Collinsville Church of Christ Sermons

It's ironic that the very thing we work so hard to attain is the thing that can be our undoing. Wealth and comfort can be blessings from God to be used for his glory, but when they are ends in themselves it can lead us to an apathetic lukewarmness that makes us unfruitful and ineffective in God's kingdom. In that, we can learn from the mistakes of the church in Laodicea.

How do you press on when you feel powerless? Jesus sent a message of encouragement to the Church in Philadelphia who was marginalized and pressed on every side. The heavenly perspective he gave them still gives us the strength we need today.

The cultural attitude in Sardis was similar to what we see today: "Believe whatever you want as long as you tone down anything someone else might be offended by." Some Christians and Jews seem to have survived there by watering down their message. It is certainly easier to get along that way, but what happens to our identity? And at that point, do we even have anything left of value to offer the world?

It is often tempting to make excuses for the things we know shouldn't be in our lives—to try to find some justification for our sin so we don't have to completely let go of it. Jesus reveals, however, that when we tolerate any form of evil in our lives, we are only making room for something that destroys us and the people we love. So, he graciously calls us to turn away from those things and follow him to find true life.

Amid cultural pressure to compromise, it is all the more important that we embrace our calling to be holy. God has set us apart from the world in order to shine his light, but when we compromise we lose our ability to shine.

How do we face persecution, hardship, and loss with succumbing to fear? How can we press on through everything remaining faithful to the end? The ancient church in the city of Smyrna has a few things to teach us about that…

The weight of cultural pressures can lead us to be tempted to compromise our faith, but Jesus calls his Church to stand strong. However, as we fight the good fight, we must remember the root of who we are and why we are even fighting to begin with. Without the love we learn from Christ fueling us, we will become something other than the Church.

It can be incredibly discouraging when we feel the world around us has grown hostile to the faith we hold dear. How do we hold on? More than that, how can we continue to shine the brilliant light of Christ? Our God has given us a bold reason to hope and the ability to thrive if we will hear it.
This series unpacks the context and intent of the book of Revelation. It was received by the early Church as they were still figuring out what it meant to be the Church—especially under strong waves of cultural opposition and persecution. These perspectives and principles remain every bit as vital for the Church today.

Your friendships have a huge impact on the direction of your life. The community you choose could be the difference between living in darkness or living in light. We first must enter into fellowship (koinonia) with God, and that fellowship will ensure that we live in the light of truth. It is a beautiful thing when groups of people fellowship with God and enter into fellowship with one another.

When we love something or someone, we are eager to talk about it. How often do we talk about Jesus and the things of God? If the answer is very little, maybe it is because we love the things of the world more. Some of us may have left our first love in pursuit of lesser things. Just before Jesus’ crucifixion, the Bible tells us that even Peter denies him three times. Still distraught over what he did, Peter and the disciples go back to fishing after Jesus’ death and resurrection. When Jesus shows back up on the beach, Peter is quick to join him. Jesus reinstates Peter by asking him three times if he loves him. Jesus shows him that his love can be renewed. If we renew our love for God, it will play out in loving God’s people.