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Archives: Sermons

When an artist sits down to paint a picture, or a landscaper looks over a property he or she is about to transform – when a homeowner wants to remodel or do an addition on the house it all starts with a picture in their mind of what could be. It starts with imagination. What could be. We call that “vision.” When Jesus told the disciples, "Go and make disciples of all nations...", he had a vision in mind. That vision is found in Revelation 5 and Ephesians 5: People from every tribe, language, and nation, purified, washed clean, without spot or wrinkle.
What’s the secret to a happy, wonderful marriage? A man, fully dependent on Jesus, and a woman, fully dependent on Jesus, come together, doing for their spouse what Jesus has done for the Church, learning to be professional forgivers - not letting anything linger in our hearts; being lightning quick repenters – not letting sin stay in the dark; and working together for each other’s holiness instead of our own personal happiness, being filled with the Spirit daily and walking in humility, honoring each other in all things.
Men, especially —the greatest calling on our lives is to love Jesus with our whole heart, and daily show the people under our care how beautiful and helpful and patient God’s authority is. Our calling as parents is to help our children believe that God’s authority is where life and safety and freedom and joy are found. This is gospel work! That is kingdom work. That is being an ambassador for the King of kings. That is carrying this incredible treasure in fragile clay jars that often break and crack and need repair. This is being a temple of the Holy Spirit, and making our homes a place where the Spirit lives, and moves, and is known. 
David begins his lament with an understanding that we are emotional people. That we are reactionary, whether it’s the news or our kids did something or the person at work did this… When things in the world don’t make sense to us, when evil seems to come out on top again, anger and revenge and blame and retaliation and running our mouths all tend to be our go-to. David instructs us so wisely in this: When you feel agitated inside, let it remind you to trust in the Lord and delight in him. When you feel a need to let everyone know what your opinion is and whose side you’re on – let it remind you that being silent before the Lord is a better place to be. And when you feel that agitated anger rising up in you that makes you furious at “those people”... David says, give it up. It’s not helping anything. Put your hope in the Lord instead.
Mary and Martha were blessed to have Jesus and his crew stop by their home in Bethany. Martha was distracted by all things hosting, while Mary was distracted by Jesus' words. She sat at his feet and soaked it all in, while Martha fumed. They had to say goodbye to Jesus that night, but those of us who have the Holy Spirit never have to have to hang up the phone. Abide means remain. Remain means don't hang up. Stay in constant connection all day long, like a branch never unplugs from the Vine.
Paul closes out his letter by somewhat threatening the Corinthians, saying he's going to come and be harsh with them if they don't get some of their sin issues dealt with. He also invites them to test themselves to see if they are truly in the faith. 1 John helps us with that test.
Paul's next figure of speech he gives us is that we are the temple of the living God, and when he chose that title, he really meant it. It wasn't a figure of speech only. It wasn't just an illustration. It was the whole point of Jesus coming to earth in the first place – God with us. In us. It's the only way we can be what God has designed us to be.
To be a Christian is to be at war – a war to rest in the right place. The world wants us to rest in and find satisfaction in everything but Jesus. So the enemy plants thoughts in our minds that line up with our sinful desires, and together they create an argument that easily becomes a stronghold. Paul says we've been given weapons that are powerful enough to tear down the argument and the stronghold.
Here in 2 Corinthians 5, Paul outlines the gospel in about as clear and concise a manner as possible. As a result, we are ambassadors for Christ – his representatives, his spokespeople. But even more than that, he is with us. In us. And for us.