First Church Charlotte

January 15, 2020, | Pastor Nathan Elms The Lord and the city: somehow, the two go together. I used always to think of the Lord as being out there on the mountainside by Himself, and that’s right [Matthew 14:23; Mark 6:46; John 6:15]; and on the waters alone at night in Galilee, that’s right [Mark 6:47-48]; and in the little city of Nazareth, that’s right [Matthew 2:23; Luke 4:16-24]. But as you look at the Lord more closely, you will find in His heart the compassion for the big city. Embracing a mission; instead of fleeing it, brings life. The city is where the people are. By being impressed by our Savior instead of the enemies, there will be success in ministry. The work in the city is hard and laborious and discouraging and difficult. The reason the Lord appeared to Paul in the night in Corinth was because of the immeasurable, illimitable, indescribable discouragement of the missionary as he sought to build the work of Jesus in the city. In Athens [Acts 17:16-33], he left discouraged, and in Corinth [Acts