Sermon Archive (Page 54)

Death is a subject people generally try to avoid, but does it have to be the dreaded elephant in the room? The apostle Paul says emphatically: “No”. And in today’s passage he gives us solid reasons why we can live confidently in the very face of death, and even look forward to life beyond the grave. For the Christian, this present life is only ever meant to be temporary. We are mortal. Our bodies wear out. But Christ offers eternal life and a “heavenly” body that will never wear out to those who believe in Him. To have that hope changes the way we see everything! And motivates us to live each day, free from the fear of death and alive to the things that really matter! Do you have that confidence? Listen to this challenging message and be encouraged.

When you discover something new that works so much better, why would you bother going back to the old? That’s essentially what the apostle Paul is saying in today’s passage. The people in the church at Corinth were being conned by some visiting “preachers”, who were telling them they had to go back to obeying the ancient law of Moses as the way to God. Paul knew from personal experience the futility of trying to live that way. So he exposes the inferiority of the law compared with the glory of being made righteous before God by trusting Jesus Christ. To meet Christ personally is to receive His life-giving Spirit and begin a whole new way of life. Why would you ever want to revert to a system that was broken, when Christ offers something far, far better!

As mainline churches in Australia steadily decline, new churches are popping up with increasing frequency. Sometimes these are a result of strategic church plants. Other times they are the result of splits and breakaways. Sometimes they go well. Often they struggle and fail. Some are well led. Others are not. It’s hard working planting a church in secular Australia. But what are the criteria we should look for in a valid gospel ministry today? Paul had to defend himself against those who opposed and critiqued him harshly at Corinth, and in doing so he gives us five non-negotiable indicators of what every true gospel-centred church should look like. And these indicators are especially relevant today. Are they true of your church… and mine?

What happens when a pastor has a falling out with his people? Sadly, it happens… far more often than it should. A rift had developed between “Pastor Paul” and the church at Corinth, and serious damage had been done to their relationship. How could this situation be resolved? In today’s message we explore the approach Paul used to defend himself and to appeal personally to the people for a resolution to the crisis. With humility, grace, forgiveness… and also courage… there was a way forward. If only we might see more disputes in our churches resolved like this today!