On October 8, 2023, at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a message based on 2 Corinthians 13:11-14. This message was part 6 of the “Mission:Own” sermon series. Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion. You will also find the audio and video of the message to listen to/watch, download, or share.

 

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read 2 Corinthians 13:11-14
3. Over the past year, we have walked through 26 different sermons out of 2 Corinthians.  Is there any enduring thought or application that hit you during this study of 2 Corinthians?
4. How important to you is unity in the church?  Where do you fit on a scale of 1-100, where 100 is UNITY IN THE CHURCH MATTERS A LOT TO ME, and 1 is I DON’T CARE ABOUT UNITY IN THE CHURCH?
5. Paul calls the Corinthians to do a number of things to help preserve unity in the church.  He calls them to receive his admonition and make changes in their lives so that the “net” of the church in Corinth might be mended.  He calls them to be of one mind and to live at peace with one another.  He calls them to publicly display their unity in actions.  All this will reveal to the world that their God is love and peace.  Think about our church for a moment.  Does our lifestyle and response to God reveal to the world that “God is love and peace”?  How about you specifically … does your life reveal that your God is love and peace?
6. In 13:14, Paul provides a beautiful benediction to his letter by pronouncing our Trinitarian God’s resources He has given to contribute toward unity in the church.  The grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Spirit.  In what way do these gifts from God contribute to unity between you and other believers? 
7. What is one particular application you took away from this message?

 

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Mission: Own #6 10.08.23

 

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Scattered over the past nine months, I have had the privilege of preaching through Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians.  Over this span, and through 26 sermons, we have looked at each verse in this great letter.  Though this letter was originally penned from the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth, its preservation in the Scripture reminds us that it actually is a letter from God to His church … including to you and me.

We have seen that Jesus has invited us to be on mission with Him in this life as we are lead in a triumphal procession spreading everywhere knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14-ff).  Jesus has prepared us for this mission (chapters 1-2), briefed us on the nature of this mission (chapters 2-3), desires that we endure on this mission (chapters 4-7), that we help fund this mission (chapters 8-9), and that we own this mission (chapters 10-13).

To borrow a line from an old TV show … this is our mission.  Will we choose to accept it?

In the final 4 verses of this letter (13:11-14), Paul challenges us to own what we have heard.  He mixes a string of commands with three transformative reminders as a joyous parting shot for those who have owned the mission.  At first glance this looks like Mission:Impossible … but remember, with God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.

This Sunday, October 8, 2023, at Wildwood Community Church, we will study these verses together, then celebrate the Lord’s Table together.  Hope you can join us this Sunday in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 worship service.  See you there … and bring friends!

 

P.S. If you have something from these series of messages that has stood out to you, I’d love to hear about it!

 

On October 1, 2023, at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a message based on 2 Corinthians 13:1-10. This message was part 5 of the “Mission:Own” sermon series. Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion. You will also find the audio and video of the message to listen to/watch, download, or share.

 

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read 2 Corinthians 13:1-10
3. Has there been a time in your life when you were in a pattern of behaving a certain way, got convicted of that behavior by the Holy Spirit, and then turned and began living in a different way?  Describe that time?  Have you seen this kind of a turn in the lives of others you know?
4. We are used to thinking of Jesus as the Savior, not as the Judge.  However, Jesus will return one day to judge the world and we will be accountable to Him for our lives.  How does remembering this “judge” role of Jesus motivate you to be more accountable with your manner of living today?
5. Paul’s heart was not to demonstrate his apostolic authority, but to see the Corinthians built up in the Lord.  This is the Lord’s desire for you as well – to have our lives built up in godliness as we follow Christ.  What are some areas of your life where you long to see your life “built up” more like Him? 
6. Examine yourself.  What are the evidences of “Christ in you”?
7. What is one particular application you took away from this message?

 

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Mission: Own #5 10.1.23

 

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A couple of months ago I was officiating a wedding at a (somewhat) familiar venue. I was heading to the rehearsal, and input the address of the chapel in my phone and began driving to my destination.

A funny thing happened though … since I had been to this place before, I thought I knew where I was going, so I was not paying much attention to the directions being spoken to me via my GPS. Siri told me to take the exit … but I blew right past it. Then the notifications started coming fast and furious. At every break in the highway, my phone was yelling at me to “turn around”! Eventually the reality began to sink in. Though I thought I was headed in the right direction, I had actually veered off course. Apparently I did not know where I was going as much as I thought!

At that point, I had a decision to make. Would I stop heading in the wrong direction, heed the voice of the eye in the sky, and do a 180 to get back on course … or would I keep driving and end up in Chickasha!!!! Since I was committed to getting to the wedding, I turned around and got back on course.

Has this ever happened to you? Just me? Oh well …

But this dynamic happens in more places that just our cars. It happens in our spiritual lives as well. Sometimes we THINK we know best. We think we know where we are going, and we allow our instincts to drive us into a set of decisions. We do what feels right to us in the moment, and that can drive us off course into sin.

If we are a follower of Jesus, though, something happens when we morally venture off course. We begin “hearing” a voice that tells us to “STOP,” “TURN AROUND,” and “HEAD THE OTHER DIRECTION.” This voice is the convicting work of the Holy Spirit speaking through the Scripture, other Christians we are in community with, or our conscience telling us that we are headed to the wrong destination. If we are believers in Jesus Christ, we say that we desire to follow Him … when we don’t God graciously prompts us to turn and get back on plan. When we listen to that voice and turn around to begin following Christ again, we do what the Bible calls “REPENTING.”

In 2 Corinthians 13:1-10, the Apostle Paul writes to a congregation of people he loves in Corinth. As he writes, the Holy Spirit is speaking through the Apostle to the Corinthians and asking them to repent. On Sunday at Wildwood Community Church in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 worship services, we will be in part 5 of our “Mission:Own” sermon series as we see what this call to repentance is all about and what the current significance is for you and I. Hope to see you Sunday … and bring friends!

On September 24, 2023, at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a message based on 2 Corinthians 12:11-21. This message was part 4 of the “Mission:Own” sermon series. Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion. You will also find the audio and video of the message to listen to/watch, download, or share.

 

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read 2 Corinthians 12:11-21
3. What are some examples you have seen in your life of “knock-off” products or cheap imitation products designed to fool you into thinking they were actually the real thing?  How can you tell the difference between the “real deal” and the imposter?
4. Paul says that he “gladly will spend and be spent” for the souls of the Corinthians.  This is a reminder that the true pastoral heart knows that ministry will cost them something.  As C.T. Studd said, “If Jesus Christ be God, and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” What are some of the “costs” associated with the ministry you are “owning” today (financial, time, etc.)?  If you cannot think of any “cost” today for the ministry you are “owning” perhaps the Lord would want you to take a step deeper into service to others?  What might that deeper step for you be?
5. Paul’s concern was for the Corinthians, not for his own ego.  He wanted to see THEIR faith built up, not his own reputation.  In the ministry you are owning, is this your primary concern as well? 
6. What are examples of the kinds of things you have seen create disunity in the church?  How might God use you to promote unity in your church this week?
7. Undealt with sin (like rampant and blatant sexual sin) that is tolerated by a congregation ultimately hurts the testimony and spiritual growth of a church.  Is there any sin you need to repent of today and turn to Christ, living His way in the power of the Holy Spirit?
8. What is one particular application you took away from this message?

 

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Mission: Own #4 9.24.23

 

 

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In the summer of 1995 I lived in Russia as a part of a summer mission with Campus Crusade for Christ.  The “wall” had recently fallen, and I was one of many outsiders who took advantage of the newfound opportunity to visit the former Soviet Union to share the hope of Jesus Christ with people in need.

When I arrived, I realized that some parts of “my world” had gone before me behind the iron curtain.  I still remember sitting in a Russian dorm room, having a student play for me Ace of Base and Metallica songs on CDs.  I also remember going to the grocery store and seeing hot dogs that were made in Kansas City, Missouri!  Parts of American society had made it to Volgograd ahead of the Gospel.

But in addition to these legitimate items in the city, there were also several counterfeits.  T-shirts were for sale on the street for “Reeebok” (that is not my typo … there really was an extra “e” in the shirt).  There were also “Nike” shoes with wrong shaped swooshes, and CD’s with photocopied covers.  There were lots of counterfeits of actual western products.

My experience in Russia reminded me that in this fallen world, sometimes people take the good name/image/likeness of a well-respected person or product and then exploit it for their own gain.  This tendency is only amplified further in our current world of  virtual realities, artificial intelligence, and deep fakes.

In our knock-off world, how do we recognize the real thing?

Let me take that a step deeper.  As followers of Jesus Christ, are there purported pastors, missionaries, and “Christian” workers who are masquerading as ministers, but are really wolves in sheep’s clothing?  Sadly, the answer is yes.

So how do you tell the fakes from the real thing?  Well, in order to spot counterfeit bills, the treasury department knows exactly what the REAL THING looks like, smells like, and feels like.  By knowing what the real thing is, they are able to see the slight differences in the knock-offs.

As Christians, we need to know what the true heart of a Pastor looks like, so we can avoid the imposters.  Of course, our ultimate “Pastor” is Jesus Himself.  He is the prototype, and all true ministers are only undershepherds tending His flock.  But we have other examples as well … including the Apostle Paul, who famously said to the Corinthians, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”  Paul truly was the real deal, so by looking at his example as a minister and missionary, we can see what the true pastoral heart looks like – how the real deal behaves, and what the faithful fear.

This Sunday, we will look at Paul’s example of faithful ministry in 2 Corinthians 12:11-21 in part 4 of our “Mission:Own” sermon series.  Hope to see you there at Wildwood in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 services … and bring friends.

On September 17, 2023, at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a message based on 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. This message was part 3 of the “Mission:Own” sermon series. Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion. You will also find the audio and video of the message to listen to/watch, download, or share.

 

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
3. Do you have any kind of persistent “pain” in your life?  Could be physical/illness, relational, or a temptation to sin of some kind that persists.  What has been the effect of this “thorn” in your life?  Has it caused you to turn to God?  To be angry with God?
4. What are some of the “credentials” people try to rely upon to gain credibility as they attempt to influence others for Christ today (i.e. seminary degrees, which podcast they listen to, which books they have read, etc.)?  Paul does not rely on those things … but instead relies upon “what he says and does” in the presence of those he is ministering to (i.e. his current testimony and lifestyle – see 12:6).  How has the current lifestyle and loving (or unloving) demeanor of Christian leaders helped validate (or invalidate) their ministry in your life? 
5. When was the last time you pleaded with God multiple times to do something?  What was God’s “response”?  Based on this passage, what do you think the Lord may want to be teaching you in this struggle? 
6. In your life, how have struggles enhanced your dependence upon the Lord?
7. What is one particular application you took away from this message?

 

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Mission: Own #3 9.17.23

 

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Have you ever had a lingering struggle?  Could be a person who is making your life a living hell, a temptation that continues to rear its ugly head, or a physical infirmity that aches on day after day?  If you have this experience, you are not alone.  Many (if not most or EVENTUALLY ALL) people have such a prickly issue in their lives.

• If you have such a persistent difficulty, what do you call “it”?
• If you have such an unending pain, how do you deal with it?
• If you have such an aching heart, is there any hope?

Well, in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, the Apostle Paul is talking about a persistent ache in his life … he calls it his “thorn in the flesh.”  But, do you know what else he calls it?  A gift.  WHAT?!!?!?  That’s right, He calls it a grace gift from God.

In what universe is chronic pain a gift?  Well, for those “in Christ” persistent pain is a fresh opportunity to to experience the power of God in our lives.

As Tony Evans would say of this passage, “When I have a really bad headache, I take extra strength pain reliever because it has the power to address my problem. In other words, my weakness drives me to a pill so that its power may be demonstrated in my life. If not for the weaknesses that God allows us to endure, we would lack opportunities to seek His sufficient grace and experience His perfect power.”

What satan intends for evil, God can use for good in the lives of those who know Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28).  How does that happen?  We will look at that this Sunday in part 3 of our “Mission:Own” sermon series at Wildwood Community Church.  Before taking the Lord’s supper in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 services, we will see how our steady struggles can drive us to dependence upon the Lord, and allow us to experience the power of God in our lives.  He is sufficient for us in the midst of all our struggles.

Join us Sunday in our study … and bring friends!

On September 10, 2023, at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a message based on 2 Corinthians 11:1-33. This message was part 2 of the “Mission:Own” sermon series. Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion. You will also find the audio and video of the message to listen to/watch, download, or share.

 

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read 2 Corinthians 11:1-33
3. Have you heard the expression “Christianity is more of a relationship than a religion?”  What do you think is meant by that statement?
4. What are some of the “different” (i.e. not accurate) versions of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Gospel that you see in the world today?  Are you ever tempted to follow these false deviations from the truth?
5. In chapter 11, the Apostle Paul gives a version of his resume – authenticating his ministry.  What stands out to you most about what he shares?  How does this differ from how we normally authenticate a Christian leader’s “credentials” today?
6. What is your primary orientation to those around you?  Do you look to others mostly to get something FROM them, or do you think mostly about how you might do something FOR them?
7. On a scale of 1-100 (where 100 is very zealous and 1 is mostly apathetic), how fervent is your fire for Christ today?
8. What is one particular application you took away from this message?

 

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Mission: Own #2 9.11.23

 

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You may have heard it said that Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship.  I am not sure who first put that phrase together, but I have heard it most of my adult life.

This statement sure is catchy … but is it true?  I mean, it seems like Christianity is a religion … after all it has doctrines, and places of worship, and organized leadership structures, and philosophies of living, and thoughts about God and creation and morality.  Religions all have these things.    

So in what possible way is Christianity (at least MORE of) a RELATIONSHIP than a RELIGION?

Well, it is found not in ecclesiastical structures and style … but in who Christians insist that God is.  As a Christian I 10000% believe that God is knowable, relatable, accessible, and THAT HE LOVES US.  I really believe that is true.  So do hundreds of millions of Christians who are on the planet today.

When we say that Christianity is a relationship, we are saying that we can ACTUALLY KNOW GOD, because God has graciously made Himself available to us.  Tim Keller once said that in order for the Gospel to be good news, then the God behind the Gospel must be both both all knowing and all loving.  If God were all knowing and not all loving, then God would see our sin and not intervene in any way for His people.  If God were all loving, but not all knowing, then we would live in fear that one day He would find out what we have done and He would reject us.  But the fact that God is all knowing AND all loving, means that we (who have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of our sins) can be both known AND loved.

So when we say that Christianity is a relationship and not a religion, we are actually saying something even better than that.  We are saying that the relationship that we ALL LONG FOR (to be both fully known and fully loved) is accessible for us ETERNALLY through our God who has graciously made this possible in Christ.

Now, the situation gets even better … we know that God is like this and that He wants a relationship with us BECAUSE Jesus came to this earth!  Jesus is God in the flesh, and so when He walked the earth, eyewitnesses saw Him, interacted with Him, and recorded in the New Testament what they learned.  This allows us to look at Jesus today and say with confidence “THIS IS WHAT GOD IS LIKE.”  When a woman at a Samaritan well interacts with Jesus in John 4, Jesus reveals to her His omniscience by commenting on her troubled history, even though He was from out of town.  Then, Jesus reveals to her His love by offering her “living water” that would quench her thirst forever and ever.  The One who fully knew her, fully loved her.  The same relationship with God is also available for us!

Like any relationship, our relationship with God in Christ grows as we spend time with Him and communicate with Him.  As Christians, we believe that the Holy Bible is God’s Word.  So when we read it, we are listening to the Lord.  As Christians, we also believe that God welcomes our prayers (after all it was Jesus Himself who taught us to pray … Lord’s prayer anyone?).  So when we pray, we are talking to God and He listens!  As Christians we believe that Jesus is still at work in this world through His Spirit empowered church, so when we gather with other Christians and serve others in His name and obey His teachings, we are walking a path WITH HIM.

Christianity is a RELATIONSHIP with the LIVING GOD.

As a Pastor, my greatest joy and chief job is to introduce people to Jesus Christ and encourage them toward growth in their relationship with Him.  This job is not just unique to me … it is also the job of every true pastor going all the way back to the first century.  The Apostle Paul had this same Pastoral heart for his churches, including the church in Corinth.  Apparently, though, there were some who (under the banner of the religion “Christianity”) came in and tried to promote a different version of Jesus, and lead the people astray.  Paul wasn’t having any of it.  He speaks out strongly against these opponents in 2 Corinthians 11:1-33.  Paul had introduced the Corinthians to the real Jesus … like a matchmaker of sorts … and he was not going to sit idly by while they flirted with another philosophy or mythology or religion.

Jesus, the real Jesus, is jealous for the hearts of His people.  He does not want to share us with worldly philosophies and made up religions.  Why?  To steal our fun?  Absolutely not!  He is jealous for us because the One who fully knows us and fully loves us knows the life that is best for us.  The life we were created for.  We are most satisfied in Him.

This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church, we will explore this beautiful chapter in Scripture together in part 2 of our “Mission:Own” sermon series.  We will be reminded of the relationship we have with Christ, and then will have a clarification of what leaders in Christ’s relational network (i.e. the church) look like.  See you Sunday at 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 … and bring friends!