This Sunday as a congregation we will explore different categories of prayer and put them into practice. This passage should be broken into sections with each section explained and then opportunity given for the church to pray.
Prayer Points:
The power of prayer is twofold. One, it changes us. 1 John 5:14 lets us know that it is part of the process by which God causes our will to be brought into line with his will. Prayer not only changes us though, it also changes things. 1 John 5:15 lets us know that God hears and answers our prayers. Throughout scripture we see people healed, wisdom granted, enemies defeated, by God’s power in response to His people’s prayers.
Paul writes in Colossians 4:2 that we need to be devoted to prayer. Why is prayer so critical? This passage offers us two reasons: First because if God calls us to pray, we should obey him. Second, as Paul makes clear in the verses that follow, our mission and the salvation of lost people depends on it. Prayer is a constant reminder of our dependence on God and a constant confession of His ability.
Paul continues the theme of rights. Last week we looked at the fact that our rights and freedoms need to be constrained by our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. This week Paul demonstrates through his example and his instruction that as Christians we ought to be willing to set aside our rights for the sake of the gospel. Out of love for Christ and love for the lost we, like Paul, must choose to put aside our rights, preferences, and comfort to reach and rescue as many people as possible with the gospel. Our rights and freedoms are not the ultimate prizes, the souls of people and the glory of God are.
Sermon Notes:
Our culture puts a high value on rights and freedoms and rights and freedoms are a good thing, but they aren’t the ultimate thing. In Christ we have been set free, but Christian freedom is not to be rooted in individual autonomy but love. If we use our rights and freedoms in a way that causes our brothers and sisters in Christ to sin, even though our actions may not be sinful our attitude and posture are. It is possible to be 100% right on our doctrine and still be wrong. If we win the argument without loving our brothers or sisters we’ve still lost.Our culture puts a high value on rights and freedoms and rights and freedoms are a good thing, but they aren’t the ultimate thing. In Christ we have been set free, but Christian freedom is not to be rooted in individual autonomy but love. If we use our rights and freedoms in a way that causes our brothers and sisters in Christ to sin, even though our actions may not be sinful our attitude and posture are. It is possible to be 100% right on our doctrine and still be wrong. If we win the argument without loving our brothers or sisters we’ve still lost.
Sermon Notes:
Underlying all Paul’s writing in this chapter about marriage and singleness is this concern, that as God’s people we would live lives of undivided devotion to him. The issue for each one of us isn’t ultimately our marital status, the issue is that God our ultimate loyalty would be to God above anyone and anything else
Sermon Notes:
Both singleness and marriage are good gifts from God, they both come with their own benefits and their own responsibilities. Marriage brings with it the good gift of sex, but that gift also comes with restrictions and responsibilities. Singleness grants to the single person a level of freedom that those who are married do not have, but that freedom comes with the reality that sex is reserved for those who are married. We need to thank God for whatever gift he has given to us and trust that the restrictions each of those gifts come with are for our good and His glory.
Sermon Notes:
As Christians we celebrate Easter because Easter changes everything. The belief that Jesus truly died, was buried, and then rose again on the first Easter Sunday is the cornerstone of our faith. As Paul says, if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then we would be the most pitiable people of all. But because he did rise, we can have confidence that those who place their trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins will also be resurrected to new life. This truth makes Easter a celebration of unparalleled joy and significance.
Sermon Notes:
Five reasons why believing Jesus rose from the dead is crucial:
As humans, it is natural for us to want to seek justice when we feel wronged. However, as Christians, we must remember that we have been forgiven through Christ’s death on the cross and that he will ultimately bring about justice when he returns. This passage offers us insight into how we often react to being wronged in unhealthy ways and how we can choose to respond in more healthy and godly ways.
Sermon Notes:
One of the main reasons Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians was their apparent lack of concern for sexual immorality within the church. Paul emphasizes the importance of addressing this issue and administering church discipline out of love for Jesus and love for the brother or sister who is engaging in sin. This sermon provides an opportunity to explore the importance of holiness and the necessity of church discipline. It also offers a counterpoint both to those who argue that “Christians shouldn’t judge others” and to those who tend to overlook the sins of those within the church while judging the sins of those outside of it.