New York City, Part 2. What did I learn?

I learned a lot this week, so I'm still getting my thoughts together. But here are some of my reflections from the week:

1. Abiding in Christ is beautiful! It is how we were created to live. In community, digging into the Word, and constantly praying. I felt a peace like I've never felt before. In the midst of such a busy week, I felt strength, joy, and peace, which come from the Lord. He is so gracious. When we seek Him, we'll find Him. And I believe that He was dwelling in our midst the whole week throughout NYC. I was made for community! I need to have Christians around me who are redirecting me to the cross and challenging/encouraging me. Through this week, I'd say half of what I learned was from the Bible/prayer and half was from my fellow City Project peeps. God uses believers to speak into each other's lives.

2. EVERYTHING points to Jesus! "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever!" The gospel is real! And it is SO FREEING! Through Jesus Christ, it was all done for me. I don't have to earn God's favor. I don't have to live my whole life trying to do good deeds and hoping that my good deeds will outweigh the bad in the end. Through Christ, I have been put in right standing before God. I am a sinner, and nothing that I could ever do in my own power could earn God's favor (see Genesis 3. After ONE sin, God kicked Adam & Eve out of the Garden of Eden. ONE sin separated them from God's presence. How could I ever think that I could earn my way into God's presence?) But God so loved the world that He sent His Son to pay the penalty for my sin and to reconcile me to God.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." - Romans 3:23-26

"...but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." - Romans 5:20&21

Here is a beautiful passage from Psalm that celebrates what God has done in my heart and in the heart of those who believe in Jesus Christ:

"I was brutish and ignorant;
I was like a beast toward You.
Nevertheless, I am continually with You;
You hold my right hand.
You guide me with Your counsel,
and afterward You will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
For behold, those who are far from You shall perish;
You put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to You.
But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all Your works."
Psalm 73:22-28

3. The way God sees me should define how I see myself. The gospel should be the lens through which I see myself, the people around me, and the world. The gospel is objective. I need to preach the gospel to myself every moment so that my eyes don't wander from the cross. Below is a beautiful passage from God speaking to His people:

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine...Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you...everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made...whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me...Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?...But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities. I, I am he who blots our your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins."
- excerpts from Isaiah 43

4. God loves the nations! He desires for all to know Him and have a relationship with Jesus Christ. As we walked the streets of NYC, we prayed over the people there. We read Isaiah 61 and 62 over the streets. We claimed the city for the Lord. That is what God has called His people to do - to boldly proclaim His name. To stand in the gap on behalf of those who don't know Him.

Finally, I want to share a prayer that Pastor JD (The Summit's lead pastor) uses and encourages us to use to refocus on the gospel. It's called the Gospel Prayer:

In Christ, there is nothing I can do that would make You love me more, and nothing I have done that makes You love me less.
Your presence and approval are all I need for everlasting joy.
As You have been to me, so I will be to others.
As I pray, I'll measure Your compassion by the cross and Your power by the resurrection.