin to see our death not as loss — not as the end, not as defeat, not ultimately as a tragedy — but as gain.So how could Paul look at death, even a death alone in horrible circumstances, and see victory, see reward? The next verses take us deeper. Beginning now in verse 22: “If I am to live in the flesh, [to live is Christ] that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” Now, of course, Paul doesn't really get to choose. “Which of you by being anxious,” Jesus asks, “can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Luke 12:25). Paul's not actually choosing life or death here; he's just letting us see what he wants. “I am hard pressed between the two,” he says. A big part of me wants to stay and live a little longer here with you (and we'll see why in a minute), but if I'm honest, I'd rather go home. I'm so ready to feel my last aches and pains, to have my last hard conversations, to wipe away my last tears — more than anything, though, I'm so ready to finally, at last, to see him, to set aside this old, foggy mirror and look at him face to face: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace in the flesh — the seeable, huggable, high-five-able God. To get to know him, to know Jesus, as well as he's known me all these years, 1 Corinthians 13:12. Oh how badly I want to stay, Paul's saying, and help you see more clearly, and understand more deeply, and love more fully, and obey more joyfully, but it will be so much better for me if this apostle left you (for now) and went on to be a kindergartner, a beginner, in glory.Notice, he doesn't diminish the goodness of this earthly life. From an earthly perspective, Paul's life wasn't all that great (it was horrible) when he wrote these verses — and he still wanted to stay. God has filled this broken, sinful world with people and pleasures and experiences — with really good gifts — that hint at heaven and help us long for heaven. I have three small kids — there are moments every week where I stop and think, I just want this to last forever. (There are plenty of other moments when I think, When will this ever end? But there are so many moments I want to hold onto.) When we tickle them and they giggle until they cry. When they say certain words really wrong. When they learn how to do something for the first time, and then do that same thing a thousand times every day for a week. When they come, snuggle up next to you, and tell you they love you for no reason at all. Having a Philippians 1:21 heart doesn't mean you despise the God-given joys and giggles of life on earth — it means you realize that another life's coming, another world, one that's better than this one, even at its best. And not better by a little, but better by far. “My desire is to depart and be with Christ,” verse 23, “for that is far better.”And what's the better? It's not weeks without work, or years without taxes. It's not endless tee times on the golf course or more girls nights with your best friends. It's not your favorite foods at your favorite restaurants and you never have to wait or pay. . . (I for one, by the way, believe all of that will happen in heaven, and that it's all going to be better than we can even begin to think or imagine. Believe me, nothing you enjoy here is going to get worse in heaven.) He tells us what the best better will be, though, in the same verse: “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” He puts a face to the gain. Death, for believers, is better than life because it's death that finally gives us Christ — all of Christ, with all our senses, meeting all our needs and satisfying all our lingering, gnawing desires. He is our gain.In college, I read a paragraph that I'll never forget. It still haunts me, in the very best way. It goes like this: Christ did not die to forgive sinners who go on treasuring anything above seeing and savoring God. And people who would be happy in heaven if Christ were not there, will not be there. The gospel is not a way to get people to heaven; it is a way to get people to God. (God Is the Gospel, 47) I still remember where I was on campus when I read that chapter. It felt like I had stumbled into a land I had never seen before, an ocean I'd never sailed before, a favorite meal I'd never tasted before. I really believe those were the moments when God became heaven for me. When he was no longer the God who makes heaven, or who lets sinners like me into heaven, but that he himself is what makes heaven heaven — that he would always be (even after thousands and thousands of years) the best part of living there. This Jesus is not just the only way to heaven; he really is what makes heaven worth wanting. He is the great meal. He's the ocean. He is the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of great price. And if that's true — if we really think that way — how awesome will he look when we die? While everyone around us in the hospital clings to the last days they have here — while they scramble to try and make it to a couple more things on their “bucket lists” — we're going to be the really strange people who have this deep and abiding peace, who talk about how much better life's about to get, who feel free to spend the last days and hours we have on other people and their needs, who still smile even through horrible pain. We're going to be the strange and beautiful people who use our last breaths — on the hospital bed, in hospice care, covered in wires and monitors — to sing. When we die like that, what will that say about Jesus? You know if you've ever seen a saint die well. In those moments, Jesus looks more valuable than anything life could ever give — or that death could ever take. Don't you want to die like that?As we turn to the first half of verse 21, then, I want us to see the relationship between these two phrases: “To live is Christ” and “to die is gain.” We're about to see what “to live is Christ” means as a way of life — what a strange person like this does with the weeks and months and years they have. But before we even get to that, to the kinds of things they do, we're already seeing who they are — we're seeing their heart, their passion. You see, the kind of person who honors Christ with their life will always be the kind of person who sees death as better than this life. They glorify God with their life because they want Jesus more than life. I first learned this, like many of you, from John Piper: “God is most glorified in us — in life and death, in joys and sorrows, in marriage and parenting and singleness — when we are most satisfied in him.” God will be most glorified in our lives when death is gain, when we know that the day we die will be the greatest day we've ever lived — yet.To Live Is ChristNow, in the next couple verses, he turns to explain “to live is Christ.” How does he explain that? He's already said, verse 22, “If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.” Fruitful labor, that's the first part of our answer. But what does “fruitful labor” actually mean? He goes on to tell us in verses 24–26: “[My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.] But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. It would be better, far better, to go and be with Jesus, but I'm convinced it's more necessary, for now, that I stay and keep laboring among you.” And what is the labor? What does he need to stay and do for them? “Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith. . . .” The fruitful labor Paul stays to do is to work for others' progress and joy in the faith. He stays to help them grow in their faith in Jesus (progress), and to help them find greater joy in that faith. If we live for another day or month or year, it's because someone needs help believing in and enjoying Jesus. That's how Paul thinks about his life — and yours. This is why you're alive: to help someone else keep believing in Jesus. Do you think about your life that way? Do you look at your days, or weeks, or decades of life as a gift God has given you to give other people God? To live is Christ — to hold up Christ for one another.But what does it really mean, practically, to live for someone else's “progress and joy in the faith”? Does Paul give us any hints about we're supposed to actually do? He gives us lots of hints. His letters are filled with this kind of life. But we'll limit ourselves to just Philippians for now. What does it look like to live for one another's “progress and joy in the faith”?It looks like praying for one another, and especially for each other's souls (Philippians 1:9–11).It looks like calling one another to obey Christ, to live a life worthy of the gospel (Philippians 1:27). It looks like meeting practical needs for one another, like this church did for Paul (Philippians 4:14).It looks like honoring one another, like Paul honors Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:29). Sometimes it looks like warning one another: “Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh” (Philippians 3:2).It looks like reconciling believers with one another when there's conflict or division, like Paul does in Philippians 4:2: “I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.”It looks like reminding one another of heaven: “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20–21).It looks like, get this, just having more conversations about Jesus.Any of you can do all those things. These aren't things apostles do, or even things pastors do; these are things Christians get to do for one another. We live, for however long we live, for one another's progress and joy in the faith — to live is Christ.Paul strikes one more note here, in verse 26: “I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.” If I live, he's saying, I want to give more reasons to worship Jesus — and not just a few reasons, but plenty of reasons (“so that in me you may ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus”). Paul's not living for a bare-minimum Christianity, a bare-minimum spiritual influence on others. No, day by day, he wants to pile on the reasons, as many as he possibly can, for those he knows and loves to trust and enjoy Jesus. So, when God brings someone into your life, are they better off spiritually for being there? Are they a lot better off spiritually for being there? What if you started looking at your relationships — family, community group and life group, neighbors, co-workers, friends — and tried to give them ample cause to love and glorify Jesus? How much more spiritual good could you do? How might the good you do then multiply through them into all of their relationships?Again, notice he says, “I am hard pressed between the two.” So even though to depart and Christ is far better, Paul really does want both. It's gain to die, no question, but it's not loss to stay and live for Christ. To live for Jesus, despite how much it cost him, despite how little fruit he saw at times, despite the fact that he might live the rest of his life in prison — to live for Jesus was its own reward. Therefore he could gladly say, To die is gain for me, and to live is Christ for you, my joy and my crown.Because You Pray for MeBefore we close, then, I want to go back briefly to the beginning of our passage and look at how this kind of Christ-honoring life and this kind of Christ-honoring death happens. If God delivers us from walking away from Christ, from giving into temptation, from slowly drifting into worldliness, if he helps us honor Christ until the very end, how does that happen? Where do we get the strength and focus we need to keep going? Paul gives us two quick glimpses (so quick we might completely miss them), but I think they're too good to pass over as a church. You've already heard these verses, but we need to hear them one more time: “Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance. . .” Why is Paul so confident that he's going to make it to the end, that he'll keep honoring Christ, even in prison, even under persecution, even if it costs him his life? What does he say? Because you're praying for me.Do you ever pray like this church prayed for Paul? Does anyone pray like this for you? If we commit to praying like this for one another, Cities Church, we'll be able to say things like we heard Paul say in verse 6: “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” — because we've prayed for you. I know you'll honor Christ, whatever happens to you, because we've prayed for you. Or, verse 19, “I know this horrible circumstance will turn out for my deliverance” — because you prayed for me. Prison can't overcome these kinds of prayers. Cancer can't overcome these kinds of prayers. All the armies in the world couldn't overcome prayers like these.Why? Because God answers prayers like these. . . . And he doesn't answer from afar. No, he comes and helps us from inside of us, by his Spirit (“through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ”). His Spirit lives within us. And as he does, his strength becomes our strength, his peace becomes our peace, his love becomes our love. By the Spirit, right now, in whatever callings each of you have been given, you have everything you could possibly need to honor Christ — whether by life or by death — because that Christ lives in you. He's going to help you.

God is gracious and merciful, but he disciplines his children because of his love for us. Pastor Jonathan Parnell of Cities Church uses Hebrews 12:3-11 sharing how Jesus gave an example for how we can persevere through trials, and how God affirms us as his children through our suffering. Later Dr. Greg Bourgond shares how there are four stages to salvation, discussing the first three and the importance of each one. Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now This conversation originally took place on November 7, 2023

There once was a crew of Narnian's who set sail for the east. Further east than any map of theirs had ever chartered, further east than any of their people had ever gone. Eastward all the way to the division between their world and Aslan's country. They took off, aboard the Dawn Treader, past the lone islands, past dragon island, past burnt island, and deathwater, and dark island. By the time they arrived upon Ramandu's island, many of them were beginning to feel ready to turn round and go back home. Although they hadn't reached Aslan's country, they had gone a fairly good distance, further than any other ship and its crew had ever gone before. And they were feeling content about that, satisfied with that. That is, most of them.There was still one member of the crew who had yet to speak up, which was surprising, since that member of the crew was usually the one always speaking up. That member of the crew was a mouse, named Reepicheep. His friend Lucy, wondering why he had yet to say anything, finally asked him, “Aren't you going to say anything, Reep?“ She's thinking, “All these guys are ready to turn round, ready to say, “Good enough,” and go back home to “Life as usual” — Reepicheep, are you cool with that? Is that what you're going to do? Reepicheep chose to answer her at a level of volume loud enough for all to hear, saying: “My own plans are made. While I can, I sail east in the Dawn Treader. When she fails me, I shall paddle east in my own boat. When it sinks, I shall swim east with my four paws. And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan's country, or shot over the edge of the world, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise.” Reepicheep was not one for, moderation. Not one for “life as usual.” Certainly not one to give up on adventure. Neither was the apostle Paul. Writing to his beloved Philippians, he gladly affirmed that they had already come so far in terms of their faith and conduct. Nevertheless, Paul sought to urge them onward, with a prayer to the tune of, “Philippians, grow deeper as Christians. Grow further as Christians. There is still more to be had before you.” Sail east, then paddle east, then swim east, until you hit the shore. His words this morning, I pray, will have a stirring effect upon us. That God, through his word, would create in us an eager fervency to go on further, and further, and further as followers of Jesus. Let's pray, and ask once more, for the Lord's help toward that end.Verse 9: Abounds more and more…So, Paul's prayer is for the Philippians to grow, all the more, as Christians. We see it right away in the words of verse 9, “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more.” That phrase has such a delightful cadence to it, doesn't it? Abound, more, and more. It rolls along so smoothly, in fact, that it can slip right past us, tiptoe into the sentence nearly unnoticed. But make no mistake, my brothers and sisters, this is no moderate, inconspicuous, tiptoeing concept.Abound, more, and more is immense. Far-reaching. Excessive. At a size or in a quantity that not only fills the space around it but then flows over, and spills out, and rushes onward, and then keeps right on going. Abound more and more comes with no off switch, no handle with which to close the valves and stop the supply. It progresses onward, wholly unencumbered by the drag of “moderation” and the weight of being far too easily satisfied. For love to abound more and more, is to have a love that increases on and on and on in glorious surplus. Paul's prayer regarding love is on a scale and to a degree we rarely fathom, let alone pray for. If that's the quantity of love he's wanting to see within these Philippians, then what is its kind? What kind of love is Paul praying for? The immediate context would suggest we're at least talking about love for other people — and especially so people within the church. The verses before resound with Paul's great love for these Philippians, describing how he held these brothers and sisters in his heart, and yearned for them all with the affection of Christ Jesus. Some verses later will reveal what can come about as a result of a lack of love for others. Philippians 1:15, “Some preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love.” The former, thinking not to love Paul, but afflict him. So Paul's prayer for the Philippians to abound in love is very much sandwiched between an example of love for others, on one side, and lack of love for others, on the other.That said, I don't believe Paul is praying only for the Philippians love for others. One reason simply being that he doesn't define it as a love for others. He just says love. “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more.” Love, in the most comprehensive sense. Love with a capital L. The kind of love that, as one writer puts it, “pervades ones entire being…and marks every attitude and action” (Motyer).Paul is praying that the Philippian church would become a people who are entirely marked by love. Love in their everything.As an aside, I believe he'd pray much of the same for us — Cities Church. That we, in an age of skepticism (Is love even real?), shallowness (I love with one foot in and one foot out), and apathy (Love is lame, love is optional, love is whatever). That we, in a world like that, in a world rife with dulled and shrunken hearts, would be a people bright, blazing, and alive with love! A people with love coursing through every fiber of our beings. A people secured in God's love, and thereby set free to love. A people eager to grow and abound in love, more, and more, and more, and more — never letting up, and ever wanting increase. Would we want him to pray such things for us? Are we, in our minds, already loving enough? Brothers and sisters, moderation in some things, sure, but love? “With knowledge and discernment…”Now, Paul isn't praying for love to abound, period. But for love to abound — look with me, verse nine — “with knowledge and all discernment.” Some of us in the room maybe just breathed a huge sigh of relief: “phew, knowledge and discernment.” Some of us felt a sense of reassurance now that knowledge and discernment have walked in the room. I get it. I do. But, why do you think you feel that way?Is it, perhaps, because you're imagining that knowledge and discernment has a subduing effect upon love? That knowledge and discernment comes in and reduces loves down to a more manageable, less lifestyle-interfering size? Offers a sort of shield, safeguard, from ever really needing to feel love, ever really needing to act upon it, and mainly only ever needing to give it a nod here and there? Is that, my brothers and sisters, how we think Paul understood the relationship between knowledge and discernment and love? Is that what we think Paul really desired for his beloved Philippians — that they would abound in a sort of semi-muted and tempered love? A convenient, only when comfortable love?No … It is a lie that love and knowledge clash with one another. It is a lie that love and knowledge hinder one another. It is a lie, hear me, that to grow in knowledge is to lessen in love, and vice-versa. In other words, if you are holding on to the claim that, “Hey, I'm kind of a knowledge guy. Other people do that love stuff — I'm exempt from that.” Or, if you are holding on to the claim that, “I'm just a lover, I leave that knowledge stuff to others, I just love people, I don't need to do the knowledge thing.” Consider that God abounds in both. He, the most knowledgeable and discerning being in all the universe is also, at one and the same time the most loving being in all the universe, and he sees no contradiction in that. In fact, he calls us to become more like him. We, every single one of us, no exceptions, are called to abound in both. You got a certain personality, certain inclinations, yes, of course, nevertheless, God calls you to abound, and even want to abound, in both. And note, if you do abound in both, what you'll then be enabled to do: verse 9 into 10…“Approve what is excellent” “9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent.” Love that abounds with knowledge and discernment, enables a person to approve what is excellent. And how helpful, for not all that's in our world is excellent. There are some things in our world that are — certain behaviors, certain ideas, certain actions, certain words, certain possessions. There are many things in our world that are not.Without knowledge, our love, at best, would get evenly distributed between the two. We'd love some things that are truly worth loving, and we'd love some things that aren't — without knowledge that'd be the best we could do. What we'd be far more likely do however, without knowledge — because we're not morally neutral, but sinful — is devote the majority of our love toward what the world calls lovely, but is, in fact, a distortion of true loveliness. I've been there, perhaps you have as well. It is misguided love. Detrimental love. Love in vain. Enter knowledge, like a beam of light into the dark. When our love begins to abound with knowledge, we find ourselves suddenly able to discern “what is good and acceptable and perfect” versus what isn't. Suddenly able, as one writer notes, “to put our highest affections on the highest virtues and not get distracted by lesser, peripheral matters” (ESV Expository).In other words: not less love, not muted love, not love spread thin, but love perfectly aimed and sent fully into motion — Sign me up, right?And it just keeps getting better. Just think … What happens when you begin eating better? You get healthier, right?What happens when you start moving better, like better posture, better form? You reduce injury, avoid sore muscles, grow in physical ability.What happens when you begin sleeping better? You have more energy, feel more alert and focused… At least that's what I've read.What happens when you start loving better? When you start regularly loving and approving what is excellent?Again, Paul tells us. See it in the second half of verse 10. Look with me there. “Be Pure and Blameless, filled with fruit” “10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” Be conformed to the image of His Son, who is, in himself, pure and blameless. Be transformed into that same image (of the Son) from one degree of glory to another. Be, in your character and conduct, pure and blameless.Now, I want to be absolutely clear, this does not earn us a righteous standing before God — that's not what inward purity and blamelessness is for. That's what Jesus' death and resurrection is for, that's what our faith in him is for. We receive the gift of righteous standing before God, by faith. We don't work for it. We don't earn it. But we do, after we've received it, begin to reflect it. And this to comes not from us, but from God.See in verses 10-11, “so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.” See, it's all from him. It all comes through Jesus Christ. Our state of righteousness before God, our fruit of righteousness that reflects God — God is the source of both. Consider for a moment that: any love you have, any joy you possess, any peace you maintain, whatever patience you exhibit, whatever kindness you extend, every ounce of goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness within you, every last ounce of self-control, any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy … It all, every bit of it, has been given to you through Jesus Christ. You have only ever received the fruit of righteousness that comes through Christ. And why? Paul's logic is still progressing here. There's still more. What's the aim of it all? What's the purpose? What's the motivation? It is, quite simply, the glory of God. See it at the end of verse 11? “To the glory and praise of God.” That is the ultimate end, the goal. But there's one last phrase for us to look at in this text. And this will be our last point. One final phrase that notes the specific context of our ultimate end of glorifying God. What's the context?Verse 10: “So that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” For the great and holy day when Jesus comes to judge the living and the dead.So, our love abounds with knowledge and discernment. We're enabled to approve what is excellent — And so we do. We approve what is excellent, and it begins to change us. Grows us in the sense of subtraction: Purity and blamelessness drive out our love for sin. Grows us in the sense of addition: Fruits of righteousness take root and grow. And all for the day of Christ! For the day our Master returns. For the day that the bridegroom comes to receive his bride.See we want to be a kind of people who live our entire lives in anticipation of that day … constantly, unrelentingly fastened upon that day … straining, longing to grow in purity and blamelessness, to grow in fruits of righteousness, for that day because when he comes we want to offer him our very selves and say: “For the day of Christ”“Look! See what has happened in my heart, see the changes that've taken place in my mind, remember the trails of sin that were built there? The highways of sin that were paved there? Look now, how they've all eroded.Those stains caused by all my “yesses” to lust, all my nursing of envy, all my obedience to greed, all my contentment with pride, look now at how they've, through time spent with you, all faded away. Not even noticeable anymore.Those fields that used to be covered in weeds, thorns, and briers which so choked out my love for you. See how you've taught me, you've caused me to pull them each up, by the roots, and set them in the sun to whither and die. You had made me yours before any of this improvement in me. You had loved me at a time when I was still yet a sinner. You had called me child and given me with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, when I had yet to do anything to deserve it. And for love, for love, for love, I wanted my heart and mind on this day to be pure for you, blameless for you, filled with fruits of righteousness for you, beautiful for you. That you might be glorified in this, my spiritual worship — the transformation by the renewal of my mind, the testing and discerning what is your will, what is good and acceptable and perfect.How worth it would it be to say such a thing to your Savior? How excellent?To the glory and praise of God: My brothers and sisters, abound in love. Abound in knowledge. Refuse to treat either of the two as optional. And put them to work. To root out every single thing from your mind and heart and habits that is not excellent, that is not growing you in purity, that is not cultivating in you blamelessness, that is not producing in your fruits of righteousness. If it is the way you use your phone, the way you relate to others, the way you talk, the places you let your mind wander, if it's not excellent, not preparing you for the day of Christ — why, why, why keep them in your hand, keep them in your conduct, keep them in your heart, keep them in your mind? A great day is coming, aim to present your very best to Jesus on that day. Sail east, paddle east, swim east, and sink your nose to the sunrise. It will be worth it, it will be excellent.Now, in just a few moments, we're going to have a few individuals coming forward to be baptized as a display before you, their church family, of the faith that they have in Jesus. Their being baptized is also a fruit of their faith in Jesus, a desire to obey him in all things, including the call to be baptized. Their being baptized is also a proclamation that their life from here on out is not their own, for they now belong to God, and aim to live their lives for the glory of God.

There is no such thing as a perfect church. We don't find one in the New Testament, and we can't find one today. A perfect church, this side of heaven, is impossible. But what is possible is a church that you can love.We know this because the apostle Paul loved the church at Philippi — and I don't mean he loved this church in a general or principled way, but this is particular and genuine love. That's clear in these verses right from the start.Now at one level, Paul's introduction in Chapter 1 is pretty standard. Ancient letters always started with some personal reflections and thanksgiving — so that's something we'd expect — but Paul goes above and beyond the normal and he gets deeply personal and openly affectionate. Just listen to his language here. He says:Verse 3: “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.”Verse 7: “I hold you in my heart” Verse 8: “I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus” Paul really loved this church. That's obvious in what he says, but okay, we might ask: So what? Why does this matter? So the apostle Paul loved a local church in the first century and that's great, but what does that have to do with us?Well, if it's possible for Paul to love a local church, then it's possible for us to love a local church, and we can learn from his example. So here's the question I'm bringing to this passage: Are there lessons we could glean from Saint Paul's love for the church in Philippi that might shape our love for our church in St. Paul?What are some observations of Paul's love for this church that could help us in our love for our church?That's the question I'm asking, and I've got three observations I want to show you but even before we get there, I need to step back for a minute and question the premise: Is it desirable to love the church that you're part of? Is loving your church a good and worthy ambition?Or, I'll put it this way: Should we love our church the way Paul loved this church? And again, we're not talking about general or principled love, but particular, genuine love. Should we love our church like that?I think the answer is Yes. We should aspire to love our church the way Paul loved the church at Philippi. That is a good and worthy ambition, but I could imagine that this is a debatable topic. Why Love the Church?Some might think that the main thing is just being part of a church no matter how you feel about it. “You're part of a church and you put up with it. It's all about commitment!” Others might have a looser idea and think that you don't need to love your church, and you don't even really need to be committed to it, just as long as you're a Christian and you stay out of trouble and you show up every now and then, you're fine. So when I say that it is good and right to love the church that you're part of, am I being too idealistic or too extreme?I'd say neither. Not at all. I think that you should love the church that you're part of — if you're part of this church (our church) you should love our church, for three reasons: Jesus commanded itJesus empowers itThe church is precious1) Jesus commanded it. John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” That applies to our church.2) Jesus empowers it. 1 John 4:7–9, 19 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” As John says a few verses later … “We love because he first loved us.” The truth is, we're not ever going to be able to love anybody truly until we understand God's love for us. And that's the Holy Spirit's work in our hearts. Do you know yourself to be loved by God? And that his love is a Never-Stopping, Never-Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love. God's love for us in Christ is the power of our love for one another.3) the church is precious.This is just being practical: we should love our church because the local church is essential to following Jesus in this world, and one day your life in this world is going to be over, and on that day, all that will matter is Jesus, and so who you are following Jesus with now really matters. Track with me here: who you are following Jesus with in this life, one day will be who you followed Jesus with. And that's super important. Our lives together as a church is more precious that we realize, and I believe it's too precious not to love. We should love our church. And Paul can help us with this in Philippians 1, verses 3–8. I want to show you three observations of Paul's love for this church, and then we're gonna turn them into lessons for how we love our church.Here's the first observation. 1) Paul thanked God for this church when he prayed for them. (verses 3–4)We see this in verses 3 and 4. Paul says, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy.” This is pretty straightforward, but notice two things:First, Paul prayed for this church. Second, Paul thanked God for this church.“Every Prayer of Mine”First, we know that Paul is praying for this church because he says, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all…” The mention of “prayer” in verse 4 explains what he means by “remembrance” in verse 3. This means that Paul is not just randomly remembering this church and then giving thanks for them. It's not that the church of Philippi just pops in his head and that makes him thankful, but Paul connects the remembering to praying. He remembers the church and he prays for the church.Now, is it the remembering the church that leads to the praying or is it the praying that leads to the remembering?We don't know and that's fine — we just need to see that Paul prayed for this church as a habit: he says “every prayer of mine for you all.” And every time Paul prayed, he thanked God for them. “I Thank My God”This is important. And really, it gets into a larger topic on thanksgiving, and I won't spend a lot of time on this, but I just want to remind you that thanksgiving is a choice. It's not only an involuntary reaction, but thanksgiving is a heart-attitude and its expression is something we choose to do. Thanksgiving is a discipline.That's why, in the Bible Reading Guide, that first little box each day says “Gratitude.” I can't commend to you enough the habit of starting everyday by thanking God — knowing that some days will be harder than others. Somedays all we can come up with is, “Thank you, Father, that I'm here. Thank you for waking me up.” This is a discipline and it's one that shapes us. The more we give thanks, the more thankful we become. We can choose to give thanks. That's what Paul is doing here for this church. Because there are other things that came into his mind when we thought about this church! They had some unity issues. There were some members of this church who were not getting along. This was not a perfect church, but Paul loved this church, and he prayed for this church, and every time he did, he thanked God for them! Of all the things he could have prayed, and a lot of things he probably did pray about as he kept praying, he made a point to thank God. ApplicationSo what's the lesson for us? It's that we do what Paul did. Would you make it a habit to pray for our church and thank God for her?And yeah, there are other things to pray about, and we'll get there, but first, from hearts that are mainly thankful, let's choose to give thanks to God in prayer. Just count the blessings of God to us! Let's be amazed that God has saved us and that he's brought us together to follow Jesus in this life.Let's pray for our church and thank God for her. That's the first observation/lesson.Here's the second. 2) Paul knew this church well enough to be confident of God's work in them. (verses 6–7)This is in verses 6 and 7, and verse 6 is a verse you've probably heard before. I love this verse and this is a favorite verse for a lot of Christians because it highlights God's faithfulness in our perseverance. That's the theology behind this verse. God will lead us all the way home. He will complete what he started. Pretty much every time Philippians 1:6 is quoted, it's to support that truth, and amen, but notice the context of verse 6.Paul loves this church, he prays for this church, he thanks God for this church; they've got a long history of partnership in the gospel, and then he starts verse 6 with, “I'm sure of this” or more literally, “I have been convinced of this… that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”This is an amazing statement. Paul is saying, I have become personally convinced that one day you are going to stand before Jesus in a glorified body. This kind of statement cannot be said about everyone. Paul does not say this about everyone, so then how can he say it about the church in Philippi?Well, it's because he knows this church well enough to know that their faith is real. That's what he says in verse 7.“Because I Hold You in My Heart”Verse 7 is meant to explain verse 6. It's like Paul knows that what he says in verse 6 is bold. It's a radical statement. This would have turned some heads. So in verse 7 he explains, “It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart.” That's Paul's argument?!He has just said that he's sure that this church, the individuals of this church, are going to persevere. God will save them completely. They are going to see Jesus one day — and his rationale for that confidence is: I've got you right here in the heart!That's not exactly an airtight theological argument. I don't know if that would pass in my kids' logic class.See, Paul isn't making an argument here, he's being personal. He is appealing to his relationship. He has this church in his heart, which means, he has a close-up, knows-them-by-name relationship, and in that relationship, through their partnership in the gospel, he has gotten to know them well enough to see that they're the real deal. He's seen their lives. He's seen where they came from. He's seen what they've been through. Paul knows this church well enough to be confident of God's work in them, and he tells them. So what's the lesson for us?ApplicationAs an aspiration, we want to be a church that is known well enough by one another such that we can say to one another with confidence, You're gonna make it. That's like the point of covenant membership! We want to be that kind of church.So here's the application: get to know one another for this purpose. Cities Church, get to know other members of this church well enough that you can say to them, You're going to see Jesus one day.Know others well enough so that you can say that, and then say it. And I realize that no one of us is going to know well every single member of this church — that's not expected — but we all can know and be known by some, and if each one of us is doing that for some, then everyone will know and be known. That make sense? That's why we have groups.Paul knew the church at Philippi well enough to be confident of God's work in them and he told them. Let's do the same at our church. Third observation:3) Paul partnered with this church for the sake of the gospel. (verses 5, 7–8)Now, the thing that's behind Paul's love for this church (and his joy in them, and how he knows them, and why he's confident of God's work in them) all comes back to their partnership in the gospel. Paul mentions this first in verse 3 (it's the ground for why he prays for them with joy). He mentions it again in verse 7 to explain how he knows them so well.And the word he uses for “partnership” is the New Testament word that most times is translated as “fellowship.” He says in verse 7 “you are all partakers with me of grace.” This is an edifying participation, a fellowship. So when we see the phrase in verse 3, “partnership in the gospel,” we should think: fellowship in the gospel. That's what he's saying.And I think it's important to keep “fellowship” in mind because it guards us against two mistaken mindsets in gospel partnerships, a functional mindset and an idle mindset. We don't want either of those. The functional mindset is one that is utilitarian. The main concern is not the quality or the nature of the partnership, but it's all about the bottom line. Are we seeing results? Is it effective? Are you hitting your numbers? That's your work environment, right? Sometimes at work you get stuck with co-workers who maybe are not your favorite, but you just gotta soldier through and get it done. We see this sometimes in professional sports. There's a team that has an inter-conflict, they don't really get along, but they have to lay the conflict aside and do their job, because they're paid to perform and to win. It's all about the bottom line.Well, that's not what is going on here between Paul and the church at Philippi. This is not a mechanical, utilitarian partnership, but it's a true fellowship. There's mutual love. This is a friendship in the gospel.And the “in the gospel” part is what guards us against the other mistaken mindset, which is an idle mindset. See, Paul doesn't just say: Hey, we have fellowship. It's good to have fellowship. I'm glad we have fellowship. Isn't fellowship great? No, that's not what this is. This is fellowship on mission.They love each other, and that's great. They probably love to be together, and that's great. But they're not just hanging out, they're trying to change the world. They are pulling together their resources and their energies for the sake of the gospel, and it cost them. This was not an easy, picturesque partnership where everything they touch turned to gold. No! Paul is in prison when he writes this letter! Epaphroditus almost died going back and forth for Paul and this church! This fellowship that they had was in the trenches of gospel witness and gospel advance that all Hell tried to stop. They were friends who remained friends through the ups and downs of costly action.See, fellowship in the gospel is active enough fellowship to see real gospel advance and it's sincere enough fellowship to stick together when things go badly … even when it's inconvenient, when it hurts, when there's imprisonment. This is an incredible partnership. I want this for us!ApplicationFellowship in the gospel means we're giving ourselves to something bigger than ourselves and we're giving ourselves together as friends. There's an old D. L. Moody quote when he said something like “The world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to him.” And I just want to borrow that quote and basically change everything about it, but I want to say: Oh, that the Twin Cities would see God at work in a church that has true fellowship in the gospel! — a church that loves one another and a church that is serious about Jesus getting all the glory whatever it takes.It's not idealistic to want that for our church, or to believe that we could have it. We can. God can do it.We're never going to be a perfect church — that's impossible this side of heaven — but we can be a church that loves one another for the sake of the gospel, and Paul can help us. Three lessons to take with us:Pray for our church and give thanks to God for her.Know others in this church well enough to be confident of God's work in them.Let's have true fellowship in the gospel.Let's go wide-open in spending our lives and in being spent for the sake of the gospel overcoming these Twin Cities and beyond. We want Jesus in all of his glory and love and joy to be impossible to ignore.That's what brings us to the Table.The TableMost of this sermon has been all observation and application (Paul did this, we can too) — but where's the gospel?It comes back to the truth that we love because God first loved us. And he has proven his love for us in that, while we were still sinners, Jesus Christ died for us. Far be it from us to boast except in the cross of Jesus Christ our Lord! His death for us is everything. And that's what we remember at this Table. To this we hold, our hope is only JesusFor our lives are wholly bound to His If that's your confession, if you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, we invite you to eat and drink with us this morning.

When the apostle Paul first came to town, the city of Philippi was famous for its connections to two of the greatest emperors of the ancient world: Alexander the Great and Caesar Augustus.Paul came to Philippi in the winter 49/50 AD, to a population of about ten thousand (sizable but smaller than Thessalonica and Corinth), and when he wrote this letter ten years later, I don't think it was lost on Paul how significant it was to be writing to “saints in Philippi.” That is, to Christians alive and well in no obscure city. The planting and growth and endurance of the church in the city of Philippi represented gospel advance deep into the Roman empire.The city, founded about 350 years before Christ, was about 8 miles northwest of port city Neapolis, in the region called Macedonia. The city was named for Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. Alexander conquered Greece in 338 BC and spread its language around the known world. So, when this city, named after Alexander's father received a letter from Paul, almost four centuries later, in the Greek language, it was, in part, because of Alexander.But long past were the days of Alexander. The Romans took Philippi in 168 BC, and the city's real claim to fame came in 42 BC, at the Battle of Philippi, when armies of Brutus and Cassius, who had assassinated Julius Caesar, were defeated by the coalition of Marc Antony and Octavian (who would become Augustus). After that, Philippi became a Roman colony, and located along the queen of long roads in the Roman empire, the city became the gateway between Asia and Europe. Far more important than history, it was a strategic city in terms of travel. Then enter Christianity in the first century.Today the reason the world knows and remembers Philippi is not because of Alexander the Great, and not because of Julius Caesar and Marc Antony and Augustus. The world remembers Philippi because of Jesus. His apostle Paul showed up there and planted his first church in Europe, and then years later wrote them this letter which we have in the New Testament.Let me just say, I love Philippians. I have a history with this book, and that in my most formative season of life. And I know I'm not alone. Many of us love this book, for a handful of reasons, and what I'd like to do in this sermon is celebrate several of those reasons why so many of us love Philippians — and why the pastors think this book in particular meets us in our life as a church here in the first half of 2024.So let's take this twofold approach this morning, to introduce this Philippians series, which will take us up to Memorial Day, God willing. First, I'd like to answer three questions from verses 1 and 2, and then finish with four reasons why so many of us love Philippians.So, here's three questions from verses 1–2: (1) What do we know about the recipients of this letter? (2) Why is this letter from Paul “and Timothy,” and not just Paul? (3) What do they hope this letter will accomplish?1) Saints in Philippi?First, what do we know about the recipients of this letter?Verse 1 says the letter is “to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons.”As for Philippi, Acts 16 tells the story of Paul first coming to the city, and the unusual circumstances of his coming there, and the conversion of Lydia and a jailer. But that was ten years before this letter, and I don't think that amazing story actually plays much into this letter a decade later.But it is significant that Paul writes “to all the saints,” that is, to the whole church. He could have written only or mainly to the leaders, but he writes to the whole church, “to all the saints,” as he usually does in his letters. So, we might say this letter is congregational, not presbyterian.Yet, even though the whole letter is to the whole church, Paul does hat-tip the leaders, and mentions two offices, and note both terms are in the plural: “with the overseers and the deacons.”These two offices are the same two specified in 1 Timothy 3, where we find qualifications for both, with “able to teach” being the main difference in the requirements. Overseers = pastors = elders comprise the lead or teaching office in the church, while the deacons are the assisting office.2) And Timothy?Question #2: Why is this letter from Paul “and Timothy,” and not just Paul?The first part of verse 1 says the letter is from “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus . . .”Paul is the apostle. He met the risen Jesus on the Damascus Road. Timothy is a younger associate that Paul picked up in Derbe not long before he first showed up in Philippi. So, why would Paul, the apostle, the one who really matters, it seems, have the letter come from both him and Timothy, his junior partner?First, consider Paul's magnanimous spirit. Rather than highlight his special authority, and exclude his collaborator, Paul is secure enough, and generous enough, to include Timothy with him. Now, Timothy (along with Silas and Luke) had been with him at that first trip to Philippi. So the Philippians knew Timothy. And as we'll see in chapter 2, Paul hopes to send Timothy back to Philippi soon to check in on them (2:19). Timothy also likely served as Paul's assistant in composing this letter. He may have been the secretary as Paul dictated the letter. Ancient letter writing was not anything like writing emails, where you dash something off in a few minutes. Writing an epistle in the ancient world was like publishing a book — it was a long, involved, expensive process. Paul, together with Timothy, would have drafted the letter; then re-read and edited; then re-read again; then carefully written out a final copy. So, Timothy likely was involved significantly in producing the letter, like an editor and publisher would be for an author of a book.But again, Paul is the apostle. And generous as he is to include Timothy in the process, and name him, at the end of the day the letter comes under Paul's apostolic authority. He signs off on everything in it. It represents him, and the risen Christ, from beginning to end. He speaks in the first person in verse 3, and speaks of Timothy in the third person in chapter 2.So, with Timothy listed here with Paul, “apostles” doesn't fit them together. But together they are “servants of Christ Jesus.” Servants here is the same word for slaves (douloi), which pairs with Lord or Master (kurios). For Paul and Timothy to call themselves slaves is to say something about their Lord. Jesus is Lord, he is kurios; therefore they are douloi, slaves.Jesus is said to be Lord at the end of verse 2 — grace and peace come from “God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” The one who was so clearly fully human, just two decades before walking the roads of Galilee and the streets of Jerusalem, teaching with wisdom and authority, performing signs and wonders, suffering and dying, and purportedly rising again — this man is exalted alongside “God the Father” as the divine source of the grace and peace Paul extends to the saints in Philippi. Which leads to our third and final question.Grace and Peace?Third: What do Paul and Timothy want this letter to accomplish?Verse 2: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”As we'll see in the coming months, Paul has some specific manifestations of Christ's grace and peace in mind when he thinks of the present needs in Philippi. We might summarize it as fresh joy in Christ, leading to humility and unity (following internal conflicts), leading to joyful, effective witness in this Roman colony.This “grace and peace” Paul means to come to them through words, through this letter. So, the letter doesn't just begin with a prayer for grace and peace; the letter itself is designed by Paul to be grace and peace to them. Epaphroditus will carry this letter back to his home church (2:25–30). He had brought a gift to Paul from the Philippians (4:10, 14, 18), which was not their first gift to Paul. From the very beginning, the saints in Philippi had supported Paul (1:5; 4:15–16). These are clearly some of his best partners, which explains why this letter gushes with affection and joy. Paul deeply loves this church, and they make him happy. They are his “joy and crown” (4:1). If only all the churches could be like Philippi's!This most recent gift (of perhaps food and supplies) they sent with Epaphroditus while Paul's in prison in Rome, and apparently somewhere along the way Epaphroditus got sick, and almost died. Now, he's recovered, and can go back, so this becomes an opportunity to write to the Philippians, and extend grace and peace to them in several ways: Paul thanks them for their gift, he updates them on his status in Rome, he commends Epaphroditus for his service, he prepares the way for Timothy to come soon, and he addresses the internal tension that has emerged in the church.From the beginning there had been external opposition to the gospel in Philippi. Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned at the get-go. Now, the church in Philippi is about ten years old (about the age of Cities Church!), and conflict is threatening from within. As we'll see in chapter 4, two prominent women in the church are at odds, and likely others as well.So, Paul hopes that this letter, with its exhortations to pursue humility and seek unity will be a means God uses to bring about fresh and greater peace in Philippi, and that Paul's words, his teaching, his letter, will be a means of God's grace to this church, a church with so much to appreciate, and a few things to grow in.So, Paul loved the Philippians. And it's a contagious love. I think that's part of why so many of us love Philippians — how can you not when the apostle Paul loves this church so much and has so much grace to celebrate?Why We Love ItSo, let's close, then, with four brief reasons why we love Philippians, which relates to what we need as a church right now, and why the pastors are so excited for this focus in the weeks ahead.1. Joy!First, this is an epistle of joy. As we will see, this letter overflows with joy, with brightness, with warmth (in contrast with, say, Galatians!). In Philippians we have more explicit mentions of joy, gladness, and rejoicing in such short space than anywhere else in the Bible. From the beginning, the whole epistle is warm and bright. Even with the trouble that comes to the surface in chapters 1, 3, and 4.And yet, in all this brightness and warmth and joy, this letter is written from prison in Rome. What an amazing person Jesus has made the apostle Paul. Singing at midnight in prison, after being beaten by rods. And now, ten years later, singing, in the form of this letter, while sitting in prison in Rome. So, don't mistake the joy of Philippians for the thin pleasures of a carefree life. Rather, the joy of Philippians, Christian joy, the joy of the gospel, is joy deep enough to survive, and thrive, in prison, in conflict, in struggle, in pain, in sickness, in death.Which really should put our lives, and our little problems and big ones, and our complaints and pains into perspective. The pastors' prayer for us as we steep our souls in Philippians in these next five months is that Jesus would make us more like Paul. Beaten with rods, he sings. Imprisoned, he overflows with joy. Why? Not just because he had a buoyant personality, but because Jesus is Lord. The gospel is true. The Spirit is alive and poured out generously on those who love Jesus. God is sovereign. Christ is on the throne. He gives grace and peace, even in the worst of earthly circumstances.And I know it's January, the coldest month. Winter is here, and we're now entering into the thick of seasonal affective time, which is real, and especially in Minnesota. And one of the reasons the pastors chose Philippians, bright, warm, deeply joyful, for such a time as this is to help us through Winter 2024. So, we love Philippians because it's an epistle of such deep joy.2. BriefSecond, we love Philippians because it's relatively brief (in contrast to, say, Hebrews!). Philippians is brief enough for a short, focused but still deep study. Philippians is just 104 verses, which, I promise you, is brief enough for anyone in this room to memorize, if you put the work in over time. In fact, Pastor Jonathan and I plan to memorize Philippians in 2024. Want to join us? Get this, 104 verses. There are 52 weeks in a year. That's just two verses a week. You can do this. What better way to take on the sheer madness of a presidential election year than to memorize this brief epistle of deep, enduring joy? 3. AccessibleThird, we love Philippians because it's so accessible. It's relatively easy to understand (in contrast to, say, Galatians, or Leviticus, or Hebrews — our last three!).Here's our hope as pastors in this season in the life of our church. We've been through a lot. God's grace has sustained us, in finishing the Rooted campaign in 2023, and building out the education space, and losing three pastors last summer. The reason we chose Philippians for the first half of 2024 is that we hope this might be a time to refresh our souls. Listen, y'all have been amazing. The last three books of the Bible have not been easy ones! Galatians, then Leviticus, then Hebrews! Cities Church, you have done well, and it's time for something more accessible. It's time for Philippians, and to take it slow.4. MemorableFinally, we love Philippians because of the memorable passages. From 1:6 to 2:12–13 to 3:12–14 to 4:19, how many remarkable verses and passage there are in Philippians. So I made a list of my top-10 favorite verses in Philippians. It includes the four I just mentioned. It also includes 3:20–21 (on our citizenship being in heaven) and 4:4–8 (on not being anxious and setting our minds on the true, honorable, and just) and 4:11–13 (on all things through Christ who strengthens me), but let me end on my top three.The first two reveal the heart of Paul for Jesus. As Christians, in our best moments, we want to be like this:1:21, To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 3:7–8, 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. In our best moments, when we are thinking our clearest, and our hearts are their purest, this too is what we want: for Christ to be our life, and to see death as gain because to depart and be with Christ is far better than being distant from him. And, with Paul, to count as loss anything else of gain we have in view of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus.And how do we know him? The last memorable passage reveals the heart of Jesus, and leads us to the Table. Chapter 2, verses 6–11. This is our salvation. Hear this for you, for your sin: [being] in the form of God, [Jesus] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. The death he died was not for his sin; he had none. The death he died was for ours. And he went to the cross, as we saw in Hebrews, for the joy set before him. He humbled himself, knowing his Father would exalt him. He was obedient to death, knowing his Father would raise him, and reward him, and honor him, and honor himself in and through him, and that he would win for himself a people who trust in him.

In this sermon, Pastor David Mathis introduces our Philippians sermon series by expounding upon Philippians 1:1-2 and explaining four reasons why we love Philippians and will spend the next 5 months preaching through this letter here at Cities Church.

Statistically, only about 9% of those who make New Years Resolutions actually complete them, with the vast majority of people failing within the first week and month. David Mathis refers to the spiritual disciplines of Bible reading, prayer, and commitment to a local church as habits of grace and asserts that they are paramount for relationship with and enjoyment of Jesus. As we embark on a new year, resolve to know and enjoy Jesus through these habits of grace. In this episode Matt sits down with David Mathis to talk about leadership in the church (6:30 mark) and habits of grace (31:00 mark). ABOUTDavid Mathis serves as senior teacher and executive editor at desiringGod.org, a pastor at Cities Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and an adjunct professor at Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis. He and his wife, Megan, have four children. He is the author of several books, including the two talked about in this episode: Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines and Workers For Your Joy: The Call of Christ on Christian Leaders. 

In this episode, I discuss the ongoing empathy discourse with Joe Rigney. Dr. Joe Rigney serves as Fellow of Theology at New Saint Andrews College. He is the author of six books: Live Like a Narnian: Christian Discipleship in Lewis's Chronicles (Eyes & Pen, 2013); The Things of Earth: Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts (Crossway, 2015); Lewis on the Christian Life: Becoming Truly Human in the Presence of God (Crossway, 2018); Strangely Bright: Can You Love God and Enjoy This World? (Crossway, 2020); More Than a Battle: Experiencing Victory, Freedom, and Healing from Lust (B&H, 2021), Courage: How the Gospel Creates Christian Fortitude (Crossway, 2023). Previously, Dr. Rigney served as a professor and president of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, a pastor at Cities Church in St. Paul, and a teacher at Desiring God. Joe is a teacher who can't help but tell others about the things that fascinate him, and he is a generalist who is fascinated by a great many things. He loves to teach classes on biblical theology, C.S. Lewis, Shakespeare, English literature, political philosophy, and Jonathan Edwards. Beyond teaching, writing, and preaching, Joe loves to play baseball with his three sons and spend time with his lovely wife Jenny. Dr. Rigney's work on Empathy: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/do-you-feel-my-pain https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-enticing-sin-of-empathy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i9a3Rfd7yI Leadership in an Age of Anxiety Follow Joe on X: https://twitter.com/joe_rigney Subscribe to the YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GreatAwokening --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/great-awokening/support

In the summer of 1962, a famous Swiss theologian named Karl Barth (1886–1968) made a celebrated seven-week trip to the United States. While here, he came in contact at a Chicago Q&A session with another Carl — Carl Henry (1913–2003), who was editor of Christianity Today. Henry stood up, introduced himself, and asked Barth about “the historical factuality of the resurrection of Jesus.” Barth didn't seem to appreciate the question. He became angry, remembers Henry, and pointed at the editor and said, “Did you say Christianity Today or Christianity Yesterday?” “The audience — largely nonevangelical professors and clergy — roared with delight.” Then, once the room was quiet, Henry answered, in the words of Hebrews 13:8, “Yesterday, today, and forever.”Verse 8 on the sameness of Jesus — his constancy, his immutability — is such a precious truth, and right at the heart of this final chapter of Hebrews.Last week we saw that chapter 12 culminated with verse 28: ”let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.” Chapter 13 then follows under this banner of “acceptable worship.” And that word “acceptable” appears again in 13:15–16 as “pleasing” (same root in the Greek, euarest-). “let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” This section, from the end of chapter 12, through 13:16, is knit together as a vision for practical life that is pleasing to God. We might think of this sketch in chapter 13 as glimpses of how to please him. (We'll see this “pleasing” language again next week in 13:21; as we did in 11:5–6.)Divine PleasantnessBut before we spend the rest of the message under this banner of pleasing God, let's first put chapter 13 in the context of chapters 1–12. What has been our repeated refrain from the beginning of Hebrews, back in January? Jesus is better. Better than the angels. Better than Moses. Better than Joshua. Better than Aaron. And better than the first covenant and its place and priests and sacrifices. Jesus makes better promises and gives us a better hope, and a better country, and he is the better possession over all worldly possessions. So, in saying, again and again, that Jesus is better, the message of the first 12 chapters has been: Jesus is pleasing, he is gain, he is better, he makes our souls happy with the very joy of the eternal God.Jesus, as the second person of the Triune God, shares in the infinite happiness and unshakable bliss of the Godhead. As we say in our leadership affirmation, “God is supremely joyful in the fellowship of the Trinity, each Person beholding and expressing His eternal and unsurpassed delight in the all-satisfying perfections of the triune God.” This God is so blessed, so infinitely happy, so satisfied in himself, so full in his joy that he overflows in pleasure to create the world, and then, even more wondrously, to redeem his people from sin and death, by coming himself in the person of Christ as the true high priest (chapters 5–7) and as the true sacrifice (chapters 8–10).So, to this point, for 12 chapters, the refrain, in one sense, has been the pleasantness of Jesus — the very joy and blessedness of God himself, in himself, shared with us in and through Jesus and by his Spirit. And when our souls come to taste and enjoy the pleasantness and joy of God, and that Jesus is better than any standard of comparison, what do we want to do? Well, for one, we want our lives to be pleasing to God. It pleases us to please him. Which does not mean that he's a sad God who we make happy. There is no sad God. To be God is to be infinitely happy, infinitely pleased, quite apart from us or anything else outside of him. But amazingly, he gives us the dignity of pleasing him, in some modest measures, as echoes of his own pleasantness. As C.S. Lewis says at the end of his sermon “The Weight of Glory,” “To please God . . . to be a real ingredient in the divine happiness . . . to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son — it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain. But so it is.” Hebrews 13 gives us a vision for this pleasing life — the Christian life, a life that is first pleased with God and then, in a real way, pleases God. So then, what does it look like to live such a life, pleased in God, believing that and enjoying that Jesus is better?It's captured here in six glimpses.1-We express our joy out loud. (v. 15)That is, we praise him. Lips of praise are an aspect of lives of worship. God is pleased by heartfelt words of praise. Verse 15: “Through him [that is, through Jesus] let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” So, the God-pleasing life includes praise. We “acknowledge his name” with our mouths. We say out loud, I'm a Christian. I love Jesus. I worship him. He is my Lord. He saved me. He is my Treasure. Jesus is better. And we gather here weekly to “acknowledge his name” together. We express our joy in Jesus both in professing our faith and in corporate praise. We clearly, publicly, unashamedly identify with and commend Jesus, and we make a habit of corporate worship, beginning each new week together, setting the tone, and re-consecrating ourselves to him with joyful praise. And lips that praise him lead to lives that please him.2-We fight to free our hearts from money. (vv. 5–6)Now, even twenty centuries ago, Christians could not free their hands from money. Even Jesus was asked about the temple tax, and miraculously produced a coin for himself and Peter. We live in a physical world, with physical needs, served by coins and bills and credit cards that represent and transact value for the betterment of our lives and society. In this age, there's no going without money. But what Hebrews warns about here is not money itself but “love of money.” Verses 5–6: Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” How do we use money without loving money? Through being content with what you have. Do you have modest food and clothing? Then, in an important sense, you can be content, as Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:8, “If we have food and clothing, with these we will be content . . . .” That's enough; it's sufficient. But then Hebrews gives us this remarkable, personal reason to be content in the last part of verse 5: “for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.'” In other words, don't just be content with what you have, but with whom you have! Have another Love — a bigger one, a deeper one, a love that relativizes the pull of money on your heart. In Jesus Christ, we have God. If you have Jesus, you have God himself as your great possession. And he says he will never leave or forsake you. If you have God, what more could you need? To have God is to have everything you ultimately need. The clock is ticking on every material possession and dollar.Verse 5 gets right to the bottom of this chapter, to the joy and pleasantness and blessedness that upholds and energies this whole practical vision: In Jesus, God will never leave us or forsake us. As long as you don't abandon Jesus, God will not abandon you (and he works in us, 13:21, so that we won't abandon Jesus). So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Which relates not only to verse 5 but also to verses 1–3.3-We love and serve others. (vv. 1–3, 16)We could say so much under this heading and about these verses. And I'll plan to do that this week in the article that comes out Friday. For now, let me just say this in sum, and read the verses.Joy in Jesus does not lead to turning in on ourselves, to isolating ourselves, and neglecting the needs of others, or just sitting around endlessly by ourselves enjoying the glory of Christ. Rather, being pleased with his pleasantness leads to our wanting to please others with his pleasantness. Or, we might say, from our fullness of joy in Jesus, we do good for others, we share, we love. Verses 1–3 and 16: “Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 3 Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. . . . Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” 4-We prize marriage. (v. 4)So, there are four kinds of love in verses 1–4: brother-love, stranger-love, sympathy (or compassion), and marital love. And let me just say, verse 4 is for all of us. It says “among all.” This is relevant for all, married and single, old and young. And so, ask yourself in these next few moments, what does this mean for me? How do I hold marriage in honor? Are there ways in which I'm tempted to not hold marriage in honor? What's your heart's default perspective on marriage? Salvation? Fear of commitment? Pain? Annoyance? Verse 4: “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” First, let's be clear about the second half of verse 4 — in case what was once obvious for all Christians may no longer be so among some. Earlier this year, a congresswoman from South Carolina, who professes to be a Christian, made a few comments from the podium, at a Christian prayer breakfast, about her live-in fiancé that made it clear they were sexually immoral. She was joking about it, totally clueless about verse 4. So, Cities Church, let there be no confusion here about verse 4. If there was any confusion about it in this room, be confused no more. We have come to verse 4. And it's not the first time we've seen this Hebrews.Remember last Sunday Jonathan talked about the “see to its” in Hebrews 12:15–16. The third one was “that no one is sexually immoral” (same word, pornos).But I want to linger over the first part of verse 4, which is an even higher bar for application for each of us: The first part includes the second part, and more: “Let marriage be held in honor among all.” So, ask yourself, What would it mean for me to hold marriage in honor?And to get even more specific, the word translated honor here is typically understood in a more affectionate way: highly valued, or prized, or precious. Like 1 Peter 1:19: “the precious blood of Christ.” Or 2 Peter 1:4: “he has granted to us his precious and very great promises.”So, hear verse 4 like this: “Let marriage be precious among all.” Let it be highly valued. Let it be prized. Among husbands and to wives. Among unmarried and widows. Among children and teens. And this doesn't entail any devaluing of singles or widows or children. So, consider how you talk about marriage. Is it the butt of jokes? The old ball and chain? Most comedy routines have a section on marriage and men and women. I get it. Some of it can be funny, and a way of enjoying God's plainly different design in men and women. And some of it reveals a heart that does not highly value marriage, and does not shape us, as we laugh, to highly value marriage. We honor marriage, and God's idea and design, by prizing it in our minds and hearts and words and obedience.5-We seek the better city. (v. 14) This may be the most countercultural of all, especially in a day when our world is so focused on “the immanent frame,” that is, what we can see and hear and touch and smell and taste.Verse 14 is not the first mention of city in chapters 11 and 12. We have already heard about looking to the city to come:11:10: Abraham “was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.”11:14–16: “people who speak thus [acknowledging they are strangers and exiles] make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. . . . [T]hey desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.”Then last Sunday we rehearsed the seven glories of Mount Zion that are not only to come but also already ours, in some sense, by faith — 12:22: “you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.”Then verse 14: “here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” There is, in Christianity, a principled liberation from the immanent frame, from this world. Clearly that doesn't mean we don't love each other and love strangers and show sympathy to the mistreated and prize marriage. We don't neglect to do good or share what we have — such sacrifices are pleasing to God — but in it all, above it all, beneath it all, we are not finally at home here — which frees us to love and serve our earthly city and neighbors. We seek the city that is to come. “Our citizenship is in heaven,” Paul says in Philippians 3:20. Which is such an important reminder as 2023 draws to a close. Because next year is 2024. And 2024 is an election year in this country. And in an election year, some otherwise seemingly soberminded people lose their heads. But as we orient on our here-and-now city (the polis, and its politics), Christians, in principle, are those who say, “Here we have no lasting city. We seek the better city, the heavenly city that is to come” — which frees us to love and serve here, and not “get ours” here and now.Which leaves verses 7 and 17.6-We thank God, and pray, for our leaders. (vv. 7, 17)Again we find a very different approach than what's on offer and assumed in the world regarding leaders. First, verse 17: “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” So, we might say, the pursuit of joy is critical in a healthy dynamic between church leaders and their people.Here's how it works: First, Christian leaders aspire to the office and desire good work (1 Timothy 3:1). They want to do it. From joy, they set out in joy, to work for the people's joy in Jesus. So, they seek to persuade the people, convince them, win their hearts with the word of God. They do not demand raw obedience. “Obey” here comes from a word (Greek pethō) which typically means to convince, or persuade, or make confident, or win trust. This is essentially what is means in its three other uses in Hebrews, including the next verse: “Pray for us, for we are sure (convinced, confident, persuaded) that we have a clear conscience” (also 2:13 and 6:9).Second, then, the people, if they are spiritually healthy, want to be led by worthy leaders. They're eager to be taught, eager to be persuaded from the word, eager to be convinced. They have a disposition to yield to and receive worthy leadership, and being so won, they gladly submit — that is, congregants to the leaders (plural, together; we are not here talking about the gathered congregation to elders, or congregants to individual elders in informal contexts). And in this disposition, wise Christians know that it will be to their own advantage and gain if their leaders labor with joy and not with groaning. This doesn't mean that it's the church's job to make the pastors happy. And it also means it's not the church's job to make the pastors miserable.The healthiest dynamic in the church is leaders that don't presume submission, but seek to persuade and win the congregation from the heart, and a congregation that isn't just willing, but eager, to be led and persuaded by the leadership. Yesterday and TodayVerse 17 relates to present leaders; verse 7 to past leaders. We finish with verse 7: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” He says “your leaders” spoke to you God's word. In Christianity, good leaders teach, and good teachers, in time, come to lead. The authority for Christian leadership comes from the Word — from Jesus, his gospel, the Scriptures — not ourselves or elsewhere. We are people of the Book; our leaders are to be men of the Book, who teach, and lead from, the Book.And their words and their way of life go together: they not only speak the word but model a way of life, and a way of finishing their course, that validates their words. Words and way belong together. Words give meaning to way of life. And way of life models and confirms words.But Hebrews doesn't say to imitate their “way of life.” Rather, “imitate their faith.” Remember these are past leaders, not present. A new generation has come, with its own challenges. The new generation encounters (slightly) different circumstances and contexts than those before them (times do change, though it's easy to over-anticipate this and overstate it). Situations change, and the particular expressions of love required may vary, but imitate their faith. Why? Because faith focuses on its object — who is the same yesterday and today.So above all, imitate this about your leaders: they followed Jesus. They leaned on him, trusted him, looked to him, and staked everything on him. And Jesus proved himself reliable and steady and trustworthy to them. And so he will be to us. From one generation to the next to the next. He is the same yesterday (for those who came before us) and today (for us).On its own, sameness is not glorious. Satan is the father of lies, and has always been the father of lies. That sameness is a disgrace, not glorious. But if someone tells the truth, and is the Truth, then their enduring “sameness” accentuates and sweetens the glory of truth-telling. And when someone, namely Jesus, is better than any standard comparison, the question remains, Will that change? He may proven himself to be enough for the generation before us. Will he be enough for us? To that, Hebrews says he is the same yesterday and today — gloriously the same, constant, steady, immutable, unchangeable. And then he adds, and forever. To the ages. In every generation to come.What's underneath this whole chapter is that Jesus is better (as Hebrews has argued) and that will not change. He is not only better right now. He will always be better. He will not lose his better-ness, and so we will not lose our grounds for joy, for being pleased in God, and living to please him. And so we come to the Table.Feed at the AltarVerse 10 mentions an altar: “We have an altar from which those who serve the tent [the priests of the old covenant] have no right to eat.” This altar is not first and foremost the Lord's Table, as if Hebrews is saying, the Jews have their food, and we have ours.When verse 10 says, “We have an altar,” it means the sacrifice and blood of Jesus. He is our altar. He died to make us holy, and happy. We are not strengthened by ritual foods, but our hearts are strengthened by grace. And this Table is an expression and application of the true altar that is the cross of Christ and his body and blood.

God is gracious and merciful, but he disciplines his children because of his love for us. Pastor Jonathan Parnell of Cities Church uses Hebrews 12:3-11 sharing how Jesus gave an example for how we can persevere through trials, and how God affirms us as his children through our suffering. Later Dr. Greg Bourgond shares how there are four stages to salvation, discussing the first three and the importance of each one. Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now

Over the last few weeks, as a church we have covered Chapter 11 in Hebrews, spending four weeks really focused on the centrality of faith in the life of a Christian. Chapter 11 gives us a brief tour through the old testament with story after story of how God's people, by faith, have pleased him and accomplished His plan.The cumulative effect ought to strengthen our faith and confidence that God will show up for his people, and that he is pleased when we trust him to do so. The final verses we will cover today will only add to that confidence. Chapter 11 is a well organized exposition regarding the faith of past saints. This chapter plays out like a firework display of faith. You can count the first couple sections of the flashes of faith, but at the end it picks up speed and is too much to count, too much to keep up with.And as we observe this firework display through binoculars. We are going to adjust the zoom and focus of our lens a few times. To help, here is the main outline for you: First, we are going to look at the circumstances of faith in verses 32-38. Second, we are going to zoom out and look at three Characteristics of faith that we see threaded through the whole chapter (verse. 1-38). And third, we will zoom all the way in to look at verses 39-40, and what it means for us.Circumstances of Faith (verses 32-38)We have walked through 3 previous weeks that are organized chronologically by sections of history. The first section starts from creation and goes through Noah. Then, in the second section we see examples from Abraham through Joseph when Israel ends up in Egypt. In the third section, we see examples of Moses through the Exodus, and up to the conquering of Jericho. If we are reading along with all these examples it only brings us to the second chapter of Joshua.We have now reached the grand finale of the authors discourse.The author essentially says, I could go on and on, there is not enough time to scratch the surface of all the actions done by faith. And as his argument goes on it continues to pick up speed and covers more ground. He moves from specific people, doing specific actions (Noah) to specific people doing all kinds of things (Gideon, David) to all kinds of people, doing all kinds of things. (Some suffered, some mistreated). In part, the author wants us to have many people and many circumstances come to mind.Despite this being the grand finale, with too much to see and take in all at once, there are two main groups that the actions listed fall into.First, Those who's faith ended with success in this life.This group continues seamlessly with the previous section. It starts simple with Abel offering a sacrifice, then Noah and his family being saved, followed by Abraham receiving a promised child, and then the nation of Israel being preserved from the plagues and led out of Egypt.Hebrews 11:33–35, “[There are those] who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection.” Through faith God blesses and defends and prospers his people. We say yes and amen to that! We are probably eager to have faith that can do all those things. I'll sign up for that! None of this came easy, but to have faith like that seems desirable. We want to have faith that puts in the work, of trusting and waiting, to then see the fruit of our labor. An example, relevant to our church, is to work on a project like this building, but then to see and use it! And if we are honest, we probably wish that this chapter would have ended right their. God can do all these things, including resurrection from the dead in this life! What more is there to say? And yet, the author does not stop, but shows us that our faith can, and may need to dig deeper. The list here takes a turn in the middle of verse 35.those who's faith ended with suffering in this life. While some conquered, were saved, and had loved ones restored back to them, “Some were tortured.”Hebrews 11:36-38, “Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy — wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” While some were saved, others were not, some saw victory, others might have looked like defeat. Some were rescued from the sword, others were killed by the sword.And saints of old (who modeled faith for us) stepped into various situations where they didn't know what might happen. Let's look at one specific model of faith mentioned in the verses above, those who “quenched the power of fire.” Three men should come to mind when we hear this. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.From the book of DanielTo setup the story, let's remember: These 3 men were appointed positions in the kings service. King Nebuchadnezzar created an image of himself for all to worship. A group of men targeted the Jews because they did not bow down and worship the image. The king brings them in and says to them, Daniel 3:15–18, “Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.'” They trusted God but didn't know the outcome. They did know that if God did not save them, he had something better for them. They knew that if God chose not to save them they would rise to a better life that he had promised. They knew God to be a deliverer, but he hadn't explicitly promised to save them. But by faith, they obeyed by worshipping God alone, no matter what.In most of our lives there have already been things that we never imagined facing, that we have or are in the midst of walking through. There are 2 groups here with quite different outcomes, but this list does fit together. The difference isn't that one list had faith, and the other did not. The author is clear that the success and the suffering were done in faith.Those God chooses not to save are no less loved, nor is their faith less strong.The author says, “All these were commended through their faith.” This is why the list fits together, it is a list of faith, not earthly victory or success.God makes it clear, “I am pleased with you, and the world that has rejected you is not worthy of you (verse 38).Living by faith is not living by sight. It should be obvious to us but we have no idea what we are going to face. God does not show us our earthly future nor tell us what tomorrow will bring. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, we don't even know what this afternoon might bring. We might have an idea, if the Lord allows it to happen, but we don't know.Psalm 116:15, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Because his saints are accompanied by promises.Luke 21:16–19, “You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.” He insures every hair is kept.We do not not know why God allows all that he does, but we do know that we do not suffer because of a lack of love or attentiveness on God's part. We are precious in his sight and we will rise with Christ to a better and lasting life. By faith we agree with Paul who says, Philippians 1:23: “…to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.”Here we see the depth of faith, to endure suffering even unto death. Characteristics of Faith (verses 1-38)I want to zoom out at this point and make sure we are seeing the whole picture, the whole display of faith in this chapter. To see some overarching elements of faith that are threaded through this chapter that I don't want us to miss.Faith was the way to please God from the very first breadth of life. “By faith we believe that the universe was created by the word of God” (verse 3) Even Adam who walked and talked with God initially in the garden, was called to live by faith. He was not there when the universe was created, and he was to receive God's word in faith that God was the creator of it all, and that His words in the garden were to be trusted and obeyed.Prior to Abraham being born, who is described as the man of faith, Abel, and Enoch and Noah, among others, pleased God through their faith and became heirs of the righteousness that come by faith.Faith is not a new thing for the audience of this book.We worship and follow a God who is the same yesterday, today and forever. They pleased God the same way you please God, by faith.Faith believes what God has saidWe should not look at faith like a super power to be wielded as we wish. It is not faith itself that has the power, but the person in which the faith rests.And this faith believes and acts based on what God has commanded and promised.For example, Why did Sara believe she would bear a child in her old age? It doesn't say she really wanted it and believed hard enough. Nor does it say she thought God was powerful, and she really wanted it so believed hard enough. It says: “She considered him faithful who had promised” We don't name and claim whatever we want. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not go beyond what God had said. They believe what God had revealed to them, no more and no less. They were not surprised by deliverance, but stepped in faith.Faith is accessible to allIt is as simple as accepting and receiving what God has said. Those who pleased God through faith came from all over the map.These are highpoint stories of the Old Testament, but lets not miss who God used:Abel, the younger of the 2 brothers mentioned. Joseph, the youngest brother, sold away by his brother in jealousy/anger. Rehab, who was not an Israelite, but was a prostitute in Jericho. Jephthah, who was the son of a prostitute, and was was excluded from the family inheritance and was driven out by his step brothers. David, who didn't seem worth being presented by his father as an option to be King. Samuel, was just a boy, maybe 12? But God used a child in a time where the Word of the Lord was rare. Yet he was ready to hear the voice of the Lord and receive his instruction.This is a rag tag crew. These aren't your natural picks. This is the kind of people God uses, people in the same category as us.Those who pleased God still struggled in many ways. It's not just humble beginnings, but a path with many bumps as well.Let's just list a few more examples:Abraham and Sara, tried to fulfill the promise on their own. Moses, was scared to speak on God's behalf, even at the age of 80. “I'm slow of speech and of tongue”, yet quick to make excuses. Barak, who seemed passive and was slow to pursue what God had commanded. Samson, who failed many times to follow God's commands, and at times lived recklessly. David, who took another mans wife and had him killed.This is the company on which God pours out his grace!Paul's description of the believers in Corinth would hold true for the believers in Hebrews as well.1 Corinthians 1:26–29, “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” As Pastor David said 2 weeks ago, we shouldn't see this list of people and think they are way beyond us. This “Hall of Faith” so to speak, can just as easily be called a Hall of Mercy.Pleasing God does not rest on worldly standard, it does not rest on noble births, or strength or wisdom. It rests on faith in the Son of God. A faith that receives and accepts his Word. And that we can depend on when we act. We have seen the depth and nearness of faith.What this means for us (verses 39-40)First, I want to take a few minutes to recognize the moment, today as we seek to dedicate this space to God and be reminded of all that he has done, adding to the encouragement here in Hebrews. God has written a story for Cities Church as well. Cities Church timelineIn 2010, by faith, Pastor Jonathan purchased the website domain “citieschurch” four years before he would help plant this church.By faith on October 14, 2014, four men and their families signed Articles of Incorporation to start Cities Church.By faith on Sunday, January 18th, 2015, they gathered with several other people and families to meet for the first time as a new church. By faith they sang, and prayed, and listen to the Bible preached, and took communion together.By faith, the church grew despite being displaced by a gas explosion, meeting in a movie theater, then 2 different college campuses.By faith this congregation searched for a place to meet, and in February of 2018 signed a 4-year lease at this property. In faith we signed a 4-year contract, which was a longer time period than the church had existed, and by faith we had our first service in this building on April 1st, 2018 on Easter.Less than 2 years later, there became a possibility of purchasing this building. And by faith, we put together a team to engage in this process and investigate other options. By faith on Jan. 15, 2020, we purchased this building. A property that is tucked right between Minneapolis and St. Paul, with a building that can seat close to 500 people. By faith we made the purchase, knowing that we would inherit a tenant with 8 years left on their lease. By faith we started the designs for a renovation, and started raising money to improve this property. By faith we worked along side the tenant to find a new location for them. By faith we continued to trust God and act in integrity as the tenant changed it's posture towards us. By faith we pleaded with God and we did not know what to do! But, we trusted that he had led us thus far, and that he would make a way. And through faith, the tenant's last day in this building was September 31, 2022, 6 years prior to the end of their lease.By faith we then started renovations the next month and by faith we will see all the construction wrap up this year.And also during this time: By faith Cities Church met week after week to worship together. By faith weak pastors preached God's words through the strength that he supplies. By faith Community Groups grew and spread, welcoming others and sharing the gospel. By faith we dedicated children, baptized believers, and planted churches. By faith we meet here again today to worship God, and hear His Word. Let us look & remember what God has done! And what more might He add to this summary?May it also be said that by faith we planted churches all over the Twin Cities. By faith we sent out missionaries all over the globe. By faith we gave our time and money and talents to God, looking forward to the reward of eternal joy in the presence of Jesus. What do we have that's better?The only thing that matters is what is done by faith in Jesus!!! Extraordinary things done without faith don't please God, and extremely ordinary things done with faith do please God, and do matter. Our aim is to please God, and Hebrews tell us that if we didn't do all these things in faith, then they didn't please God. “[So let us] live by faith in the Son of God, who loved [us] and gave himself for [us].”We ought to be encourage by the faithfulness of God to the saints of old, and the faithfulness of God to us right now in the present. Especially since God has provided something better for us as Hebrews tells us.So last, lets zoom all the way in on the last 2 verses. Hebrews 11:39–40, “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” Verse 2 and verse 39 bookend this whole thing, but the author adds just a bit more, and gloriously shows the connection we have with the saints of old. Here we see the breadth of faith. Here is a whole new layer added to the encouragement to the audience and us. So let's answer answer 2 questions here:What do we have that's better? And how are the saints of old connected to us?1 Peter 1:10–12, speaking of Christ having come to save us, “Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.” What do we have then that is better? What do we have that they did not receive? Jesus, and all that comes with Him. All the promises of God find their fulfillment in Jesus. And now that Jesus has come we have him here on earth in a way they did not. Christ has come, and what they greeted from afar we have received front and center! We have the Messiah, we have the eternal king who was to come and with the king we have a kingdom, one that cannot be shaken and a city prepared for usWe have a High Priest that lives forever, who serves at the heavenly alter, and with the Great High Priest we have a New and better covenant. And through his blood or that covenant, we have forgiveness of sins, we have new hearts, we have consciousness that are now clean.So how are OT saints dependent on those who received Jesus? Because if the promised Messiah was not sent to this generation, they would still be in their sins.Remember Hebrews 10:4–10, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Through Jesus, there are 2 ways they won't be perfected apart from us, or to flip, 2 ways they will be perfected along side of us.What we find is that as we are looking back at the saints of Old they were actually looking forward to us and the time when Jesus had come, and now that he has come they have been brought forward and now stand as a cloud of witnesses waiting to receive us as we finish our journeys on this earth.Remember, there was a temptation for them to go back to Judaism. Maybe they thought, I'm going to stick with our forefathers and go back. But the irony is, if they were to go back to Judaism, they wouldn't be moving towards, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they would be moving away from them!Now that the Christ has come, they are united to Jesus just like us, their sins are forgiven in Jesus just like us, they have been perfected in Jesus just like us.And now that Christ has created one new people. He is the vine that by faith both Jew and Gentile are grafted into, that both old testament saints and new testament saints are grafted into. Hebrews 10:14, “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” There is no fulfillment for them that is apart from us. And there is no fulfillment for us that is apart from them. There will be one great day when the dead shall rise, we will be glorified and fully embody the perfection that Christ has purchased for us, and our sanctification will be complete. And we together with the saints of old look forward to that consummation that is yet to come. Where we will receive it in its fullness together.Not only did they make it in faith, but we have something better. And now we are united to them, and play a part in God's story of redemption that will not be complete until every tribe and tongue, people and language are represented around the throne of the lamb of God.The TableFaith that can endure any trial. Faith that is accessible to all of us, not based on personal merit or achievement. A faith that unites us to God's people for all time, in our salvation and our glorification.And this bring us to this table. This table is a demonstration of our faith. And we eat and drink together to remember and to wait for the day when we will eat it together with Jesus. There is still a future rest to come for God's people. And we look forward, along with the cloud of witnesses that surrounds us, to the day when Jesus comes again.

What in the world does this obscure proverb have to do with our church?Well, Proverbs 27:23–27, has everything to do with our church — and my aim today is to show you why. This sermon is pretty simple. Here's what I want to do: First, I'm gonna try to explain the meaning of these verses in order to, second, give you an image to hold onto; and then third, I want to fill in that image with three realities that I pray will mark our church in this new season that we're entering together. We can say it like this: Explanation. Imagination. Hope. Let's pray:Father, we could never praise you enough. You are greater than what we could ever fathom, and you are more worthy than anything we could ever give. Regardless of our circumstances or emotions, in this moment, as best as we know how, we want to honor you. We wanna get in on your praise. Father, we worship you. We love you. We thank you for who you are and for all of your goodness to us. By your Spirit now, we ask, give us a greater vision of your goodness to us in the future, in Jesus's name, amen. Explanation: Proverbs 27:23–27?Okay, so let's take a look at Proverbs 27. As far as I can remember, I don't think our church has ever heard a sermon from the Book of Proverbs, so this is a first, and without going into a ton of detail about this book as a whole, let's just say that the Book of Proverbs is like a bag of treasure, and you never know exactly what you're gonna pull out of the bag: Sometimes you get sage advice about how to conduct yourself, sometimes you get fatherly warnings about things to avoid; sometimes you just get statements like divinely-inspired fortune cookies; and sometimes they come in the form of poems — and one thing fascinating about the Proverbs is that you don't simply read them to get wisdom, but you have to already have wisdom to even read them. You have to employ the resource you hope to increase.That's what we have to do in Proverbs 27, verses 23–27. This passage is a pearl that stands by itself. There are two parts: Advice and Rationale. The advice is verse 23: “Know well the condition of your flocks and give attention to your herds.” Then verses 24–27 give us the rationale. There's negative rationale and positive rationale:Negatively, tend to your herds, verse 24, “for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations?” Both of these things are blessings. Wealth and a crown. Think wealth and a secure income. They're both good things; they're gifts — but they're also transitory. You can't assume they last forever. Tend to your herds because some of the good that you enjoy today will not always be around. That's negative rationale. Positively, tend to your herds because, verse 25: “when the grass is gone and the new growth appears and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered, the lambs will provide your clothing, and the goats the price of a field. There will be enough goats' milk for your food, for the food of your household and maintenance of your girls [or milk-maidens].” Now at one level this proverb gives us an investment strategy for a farmer. Cold, hard cash by itself depreciates over time (verse 24). It's not a self-maintaining resource. But herds, on the other hand (verse 25), they have compounding value. Because if the billy-goats are happy and well, they'll multiply and you can get clothing from them and can acquire more property through their sales, and the she-goats will give you milk. And now notice the trickle-down effect here in verse 27. The result is that: “there will be enough goat's milk for your food.”And I'll be honest with you. I read verse 27 several weeks ago and started crying. I sent Pastor David Mathis a text message and said, “Bro, there will be enough goat's milk for our food.”The word “food” here is a stand-in for “life.” It means sustenance. The goat's milk will be enough to sustain the life of the whole household, including the milk-maidens who milk the goats. Everybody is taken care of. This is the rationale for why you should tend to your herds. Let's track with what's being said here. Put your thinking caps on. Start at the end:Verse 27: The result is that everybody is living and thriving because, verse 27–26: the milk is enough, because, verse 25: “When the grass is gone and the new growth appears and the vegetation of the mountain is gathered…” This verse is important.Another way to translate that phrase, “when the grass is gone” is to say “when the grass is removed” — this is talking about when the hay is harvested. That's the idea. The grass here is wild grass that the goats would eat. The farmer would gather the grass/hay/vegetation — He'd gather it to feed the herd, and that's how all the other goods would come from the herd (the clothes and fields and enough milk), and that's how the provision of life came.Tend to your herd because this is how it works, this interconnected sequence of events will take place. But get this: although the farmer has responsibilities to harvest in verse 25, the whole thing is actually dependent upon something out of the farmer's control.He's supposed to gather up the grass for hay, but if he uses all that hay to feed the herd today, what will he feed them in the future? Do you see the problem? If he removes the grass, the grass is removed. It's gone. It's all used up. So what's this farmer gonna gather up tomorrow if all the grass is gone today? What about the future?Well, there must be new growth. New growth must appear. New grass must come. And who does that? Who makes the grass grow?Look, I can tell you, it's not us. Trust me. God makes the grass grow — and that is the only reason why any of this works. If we had to shorten the logic of these verses to three lines, it's this: Tend your herds,Because God makes the grass grow, And the result is that there will be enough goats' milk for your food.And here's how we apply that to Cities Church …We've just come through a wonderful, head-spinning season. God gave us over $5.1 million dollars in two years. These new renovations are going to be amazing. And we've commissioned out of this church three of my favorite people … and also Pastors Josh and Kenny and Joe. (I was talking about their wives: Erica and Malaina and Jenny. I love those sisters, and thank God for them. I talked to Joe on the phone a few days ago. I just miss all of ‘em.) Here's what it means:The grass is gone, Cities Church. The grass is gone. We used it all up. And man, it was a harvest! Thank God for the harvest! But it's gone now. We can't use that past grass anymore. It's not here. It's over. And that's a word I think we need to sit with. “Over.” Call it a season or a chapter or whatever you want, but there was something about our church that is now over. That grass is gone — and so what about our future?New grass has to grow. And God will send us new grass, and there's gonna be enough goat's milk for our food.Imagination: Green GrassAnd this is where your imagination comes in. Put your imagination cap on; you might have to close your eyes to do this. Whatever it takes. I want you to imagine green grass. Imagine wide-open space and rolling hills and a plain of green, lush, abundant, glorious grass. Imagine blue skies and green grass as far as the eyes can see.Can you imagine that?All that grass is new grass, and it's our future. And now I want to give you some details about that grass. If you can hold that image in your mind, I want to fill in some of that image by telling you three things that we could call marks of our future together — and they're aspirational; I've already started asking God for them. These are three realities that I pray will be part of our future.As for this sermon outline, here's where we are: we started with the explanation of our passage in Proverbs 27; then the imagination of green grass as far as you can see (keep holding on to that); and now this is about hope.Hope: Three Marks of This New SeasonThree marks of this new season of new grass:Deepened theologyIncreased surrenderMultiplied joyLet me explain each one. First, deepened theology.1. Deepened TheologyAlmost a decade ago when a group of six families started meeting together to pray and dream about this church, one of the questions that we did not have to ask was “What do we believe?” This church was planted on the foundation of a firm doctrinal heritage. We had (and have) amazing doctrinal unity that is articulated in our Leader Affirmation of Faith, which has its roots in older statements of faith that date back to the 17th-century English Reformation, and even back before that.In short, we really value the Holy Scriptures as the word of God — what the Bible says, God says. And so the truth we learn about God in the Bible is the truth that God himself tells us about himself. And of all his wonderful truth, God tells us most loudly that he is absolutely sovereign and good and happy — and he is who he is in feast and famine, in celebration and suffering — and most amazing of all is that this God loves us despite us. Our best efforts cannot earn his love; our best perception of his love cannot increase his love. God loves us because he loves us.He has always loved us and he will always love us, and he made that clearest for us in the death of Jesus: “God showed his love for us in that, while we were sinners [— while we were most unlovable —], Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). In this great love, Jesus saves sinners. That's our theology in three words. Jesus does not merely meet sinners halfway and expect them to do the rest. He does not help sinners save themselves. Jesus saves sinners. And a lot of us in this room would probably say that we ascribe to that theology. A lot of us would say that we believe all that, but, hey: we need to believe it deeper.And I think deeper is the perfect word here. I mean “deeper” for the same reasons that Pastor and Writer Dane Ortlund explains in a book he's written titled Deeper. Pastor Dane says that a lot of times when we think about growth in the Christian life, we think in terms of three areas: behavior improvement, intellectual addition, and emotional experience. Each of those are part of the Christian life — they matter — and so we think that if we're going to grow, we need to be improving and adding and experiencing. We think we need to go out and get more of these things. Try harder. Do better. All that.But the idea of deepening is different, because deepening implies that you already have what you need. You don't need extras so much as you need congruence. You need truth to settle down and sink in. A deepened theology intends to bring what we do and say and feel into line with what we already know. Will we end up changing the way we act in certain ways? Yes! Will we learn new truths about God we've not really thought about before? Of course! Will we have a richer and more sincere experience of God? I hope so! We are not anti-experience. I know that sometimes we Reformed-types can get nervous on the topic of experience, and I get it — but look: because God is real and we have a real relationship with him through Jesus, we can experience that relationship like we would any relationship. We get to talk to God. We get to hear him talk to us in his word. I want you to experience God. We want to experience God — but here's the thing with each of these … with behavior and intellect and experience … we're not pursuing any of them by themselves. We pursue God! Give me God! “As for me, the nearness of God is my good. I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all his works” (Psalm 73:28). Church, we want to go deeper with God. That matters more to me than anything else.And so as you imagine the new grass, in the details include a deepened theology. Practically, a deepened theology is the primary aim of The Cities Institute and our Wednesday Gatherings coming up. If you've not heard yet, starting on Wednesday, September 20, and then for a total of six Wednesday nights this fall, we are gathering the whole church for a big meal together and fellowship, and a time of teaching and discussion. We're gonna have something for everybody, from young kids to students to adults, and pray for and expect a deepened theology. Now here's the second mark of the new grass:2. Increased surrenderAnd increased surrender is actually inseparable from deepened theology. This mark describes what we do as we encounter a deeper understanding of who God is. It means that as we go deeper with God, we give more of ourselves to him. I'm calling it increased surrender, but another way to say it is that we need to increase the decrease of ourselves. Remember John the Baptist said of Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). That's what we want. More of Jesus leading our lives, less of me. But here's the thing: we actually can't surrender to God more of ourselves unless we come to understand more of ourselves. We can't decrease what we don't know. Which means an important part of increased surrender is self-understanding — we have to take ownership of our stories. I've heard it said that “we can only surrender as much as we know about ourselves to as much as we know about God.” Which means that deepened knowledge of God has to include deepened knowledge of ourselves. Both of these together is the recipe for true wisdom and that's what makes us grow in Christ from the heart. I recently read a book by a Christian therapist who has worked with many Christians over the years to help them get through the wreckage of bad decisions. And he said that in all his experience, none of those Christians made ruinous choices because of lack of facts about God. Actually, he said they knew a lot of truth, but they didn't know how to apply the truth to themselves because they didn't understand themselves. And I'm telling you that we must. We must learn to take ownership of our stories and of our particular brokenness and of our particular idiocy — because God has particular grace for you in all of that. When God saves us, he doesn't just stamp us “SAVED” and toss us in the crowd, but he saves you. You. Everything about you. And of course you are part of a people, you become part of a community, a family — and all at the same time, God knows your name and your heart and the number of hairs on your head — and he wants all of you. He will save all of you. So understand more of yourself to give more of yourself to God. This is increased surrender.So what does this increased surrender look like for us?Two practical things: discipling relationships and corporate prayer.When it comes to discipling relationships, we value them so much in our church that we have a structure set up to keep them always in view. We call them Community Groups and we have about 23 of them and counting right now across the metro, and we want to encourage everyone to plug into one of these groups, because the goal of these groups is mutual discipleship — we're learning together how to follow Jesus in everyday life, open-hearted to God and others. And yeah, it's weird sometimes. That's okay. We believe Jesus is real and we want to be real with one another. The second practical thing is corporate prayer. Our church has a lot of praying members, but we haven't done enough of those members praying together. It is happening though. Every third Sunday morning, before service, several of us meet and pray over here, and I want to see that grow. I want it to leak out and be a thing. I want to see more times of corporate prayer where we get together not just to ask God for things; we're not just seeking God's hand, but we're seeking God's face, and then we're praying “your kingdom come.” Not my kingdom. Not our kingdom. God's kingdom. See, corporate prayer like that is corporate surrender.Increased surrender is part of the new grass.3. Multiplied joyWe cannot remind ourselves enough that joy is deeper than the universe. “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).I hope you know that if you could peel back reality and see what's behind everything that is, what you would find is joy. And I mean joy as in joy. Sometimes we can get caught up on qualifying joy — serious joy, poker-face joy — and we do that because we don't want people to think we're talking about something cheap. I get it. But I'm convinced that the best way to clarify what we mean by joy is not in our adjectives but in our action. We don't need qualified joy so much as manifest joy. Like in the story of the prodigal son. Jesus tells this story in Luke 15, and it never gets old.Jesus says there was a son who took all of his inheritance money and savings and he went out and abandoned his family, left his home, traveled the world, and he squandered everything he had on reckless living — what an idiot (just like us). He was a long ways from home, in the far country, and he had ruined his life … until finally he came to himself and thought, I guess I'll go back home now. Maybe my dad will at least let me be a servant. So he starts walking home. And Jesus tells us that when the son was still a long ways off down the road on the way back, the father saw him — and what did the father do? He felt compassion for him, and he ran — which was a most undignified thing to do for a First-Century CEO — but he ran and he embraced his son and kissed him. And the son said, I screwed up. I'm not worthy to be your son. But the Father put the best robe on him and put a ring on his hand, and do you remember what the Father did? He threw a party. Because there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 self-righteous prigs.It was a real party, and there was music and dancing and joy so real you could see it. Manifest joy. And it became controversial joy, because the older son didn't like it, remember. The older son didn't like the party. But the Father said, “It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:32). We're going to party. Won't you come party with us?See, that's one way to talk about our mission. It starts here, with joy. We want to have real, manifest joy, and then invite other people into that joy, not theoretically but truly. We want to be a happy people. Glad-hearted, merry, cheerful. We wanna be … a people who can sing their lungs out in worship and drink an ice-cold sweet tea for the glory of God; a people who value fellowship in the local church and achieve excellence in their vocations whether you're a butcher, baker, or candle-stick maker, or an orthopedic surgeon or an attorney or athlete or educator or engineer or salesman or artist, dentist, therapist, scientist — all of them. We wanna be a people who rest and work unto the Lord, a people who enjoy meditating on God's word and who have “babies, babies, everywhere”; a people who go and send missionaries near and far and who are the kind of parents who read their kids stories at bedtime about wild things — and I know there are a hundred hard things going on. And some of us are (and will be) in the valley of suffering, but we're never alone. And God is God and he is good, and we have his joy down deep in our souls, and if you're around us you'll see it. Real joy. Manifest joy. Won't you come party with us?Real joy, see, can't help but be multiplied joy. You can't contain real joy. So make that part of this new grass. Practically, what does it mean? It means we're for real about joy, and we're going to keep commissioning people out of this church to multiply that joy. We're gonna work on another church plant in 2024, and then in 2025, and as long as we can. And we're launching a global missions pathway in the hopes of sending some of you to the unreached peoples around this world who have never heard the name of Jesus. We're gonna multiply joy. The old grass is gone. That's over now. New grass is growing. Deepened theology. Increased surrender. Multiplied joy. And there will be enough goats' milk for our food. And that is what brings us to the Table.The TableAnd you might be thinking: How in the world does that bring us to the Table? Because this table is a table of thanksgiving. We remember the death of Jesus for us, and we give thanks to him for that, and we also give thanks to him for all of the grace that comes to us through his death. Every good we have, church — every good we've had in the past, every good we'll have in the future — it all come through the blood of Jesus Christ, and we come to this table to give him thanks.And so if you're here this morning, and you're a Christian, if you have put your faith in Jesus, we invite you to join us. Eat and drink with us, and let's adore Jesus together. Come to the party.

We live in times of great cynicism about leaders. From politicians, to leaders in business and entertainment, to spiritual leaders — we find ourselves surrounded by stories of leadership failures.Yet, even in our growing suspicions, we cannot be done with the idea of leadership. It is both a practical necessity and a deep longing in the human heart. We were made for true leaders, and we ache for them, for good leaders who will bless and work for the good of their followers, rather than use them.This angst about leaders in our times makes Psalm 72 an especially relevant word for us. And not just us as humans and those living in 2023, but also particularly as Cities Church, as we'll see.Who Is This King?Psalm 72 is a prayer for the ideal leader. It's a 3000-year-old prayer, cast in the terms of ancient Israel, and yet the vision is strikingly timeless, both in its ultimate fulfillment and in its personal application to all of us. We all are led. And most of us serve as leaders in some aspect of our lives, whether as father or mother, or older sibling, or at work, or on a team, or in the neighborhood or for extended family.Now, the question we might have on the face of Psalm 72 is who is this king that the prayer was originally for? The superscript at the beginning says “Of Solomon.” Does that mean Solomon wrote it for his son? But verse 20, at the end, says, “The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.” Does that imply this is David's prayer for his “royal son,” Solomon? I think that an aging David praying for his son probably makes the most sense in the full context. (The themes here belong to the same era as David's final words in 2 Samuel 23 and Solomon's prayer in his early reign in 1 Kings 3.) But as I hope you expect by now, almost halfway through the book of Psalms, this psalm is going to end up being about Jesus. Sometimes it's subtle enough that we deal with the psalm mainly as is, and show in the end how it points to Jesus. This one is not subtle. Now, it's not strictly messianic like Psalm 110. This really is a prayer for Solomon, and other royal sons in his line. Yet the vision is so expansive. Verses 5–7 pray for a king without end; verses 8–11, for a king without borders. The majesty of this king — for all time, over all places and nations — swells beyond what any Israelite king ever realized, or came close to.So, as Christians, we know where this is going. David may have prayed this for his royal son, and Solomon for his. But only the one Messiah fulfills this vision. That is, only Jesus.Four Aspects of the Ideal LeaderStill, Psalm 72 has relevance beyond Jesus, in real-live manifestations, in various imperfect measures, in those of us today who seek to walk as leaders in Christ's steps and have his help. Every good and godly leader instantiates this vision in some real, though imperfect, ways.So, as we look at Psalm 72, let's highlight four aspects of this ideal leader, fulfilled perfectly and primarily in Jesus, but secondarily and imperfectly in Christian leaders of all kinds today.1) His people flourish. (verses 15–17)Verse 7 prays, “In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound . . .” Then Verses 15–17 flesh out this flourishing: Long may he live;may gold of Sheba be given to him!May prayer be made for him continually,and blessings invoked for him all the day!16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;on the tops of the mountains may it wave;may its fruit be like Lebanon;and may people blossom in the citieslike the grass of the field!17 May his name endure forever,his fame continue as long as the sun!May people be blessed in him,all nations call him blessed! So, one aspect of this ideal leader is that his people flourish. How so?For one, they have; they possess resources. They have abundance of grain and fruit (verse 16). And even “the tops of the mountains” — that is, “the most surprising of soils” (Kidner, 257) — wave with abundance. Under this ideal leader, the people prosper. He leads them in such a way that they steward the land and work it and harvest its produce, rather than squandering it.But they not only have; they give. They have gold, says verse 15, from which they give tribute to their king. Yet they are not only a material people, having and giving wealth, but also a spiritual people. They pray for their king, making “prayer . . . for him continually” and invoking God's “blessings . . . for him all the day!” (verse 15). This is an essential mark of a flourishing people: they are spiritual. They acknowledge and reverence God, and pray to him for their leaders, and everything else. And as they pray, and God answers, and their leaders prove mature and wise, the people flourish even more, and they multiply. The end of verse 17: “May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed!” Verses 8–11 mention desert tribes, kings from faraway coastlands, and the very ends of the earth.But verse 16 includes something that may sound strange to us in 2023: “may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field!” After the last three years, you might think, “In the cities? Maybe in the prairies! Maybe at the lakes, in the country, in the small towns, on the farm, but not in the cities, at least not the Twin Cities. Get me to the Dakotas and wide open spaces. Isn't that now the place to blossom and flourish?”It might be, for a short time. Yet the prayer of verse 16 gives us a glimpse of how we might think Christianly about cities, and the Twin Cities in which we live.Just this week, I was in Manhattan — with my young family of six, including an 8-year-old and 6-year-old. From there we took the train and stayed in downtown Philadelphia. Then on our way home, we had a flight delayed, missed our connection in Detroit, and couldn't find room for six on a flight back to MSP until two days later, so we spent two unplanned nights in Detroit. So we've been on quite the city tour in the last week, and have seen the best and worst of American cities. And none of it feels especially easy for young families.Yet here in Psalm 72, in this prayer for the future, David envisions God's people blossoming in the cities. That is, in the cities, with all the challenges of its densities and pressures and crowdedness, God's people blossom as humans. We were made for cities, at least eventually. And cities themselves, in all their strengths and complexities and opportunities are the blossoming of human civilization and industriousness. Cities, not prairies, are our future, both in this age and forever. Manhattan is not becoming more rural. But our world is slowly becoming more like Manhattan. The world is growing toward cities — and good cities are God's world in bloom. And as a church in the central metro, filled with people from all around the metro, urban and suburban, we can be encouraged by this vision and prayer. Blossoming in the cities can happen, even in this age. It's possible. Pray for it. Endure in it. And one day, for sure, it will happen under the full and final reign of the ideal leader.Which relates to that little phrase in verse 17: “in him.” “May people be blessed in him . . .” So, to understand the flourishing of the people, we need to know more about the leader himself.2) His strengths serve his people's good. (verses 1–4)Look at the first four verses: Give the king your justice, O God,and your righteousness to the royal son!2 May he judge your people with righteousness,and your poor with justice!3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,and the hills, in righteousness!4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,give deliverance to the children of the needy,and crush the oppressor! There is a threefold vision here for the skills or abilities or competencies or strengths of this ideal king.First is his ability to make the decisions that leadership requires. Or make wise and skilled judgments. The king decides. Verse 1 is literally, “Give the king your judgments (plural), O God.” Make him wise and discerning in the countless decisions it takes to lead well. Help him to know, in the ever changing and ever complex situations of life and leadership, how to navigate the moment not for his own private good but for the good of his people, to think for their good as a whole (which is often more costly to the leader). People who flourish are guided by leaders who are wise, and judge justly.Second, the king provides. We saw the mention of mountains in verse 16. So here, “mountains bear[ing] prosperity for the people” is a sign of abundance. And we can say this about the king's leadership: he guides the people in such a way that they steward the land and reap its natural benefits in season. They at least conserve the land, and sow in the spring and gather at harvest. And so through his able leadership, he provides for the people.Then, third, verse 4, he protects his people. Which has two parts: he defends the cause of the vulnerable, and he crushes the oppressors of the vulnerable. The two go together. Oppressors don't just quietly go away when the king arrives to defend his people. Oppressors must be confronted and defeated. To protect his people, the king must crush his enemies (more on that in a minute). But note, the ideal king not only exercises wisdom and provides for his people, but also protects them, and particularly those who are truly weak and needy and poor, that is, those without the power to protect themselves. The leader leverages his strength to protect his people who are weak. This is what Jesus does for us.Which is why Christians, from the very beginning, have been people with hearts to help the weak, the needy, the poor, the orphan, the widow, the unborn. Which leads to a third aspect of this ideal leader.3) His heart pities the needy. (verses 12–14)There's a flash of his heart in verse 6: “May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth!” This is very similar to how David talks in his last words, recorded in 2 Samuel 23:3–4: When one rules justly over men,ruling in the fear of God,4 he dawns on them like the morning light,like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning,like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth. This image of life-giving rain goes back to Moses in Deuteronomy 32:2, where he says, May my teaching drop as the rain,my speech distill as the dew,like gentle rain upon the tender grass,and like showers upon the herb. Gentle rain is an insightful picture of good leadership. Think about what rain can do for crops. A gentle rain gives life, but a driving, violent rain destroys. This is what gentleness in leadership is. It is not weakness. Rather, it is strength applied to life-giving rather than life-harming ends. Gentle leaders are not weak. Rather, they are strong, and know how to exercise that strength so as to help their people, rather than hurt them. Which begins in the leader's heart.So verses 12–14 expand on this prayer, and these verses give the reason why his dominion extends so far (verses 8–11), to include the ends of the earth and all kings and nations: For he delivers the needy when he calls,the poor and him who has no helper.13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,and saves the lives of the needy.14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,and precious is their blood in his sight. There is only one “for” or “because” in Psalm 72 — at the beginning of verse 12. And it shows verses 12–14, humanly speaking, to be the reason why this king's dominion stretches so far, and so many bow the knee to him. Verse 11, “May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!” Then verse 12, “For he delivers the needy . . .” In other words, this ideal king wins the nations with his mercy. He may conquer hostile foes by force, but he does not win worshipers with the sword. He wins worship with his stunning mercy. He works for the joy of the needy, the weak, the poor, and in doing so, he reveals his warm heart of pity and compassion and wins others to bow the knee. As we sang this morning, in the words of Isaac Watts, inspired by Psalm 72, People and realms of every tonguedwell on his love with sweetest song. This ideal king, in all this unequaled strength and wisdom and wealth, has pity on his weak people. He has compassion for the needy. He is sympathetic to the desperate, the humble, those who own their need of rescue. And this heart of mercy wins the nations.But what about the tension between verses 4 and 14?Verse 14 says he redeems them “from oppression and violence.”Verse 4 says he “crushes the oppressor” of his people. Now we're not asking about his gentleness with his people, but his strength in protecting them. And when he does so, does he oppose violence or use it? “Crush the oppressor” is strong language. It sure sounds violent.The answer is at least this: The way he opposes violence, of necessity, is by crushing the oppressors. And crushing a known oppressor is very different than oppressing with violence. Jesus is never the oppressor; he crushes the oppressors, and in a very unexpected way.And that leads to a final aspect of this ideal leader.4) His God gets glory. (verses 18–19)It's amazing that Psalm 72 ends the way it does. The glory of the king in verse 17 — his name, his fame — gives way to the glory of his God in verses 18–19: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,who alone does wondrous things.19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;may the whole earth be filled with his glory!Amen and Amen! As wondrous as this ideal leader is in his wise decisions and gracious provisions and strong protection of his people and stunning mercy, verse 18 says that God “alone does wondrous things.” In other words, the wondrous works of this good, godly leader are wondrous works of God.So, not only does the king's name and fame endure forever, but also God's “glorious name” (verse 19) will be praised forever, in the whole earth. Without end and without limit. No expiration and no borders.Note that Psalm 72 doesn't say that God gets the glory and not the king. Oh the king gets glory indeed, and honor, and praise: gifts of gold, cries of “long live the king!” an enduring name, ongoing fame — yet all that in complement to, not competition with, the glory of his God. Here you might even hear Philippians 2:9–11: God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Which leads to two particular words of hope for us as a church in this season.Cities Church, August 2023The first concerns this perfect leader, the fulfillment of Psalm 72, Christ himself. He is reigning now. He died, he rose, he ascended, he took his seat at the Father's right hand now, he is alive, and we have him now. The leader we long for, the leader this psalm prays for — we have him now. The great leader has come, and is on the throne, and has sent his Spirit; even now, he has spoken and still speaks. He builds his church and decides for and guides us, he leads us, and he will judge justly and right every wrong. As Christians, we have the leader our souls long for. And we can be so quick to forget it.And for us as a church in this season: our chief shepherd hasn't moved. And he won't move.For our first five years as a church, we had no pastoral transitions. But in the last three years, we have had pastors move to Wisconsin, to Washington state, to Missouri, to Florida, to Idaho. That's no condemnation. People move. They didn't leave the faith; they only left the state.Undershepherds will come and go; Jesus will not. And the undershepherds are not the chief shepherd of the church. Jesus is, and he is the one true, perfect, immovable leader.The second word of hope concerns your imperfect leaders who remain — and your own imperfections in your various callings of leadership. This is such good news: the chief shepherd changes us as part of his rescue of the weak and needy. He brings this vision, this prayer of Psalm 72, to life in real measures in leaders today. So, pray for it, and expect it, in your pastors. And pray for it, and seek to be it, in your various callings of leadership. He changes people. No matter what they say, change is possible. Don't give up on anyone, including yourself. And in your leadership disappointments — with yourself and with other leaders — look through and beyond to the true king.In him, we remember that, and admit that, we are not the ideal leader, and we can repent like it. And in Jesus, we not only admit that we are not him, but we can even take joy in admitting it, because he's the kind of king who has pity on those who know themselves weak and needy. He came to call sinners, not the righteous.Whether father or mother, executive or manager, block leader or team captain, pastor or deacon, we can lay aside the pretense of perfection. We can own our neediness and weakness and failures, not to mope about them or wallow in them, but to know the strength and mercy of our king. He is good. He is generous. He is compassionate. He is wide-hearted.So we come to his Table.Receive Abundant MercyAlong with blossoming in the cities, verse 16 mentions an abundance of grain and fruit — which is how we get bread and wine. Not only does the ideal leader, King Jesus, exercise wisdom and provide for and protect his people, but it is only possible through his self-giving at the cross. He shed his own blood to show the preciousness of the life of his needy, weak people. His providing an abundance of grain and fruit, including the bread and cup of this Table, is not cheap, but costly, at the price of his own blood.And in that very moment when he decisively crushed Satan, the oppressor of his people, he showed his people his mercy. The cross is the supreme manifestation of regal mercy. It is the place where the King triumphs, and the ground of all kings and nations falling down before him. And his cross purchases not merely the pardon of his people but our blossoming — even in the cities.

*This episode was originally published on April 14, 2018. This week on Preaching and Preachers, David Mathis joins me in a discussion on the preaching of John Piper. David is the executive editor for desiringGod.org and pastor at Cities Church in Minneapolis. He is also the author of Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus in the Spiritual Disciplines.

When it comes to the Bible, we often think in terms of two levels, reading and studying. And both of those approaches to Scripture are good and important. However, there's a third approach to engaging with God's word that is in many ways most important - meditating on it. In today's interview, David Mathis explains how meditating on Scripture can reinvigorate the way Christians relate to God. He shares his own journey with biblical meditation and gives encouragement to the listener to start this habit in 2023. David Mathis serves as senior teacher and executive editor at desiringGod.org, a pastor at Cities Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and an adjunct professor at Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis. Check out his book Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines. Read the full transcript of this episode. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show! Complete this survey for a free audiobook by Kevin DeYoung!