Gulf Coast Community Church - Sunday Sermons

Speaker: Jerry Cisar

In the modern Christian context, the most well-known verses regarding government are Romans 13 (13:1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established….) and 1 Timothy 2:1-2 where we are instructed to pray for rulers and all that are in authority. Indeed, God has ordained human government in a fallen world to keep the world from being as evil as it would otherwise be.

But Scripture doesn’t always cast government and its officials in a positive light. Babel/Babylon is theme in Scripture that speaks to the fact that Satan also works through governments. Rulers and authorities, even and maybe especially in the NT, are not spoken of in the best light.

Our text in Ecclesiastes strikes at the heart of why that is: governments are made up of sinful, greedy people who do injustice to others to their own gain. Don’t worry kids, it is more than a civics lesson. At times the Preacher uses humor somewhat like Jimmy Fallon. At other times it speaks to how you play with your toys.

Handout: http://media.gccc.net/2020/05/20200531.pdf

Speaker: Jerry Cisar

For quite different reasons, both Job and the Preacher of Ecclesiastes are not happy with God’s management of the universe. Job goes directly to God with his complaint; being on the precipice of death, he cannot toy around with ideas. The Preacher has space enough to philosophize, it would seem, for he appears to be on a venture to test the limits of God’s patience!

Job is tested for His righteousness; the Preacher is testing whether righteousness or folly makes any difference. The wisdom of which the Preacher speaks is not the wisdom of God’s Law, nor could it be personified as the wisdom that made the world. The Preacher is much more enamored with his own wisdom and accomplishments.

The Preacher reflects on human experience and finds that nothing satisfies his sense of justice. As far as he is concerned, it is not right. It’s maddening. It has led him to the frustration of futility; to see the absurdity of trying. It’s important to remember that the Preacher is speaking of life under the sun. It’s his subtle way of expressing that he is pursuing a limited version of wisdom; a perspective that only accounts for what is under the sun.

Handout: http://media.gccc.net/2020/04/20200426.pdf

Speaker: Jerry Cisar

Victor Frankl, a holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, tells of his experiences in the concentration camp, and how they led him to develop of what he called logotherapy, or therapy rooted in the pursuit of meaning. He recognized in the concentration camps that one’s search for meaning is the primary motivational force in life, and hence that which controls their behavior.

The book of Ecclesiastes grapples with the meaning of life: whether in a concentration camp or a palace. At times, Ecclesiastes appears very pessimistic about life and its meaning or purpose. However, that may be a premature judgment for, in the end, he leads us to life filled with meaning.

One author suggested a rather catchy way of summarizing the book: ““Fear God and, God-willing, enjoy a good meal!” Allow me to offer a summary theme of my own: Life under the sun leads one to experience its absurdity; life beyond the sun leads one to meaningful living.

Handout: http://media.gccc.net/2020/04/20200419.pdf

Speaker: Jerry Cisar

It might often seem that the earth is the epitome of unchanging stability; especially in America. No wars within our borders; no food shortages; a great medical community. But then the calm seas begin to rage. In the case of Coronavirus, our sense of safety evaporates; anxieties rise—not just about toilet paper, but also real concerns for life.

When trouble comes, it is natural for us to forget Who God is and where He is. Psalm 46 reminds God’s people Who He is and Where He is and then, it informs us how to act in light of that. This Sunday we are taking a break in our series in Matthew to speak to what’s been on everyone’s mind this week. It is truly amazing how well suited this psalm is to our current situation.

Please join us in worship as we hear how Psalm 46 can instruct us about how to operate during a pandemic like the present one.

Handout: http://media.gccc.net/2020/20200315.pdf

Speaker: Peter Stonecipher

Handout: http://media.gccc.net/2020/03/20200308.pdf

Speaker: Jerry Cisar

Functional MRI technology has allowed neuroscientist to measure brain activity during magic tricks. I’m not talking about the tricks you and I do to our kids or grandkids; I’m talking about professional magicians. Magicians tell us, “The hand is quicker than the eye.” But how could that be? Because our eyes interpret according to our expectations. According to fMRI technology, during magic tricks, the part of the brain that activates during expectation violations became very active in observers.

In other words, the hand is only quicker than the eye because we are blinded by our expectations. Magic functions against those expectations in order to accomplish its purpose. John Dominic Crossan, NT scholar and church historian wrote, “Satire attacks the world. Parable subverts the world.” Another author explained, “The threat of the parable is that it subverts the myths that sustain our world” (B. B. Scott). Magic exploits our myths; parables overthrow them.

Narrative psychology, a field of research into the way stories shape our lives, studies how lives are shaped by stories—whether consciously or unconsciously. Each culture has its own set of stories. America has its own set. Parables threaten those myths. Parables subvert them. Parables expose what’s wrong with them.

The parable in Matthew 20 exposes false expectations often held by disciples who sacrifice much to follow Jesus. It also offers the cure.

Handout: http://media.gccc.net/2020/03/20200301.pdf

Speaker: Peter Stonecipher

Handout: http://media.gccc.net/2020/02/20200223.pdf

Speaker: Jerry Cisar

Imagine a distant relative leaves you in her will a beautiful, very valuable grandfather clock from the early 19th century. You want to display it, but it doesn’t work. You could get three different appraisals, hoping for one that will fix its broken-ness. But appraisals only fix the value of the clock. If you bring it to a master clock repair shop, he already knows the value (he won’t fix the value); he will make it whole again.

It is in this sense that Jesus approaches the subject of divorce and remarriage in this week’s text. The Pharisees were testing Jesus (the Repairman, humanity’s Healer) with questions about the proper time for a certificate of divorce. A certificate of divorce won’t restore people to wholeness. It is evidence of brokenness. It is like sticking a digital clock with sticky tape onto the face of the grandfather clock so it “tells time” again. It works, as far as it goes, but it has nothing to do with what stands in front of you… a valuable grandfather clock.

Divorce is exhibit A for human brokenness in our text. All divorce is caused by sin. Someone’s sin. There can be “innocent” parties in divorce, but all involved are left broken by the sin that caused it. Divorced people are not lepers; they are like valuable grandfather clocks that are broken and need the healing power of Jesus to make them able to flourish according to God’s original design and purpose. (Doesn’t that describe all of us?) Therefore, Jesus goes back to creation wholeness. Jesus doesn’t just fix people; He intends to make us whole again and He invites us to participate in the process.

Join us as we take a fresh look at Matthew 19:1-12 in worship.

Handout: http://media.gccc.net/2020/02/20200216.pdf

Speaker: Jerry Cisar

As one commentator puts it, “The appetite for prominence was a problem for the earliest followers and for Matthew’s church. The modern church is by no means immune to the disease.”

The disciples’ question in Matthew 18:1, if it were not so sad, would be comical. “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” In other words, “Who is the big cheese?” Unfortunately, the shelves of Christian bookstores are lined with books offering answers to this question about how can we be great.

It’s worth noting that the disciples weren’t asking, “Who ranks highest in earthly kingdoms?” but “… in the kingdom of heaven.” They are looking for spiritual greatness, position, and authority, yet Jesus turns their question on its head. Hasn’t Jesus already answered their question? Who is the greatest? Blessed are the crushed in spirit, those who mourn, the lowly, those who are longing for an elusive justice, the merciful, the pure in heart (who are also willing to get their hands dirty), the shalom-makers, those who are persecuted in their quest for bringing justice (Matt. 5:3-10).

Their question misses the point that Jesus, the Messiah-king, is going to be rejected, suffer, and die. Pursuing greatness is the wrong pursuit. Jesus forsook greatness!The problem is that they are still striving for the top rung of the ladder and not the bottom. To pursue the bottom rung, however, we must act in faith, be willing to risk failure, and overflow with forgiveness.

Handout: http://media.gccc.net/2020/02/20200209.pdf

Speaker: Jerry Cisar

We are back in our series in Matthew! Peter has made the momentous declaration that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. After commending Peter, Jesus turns his attention to explaining how things will work in His kingdom. He is going to the capitol city in order to be rejected, suffer, and die. Anyone who wants to follow him must do the same. Peter has an allergic reaction to such ideas. Like any of us, Peter wants to save his life and holds to a different view of how power works.

This leads to Matthew 17 where Jesus is going to give us lessons in power in 4 vignettes, each giving us a view of how Christ’s kingdom power works from a different angle. The first is on a mountain; the second, on the way down from the mountain; third about what it looks like off the mountain; finally, we get a view about power in the face of an opposing mountain.

In truth, all of these are lessons in how we are to do our mission… fulfill our calling as disciples of Jesus. We might expect that if we set out to do what Jesus says, everything will work great. In our text, the disciples are doing exactly what Jesus told them to do and failing miserably. Ever been there? How can this be? What are we to think?

Join us as we pick back up in our series, DISCIPLE 1.0: Examining the Original Release, from Matthew 17.

Handout: http://media.gccc.net/2020/02/20200202.pdf