Philippians 3:4-14

Today we welcome pastor Ben Zahn from Amazing Grace Lutheran in Myrtle Beach, SC. Pastor Zahn will share a message with us today from God’s Word about keeping things in perspective. The apostle Paul talks about how living in Christ puts things in better perspective for us. The things we value on earth are garbage in comparison to what we have in Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

This section of Scripture in front of us today from 1 Corinthians contains one of the most severe warnings ever written by Paul to baptized Christians. But Paul’s goal, really God’s goal, is to help us avoid taking on a false sense of security; to help us take sin seriously. Because no matter how firm we think we’re standing, if we aren’t standing on solid ground, we could lose everything.

God is serious about sin, but he is even more serious about his gospel and his promises to you. You know that when you give yourself into the hands of your faithful God and depend on his faithfulness to you in Christ, then you are standing on good ground. You know where your God stands for you and that is true security.

Luke 13:31-35

Last week we talked about temptation. This week we see what is at the center of every temptation: a promise of a shortcut to glory. Even in a world as sharply divided as ours, there is near universal agreement that the preferred path to glory is the shortest and easiest. To walk the path our Savior puts us on, one on which the cross comes before the crown, puts us out of step with the world. Thankfully, the determination required to walk this path starts with our Savior and not with us. Because of his determination, we are offered a glory far superior to anything the world can offer.

Luke 4:1-13

It was a custom known as "battle by champion." Two opposing armies would each send out their best warrior to fight each other. That is what we see this week. The demons send their champion: Satan. Humanity's best warrior, Jesus Christ, steps forward to meet him. In this fight he does not use his divine power. He uses the same weapon we have, God's Word. Because Christ fought the battle against Satan as one of us, he won that battle for all of us. Jesus is our perfect substitute. Even as the devil still seethes in rage against us, we can face him and his temptations unafraid, confident that our champion has already won the victory.

Luke 9:28-36

Once again Jesus is revealed as the Lord’s Anointed. Basking in the divine glory that has been his from eternity, the Son of Man is proclaimed to be God the Son with the approval of God the Father. We stand with Moses and Elijah, the disciples, and saints throughout the ages in this sure and certain hope: the Christ has come and our salvation is at hand.

Luke 6:27-36

Jesus asks us to befriend our enemies, to love those who hate us, and to repay evil with good. Logic would say that is a recipe for being walked all over. Yet, have we not seen this tactic work? When we were Christ's enemies, he loved us to the point of death. He repays our daily evil with the daily goodness of his mercy. In doing so, he has won us for himself. Following the strategy Jesus lays out today is not a capitulation to evil. It is a means of conquering it.

Jeremiah 17:5-8

What does it mean to be blessed? What does it mean to be cursed? The definitions for those words are uncovered by God for us today. Turns out, the things we place our trust in have the ability to either curse us or bless us. The things we place our trust in determine the places we set down our roots—either in the parched desert or by the stream. Since the object of our trust will bless us, let’s root down by Jesus and his good Word and trust him to provide.

Isaiah 1:1-8

It does not surprise us that from the beginning of his ministry Jesus demonstrated his commitment to proclaiming good news of the kingdom of God, regardless of whether people rejected his message or embraced it. That was Christ's agenda, and he was committed to it. What is surprising is that, also from the beginning, Jesus demonstrated his plan to carry out this proclamation by sending others to speak on his behalf. More surprising is whom he sends, not angels, but mere human beings. In many cases, it was individuals who seemed to lack the qualifications to speak on Christ's behalf. Yet, Christ equipped and prepared them. Do you feel unqualified to tell others the good news? Then be assured, Jesus plans to use you exactly for that purpose.

Luke 4:38-44

While Jesus was on earth he performed many miracles. He was sent to right the wrong. Yet, even though he spent much time healing disease and casting out demons, that is not the true reason he was sent to us. Jesus was sent to treat the root cause of our problem. Jesus’ true agenda was to right the wrong of sin.

Our agenda is one and the same as Christ’s – to heal sin’s ills, to right the wrong, and we do that ultimately by pointing to the one, Christ, who can cure the cause of all that is wrong due to sin. We can’t fix the world – but we can show we actually care that it’s broken. We can point to the one who rights every wrong and fixes the brokenness – Jesus. That is our agenda.

Ephesians 3:14-21

What will it take for you to feel like you’re living a full life? If that answer doesn’t involve God, your fullness is going to be lacking in some way. Today, the apostle is praying for the Ephesian Christians that they would be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. That prayer is for you too. And by the love of Christ, you are filled to fullness in every dimension. God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. That means he’s going to fill us even fuller than we thought possible.