Risen Church Nc

As we continue to ask, "Why?", this week we consider the subject of suffering, trials and hardships. In one of the earliest narratives of the Bible, Job reveals to us a perspective on suffering that remains the most inspired and insightful. All of the New Testament teachings use Job's beliefs and experience as the basis for how we should understand suffering. Job believed that God was using his trial for something yet unseen. He had a patient faith in God's plan, in the end of his story. In this message, we talk about God's sovereignty over our trials and His goodness throughout them. We learn that God does indeed have a Redemptive Purpose for all suffering. Until He chooses to remove the pain, He plans to use it. Ultimately, this will be for our good and for His glory.

Acts features no shortage of miracles, from the Holy Spirt breaking language barriers to disabled people being healed to prison walls falling down. However, the greatest miracle may very well take place in Acts 9. Luke introduces us to Saul of Tarsus as the one spearheading the persecution against the Church. In Acts 9, we see that he isn't about to allow the Church to regain momentum as it spreads beyond Judea. He is determined to follow the growth and put an end to the movement. Saul embodies the heart within every human, deceived by sin and dominated by a sinful nature. His only desire was to destroy the Church, out of what he thought was a service to God. He proved himself depraved at heart, worthy of condemnation. But God had other plans for Saul of Tarsus... We see what happens when the Light of Heaven shines on even the darkest heart. We see how even the greatest obstacle, the human will, can be overcome by the power of the Gospel. In this message, we have a theological conversation about just

The Church in Acts has entered a new phase, becoming boundless and working towards a global stage. From Acts chapter 8 to 12, we see the Gospel impact people from all corners of the earth, showing the true power of the Gospel. Featured in Acts 8:26-40 is an Ethiopian Eunuch, who came to Jerusalem searching for hope but left disappointed. Thanks to Philip's readiness and faithfulness, the Eunuch receives Good News in the most unexpected of places. The Eunuch had been told he had no place in the family of God, that he would forever be separated. Ultimately, God's grace would find him and change everything.

Why did God make us? As in, all of us. We believe we are each made for His glory, but are our lives meant to intersect? Currently there are some 7 billion humans on the planet, inhabiting nearly 200 nations, belonging to one of several hundred ethnic groups. The Bible teaches that all of us were made in God's image. Together we paint the full picture of God. His desire is that we all love Him, know Him and follow Him. This may sound impossible, but we can all make Him known. His commandment over us is that we validate and authenticate our love for Him by loving one another. The drift of humanity is to love only those near us or those like us. Our world today is more tribal and divided than ever, especially pertaining to race and ethnicity. Jesus Christ died to destroy this barrier, to cover us in His blood and make us one blood. Everyone is invited, and God's call over us is that we seek to be unity, cooperation and harmony with one another - For their Souls and for His Glory.

Having been defeated and exiled, all seemed grim for the nation of Israel. However, Jeremiah 29-33 reveals that God is not done with Israel yet. The Old Covenant's inability to save has been proven, and a New and Better Covenant is promised. In Jeremiah 30, we hear how important the nation of Israel has been to God's plan to redeem and restore Creation. Out of Zion, salvation has come. Out of Zion, the Kingdom of God will rise.

Acts 8 is a pivot point for the Church. This is the moment the transition from local to global truly began. What began as a of safety-decision became a Gospel-decision. There would have been many temptations to remain in Jerusalem, but persecution forced them to remember their commission. The Disciples refused to let idols and idleness get in the way of Jesus and His mission. They remained available for God to use and work through. Their availability is contrasted in an encounter with one Simon of Samaria. Simon was a local magician, who was seeking to make his name great, hoping to capitalize on the power of God for his own gain. He assumes wrongly that the Disciples were working for their own fame. In this exchange, we are left with an impression of true discipleship and given an example to follow as we seek to serve the Lord.

Welcome to our brand new, pre-Easter series that's centered around a question we've all asked at some point or another: “Why?” We’ve all asked this simple, yet broad question before. No matter to whom we may be directing the question, or even if we’re just asking it rhetorically, we’ve all questioned the reason and purpose for any given thing. As Christians, we believe that God is sovereign and is the Creator of life and all its details. We can rest assured that everything happens under His watch, but that doesn’t mean that we still don’t have questions. Filtering and funneling everything beneath God’s sovereign canopy does help produce a better question to ask though: Why did God create the world? More specifically, why did God create this world? Often times we ask “why” in exasperation and doubt that there is an attainable answer. However, the Bible gives us a pretty clear answer as to why God created this world. We often turn to Genesis 1 to learn "how" things came to be, but a deeper look at the text

While it had faced it's share of hardships, the Church was on the cusp of local prominence and security by Acts 6. The leaders had shown boldness against opposition and it was becoming organized and engaged in local ministries. Yet, things change rather quickly with Stephen's arrest and martyrdom. The Church suddenly is facing an outbreak of state-sponsored persecution. The Disciples are forced to come to terms with their identity and mission in light of this conflict. The Great Commission drives them to maintain their witness, and scatters them beyond Jerusalem. Ultimately, persecution serves to fan the flames of their mission. However, the Church is driven to the margins of society. The ideas of remaining comfortable and prominent in Jerusalem are challenged by this trial. In this message we learn that that was actually God's sovereign intentions of the persecution they were facing. Here in the margins they would intersect with a greater and wider audience. They would take on a more sincere and more p

Ruth's story is ultimately all about finding a place in God's Story, about her coming to belong and being included in God's Family. From the beginning, there's a sense of unrest in the world, and Ruth particularly is longing to find rest. Of course, this is what our faith is all about. The Gospel's invitation isn't for us to find improvement, but rather resurrection in Christ. To find rest is to find life. In Ruth 3:18, Ruth receives a promise that her Redeemer is restlessly pursuing rest for her. This message is all about how our Restless Redeemer went to extravagant measures to find rest for us. The barriers that block us from rest, and the contrary paths we naturally take, all are a result of our fallen world and sinful nature. The Bible tells the story of how God restlessly worked to finish this work of redemption. Christ's work on the cross and resurrection from the grave promises us that rest is available for all who turn and trust in Him.

Jeremiah 29 is one of the best known passages of the Bible, containing one of the most quoted promises from God. Most of us don't realize that that promise is a follow-up to a very important commandment from God. Jeremiah writes to his brothers and sisters in exile with a message of hope and purpose. In this text, we hear God's instructions for the Jews in Babylon and are reminded that their lives are far from over. While they wait to return to their homeland, they are commanded to seek to serve and honor God in exile. Jeremiah 29:11 is their incentive and is to be their ambition while they wait. In this message, we discover that it shares a similar role in our faith.

A few chapters into Acts, the Church was going strong. It had established itself in Jerusalem as a force for good and began making an impact beyond the Jewish people. This was a pivotal moment in history, as Jesus had destined the Church to grow beyond Judea. In many ways, the Jewish opposition that came against Stephen is much larger than just Judaism's critique on Christianity. It speaks of the tendency of religion to become static and remain still. Of course, the Jewish leaders had no interest in reaching the world with their faith. The enemy was hoping the Church would pass on this initiative as well. This is what makes Stephen's message so profound, as he traces the Christian faith back to Abraham, and remarks that God had always intended on building a global community and dwelling in the hearts of His people. Stephen draws a line in the sand, that Christianity would be different than Judaism (and every religion for that matter). He was building a movement that would always be in motion. The Jewish

The Gospel is on display and detailed in every book of the Bible, but Ruth 2's presentation is especially rich. Ruth came into the land of Israel having heard about the Jewish God, hoping to experience His goodness. However, she never could've expected the favor that was about to be poured out for her. She meets a one of a kind man, who unbeknownst to her, has the ability to redeem her story for an incredible purpose. Boaz shows Ruth a brand of kindness that is beyond measure, that leaves her speechless again and again. This of course, is a picture of God's Kindness towards us all, and the love He has demonstrated for us through Christ. He purposely lays handfuls of grace before us day after day. His intention is to get our attention and to capture our affection, so that we would put our total trust in Him.

Ruth is the culmination of so many previous storylines of the Bible. The sin of Sodom, the tragedy of Lot, the thorn of Moab, and years of stumbling out of God's Will, all come together in a surprising and remarkable way. As the Judges' Era crashes and burns, Israel believed it was on the brink of suffering God's judgment. Many began leaving the land, accepting that Israel's days of favor were long gone. No one could have saw the next chapter of this story coming... God had another plan in the works. It would redeem some of Israel's past failures and chart a brand new course of hope and possibility. That plan began with the most unlikely of people. However, history confirms that Ruth did indeed change the world.

God's Covenant with Judah was set to expire, due to their unfaithfulness. Turns out, this wasn't just a recent issue, but one that had been festering for nearly 500 years. God was about to place His people in timeout for a season, but He used this opportunity to send a more serious to the whole world. God showed Jeremiah a cup. This cup was overflowing with wine, symbolizing God's wrath due to all sin. God's wrath burned against sin's curse against humanity and damage being done to and through humanity. Humanity deserved judgement, yet God's mercy persisted. God desired better for us, yet our sin persisted. Sin had to be atoned for. Only God’s righteous wrath could properly judge and eliminate sin. But if every sinner was made to drink the cup shown to Jeremiah, there would be no human left standing. Enter Jesus Christ. He preached that both salvation and judgement were imminent. One night as Jesus prayed, He heard Jeremiah 25:15 echo through time, "Take this cup of wine of wrath, and drink it... drink a

Romans 12 is one of the most important passages of Scripture for a Christian to read, learn and apply to their lives. It invites every unique, fearfully and wonderfully made individual to see their place in the much larger Kingdom of God. Through this text, we are invited to find our way back to where God always intended us to be. We’re reminded that we are made in the image of God and that we dwell amidst a world of other image bearers. To transform the world, the Christian’s job is to imitate Christ, having been transformed by Him ourselves. Christ sought to change the world by loving the world to the point of self-sacrifice. Are we willing to do the same? Romans 12:9-21 are not options for us. They are commandments. We are confronted with unavoidable questions in this text: How driven by God’s love are you? Do you seek to outdo others in showing honor? Do you bless those who curse you? Are you willing to walk in someone else’s shoes, in order to help raise them up? Do you respond to evil with good, and o

As they stood trial for their witness for and commitment to Jesus Christ, the Disciples exhibited remarkable faith in God. When threatened, they put all of their trust in Him. We marvel at this, but in hindsight it should come as no surprise that they were so confident. After all, Jesus had promised them that God was unstoppable, their hope was unbreakable, and that His Church was unshakeable. For this reason, they truly believed that they could not lose. God was with them, so who could be against them? Death could not stop Jesus. It would not stop them. They were not afraid, ashamed or too proud to bear their crosses , if and when their suffering was God's choice means of demonstrating His power. They knew that Resurrection was always God's next move. No matter the shame, with no fear of the pain, they were confident that God was working some Kingdom gain.

"Let My People Go!" This has been God's Word to this world on our behalf for generations. This world reduces us down to categories and labels, and enslaves us to its ideas and standards. It takes our texture away - our God-given depth and individuality. God wants us to understand that in Him we can find our true identity and find a better belonging. When the Hebrews came out of Egypt, Moses taught them a new name for God: Yahweh Nissi - "The LORD is My Banner". God is our flag and our brand. In Him, we ascend to a higher and purer dwelling place. What defines you? Where do you find your meaning? How do you fight your battles? If God is your banner and brand, then you will find a security and strength that this world simply cannot give.

As Acts continues, the Disciples continue to prove how serious they took the Words of Jesus, and how crucial they believed their obedience was to the Church's expansion. They also trusted Jesus' assertion that true joy was locked behind total surrender to God's Kingdom. In Acts 5, we witness Peter and his companions risk everything to preach the Gospel and once again they are put on trial. The authorities were as amazed as they were insulted. How and why would anyone be so bold and brave, knowing their lives were at stake? Peter's testimony is even more astounding this time, as he gives perhaps his most famous response, "We must obey God rather than men." Here Peter underscores his drive as a Christian. More important than obeying his or anyone else's will, is surrendering to God's. We all have our "musts", things that take priority in our lives. Where does God and His Kingdom rank on that list? Only when we see our place in Christ as our most defining and most fulfilling, will we see our obedience as o

We are all like sheep, in that in most areas of life we are at the mercy of a shepherd . We follow many shepherds, many that do not have our best interest in mind. Sometimes we're well aware of this, but can't break free. Other times, we don't realize we're being led astray. In Jeremiah 23, God identifies the many bad shepherds that lord over us in this life and promises to send us a better one. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who has come to save, lead and protect His people. Are you follow Him?

In Acts 4, we find the Disciples praying for boldness after displaying an extraordinary brand of bravery. However, as the story continues we find that they were just getting started… In fact, the boldness within their Church community may be the most humbling trait of early Christianity. Acts 4:32-37 details the selfless and sacrificial heart of the early Church. Perhaps what’s most striking is, that there was no mandate that required this level of generosity, yet every believer was moved by God to follow suit. The Disciples quickly find that giving up all to build God’s Church was far more fulfilling than possessing all the riches in the world. The more they made Jesus everything, the more they realized they didn’t need anything but Him. If this kind of joy and contentment is available for us, why aren’t we embracing this model? Why do we still yet cling to the ways of this world and hold fast to its views on wealth and fulfillment? God so desire that the early Church get all that He had for them, He w