On three very specific occasions, I’ve wished I could eat more. I had friends growing up that had the ability to consume large quantities of food. I was never one of those guys. However, the three times that I’ve visited Brazilian steakhouses, I’ve tried my best to match my big-eating friends. Even though the bliss of having large quantities of meat brought right to my plate brought great joy, the longer this eating-binge lasted the less joy I had. You see, the greater in frequency I experienced the meat, the worse I felt.

From Psalm 34:8, David presents the complete opposite of my eating experience. David shares with us that the greater we experience God, the more we will enjoy Him. David demonstrates for us three, provoking reasons to experience God.

The Plan to Experience God

This simple verse starts off with two imperatives. David invokes two of our senses as means to experience God. David presents us with a physical metaphor to drive home a spiritual truth.

“Taste and See”

Before we explore the depths of these two words, we must consider David’s vantage point. The nature of these imperatives is inclusive. Depending on where you are in the south, you could express these imperatives like this: “Y’all taste and see this.” This plural, inclusive imperative suggests that the person giving the command is partaking of what he’s offering.

Growing up as an only child, I was not accustomed to sharing my food. As I grew up, when I went out to eat with friends or Megan, I not only didn’t want to share my food but also certainly did not want them to share their food with me. I was fine with my selection. My brother in law, Peter, is just the opposite. Anytime we’ve eaten together, he wants to share his food and have others share their food with him. If Peter has something that he thoroughly enjoys, he then strongly desires others to experience the goodness that he’s enjoying.

Just like my brother-in-law, Peter, wanted us to taste and see how good his food is, David wants us to taste and see how good God is.

These two verbs, although expressing different senses, convey very similar meanings. Essentially, these verbs describe perceiving or experiencing. To aid us in our understanding of these commands lets take a look at a NT example and an OT example.

New Testament Example

1 Peter 2:2-3 ² Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Peter uses a very vivid illustration to convey experiencing God. Like babies long for milk, Peter says we ought to long for God. However, this illustration demonstrates a very similar picture to what we’ve already seen in Psalm 34. Now, we will look at two OT examples to further expand our understanding of “Taste and See.”

Old Testament Examples

Proverbs 31:18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night.

Interestingly the same word in Psalm 34 used to describe the taste is used to portray perceiving in Proverbs 31. Notice how she, the virtuous woman, is intimately aware of the value of her merchandise. Let’s also take a look at Isaiah 6:9 to address the sense of seeing

Isaiah 6:9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

Similarly, God relays to Isaiah the connection between seeing and perceiving. The people of Israel are described to hear but not understand and to see but not perceive. Whether it’s tasting or seeing, the end result is an intimate experience. Our challenge with the plan to experience God is not that we don’t understand what it means to taste and see but our actual experiencing God himself.

I asked this week on Facebook ways or moments people experience or have experienced God. The answers varied from dark, difficult moments to routines and daily practices. I don’t have the time to describe all the ways experiencing God is possible, yet, I want to direct you to a couple questions based on what we’ve covered

1. How often does a newborn baby cry for her mother’s milk?
2. What is the only thing that will satisfy that newborn baby?
3. How regularly and deeply are you experiencing God?

The greater we experience God the more we will enjoy Him. Since David invites us to taste and see God means that we can actually experience an intimate relationship with Him. Since Romans 11:36 tells us that “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever,” then we can experience and enjoy God through the objects and subjects He’s given us. The splash of the ocean on our faces and the words of Scripture are both means to tasting and seeing God. Our invitation to taste and see God provides our plan to experience God. However, David also demonstrates the product of experiencing God.

The Product of Experiencing God

David’s invitation to experience God is based both on His experience but even more so the product of experiencing. Notice David’s reflection: “The Lord is good”

What moved David to say the God is good?

Psalm 34:4-7 ⁴ I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. ⁵ Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. ⁶ This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.⁷ The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

There’s so much that could be said here in relationship to these verses. Notice these points:

• David calls out to God and what does God do? Answer
• David longs for God to protect Him and what does God do? Delivers and saves him.

That’s why David summarizes his concept of God’s goodness in this manner:

Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Essentially, David’s plan to experience God is entirely based on the product of experiencing God. You see, David wants you to greatly experience God so that you will only enjoy Him more.

I have very fond memories of giving my kids tastes of certain foods for the first time. When they would react to lemons in particular always brought me to tears laughing. When I would try to give them more, they would turn away. However, I also fondly remember when we gave Nolan ice cream. He responded with a strong desire for more because how good is experience was.You see the greater we experience God the more we will enjoy him. The more Nolan was given Ice cream the more He desired it. David’s plan to experience God directly connects to the product of experience God. Yet, David leaves us with another provoking reason to enjoy God: The promise for experiencing God.

The promise for experiencing God

“Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”

David’s promise highlights a result and an action. First, David calls this person “blessed.” “Blessed refers overwhelmingly to the distinctive religious joy which accrues to man from his share in the salvation of the kingdom of God”^[1] Notice these two examples that broaden our idea of being “blessed.

Deuteronomy 33:29 Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help, and the sword of your triumph! Your enemies shall come fawning to you, and you shall tread upon their backs.” Israel is blessed or “happy” due to God’s work on their behalf.

Now, notice how “blessed” is described in Romans 4.

Romans 4:1-8 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? ² For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. ³ For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” ⁴ Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. ⁵ And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, ⁶ just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: ⁷ Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; ⁸ blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

In this case, albeit different, blessedness is connected to God’s salvation. However, this experience of salvation is not from physical enemies but sinful actions. So, what we are seeing here is that blessedness, whether in the OT or NT, is in direct relationship to the work of God as it pertains to our physical and spiritual deliverance. To no one’s surprise then, look at what David describes is the action that leads to this blessedness: “…the man who takes refuge in him!”

Look at these OT examples of taking refuge:

1 Samuel 20:5 David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit at table with the king. But let me go, that I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening

Psalm 61:5 Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!

These examples demonstrate the physical and spiritual nature of refuge. The New Testament likens “hope” to the idea of “taking refuge.” This means when the Psalmist conveys his desire to “take refuge” under the shelter of God’s wings, he’s expressing a hope or a desire that God will take care of him. Follow me to Titus 2 to see how Paul expresses what “taking refuge” looks like for us today

Titus 2:13-14 ¹³ waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Remember, Blessed refers overwhelmingly to the distinctive religious joy which accrues to man from his share in the salvation of the kingdom of God. What we find here, as the promise for experiencing God, is that we will ultimately and completely be saved. So, what we are attempting to taste and see now, we will get to experience for all eternity.

Conclusion

When I would go out to eat at those Brazilian steakhouses, my main disappointment was my inability to enjoy more of what I greatly experienced. This verse shows us that the greater we experience God the more we will enjoy Him. His plan (taste and see), product (His goodness), and promise (eternal presence) guarantee that we can enjoy God forever.

^[1] Jenni, E., & Westermann, C. (1997). Theological lexicon of the Old Testament (p. 197). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.

 

I love Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving especially for how well Megan (my wife) prepares the food. Her ability to create a masterpiece every year astonishes me. Weeks before the meal, when Meg starts to prepare her menu, I can almost smell and taste the what she’ll prepare. As the day approaches and the groceries start pouring in, I feel the anticipation building in me to enjoy the feast. When that day arrives, I take precautions to bring my delight to its fullest.

First, I confirm the exact time of the meal. Whether the meal is at noon, 2, or 4 could completely alter the schedule. Secondly, I eat light and often in the morning. I want to get my metabolism going but definitely not overdo it. Finally, I strategically deprive myself of any food at least 2 hours prior until it’s time to eat. I want to enjoy that food to its fullest. The tender turkey, the spices in the gravy, the cornbread stuffing, the pumpkin pie, and the apple crisp bring delight to me if you cannot already tell.

These precautionary steps are all part of a process to bring my delight to it’s fullest. Since this special meal is only one day I year, I certainly don’t want to spoil it by eating something that could rob my delight. In Psalm 63, David depicts three ways to experience delight in God. He knows how amazing delighting in God is and through his personal reflections, shares how he goes about enjoying His God.

Before I go any further, I think it’s best that I create a level ground on what I mean by “delight.” Delight, according to Merriam-Webster is “a high degree of gratification or pleasure.” I believe understanding what delight is does not present us with a challenge. I also believe that what we delight in reveals a lot about us. So, answer this question for me: what do you delight in? My guess is that you thought of some object (car, collectibles, games, coffee) or hobby (sports, woodworking, antique shopping, photography, music, etc.). I think we naturally find so much delight in these objects or pursuits because we see them as entirely for our enjoyment. I’m sure if we were pressed, we’d acknowledge our delight in our spouses or our children, but on account of the work associated with those individuals, our concept of delight can be tainted.

Let’s hit the brakes for a moment, though. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to unpack fully the subject of delight, however, I want to make a couple statements.

First, I believe our senses reveal God’s intention for us not only to interact with His creation but also to delight in it. Think about the delight that comes from enjoying the taste of perfectly crisp apple, the sight of the sunset over the gulf, the touch of warm sweatshirt on a cold day, the smell of the ocean, and the sounds of bird’s singing. We identify this today through the statement All the Feels.

Secondly, even though God created us to enjoy objects of creation, He made us in His image to enjoy subjects of creation even more. God created Eve to complete Adam. Even though Adam had all of the objects of creation all to himself for enjoyment, Adam needed Eve to find greater delight.

Finally, and even more telling, those sensory capabilities are tools for us to delight in God. The Westminster Shorter Catechism begins with this question: What is the chief end of man? The answer is very intriguing. The statement provides this answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. I find this supporting text very enlightening from Psalm 16:5-11

⁵  The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.

⁶    The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

⁷    I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.

⁸    I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

⁹    Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.

¹⁰    For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

¹¹    You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

David expresses his admiration for God and then declares that in God’s presence there is “fullness of joy” and “pleasures forevermore.” As mentioned, I don’t have the time to address this subject like I want to, but consider this: we were created to delight in a delight-able God.

 Now that we have a better concept of delight, let’s explore together three ways to experience delight in God.

We experience delight through seeking God (1-2)

David begins this Psalm with a very intimate affirmation coming out of a challenging time in his life. David is fleeing his conspiring son, Absalom. David waits in the wilderness outside of his home with thousands of his servants. David not only feels the weight of his people but also experiences the difficulty of living in such harsh conditions.

When we experience difficulties, we normally question God if not find fault with Him. Instead of looking at these difficulties as opportunities to grow (James 1:2), we doubt God, question His motives, and even turn away from Him. Thankfully, David displays for us an appropriate response: “God, You are my God! Earnestly I seek You.” David’s personal affirmation demonstrates for us our first point: we experience delight through seeking God. David expresses his intention and resolves to seek God. But why?

We seek God based on our needs (1)

From David’s depiction, we seek God based on our needs. Specifically, David identifies how his soul—portraying inner longing—thirsts for God. Then David follows that statement with how his body—representing physical needs—yearns for God as well. To further emphasize the depth of his longing, he alludes to his context—in a dry land, that is exhausted without water. This description both describes why David is thirsty and highlights the intensity of his thirst.

We’ve all experienced situations of hunger or thirst, where we desperately crave food and water. Yet, how desperate are we to experience delight in God? David’s stay in the wilderness brings these realities to new heights. Maybe our lack of longing for God is either that we’ve truly experienced how good He is or that we’ve never felt the need to seek. David seeks God based not only on his needs but also God’s capabilities. Notice verse 2…

We seek God based on His capabilities (2)

David connects his activity of seeking through the use of “so.” His seeking is based on God’s capabilities. David expresses that He’s gone to the sanctuary—place of corporate worship—to see, firsthand, God’s power and glory.

• God’s power: Psalm 93:1 The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; hit shall never be moved. God’s power has the ability to establish the world!
• God’s glory: Psalm 26:8 O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells. God reveals Himself to His people through His glory.

God’s power and presences motivate David to seek for delight. David is fully convinced at the capabilities of God and, thus, David commits himself to seek God earnestly, repeatedly.

This convicts me. When was the last time you came to one of our gatherings longing to see the power and to experience the presence of God? There is something special when God’s people gather in His name: His presence (Matt. 18). What would happen to us collectively and individually if we sought to experience God’s power and His presence in our lives? David demonstrates to us that, first, we experience delight through seeking God. Secondly, we find that we experience delight through praising God

We experience delight through praising God (3-5)

 Sam Storms, in an article on Desiring God, references how we delight in God through praise. (https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/praise-the-consummation-of-joy). Storms makes the point that “We can’t help but praise and rejoice in what we most enjoy. The enjoyment itself is stunted and hindered if it is never expressed in joyful celebration.” He then goes on to quote C.S. Lewis to further his point. Lewis says…

“I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed. It is frustrating to have discovered a new author and not to be able to tell anyone how good he is; to come suddenly, at the turn of the road, upon some mountain valley of unexpected grandeur and then to have to keep silent because the people with you care for it no more than for a tin can in the ditch; to hear a good joke and find no one to share it with.”

Our praise for God is not empty. David specifically address two reasons why we praise God: His love and His provision

We praise God on account of His love (3-4)

David declares that “on the account of (because) God’s steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you, So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name, I will lift up my hands.” David is motivated to praise God with entire being as long as he’s able because God’s love is that good. I have to ask us this question again, what are you delighting in like this? What gets you really excited? What moves you so much that you are willing to praise something with your body for as long as you are able?

Notice how David addresses God’s “steadfast” love. This is the love that highlights God’s covenantal faithfulness to His people. We find this type of love in Isaiah 63:7 “I will recount the steadfast love of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love” and Romans 8: 35-39 ^“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This amazing love moves David to praise. David’s praise is a means of delighting in God.To no surprise, David finds another reason to praise God: on account of God’s provision

We praise God on account of His provision (5)

David then states “My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.” David, even though in a very difficult situation, is confident that God will provide him with an amazing feast. David’s confidence in God’s future provision once again leads him to praise God with “joyful lips.” What David demonstrates for us is that same type of joy we experienced at the provision but David’s praise is in advance. David is so confident in God’s provision that He praises Him in advance.

 

What situation in your life is causing you to doubt God’s provision, robbing you of praise? Are you experiencing health issues? Marital struggles? Financial issues? Difficulties at work? Family conflicts? What situation is clouding your ability to praise God? Whatever it is, be encouraged by the faithful love and abundant provision of God.

So far, we’ve witnessed two ways to experience delight in God: seeking God and praising God. Finally, David demonstrates a third way to delight in God—the act of remembering.

We experience delight through remembering God (6-8)

We remember God for what He has done

David describes another way of delight in God: through remembering what God has done. The concept of remembering or better, recalling, describes an aspect of worship. Notice Psalm 77:11 “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.” David conveys that when goes to bed, instead of worrying or bickering with God, he chooses to remember what God has done. Specifically, “God has been his help.” Not only has God been a help for David, He’s also been a place of refuge—“in the shadow of your wings”

When I was a kid, I truly believed covering my head with a blanket protected me from any evil. If I heard anything at night, I would quickly cover my head and feel the comfort and safety of my blanket. Just like I found comfort from my blanket, David finds that comfort in closeness to God. You can picture how a bird or a hen provides safety and comfort in the extending of her wring to cover her children. God offers that to us.

David recalls what God has done but David also recalls what God is currently doing.

We remember God for what He is doing

David concludes his thoughts on delight by affirming what God is currently doing. David reveals how “My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” So, not only has God provided protection and comfort, God is currently keeping us in His care. David expresses that all this remembering provokes Him to cling to God. Then David further emphasizes how he can “cling” so closely to God—God is actually upholding him. What’s significant about this “upholding” is how intimately God cares for us. This word is also used to describe how close God is to His Son. Isaiah 42:1 “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.

Even though David’s description of delight is exemplary, what he is experiencing is available to us. Jesus promises His personal presence with us wherever we go (Matthew 28:18-20) and especially in our gatherings (Matthew 18:20). Jesus has promised to prepare a place for us with His father (John 15) and Paul reveals God’s intention to show us His immeasurable riches for all eternity. God promises that there’s no temptation too difficult for us and that even in our weaknesses He is strong. So, when we are faced with difficulties, will we focus on the pain or delight in the provision of God?

We began with a reflection on delighting in a meal. To delight even in a simple meal, steps were necessary to ensure successes. If we are going to experience delight in God, we must seek, praise, and remember him.

Vision—Our “Why”

Beginning in Oldsmar, we have a biblical vision to create celestial cities by living in contagious community. This vision, we believe, flows from the story of Scripture.  The grand narrative of Scripture is that God is creating a new people to live with a new purpose as they participate in the development of a new, heavenly place to enjoy God for all eternity. We could say that there’s a King, building a kingdom, involving His Kingdom-Citizens.

Mission—Our “What”

We Exist to Reach Every Street with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:18-20 states “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.” Jesus instructs that through the means of identification (baptism) and instruction (teaching), God’s mission would be fulfilled. Also, since we are new creations, Paul identifies us as ambassadors: a” diplomatic official of the highest rank, sent by one sovereign to another state as its resident representative.” We are heavenly-resident representatives where we live, work, and play. Our lives ought to represent all the riches that God has to offer His followers.

Strategy—Our “How”

• Gather: A Priority
• Grow: An Expectation
• Go: A Lifestyle

Based upon a model (Acts 20:7) and a mandate (Hebrews 10:24-25), we maintain a priority of gathering together. Our gatherings provide opportunities to develop relationships while participating in corporate worship. The rhythm of these weekly gatherings encourages both accountability and participation.  Our priority of gathering naturally leads to a to our expectation of growth. When the gospel works to produce spiritual growth, believers should naturally work together “to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations” (Romans 1:5). Growth like this is clearly referenced in Acts. We find in Acts 6:7 that “the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” Our gathering around the gospel and our growing in the gospel should result in our going with the gospel to reach people where we live, work, and play. Our “going’ is not driven by programs but evidenced in our lifestyle as an ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Values—Our “Who”

Our values represent a person who is living our mission. We desire to represent to those around us the change that God is creating within.

Authenticity. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Our new creation represents the truest form of authenticity: being re-made in the likeness of God. Paul also instructs us “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24). As a result, we will we reach our truest form of authenticity. This process should not diminish the personalities and preferences that God made us with but should only refine and enhance us to bear the image of God in the way He originally intended.

Intentionality. Paul tells us that “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:11-14). Jesus, the one died on the cross to make us His, expects us to prepare for His return. Paul calls the appearing of Jesus our “blessed hope.” In anticipation of this blessed hope, we prepare intentionally to meet Him.

Generosity. When we speak of generosity, we often exclusively refer to money. Yet, our value of generosity goes so much beyond our finances. Let’s look at the instruction where Paul reminds to follow the example of Jesus in Philippians 2:5-7. Paul tells us to “have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” Jesus possessed the qualities and traits that demanded all men to worship Him. Yet, He chose to take the form of a man to serve others more “significantly” than Himself. Jesus humbled himself so we could be exalted. Jesus is generosity personified.

Tenacity.When we realize that we are on this earth for a purpose, that purpose should change our perspective. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). Paul uses the tenacity of an athlete physically to demonstrate how we ought to live spiritually. We are not to run “aimlessly” but “under control” They type of personal sacrifice needed for this living requires our tenacity—an unrelenting commitment to pursuing God. We cannot forget that any tenacity we demonstrate flows from what God has already begun in us—“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6). Our tenacity flows from what God is doing in us and not from what we can do for God.

Measurements—Our “When”

We are prayerfully dreaming that over the next 10 years, we would reach 500 streets, baptize 300 believers, and add 1000 members in the “Bay Cities.”

The “Bay Cities” are all within a 5-mile radius of our hub in Oldsmar. When you start to add up the number of streets within this 5-mile radius, the number of streets soars to over 6,000 and the population nears 160,000. Obviously and thankfully, we are not alone in this endeavor. Yet, to stay on mission, we cannot take this daunting task lightly. So, for our God-sized dream to exist as a reality, we need the following measurements:

Full Houses. “Full Houses” represents the reaching of our streets. The goal of 500 streets reached in our 10-year dream essentially means we need to reach 50 streets each year. As we understand how we “reach” (B.L.E.S.S.), then the idea of full houses seems very natural. For those people, whom we prayed for, listened to, ate with, served, and shared our story, we will most definitely have them in our homes and a part of our groups.

Big Splashes “Big Splashes” represents the baptizing of new believers. The intentional and tenacious reaching of our streets will most naturally lead to new disciples. As we previously looked at the expectation for growth, we can trust that the powerful gospel that changed us can change others.

New Shoes. “New Shoes” represents the addition of new members. New members are critical to reaching our goals since these members embrace our mission and embody our values. Ultimately, we believe to attain these goals, many of the members we added, will be sent. They would be sent to start new churches in the Bay Cities to collaboratively realize the 10-year dream.

 

Biblical Values: Who We Are

For us to fulfill our mission of reaching every street with the good news of Jesus, our core values must shape who we are. Even though these core values can stand alone, we believe that they also work together to create a dynamic difference. Understanding and embracing authenticity, intentionality, generosity, and tenacity will be the key to transformation in the Tampa Bay area.

Authenticity

Living authentically is a trait in our culture that is highly praised but I believe, unfortunately, severely misunderstood. What’s praised in our culture is a type of authenticity that merely reflects one’s preferences yet has nothing to do with what’s actually true. For instance, we often confuse sincerity with authenticity. Like when Kyrie Irving, a famous NBA player, stated last year that he believed the earth was flat instead of round. Obviously, the vast majority of commentators laughed at such a statement, calling out his ridiculousness. However, others praised his “authenticity” for making public a controversial belief. If we allow for someone’s false revelation to go unchallenged, however sincere they may be, we diminish both the truth and the idea of authenticity. Even though our first value suggests that we live true to ourselves, for a believer, our true-self is found in Jesus Christ. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he
is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

So, if you by faith have confessed Jesus as your Lord and Savior, Scripture identifies you as a “new creation.” Paul makes it explicitly clear that what used to be true of you has “passed away.” Since we haven’t experienced any immediate physical changes, Paul must be referring to our inner person, what we often refer to as our “heart.” Also, this new creation represents the truest form of authenticity: being re-made in the likeness of God. Paul also instructs us “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24).

So, here are a few ways to live an authentic lifestyle:
1. Take whatever represents your “old self” and get rid of it
2. Take time to be with God and His people
3. Take action to apply what you’ve learned through being with God and His people.
4. Repeat

As a result, we will we reach our truest form of authenticity. This process should not diminish the personalities and preferences that God made us with but should only refine and enhance us to bear the image of God in the way He originally intended.

Intentionality

Paul tells us that “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:11-14).

We find from this passage how Paul expects the grace of God to transform how we live. Grace, then, trains us to do the following:

• Fight against desires and actions that would hurt our relationship with God and His people
• Decide to live with purpose and discipline to foster godliness.

We call this type of living, here at Bay Cities, intentionality. Otherwise, we are subject to a lifestyle of impulse, responding to what feels or seems good in the moment. For example, I find spending quality, undistracted time with God challenging unless I get up early in the morning. Waking up early in the morning takes intentionality. I need to get my act together the night before if I’m going to make this a reality. So what do I do: I get my coffee ready, set out what I need for breakfast, iron my clothes, set out my Bible on the table, set my alarm for when I need to get up, set my other alarms for when I need to get up, and then pray I get up. If I don’t follow this routine, most likely for me, I will not get up and spend time with God. Why do I do this? Because God is worth it!

Let’s look again at our text: 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:11-14).

Jesus, the one died on the cross to make us His, expects us to prepare for His return. Paul calls the appearing of Jesus our “blessed hope.” In anticipation of this blessed hope, we prepare intentionally to meet Him. We completely understand this concept in our culture. Imagine, for a moment,  about how a girl prepares for prom or a woman preparing for a wedding. These women take great measures to prepare for these occasions: special dresses, shoes, jewelry, makeup, and even someone else doing your hair. Why? The greater the occasion, the greater the preparation.
Now, consider this: we are preparing to meet Jesus. One day you will stand before God. Are you ready for that moment? Outside of God’s grace instilling intentionality in us, there’s no way we are ready for that moment.

Generosity

Our value of generosity is demonstrated in any and every aspect of our lives—our time, our talents, and our treasures.

When we speak of generosity, we often exclusively refer to money. Yet, our value of generosity goes so much beyond our finances. Let’s look at the instruction of Paul and the example of Jesus.

Consider the instruction of Paul:
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4)

Paul states clearly that none of our actions or thoughts should come out of selfish ambition. Instead, we must look to others and consider them—their needs, thoughts, and emotions—more significant than ourselves. This is radical and counter-cultural. Our culture champions individuality and honors those who are winners, even at all costs. The type of person who genuinely seeks the benefit of others receives little to no glory. My response to this is “who even does this?!” Well, we find out in the next two verses in the example of Jesus

Consider the example of Jesus:
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:5-7).

Jesus possessed the qualities and traits that demanded all men to worship Him. Yet, He chose to take the form of a man to serve others more “significantly” than Himself. Jesus humbled himself so we could be exalted. Jesus is generosity personified.Paul calls us to possess the “mind of Jesus.” This mindset looks at other’s needs and then moves to action. This mindset considers others better and then demonstrates tangibly. This mindset gives up preferences and then gladly adjusts to others.

Our authenticity and our intentionality will only fuel our generosity. We will be the type of person who has prepared to demonstrate the love of God to others. Otherwise, our generosity becomes impulsive and self-promoting. Our final value is tenacity. This value can be seen as the glue that keeps the other values together.

Tenacity

When we realize that we are on this earth for a purpose and that purpose changes our perspective.

Over the past four weeks, we’ve discussed our identity, our vision, mission, and our strategy. These biblical purposes demand us to live in a specific manner. Hence, we are discussing our values—“who” we are. Without these values, we don’t gather, grow, and go. Without gathering, growing, and going, we don’t reach every street with the good news of Jesus Christ. Without reaching every street with the good news of Jesus Christ, our dream of a celestial city living in contagious community remains non-existent.

Listen to how Paul describes this tenacity:
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not
run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

Paul uses the tenacity of an athlete physically to demonstrate how we ought to live spiritually. We are not to run “aimlessly” but “under control” They type of personal sacrifice needed for this living requires our tenacity—an unrelenting commitment to pursuing God. However, we cannot forget that any tenacity we demonstrate flows from what God has already begun in us—“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6). Our tenacity flows from what God is doing in us and not from what we can do for God.

I’ve got amazing news for you. God lives within you and has given you the ability to live like Him in every aspect of your life. What would the neighborhoods and workplaces look like if we started living like God? The presence of God in the person of Jesus radically changed the course of human history. Yet, Jesus said to His follower it would be better for them if He left the earth since the Spirit would come and dwell with them. Now, the followers of Jesus, know as Christians, have the presence of God with them wherever they go. Just think about the possibilities! The presence and power of God can impact every street on this earth.

 

Gather :: Grow :: Go

Our mission expects our members to reach every street with the good news of Jesus Christ. However, if  the path or plan to accomplish this mission isn’t clear, frustration is soon to follow. We’ve talked about accomplishing some serious things these past two weeks. To accomplish our vision and live out our mission, we must have biblical strategy to follow.

Gathering: A Priority

One of the best, most Biblical activities we do at Bay Cities Fellowship is gathering to worship. Every Sunday, we prioritize a time to gather for worship. In the Bible, gathering for worship is both modeled and mandated.

Model

On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight (Acts 20:7).

Notice the details of this description:

• First day of the week
• Gathered together (to break bread)
• Listening to Paul’s speech

Mandate

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and
good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

As you can see, the purpose for gathering even included encouraging each other for godly living. Our commitment to gather together is centered on this premise: we need each other. That may sound odd to you or make you feel uncomfortable, but please embrace this principle: we are better together.The first step in our biblical strategy is to gather together based on a model and a mandate. Secondly, our next strategy step is to grow, which is a biblical expectation.

Growing: An Expectation

As much as we believe in gathering, we believe that God expect us to grow as a church, both internally and exteranlly.

Internal Growth

In Ephesians 4, Paul shares an extended description of how the church should properly grow. Paul states:

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

We find Paul’s teaching very helpful to describe how growth occurs:

1. God gives the Church leaders
2. Leaders prepare believers
3. Prepared believers build up each other

Notice how long this activity takes place: until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Also, look at the purpose for this growth: To mature believers and 
to avoid doctrinal error. When growth like this takes place, Paul provides a wonderful, cohesive picture of the Church: we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. 

As the individuals grow spiritually and are equipped for ministry, a natural outcome should occur: external growth.

External Growth

When we buy a plant, and properly water and feed it what’s the expected outcome? Growth. When you buy a puppy and you feed and take good care of it, what’s the expected outcome? Growth. When a local Church, made up of living, redeemed organisms live the way God expects us to, what’s the expected outcome? Growth.

When the gospel works to produce spiritual growth, believers should naturally work together “to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations” (Romans 1:5). Growth like this is clearly referenced in Acts. We find in Acts 6:7 that “the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”

God’s eternal plan to save sinners should motivate the Church to share her faith. We have confidence that the gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16). So, we pray for growth, internally and externally.

Our gathering and our growing work together to bring us to our final step. Our third strategy step is to go.

Going: A Lifestyle

To finish explaining our three-part strategy, we need to look further at what it means to “reach” every street. We want to provide some tangibility not only to help you understand what it means to “reach” every street but also to inspire participation. First, let me briefly address the idea of “going.”

The mission of God has always involved an aspect of going. God tells Abraham to go from where he lived to a new city of promise. God has Jesus go to earth, leaving His heavenly home, to fulfill the plan of salvation. Jesus tells His earthly disciples twice to go, once during His earthly ministry and then right before His ascension. However, as the plan of God is being fulfilled (Jerusalem to the ends of the world), what does “going” look like today? The “going” in Scripture was always a means to the end, not the main point. Today, our “going” has less to do with leaving our current places but more to do with owning our various spaces. Let me explain:

Blessed To Bless

In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul calls believers “ambassadors.” He states, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.” Essentially, to “reach” means, “to leverage the gospel into people’s lives right where they live, work, and play.” We must recognize that “the church is wherever followers of Jesus are. People don’t go to church; they are the church. They don’t bring people to church; they bring the church to people. Thus, “life on mission is more intentional and more integrated. While the concerns of life (family, work, leisure) are pursued, they are part of a larger story being played out for the missionary. This story does not require around-the-world excursion to discover or to pursue” (Reggie McNeal, Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church). 

This adjustment allows us to live in a way that we can naturally reach people right around us. As we understand that God uses us, as ambassadors, to reach others, then we will embrace our roles as missionaries sent to minister in our present context. When we do this, we live as if we are on a mission, namely, God’s.

Conclusion

Our strategy to reach every street, hopefully, is simple in both scope and process. These three steps–gather, grow, and go–work together and should feed off each other. To reach every street with the good news of Jesus Christ, we must follow our Biblical strategy. Would you commit today to gather, grow, and go with us at Bay Cities Fellowship?

Living On (A) Mission

In our Identity series, we’ve highlighted mutliple times how the grand narrative of Scripture details God creating a new people to live with a new purpose as they participate in the development of a new, heavenly place to enjoy God for all eternity. We could say that there’s a King, building a kingdom, involving His Kingdom-Citizens. We’ve adapted this grand-narrative into the vision statement of Bay Cities Fellowship by claiming our vision surrounds creating celestial cities which live in contagious community.

To have any shot of experiencing our vision, we must mobilize on mission. This expansive, holistic vision needs marching orders. We must have a specific, tangible way to transform Tampa Bay. Consequently, our mission is simple:

We Exist to Reach Every Street with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

To unpack the content of this mission, will address our method, our map, and our manner for the mission. Before we address these, we need to briefly answer the following question: Where does this mission come from?

Since we believe that the Bible has one, grand storyline, the fulfillment of this story is not only intriguing but also extremely important. Since the plot involves a King, building His kingdom with His citizens, let’s quickly look at the nature of this Kingdom in its current form:

John Piper (Let the Nations Be Glad, p. 28) demonstrates that:

• Currently, there is no geographic center for [this Kingdom] (John 4:20-24), because Jesus is now the center of the Kingdom (John 2:19; Heb. 9:25-26).
• Currently, there is no [Kingdom] political regime because Christ’s kingdom is not constructed in this world yet (John 18:36).
• Currently, [the Kingdom fights] no earthly battles with chariots and horses or bombs and bullets, but spiritual ones with the word and the Sprit (Eph. 6:12-18; 2 Cor. 10:3- 5).

Consequently, the current expansion of the God’s Kingdom revolves around the name and fame of Jesus carried throughout all the nations. As a result, the good news of Jesus Christ, which has the power to save (Romans 1:16), can and will create new citizens of the Kingdom. When we embrace this mission, we participate in the prayer of Jesus by seeing creation experience life “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

Now, in light of possessing this brief synopsis, let’s first look at the method for our mission.

Our Intentional Method Of Reaching Every Street

Jesus concludes His earthly ministry with paradigmatic teaching that furthers the mission of God to bring salvation to all nations through the offspring of Eve. Matthew 28:18-20 states ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “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.”

Jesus instructs that through the means of identification (baptism) and instruction (teaching), God’s mission would be fulfilled.

Based on His acquired authority, Jesus leaves His followers with the command to make disciples. Becoming a disciple is an identity issue. Hence, through our baptisms, we identify as a follower of Jesus. We find (v. 18) that this baptism is done “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” suggesting the identity of the “Lordship of the Godhead.” As a result our new identity in God, we publicly identify with God.

So, for those who’ve externally identified with Jesus as a demonstration of your internal identity, how are you doing on this mission? This mission, to make disciples, is at the core of our Christianity. Our very existence relates to the expansion of God’s kingdom through the extension of the gospel.

The gospel of the kingdom in our conversion begins a life-long journey of transformation. Hence, not only are we told about the identity change but also we are informed about the accompanying instruction for true disciples.

Jesus commands them to teach disciples “to observe all that I have commanded you.” The breadth of this teaching reveals the depth of discipleship intended. If God was going to have a people who walked in His ways, then they better know the expectations set forth in His Word.

To experience the depth of relationship that God intends for us along with fulfilling God’s expectation for His disciples, we must take time for:

• Intimate conversations with God
  • Taking time to listen and to speak with God.
• Regular conversations with people where we live, work, and play
  • Taking time to ask thoughtful questions and then listen
• Fervently pray for the Spirit to lead
  • Set alarms on your phone/apps to pray for the Spirit to work in people’s lives and in yours.

Outside of this regular activity, most likely, we will not faithfully engage in mission. Our method for the mission involves activity the breeds identification and encourages instruction. Now, let’s take a look at our Map for the mission.

Our Strategic Map For Reaching Every Street

The paradigm for our map comes from the book of Acts. Acts serves to present how God’s mission to create a people for himself is fulfilled through obedient followers teaching all that Jesus has commanded to the ends of the world. Particularly, Jesus instructs His followers in their ambassadorial roles in Acts 1:6-8

⁶ 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.”

Jesus instruction comes off a rather reasonable request from His followers: When will restore the Kingdom? His response to this request is fantastic. Jesus tells them first, “don’t worry about it.” Secondly, Jesus expands upon the teaching form Matthew 28 by adding a map to their method of witnessing.

Notice how Jesus identifies that this map must:

1. Begin Locally. Their witnessing was to begin right where they lived: in Jerusalem. Even though their commission included the uttermost parts of the earth, the gospel saturation Jesus had in mind began right where they were. Then, notice the expansion.
2. Expands Regionally and then Nationally. After Jerusalem, their gospel expansion focus regionally and then nationally. They are told to go in all Judea and Samaria. Once again, this expansion demonstrates natural permeation. As each follower of Jesus understands their role in the mission of God, they embrace the streets right around them. However, as promised this mission culminates in global expansion.
3. Culminate Globally. The intended goal of God’s mission is to the end of the earth. We began how there’s a King, building a kingdom, involving His Kingdom-Citizens. Look at how these verses demonstrates the expansion of God’s kingdom as seen through His kingdom glory:

• 1 Chronicles 29:11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all
• Isaiah 40:5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
• Revelation 21:22-23 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. ²³ And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

Our hope and inspiration for this mission comes from the promises and presence of God. If we, by faith, believing fully that He will save our souls then we can fully anticipate the fulfillment of these promises. Here’s some amazing news for us: we get to participate in the expansion of God’s kingdom, one conversation, one act of love, one street at a time.

We take this strategic map seriously. Matter of fact, we are prayerfully dreaming that over the next 10 years, we would reach 500 streets. When you start to add up the amount 
of streets within this 5-mile radius, the number of streets soars to over 6,000 and the population nears 160,000. Consider your calling and our request to reach these streets with the good news of Jesus.

As important as our method and map are, finally, we must understand our manner for the mission.

Our Heavenly Manner For The Mission

Paul lays out the manner for our mission in 2 Corinthians 5:

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸ All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.

Since we are new creations, Paul identifies us as ambassadors: a diplomatic official of the highest rank, sent by one sovereign to another as its resident representative. We are heavenly-resident representatives where we live, work, and play. Our lives ought to represent all the riches that God has to offer His followers.

How can we live in such a manner to display our heavenly-residency?

Know Your Identity

In 2 Corinthians, Paul states how we’ve received an identity change. We are a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. More expansively, in Ephesians 2, Paul describes Christians as having been “dead in [their] trespasses and sins…following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air…carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

However, through Jesus, we received a new identity:

“God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:4-10).

Represent Your Calling

You are to be whom God has made you to be where you live, work, and play.

2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.

As we just saw from Ephesians 2, we were dead and now we are created new. Our newness leads Paul to calling us “God’s workmanship”—Created by God and Created for God. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul further unveils what being God’s workmanship looks like. Paul calls us ambassadors, as we’ve already noted, but noticed what this calling is for “God making his appeal through us.”

Consider the weightiness of this: You are the instrument God us to show reconciliation to others. Your calling in this life is to represent to others what God has done through reconciling you to Him.

The Method, Map, and Manner For A Mission Possible

What seems impossible with us is possible with God. He can move mountains. His glory will cover the earth like water of the seas. We get to participate in work that He is already doing.  That’s why we say here at Bay Cities Fellowship:

 We Exist to Reach Every Street with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Transformation in the Tampa Bay Area

Last Sunday, we learned more about our vision at Bay Cities Fellowship to experience transformation in the Tampa Bay area. Beginning in Oldsmar, we have a biblical vision of creating celestial cities where people live in contagious community. In light of this statement, we set out to answer the following questions: Where did this vision come from, how do we create celestial cities, and what is contagious community?

(Click to listen: A People of Biblical Vision)

Begins With A Biblical Vision

The grand narrative of Scripture is that God is creating a new people to live with a new purpose as they participate in the development of a new, heavenly place to enjoy God for all eternity. When you pick up your Bible, you are holding a cohesive story. One that is filled with drama, wisdom, commands, problems, and solutions. Ultimately, the central character, Jesus, and his plan shapes the entire framework of the story. In Hebrews 11, much of the Bible’s narrative is recalled and we are able to get a glimpse of this vision for transformation. We learn in Hebrews 11:8-10 that ⁸ By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. 

Based on this text, let’s take a moment and ponder the following question: What a city would look like—relationally, economically, educationally, geographically, religiously—that possessed God as the “designer and builder?” We begin to see an answer to this question in Revelation 21:1-4—Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ 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. ⁴ 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.”

Our biblical vision is a reality that God has already created. Hence, we have an opportunity now to live in such a way that the world around us can acquire a taste for something they don’t have but desperately need. This opportunity for transformation prompts us to look at our second question: how do we create celestial cities? 

To Create Celestial Cities

Creating celestial cities revolves around these five actions (adapted from “The Church in the Mission of God” by Bruce Ashford in The Community of Jesus):

1. Enjoying God (Psalm 63:1; 1 Corinthians 2:7-10)
2. Loving Other Believers (Acts 2:42-47)
3. Recognizing Our Purpose (Genesis 1:28-31, 3:23)
4. Longing For God’s Kingdom (Colossians 1:20; Ephesians 1:10)
5. Reaching Other People (Matthew 28:18-20; Revelation 5:9-14)

When God’s people draw on the entirety of themselves (spiritually, morally, creatively, relationally, physically) they can be instruments and signs of his reconciliation. Also, as the church brings all of life into submission to Christ’s lordship, she points simultaneously back to God’s design in creation and forward to the consummated kingdom (Ashford, The Community of Jesus, p. 258). 

Ultimately, our vision leads to a city where followers of Jesus live in such a unique, attractive way that the world around can’t help but notice.

Living In Contagious Community

We learn about the elements of this community in Acts 2:42-47—⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Simply, allow me to highlight the following:

By devoting ourselves to…

• God’s Word—“to the apostles’ teaching” (42,46)
• Giving—“And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need” (42,45,46)
• Worshipping—“to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (42,46)
• Being Together—“And all who believed were together and had all things in common” (42,46)

We can experience…

• God’ Blessing—”And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles” (43)
• Unity—”And all who believed were together and had all things in common” (44)
• God’s Favor—”praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (47)

This descriptive passage provides hope and inspiration for us to set our trajectories on arriving at this attractive conclusion.

Where We Live, Work, and Play

For transformation in Tampa Bay area to occur, we must transfer this good news into neighborhoods, places of work and recreation. Our lifestyle of going with the gospel will bring light into dark places. Every believer, embracing this biblical vision, can rely on the promise of Jesus and the presence of the Spirit to empower their pursuit of making this heavenly dream an earthly reality.