A Living Church Part 2

When the church undergoes persecution can still exhibit the joy of the Lord's trials. That's what happens when God's presence is very real as it is during times of revival today.

A further look at the church when God shows up from the Moody Church in Chicago.

This is running to with Dr. one looks or whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line pastorates or is it normal for long periods of time to pass, during which God is not as you say show up in a day.

The way you've asked that question is a little bit difficult for me to respond to and I'll tell you why I think that God always shows up whenever his word is preached, but there's no doubt that there are times when we especially see the power of God and we see that best in the transformation of lives. So I would say to all who are listening if you're attending a church where there is no transformation of life. It is so important to seek God because only he can bring about that which we need to so desperately.

I have been my hands a letter from a woman by the name of Michelle who says I listen to running to win on my drive to work every morning. Pastor Luther's messages are just as beneficial as my breakfast before starting the day I notice a difference in my attitude if I miss a day as a young girl. I did not grow up attending church, but these sermons help me make sense of the Bible passages. He teaches God bless you. Whenever I read a letter like that. I want to remind us that this is not my ministry.

This is not the ministry of a church or an organization, my friend, this is your ministry made possible because of your prayers and your gifts would you consider helping us some friends of told us that they are willing to match gifts given during this period of time, dollar for dollar up to $90,000. If you been listening to running to win for any period of time. Would you consider becoming a member of the running to win family. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 no gift is too small and no gift is too big, will now we go to the pulpit of Moody church where we continue our study of what happens when God comes to church. It is the Lord God who begins the church through choosing people to eternal life, and what does he choose them for to leave their sins.

Yes, he chooses them out of the world, but they are for himself. God wants you, it's your heart.

It's everything that you own all of your love is and so God chooses us for himself and once you know that you know that the God who chose you is not going to give up on you and is going to be with you until the and and that gives confidence and pulses are word came out you not in word only if all that you hear from me today. Our words so that you conceptually understand the message and so that you can know what I'm saying. If all that happens if, as if that's all that happens to then we have failed in our prayer life and in our yielded nests because the word should never go out just in word only, should always go out with the demonstration of power that the power to convict the power to change the power to transform. That's the way the word of God should out and much conviction that settled conviction that you belong to God that God is number one in your life and that really nothing else matters about God and his promises is that overwhelming conviction that you should experience when the word of God is read and when it is preached. If it goes out in word only, it's not transforming it may, it may challenge the mind. You may learn new ideas, new insights, unless it is transforming to the heart, not just the emotions but the actual heart. Then of course there's a disconnect in you and I know people don't wait to hear the word called my family last night in Canada and there's a man who died suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack at age 75. It very very wealthy farmer who wanted to buy up most of the land in his area and almost did, and that the only thing that was said at his funeral about his spiritual life was that he attended church and need always say to the pastor. Good sermon well all right will take that good sermon better than I guess that sermon, like the woman said that to the door to the pastor. You know your sermon is like a cup of cold water to a drowning man.

Think about that a little bit folks think about it, but his wife says he had no spiritual interest at all. Not came and sat came and listened, always left unchanged.

That's the word in word only, but when it comes with the power of God and conviction there is that settled idea of walking with God and knowing that you do, even apart from arguments, even apart from the apologetics for the Christian faith. Well anyway pulses.

It was a confident church. It was a joyful church will notice in verse six he says that and you became imitators of us and of the Lord for you received the word in much affliction, with joy you put those two words together. Those two phrases you received the word in much affliction.

I mean, the blood was running down their backs because of persecution, yet you receive the word with much joy, how do you have joy you can't unless God shows up because first of all what God does is he takes care of the nagging conscience can you imagine how joyful you could be if your conscience didn't trouble you over sins that you've committed over relationships that are broken and mistakes that you have made. Can you imagine having all that taken away and then to be given the confidence that no matter what the fluctuating circumstances are. You belong to God forever, because he chose you to belong to him. It brings a sense of joy even in the midst of the great affliction in this church had it because God showed up. Joy was a time when God visited some churches that I will tell you about some future message where there was so much joy and because I wrote something about it. I interviewed a lot of people. Somebody said there was so much joy in my heart when I got rid of all of my sin and I began to concentrate on Jesus. He said that sometimes I couldn't sleep and I'd say God turn off the joy so that I can get some sleep.

Never had to ask God to turn off the joy so that you can sleep it was a joyful church, let me say also number four that it was a growing church.

It says in verse eight.

Four. Not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Acadia, but your faith in God is gone forth everywhere so that we need not say anything. How in the world did they do that. It sounded forth only place in the New Testament were that word is used.

Sometimes it's translated it echo or its use for the blast of a trumpet sounded forth the word of God came to you and it surrounded the entire area because of your witness. In fact, not only in Macedonia but it went even beyond that, you see a ships came into the harbor at Thessalonica. Everybody said you know what's going on in town. People are turning to Jesus Christ and the people who are turning to Jesus Christ. They treat their wives better than the rest of us. They are people of integrity. You can't get them to lie, cheat, in fact, some of them left their businesses because they had to be cheating. They never attended the Babs anymore because there was too much immorality going on there and and suddenly you have these transform people who love each other and our together and without a program necessarily for missions word begins to spread all throughout the area that something unusual is happening in Thessalonica and it's as if you took the word of God that we gave you now you used it and and through its transforming power. It's touch the whole area.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if from the Moody church sounding forth the gospel would go out to the city of Chicago and beyond. And of course to some extent it is going forth to the world through our missionary witness, but we have so much that can be done and from us the word of God can will can sound forth throughout the area and that's what happens when God shows up the best advertisement for Christianity is a transform Christian who loves who is not judgmental who has a different attitude of integrity. That's the best advertisement for Christianity. The worst advertisement for Christianity is a Christian who is angry Patty judgmental, selfish, and in other ways difficult to get along with. If you fit into that category don't tell people your Christian right do us a favor. Keep your faith private right I could tell your story along that line were a young woman wrote a letter to someone else wrote a note to someone else in the organization and says I just want you to know that I'm a Christian to but because I do ABCD. I don't want anyone to know what well that is a bad advertisement for Christianity, but the best advertisement or other Christians. The best advertisement for Jesus is tomorrow morning in banks and hospitals and all throughout the Chicago area were ever God has planted us all being strong witnesses to our faith.

Notice also. It was a focused church pulses now in verse nine, for they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and the true God and to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. You turned to God from idols. Did you know that you can turn from your idols. You don't have the strength to turn from your idols. Once you begin the pathway of sin. You cannot turn around.

That's why some of you are struggling so deeply with issues and addictions. It's because you can't turn the only way you can turn from an idol is to turn to God, the living and the true God, and that you can do in the name of Jesus and through his strength and then you begin to understand the idols for what they are and you can turn from those idols and suddenly God becomes more important to you than the idols themselves. I want to be clear today. If you do not value God above all other things you may not be converted because what God does when were converted is he gives us a love for God gives us a love for Jesus, whom having not seen the lab you can turn love on and off like you can a faucet. Can you you can't wake up in the morning, and Sable. Today I'm going to love God you don't have that power because were basically desire driven then to some extent a prisoner of our desires.

If we love God is God implanted within us. When we work in worded and by the ministry of the blessed Holy Spirit. So we turned to God from idols all the things that we've insisted upon that. We need all of the rationalizations for who we are and suddenly we discover that in the process God has shown and we are a different people. Well, these are the characteristics of the church where God has shown up and that's why we're praying this year. That's why we are fasting this year because were asking the question, are we ready to have God show up at Moody church, let me say that when God shows up it's a it's a terrible time and it's a joyful time.

It's always both, I've seen it terrible because God goes down deep into our souls and he begins to deal with all of the hidden sins and agendas that we cover and rationalize and it's painful just painful to talk to someone who was in a church where God showed up.

She said for three weeks I could not do housework. I was under such deep conviction of sin. It's it's messy when God shows but then the joy comes in the freedom comes because once we see God for who he is and we see sin for what it is we begin to say to ourselves. There is no value in all the earth that can be compared to the Almighty, and God shows up. And then there's reconciliation of the pain of reconciliation. I love to tell the story.

Perhaps you heard me tell in Canada were God showed up in Western Canada in the early 70s many years ago. What happened is there were two brothers who had not talk to each other for years because they had a different opinion of themselves that were family squabbles things in their history. They didn't want to deal with and quite frankly one walked into one door of the church and the other walked in the other, and they knew where the other was so that they would never have to meet and now suddenly God shows up pastor took them to the basement of the church said, I'm not leaving and he asked the elders together around said were not leaving until the two of your reconciled well.

One knew that he was caught at least and he said okay I'll reconcile pastor said that's not good enough they began to pray there, and the Holy Spirit came upon that group and one man was under such conviction.

He began to pound on the downstairs wall in such a way that they could hear them in the congregation we could hear him upstairs. And these two brothers were reconciled and the next night they sang a duet and people said we can't believe it. If God can do that. For example, why can't he do that for our family. You see, that's what happens when God comes to church.

It's painful, but it is so incredibly blessed God showed up in the Thessalonian church God has shown up in periods of time here in America in ways that are extraordinary memorable and transforming you believe is a congregation here at the Moody church that God could do it again do believe that that's possible, and if he did, we would sing in my life Lord to be glorified and it would be a prayer of yield in this dedication of surrender saying God whatever it takes in my life be glorified. Are you ready let's pray and our father. We want to thank you today for your faithfulness. Thank you that when you come to church. Everything is different now. Lord we have lived so long with spiritual mediocrity. We don't know what this is about all that were asking is that you would grace us with your undeserved blessing we pray in Jesus name that you might make us as a congregation alive with the presence and the power of our Lord God make us a transforming church in Chicago in this city and around the world because we are desperate for your blessing and for those who are here today have never trusted Christ as Savior made a have heard what was said and know that they need to be converted may they trust Christ and believe in him and be saved. Jesus name we pray. Amen. My friend, this is Pastor Luther and I sure hope that you responded to this message that your heart is open to all God wants to do in your life in your family and in your community. We all desire that God would come to church, that he would show up, and as a result we would experience his blessing. Let me ask you a question if ever stop to ask what message on running to win has been the greatest blessing to you. Had you been edified. Have you been helped. Perhaps there are many of you out there who have never connected with us well were so glad that some friends of our ministry have been willing to say that they will match your gift up to $90,000. By the way that they will match your gift dollar for dollar. What a wonderful opportunity for you to maximize your commitment to this ministry. Here's how you can become involved. Listen carefully. Go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and as we continue this ministry we are very much aware that it is not ours. It belongs to God and to his people, so thanks in advance for helping us and we know that as a result of your gift.

Others will be blessed it's time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Luther a question about the Bible or the Christian life doing the right thing. It's always admirable, but sometimes it's not clear what the right thing is Melissa data was supposing this dilemma with regard to the homeless. How do you reconcile versus such as Matthew 2535 and second Thessalonians 3 verses six through 14.

I feel led to give of my time and money to the poor. I want to be obedient to that. However, I'm beginning to feel conflicted.

There are those that are homeless or poor simply because they choose to be. They would rather be audible and have to work they expect to be supported by the government or charitable organizations. In one way it seems that by supporting them. We perpetuate their homeless or poor state. On the other hand, am I the one to judge these things if my charge is to serve the homeless, should I do so without regard Melissa, thanks so much for your question and by the way, the reference that was referred to their second Thessalonians chapter 3 verse six and following emphasizes that Paul says that if a man does not work, neither shall he eat and so what we do with that verse.

Well the clear implication of course Melissa is that he would have opportunity to work remember that there is some people in this world who cannot work because there are no jobs. I'm thinking particularly of other countries, though that certainly is true in America today with our financial downturn where people would love to work, but they can't and so they become poor because of the circumstances of life, not because of laziness that with regard to your specific question. Are you the one to judge these things. My own view is this we should not resist a generous impulse, sometimes even on the street. I've given people, money, and I suspect that they probably took it to buy a drink and yet because I'm not sure I say to myself, I'm giving this in the name of the Lord and I'm going to trust God and if they misuse it. That's their responsibility. I want to be sure that I have been faithful in helping the poor, Melissa.

I think the best thing though to do is to work in soup kitchens, places like this that minister to the poor where they are actually given the food in there. Given the close and may be a place to sleep. At least then you know that your resources and your time are valuable and they are being wisely used. That's very different than giving money to people whom you've never met to sometimes accost us on a street corner. So when we are faced with the decision, let us always be generous. God has much to say about the poor and we should be committed to them and to their needs. I commend you Melissa keep doing what God is called you to do. Thank you Melissa and thank you Dr. Luther if you'd like to hear one of your questions answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 running to win comes to you from the Moody Church in Chicago help you understand God's roadmap or your race of life. Next time, why it is that when God comes to church that the church becomes serving church. Thanks for listening for Dr. Irwin Luther this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church