Witnesses | Fresh Wind | Pastor Steve Andres

New City Church

Witnesses | Fresh Wind | Pastor Steve Andres

September 10, 2023 • Pastor Steve Andres • Acts 1:8, Acts 1:3, Acts 2:1–4, Acts 2:16–17

Do you believe in miracles? This weekend Pastor Steve began our fall series, FRESH WIND, with a message about the miracle of the Church.

Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Two thousand years ago, a tiny group of peasants believed God had raised Jesus of Nazareth from the dead in order to fulfill of a long list of promises to bring healing to the world. This emerging movement of Jesus followers empowered the poor, elevated women, built diverse communities, remade their culture and, ultimately, upended an empire. What did God give them to do this?

1) TRUTH

Acts 1:3 talks about “all that Jesus BEGAN to do and teach.” Our faith rests in what JESUS has done, not in what we are able to do for ourselves. And our hope rests in the promise that Jesus is not finished yet. As we like to say: If it isn’t fixed yet, God isn’t finished!

2) POWER

When the earliest believers experience God’s empowering presence (Acts 2:1-4), some people thought they were drunk. They were smarter, bolder and more loving than they were before, but not because they had been drinking. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and power.

Acts 2:16-17

These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.’

These disciples who had been afraid before, were now declaring the wonders of God in miraculous fashion to people from all over the world. Thank God that he gives power to be witnesses to the truth of Jesus’s resurrection!

Miracle in Macedonia | Fresh Wind | Pastor Steve Andres

October 29, 2023 • Pastor Steve Andres • Acts 16:12

Have you ever witnessed a miracle? This weekend Pastor Steve Andres concluded our series, FRESH WIND, with a message about the beginning of the Philippian church. Acts 16:12 We reached Philippi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there several days. After the Apostle Paul and crew arrive in Philippi, the book of Acts gives us stories of how three different individuals came to faith in Christ. 1) Lydia, the dealer of purple from Thyatira. Lydia is a wealthy and well-established businesswoman who has a deep spiritual commitment as well. Why does Paul share the Gospel with her when she is already successful and good? It’s precisely because she is that she needs to hear the truth of how God came to save all sinners. 2) The enslaved girl who spoke the truth. When Paul cast out the demon from the young girl, those who were exploiting her were enraged. When her God broke through the psychological and spiritual oppression she was experiencing, she no longer fit in the system that used to profit from her. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation, and the doorway to a transformed life. 3) The jailer who was doing his job. When Paul and Silas are beaten and imprisoned, the jailer is simply doing his job, not searching for truth. But then God sends an earthquake to set the prisoners free. The jailer is moved to repentance, but not by the earthquake. He was moved to repentance by the mercy that Paul and Silas showed him. These three radically different stories of people coming to faith in Christ are the beginnings of the church at Philippi. There are miracle stories in Acts 16, but the greatest miracle is the CHURCH!

Finishers | Fresh Wind | Pastor Steve Andres

October 22, 2023 • Pastor Steve Andres • Acts 8:4–7, James 1:2–4, Romans 12:4–6, Hebrews 12:1–2

It’s all about the finish! This weekend Pastor Steve continued our series, FRESH WIND, and New City celebrated our 5th Anniversary! Acts 8:4-7 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city. At the beginning of the story in Acts we see the start of Philip’s ministry. 28 years later, Philip appears again. Acts 21:8-9 The next day we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen to distribute food. He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy. Philip served the Lord faithfully for those 28 years, even though his assignment changed. What are the keys to being faithful to the finish? 1) Authenticity has endurance. Nothing lasts like the real thing. Philip’s commitment to Jesus was authentic, and it had staying power. 2) Everyone runs their own race. Philip didn’t have to do everything. It was just as important to raise those four daughters to serve the Lord as it was to preach to the city. 3) Forward is a pace. It’s easy to dwell on past successes or disappointments. To finish strong we need to stay focused on what God is calling us to do today. 4) It’s we, not me. Your race impacts others, and that is the legacy that we leave. Philip was intentional about preparing the next generation to serve the Lord. 5) It’s all about the finish. We don’t run our race against anyone else. In the end, it’s finishing that matters! Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.

FREE | Fresh Wind | Pastor Terrence Sutton

October 15, 2023 • Pastor Terrence Sutton • Galatians 5:13, John 5, James 5:16

Are you living in freedom? This weekend Pastor Terrence Sutton from Tahoe Forest Church continued our series, FRESH WIND, with a message about living in the fullness of God’s grace. Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters. Too many people live short of the plan of God for their lives. Though we are offered grace and mercy, we sometimes persist in shame and disgrace. 1) What sin or past experience are you allowing to keep you in bondage? In John 5 Jesus is at the Pool of Bethesda, where he asks a man who has been paralyzed for 38 years if he wants to be well. The man explains to him why he has remained in sickness. 2) What excuses or reasons are you offering yourself and others for your lack of freedom? Why does Jesus ask the man before healing him? Because the choice is ours whether we want to receive God’s transforming grace. 3) Are you willing to ask Jesus to change your life? Are you ready to receive God’s gift? To do so, all we need is to be humble enough to admit it. Something powerful and supernatural happens when we open our hearts to Jesus and to one another! James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.