02.17.2019 "Fearing and Serving the Lord", Joshua 24:14-24, Dr. Render Caines, CVPC Sermons

02.03.2019 "Be Very Careful", Joshua 22:1-6, Rev. Render Caines, CVPC Sermons

he Exercise of Power in the King’s Economy; if we do not find ourselves implicated and struggling with the “shame” of the gospel in the course of our daily living, then it is likely that we have never really understood the gospel.  Until we find ourselves recoiling at the absurdity of it or standing in disbelief at the over-the-top goodness of it, we have not heard it. And until we find ourselves shrinking back from its command to go and do likewise, we have not understood its announcement.  For many of us in triumphalistic zeal want to change the world (though, it is true, the older we get the more we find ourselves content with ever decreasing spheres of influence - we’d be happy to change our nation … our state … our city … our community … our neighborhood … our family … our marriage … ourselves …), we shrink back repeatedly from the gospel as THE power by which all of these things are changed.  As Ray Corteze says, I was going to change central FL for God’s glory … until I realized that God’s glory is to change central FL by changing me.

"Blessed assurance: Jesus is mine!" is a tremendous hymn that confers upon us a comfort, a courage, and a security for a new year of uncertainty.  Whatever the year may hold for us, for our families, for our careers, for our finances, our nation, our economy, our world, we can be assured of this - that since King Jesus is ours and we are His we may have confidence in uncertainty.  And yet, to make this claim is to obligate ourselves to specific responsibilities throughout the new year - and new circumstances - of uncertainty ... to our families, our careers, our finances, our neighbors, our nation, our economy, and our world.  To rest in the blessed assurance of our Father's abiding Love through Jesus is to obligate ourselves to holy living and sacrificial loving.  This is the abundant life, it is the glorious life, it is our best life now ... for it is the life for which we have been created and now redeemed.  It is the life of worship.  So come, let us have our eyes fixed on Jesus and, for the joy set before us, worship and walk together into the new year with joy.

By the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the promised Kingdom has come and is, at this moment in this place, being established in every cubic inch of our world ... appearances to the contrary notwithstanding.  This is true in us, among us, and around us.  This is our confidence, this is our comfort, this is our courage, this is our hope for whatever the New Year may throw our way.