The Events before the Garden

During the famous scene of the Last Supper Jesus explains to his disciples that they all would fall away that night.

Peter responds claiming the other disciples might leave, but not him.

Jesus foretells Peter denying him three times that night.

Peter counters this and claims that even if he must die for Jesus, he would never deny him. The other disciples chime in that they would do the same.

The Suffering Christ

Jesus takes three of his disciples to a garden called Gethsemane.

Gethsemane means “olive press.” This is a grove full of olive trees.

He brings Peter, James, and John. These three go with Jesus more than the other disciples. They were the first disciples, all being fishermen.

These three saw the Transfiguration of Jesus on top of the mountain in Matthew 17. They see Jesus in his glory, but here in the valley, they see Jesus in his agony.

Jesus one request from his disciples is to just be with him in the garden and to keep watch.

Jesus collapses and falls on his face to pray to God the father.

Luke writes that Jesus' sweat becomes like great drops of blood falling to the ground. This could be just Jesus sweating a lot, or a condition called hematohidrosis.

Hematohidrosis occurs when the sweat glands rupture making the individual sweat blood.

Jesus is experiencing a panic attack here. The DSM lists specifiers for a panic attack.

1. Palpitations, pounding heart, accelerated heart rate

2. Sweating

3. Trembling or shaking

4. Shortness of breath

5. Fear of dying

   You could make a strong case that Jesus is experiencing all of these here.

Our perceptions of Christ in the garden are skewed.

We often view Jesus as a serene untroubled Messiah.

When we fall apart, or maybe even when we experience our own panic attack, Jesus understands it, He has lived it.

“The absolute power of this story is not even that Jesus is with you , but it's that when you are in these moments, you are with Jesus.”– Tim Mackie

Jesus prays if it is possible, let the cup pass from him, nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.

The cup referenced is the cup of God’s wrath.

Jeremiah 25:15-16 references this cup as well as Isaiah 51:17

God’s wrath is His justice; his unwillingness to let evil continue

In a surprising turn of events, Jesus is the one to drink this cup of God’s wrath.

It is as if the salvation of jesus will be available to all; including the tyrant, bully, and the abuser.

Jesus concludes his prayer, nevertheless not my will but yours be done.

It is a reference to the Lord’s prayer.

Jesus most likely prayed this prayer every day.

After praying this prayer, he approaches the disciples, they are all asleep. His last words of advice to his disciples before being arrested was to pray that they don’t give into temptation.

Often we attribute temptation to a sinful action such as lying or hatred.

It’s important to note that there is temptation in our inaction.

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”-James 4:17

Jesus doesn’t attempt to wake up his disciples after he approaches them a second time and they are back to sleeping.

The Events after the Garden

We see Jesus back to his resolute form as he is approached by his disciple Judas. He tells him, “Friend, do what you came to do.”

They attempt to arrest Christ. Peter pulls his sword and cuts off the servant of the high priest’s ear.

Peter was attempting to murder this man.

He started this day by saying that he would die for Christ, but instead tries to kill for him.

Jesus quickly rebukes Peter.

Jesus began this day by telling Peter he would deny him three times. He also fails him in three different instances.

Peter fails to stay awake with Jesus, he fails in his inaction.

Peter attempts to murder a man; he fails in his action.

He then goes to deny Jesus three times.

Matthew’s last depiction of Peter is him weeping bitterly.

God is not finished with Peter.

He is the rock that Christ builds his church despite all of his failures. He is a big reason why we are gathered here today.

He made a claim that even if he must die for Jesus, he wouldn’t deny him. He does indeed die for his faith. It is even noted that he requests to be crucified upside down because he deemed himself unworthy to die the same way as Christ.

Spiritual Practice

If you find yourself relating to Jesus more in your current circumstance:

Take comfort in knowing Jesus walks with you in your distress or in your times of panic.

If you feel overwhelmed, remove yourself from the stresses of the world and plead to the father.

1. Pray that you don’t give into temptation.

2. If you find yourself relating more to the disciples:

3. Think about those in your own life that you maybe sleeping on.

Be intentional in being present. It could be as simple as a text letting them know you are thinking of them.

1. Also pray that you don’t give into temptation. There is temptation in our inaction.

Two Questions:

Is it wrong to have moments of hopelessness?

What do I do with these feelings of hopelessness?

“Behold your king is coming to you…humble and mounted on a foal of a donkey.” - Zechariah 9:9

41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” - Luke 19:41-44

Lent is:

A form of praise

Proof of relationship

A pathway to greater intimacy with God

A prayer for God to act

And finally, participation in the pain of others.

“Lament is an appeal to God based on confidence in His character.” - Dr. Glenn Packiam

“When we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, then somehow, God is praying within us for the pain around us”. - N.T. Wright

“We love our neighbor when we allow their experience of pain [end of the world moments] to become the substance of our prayer.” - Dr. Glenn Packiam

Spiritual Practice:

Identify an end-of-the-world moment.

Pray aloud a Psalm of lament and make it your own i.e. Psalm 6, 22, or 51.

This morning, I have the honor of continuing our Prayers in the Night series that looks at what it means to walk with God through seasons that we might call “The Valley” or “the Wilderness,” seasons where our prayers may look a bit different. Situations where our prayer may look much more like the prayers of our blood-sweating Savior as he asked His Father, “Please take this cup from me.” And today, we are looking at a heavy cup indeed.

“I believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” With this focus, we will be able to explore what it means for us to come to times in our lives where the truth that we so much knew may be shaken. Maybe we find ourselves in a season where the term deconstruction most accurately describes our spiritual state. Or maybe, as we have focused this past year on many different aspects of our God, we find ourselves asking the question, “Does God really do… BLANK?”

So today, we have a few passages that I want to look into so we can start to talk about what it means for us to pray, “Lord, help my unbelief.”

First, I want to look at the Markian passage that we read this morning. Mark may be my second personal favorite Gospel. One of Mark’s themes that is woven throughout his narrative is best described as a flipped script. The people who should get who Jesus is, his followers, the Jewish people, etc. DO NOT GET WHO JESIS IS or what he is supposed to do. It is the outsiders who understand and have the most faith. In fact, the very passage we read is sandwiched between two other parts in Mark Chapter 9 where the disciples are just utterly confused by who Jesus is. At the beginning of Mark 9, we have something called the Transfiguration. This is where Jesus takes a handful of his disciples up a mountain and there they see Jesus with Moses and Elijah, two superstars of the Jewish faith and the Old Testament. It’s a powerful scene that helps show Jesus as not only a fulfillment of the Law that Moses helped God give to His covenantal people Israel, but also shows Jesus as the Messiah that Elijah and SO many other prophets spoke of but never could see. Jesus could not make it more obvious about who he is. And yet, we get to verse 8, “Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.

Even after this grand display, they we’re still unaware that Jesus had to die. They had a glimpse of what God was revealing through Jesus, but they did not have the WHOLE picture.

AND then, after the exorcism of the spirit that we read aloud this morning, we see this happen. 30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.

I think it gives more understanding to Jesus’s seemingly harsh words, “You unbelieving generation? How long will I stay with you?” Or how Eugene Peterson puts it in the Message Paraphrase: “What a generation! No sense of God! How many times do I have to go over these things?” But, as we know, Jesus is patient, and as the rest of Mark’s Gospel shows, he never stopped trying to help them understand the Kingdom of God. His miracles, his teaching, even his death all embodied what he was trying to teach his disciples.

The second thing I want to highlight is this: the response of the man, of the father. He too seemed to understand something that the disciples were missing about Jesus. The verse says he immediately replied “I believe! Help my unbelief.” Like a knee-jerk reaction, this man humbled himself to give one of the shortest but arguable most heartfelt prayers captured in the entity of Scripture. A declaration, I believe! And a simple request, Help my Unbelief.

In Matthew’s telling of this event, recorded in Matthew 17, the father even begins his plea with Lord, a declaration of who he believes Jesus to be. In the span of such short time, we find a tension within this man that he expresses so explicitly. He has faith enough to declare Jesus Lord, yet humbly asks that same Lord to help his unbelief.

The word here is apistia, and though I am by no means a Greek scholar, those who have studied the language far more have found that good translations of this word include words like doubt unbelief, distrust, or disbelief. The reason this difference is important to us is it sends us in two different directions about how we can discuss the implications of this prayer on our lives this morning. We’ll articulate it with two Prayers: Lord, Help My Unbelief and Lord, Help My Imagination.

Help My Unbelief:

Doubt is something that has been spoken of from this pulpit before. Doubt and working through questions about the Christian faith has been something the church has been doing for centuries. It is because Christians have always been committed to trying and wrestle with the ideas and aspects of our faith and how they relate to present moments. The most contemporary term for this we find I would argue is deconstruction.

For those who may be unfamiliar, the word deconstruction when used in a faith context, often refers to a time in a believer’s life where they reevaluate the faith that they have and often emerge with a different perspective or understanding of the Christian faith and how it should be lived out. Brian Zahnd, a pastor in St, Joseph, MO articulates it like this in his book, When Everything Catches Fire, “[Deconstruction is] a crisis of Christian faith that leads to either a reevaluation of Christianity or sometimes a total abandonment of Christianity.” Now though Brian uses these words together, deconstruction is not synonymous with someone De-converting or losing their faith.

M. Scott Peck, an author and psychologist, would label this journey as Stage 3 in his Stages of Faith Framework. Peck describes this as “largely a healthy transition. Among the hall marks of Stage III is the serious questioning of all that one has learned to this point in one’s life. This includes sources of authority and information. Part of this process includes the critical evaluation of one’s religious system.” As Alex articulated it last week, People. Are. Doubters. The question of life have options these days, and doubt is the companion to those options.

Skye Jethani, author co-host of the podcast the Holy Post, has argued that a better word for a season of deconstruction is actually De-compartmentalization, where the person finds that their faith applies to more areas of life and beliefs than the individual once thought.

To try and summarize the points of these authors and many others who have written, a season of deconstruction is when someone realizes that their belief in God is not something to just hold in one box to be filed away into the recesses of our mind, but rather that God is now the filter in which all of our boxes and preconceived notions are taken to task. It is a reviewing of our systems of belief. And though I am doing my best to describe what a journey of deconstruction may look like, please know that this process will never be the same for two people. Some of us may even find that these descriptions of deconstruction give language for where they find themselves today. Maybe that is what you think about when you hear the father pray, Help My Unbelief. But others may not. And that brings us to our second prayer…

Help My Imagination:

Getting back to apistia, one of the other definitions I mentioned is not synonymous with doubt. And if doubt or deconstruction did not give us the language to describe this season of our lives, perhaps this next one will. Some of the other translations offered were distrust or disbelief. Maybe when you hear this father’s cry, you find yourself looking at the possibility of healing as the source of your unbelief. Mark records the father’s words, “Teacher, I have brought my son who is possessed by a spirit… he has been like this since childhood.” The father had looked upon his son’s circumstances for so long that he just accepted that this is the way his son was going to be. Then, he hears about this new teacher who has a following. Mr. Christ and his gang of rambunctious disciples. He brings his son to the disciples… and they can’t cast the evil spirit out. Again, this father seems powerless to change the circumstances of his son whom he loves. And then, he goes to Jesus. And as his son is literally convulsing next to them both, this father pleads, “Lord, help my unbelief!”

Maybe, for some of us, it is the father’s imagination that he needed help with. The father was looking at his son and asking, “Does God really cast out spirits?” Imagination is a term that I love to throw out when I’m talking with you all because of what it captures. When we speak of the term imagination, especially in our faith context, we are talking about the sacred ability to see that the world is not as it is supposed to be and to imagine it as God intends. As his Kingdom people, we have joined a Kingdom with a beautiful duty: to show the world how it was originally designed and patented. It is to invite people into the way of life that we see Christ embody. In the West, our minds are trained again and again to see the world as it is and accept it. It’s why the last time I spoke, I talked about companies who feed us advertisements that show us what “the good life” can look like, if we only would buy that shirt, wear those jeans, own those shoes, and so on.

But Christ’s invitation is not to accept things as they are. It is to intervene in the world. It’s to get his hands dirty and do the work of change one healing, one teaching, or one meal at a time. Especially in this season right now where we are having a repeat election, a repeat super bowl victory (ain’t mad about that), and just enough time has passed since the new year that all the motivation for new habits and schedules is wearing off, we find ourselves not content, but lacking any vision to see the world differently than it is. We accept a world filled with poverty, war, hunger, and illness and breathe out a sigh saying, “That’s just the way things are…”

That’s why I see the father’s prayer as twofold. And that is why I believe the invitation of God this morning is to look at the father’s prayer and ask, do I need God to help my unbelief? Or do I need God to help my imagination?

I believe that is our invitation today. Our invitation is to reflect on both of those questions and see which strikes the chord of our heart? Which one gives language to the feelings and weight we have been carrying? Which question best identifies the wrestling?

And I believe the invitation of God is best shown in this image that is about to go on the screen.

This painting is called, The Incredulity of Saint Thomas. It is a famous Italian painting and the first time I saw it was during church in Springfield, Missouri when I was in college. My pastor at the time made an observation that has stuck with me all these years later. He pointed out a seeming uncomfortable but so sacred detail. This painting depicts a scene in John’s Gospel where the disciple Thomas sees Jesus for the first time after he is resurrected. Jesus tells Thomas to touch his wounds in his hands and in his sides. Now I have heard this preached as something that we did not want to immolate. Doubting Thomas was something that had a bad connotation or implication while I was growing up in church. But this pastor in Springfield had a different take. Does Jesus refuse to show his wounds to Thomas? No. His response is an invitation. He goes, “Come, do what you need to do to believe.” And the painting shows this, somewhat uncomfortably. As you can see Thomas’s hand is beneath Jesus’s skin. It honestly makes me feel a little Ugh. Like it is not pleasant to look at. But the unpleasantness, the messiness of this interaction, I believe is where we find’s God’s invitation. God is still desiring for humanity to know that He is in the mess with us. His inclination is not to lean away from the uncomfortable, the gross, or the mess, but to inhabit that uncomfortable space WITH US.

Jesus’s invitation is to literally go into the mystery of God with our questions, with our uncomforted, with our doubt, and with our monotony.

So, how can we Pray for God to Help our Unbelief and Imagination this week?

First, I think we need to look back on the teachings from this past year. And no, this is not because we need more clicks on the Midtown YouTube. It is because of our subject matter these last few months. Alex and Cassie have helped us navigate and wrestle with topics like healing, grief, speaking in unknown languages, and even prophecy. They have helped us look at the mysterious ways of God and shed new light on them. And we may still be asking Can God really do… blank. Our God’s invitation is for us to go back into the mystery. To find Jesus is ways we never expected or imagined. To bring again forward our disbelief and acceptance of what is normal and ask God to enter it in a powerful and mighty way. We are asking himself to be made manifest in the midst of our Unbelief and Imaginations this morning. And to show that willingness, I would encourage two things: Firstly, it’s been a while since we mentioned this ancient posture. Two hands open, and simply saying “Come, Holy Spirit.” It’s an invitation for the very Spirit of God to enter into our circumstances so he may weave through our lives and make himself known.

Secondly, we will be declaring the mystery of our faith together this morning. If you have been a part of one of our Midtown Microchurches, you know that the last thing we say aloud together each week is this: Christ has Died, Christ has Risen, Christ will Come Again. We call it a declaration of the mystery of our faith. It is a historic phrase that has been used by the church before communion for hundreds of years. It reflects the words of Paul, “We proclaim the Lord’s death, until he comes.” And I believe it is a beautiful companion to our two prayers this morning: Lord, Help my Unbelief and Lord, Help My Imagination. So in a moment Amanda will come here and lead us in that before we partake of communion.

What do we do when suffering crashes into our lives, and heaven is silent, and God feels absent?

On Psalm 42.

Now, there is no real consensus as to who the author is, but what is clear is the author feels distant from God.

The imagery at play is of a deer in the desert, dying of thirst, searching for any bit of moisture it can find. And as it comes to a river, the deer finds the riverbed dry.

God’s presence is the connecting thread of the whole of the scripture and yet there are seasons where we don’t feel God’s presence; even as we long for it.

Maybe you know that feeling?

You’re surrounded by people who seem to know and feel God personally, and you feel little to nothing.

We do not always have language for an experience of God that feels more like absence than presence.

2 types of Knowledge

Explicit knowledge is the stuff of information, ideas, theology, facts and data.

Implicit knowledge is the stuff of our emotions, intuition, instinct, and gut; our feelings.

“Our real idea of God may lie buried under the rubbish of conventional religious notions and may require an intelligent and vigorous search before it is finally unearthed and exposed for what it is. Only after an ordeal of painful self-probing are we likely to discover what we actually believe about God.” –A.W. Tozer

1. Am I living a life of hurry?

The Story of Mary and Martha.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” –Luke 10:41-42

We might find ourselves in a dry season because we’ve been too distracted to notice what God is doing.

2. Is there ongoing sin or rebellion in my life?

At its core, sin is a mistrust that God's interest is our greatest good. If we persist in an action or attitude that is not in the best interest of our communion with God, we will experience distance.

3. Am I allowing my faith and doubt to coexist?

Philosopher Charles Taylor calls our time the “age of contested belief”.

Doubt is the natural companion to options.

Doubt can lead to serious questions, but the invitation of Christianity is to hold our faith and our questions together.

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

Faith, doubt, and the Presence of Jesus all held together.

4. Have you experienced relational trauma that needs to be healed?

In his book The Connected Life, Todd Hall draws a connection between our human attachments and our relationship with God;

“…If we can’t trust our parents, who we can see, to provide emotional support and security, how can we trust God, who we can’t see? Patterns of interactions with our attachment figures get stored in our memory as gut-level expectations of how close relationships work. These expectations get placed on our relationship with God, often without realizing it. This doesn’t mean that our experiences and expectations of God can’t change, but it does mean that the social context in which we are raised profoundly shapes the “God of our gut.” And this—not the God of our head—is the God we experience most of the time.” – Todd Hall

5. Are you walking through a Dark Night of the Soul?

The language of a “Dark Night of the Soul” comes from a 16th-century Spanish catholic priest Saint John of the Cross. John wrote a poem called A Dark Night in which he describes a period in which God intentionally takes away his felt presence from an apprentice of Jesus so that we might grow in peace, intimacy and love.

If you desire God, you ache for that experience and intimacy you once had with him, you might be journeying through the dark night.

“Sooner or later He (God) withdraws, if not in fact, at least from their conscious experience, all those supports and incentives. He leaves the creature to stand up on its own legs—to carry out from the will alone duties which have lost all relish. It is during those trough periods, much more than during the peak periods, that it is growing into the sort of creature He wants it to be. Hence the prayers offered in the state of dryness are those which please Him best... Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.” – C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

Talk with someone.

Sit with someone and reflect on these five diagnostic questions–

1. Am I living a life of hurry?

2. Is there ongoing sin or rebellion in my life?

3. Am I allowing my faith and doubt to coexist?

4. Have you experienced relational trauma that needs to be healed?

5. Might it be something that God is leading you through, like a Dark Night of the soul?

Reading Job responsibly

We begin by understanding the genre of Job; Hebrew Wisdom literature.

Wisdom literature is an exploration of truth not as data but as a mystery to journey into.

The book of Job isn’t a theological explanation of how suffering works; It is about one man wrestling with God, as he suffers.

It is helpful to think of Job as a three-act play.

Act 1: the Court of God. (Job 1-2)
Act 2: A Conversation among Friends. (Job 3-37)
Act 3: God Speaks (Job 38-42)

When suffering crashes into our lives we are all prone to ask some of the same questions that Job will ask throughout the play.

1. Is God just?

2. Does God run the universe by that justice?

3. Why is there evil?

Act 1: The Court of God.

“There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.”– Job 1:1.

1. Job is not an Israelite; he is from the land of Uz.

2. He is blameless and upright.

3. Job was incredibly wealthy, generous, successful, and loved.

The Court of God

1. This is the only instance of such a wager in the scriptures. Theology shouldn’t be built on a singular instance.

2. This passage takes seriously the existence of one who opposes God– the Satan.

3. The author does not call the courtroom scene a vision; it is likely a product of human imagination, not a divine revelation.

4. This particular scene is not the point of the story.

Act 2: A Conversation among Friends.

“Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. 12 And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. 13 And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.” –Job 2:11–13.

Job’s friends assume that God operates the universe on a strict principle of retributive justice– if you honor God and do good, good things will happen, but if you are foolish and dishonor God, he will punish you.

“Sufferers attract fixers the way roadkills attract vultures. At first we are impressed that they bother with us and amazed at their facility with answers. They know so much! How did they get to be such experts in living? More often than not, these people use the Word of God frequently and loosely. They are full of spiritual diagnosis and prescription. It all sounds so hopeful. But then we begin to wonder, “Why is it that for all their apparent compassion we feel worse instead of better after they’ve said their piece?”– Eugene Peterson

“Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.– Job 13:15.

“As God lives, who has taken away my right, and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter…”– Job 27:2.

‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’ When disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity of the innocent” – Job 9:22–23.

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” – Job 1:21.

He has torn me in his wrath and hated me; he has gnashed his teeth at me; my adversary sharpens his eyes against me.” –Job 16:9.

Act 3: God Speaks.

In Chapter 38, the Lord shows up in a hurricane and takes Job on a whirlwind tour of the Earth. God pulls Job close and begins to display the vast complexity of the universe,

And at this overwhelming display of power, Job is humbled, and ready once again to trust God.

There is Evil in the world, but there is also good.

Teachers of the way of Jesus have been giving us a different lens by which we can view reality.

They’ve exposed the three enemies of our soul.

1. The World.

2. The Flesh.

3. The Devil.

“Know your enemy.”–Sun Tzu

The Creation

In Genesis 1 and 2, we’re told that God speaks, and the Spirit of God, begins to organize the raw materials of creation– and the world bursts to life.

The Fall

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” –Genesis 3:1–5.

The Devil.

diabolos – the devil

1. Slanderor

Satan – the Satan

1. The adversary

2. A being is not for anything but is against everything.

The primary means by which the Devil works is through lies.

“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” –John 8:44.

His main objective is to subtly exchange truth for lies, for when we believe lies chaos follows.

Is it absurd to say lies continue to thrust our world into further chaos?

The Flesh.

The flesh is not about the human body– rather it is disordered or corrupted desires, that can often be experienced in the body.

Some of those desires are right, healthy, and God-given. While other desires; are disordered, nefarious, and self-destructive.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh –Ephesians 2:1–3.

When the devil lies to us, he lies in a way that plays to our disordered desires– our flesh.

It is those patterns of self-destructive sin, lead us everywhere but where we actually want to be.

The World

“Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” –John 12:31–32.

“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.” –John 12:46–47

kosmon – The World

1. Used Postively– Creation, the earth the people in it.

2. Used Negatively– a system of life and culture set against God.

The world is where we decide for ourselves what is good and what is evil.

“ Our cultural and social practices, that are under the control of Satan and, thus, opposed to God.” – Dallas Willard

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit…” –Ephesians 5:15–18.

The Fight for our Soul.

“4 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’ ” 5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written,

“ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

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,

“‘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.’”

12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. –Luke 4:1–13.

The Holy Spirit leads us to truth, helps us walk in the way of Jesus, and gives us the strength to resist.

Practice Lent

Lent it is a 40-day period from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. It is a season to follow Jesus into the wilderness and to fight the influence of the world, the flesh, and the devil over our lives.

1. Repentance. Commit to extended periods of introspection, prayer, and “soul-searching” to uncover disordered desires, allegiances to idols, and thought patterns contrary to the Way of Jesus. Practicing Abstinence and/or fasting can aid you in uncovering these things in your life.

2. Fasting. We suggest fasting (going without food and drink) twice a week for twelve or twenty-four hours. This can look like not eating breakfast and lunch, or skipping dinner one night and breaking your fast the next night.*

   *A note on eating disorders and medical conditions– if you’ve ever suffered from an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia, rumination, etc) or live with a diagnosed medical condition, you should consult a doctor, therapist, or pastor prior to fasting. Fasting is a helpful practice given to us by Christ, but notice that fasting is not intended to harm the body. Rather, it is designed to bring the body and soul into alignment.

3. Self-denial or Abstinence. The practice of creating a margin in our life to focus on Christ. Consider removing social media, television, video games, a recreational activity, a hobby or a regularly scheduled activity from your life through the season of Lent.

More on Lent.

“And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.” - Acts 19:11

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” - John 11:5

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” - John 11:20

But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you. - John 11:22

“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” - John 11:24

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” - John 11:32

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” … 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” - John 11:38-39; 41-44

“The future has burst into the present. The new creation, and with it the resurrection, has come forward from the end of time into the middle of time… He has come from God’s future into the present, into the mess and muddle of the world we know. ‘I am the resurrection and the life,’ he says. ‘Resurrection’ isn’t just a doctrine. It isn’t just a future fact. It’s a person.” - N.T. Wright

At its very essence, communication is a conduit of love.

So today I would like to make a case for prophecy which much like communication is messy but in my opinion, and that of the biblical authors, is so worth it.

This past fall, we began a series called Come, Holy Spirit with the following goals:

• to move beyond information into experiences with God

• to encounter God in the ordinary

• to radically open ourselves up to God

• to do the Jesus stuff.

So today we are tackling the gift of prophecy in three parts:

1. Prophecy Biblically

2. Prophecy Defined

3. Prophecy Now

“Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to [Moses], and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.” –Numbers 11:25 (ESV)

“I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” – Numbers 11:29 (ESV)

“And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” – John 20:22

“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…” –Acts 2:17

Prophecy is not an optional subpoint of the Bible- it is at the very center of the biblical story, of our story.

What exactly is Prophecy? Is it….

• God’s voice?

• Is it being able to predict something that hasn’t happened yet like a magic 8 ball or a fortune teller?

• Is it knowing something about someone that you couldn’t have known?

• Is it being able to understand and interpret the scriptures?

• Is it giving a word of encouragement to someone when they really need it?

“Prophecy’ is the activity through which particular words are given to particular individuals or groups by people speaking in church and claiming that the spirit is leading them to say such things, or that Jesus himself is speaking these words.” –N.T. Wright

"Prophecy involves God speaking to or through a servant who listens to his voice." – Craig Keener

• Prophecy can be to an individual or to a community.

• Prophecy can challenge injustice like in the book of Amos or encourage as we will see in Paul’s letter to the Corinthian Church.

• Prophecy can be something revelatory, like a word of knowledge or of wisdom, or it can be something incredibly ordinary.

“1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 4 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. “ – 1 Corinthians 14:1-4

“God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” – Romans 5:5

Prophecy consists of:

1. Hearing

2. Giving

3. Receiving

The stuff the Spirit does.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. –1 Corinthians 12:1

pnuematikan | “gifts of the Spirit”

• “things of the Spirit,

• “manifestations of the Spirit”

• “Spirituals”

• “The stuff the Spirit does”

Paul offers a list of 9 things that the Spirit does.

1. a message of wisdom

2. a message of knowledge

3. Faith

4. Gifts of healing

5. Miraculous powers

6. Prophecy

7. Distinguishing between spirits

8. Tongues

9. The interpretation of tongues

Acts 2: New Era of the Spirit.

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. – Acts 2:1-4

This was the text we read at the beginning of the teaching, I just want to point out a few things of note–

1. Before this moment only certain people were recipients of God’s Spirit. This is a new age in which God’s Spirit will not work through the few, but through the many.

2. Second, those who were experiencing this phenomenon were declaring the mighty works of God in languages that they had never learned.

Acts 10: Even the Gentiles.

While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. – Act 10:44–46.

Acts 19: Receive the Spirit

5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. –Acts 19:5–6.

On the Corinthian Church

As we jump into it, Paul is offering a compare and contrast between prophecy and tongues.

The Corinthian Church had this reputation for wild gatherings. And it seems as if the gift of tongues was being used performatively to demonstrate superior spirituality.

Defining Tongues.

Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy 2 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. – 1 Corinthians 14:1-2

Tongues are a form of prayer and praise expressed to God in a language you have not learned or understand.

“Tongues’ refers to the gift of speech which, though making sounds, and using apparent or even actual languages, somehow bypasses the speaker’s conscious mind. –N.T. Wright

Unlearned Languages.

2B for no one understands [the one speaking in tongues], but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. – 1 Corinthians 14:1-2

A few instances suggest they are human languages the speaker does not know.

“Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?”–Act 2:7–8.

Another theory is that these are the languages of other Spiritual beings. Paul writes just a chapter before, “if I speak in the tongues of men and angels…” (1 Corinthians 13)

There is a mystery at work that we will likely never understand.

Prophesy edifies the Church. Tongues edify the Speaker.

3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 4 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy.” – 1 Corinthians 14:3-4 (ESV)

Without a common language, the meaning of a message is lost on us.

“Intelligibility is the reason that Paul prefers other gifts to speaking in tongues in public worship.”– Ben Withington

Speaking in Unlearned Language has some kind of building-up effect.

1. The one who speaks in a tongue, speaks to God. (1 Cor. 14:2)

2. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself. (1 Cor. 14:4)

3. I want you all to speak in tongues (1 Co 14:5).

4. “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.” (1 Cor. 14:14–17)

I think Paul imagines speaking in tongues as an experience that bypasses messy minds and allows one's soul to connect directly with God.

“the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” –Romans 8:26.

1. Tongues build up the believer.

2. Praying in tongues also helps us worship God.

3. Praying in tongues helps us in times of confusion.

18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. – 1 Corinthian 14:18-19

Eagerly Desire

So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. – 1 Corinthians 14:39(ESV)

Pursue love, and eagerly desire all the stuff the Spirit does.

Tongues are a means, not an end.

Paul’s invitation to the Corinthians, and consequently to us is to examine our desires and to reorient them back to God, and the stuff he does through his Spirit.

For those who would like to pursue this gift.

1. Create Space.

2. Ask God.

3. Take a shot.

4. Practice

Our God’s invitation is into an ongoing relationship so there is a place for intentional effort and pursuit.

“I think therefore I am.” – René Descartes

We have come to believe that knowledge is only information or data or facts– content that can fit on a spreadsheet.

Knowledge is more than cells on a spreadsheet or information in a memory bank.

Experiential Knowledge.
So according to Jesus, the Holy Spirit is a marked improvement over a direct face-to-face conversation with God in the flesh.

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you... In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”–John 14:16-17,20.

This comforter will not be seen but will be experienced by those who follow Jesus.

“I purposely emphasize the word ‘experience,’ and will seek to show from the scripture the importance of experience. A non-experiential religion is suspect, for it fails to deal with the totality of our being.” – Simon Ponsonby

John 14 alone is full of examples of experiences with God.

1. “I will give you an advocate…”(John 14:16)

2. “The Spirit will live with you and you will know him.” (John 14:17)

3. “The Spirit will teach you and remind you of all I’ve said.” (John 14:26)

4. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” (John 14:27)

5. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27)

A non-experiential Christianity, a faith that of disembodied ideas is a departure from the scriptures.

Knowledge is built on experience with God.

“19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. “Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” –John 20:19–21 (ESV)

The work of the Spirit is not our entertainment; it is to renew the whole world.

“the Spirit, above all else, carries on Jesus’ mission and mediates his presence… The personal functions of the Spirit are also the functions of Jesus in the rest of the book, and the sensitive reader cannot miss the connection.” – Craig Keener

For those who learn to receive and rely upon the Spirit, we begin to experience the life spoken of in the scripture.

1. New intimacy

2. New holiness

3. New possibilities

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. –John 14:12 (ESV)

Receive the Spirit.

“And with that, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” –John 20:22–23 (ESV)

Throughout the New Testament there are a variety of metaphors that stretch human language in an attempt to convey the experience of encountering God.

The three most common metaphors are Filled, Baptized, and Receive.

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”– Eph 5:18.

“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.” –Romans 8:15.

Three metaphors for this same experience with God’s Spirit– to receive the Spirit is to be consumed, influenced, inundated, saturated, and complete with God’s presence and power.

Whatever you want to call the experience, there has been a debate over the question of when.

When are we filled, baptized, or receive the Spirit?

“...we seek not a single experience but a continuing relationship, daily encountering our master in the power of his Holy Spirit, living out of the power already imparted to us when we became followers of Jesus Christ.” – Craig Keener

The invitation of the Spirit is to be filled, and to keep being filled.

“Consumerism is the desire for a life without shame." Adam Smith

“Consumerism’s most glittering prize is the promise of immortality itself: an earthly paradise of never wanting, never needing, never lacking for anything imagination can dream of.” Tim Jackson

“And again Isaiah says, the root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the gentiles; in Him will the gentiles hope. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in Hope.” Romans 15:12-13

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance (or patience) and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have HOPE. Romans 15: 2 & 4

“We know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame.” Romans 5:5

Hope is the result of both endurance and encouragement

“May the God of endurance (or patience) and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus.” Romans 15:5

"Hope is not about the future, hope is about the present. It obviously has to do with the future, but it is a virtue which is cultivated in the present. It fills the present with energy, it connects the two comings of Jesus so that we are now a participant in them. We are not just remembering the one and believing in the other ....we are participating in the continuity of the comings." Eugene Peterson

Three Misconceptions about Joy:

• Joy is simply a feeling

• Joy is feeling 100% satisfied 100% of the time

• Jesus denies fulfillment

“I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken. “Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me. “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples. “I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love. That’s what I’ve done—kept my Father’s commands and made myself at home in his love. “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. John 15:1-11 MSG

• Where are you going for your source of Joy?

• What would you trade your soul for?

• Do you believe Jesus restricts your fulfillment or completes your fulfillment?

“Emotional health and spiritual maturity are inseparable. It is not possible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature.” Peter Scazarro, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality

“Healthy feelings, properly ordered among themselves, are essential to a good life. So if we are to be formed in Christlikeness, we must take good care of our feelings and not just let them happen.” Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart

1. Abiding

2. Slowing Down

3. Community

4. Openness to Pruning

“If we think we will have joy only by praying and singing psalms, we will be disillusioned. But if we fill our lives with simple good things and constantly thank God for them, we will be joyful, that is, full of joy. And what about our problems? When we determine to dwell on the good and excellent things in life, we will be so full of those things that they will tend to swallow our problems.” Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

• Where are you going for your source of Joy?

• What would you trade your soul for?

• Do you believe Jesus restricts your fulfillment or completes your fulfillment?

The story of Secularism.

The Story of Secularism is that the world is slowly, but progressively, marching toward a utopia built by our own two hands and in our image.

“I am assuming that we are not going to genetically engineer out of our nature greed, avarice, competitiveness, aggression, and violence, because these characteristics are part and parcel of who we are as a species… Instead, what I foresee in the far future of civilization here on Earth… that have learned to design [our] political, economic, and social systems to bring out the best of our nature while holding back the worst… Civilizations this advanced would have so much knowledge and power as to be essentially omniscient and omnipotent, indistinguishable from God.”– Michael Shermer

It's the Kingdom without the King.

Revelation(s)?

It is singular, not plural.

John’s Revelation in 4 parts:

1. Instruction to 7 Churches

2. The throneroom of God.

3. Judgment

4. The Reign of God.

A New Heaven & A New Earth.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…” – Revelation 20:1a (ESV)

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind…–Isaiah 65:17.

…the Sea was no more.

“...and the sea was no more.”– Revelation 20:1b (ESV)

For many ancient civilizations, the sea stands as this metaphor for chaos and evil lurking under the surface of life.

“That is what is meant by there being ‘no more sea’. Throughout this book, as in much of the Bible, the sea is the dark force of chaos that threatens God’s plans and God’s people. It is the element from which the first monster emerged… But in the new creation there will be no more sea, no more chaos, no place from which monsters might again emerge.” – NT Wright

The Dwelling Place of God.

“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” –Revelation 21:2–3 (ESV)

Tent.

“I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.” –Leviticus 26:11–12.

Temple
Under the leadership of Solomon the Tabernacle was replaced by the Temple: one of the most impressive structures in the ancient world.

Person.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” –John 1:1-2, 14–15.

The Former things have passed away.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” –Revelation 21:4 (ESV)

“Separation from the Presence [of God] is, quite literally, what the Fall is. As a result of the Fall, mankind slipped from God-consciousness into the hell of self and self-consciousness. -Leanne Payne

All things New.

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” –Revelation 21:5 (ESV)

A foretaste of the Future.

“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… By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.”– 1 John 4:9,13.

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?– 1 Corinthians 3:16.

"The best of all is, God is with us,” –John Wesley

Practice the Presence of God.

“...being with another person, under appropriate conditions, in order to become capable of doing what that person does or to become like that what that person is. An “apprentice” of Jesus is learning from him how to lead their life as he would lead their life if he were they” – Dallas Willard

“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” –Luke 9:23–24 (ESV)

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20.

“And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” –Genesis 12:2–3.

“for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” –Galatians 3:26–29.

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” –Romans 14:17–19.

“For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” –Galatians 5:5–6.

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” – Galatians 5:13-14 (ESV)

“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…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. By this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.” –John 13:14–15,34-35

“This is what it means to live in the Spirit. The premier expression of the Spirit is love, and the Spirit-prompted person is one who loves God and loves others. Spirit-ual formation is formation into love.” –Scot McKnight

“If you want a good litmus test of your spiritual growth, simply examine the nature and quality of your relationships with others.”–Robert Mulholland Jr

“It is best to think of flesh like this: we are born into and socialized in a fallen world, we embody some good habits and some bad ones, our habits form our character, and since our habits are not all good, our character gets corrupted. Our corrupted character, like some agent with power in our life, steers us into a deepening of our corrupted actions and character.” –Scot McKnight

“It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.

This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.” –Galatians 5:19–21 (MSG)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22–23.

31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel… I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. – Jeremiah 31:31,33.

“work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” –Philippians 2:12–13.

“In order to know God, we must often think of Him; and when we come to love Him, we shall then also think of Him often, for our heart will be with our treasure.” ― Brother Lawrence

“...we are so habitually self-absorbed by heartaches, headaches, and greed for experience that we rarely find the time and space to be in touch with the deeper movements inside of us and around us. For every kind of reason, good and bad, we are distracting ourselves into spiritual oblivion. It is not that we have anything against God, depth, and spirit, we would like these, it is just that we are habitually too preoccupied to have any of these show up on our radar screens. We are more busy than bad, more distracted than nonspiritual, and more interested in the movie theatre, the sports stadium, and the shopping mall and the fantasy life they produce in us than we are in church. Pathological busyness, distraction, and restlessness are major blocks today within our spiritual lives” – Ronald Rolheiser

“God’s presence in the present moment is the single most important task of the Christian life and no spiritual discipline is more foundational or transforming than this one.” – Greg Boyd

“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.” - Acts 1:2

PART 1: The Promise of Pentecost

“3[Jesus] presented himself alive to [the disciples] after his suffering [, his death on the cross,] by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But 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.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” - Acts 3:9

PART 2: The Preparation of Pentecost

“they devoted themselves to prayer.” - Acts 1:14a

PART 3: The Proofs of Pentecost

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?” - Acts 2:1-8

“There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues [languages] being spoken, they were thunderstruck. They couldn’t for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, “Aren’t these all Galileans? How come we’re hearing them talk in our various mother tongues [languages]?” - Acts 2:5-11 (MSG)

“And in the last days it shall be, God declares that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.” - Acts 2:17-18

“Worshiping God in other people’s languages shows that God has empowered the church to cross all cultural and linguistic barriers with His gospel.” - Craig Keener

PART 4: The Prophecy of Pentecost

“And in the last days it shall be, God declares that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.” -Acts 2:17

“If we are too accustomed to that notion to catch its full force, we might imagine Jesus speaking to us and saying, “You will be like Isaiah,” or, “You will be like Jeremiah,” or, “You will be like Deborah.” - Craig Keener

PART 5: The Purpose of Pentecost

“So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” - Acts 2:41

“But 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.” - Acts 1:7

Spiritual Practice: Pray for Radical Openness to God

“Part of the challenge of this passage is the question: have our churches today got enough energy, enough spirit-driven new life, to make onlookers pass any comment at all? Has anything happened which might make people think we were drunk? If not, is it because the spirit is simply at work in other ways, or because we have so successfully quenched the spirit that there is actually nothing happening at all?” - N.T. Wright

“Be prepared for wind and fire, for some fairly drastic spring-cleaning of the dusty and cold rooms of one’s life.” - N.T. Wright

Luke is the third of the Synoptic Gospels, which means he follows the same general timeline as Matthew and Mark; whereas John’s Gospel is unique.

Of the synoptic Gospels, Luke has a particular interest in the Spirit; which is evident just by the number of times he mentions the Spirit.

Matthew – 10 references.
Mark– 5 references.
Luke – 17+ references.

“God’s Empowering Presence.” – Gordon Fee

The Spirit of God started Creation by reorganizing the raw materials of the planet Earth; The Spirit of God started the New Creation by reorganizing the raw materials of the human heart.

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.” – Isaiah 61:1-2

Jesus in the Power of the Spirit.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit(4:1)… led by the Spirit(4:1)... In the power of the Spirit(4:14)…

Baptized, Full, Led, Empowered.

And all four verbs operate metaphorically, and poetically to describe a holy experience– an interaction between the divine and human.

Peruvian bible translators – “the Holy Spirit permeates one”.

Jesus, an embodied human, is invited into a holy collaboration with the Spirit of God, for the sake of the world.

4. The Purpose of Jesus’ Spirit- Empowerment.

All of Jesus' life in the Spirit is pointing to something, the Kingdom of God.

“I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”–Luke 4:43.

Dallas Willard defines the Kingdom as the range of God’s effective will.

Jesus’ definition; “God’s will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven.”

A ministry marked by Charisms

In biblical theology, these are called charisms or gifts of the Holy Spirit.

These are divinely energized acts that defy our understanding of reality and point to the goodness of the Kingdom of God.

1. Charism of Wisdom (Luke 2:27; 4:31-33)

2. Charism of Discernment (Luke 5:20-22;6:6-9;7:39-50;9:37-43)

3. Charism of Exercism (Luke 4:33-27, 41; 6:18; 8:2-3, 26-39)

4. Charism of Miracles (Luke 5:1-11; 8:22-25; 9:10-17, 28-36; 24:1-12)

5. Charism of Healing– (Luke 4:38-39, 40; 5:12-16, 25-26;6:10-11, 19;7:1-10, 11-17;8:43-48, 49-56; 13:10-13; 14:1-6;17:11-19; 18:35-43; 22:47-53)

A Power Shared

“he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.” –Luke 9:1–2.

Luke-Acts; the story of Jesus’ ministry and the story of his followers continuing that ministry

Jesus, an embodied human, is invited into a holy collaboration with the Spirit of God, for the sake of the world.

And we, his followers, embodied humans, are also invited into that same holy collaboration with the Spirit of God, for the sake of the world.

“Those who are in truth [Christ’s] disciples, receive grace from Him, do in His name perform (miracles), so as to promote the welfare of other men, according to the gift each one has received from Him.” – Irenaeus, Against Heresies.

“…forasmuch as he excelled in the possession of all virtues– in the Spirit of Prophesy; in the power of Miracles, in the gift of preaching given him from Heaven; in the obedience rendered him by creatures without reason; in the mighty change of hearts at the hearing of the word; in the learning imparted to him by the Holy Ghost…to declare the Gospel of Christ.”– Bonaventure, The Life of St. Francis of Assisi

“We have an explosion of miracles taking place, especially in conjunction with the spread of the gospel. Some things are outside the norm for most Westerners, whatever kind of church we are associated with. It's probably good for us, to shake us up. Extraordinary things are taking place around the world.” – Craig Keener

Spiritual Practice: Take a Risk.

I want my life to be a living laboratory; an experiment in what it means to love God, walk in the power of the Spirit, and do the Jesus stuff.

“Faith is spelled R.I.S.K.” – John Wimber

Come, Holy Spirit

1. Knowledge of God that moves beyond information.

2. Foster ordinary encounters with the Spirit of God.

3. Become radically open to God.

4. To do the Jesus stuff.

Imposter Syndrome

“... to my surprise, the older I got, the more I realized the "big people" were often still "small people" hiding behind their roles, responsibilities, and accomplishments. They never got the talk either; they just got older. There is a name for this sense of lack as you try to navigate life without the tools you think you need: Imposter Syndrome.” – Jon Tyson

“People who struggle with imposter syndrome believe that they are undeserving of their achievements and the high esteem in which they are, in fact, generally held. They feel that they aren’t as competent or intelligent as others might think—and that soon enough, people will discover the truth about them.” – Psychology Today

And so, we do all kinds of things to maintain the illusion that we are who people think we are.

One of the most striking things about the character of Jesus is detachment from external validation.

The Gospel of Mark, Jesus’ talk, and the Spirit’s role in communicating our identity.

“At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. – Mark 1:9-10 (NIV)

“Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,” –Isaiah 64:1 (ESV)

“You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” –Mark 1:10 (NIV)

1. “You are my son”

“The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” –Psalm 2:7–8 (ESV)

2. “Whom I love.”
Jesus is the beloved son; language that is reminiscent of Abraham and Issac.

“Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”– Genesis 22:2.

3. “With you, I am well pleased.”

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.” –Isaiah 42:1 (ESV)

So in the waters of baptism, the Spirit rests on Jesus, and his identity is communicated to him; That he is the coming king, the beloved son, and the messianic servant.

It is with the knowledge of that identity that Jesus is propelled into the wilderness.

12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. – Mark 1:12–13.

πειράζω peirazō - examine,to test, tempt

Mark writes this forty days in the wilderness in such a way that it brings to mind the story of Israel.

And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” – Deuteronomy 8:2–3 (ESV)

Jesus is not just showing us how to be a good Christian; he is demonstrating what it means to be fully human.

Jesus is right back in the Garden confronting the powers of evil, represented by one called ‘Satan’.

The Bible does not give us all the answers, but we do know that this evil figure is presented as

• a personified creature

• a being lesser than God

• who exists in rebellion to God,

• hellbent on destroying the good world God created.

Jesus is replaying humanity’s failure to resist the evil one and turning it into a victory.

Mark wants us to see that Jesus’ identity bestowed at the water is now revealed in the wilderness.

Marks’ purpose in this brief account is that we see ourselves in the life of Jesus.

“...In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33 (NIV)

“If you want to be like Jesus remember, he had a wilderness, a Gethsemane, and a Judas.”—Leonard Ravenhill

“The whole Christian gospel could be summed up in this point: that when the living God looks at us, at every baptized and believing Christian, he says to us what he said to Jesus on that day. He sees us, not as we are in ourselves, but as we are in Jesus Christ.” –N.T. Wright

We are marked by the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

"Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence.”—Henri Nouwen

Listen to the voice of the Spirit.

The challenge of your life, and mine, is actually believing what was spoken over us in the water.

“ …when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” –Galatians 4:4–7.

Listen to the Spirit, who is continually testifying to our hearts the radical love of our God in Christ.

Holy Spirit in the OT:

In Genesis, the Holy Spirit, or Ruakh, is the very breath breathed into creation and into our lungs.

In the Pentateuch or the first three chapters of the Bible, we see the Holy Spirit empowering people for work, giving them divine resource.

In the History of Israel, we see God’s liquid Spirit, his anointing poured out on the person of David as he foreshadows the true anointed one, Christ.

In the Prophets, we see people rely on the Holy Spirit to speak truth and stand for justice. And we see God give us the Holy Spirit to discern true from false prophets even in our day.

Holy Spirit in Jesus’ life seen in three acts through the synoptic Gospels:

Act 1: His Birth (Matthew)

Act 2: His Baptism and Wilderness Journey (Mark)

Act 3: His Ministry (Luke)

Matthew’s Gospel works to answer two questions:

What is the origin story of Jesus?

And what is Jesus’ goal?

Colossians 1:15-20

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by[f] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Jude 1:25 “to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

Nicene Creed: And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. -Matthew 18-20

“The office of the Holy Spirit from the very beginning of the Chrsitian story is to bring Jesus into human life…The Son is not the Son without the Spirit.”

Dale Bruner

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us). - Matthew 1:23

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” - Matthew 1:21

Matthew 28:18-20

18 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

“When Jesus Christ comes to anyone in history, even in his coming to Mary, it is always the work of the Spirit, not of human preparation or enterprise. Every conversion is a virgin birth. “With human beings this [new life] is impossible; but with God absolutely everything is possible” (Matt 19:26). The Holy Spirit, in other words, is the miraculous how of New Life.” - Dale Bruner

Spiritual Practice

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” - John 3:3-8

Receive the Holy Spirit’s gift of salvation.

Remember your salvation.

A Displaced People

“Whether we are talking about the upwardly mobile who view each place as a rung in the ladder that goes up to who knows where, or the postmodern nomad with no roots in any place or any tradition of place, or the average consumer who doesn’t know anything about the place where she lives or the places her food comes from, the reality is the same– we are a culture of displacement.” – Steven Bouma-Prediger and Brain J. Walsh

“[The twentieth century is the] age of the… the refugee, the stateless, and the wanderer. Never before, have so many human beings fled from so many homes.” –Elie Wiesel

“You have made us for yourself, O Lord and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” – Augustine of Hippo

“Cell refers to duty, vocation, and commitment. In essence, this is what’s being said: Go to your cell, and your cell will teach you everything you need to know: Stay inside your vocation, inside your commitments, inside your legitimate conscriptive duties, inside your church, inside your family, and they will teach you where life is found and what love means. Be faithful to your commitments, and what you are ultimately looking for will be found there.” – Ronald Rolheiser

What if in a culture of displacement, there is simple wisdom in making the best of wherever you find yourself?

In 587 BC, the Southern Kingdom of Judah was destroyed and the Israelites were taken into exile by the Babylonian Empire.

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.– Jeremiah 29:4–7.

There is a play on words in the Hebrew text– welfare is a translation of the Hebrew word shalom.

“Seek the Shalom of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its Shalom you will find your Shalom..”

In its shalom you will find shalom.

“God’s wholeness where… nothing is missing and nothing is broken.” – Adam Gustine

Our calling, as exiles, is not to the extraordinary or the astonishing; it is to see the raw materials of life as opportunities for God’s grace, mercy, and goodness to flow.

“Christian spirituality means living in the mature wholeness of the gospel. It means taking all the elements of your life—children, spouse, job, weather, possessions, relationships—and experiencing them as an act of faith. God wants all the material of our lives.”– Eugene Peterson

“[T]hrough acts of imagination, ordering, planning, building and so on, all humans may participate in the hopeful renewal of our creation. …God’s presence can be found in arenas of local human placemaking, and that is this very locality that speaks to the abiding presence of God in all the world.” –Jennifer Craft

To reveal the Kingdom of Jesus, together, in Kansas City is to give everything we are to help life blossom in this city.

“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood…”– John 1:14 (The Message)

“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” –Abraham Kuyper

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”–1 John 4:15–16.

To Seek God in Kansas City.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you” –Jeremiah 29:11–14.

1. Seek god by paying attention to where God at work in our city

2. Make your home in Kansas City.

Last week, we pushed pause on our Come, Holy Spirit Series and kicked off the first of our three week vision series. This series is something we will revisit every fall to remind us of what we as a church feel compelled by Jesus to do and it is centered on this statement:

“Revealing the kingdom of Jesus, together, in Kansas City.”

To reveal the kingdom of Jesus, we have to first understand what Jesus’ kingdom is, which is why Alex spent the first week of our sermon series unpacking the kingdom of Jesus. More on that in a few minutes.

But today, I have the seemingly simple assignment of tackling just one word- together. But as we will learn today, that word is not so easy.

When it comes to following Jesus together, we face a lot of challenges. There are a lot of reasons, both good and bad, to say I can reveal the kingdom of Jesus but I just can’t do it with other people.

And so briefly, before I dive into what it looks like to follow Jesus together in this church family, I want to look at a few of these challenges in the light of Jesus’ teaching.

CHALLENGE 1: CHURCH REPUTATION

I can do Jesus but not the church.

Does this phrase sound familiar to you? This phrase has become a popular way to sum up the legitimate and growing discontentment with the institutionalized church whether it be because of politics, theology, church hurt, failed leaders, mean Christians, you fill in the blank.

And as potentially destructive as this phrase is to my profession as a pastor, I get it.

I grew up in a family that helped plant three churches and one out of those three churches still exists today. I am well acquainted with dysfunction, moral failure, church hurt, and pain. I have every excuse to abandon the institution, to a more private religion, to wage war against the religious machine.

However, despite all that pain and hurt, the legitimate dysfunction of the organized church, I still believe in it.

Why? I believe in church, not because I have self-destructive tendency, or because I am a pastor, or because I started a church, but because Jesus believed in it.

As evident in the scriptures, Jesus believed in the institutional religion of his day.

In the words of Tyler Staton, “For Jesus the church was never optional. Jesus was not anti-institutional. He regularly led his disciples and himself into the church of the first century which was the synagogue and temple…. [Jesus] immersed himself in the relationships at the temple, he went to the temple for prayer, and he added his own voice to the teaching of that temple.”

This is not to say the temple or synagogue of Jesus’ day was perfect. Far from it. Jesus and his disciples did not turn a blind eye to the corruption of the religious leaders or of the institution. They call it out.

Jesus does this in the temple courts when he turns over tables.

He does this with the Pharisees as they rebuke his disciples for gathering wheat during the Sabbath.

Jesus was likely accused of being mean, rude, and hostile towards the Pharisees and Jewish elite of the day.

But notice, despite all Jesus’ woes against the synagogue and temple leaders, he doesn’t boycott the temple and the synagogue in protest, he shows up. Jesus continues to believe in and participate in institutionalized religion.

Eugene Peterson writes, “Because Jesus was born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, gathered disciples in Galilee, worshiped in synagogues, ate meals in Bethany, went to a wedding in Canna, told stories in Jericho, prayed in Gethsemane, led a parade down the mount of olives, taught in the Jerusalem temple, was killed on the hill Golgotha, and three days later had supper with Cleopas and his friend at Emmaus, we are not free to make up our own private spiritualities.”

CHALLENGE 2: CHURCH CONFLICT

Not only does Jesus participate in the institutional religion of his day, but he also participates in an intimate Christian community. Jesus gathered twelve people around him, individuals who bridged every socio-economic, ideological, and political line that existed in ancient Israel. He called blue collar workers, tax collectors and zealots to the same inner circle and said let’s do life together, let’s become a family.

And as beautiful as that is for us to look back on, those who actually got called by Jesus, those twelve disciples, had to work through real conflict to do so. It is clear from scripture that the twelve disciples of Jesus were not perfect, they seldom all agreed or got along, but they did have one thing in common: their pledge to follow Jesus.

And this leads us to challenge 2, church conflict. Many decide to leave a church because of conflict that arose between them or another person in the church, a leader, or a pastor.

And although there are definitely moments where we confront abusive leadership, injustice, challenge the treatment of people, or theology, there should also be a lot of moments of forgiveness, reconciliation, and the ability to agree to disagree. Jesus instructs his disciples in Matthew 7 to watch out for false prophets and teachers, wolves in sheep's clothing, while also giving them the Matthew 18 principle for conflict resolution and arbitration.

When we dive even deeper into a study of the early church, we don’t just see a utopia where everyone held things in common, gave to those in need, opened their homes, and worshiped together. We also see a lot of dysfunction. Just to name a few-

Segregation

Incest

False teaching

Cultural colonization

And ignoring the poor

We think the modern day church is unique in its dysfunction and conflict and the simple truth is that it is not.

After translating the bible into the paraphrase, The Message, Eugene Peterson wrote this: “The biblical fact is that there are no successful churches.”

SPIRITUAL FORMATION

And I guess my question for you today is, are you looking for a successful or perfect church? Are you looking for a church where no conflict arises and you are always in harmonious agreement with those around you? And if this answer is yes, I am sorry to disappoint you, but that is not this church, that is not any church.

The fruit of the Spirit or our spiritual growth is not grown abstractly but rooted among a people and a place.

We grow in love by being in proximity to our enemies or people who are less than loving to us.

We grow in patience by being around people for whom patience is a requirement of us.

We grow in self control by taming the anger, annoyance, and frustration caused by the people around us.

Maturity is born from difference, diversity, and dare I even say church conflict. Jesus knew this when gathering a very diverse group of people together, calling them his disciples, and instructing them to work together on behalf of his name.

The dark side of abandoning the church or trying to do the Jesus stuff alone is this: when you have no one around you that is shaping you toward Christ, Christ ends up looking exactly like you. And you know and I know, that is not a Christ that anyone wants to follow.

This is why Jesus, without the Church, does not exist on the pages of scripture.

Could it be that Jesus still knows what he is doing as he calls all different kinds of people- rich, poor, young, old, conservative, liberal, Black, White, Asian, Hispanic- into the real community of his church- one that is not idyllic, handpicked, or perfect- but one that shapes us?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer says this:

“The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community.”

And this leads us to our last challenge for today, complacency.

CHALLENGE 3: COMPLACENCY

We cannot be shaped by others, if we do not show up. It is that simple.

National church statistics for which this community accurately represents, state that people on average attend church 1.7 times a month.

And here is the problem with this: you cannot be shaped by other people, you cannot grow in the fruits of the spirit, in spiritual maturity by coming to church 12 or 20 times a year.

You cannot become a concert pianist if you only practice 12 times a year.

You cannot be a master rock climber if you only climb 12 times a year.

You cannot be a good parent if you rarely see your children.

You cannot be a good boss if you only talk to your employees 1-2 times a month.

You cannot experience transformation if you rarely show up. And look I get it, there are a lot of competing things out there that are so fun like the Chiefs, Sunday brunch, weekend trips, you fill in the blank. But at the end of your life, will they bear eternal significance? Will those things have shaped you into the person of Jesus Christ?

We cannot be shaped by others, if we do not show up. If we are complacent. If we think, oh I will go next week. Spiritual growth has to be the priority and it almost always happens in the presence of others.

There are a lot of challenges we face, but I I still believe the church of Jesus Christ is worth fighting for. This thing that is rooted in history, grounded in the saints, practiced for centuries, the place in which miraculous healings, one-eighties, families restored, forgiveness extended, community transformation, and love exists, I believe it’s worth it.

HOW DO WE DO CHURCH TOGETHER

So, if you call this church your home or if you would like to call this church your home, we want you to know what that means.

Throughout the scriptures, specifically in the New Testament, we see Jesus followers associated with familial language. To name a few-

Matthew 12:49-50 “And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, [Jesus] said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother’” (Matthew 12:49-50).

Romans 12:10 “Love one another with brotherly affection.”

Galatians 6:10 “let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Ephesians 2:19 “So, then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God”

A quick note on family. Some of us had the privilege of belonging to wonderful biological families and others of us, not so much. Some of us have more family than we want and others have little to no family at all.

And if your experience is the latter of both of these statements, I am so sorry. And I hope that despite the pain and trauma you may carry with you regarding family, we can become the biological family you always wanted, a family that may not be perfect, but a family shaped by Christ.

And thus, Christ’s vision for the church is that we would learn to look like Him together. This is family. This is the church.

And so, with that said, what does it mean to be a part of this family? To belong to this church? To do this thing together? There are 5 commitments that we ask each participant in this community to make.

Reveal the Kingdom of Jesus

This is the first step in committing to following Jesus together which is why Alex spent all last week explaining the kingdom of Jesus. If you were not here, I would encourage you to go back and listen to it on YouTube or the podcast.

In summary, the kingdom of Jesus is not simply declaring Jesus as the king of my heart but the king of my life and that vision to bring God’s kingdom to earth is the good news, the gospel.

It is an upside-down Kingdom, a new world order– under the leadership of Jesus. It is a Kingdom that we were made to be a part of.

As Dallas Willard puts it – "We are built to live in the kingdom of God. It is our natural habitat."

So the first step to committing to this church is revealing the kingdom or as Jesus puts it in Mark 1:15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Belong to a Microchurch

We often get asked why we can’t just call Microchurches small groups and let me assure you the word Microchurch is very intentional. Every week we gather around the bare essentials of church- prayer, scripture, and mission. And as we do this, we are making a theological distinction that yes, even this very ordinary gathering is a church.

We are convinced that praying with one another and reading the scriptures can change the ways in which we live, and can help us reveal the kingdom of Jesus in a more powerful way.

And the beautiful thing about microchurch is when we commit to gathering around those three things, community naturally happens. But unlike other groups you may have been a part of in the past, similarity or how well everyone gets along, is not the thing that binds microchurch. Rather the mandate Jesus has given us, to be the church, to prayer, scripture, and mission, is the thing that binds and sustains us.

So just like the disciples, we may be a messy bunch of people with varying beliefs and backgrounds, but we come together time and time again, in the midst of laughter and of conflict, to shape one another.

So here is my encouragement to you today…

If you are not a part of a microchurch, consider joining one. The best place to start would be attending our newcomer lunch after church today or filling out the interest form on our website.

If you are already in a microchurch, re-evaluate and commit to being part of that community for it is practically impossible to be intentionally shaped by a community if you don’t regularly show up. So here is what we would ask of every microchurch member:

Regularly attend unless you’re out of town, sick, or there is an unforeseen, unavoidable circumstance outside of your control.

Give your wonderful mirochurch leader a 24 hours notice for any absence.

Actively participate: help with the meal, hosting, and clean up. Add to the conversation, prayer, and discussion.

Lead a microchurch. We need more microchurch leaders who are willing to open their homes and hearts to pastoring people. Alex and I would be fools if we thought we could intentionally pastor more than 20 people which is why we need people to share the load by caring, loving, and serving those around you. If you are interested in this, talk with your current microchurch leader or one of our pastoral team members.

Gather on Sunday

As much as we love and value microchurch, we still believe in the value of the Sunday rhythm. There is something about

gathering together,

letting the voices of those around you carry you,

hearing the stories of the people of God,

of being reminded of the teachings of Jesus,

of being challenged to commit to a spiritual practice every week,

of confessing with one another and

taking communion with one another that forms us and shapes us to be the sent people of God.

And thus, we invite you to prioritize this as a rhythm- we know life happens and you travel, believe me we want you to take intentional time away, to take care of your family. But, we ask that when you are in KC, you make this a committed rhythm because we really believe that showing up, shapes us.

The great missionary and Nobel Laureate Albert Schwitzer reportedly said, “Do not let Sunday be taken from you. If your soul has no Sunday, it becomes an orphan.”

And thus, would you prioritize gathering with us on Sunday?

Serve

Jesus’ teachings and the depictions of the early church in the New Testament are filled with instruction to us regarding service. To name a few…

Mark 10:44-45 says, “And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

1 Peter 4:10 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.”

Galatians 5:13-14 “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus and his disciples instructed in and demonstrated service to one another and to those in need. Thus, it is our desire to reclaim the full breath of the word service to include both those two things: serving one another and the community of Kansas City.

Serve one another on a Sunday. At Midtown Church, we desire to be a place where many do a few things instead of the few doing many.

However, for many of you, based on previous church experience, serving on a Sunday has equated to unsustainable practice. One that has come at a spiritual and relational loss.

With that in mind, here is our commitment to you. We promise to create an intentional but paired back Sunday gathering that is not unduly arduous or time consuming. We also promise to care more about you as a person than what you can do for church.

So, here is my request: please consider serving one another 1-2 times a month, to say I am going to contribute to serving this community of Jesus followers on a regular basis. Signups are available on our website.

Serve the community throughout the week. Service should always extend much farther and wider than these four walls to the people of Midtown and to Kansas City. At Midtown Church, we want to shift from a praxis that says only certain people or ministries are called to serve and love the poor, oppressed, and marginalized to a praxis that says all are called. Jesus’ teachings are pretty clear that serving the marginalized is a Gospel mandate.

And although this is a learned heart posture, we create monthly opportunities to serve our community and learn to love even the most vulnerable.

Past Serve days include…

An Agape Pamoja work day in which work on a house for a Congolese immigrant family in Kansas City.

An easter brunch at Synergy for at-risk teens.

The Juneteenth block party hosted by the Hope Center.

Teacher support and mentoring opportunities at Central High School, a local KCPS school just down the road.

So, if you are not regularly engaging in work where you are caring for and serving the poor, oppressed and marginalized, consider coming to our monthly serve days. Signups are online.

Be Generous.

We are a descendants of an ancient church that has historically practiced a 10% tithe. And as a participant in this community we ask that you work toward that 10%. Alex and I will never ask you to do something we do not do ourselves. We practice 10% and beyond in our personal finances.

So if you have never given before, 1% is a great place to start. If you have been giving 10% regularly for a long time, maybe it is time to consider going above and beyond.

I am fully aware that this is the stickiest thing to ask for in the 21st century and that it sounds extremely self-serving coming from a pastor whose salary is funded by your generosity. I am also aware that there is a lot of mistrust regarding finances and the church

But I am also fully committed to practicing, living, and instructing in the life of Jesus. And when you read the scriptures, there is no doubt that Jesus calls us to radical generosity, above and beyond even the 10% required in Jesus’ day. This is why Jesus commends the widow for her offering in Mark 12:41-44. It says,

“41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

This is why we pray our generosity prayer every week as we work to shape our hearts and minds toward the person of Jesus and not the idol of money. As we work to be more like the poor widow than the rich people in this story.

My invitation today is that you follow Jesus' call to live a radically generous life by just starting somewhere. Start with something, and continue working up to more significant measures of generosity.

Brief side note- we are on track to give $40,000 this year to church planting, missionaries, and community needs which is INCREDIBLE for a church of about 150. Thank you for your generosity as this deserves CELEBRATION!

SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

Worship team if you would join me.

In life I have learned that all great offers have unintended consequences. And the unintended consequence of following Jesus is that we have to do it with other people, we have to do it together.

I cannot promise you that this community will be perfect, in fact I can promise you that it will be messy. Alex and I will fail you, one of our leaders will fail you, you will experience conflict with others, you will not like everyone, and sometimes you just won’t have the energy for it.

BUT I can promise you that if you commit to revealing Jesus’ kingdom, belonging to a microchurch, gathering on Sunday, serving one another and KC, and to generosity, we will shape one another more towards the person of Christ every day.

Here is how Alex and I see these 5 commitments shaping us:

Running home to clean our house, getting something on the stove for dinner, and hosting people for a microchurch after a long Wednesday, sounds exhausting. BUT there has never been a microchurch where everyone has left, and we have regretted it. We always walk away refreshed, with tired bodies, but full hearts.

Getting to church at 8:00am on a Sunday is not my preferred sleeping schedule. BUT the moment you get here, I am filled with joy and reminded that I am not doing this life alone.

Spending a Saturday morning working on an Agape Pamoja house and getting dirty beyond recognition, is not easy. BUT the families it has changed and the friendships that have formed, make it all worth it.

The way Alex and I manage our finances does not make sense to most, we have given up the dream of the nicest car, the biggest house, and the vacation every month. BUT it challenges the idol of money that so often grips my heart and provides for someone in need.

Today, my offer is to join this community knowing full well that together does not mean perfect but it does mean transformation.

So if you are new today, there is absolutely no pressure to sign a dotted line. But if this vision compelled you, we would love for you to come and learn more at our newcomers lunch immediately following service today. And if not, we have some great church communities we can recommend as you search for a church family.

For those who have been a part of Midtown for a few months or a few years, I think it is easy to walk away from a teaching like this with guilt or condemnation. And although this is not my intended purpose, I do think this message will be a challenge to some of you to re-evaluate your commitment.

If you’re just looking for a good place to spend 90 minutes on Sunday, with friendly people, decent coffee— you are so welcome. There is no condemnation, no judgment.

But here is my warning to you- you will not discover the Church as Family that Jesus talks about with a half-hearted commitment. You will not discover the depths of rich relationship or the treasure that is life together. Observing a community by attending every month or so is not the same as being deeply committed to one another and the vision Jesus has for his people.

I want a community that knows the contours of my life because they’ve been close enough to observe it.

I want a community that has known suffering and victory with me. I want friendships that feel more like family,

that break into my refrigerator, sleep on my couch, and ask if I can take them to the airport at 6am.

I want a community that challenges me to follow Jesus more wholeheartedly, more sacrificially, and more faithfully.

This is the type of community I want. But I can’t want it for you. Our pastors can’t want it for you, our leadership team can’t want it for you. You have to make the commitment- you have to want it because Jesus wants it for you.

This teaching is an invitation to examine your commitment to Jesus’ church and this family and ask the question, Jesus, what step do I need to take as I reveal the kingdom of Jesus with others?