Renewal Church

Does Jesus' fulfillment of the old covenant mean that we have freedom to do what we want? According to 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, Paul says that our perceived "freedom" has its limits, specifically in regard to the physical body and sexual immorality. In this sermon Pastor Ulysses dives into the arguments Paul has against the Corinthian perspective when it comes to this topic.

Can I sue my brother or sister in Christ? Pastor Ulysses uses this question as a jumping point to exposit on various issues that Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians 6:1-11. In thinking through why Paul discourages us from suing our fellow Christians, Pastor Ulysses helps us see that differences in the body of Christ are to be expected and understand the wisdom and authority God has given the church to Judge and resolve those differences. It also exposes the state of our heart when it aggressively pursues recompense when wronged.

Why do we need Church discipline? Why can't we just people be? Do we really need to judge and guide our fellow brothers and sisters in their Christian walks? Pastor Ulysses guides us through 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 where Paul addresses the sin in the Corinthian church and teaches them to guard the fellowship against the unrepentant brother or sister by cutting ties with them. Pastor Ulysses shows us that such a prescription for church discipline is indeed instituted in the scriptures as guardrails for the Christian life.

On this Sunday's message, guest speaker and Renewal Elder Pastor Mark Chun teaches us how and why it is important to discern between good and bad spiritual leaders in the Church. He reveals to us what are the signs of healthy spiritual leaders and how we must minister to them as they do to us. In addition, he discusses that there needs to be intimacy between you and your spiritual leader for them to love you. If they do not know you, they cannot love you.

Does anyone, except for God, have the right to judge us? And if we are to be judged, what should it be according to? Through the lens of Paul's letter to the Corinthians, Pastor Ulysses answers these questions and more. We explore how judgement should come from God because only He sees everything. People have a limited perception and thus as Christians we should give each other the benefit of the doubt.

Even though groups of people can rally behind the same belief initially, a weak foundation makes division inevitable. Pastor Ulysses preaches on the importance of building our church on the word of God and Jesus' teachings rather than other ideals such as social justice or relationships. Although building a legitimate foundation can be harder and slower, it is only through Christ that we will be able to ultimately be free from burden of division.

Pastor Sam Lee leads us through 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 in showing how Paul positioned himself amongst the Corinthian believers not on the basis of his giftings but in a manner that emptied himself of all things impressive. Holy Spirit's power is not about its manifestation but the transformation it produces in the person in whom He works. We should let go of the desire for recognition and say with John the Baptist: "He must increase, but I must decrease."

Can we empty the Gospel message of its power? Paul shows us in 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 that yes it is possible to do that. If we adopt the Gospel to the first principles of the culture in which we preach instead of the first principles that we find in the scriptures then we can rob it of its power. Pastor Ulysses in his exposition of this passage shows us how God uses His foolish messengers to preach what the world considers a foolish message to “save those who believe”. And this should motivate the Christian to humble themselves in the hands of a God who can use us mightily despite our foolishness.

Continuing our series on Corinthians, Pastor Ulysses examines the first issue affecting the church of Corinth, divisions. Divisions that were caused by our fleshly desires to elevate ourselves. It is easy to fall into the habit of boasting our name or the name of others in hopes of elevating our status. But we must remain vigilant and remember that there should only be one name we should be glorifying and that is our lord and savior, Jesus Christ.