Garden City Church Garden City Church Pittsburgh

This week, Pastor Dennis walks through Acts 21:26-36. Paul is in Jerusalem, trying to prove to the Jewish Christians who are "zealous for the law" that he isn't trying to abolish the law. In fact, while Paul is actively observing and upholding the law he's captured and beaten in the temple by a crowd of "law-observing" Jews. We see in this passage what can happen when people believe their political desires align with God's will for a nation. We can embrace the false idea that "the ends justify the means," which is not a way of living or being we ever see Jesus embrace. We are oftentimes "zealous for Jesus" until He becomes an obstacle to our worldly pursuits. So, how then are we to live and act? This story begins helping us figure out what faithfulness to Jesus might look like in this fraught political and cultural moment in America?
*This sermon includes an excerpt of Rage Against the Machine's song, "Killing in the Name," which is available on Apple Music here.

This week Benjamin Chua walked through the story of Paul's return to Jerusalem in Acts 21:17-25. Almost immediately after entering Jerusalem, Paul learns the church there is fiercely enthusiastic for the law, not Jesus. For the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem their belief wasn't rooted in the foundational story of God's covenant family culminating in Jesus and looking ahead to the fullness of His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, but in a rigid, backwards-looking interpretation of the law, in which they used Jesus to rubber-stamp their rule-following theology. The church is to be a community cradled in the love of God, with love for one another. This is what Paul fought for and it's what we should fight for, too.
*The music at the end of the sermon is "3 Hours of Soaking in His Presence" by William Augusto. The full song can be found here.

In Acts 21:1-16 Paul is en route to Jerusalem. He's resolved in his heart after discerning through the Spirit this is where he's supposed to go, even though he knows suffering and imprisonment likely await him there. In these sixteen verses we see people who love Paul try to discourage him from continuing his journey. They encourage him to abandon this trip, to not go to Jerusalem, and even claim they've heard from the Spirit, too. These people, who love Paul, demonstrate a belief many of us fall prey to - that if something involves suffering it can't possibly be God's will for us. And yet, just because our journey might involve suffering, it doesn't mean it isn't God's will.

Pastor Shaq Hager continued our Acts series by discussing Acts 20:28-38, the second half of Paul's speech to the Ephesian Elders. Paul believes this is the last time he'll see these leaders he loves so much. It's heartfelt and emotional. Paul knows these leaders will need to shepherd their congregation within an empire that believed the early church to be anti-imperial and a subversive threat to Rome. It's why he wants these leaders to take their role seriously - care for people and love Jesus. It's an invitation for everyone of us. We are to love our neighbors and God with all that we are.

The apostle Paul endured great suffering. A kind of suffering that works like a crucible, forging his soul more into the shape of Jesus.* This week, Pastor Dennis walks us through the end of Acts 19 and into Acts 20 exploring the end of Paul's ministry in Ephesus and how his letter, 2 Corinthians, reveals the depths of suffering he endured there. Suffering is part of the human condition and experience. Jesus and Paul suffered, and we will, too. Our suffering doesn't disprove God's existence or His love for us. Instead, our suffering can draw us closer to Jesus' heart, shape our hearts and souls more into the image of Jesus, and help us provide comfort and hope to others.
*This is language used by John Mark Comer in his book, Practicing the Way.

This week Pastor Dennis lead a conversation focused on Acts 19:23-41, a story about people in Ephesus rioting because they believed Jesus' followers were actively seeking to undermine the financial, economic, and religious systems that shaped the city. It's a story that makes clear Jesus' words in Matthew's Gospel about two roads - a narrow road and a wide road. The narrow road leads to Jesus and the wide road leads away from Him. The story serves as an invitation for us to join Jesus on the narrow road and, in so doing, to be people whose very way of living challenges the power structures and value systems of the majority culture in our neighborhoods.