Wawasee Bible Podcast

Acts | Part 36: 1 Thessalonians: Pursue Holiness

Sunday, October 8, 2023

Acts | Part 35: Worth Considering

Sunday, October 1, 2023

Acts | Part 34: Philippians – Joy in All Circumstances

In the days and weeks after Lydia came to faith in Philippi, the Gospel continued to take root there in dramatic ways. The influence of darkness was (and is) real. Paul casts a demon out of a young slave girl who had been following them around for days. After being beaten with rods, Paul and Silas are then thrown into prison for disrupting the status quo. However, rather than complain about their suffering they sing and pray in the midst of it, astonishing the other prisoners. God provides a miraculous earthquake to free them, but ends up bringing salvation to their jailer. Paul's example teaches us to prioritize God's purposes over our own personal rights. Ultimately, the influence of darkness and the pressure of culture are no match for the power of God.

God's providence was at work in leading Paul and his crew to Philippi. By providence, we mean that God is continually involved with all created things at every moment. "Circumstances in our lives are not determined by mere chance (randomness) or impersonal fate (determinism) but by God who is the personal yet powerful Creator and Lord." (–Wayne Grudem) This plays out in numerous ways as the Gospel arrives in Philippi. This week we see Lydia come to faith in Christ, and the church in Philippi takes root. God coordinates, we follow (going through the doors he opens and opening our mouths), Jesus saves (he changes hearts).

We're back in the book of Acts after taking the summer off. After a review of where we've been, we pick things up at the end of Acts 15 (Acts 15:36-16:10). Paul and Barnabas make plans to go back and visit the churches they planted years prior on their first trip, but before they head out some conflict arises. Barnabas wants to bring Mark along again, but Paul isn't interested as Mark had deserted them on their first journey. As a result Barnabas and Paul part ways. Barnabas heads to Cyprus with Mark, and Paul heads west through modern-day Turkey with Silas. It seemed like a big setback for the growth of the early church, but God used it to set-up even greater expansion of the church. On the way Paul recruits Timothy and Luke to join him. God can turn every setback into a set-up as we surrender to his will.

We wrap up our vision series this week by looking at God's call to "remember". Every time God’s Word tells us to “remember” it is with the present and future in view. By God's design there is never any going back in time, but only moving forward. We're only commanded to remember the past in so much as it reminds us of who Jesus is and what he is able to do in the present and future! When I remember God's faithfulness in the past (through good and bad), I'm encouraged to trust his faithfulness today and tomorrow. When I remember my sin in the past, I'm reminded of God's grace and I want to avoid that sin today and tomorrow. As we embark on our 7-year Enduring Reach vision, we remember God's goodness to us as a church in the past, and we lean into his continued faithfulness in the future as we obey him and follow Christ.

God loves to paint pictures of where he wants to take his people, then guides our steps as we plan and follow the lead of the Spirit. This week Pastor Josh paints a picture of where we believe God is taking us as a local church over the next 7 years. By 2030 the people of Wawasee Bible will engage in 10,000 Gospel Conversations and establish an Enduring Local Presence in at least two surrounding communities by meeting practical, emotional, and spiritual needs of people in the Greater Wawasee Lakes Area. Wawasee Bible will be known as a church that not only preaches but lives the truth of the biblical Gospel. The people of our communities will know that they are loved by Jesus and loved by us, and we will be known as a church with a passion for meeting the greatest spiritual needs of every person in our circle of influence.

This week we look at our unique identity as a local church. We like to use the metaphor of a picture frame when we talk about it. The sides of that frame include our mission, our core values, our strategy/pathway, and the outcomes we want to see growing in every believer in our church. Those four things are who we are as a local church, and they "frame up" where God is taking us. (To read more about this paradigm, read "Church Unique" by Will Mancini. Pastor Josh borrows much from that book in his message this week.) We're sent to love people and invite them to follow Jesus with us.

Because we are loved, we're sent to love. As we start a new series and begin to roll out our vision for the year 2030, it's important to remember that all of this is motivated by God's goodness and his love for us. We live in a world that's broken, hurting, searching, and longing to be loved like we are loved. God, in his sovereignty, has sent each of us and all of us to a specific place and a specific people. We want those around us and among us to know that they're loved by Jesus, and they're loved by us.