PRAY IT! Live For Your City

There is a difference between physically taking up space, and being present and engaged.  Imagine the ridiculousness of a teacher standing at the front of a classroom, but not teaching.  The effectiveness of a fire department that sits in their truck, hoses primed, as a house burns to the ground.  Imagine a surgeon, scrubbed in and ready, but that does not perform surgery.  A chef in the kitchen who does not prepare food.  A swimmer that stays perched on the diving board.  A church that passively exists in its community.  A Christian that does not interact with people.  The people in our cities need us to be more than physically located in our city.  They need us to be present, active, and engaged. 

Throughout Scripture, Jesus uses a lot of action words. 

"...follow me..." (Matthew 9:9)
"...pray earnestly..." (Matthew 9:38)
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." (Matthew 28:19)

It is not the intent of Christ that we are to be blobs merely taking up space until we die.  We were made for action.  We were made for more.  He can use us to bring about good.  2 Timothy 1:9 states " He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time" (NIV).

In Philippians 1, we are exposed to Paul's heart.  He loves Jesus and yearns to be with Him.  Yet, he also loves the Philippians.  He is willing to put his own desires on the back burner, patiently waiting and trusting in God's timing, as he follows the desires of God, and lives out God's purposes in his life.  Prayer is interwoven throughout this entire chapter.

It can be easier to live disconnected than engaged.  Investing in others takes work.  Prayer is foundational in helping us overcome the hurdle of isolation and apathy.  In Philippians 1, we can learn how to target our prayers as we surrender to what God wants, living for Jesus, and living for our city.

1.)  Pray joyfully and thankfully (v3)
2.)  Pray confidently (v6)
3.)  Pray specifically; pray with Christ-focus (v9)
4.)  Pray for others (v19)

Jesus, I am so excited to spend eternity with You in Your Heavenly city.  I am also just as excited to see my city transformed through Your powerful love.  Use me in a powerful way in my city.  Amen.

PoC Prayer Service is tonight, at 7pm.  Would you consider joining us?

Pastor Celia

Have Compassion Directly - A Letter from Pastor Todd

Dear PoC Family,

It is easy and common to feel great haunting compassion for people that we can’t help easily or directly.  

• When I worked as a surgical tech in Nashville, TN, I had to transport a young man who was my exact age back to his room.  He had just come from an open and shut surgery that lasted about 30 minutes.  The doctors had found that his abdomen was filled with cancer.  The doctor’s initial guess was that this young man, new husband, son, brother, and friend only had about 6-8 months to live.  As I approached his room, I could hear the family wailing from down the hall.  It was a horrible scene.  As the patient was still recovering, the family and especially his young wife could not contain their emotion as I wheeled this doomed young man into the room.  It haunted me then and haunts me now.  My heart was filled with a painful compassion for a man who I could not help.  Even now, I pray for a wife and family who I do not know.  But, I can’t touch them.  I can’t help them directly.

• When I took my first trip to Cali, Colombia, we took a late night bus ride through the city to go back to our hotel.  I was still floating from the incredible service and touch of the Holy Spirit that we received.  I looked out my window at the beautiful city that was passing by.  I noticed as we go to one of the poorer parts of the city how bad the traffic was, how dark it was, how scary it seemed to be.  Then, I noticed a little boy who was about my son, Samuel’s age, 3 or 4.  He was playing in the middle of the street on a patch of sand as cars and busses hurried by him from both directions.  I was so alarmed that I asked our guide, “Why is that boy in the middle of the road.”  He looked around for the little boy, saw him and said, “Oh, he’s just playing.”  I thought, “Well, yes, I know that!”  I said, “But where are his parents?”  My guide shot back, “Probably working.”  And, that was it.  My heart was filled with a painful compassion for that boy who I could not help.  Even now, I pray for this boy who I do not know.  But, I can’t touch him.  I can’t help him directly.

• Several months back, Pastor Celia Vineyard, our Pastor of Prayer and Encouragement, alerted me to the international story of Meriam Ibrahim, Christian doctor, mother of two (still pregnant with one of her children) was put in a Sudanese prison because of her faith.  I watched this story with the world and cried out to God with thousands of others.  I carried a burden for this young woman and her husband, rejoiced when she was set free, squirmed when she was recaptured, and rejoiced again as the story began to unfold.  My heart was filled with a painful compassion for her and her family who I could not help.  Even now, I pray for a woman who I do not know.  But, I can’t touch her.  I can’t help her directly.

In Matthew 9, Jesus said to the Pharisees who questioned why He befriended sinners, “Go and find out what is meant by the scripture that says:  ‘It is kindness that I want, not animal sacrifices.’”  (Matt. 9: 13a)  The original Greek word translated as “kindness” here, means to show pity or compassion towards hurting people.  Jesus performed powerful, direct, hands-on-the-spot miracles in Matthew 9:  healed the sick and demon-possessed (directly), a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years (directly), a young girl raised back to life (directly), a man delivered from a demon that kept him from speaking (directly), and two blind men who received their sight (directly).  Matthew, who wrote this book, had personally experienced God’s compassion (directly) when Jesus ate with him and his ‘sinner’ friends.  Matthew describes his perception of Jesus beautifully in Matthew 9: 36:  “As he saw the crowds, his heart was filled with pity for them, because they were worried and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”  

PoC, it is easy and common to feel great haunting compassion for people that we can’t help easily or directly.  I hear it all the time (ALL THE TIME):  people who carry huge burdens for people “over there” or children “over there” or poverty “over there”.  And this is good.  We need to pray diligently for people that we can’t touch.  Prayer is often all we have.  We need to give to people “over there,” because we have been blessed and can/should/must help.  But, if we are not careful we will allow these far away needs to blind us from being hands-on right here where we are in our own city where we can touch directly and give directly.  We must learn what it means to have compassion for people directly if we are going to impact our cities the way Jesus modeled moment-by-moment compassion.  Up and down the streets where Jesus walked directly was where he felt compassion and did his great miracles.

Think about it.  Here in Bloomington/Normal, if your heart is moved with compassion when you see poverty, we got your poverty.  It’s right here in our streets.  Here in Bloomington/Normal, if your heart is moved with compassion when you see abuse, we got your abuse.  It’s right here in our streets.  Here in Bloomington/Normal, if your heart is moved by homelessness, neglect, extreme illness, and death, we got your homelessness, neglect, extreme illness, and death.  It’s right here in our streets.  We can pray for those hurting around the world AND we can be led by our Spirit-given compassion for the lost, hurting and dying right here where we are, directly.

Pray and give beyond?  Certainly.  But locally, get caught red-handed right in the middle of God’s plans.

Hey, I’m back and can’t wait to see you on Sunday,

Pastor Todd

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotion — “Spiritual Fingerprints”

Supplies: Bible; white paper; ink pad (washable if you have it)

TRY

I absolutely LOVE detective stories!  So this week, we’re going to be amateur investigators.  Using the ink pad and paper, make a set of your fingerprints.  It may be easier for you to take each other’s prints.  Try to get nice, clear images on the paper.  Once your done and your hands are clean, compare your fingerprints.  How does your thumb compare to your other fingers?  What about left hand vs right hand?  Now compare your prints to the rest of the family.  Any similarity?  When fingerprint detection came on the scene, it revolutionized criminal investigation.  Brainstorm other ways fingerprints are used.  What makes them so valuable?

READ

Pick someone from your family to read Philippians 1:21-26.  Paraphrase for young children.

THINK 

Paul knew how awesome Heaven was, enough so that he said that dying would be better: “to die is gain.”  At the same time, he recognized how important his role on earth was.  Paul knew how many people were learning about Jesus and accepting Him as their Savior directly because of Paul’s teachings.  He’s not bragging—he just knew what was what.  Because of that reality, even though he longed to join Jesus in Heaven, Paul embraced his call, stuck around, and used his influence to draw people closer to Jesus.  “To live is Christ.”

I’m guessing most of you aren’t vying for Heaven yet.  Yeah, it’s a great place, but most people I meet—even Christians—aren’t jumping at the bit to get there.  At the same time, we’re not staying where we are either.  God has placed us in specific environments—neighborhoods, schools, jobs, sports leagues, clubs, volunteer groups—because He wants us to influence the people around us, just like Paul did.  The problem is we can’t do that if we’re always running around from place to place being busy.  We also can’t do it if we stayed holed up in our own little family with our select group of friends, never letting anyone else into our lives or giving other people the chance to let us into theirs.  To really touch people, you have to touch people.  If we want to draw people closer to Jesus, we have to stay around long enough to talk with them and build a connection, almost like leaving fingerprints on their heart.  That means hanging out more outside where we can see and talk with neighbors.  It means hanging out in the break room just to chat with people, or letting someone new sit with us at lunch…even if they’re not that cool.  It means being present where we are, being around long enough for people to notice the presence of Jesus, too. 

APPLY

Your fingerprints are unique.  That’s why they’re so critical in criminal investigations—fingerprints prove that you’ve been someplace.  You have a unique “spiritual fingerprint” too, a very God-specific way that you touch people and influence them.  Sit in a circle and take a minute to think about the other members of your family.  How are they unique?  How do they touch people’s hearts in a special way?  What’s their God-specific method for connecting other people to Jesus?  Now go around and everyone share their thoughts…once around the circle for everyone to share about Dad, once around for Mom, etc.  Now take this information and make it make a difference: how can you use your spiritual fingerprints to treat your neighborhood this week?

PRAY

Heavenly Father, we praise You because we are made in Your wonderful image, uniquely woven together for a purpose.  Help us to see and understand the part You’ve created for us in our communities, our jobs, our schools.  Give us opportunities to stick around and touch the people You’ve placed around us.  We want to leave our fingerprints all over our city, in Your holy name, Jesus!  Amen.

REPLY

Did you and your family enjoy this devotional blog?  We'd love to know about it!  Our hope is to continue providing this weekly opportunity for families to do a devotion together.  If your family did this devotion, please shoot us an email, text or just post a comment to this blog.

EXPLORE IT - Philippians 1

The New Testament book of Philippians is an epistle, or letter, written by the Apostle Paul.  It is interesting that Paul does not refer to himself as an Apostle in this letter as he does in most of the letters he wrote.  Some scholars believe this omission illustrates Paul’s close relationship with the Church in Philippi.  This church had been founded by Paul in the early 50’s in the first century.  Timothy seems to have been very involved in this church plant and a deep bond was created between him and the Philippi Church.  The writing of this letter is dated during the late 50’s or early 60’s while Paul was in prison.  The letter is in response to a monetary gift the Philippians had sent to Paul through their delegate, Epaphroditus.

Philippians begins like most of Paul’s epistles with an introductory paragraph including a salutation, followed by a thanksgiving.  Philippians then moves into a substantive prayer of intercession.  The inclusion of a significant prayer is included in Philippians and Colossians only.  Another distinction in this letter is the inclusion of a detailed account of Paul’s current circumstances immediately following the opening paragraph.  This report is usually included towards the end of the body of the letter in the “travelogue.”  After Paul shares a description of his circumstances (vv. 12-17), he then includes a very moving expression of his attitude towards the Philippian believers (vv. 18-26).  The inclusion of these unique elements reveals the close bond between Paul and the Philippi Church. 

It is also possible Paul is including these sections in response to the monetary gift given by the Philippi Church.  Not unlike modern-day missionaries, Paul is reporting what is going on with his current ministry and how it is able to flourish with the help of their support.  Even though Paul is imprisoned, his work of the gospel has not ceased.  He reassures them by sharing his hope that he will be released from prison soon.  Paul concludes this chapter by encouraging the Philippians towards sanctification, standing firm in their faith and joining together in unity as a Church.

This is a great letter and I encourage you to read through these powerful four chapters!

Blessings,
Pastor Amy

READ IT! - Monday Reading - Matthew 9

Yesterday, the sermon included the following scripture.  

Let's review it together today.

Matthew 9

New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

9 Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. 2 Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.”

3 But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?”
4 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? 6 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
7 And the man jumped up and went home! 8 Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for sending a man with such great authority.

Jesus Calls Matthew

9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.

10 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. 11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”
12 When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” 13 Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

A Discussion about Fasting

14 One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?”

15 Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.
17 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”

Jesus Heals in Response to Faith

18 As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.”

19 So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him. 20 Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, 21 for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”
22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. 24 “Get out!” he told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at him. 25 After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! 26 The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.

Jesus Heals the Blind

27 After Jesus left the girl’s home, two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

28 They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can make you see?”
“Yes, Lord,” they told him, “we do.”
29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.” 30 Then their eyes were opened, and they could see! Jesus sternly warned them, “Don’t tell anyone about this.” 31 But instead, they went out and spread his fame all over the region.
32 When they left, a demon-possessed man who couldn’t speak was brought to Jesus. 33 So Jesus cast out the demon, and then the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed. “Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel!” they exclaimed.
34 But the Pharisees said, “He can cast out demons because he is empowered by the prince of demons.”

The Need for Workers

35 Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to his disciples,“The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

READ IT! - Monday Reading - Philippians 1

Yesterday, the sermon included the following scripture.  

Let's review it together today.

Philippians 1

New Living Translation (NLT)

Greetings from Paul

1 This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus.

I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the elders and deacons.
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. 8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.
9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

Paul’s Joy That Christ Is Preached

12 And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 13 For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 14 And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.

15 It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16 They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 17 Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 18 But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. 19 For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.

Paul’s Life for Christ

20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. 21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. 22 But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. 23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. 24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.

25 Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. 26 And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me.

Live as Citizens of Heaven

27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. 28 Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. 29 For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. 30 We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

PREPARE FOR IT! - Saturday Reading - Philippians 1

Tomorrow's sermon will include the following scripture.  

Let's read it together today to prepare our hearts.

Philippians 1

New Living Translation (NLT)

Greetings from Paul

1 This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus.

I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the elders and deacons.
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. 8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.
9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

Paul’s Joy That Christ Is Preached

12 And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 13 For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 14 And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.

15 It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16 They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 17 Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 18 But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. 19 For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.

Paul’s Life for Christ

20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. 21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. 22 But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. 23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. 24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.

25 Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. 26 And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me.

Live as Citizens of Heaven

27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. 28 Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. 29 For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. 30 We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

Living On Mission with Paul

Paul must have been quite a character. People either loved him or hated him. He messed with the religious belief systems much the same way that Jesus did and therefore got treated pretty much the same as Jesus did by religious people. They were intrigued at first and then became angry when their comfort zone was invaded. (Because of this, he often didn’t stay in one place very long.) I can almost hear them now, “What do you mean we’ve had this wrong all along? Stop messin’ with our traditions!” Regardless of whether he was being loved or hated, Paul was always on mission. He knew what he was sent to do; preach Christ. And he did so—boldly, fearlessly, and in a culturally relevant way.

That’s why I love these stories in Acts 17. They show us that Paul knew how to work with the culture wherever he went. In Thessalonica he used his knowledge of the customs and beliefs of the Jews as a launching pad to tell the story of Jesus. In Berea he again went to the synagogue and started preaching about Jesus, knowing that they would continue to study the scriptures to determine if he was right or wrong even though he was only there a short while.  In Athens, he recognized that, “All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas,” so he found a way to weave the story of Jesus into their daily discussions. (Acts 17:21)

Paul was smart and used the culture of his day find ways to preach Jesus. He didn’t try to win people by doing something completely foreign to them. He didn’t rush out and bring Billy Graham and his gigantic crusade team into town. He met the people where they were and found culturally relevant ways to bring the good news of Jesus to them.  He didn’t soft-pedal the message in order to fit in culturally; he boldly proclaimed Jesus as Messiah, the word of God, and showed how God has been at work, “…so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.” (Acts 17:27)

We have been sent by God to proclaim the good news.  All of us. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us identify ways that we can use the culture of our city/workplace/neighborhood to bring the love of Jesus to those around us.

Let’s practice living on mission and get caught RedHanded – LovingOurCity.

Pastor Angela

PRAY IT! Removing Barriers and Building Bridges

In a scene from season 1 of the TV show The Big Bang Theory, physicists Sheldon, Leonard, and Raj are short a fourth player for their video-gaming night.  Penny, a waitress/actress, with limited previous video-gaming experience, volunteers to be their fourth player.  As Sheldon begins to object, citing the various strategies she'll need to be aware of in order to play, Penny proceeds to pick up the controller and blows the head off Sheldon's video-game character.  Ahhh, strategy.  If only it could be that easy!

All jokes aside, have you ever dove right into something with good intentions, yet ended up "blowing the head off of someone" instead of being helpful?  This is why we need the Holy Spirit to guide us as we go about our lives, helping us to speak and act as God wants.  Left to our own devices, apart from God, we mess things up.  John 14:26 says " But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."

This week, as we contemplate Paul's interactions in his various mission fields, in various cities, as depicted in Acts 17, we can target our prayers specifically to ask God to show us HIS strategies as we look at our city with perhaps a fresh pair of eyes and a renewed heart:  HIS eyes and HIS heart.  Let us cast off any cookie-cutter approaches and default reactions and allow ourselves to be open to God's strategies.

Psalm 51:11 says "Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me".  Let this be our prayer.  We cannot do any of this well apart from Jesus.

Jesus, help me to see Your strategies for reaching the different groups in my city.  Help me to overlook anything that offends me and see the opportunities for You to transform my city.  Amen.

PoC Prayer Service is tonight at 7pm.  We'd love to see you there! 

Pastor Celia

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotion -- "Alien Cultures"

Supplies: Bible; slips of paper with these words: sin, Son of God, crucifixion, salvation, the Gospel story

TRY

Let’s play “Alien Charades!”  Your family has just finished dinner when a blindingly bright light appears in your backyard.  You all run out to see two aliens emerging from a spaceship.   They walk up to you holding a picture of Jesus.  While it’s obvious they want to know who this man is, it’s equally obvious they don’t “speak the language.”  Either individually or in teams, have your family take turns acting out the words on the slips of paper.  Remember, these are aliens.  They only have a basic understanding of Earth life from their observations.  How are you going to communicate with them about Jesus?  If you have very young children, ask them to explain what those words mean, or variations of the words.  This is a great opportunity to see how much your child knows about these ideas.

READ

Read Acts 17:16, 19-31.

THINK 

While the scenario from above may seem absurd, Paul found himself in a situation kind of like this. He walked into an “alien” culture not at all like the world he’d grown up in.  These people had never heard of anything like a “one true God.”  To them, “one” and “god” were oxymorons—exact opposites.  But Paul knew they still needed to know about Jesus so they could eventually know Jesus.  It was that passion he had to help these strange Athenians that sparked the creativity he needed to explain Jesus in a meaningful way.

We are surrounded by “alien” cultures.  Everyone has their own background, their own set of values, their own thoughts and ideas on how the world works, and their own opinions about spirituality.  The woman in the office next to yours went to church as a child because her parents wanted some free time.  She thinks Jesus and church are a convenient service, not something that will change her life.  The elderly man across the street went to church until his wife died suddenly in a car accident.  Now he thinks God is mean and punishes people randomly.  Then there’s the guy that sits next to you in math class who has never even heard of Jesus.  His family is from a different country; they’ve never even stepped foot in a church.   With so many different points of view, it can be hard to share the real Jesus in ways that make sense to everybody around us.  But the other option is not to share Him at all…and that’s really not an option.

APPLY

Take some time and talk as a family about the different points of view you come across.  How do your neighbors talk about Jesus?  What about your coworkers?  Your friends at school?  Who do they think He is?  What confuses them about Him?  Now brainstorm ways you can explain or share Jesus that would address these needs.  If one of those individuals showed up in your backyard with a picture of Jesus and a lot of questions, what would you say?  Share your approach with the rest of your family.  Imagine the difference you might be able to make by translating Jesus’ message of love and forgiveness into the “alien” languages around you! 

PRAY

Jesus, we thank You for Your gift of grace and we praise You knowing that this gift is for everyone.  Jesus, would You help us share about You and Your love with the people around us.  Give us the right approach, the right words to speak in ways our friends and neighbors will understand.  Use us, Jesus, to draw people closer to You.  In Your holy name we pray, Amen.

REPLY

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EXPLORE IT - Acts 17

The New Testament book of Acts has been given many names during the first and second centuries.  Titles include some we are familiar with like “The Acts of the Apostles” to unfamiliar titles like “Luke the evangelist’s Acts of the Holy Apostles” and “testimony of Luke regarding the apostles.”  With many of these titles attributing the content to Luke, (the same author of the third Gospel) we can be sure he also penned the book of Acts.  Many scholars designate the book of Acts as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke and recommend reading them back-to-back.

As one of the longest books in the New Testament, Acts focuses on God – how he empowers, guides, safeguards, and directs His Church.  We experience the coming of the Holy Spirit, the conversion of Paul, and the multiplying growth of the Church in its early days.  The story begins in Jerusalem as Peter gathers this new community of faith.  Others begin to move outside of Jerusalem, sharing the Gospel message in Samaria and then on to the Gentiles at Caesarea.  We then transition to Antioch and the launching of Paul’s missionary travels.

Tradition has Paul and several companions completing three journeys.  Our passage, Acts 17, falls within Paul’s second journey.  Paul’s preaching in Thessalonica is met with success and persecution, a pattern that forms throughout the book of Acts.  Paul then moves on to Beroea, where he receives a positive welcome, but is followed there by those he upset in Thessalonica.  They stir up the locals and Paul has to move on once again. 

Paul arrives in Athens, the capital of ancient Attica and instead of preaching to mostly Jewish people with a few Gentiles, he is preaching to a solely Gentile crowd.  This is the best account of how Paul handles this kind of audience.  Paul is deeply disturbed by the vast array of idols he sees in Athens.  The word translated in the NIV as “greatly distressed” (paroxu,nw  paraxyno) is better translated as “despise” or “revile.”  In other words, “greatly distressed” doesn’t do justice to how upset Paul truly was. 

Paul meets with Epicureans and Stoics, two of the most famous philosophical schools of this time.  Some see his as “a babbler” or someone who gathers pieces of information here and there and shares this “knowledge” with others as if he knows what he is talking about.  Others see him as a teacher of foreign gods.  Paul is then brought to speak to the Areopagus, a powerful council that tried crimes, regulated education as well as public morality, and controlled which foreign gods would be allowed into their community. 

Paul did well in his preaching until verse 32 and the mention of the resurrection.  Greeks had no context to understand resurrection, dead people remained dead people.  The concepts Paul spoke of were foreign to those in Athens.  Some made fun of him, some had questions and wanted to know more, and some believed.  We too live in a day where concepts of Christianity are foreign to many of those around us.  Even though we may “despise” or “revile” their lifestyles, we need to follow in Paul’s footsteps and share the gospel message with them with generous, honest spirits.  We must be gracious to those who are unfamiliar with Christianity, but we can’t water down the Gospel message.  Some will make fun of us, others will have questions, but there will be some who believe.  That is well worth the effort.

Blessings,
Pastor Amy

READ IT! - Monday Reading - Acts 17

Yesterday, the sermon included the following scripture.  

Let's review it together today.

Acts 17

New Living Translation (NLT)

Paul Preaches in Thessalonica

17 Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. 3 He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” 4 Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women.

5 But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd. 6 Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. “Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too. 7 And Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.”
8 The people of the city, as well as the city council, were thrown into turmoil by these reports. 9 So the officials forced Jason and the other believers to post bond, and then they released them.

Paul and Silas in Berea

10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. 12 As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.

13 But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble. 14 The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind.15 Those escorting Paul went with him all the way to Athens; then they returned to Berea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him.

Paul Preaches in Athens

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. 17 He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.

18 He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.”
19 Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. 20 “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” 21 (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)
22 So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, 23 for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.
24 “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, 25 and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. 26 From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. 28 For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.
30 “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”
32 When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” 33 That ended Paul’s discussion with them, 34 but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

PREPARE FOR IT! - Saturday Reading - Acts 17

Tomorrow's sermon will include the following scripture.  

Let's read it together today to prepare our hearts.

Acts 17

New Living Translation (NLT)

Paul Preaches in Thessalonica

17 Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. 3 He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” 4 Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women.

5 But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd. 6 Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. “Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too. 7 And Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.”
8 The people of the city, as well as the city council, were thrown into turmoil by these reports. 9 So the officials forced Jason and the other believers to post bond, and then they released them.

Paul and Silas in Berea

10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. 12 As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.

13 But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble. 14 The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind.15 Those escorting Paul went with him all the way to Athens; then they returned to Berea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him.

Paul Preaches in Athens

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. 17 He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.

18 He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.”
19 Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. 20 “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” 21 (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)
22 So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, 23 for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.
24 “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, 25 and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. 26 From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. 28 For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.
30 “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”
32 When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” 33 That ended Paul’s discussion with them, 34 but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Living On Mission with Jeremiah and the Exiles

The prophet Jeremiah was given a message from God to His people.  “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:  “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.  Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”  (Jeremiah 29:4-7)

Exiles are outside of their home country, not by choice. Often exiles have been banished from their home country as a means of punishment. Notice in the passage above that God said HE carried the people into exile. (A result of sin.) As Christians, we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. It could be said that we are living as exiles because we are not living in our spiritual home country. That perspective makes this passage very relevant to our lives today.  God wants us to engage in life and community where He has placed us; it’s a call to live incarnationally—among the people, and to ask God for good things for them.

God also gives this incredibly comforting word for those who are living as exiles; He will listen to our prayers and He will be found when we seek Him. “This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29:10-14)

In the passage above we also find that this God-induced stint in exile also came with a promise to bring them back home. Sound familiar? Jesus promised that He would return and take us to be with Him forever. In a very real sense, we will be living in exile until Jesus returns and we finally experience the full Kingdom of God. Meanwhile, what should we do? Pray for the cities where God has placed us. Know that He hears our prayers and desires for us to seek and find Him. Look for the day of His return and pray, “Your Kingdom come…on earth as it is in heaven.”

Let’s practice living on mission and get caught RedHanded – LovingOurCity.

Pastor Angela