Invocation
O Lord Jesus, Who comes always seeking a bride without
spot or wrinkle, grant that we may prepare ourselves to welcome You as our
faithful groom. O glorious union. Amen.
Prayers
for the church of Christ, for others, for yourself.
Scripture:
1st Corinthians 8
1 Now concerning food offered to idols:
we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs
up, but love builds up. 2 If anyone imagines that he knows
something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if
anyone loves God, he is known by God.
4 Therefore, as to the eating of food
offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and
that “there is no God but one.” 5 For although there may
be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods”
and many “lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the
Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord,
Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
7 However, not all possess this
knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as
really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.
8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat,
and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of
yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the
weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an
idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to
eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak
person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus,
sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it
is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes
my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
Sermon for Sunday, July 13, 2014
Love
Builds Up
Pastor Ed Evans
Following church services one
morning, as the Pastor stood at the door greeting everyone, he noticed a member
he had not seen in a while. He said,
“Mr. Jones, I hope you took to heart my sermon about being a member of God’s
army?”
Mr. Jones replied, “Oh, indeed, I
did, Pastor. I am absolutely a member of
God’s army.”
“Really?” the Pastor responded, “but
we haven’t seen much of you lately at Sunday muster.”
“Well,” Mr. Jones replied, “that’s
because I’m in the secret service.”
Of
course, there is no such thing as a secret Christianity; keeping our
relationship with Almighty God a secret from everyone else. That we are God’s man or woman, a disciple of
Jesus Christ, will be and should be obvious.
The heart of the church is community in Christ – if we do not have
community, we don’t have much of a church.
And yet, it would seem the church has become so enamored with a lust for
crowds and the do’s and don’ts that go with it, that we forgotten discipleship
is a personal, intimate experience.
We
seem to have gotten lost in the maze that is life, dealing with all its
problems, making our own decisions about this and that, dodging the pitfalls
and mud puddles of everyday living in a fallen world.
Perhaps
one reason we have so many problems is that He loves us so. I usually get a very strange look when I tell
people, “God must really love you, because He has given you so many problems.”
But
it’s true. He is our creator, and He is
crazy about His creation. He’s crazy
about you. And He wants us to come to
Him constantly. He loves our
company. And so when we run into
difficulties, He welcomes us when we come to Him. Because He loves us. Loves us with a love that is so inclusive, so
magnanimous, so deep and forgiving that we can hardly understand it. And yet, it is the thread that pulls the
entire gospel together.
But
what is Paul talking to the Corinthians about here? Is it about eating meat offered to idols? Is it about having so much religious head
knowledge that we have missed out on the spiritual heart knowledge?
Yes. It is, for the Corinthians. But it has even more applications for you and
I in an age where we seldom have to make decisions about eating meat offered to
idols. However, it remains true of some
people, as the old preacher said, that they are so spiritually minded they are
no earthly good. For Christianity, the
love of Christ, isn’t about religion and rules and rituals. The world is full of such, societies of every
stripe are shot through with them, and they have not made us better, have not
saved us. Only the shed blood of the
risen Christ can do that. And for those
of us who claim the name of Christ, others are always watching. It was the Hindu Ghandi who said, “I love
your Christ, but your Christians not so much.
The
greatest need in the world today is the gospel of Jesus Christ based in God’s
love. It is the greatest need of the
world because men, women, and children are perishing without a vital knowledge
of God through the good news of our Savior, God’s Son, Jesus who is the Christ.
The god that men talk of today is a
cheap, weak version of a god who is your pal; he’s the “man upstairs,” he’s the
fellow who will help you out when you’re down and out and in difficulty, and
won’t bother you too much when you’re not.
Many people are in trouble today
because their god is a handmade, unobtrusive god who is there to grant wishes
and favors; a combination of various theological ideas and stories passed
around, lacking the vision and power of the Most High God.
Let me say it clearly -- Almighty
God, who created you and I and the entire universe is neither a wish-granting
genie nor Tinkerbell, whispering in our ears.
David Neff, writing in the Gospel
History Blog, as he reviewed a series of volumes titled “Ancient Christian
Doctrine“, edited by Tom Oden, points out that “saying ‘I believe’ (Latin: Credo) was a
life-endangering act. Christianity was
seen as -- no, it actually was -- subversive in the Roman Empire. Oden writes, ‘One who says credo without willingness
to suffer and, if necessary, die for the faith has not genuinely said credo in its deepest
Christian sense as baptism: to die and rise again (Romans 6).’”
The greatest need in the church
today is the gospel that still believes, dangerously, in the sovereignty of
God. The gospel is not only news for a
perishing world, it is the message that forms, sustains, and animates the
church. Apart from the gospel, the
church has nothing to say; or rather, nothing to say that cannot be said by
some other human agency.
The
gospel distinguishes the church from the world, defines her message and mission
in the world, and steels her people against the fiery darts of the evil one and
the false allurements of a sinful world.
The gospel is absolutely vital to a vibrant, joyous, persevering,
hopeful, and healthy Christian, and his or her Christian community.
The first order of business, then, is to know the gospel. This seems so obvious I feel silly saying it, but today many professing and believing Christians possess a shallow understanding of the gospel as a result of years of hearing short “gospel presentations” tacked onto the ends of “feel good”, “self-improvement” sermons. Still others, who have heard the message of Christ, and know the message of Christ, feel awkward and unable to share the good news clearly with family and friends. There exists in this world today a great need to know the gospel with some clarity and depth.
The first order of business, then, is to know the gospel. This seems so obvious I feel silly saying it, but today many professing and believing Christians possess a shallow understanding of the gospel as a result of years of hearing short “gospel presentations” tacked onto the ends of “feel good”, “self-improvement” sermons. Still others, who have heard the message of Christ, and know the message of Christ, feel awkward and unable to share the good news clearly with family and friends. There exists in this world today a great need to know the gospel with some clarity and depth.
For the gospel is not just some
idea, a holy proposal or suggestion, something to be considered. Hebrews 4:12 says, “The Word of God is alive
and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of the soul and the spirit, and the joints and the marrow, and is a
critic of the thoughts and the intents of the heart.” Powerful words! Powerful!
If God’s Word is that alive, that
powerful, that searching, then the gospel also carries with it an active life
of its own, and it needs to be understood and shared faithfully, not watered
down, not contaminated with what we would “like” to be true so it is
“acceptable” in a sinful world.
So, maybe we need to talk briefly
about what the gospel is not. It is not
simply that we are okay, or only that God is love, or that Jesus wants to be
our friend, or even that we should live right; whatever we think “right” is.
And the gospel is not simply that
all our problems will be fixed if we follow Jesus, or that God wants us to be
healthy, wealthy, and wise. All of these
ideas may be true in some sense, but only in a shadow of a sense and never as
an all sufficient statement of what the gospel is. We fail in understanding the gospel because
we do not understand that the Bible is God’s living word. It’s not something made up by men that we can
tweak and adjust here and there to fit our ideas of the changing rights and
wrongs of the prevailing culture.
If you’re not sure of that, read
John 1:1-17; for example, verse 1, “In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; verse 14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the
Father, full of grace and truth.”
There is such sad misunderstanding
of His word. For example, it’s forever
being suggested to me that the phrase “God helps those who help themselves,” is
from the Bible. It’s not. People who suggest it is, know neither the
Gospel nor their Bible.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is literally “good news.” As news it contains statements of fact, and truths derived from those facts. As good news the gospel holds out hope based upon promises of Almighty God and grounded in the historical facts and truths that vindicate those promises.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is literally “good news.” As news it contains statements of fact, and truths derived from those facts. As good news the gospel holds out hope based upon promises of Almighty God and grounded in the historical facts and truths that vindicate those promises.
Through the perfect obedience of the
Son of God and His willing death on the cross as payment for our sins, all who
repent and believe in Jesus Christ, following Him as Savior and Lord, will be
saved from the wrath of God to come, will be declared just in His sight,
have eternal life, and receive the Spirit of God as a foretaste of the glories
of heaven with God Himself.
Yes, the good news is also that God
is love, that He will keep His promises to His children, that we are never
alone, that His Son has already paid the price that reunites us with Almighty
God. I like to tell people that “God is
crazy about you.” It’s true. He made us, we are His creation, and He loves
us.
The Word of God says He knew us even
before we were formed in the womb. He
has not known us any the less since then.
When we wake up in the morning, whether we feel good or wish we felt
better, He still knows us. Whether our
plans for the day succeed or fail, whether we win or lose, He is still there at
the end of the day.
What He expects of us is what Jesus
asked of us in His Sermon on the Mount.
Love one another. “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
True love builds up; it is religion,
the required adherence to religious laws and rituals that tear down men and
women in their search for spiritual truth.
The law does not save, the law only condemns.
The love Jesus spoke of does no harm
to its neighbor. On the contrary, if we
have that kind of love, we will share the gospel of Jesus Christ, we will
recognize the presence and the sovereignty of the holy God.
When we have done that, we can rest
upon the advice of Ephesians 6:13, which tells us, “Therefore, take up the full
armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil
day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”
Stand
firm. When we have done everything God
has asked of us, then we need to stand firm and rest in God; wait upon
Him. When others stand against us, and
we have done what God has asked of us, we can stand firm, and wait on Him. We and God are a majority.
His
is a love so grand and overwhelming that He spared not His only Son, to ensure
our sins were absolved, to make certain we were reunited with Him. That’s the kind of love we need to share.
Jesus
said in John 14:23, “If anyone loves Me, they will keep My word…”, and John
wrote in 1st John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep
His commandments…”
True
love for the people of God, as taught by the Holy Spirit, will be distinguished
from natural kindness, by its being united with the love of God, and obedient
to His commands. Anyone can be kind, but
the exercise of God’s love will stand out like a bright and shining sunflower
on a dark and cloudy day. Love one
another, as God loves us, and you have done what Jesus asked. Amen.
Hymn: “God the Spirit, Guide and Guardian”, by Carl
P. Daw (1987), copyright Words @ 1989 Hope Publishing Co.; provided here for
educational purposes only
1 God the Spirit, guide and
guardian,
wind-sped flame and hovering dove,
breath of life and voice of prophets,
sign of blessing, power of love:
give to those who lead your people
fresh anointing of your grace;
send them forth as bold apostles
to your church in every place.
wind-sped flame and hovering dove,
breath of life and voice of prophets,
sign of blessing, power of love:
give to those who lead your people
fresh anointing of your grace;
send them forth as bold apostles
to your church in every place.
2 Christ our Savior, sovereign,
shepherd,
Word made flesh, Love crucified,
teacher, healer, suffering servant,
friend of sinners, foe of pride:
in your tending may all *pastors
learn and live a shepherd's care;
grant them courage and compassion
shown through word and deed and prayer.
Word made flesh, Love crucified,
teacher, healer, suffering servant,
friend of sinners, foe of pride:
in your tending may all *pastors
learn and live a shepherd's care;
grant them courage and compassion
shown through word and deed and prayer.
3 Great Creator, life-bestower,
truth beyond all thought's recall,
fount of wisdom, womb of mercy,
giving and forgiving all:
as you know our strength and weakness,
so may those the church exalts
oversee its life steadfastly,
yet not overlook its faults.
truth beyond all thought's recall,
fount of wisdom, womb of mercy,
giving and forgiving all:
as you know our strength and weakness,
so may those the church exalts
oversee its life steadfastly,
yet not overlook its faults.
4 Triune God, mysterious being,
undivided and diverse,
deeper than our minds can fathom,
greater than our creeds rehearse:
help us in our varied callings
your full image to proclaim,
that our ministries uniting
may give glory to your name.
undivided and diverse,
deeper than our minds can fathom,
greater than our creeds rehearse:
help us in our varied callings
your full image to proclaim,
that our ministries uniting
may give glory to your name.
Communion
On the night Jesus was betrayed, He took bread and He
broke it, saying this is My body, given for you. After supper He took the cup, saying this cup
is the new covenant in My blood. This
do, as often as you do it, in remembrance of Me.
Benediction
My Lord, You once said many are called to enter Your
kingdom but few are chosen. Help me
today to hear Your call – and to so live as to be numbered among the few who
enter into the fullness of Your love. Amen.
As we close the worship services today, always remember
that while some have called you servants, He has called you friends.
Closing Hymn
God Be With You ‘Til We Meet Again
By Jeremiah E. Rankin
Public Domain
God be with you
till we meet again,
By His counsels guide, uphold you,
With His sheep securely fold you,
God be with you till we meet again.
By His counsels guide, uphold you,
With His sheep securely fold you,
God be with you till we meet again.
Refrain:
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Jesus’ feet;
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Jesus’ feet;
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.
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Daily Scripture Readings for July 14 – July 20, 2014
Monday – Isaiah 55:1-13
Tuesday – Isaiah 110-17
Wednesday – Isaiah 1:21-26
Thursday – Romans 15:1-13
Friday – Ephesians 4:1-6
Saturday – John 17:20-26
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