Two weeks ago, Lead Pastor Dean Wertz established the problem of disunity in the church – both in the at Corinth, and in the world today. Last week, Elder Rob Cupp gave a message on how exalting Christ as our King and surrendering our love to Him can bring us together again. This week, we will discuss how listening to wisdom of the Spirit (and not the wisdom of the world) is absolutely essential to living our lives authentically in unity with Christ and the church. We will also be inviting two special guests onstage to share their personal stories about what it’s like to deny the wisdom of the world, and trust fully in the Spirit of God.
"culture" Tagged Sermons
Living in the world we live in; it is easy to fall into a “side” of an argument or discussion. This ease often causes divisions and breaking in relationships. Unfortunately, even in the early days of Christianity, this breaking and division began to happen in the Church. But in 1 Corinthians, Paul begins to lay out the beautiful possibility that we can have a change of mind and live in unity with all who “are being saved” by Christ and His Gospel Message. Not only is this possible, but it is God’s desire and plan to have our relationships reconciled and be fully united in Him.
Starting the series “what am I learning from scripture”, I wanted to say what I have been learning about American culture and the shifts in recent years as I have been outside the country. The core of discipleship is timeless but the techniques used in the past generation must change to capture the bright minds of the future.
Two of the most famous Biblical stories are (1) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace, and (2) Daniel in the Lion’s Den. They both occur during the 70-year period of Israelite exile in Babylon in the 6th century BC, yet these accounts have tremendous value for us today: they show how God brings glory to Himself in the midst of a culture of critics. Any trial in our lives, no matter how big or small, — when met with courage and faith — can become a demonstration of God’s power and creativity. When that demonstration is simply and humbly attributed to Him, the critics that surround us can become witnesses to an undeniable glory, hungry for more (just like Anton Ego in the animated film, Ratatouille).
When a culture shifts away from God and His Word, followers of Jesus often error by either getting angry with those in the world or by compromising in order to avoid persecution. In this introductory message to the letter of I Peter, we discover that God led Peter to write to Christians in modern day Northern Turkey in order to show them how to live in Christ according to the ways of Christ in the midst of a culture that is opposed to Jesus and His ways. This message also shows the relevance for believers in our day as well.