On Palm Sunday we celebrate the day when Jesus revealed to Jerusalem that He came to be her King. Yet, as we have been learning in recent weeks, the nature of His Kingdom was different than expected. Of the many qualities Jesus unveiled during His triumphant entry, we see His gentleness, grief and glory. All three of these attributes beckon a response from all who bow to King Jesus.
"Christ’s example" Tagged Sermons (Page 2)
After Jesus’ announcement of the Kingdom, He clarifies it and demonstrates it in numerous ways, through direct teaching and parables, through demonstrations and miracles, and ultimately through His declaration of His own impending suffering and death. Unfortunately for many, it is not what they expect. Jesus disappoints, upsets, and frustrates those who are looking for their version of what the messiah should be: a Conquering King, a Righteous High Priest, and/or a Populist Governor. Jesus supersedes all those expectations, and points to Himself as the way, the truth, and the life.
Everyone has pressures & priorities. God made us to live according to His priorities not people’s pressures. This last Sunday of the year is a great time to remember that our marching orders are clear. We are commanded to love God, love our neighbors and love one another.
There are many beautiful examples of peace coming at times of crisis in our world: two of them are the Christmas Truce of 1914 and the life of Nelson Mandela. But peace in this world tends to be temporary and incomplete, and it leaves us longing for something more lasting and whole. Humanity continues to be rocked by violence and we continue to be cynical of the word “peace.” The beauty of Christmas is that Jesus comes as the Prince of Peace, to bring peace that is “not of this world.” We are given Him to receive lasting peace, and we can become transmitters of His peace when we receive it.
Most of us feel a little uncomfortable when we hear the word “obedience”: it conjures up feelings and/or memories of punishment and pain, or a long list of “shoulds.” Samuel and Saul are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to obeying God. Their juxtaposition provides an avenue into seeing what God is really after when He asks His people to listen to Him, wait for Him, and walk humbly with Him.
While Christians suffer in different ways, the recipients of this letter were suffering because of their faith in Jesus. In this message we discover that suffering for Christ is an essential part of God’s plan for His people in this world. Yet suffering is not the end. Just like the birth of a baby, a spiritual conversion and every good Hollywood movie, so we follow the pattern of Jesus; to suffer, die and rise!
Sometimes it is hard to follow God’s ways when friends in our culture are critical of us. In this text, Peter reveals reasons to chose God’s will over people’s pressures even if we have to suffer for it.
If you are a Christian there are times when you will be criticized. Sometimes the harsh words come from those we love the most. When we feel attacked we have clear marching orders. God has called us to bless and to do good to those who revile us. In this message we discover God’s ways to cultivate this habit of blessing those who criticize us.
While there are many challenges we face in our employment, one of the most difficult is when we are treated unjustly. In this message Dan Kaskubar points out that, except for rare situations, God’s general pattern is for Christ followers to follow the humble example of our Lord Jesus who “did not revile … and did not threaten… but entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”