City Church Tulsa City Church Tulsa

AWAKEN
Awakening to Authentic Ministry
4.21.24

1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. 2 We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. 7 Instead, we were like young children among you.
Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. 9 Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.


Paul reminds us that the essence of healthy Christian leadership is not about power or position or influence, but relationships.


When Narcissism Comes to Church by Chuck Degroat


The church can wound and the church can heal.


So, how do we bring about this reform needed in the church today?
1. We fight against the temptation to sit on the sideline and become a critic
2. We choose to embody healthy, genuine leadership with pure motives
3. We choose not to feed into the narcissistic culture of church and leadership
4. We embody an Ephesians 4 vision of the church with shared gifts and leadership
5. We continually center our lives on Jesus, the Word of God, and a commitment to discipleship and spiritual formation.



Henri Nouwen
The long painful history of the Church is the history of people ever and again tempted to choose power over love, control over the cross, being a leader over being led. Those who resisted this temptation to the end and thereby give us hope are the true saints. One thing is clear to me: the temptation of power is greatest when intimacy is a threat. Much Christian leadership is exercised by people who do not know how to develop healthy, intimate relationships and have opted for power and control instead. Many Christian empire-builders have been people unable to give and receive love.

Awakened to the Gospel
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
April 14, 2024

Acts 17:1-3
1When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah.”

Whenever the gospel is preached
1. Some people will get angry
2. Some people will elevate that anger to the level of persecution
3. Some people will embrace the message and give their lives to Jesus

Acts 17:5-9
5But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” 8When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

The Gospel Cycle:
· Good News Brought to You
· We modeled it
· Good News Received By You
· You Modeled It
· Good News Went Out From You



Genuine conversion changes our direction
Genuine conversion changes our affection

Bonhoeffer – Discipleship
God honors some with great suffering and grants them the grace of martyrdom, while others are not tempted beyond their strength. But in every case it is one cross. It is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering that everyone has to experience is the call which summons us away from our attachments to this world. It is the death of the old self in the encounter with Jesus Christ. Those who enter into discipleship enter into Jesus’ death. They turn their living into dying… Whenever Christ calls us, his call leads us to death.

· Transforms idols (Repentance)
· Turn to God (Faith)
· Turn our lives over to God (Service)

Genuine conversion changes our reflection

Is the Good News ringing out from my life?
Have I turned from my idols?
Am I speaking about and looking forward to Jesus’s return?

Anchored in a Drifting Culture
4.7.24

Colossians 2:1-8
I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.


I can’t help but recognize how many believers are adrift in our current culture because they are not anchored in the gospel, the word of God, or the body of Christ.


WHY WE DRIFT:
1. We’re not anchored to the gospel above all other things.
2. We’re not anchored to consistent community
We cannot live anchored in the gospel with superficial relationships.
3. We’re not anchored to any spiritual authority
4. We’re not anchored to the daily practices of transformation

THE CROWDS
Resurrection Tour
3.31.24

John 20:19-20
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Jesus comes for those who love Him and desire to follow Him but struggle with fear and lack of courage.

John 20:24-28
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus comes for those whose faith will fail, who have doubts, and who need to see before they believe.

John 21:15-19
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

Jesus comes for those who have failed in every possible way and think they’ve missed their opportunity and their calling.

Jesus meets us where we are.
Jesus never stops pursuing us.
Jesus resurrects the dead things in us.

A daily devotional for the Lent journey on scripture, a liturgy, a poem, or the life of a saint to ground you in God and His peace.

A daily devotional for the Lent journey on scripture, a liturgy, a poem, or the life of a saint to ground you in God and His peace.