Sin and Repentance

I'm doing a series of sermons on sin, which any pastor would approach with some concern. I had a friends email me that his pastor preached on sin and got all kinds of nasty phone calls. Ouch! But, as one of my professors in seminary would say, when preaching to people, don’t give them “half a loaf”; preach the whole gospel—even the discomforting parts. The discomforting parts are the ones that set us free, free from the sins in our lives that keep us from the best God has for us, and ultimately destroys us.

The response of the congregation is overwhelmingly positive. They are ready for more of God's presence in their lives.

This is an amazing quote about sin:
"Our sense of sin is in proportion to our nearness to God."
Thomas D. Bernard


I've used it the past two weeks, and will probably use it throughout the series. I'm looking forward to seeing what God is going to do in the congregation. How can it not be amazing when there are a whole community of people who are ready to repent of sin and are passionate about more of God in their lives?

Jesus and Lifestyle Changes

This was the introduction to my sermon last week. This was the last week of our series was called "Revolution".

Jesus came and brought a revolution, a revolution not just of ideas but of an ideology. He brought not just a different way of living; He said this is the only way to truly live. He didn’t bring a way to get to God; He said He was the only way to get to God. He didn’t just say here is how to live in this world, He said if you follow me you will no longer be of this world. He brought a way that didn’t end with death but conquered death. He made eternity reachable. He brought a revolution.

In the words of Dorothy Sayers:
"To do them justice, the people who crucified Jesus did not do so because he was a bore. Quite the contrary; he was too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have declawed the lion of Judah and made him a housecat for pale priests and pious old ladies."

Christianity has the most radical, dangerous, message of life, calling us to a radical, dangerous, daring earth-shattering life, but too many of us live a life of hum-drum, safe and tedious days. Is that really the call of Jesus? Not according to the Bible I read.

Jesus the Revolutionary

Jesus brought a message that was so different, so earth-shattering, and so challenging to the status quo, that people wanted to kill Him. Not just the religious establishment, but “normal” townspeople either wanted Him gone, or worse, they attempted at one point to throw Him off a cliff outside of town. Jesus led an uprising against a self-centered life. Why is it that the world-shattering, life changing message of Jesus has become hum-drum and mainstream?

The church must embrace and enhance change. We have to be the instigator of change rather than the anchor.