Ask the Questions

1 Cor 13 Defines Biblical Love

2012-02-06T10:11:00.000-06:00

In our culture Valentine's Day is huge! As I think about what it is supposed to represent - love - I have to acknowledge that there is so much heartache in the world today. Why?

Well I know the obvious - the evil one does all he can to destroy people and relationships. What is less obvious to me is why Christian homes are being destroyed at the same rate as the secular world. We have the gospel. We have the Spirit living in us. We have the command from Christ to love one another. The apostles all reiterated that command. John in his epistle even says it is a test of our 'eternal life' (see 1 John 3:14). In other words, we have the power to love through Christ. We should be shining lights of love for all the world that they may see Christ!

I think it is because we have been so immersed in our culture through our education system and the media that we have assimilated their perspective of self-esteem. Certainly if we are loving people we are going to encourage them and being loved does lift us up. However, the self-esteem doctrine is a focus on 'self'. It creates an expectation that develops into a demand that everyone must put 'me' first. Love is the opposite - it puts the 'other' first. Even when Christ says to love your neighbor like yourself, he is placing the focus on the neighbor. If you would like to eat, make sure they are eating, and so on.

I presented this message to our congregation yesterday and I am not sure it went over well. Sometimes I get so passionate that it appears I am mad. In reality I am sad. I know so many Christian couples who are struggling when they could be experiencing the ecstasy God intended for them - if they knew how to love properly. How can we escape the 'feel good self-esteem' culture and get back to Christian love? Do you think we need to?

Isaiah 24 - Something to Think About!

2011-08-22T10:27:00.000-05:00

This may have been a tough message to swallow. This chapter shows God taking back His world and the utter destruction that takes place during the battle for it. God is love - grace - mercy - AND - God is just - holy - righteous! It is interesting because we love justice in the movies. We get excited when the good guy wins and the bad guys gets what he deserves. But when it comes to the Lord taking back what belongs to Him, we get a little nervous. Why is that? Especially if we know Christ, why would this bother us?

I think at least in part it is due to the fact that we have become to rooted in the world and we have unwittingly bought into a secular philosophy of life. During the sermon I showed how we try to put one foot into each world and how that forces us to stretch. Unfortunately when we feel the strain, we tend to pull back the foot from the biblical arena. We don't have time to pray, read our bibles, serve the Lord in some ministry, get to church, etc. and do all that we have to get done in the world. Ask yourself, would God want you to pull away from activities that involve serving Him, or self and the world?

Leadership void from Isaiah 3

2011-05-20T22:41:00.000-05:00

This spot is reserved for any questions about the sermon on Isaiah 3 given on May 22, 2011 at Esperanza.