LCC Sunday Messages

“Traitor!” “Thief!” “Parasite!” These were the words shouted at this outsider. A little man with something to prove, he pursued a life of wealth and had succeeded. But, at what cost? In his loneliness he longed for peace and found it with the glimpse of a Savior who called to him. Could it be that we are keeping ourselves on the fringes?

Being an outsider is never easy. Sometimes the only comfort comes from finding other outsiders like ourselves. We are all searching for an identity.

Meet the untouchables: lepers, (lower case) cut off from their families and communities and exiled in their own land. Trapped in their pain, poverty, and despair, they lived without hope of ever finding a cure until the Great Physician arrived. Have you ever felt untouchable? Let Christ’s healing hands touch and restore you.

Do you ever hide behind a mask? Are you afraid to let others get too close? Are you ashamed of what you’ve done in your past?

Meet a street-smart survivor. She’s a woman with quite a past and a complicated present. But her future would never be the same after meeting the Master. The woman who was trapped in sin, looked down upon for her race and religion, and cut off from her community would find what she had always been looking for in Jesus.

Our series begins with a woman who was at the end of her rope. She was sick and exhausted. The doctors had tried everything, yet she was still no better. Out of time, out of money, ostracized from her community, she was desperate with nowhere else to turn - and then she heard that Jesus was passing by. Pressing through the crowd she touched Him, and a miracle happened.

Do you need a miracle? Jesus is still healing and restoring those who are willing to passionately pursue Him.

In the Acts of the Apostles, we read of one of the first deacons, Stephen. Stephen loved Christ and loved to serve His Church. He was preaching the Gospel wherever he could. In part, it was his zeal that led to persecution as he became the first martyr of the Church. What the world says was defeat, Christ says is victory! He was victorious in Christ! Even when our lives don't work out the way we think they should, God gives us strength and peace to overcome all things. In the end, we too are victors.

When Jesus was crucified the disciples hid in fear. They thought they would soon be executed as well. But, once they encountered the resurrected Christ and received the promised Holy Spirit, they were empowered to proclaim with boldness the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Are we living in fear? In Christ, we are now more than conquerors. Christ empowers us to live the life He's called us to and to proclaim the word to the world and make disciples.

Saul of Tarsus was angry at the Church. He thought he was doing God’s will by putting Christians to death. He was blinded to the truth but Jesus didn’t leave him in the dark. In our lives, pride and anger will lead us to destruction. All of us have been angry for one reason or another. In Christ, unrighteous anger is defeated. He humbles us and gives us peace and purpose.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Doubt is the antithesis of faith. Even the disciples struggled with doubts. Thomas didn’t believe that the Lord had risen. He was walking by sight and not faith. Thomas doubted. Jesus dispelled the doubts Thomas had, and He does the same today. In the midst of any doubts we have, Christ gives us a faith that conquers and sustains.

Failure is one of the greatest teachers in life. All of us have experienced failure at some point. Sometimes we fail in a way that is a betrayal to those around us. How can we be restored to a right relationship with God and those whom we’ve let down? Peter failed the Lord, denying Him three times. Jesus met Peter at the point of his brokenness restoring him. Only in Christ can we truly overcome our past failures and rightly restore our relationships with God and others.