New York City for Jesus

Heb 11:10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

The world is going urban. It is expected that 60 percent of the world population will be urban by 2030, Yet much of the church in the sixties and seventies fled the cities en masse. But we need to look at cities with God's heart. We need to look at cities with the heart of redemption. Not as Sodom and Gomorrah , but as Nineveh--a city that was spared because of massive repentance.

Many people tend to think of cities as something invented by the devil. But according to the above verse, Abraham was looking forward to a city whose builder and maker was God.
Jerusalem was called the city of David. And the culmination of history will be the new Jerusalem.

Rev 21:1-2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

So although history started in a garden, history is going to culminate in a city. God himself is a city builder who is building a spiritual city. So, though the city has been corrupted by sin, we are to seek to build and redeem human cities. In fact early Christianity was such an urban phenomenon that "pagan" literally means country dweller!

In the next ten years, New York City will be the only US city in the top ten mega cities on the planet with a metropolitan area of over 19 million people.

If we are serious about the Great Commission we must go to where the people are!
In spite of all this, in 1998 only 8.6 of all missionaries were in world class cities!

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT NYC
Midtown Manhattan during a typical workday is the most densely populated place on earth. With over 200,000 people per square mile.
The world has come to NYC. You have 800,000 West Indians in Brooklyn, 200,000 Columbians in Queens, 3 Chinatowns: Manhattan , Flushing and Brooklyn, of over 100,000 each., 80,000 Greeks n Astoria. 50,000 Russians in Brighton Beach, 40,000 Hindus in Queens, 150,000 Arabs in North Brooklyn, Over 70 languages spoken in one neighborhood of Flushing.

Strategic
If you look at the strategies of the Apostle Paul, you’ll see that cities were the key part of his strategy and many of the cities where he planted churches like Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, were on key trade routes. Why? So that Christianity would have an influence over all those that would pass through. This is so true of New York where so many come and go. It is one of the international ports for the US. Reaching New York City means reaching the world and exporting Christianity all over the world!

NYC as center of influence
What do Seinfeld, the Apprentice, Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends, Third Watch, Law and Order, the morning shows, etc. have in common? They all take place in New York City. The eyes of the world are on New York!

It is a media capital . Only LA competes with it. All the headquarters for the major networks are here. It is an art and entertainment capital. Broadway of CourseIt is an advertising capital - Madison Ave.It is a world power capital- U.N.It is the financial capital -- Wall Street. It is second only to Boston in number of College Students

With all this influence it is perhaps the least Protestant city in the country. The leading protestant church in the city in Manhattan is the Episcopal and it has a combined Sunday attendance of just 25,000 in a city of 8 million. No wonder to the average person in Manhattan, Non-Catholic Christianity is practically invisible.

Cultural Influence
As the City goes, so goes the Nation. Did you ever wonder why there seems to be so little cultural impact by the church. To a large degree, it’s because of the lack of presence in the major cities. For instance the homosexual community which comprises only two percent has a disproportional impact on the culture. Why? Highly urban!

Spiritual Warfare
In every city there are two cities vying for control. The city of Man and the city of God. The fight is strongest here because cities are so strategic. If any of you have seen the Lord of the Rings, there was a battle for a strategic city. I believe it was called Minas Tirith. The good guys knew that if this city fell, the forces of darkness would have free reign and so they put their all into defending that city.

I believe God is putting together a similar team of good guys. A team that will strategically fight for the city, understanding its strategic importance in light of the battle. I believe that the Holy Spirit is raising up some people. So I encourage you to pray and to ask God if you might be one of them.


Blessings!

New Creations

Imagine a man gets a knock on his door. He's informed by a messenger that his rich uncle died, and left him a huge amount of money. He is given the estimate in an envelope. He doesn't even open it but says, "Well if my uncle really knew the real me. If he only knew the things I have done in my life, he never would have given this." The messenger comments on the heir's illness and that the money could help him get treatment. "No I deserve to be this way. I'm sick because I am paying for things done my life." says the reluctant heir. The messenger says " But I heard that your house is in foreclosure--this can help you save it."

"No you understand, I don't deserve anything else. Look I am not a very good nephew. It is laughable how badly I fail in being good. I still have issues. Even God is mad at me. I am such a loser. I can never please God. God must hate me. Look at me. Look please find something else to do with this inheritance."

A sad and ridiculous story you say? But unfortunately that is what many of us do in our Christian lives. We receive a great inheritance but rather than step into and use the rights of that inheritance, we are busy beating ourselves up and accepting things into our lives that we should be resisting.

The New Covenant is just like the will in our story
Heb 9:15-17 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance-now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. 16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.

Like the reluctant heir--if you had a billionaire uncle who died and left something to you, wouldn't you want to know what was in the will? You have an inheritance coming to you. But as believers in Jesus Christ we also have an incredible inheritance in the New Covenant but unfortunately many don't know what is in the will!

Part of the New Covenant inheritance is that in Christ we are New Creations!
Let's take a look at what our spiritual condition is before we know Jesus.

BEFORE WE KNOW CHRIST:A. SPIRITS WERE DEAD TO GOD
Eph 2:1-2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

As far as your spirit is concerned, it was dead to God before Christ. It wasn't completely dead, but as far as God was concerned it was. It was dominated by forces other than God. It says that our spirits followed the ruler of the kingdom of the air. That is Satan. The Bible clearly says that before people know Christ that they are dead in their transgressions and sins.

WHOSE SONS WERE WE?
See it is very popular nowadays to say that we are all God's children. But what does the Word say?

John 8:42-44 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire.

Whoa! Here's a very challenging scripture. But again, Jesus is very clear. There are sons of God and sons of the Devil. The Pharisees were called sons of the devil because they wanted to kill Jesus. The Apostle John even calls all those who do not do what is right, sons of the devil.
So the Bible says that before we knew Christ that we were dead to God in our sins and transgressions and that we were sons of the devil--following Satan's leading. You see many of us don't like to go that far when we think of ourselves. Most people say "you know there is nothing wrong with me. I don't need anything but maybe a little self improvement."

But here is the good news. Jesus said I have come to set the captives free! The Bible says that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. So though you were once captives. Now you are free. Though you once were slaves of a disobedient spirit. You are now new creations. Thank God we can transfer out of one family and into another family. Praise God the Bible says that we can go from being a Child of the Devil to being a Child of God. It says that God brings us out of darkness into His marvelous light. How? We must be born again, recreated!

We need to see that we needed some radical heart surgery. It's like the guy that goes to the doctor and hears that he needs triple bypass surgery, but he says "nah it's just a little chest pain is all." And goes on his merry way and ends up in big trouble. When you have accept the diagnosis, you really appreciate the prescription. It's so important that we recognize our prior condition so that we can really appreciate what Jesus did about it.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEW BIRTH?
OUR SPIRITS ARE RECREATED.
The moment you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you need to know that your spirit is recreated. Though it was once enslaved. It is made new.

John 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

You must be Born Again. So many people are put off at the notion of "born again" Christians. People say "What is with this born again stuff?" But in fact that is what Jesus said was necessary in order for us to see the Kingdom of God.

1 Peter 1:23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Eph 2:9-10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

You see, something actually happens to us when we trust in Jesus. We are given completely new spirits! Before we were dead in our transgressions, now our spirits are awakened and transformed by God. It is so important that we realize that we are not the same person anymore. Unfortunately many people don't get that and basically live half a gospel.

For instance, Billy was living with half a gospel- he knew that Jesus died for his sins, but now he was trying to live in his own strength. Trying to " keep right with God" and in many churches, he had been kept in that legalism. What he heard from the pulpit was essentially: " As long as you are doing things right, God accepts you but as soon as you mess up, watch out because God is going to slam you." He had gotten into heavy drinking and violent outbursts. His wife confronted him and said "you know you thought Christianity was trying to be like this perfect man that lived 2000 years ago, but you never received His life!" With that Billy crumpled to the ground and asked Jesus to change his heart by His resurrection Life.

The Resurrection has given us new life. Jesus says he came to give us life and that abundantly. Though our spirits were dead to God, they have been completely made alive by His power.

What does this mean for us?
Burnout: That means we have to stop trying so hard to "be good Christians" and start accepting the life of God in us. Stop rededicating your life over and over and start thanking God for the life of God that you have inside of you.

The Gospel is not : "Come to Jesus now to get forgiveness of your sins and but now in the meantime you better shape up." And then we try and fail and try and fail.
No! The Christian life is not only getting forgiven but having our spirits recreated and receiving the very life of Christ in us!

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me!

Jesus didn't come just to take you to heaven but to get heaven into you!
Many people walk down an aisle or pray a prayer, then years later they are frustrated, they are in a mess! Why? Sometimes it is because they never understood this principle that it's not just about forgiveness but that God has created you a new nature. He has given you life and wants to live in you and through you. Christianity is not just imitating the behavior of a man that lived 2000 years ago. It is living with the same dynamic relationship he had with the Father through the Holy Spirit in our spirit. How many of you when you look at a beautiful butterfly say, "hey check out this beautiful converted worm." You are not a converted worm! You are a beautiful new creation of God!You see so many people when they go through a hard time, they start beating themselves up. "Oh I must be paying for things done in my pre Christian days." Just like the reluctant heir.

But the Bible says that that person is dead! The Bible describes a whole lot of sinful behavior and then says "that is what some of you WERE!" You have been redeemed from the penalty for sin. There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. God does not want you to do penance. Stop whipping yourself. This is very dangerous! For instance, many think that whatever sickness or attack comes against them is fine because they just deserve any bad thing that comes there way. Let me tell you right now. Stop it! God doesn't want you to suffer unnecessarily. But you have to learn to resist the devil and he will flee from you.

After you got saved, if you are going to continue to reap what you sowed as a sinner, then you would have to go to hell too. Because that's part of the penalty. But I am here to tell you that Jesus Christ has redeemed us from the penalty of sins. Don't be a doormat for sickness and disease and hardships that are from the devil and let him trick you into thinking that you deserve it. Because then you will never get set free from it.

Eph 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light!

You were once a worm . but now you are a butterfly. Fly like a butterfly.!

Why should you live as a new creation? Because that is what you are!

Blessings!