Wesley Chapel Podcast

This sermon describes the possibilities of grace and the saving power of God. In the passage, Jesus goes across the sea for rest after of period of exhaustion, but a storm arises on the sea and the disciples begin to fear. They start to fear that Jesus has abandoned them in the storm. But without trials and struggles we will never grow into the spiritual maturity that God desires. What do you look to in the midst of storms? We can feel alone in our trials as if Christ has left us. But Christ will preserve us in the storm. He is in the boat with us during the storm. You have not been abandoned in the storm. Fix your eyes on the Creator of the storm. As the passage continues, Jesus came from a storm in nature to a storm in human nature. He calms both storms by faith. Like the demon-possessed man Jesus and the disciples encountered, we cannot suppress temptations in ourselves or in others. We need something more! The only power strong enough is Christ. When we are bound by temptations, wrong thinking or wrong attitudes, we must run to Christ to be free! There is no power that can stand against the power of Christ. Sin, the flesh and the devil will all fall down before Christ. Do you see temptations like this? Once Jesus healed this man, the other people in town began to fear Him, and what He can do. Christ’s miracles are going to cost you. No matter what you are facing, Christ is able! There is no storm too great and no bondage too deep that Christ can’t calm or set you free from. Does this power cause you to fear Christ and what He might expose or challenge in you? Would you rather hold on to your yourself and your bondage, or will you come to Christ to be free?

This sermon describes the possibilities of grace and the saving power of God. In the passage, Jesus goes across the sea for rest after of period of exhaustion, but a storm arises on the sea and the disciples begin to fear. They start to fear that Jesus has abandoned them in the storm. But without trials and struggles we will never grow into the spiritual maturity that God desires. What do you look to in the midst of storms? We can feel alone in our trials as if Christ has left us. But Christ will preserve us in the storm. He is in the boat with us during the storm. You have not been abandoned in the storm. Fix your eyes on the Creator of the storm. As the passage continues, Jesus came from a storm in nature to a storm in human nature. He calms both storms by faith. Like the demon-possessed man Jesus and the disciples encountered, we cannot suppress temptations in ourselves or in others. We need something more! The only power strong enough is Christ. When we are bound by temptations, wrong thinking or wrong attitudes, we must run to Christ to be free! There is no power that can stand against the power of Christ. Sin, the flesh and the devil will all fall down before Christ. Do you see temptations like this? Once Jesus healed this man, the other people in town began to fear Him, and what He can do. Christ’s miracles are going to cost you. No matter what you are facing, Christ is able! There is no storm too great and no bondage too deep that Christ can’t calm or set you free from. Does this power cause you to fear Christ and what He might expose or challenge in you? Would you rather hold on to your yourself and your bondage, or will you come to Christ to be free?

This sermon focuses on two important questions:  Is God producing life or death in you? And Are you bringing life or death to those around you? Paul tells the Christians in this passage that he’s experiencing suffering so that God can bring comfort to him, so that he can then bring comfort to the church. We all need our own deep sense of the blessedness of God and His comfort. The Gospel is mercy and comfort to us so that we may be mercy and comfort to others. Paul experienced suffering for other people’s benefit. We cannot have an understanding of blessedness without expressing this comfort with others. The grace that God gives you is not for you alone. You live in the beauty of it, but then it opens us up to the needs of others to point them to the Father of mercies. The answer to the question of why we experience suffering is to see Christ flourish in the lives of others. You need a vision of what the Gospel can do in your life and in the lives of those around you. Don’t allow bitterness, resentment or unforgiveness to prevent you from bringing life to others. As you share abundantly in Christ’s suffering, so too you will share abundantly in His comfort. When you are afflicted, see that this is the means for God to work in your life, so that you can work in other people’s lives. In our culture, we’ve been trained to protect ourselves, and not give out of ourselves, but let God take you out of this fear. There is enough mercy for you. You don’t have to fear not having enough. God calls us in our weakness so we might show others the strength and power of God. All that we experience is not only for us, but for others also.

This sermon focuses on two important questions:  Is God producing life or death in you? And Are you bringing life or death to those around you? Paul tells the Christians in this passage that he’s experiencing suffering so that God can bring comfort to him, so that he can then bring comfort to the church. We all need our own deep sense of the blessedness of God and His comfort. The Gospel is mercy and comfort to us so that we may be mercy and comfort to others. Paul experienced suffering for other people’s benefit. We cannot have an understanding of blessedness without expressing this comfort with others. The grace that God gives you is not for you alone. You live in the beauty of it, but then it opens us up to the needs of others to point them to the Father of mercies. The answer to the question of why we experience suffering is to see Christ flourish in the lives of others. You need a vision of what the Gospel can do in your life and in the lives of those around you. Don’t allow bitterness, resentment or unforgiveness to prevent you from bringing life to others. As you share abundantly in Christ’s suffering, so too you will share abundantly in His comfort. When you are afflicted, see that this is the means for God to work in your life, so that you can work in other people’s lives. In our culture, we’ve been trained to protect ourselves, and not give out of ourselves, but let God take you out of this fear. There is enough mercy for you. You don’t have to fear not having enough. God calls us in our weakness so we might show others the strength and power of God. All that we experience is not only for us, but for others also.

In this passage, Paul reminds Christians of their identity in Christ by faith. He encourages the believers to work out trivial cases among themselves by remind them that they are saints in Christ. If you see who you are in Christ, you will not need to work out trivial cases by unbelieving lawyers. Who we are in Christ must determine how we relate to others and how we work out situations. Paul then reminds them that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. No one is good but God alone and all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We cannot make ourselves righteous. Our actions can become our identities. Paul makes a list of the unrighteous, and says that such were some of them, but in Christ, they are not that way anymore. Your sin no longer defines you. Our sins have been washed away and we are new creations in Christ. In Christ, we are free from the power and guilt of sin, and sin no longer has dominion over us. The sins of your past no longer define who you are. You are washed by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. You are sanctified and purified, separated from profane things and dedicated to God. You are justified so the righteousness of Christ is credited to you who believe. It doesn’t matter who you were; through faith and repentance, you are justified and have a new identity. Paul continues and brings together our identity and sanctification. He explains how it matters how we use our bodies. They are for the Lord, and the Lord for your bodies. You are set apart for the Lord. You body is now joined in union with Christ. You were bought with the precious blood of Christ and you now belong to God. Remember who you are in Christ!

In this passage, Paul reminds Christians of their identity in Christ by faith. He encourages the believers to work out trivial cases among themselves by remind them that they are saints in Christ. If you see who you are in Christ, you will not need to work out trivial cases by unbelieving lawyers. Who we are in Christ must determine how we relate to others and how we work out situations. Paul then reminds them that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. No one is good but God alone and all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We cannot make ourselves righteous. Our actions can become our identities. Paul makes a list of the unrighteous, and says that such were some of them, but in Christ, they are not that way anymore. Your sin no longer defines you. Our sins have been washed away and we are new creations in Christ. In Christ, we are free from the power and guilt of sin, and sin no longer has dominion over us. The sins of your past no longer define who you are. You are washed by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. You are sanctified and purified, separated from profane things and dedicated to God. You are justified so the righteousness of Christ is credited to you who believe. It doesn’t matter who you were; through faith and repentance, you are justified and have a new identity. Paul continues and brings together our identity and sanctification. He explains how it matters how we use our bodies. They are for the Lord, and the Lord for your bodies. You are set apart for the Lord. You body is now joined in union with Christ. You were bought with the precious blood of Christ and you now belong to God. Remember who you are in Christ!

We need a deeper understanding of our dependence on God. The less we feel our need for Christ, the less we will abide in Him. We need a vision for transformation in our hearts and minds. Be willing to recognize your need as well as the fulfillment found in Christ. Recognizing your need gives you a vision for change. Be intentional about your heart. See what the Gospel can do in your life as well as in our culture. Sin does not have the greatest grasp on your life or our society’s. As a believer, you are free from sin and death--does this truth transform your heart? God, in Christ, has taken away our condemnation and He condemned sin instead. Don’t press in to sin, death, stress, anxieties, doubts. Instead, press into what God has done in Christ. Don’t be ignorant of your need. God, in Christ, came for the purpose of fulfilling your need! Are you cultivating your flesh or the Spirit? What you set your mind to will lead you either to death, or life and peace. A mind not being renewed by God will create a hostile environment toward God. It will cause complaining and a lack of vision. Be willing to engage with God and see what the Gospel is intended to do in you and our society. Do you lack optimism? Be open to see your need for optimism and ask God for it. See the goodness of the Lord in your circumstances and in other people. May the God of hope fill you so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Spirit. The Gospel calls us to optimism through the Spirit to newness of life. We do not lose heart because we see with hope our end--eternity with God. The Gospel gives us a reason for optimism and hope. What is holding you back from seeing this freedom and life and peace?

We need a deeper understanding of our dependence on God. The less we feel our need for Christ, the less we will abide in Him. We need a vision for transformation in our hearts and minds. Be willing to recognize your need as well as the fulfillment found in Christ. Recognizing your need gives you a vision for change. Be intentional about your heart. See what the Gospel can do in your life as well as in our culture. Sin does not have the greatest grasp on your life or our society’s. As a believer, you are free from sin and death--does this truth transform your heart? God, in Christ, has taken away our condemnation and He condemned sin instead. Don’t press in to sin, death, stress, anxieties, doubts. Instead, press into what God has done in Christ. Don’t be ignorant of your need. God, in Christ, came for the purpose of fulfilling your need! Are you cultivating your flesh or the Spirit? What you set your mind to will lead you either to death, or life and peace. A mind not being renewed by God will create a hostile environment toward God. It will cause complaining and a lack of vision. Be willing to engage with God and see what the Gospel is intended to do in you and our society. Do you lack optimism? Be open to see your need for optimism and ask God for it. See the goodness of the Lord in your circumstances and in other people. May the God of hope fill you so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Spirit. The Gospel calls us to optimism through the Spirit to newness of life. We do not lose heart because we see with hope our end--eternity with God. The Gospel gives us a reason for optimism and hope. What is holding you back from seeing this freedom and life and peace?

Pentecost is the birth of the church, and a reminder of the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do what God calls us to. In this passage, Christ tells His disciples that they are to preach the Gospel of Christ’s suffering and His resurrection. We, like the disciples, are also told to preach repentance and remission of sins which is only possible through the cross of Christ. You will be a witness once you’ve first witnessed it yourself. By the Spirit, Christ now dwells in you. The Holy Spirit teaches us the Word of God and reminds us of the Word. The Spirit draws everyone to Christ. John’s baptism was one of repentance, but it was limited to repentance only, not regeneration.  Christ’s baptism is that of the Holy Spirit regenerating the believer, destroying sin, illuminating the mind, and empowering the heart. In regeneration, these two baptisms are joined into one. This doesn’t mean though that there won’t be additional effusions of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life. We are filled with the Holy Spirit by getting out of the way so that the Spirit can do what He wants in and through us. Do you have an external and earthly vision of the Kingdom of God? Don’t get caught up in the external that you lose sight of the Great Commission. Seek first the kingdom of God. Restoration of the kingdom is only through preaching the Gospel. The Church is to be witnesses of Christ in the world. Live everyday in the light of the Gospel. To fulfill the mission, we have received the Holy Spirit. He gives us power in order to show others the power of the Gospel. We receive so that it may profit others. We work from being a witness, not in order to become a witness.

Pentecost is the birth of the church, and a reminder of the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do what God calls us to. In this passage, Christ tells His disciples that they are to preach the Gospel of Christ’s suffering and His resurrection. We, like the disciples, are also told to preach repentance and remission of sins which is only possible through the cross of Christ. You will be a witness once you’ve first witnessed it yourself. By the Spirit, Christ now dwells in you. The Holy Spirit teaches us the Word of God and reminds us of the Word. The Spirit draws everyone to Christ. John’s baptism was one of repentance, but it was limited to repentance only, not regeneration.  Christ’s baptism is that of the Holy Spirit regenerating the believer, destroying sin, illuminating the mind, and empowering the heart. In regeneration, these two baptisms are joined into one. This doesn’t mean though that there won’t be additional effusions of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life. We are filled with the Holy Spirit by getting out of the way so that the Spirit can do what He wants in and through us. Do you have an external and earthly vision of the Kingdom of God? Don’t get caught up in the external that you lose sight of the Great Commission. Seek first the kingdom of God. Restoration of the kingdom is only through preaching the Gospel. The Church is to be witnesses of Christ in the world. Live everyday in the light of the Gospel. To fulfill the mission, we have received the Holy Spirit. He gives us power in order to show others the power of the Gospel. We receive so that it may profit others. We work from being a witness, not in order to become a witness.