Sermons

Paul cautioned the Corinthian church regarding their use of freedom—he conveys that we should be mindful in our actions and behaviors possibly hindering other believers.  Today, we look into Paul’s use of his freedom in defending his apostleship and in reaching all audiences, both Jews and Gentiles.  

What matters is not what or how much we know.  What matters is what we do with what we know.  With our knowledge we can act arrogantly and selfishly or we can act in love by helping and building others up.  There were “elitist” in the church of Corinth who had certain knowledge which allowed them to eat meat sacrificed to idols, while some “others” in the church struggled with eating the meat because they saw it as the same as idol worship.  This is precisely what Apostle Paul addresses in today’s passage.  

We are back in 1 Corinthians.  Following up on Paul’s teaching on sexual immorality in chapter 6, here, he teaches what it means to honor God first and foremost in different stages of life(married, divorced ,and single).  Many Christians in Corinth did not know how to honor God while wrestling with their ungodly sexual practices of their former lives.  Here, Paul’s instructions for the Corinthians should serve valuable for all Christians today.  

Mark 9:2-8

2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.  And he was transfigured before them,

3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.

4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here.  Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.

6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.

7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. 

What sits at the center of God's heart?  What work is He most consumed with?  In our passage today, Jesus reveals the essence of His mission on earth--"that we may believe in Him whom He has sent."  As followers of Jesus, we must realign our mission with that of our Lord doing all that we can to participate in the work of God.  Church is more than a hospital, it should be an army fully committed to advancing the Kingdom of God with urgency and diligence.

Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane at one of the lowest moments of His life here on earth.  He’s about to be betrayed and crucified.  But, He’s also about to become sin for us and experience the wrath of God, separation from the Father, so that in Christ we can be forgiven and be redeemed.  Separation from the Father was something Jesus did not want to experience.  So, in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus is in distress and trouble, and in agony calls out to the Father to see if there’s another way to accomplish the will of Father.  Knowing that this is the only way for salvation and this is the Father’s will, Jesus prays “Yet not my will, but Yours Be Done.”  Are we willing to say the same thing to our Heavenly Father when His will in our lives seems challenging, difficult and even painful like it was for Jesus?