Pyramid Scheme

Part 2

1-19-25

Practices create the space where transformation can take place.

The Sabbath and the 4th commandment is an act of trust in the subversive, exodus-causing God of the first commandment, an act of submission to the restful God of commandments one, two, and three. Sabbath is a practical divestment so that neighborly engagement, rather than production and consumption, defines our lives. Walter Brueggemann

Sabbath is countercultural.

Sabbath is an act of resistance.

Sabbath marks our identity as God’s people.

Matthew 7:13-14

13 ‘Go in by the narrow gate. The gate that leads to destruction, you see, is nice and wide, and the road going there has plenty of room. Lots of people go that way. 14 But the gate leading to life is narrow, and the road going there is a tight squeeze. Not many people find their way through.

Pharaoh’s system:

• System of restlessness and anxiety

• System of acquisition and pursuit of more

• System that abuses others for gain

• System that is never satisfied or content

Yahweh’s system:

• System of rest and Sabbath

• System of trust and faith

• System that elevates love to the highest quality

• System that brings true peace

4 Movements of Sabbath

1. Stop

What would it look like for you to stop into the STOP of Sabbath?

4 Movements of Sabbath

1. Stop

2. Rest

"The Sabbath has largely been forgotten by the church which has uncritically mimicked the rhythms of the industrial and success-obsessed West. The result? Our road-weary, exhausted churches have largely failed to integrate Sabbath into their lives as vital elements of Christian discipleship. It is not as though we do not love God - we love God deeply. We just do not know how to sit with God anymore."

AJ Swoboda

What would it look like for you to step into the REST of Sabbath?

4 Movements of Sabbath

1. Stop

2. Rest

3. Delight

What would it look like for you to step into the DELIGHT of Sabbath?

4 Movements of Sabbath

1. Stop

2. Rest

3. Delight

4. Worship

What would it look like for you to step into the WORSHIP of Sabbath?

PYRAMID SCHEME

Part 1

1.12.25

What does it look like for us to live in such a way that our daily and weekly rhythms lead us to a transformed life?

Genesis 1:31-2:3

31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

We serve a God who works and rests.

God establishes a creation rhythm where work and productivity are the inhale, and rest and Sabbath are the exhale.

Exodus 20:8-11

8 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

In the Exodus story, God is delivering his people from an Egyptian system that valued work and productivity above everything else.

Exodus 5:3-9

3 Then they said (to Pharaoh), “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”

4 But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!” 5 Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”

6 That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people: 7 “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. 8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”

Exodus 5:17

17 Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”

Daily solitude and weekly Sabbath are acts of defiance against a culture of work and productivity, and an act of faith in a God who enables us to walk in His power.

To be people of engagement and transformation in this world we must first be people of withdrawal and renewal.

HYMNS OF JOY

Joy to the World

12.21.24

Advent is the realization that things are not perfect but Christ breaks into our broken world and brings hope, peace, joy, and love.

1. Jesus brings the promise of joy

Luke 2:8-11

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

2. Jesus brings the fulfillment of joy

John 1:14

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

“The incarnation is the supreme act of God’s self-giving love. He did not send someone else, nor did He remain distant. Instead, He came Himself, entering into our brokenness to redeem us. True love is not content to remain far off; it draws near, sacrifices, and transforms.”

— Dietrich Bonhoeffer

3. Jesus brings the joy of salvation

Luke 2:11

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Advent is the realization that things are not perfect but Christ breaks into our broken world and brings hope, peace, joy, and love.

Here is the message Jesus brings to a dark and hurting world:

· You are deeply loved by God

· Sin has broken our relationship with Him.

· Through Jesus, joy and salvation are freely offered

· We are invited to accept the gift of salvation

Hope & Fears For All The Years

12.15.25

Talk Notes

1 Corinthians 13:13

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

Job 8:11-13

Those who forget God have no hope

3 Pictures of Hope:

1. Wishful Hope

2. Expectant Hope

3. Certain Hope

Hebrews 6:13-15 (God’s Promises Bring Hope)

For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying: “I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.” Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.

Real hope is based on God's word not my wishes.

The promises of God help us to see future realities and draw encouragement from them.

10 Thoughts of Hope from the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6)

My loving Father will never abandon me

God's power is greater than any problem

God fits everything into his plan

God has a greater purpose for my life

God has promised to meet all my needs

Jesus died to pay for all that I've done wrong

God will settle the score someday

Romans 12:9

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.

8. God has promised to help me

1 Corinthians 10:13

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

9. Jesus in me is greater than any other power

10. This is not the end of the story

Isaiah 43:2-3

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

HYMNS OF JOY

The Weary World Rejoices

12.8.24

1) Tamar (Genesis 38 - Matthew 1:3)

· In the story of Tamar, we learn God's plan for salvation is not thwarted by sin but God works through the brokenness of humanity to accomplish His purposes.

2) Rahab (Joshua 2 - Matthew 1:5)

· In the story of Rahab, we learn nobody is beyond God's reach. He redeems those society deems unworthy.

3) Ruth (Book of Ruth - Matthew 1:15)

· In the story of Ruth, we learn how God brings hope and redemption, even in foreign lands and desperate situations, using unexpected people and circumstances.

4) Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11 - Matthew 1:6)

· In the story of Bathsheba, we learn even the gravest sins and tragedies are not beyond God's redemptive power.

5) Mary (Matthew 1:16)

· In the story of Mary, we learn that God will bring about his promise of salvation through the Messiah in the most humble and unlikely way.

Jesus, born into a lineage marked by scandal, loss, and redemption, fully identifies with our brokenness and steps into our world.

Miracles by C.S. Lewis

In the Christian story God descends to re-ascend. He comes down; down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity; down further still… to the very roots and seabed of the Nature He has created. But He goes down to come up again and bring the whole ruined world up with Him.

One may think of a diver, first reducing himself to nakedness, then glancing in mid-air, then gone with a splash, vanished, rushing down through green and warm water into black and cold water, down through increasing pressure into the death-like region of ooze and slime and old decay; then up again, back to color and light, his lungs almost bursting, till suddenly he breaks surface again, holding in his hand the dripping, precious thing that he went down to recover.

Advent is waiting.

Advent brings unexpected peace.

Advent brings redemptive joy.

Advent doesn’t eliminate the tension of living in a broken world, but it fills us with the hope, peace, and joy of what Christ is bringing.

Talk Notes

O Come Let Us Adore Him

Advent 2024

What is Advent?

Formed from a Latin word meaning “coming” or “arrival”. Advent is the traditional celebration of the first advent of Jesus (the Christmas story) and the anxious awaiting of His second advent in glory.

In Advent we are ushered into a time of waiting where we are connected again with our longing for God.

"A society that denies the supernatural, usually ends up elevating the natural to supernatural status"

Phillip Yancy - Rumors of Another World

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles...

25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.

Romans 1:21-23, 25

Corporate adoration shifts our perspective, brings supernatural encouragement, fuels our individual worship & foreshadow's eternity.

Corporate adoration shifts our perspective

Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.

2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.

3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,

4 praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe,

5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 150

Corporate Adoration brings supernatural encouragement

"let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 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

Corporate adoration fuels our individual worship

Corporate adoration foreshadows eternity

11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

Revelation 5:11-12

LITURGY FOR THE MOMENT: Part 7

A LITURGY FOR THOSE BATTLING ANXIETY

Prince of Peace, we come with restless hearts and racing thoughts.

The weight of worry presses down,

and we are consumed by what-ifs and worst-case scenarios.

As the deer pants for streams of water

so our souls thirst for You, the living God.You are the God who calms the storm,

The Shepherd who leads us beside quiet waters.

Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls

Let waves of grace break over me.Teach us to cast our cares upon You.

When fear rises, remind us of your steadfast love.

When we falter, anchor us in Your unshakable presence.

Oh God our rock, meet us in the chaos and lead us into Your rest.

Amen.

Psalm 42:1-11 ESV

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”

What the anxious need from themselves:

• Look back

• Look forward

• Look around

What the anxious need from those around them

• Comfort

• Care

• Encouragement

2 Corinthians 13:11 ESV

“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

1 Corinthians 12:24-26 ESV

“which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

1 Thessalonians 4:18 ESV

“Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

What the anxious need from God

• Everything he has promised and all he has given!

Message from City University on November 21, 2024

Message from City University on November 21, 2024

Message from City University on November 21, 2024