2 Cor. 2:5-11
Satan’s Greatest Scheme What would you say is the most representative symbol of the Church of Jesus Christ? Would you suggest a cross? If so, you’re probably in the majority. What about a fish? The ICTHUS symbol of the early Christians would not be far off either. Or maybe you think of the open Bible or the Bread and the Wine or the helping hand. All of these are positive, even sacred, symbols of the Church, and they have profound meaning and significance for all who…
2 Cor. 2:12-17
How Do You Smell? Last December our church staff had its annual Christmas party. We did one of those white elephant gift exchanges where a person opens a gift, but if he doesn’t want it, he can take someone else’s gift or pick out a new one. Well, the wife of one of our pastors, who shall remain anonymous for reasons you will shortly understand, opened a box of scented candles. She was having some sinus trouble, and after sniffing the candles she…
2 Corinthians 3:1-6
Living Letters A couple of weeks ago I received a very nicely packaged public relations folder of information from a traveling evangelist. He sent me some information about himself, his education, his background, his seminars, and there is a nice picture of him, his wife, and four boys in a window of the folder. There is also a series of letters from various Evangelical Free Churches where he has spoken. Each letter was apparently solicited from the pastor and is designed to help…
2 Corinthians 3:7-18
The Superiority of the New Covenant I want you to engage your sanctified imaginations this morning. Transport yourself with me back to the year 950 B.C. Solomon is the King of Israel; the magnificent Temple of Solomon, which took 150,000 workers seven years to build, is just about 15 years old, having taken the place of the Tabernacle which was built in Moses’ day some 500 years before. You live in Jerusalem and are a devout believer, so you walk to the Temple…
2 Cor. 4:1-12
Treasure in Clay Pots There’s a program on PBS I like to watch once in a while called “Antique Roadshow.” In virtually every program someone discovers that a piece of furniture picked up at an estate sale for $18 turns out to be worth $50,000 (or $100,000 if he hadn’t scraped the old paint off). Someone else finds a photograph in the attic of her deceased aunt that is an original signed by Ansel Adams and they make off like a bandit. Or…
2 Cor. 4:13-5:10
Is Your Earth Suit Wearing Out? In case you have any doubt in your mind, the answer to the question in my sermon title this morning is, “Yes.” Our bodies begin to deteriorate the moment we’re born, and the rate of deterioration speeds up considerably as time goes on. Children and teens don’t notice it, of course, but the 30- and 40-something’s are already getting a taste of it, those in their fifties and sixties understand it quite well, and the geezers…
2 Cor. 5:9-10, 1 Cor. 3:10-15
Here Comes the Judge! Last Lord’s Day we introduced the issue of future judgment at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and today we’re going to delve into it in much more detail. To many in our pluralistic, tolerant, subjective, and relativistic culture, judgment seems crude, self-righteous, hateful, and proud. But that is only because our society rejects the notion of moral absolutes or accountability to a creator God. If God is even acknowledged to exist, He is seen as a celestial Santa Claus…
2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2
Joy to the World: God’s Enemies Can Become His Friends! As we enter this Advent Season, we need to be reminded once again that Christmas is ultimately the story of God reaching out to those who are alienated from Him and inviting them to become His friends. That’s what brings real joy to the world-when former enemies become friends. While there are many great words in Christian theology–words like forgiveness, salvation, redemption, justification, sanctification, glorification–one of the greatest to me is “reconciliation.” According…
2 Corinthians 6:3-10
Reasonable Fanaticism I have an article I want to read this morning entitled, “It’s a Strange World.” It’s very relevant to my sermon topic this morning. “Shy sedate, conservative, normally very quiet people scream at the top of their lungs, yell obscenities at the umpire, jump up and down, hug the person sitting next to them whom they have never seen before in their lives, and we call them fans! Hundreds of thousands of people endure sub-freezing temperatures, and wind-driven rain, sleet,…
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
Are We to Engage the Culture or Separate Ourselves from It? Yes! We return this morning to our study of 2 Corinthians, which we started in September and interrupted with Advent. Our text for today is one of the most familiar passages in the book, but that doesn’t mean it’s one of the best understood. As a teenager growing up in a fundamentalist church, I probably heard 2 Cor. 6 quoted as often as any other passage in the NT: “Be ye not…
2 Corinthians 7:2-16
The Deadly Difference Between Regret and Repentance I want to talk today about one of life’s most painful experiences–the feelings of regret and remorse that can overwhelm us when we have done something wrong that we suspect might change the course of our life forever. The first time I remember feeling that way was in junior high school. I can’t even remember the specifics of what I had done, but it could have been just about anything considering my junior high years. I…
2 Corinthians 8:1-24
Generating a Spirit of Generosity I want to say a word about where I will be next Sunday and who our guest speaker is going to be. Some of you remember Carlton Harris, who served as our summer intern 25 years ago and who preached here 18 months ago. After 13 years of wonderful ministry in Cleveland, Carlton has been called to pastor the College Avenue Baptist Church in San Diego, one of the largest churches in the Baptist General Conference. He invited…