When it comes to surprises, I have to admit that I have mixed feelings. My family will tell you that generally I’m not a fan of being surprised. I tend to like surprises that I’m expecting. For example, when it comes to Christmas presents, I’ve been known to do everything except buy presents for my family to give to me. I will do the research on the items I want, I will find where the item is available, and I will give my family coupons so they can get the best deal when they buy me a present. And when they give me the present I’ve picked out for myself on Christmas morning – now that’s a wonderful surprise, because that’s exactly what I was expecting!

When it comes to surprises, I have to admit that I have mixed feelings. My family will tell you that generally I’m not a fan of being surprised. I tend to like surprises that I’m expecting. For example, when it comes to Christmas presents, I’ve been known to do everything except buy presents for my family to give to me. I will do the research on the items I want, I will find where the item is available, and I will give my family coupons so they can get the best deal when they buy me a present. And when they give me the present I’ve picked out for myself on Christmas morning – now that’s a wonderful surprise, because that’s exactly what I was expecting!

This morning we’re concluding our walk through our church’s Statement of Faith, our exploration of the core beliefs we share with our fellow church members and with believers around the world. The last section of our Statement of Faith is titled “The Last Things.” Last Sunday we talked about the first sentence in that section which says this: “We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of his kingdom.” And today we conclude with a look at the final sentence in our Statement of Faith, which reads like this: “We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal life of the believer, and the eternal punishment of the lost.”

This morning we’re concluding our walk through our church’s Statement of Faith, our exploration of the core beliefs we share with our fellow church members and with believers around the world. The last section of our Statement of Faith is titled “The Last Things.” Last Sunday we talked about the first sentence in that section which says this: “We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of his kingdom.” And today we conclude with a look at the final sentence in our Statement of Faith, which reads like this: “We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal life of the believer, and the eternal punishment of the lost.”

If you go into a Christian bookstore you are likely to find a section of books that discuss our topic this morning – what does the Bible tell us is going to happen next? What in the world are we waiting for? And specifically, when is Jesus going to come back? It’s an important topic. It’s something Jesus himself had quite a lot to say about. But as we get started, let’s admit something. Let’s flatly acknowledge that for the last 2000 years we who follow Jesus have proven to be very bad at one thing in this regard, and that is the matter of predicting when Jesus is coming back.

If you go into a Christian bookstore you are likely to find a section of books that discuss our topic this morning – what does the Bible tell us is going to happen next? What in the world are we waiting for? And specifically, when is Jesus going to come back? It’s an important topic. It’s something Jesus himself had quite a lot to say about. But as we get started, let’s admit something. Let’s flatly acknowledge that for the last 2000 years we who follow Jesus have proven to be very bad at one thing in this regard, and that is the matter of predicting when Jesus is coming back.

One of the challenges of giving a message on church membership is that it can feel like the pastor is just trying to build his own little kingdom. People have become somewhat suspicious of pastors over the years, and somewhat cynical about organized religion. So let’s clarify something as we get started – the church is not my idea. It’s not the idea of any pastor or priest or denominational leader. The church is Jesus’ idea.

One of the challenges of giving a message on church membership is that it can feel like the pastor is just trying to build his own little kingdom. People have become somewhat suspicious of pastors over the years, and somewhat cynical about organized religion. So let’s clarify something as we get started – the church is not my idea. It’s not the idea of any pastor or priest or denominational leader. The church is Jesus’ idea.

“BREAKING BAD: WHAT DO RELIGIONS SAY ABOUT SIN AND SALVATION?”

What Do I Stand For?

October 27, 2013

Cornerstone Community Church

It’s over now – after five seasons, the last episode of “Breaking Bad” aired on September 29th. I didn’t watch any of the first four seasons, but as Season 5 opened I heard and read so much about this show that I felt compelled to check it out. Many TV critics have called it the best TV show of all time. There were articles about the show not just in the places you would expect, like “Entertainment Weekly,” but even the conservative Christian magazine “Christianity Today” did a major piece on the show. So, like many of you, I started watching; the TV folks tell us that twice as many people watched Season 5 as watched Season 4.

Now I know many of you never watched this show, and don’t worry that I’m going to spend the whole morning talking about it, but let me just give you a brief overview of “Breaking Bad,” because it fits so well with our topic this morning – sin and salvation. The main character of “Breaking Bad” is Walter White, a brilliant man who teaches chemistry at the local high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico who one day discovers that he has cancer and only has a matter of months to live. Realizing that his days are numbered, Walt decides he wants to do something to secure his family’s future when he’s gone. So how can Walt, a chemistry teacher, make a lot of money in a short time? Walt’s brother-in-law, Hank, is a DEA agent, and one day Walt goes on a ride-along with Hank and learns that there are people in his community who are making a lot of money cooking and selling meth, a highly-addictive and illegal drug. By the time the first episode is over, Walt has connected with an old high school student, Jesse, who is in the meth business, and the two of them begin a lucrative partnership dealing meth.

“BREAKING BAD: WHAT DO RELIGIONS SAY ABOUT SIN AND SALVATION?”

What Do I Stand For?

October 27, 2013

Cornerstone Community Church

It’s over now – after five seasons, the last episode of “Breaking Bad” aired on September 29th. I didn’t watch any of the first four seasons, but as Season 5 opened I heard and read so much about this show that I felt compelled to check it out. Many TV critics have called it the best TV show of all time. There were articles about the show not just in the places you would expect, like “Entertainment Weekly,” but even the conservative Christian magazine “Christianity Today” did a major piece on the show. So, like many of you, I started watching; the TV folks tell us that twice as many people watched Season 5 as watched Season 4.

Now I know many of you never watched this show, and don’t worry that I’m going to spend the whole morning talking about it, but let me just give you a brief overview of “Breaking Bad,” because it fits so well with our topic this morning – sin and salvation. The main character of “Breaking Bad” is Walter White, a brilliant man who teaches chemistry at the local high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico who one day discovers that he has cancer and only has a matter of months to live. Realizing that his days are numbered, Walt decides he wants to do something to secure his family’s future when he’s gone. So how can Walt, a chemistry teacher, make a lot of money in a short time? Walt’s brother-in-law, Hank, is a DEA agent, and one day Walt goes on a ride-along with Hank and learns that there are people in his community who are making a lot of money cooking and selling meth, a highly-addictive and illegal drug. By the time the first episode is over, Walt has connected with an old high school student, Jesse, who is in the meth business, and the two of them begin a lucrative partnership dealing meth.