Excellent Sermons
We heard two excellent and extremely convicting sermons yesterday.
The morning sermon, "Whose Kingdom Are You Building," from Matthew 16:24-28 focused on the three exhortations of Christ to "deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me."
Rev. Paul Murphy pointed out that denying oneself had nothing to do with giving up a pleasure or any kind of emotional or physical deprivation, but was all about denying YOUR SELF. It is giving up your selfish goals and desires, exchanging your agenda for God's. It is the type of selfless life exemplified by Christ. And it is only in giving your life over to Christ that you will find eternal life.
He also pointed out that taking up your cross does not mean that we can add anything to the work of Christ on the cross, neither does it refer to burdens or misfortune. It is a call to daily death. We ought to identify with Christ and be willing to suffer for His sake. And we ought to count it as joy to be considered worthy of such suffering.
Unless we deny ourselves and take up our cross, we cannot follow Christ. The first two are prerequisites for the third. "Christ will not tolerate half-heared devotion." Christ will come again. What will He say to you? "Well done" or "Away from me; I never knew you"?
The evening sermon was on "Greater Works Than Christ" from John 14:12-21. Rev. Murphy spoke about the PROMISE the Lord supplies, the PEOPLE to whom that promise is given, the PROBLEM with why we don't see the promise fulfilled, and the PRESCRIPTIONS the Lord provides.
He stated upfront that the "greater works" referred to in the text were more conversions and a greater advance of the gospel, and he supported that interpretation from Acts.
The promise reaches down through the corridors of time and comes to all who believe in Christ. It is not a command, but a promise. It is both a privilege and a blessing to tell others about Christ and see them come to a believing faith.
The problem is a lack of concern for the lost in our own communities. We are concerned about the prospect of someone's physical death, but we are not concerned about the prospect of someone's eternal death. We need the heart of Christ for the lost.
The prescriptions are: first, experiencing a personal, intimate, and continual relationship with Christ; second, praying for a heart like Christ and praying specifically by name for the lost among our acquaintances; third, being a faithful witness with our lives and lips; and fourth, having the boldness that comes from being "filled with the Holy Spirit."
I felt very convicted by the morning sermon, but even more so by the evening sermon. The words are burning coals in my mind as I consider how to reach out to the lost while trying to serve God with my talents.
The morning sermon, "Whose Kingdom Are You Building," from Matthew 16:24-28 focused on the three exhortations of Christ to "deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me."
Rev. Paul Murphy pointed out that denying oneself had nothing to do with giving up a pleasure or any kind of emotional or physical deprivation, but was all about denying YOUR SELF. It is giving up your selfish goals and desires, exchanging your agenda for God's. It is the type of selfless life exemplified by Christ. And it is only in giving your life over to Christ that you will find eternal life.
He also pointed out that taking up your cross does not mean that we can add anything to the work of Christ on the cross, neither does it refer to burdens or misfortune. It is a call to daily death. We ought to identify with Christ and be willing to suffer for His sake. And we ought to count it as joy to be considered worthy of such suffering.
Unless we deny ourselves and take up our cross, we cannot follow Christ. The first two are prerequisites for the third. "Christ will not tolerate half-heared devotion." Christ will come again. What will He say to you? "Well done" or "Away from me; I never knew you"?
The evening sermon was on "Greater Works Than Christ" from John 14:12-21. Rev. Murphy spoke about the PROMISE the Lord supplies, the PEOPLE to whom that promise is given, the PROBLEM with why we don't see the promise fulfilled, and the PRESCRIPTIONS the Lord provides.
He stated upfront that the "greater works" referred to in the text were more conversions and a greater advance of the gospel, and he supported that interpretation from Acts.
The promise reaches down through the corridors of time and comes to all who believe in Christ. It is not a command, but a promise. It is both a privilege and a blessing to tell others about Christ and see them come to a believing faith.
The problem is a lack of concern for the lost in our own communities. We are concerned about the prospect of someone's physical death, but we are not concerned about the prospect of someone's eternal death. We need the heart of Christ for the lost.
The prescriptions are: first, experiencing a personal, intimate, and continual relationship with Christ; second, praying for a heart like Christ and praying specifically by name for the lost among our acquaintances; third, being a faithful witness with our lives and lips; and fourth, having the boldness that comes from being "filled with the Holy Spirit."
I felt very convicted by the morning sermon, but even more so by the evening sermon. The words are burning coals in my mind as I consider how to reach out to the lost while trying to serve God with my talents.
posted by Glenda | 7:05 AM
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