On Sunday, January 22, 2023 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on 2 Corinthians 2:5-11.  This message was part 3 of the “Mission: Prep” sermon series.  Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find audio and video from the message to listen to/watch, download or share.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read 2 Corinthians 2:5-11
3. When was the last time you really felt like you needed the forgiveness of another?  When was the last time you forgave someone?  For you is it harder to forgive or to be forgiven?
4. Satan’s desire to divide and devour the church through our attitudes toward sin was detailed in the message.  One extreme is to avoid confronting known/public sin.  Another extreme is to never forgive a repentant sinner.  Do you find yourself personally falling more into one of these two ditches (either to licentiousness or judgmentalism)?
5. Have you ever experienced a sin in a church or even small group you were a part of that caused pain to a large portion of the church?  How was that sin handled?  Was it handled at all?
6. Is there someone you may need to lovingly confront about a sin issue this week?
7. If someone repents, are you willing to forgive them?  How does the example of Jesus compel you in this conversation about forgiving one another?
8. What is one particular application you took away from this passage/message?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

 

To listen offline, use link below:

Mission: Prep #3 1.22.23

 

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Forgiveness.  We all want to be the recipient of it … after all, “all have sinned and fall short …” At the macro level, we have sinned against God, we have fallen short of His glory, and thus all right-thinking people understand our need for His forgiveness, mercy and grace.  But even at the micro level, we need to be forgiven.  Not only have we sinned against God, but we also sin against people created in God’s image.  So many times we are in need of the forgiveness of another.  

We all want to be the recipient of forgiveness – from God (unto salvation), and from others (unto peace and reconciliation).  We all want to be a part of a faith community that celebrates the forgiveness we have from God and practices this forgiveness to us.  But what about when we are the one who has been offended?  What about when we are the one being asked “will you forgive me for the harm I caused TO YOU?”  Well, that is a bit more difficult, isn’t it?  We want to receive forgiveness freely, but to grant forgiveness conditionally.

Movies give us models of Avengers who “right the wrongs” or vigilantes who dish out payback … but where are the models of forgiveness in our world today?  Well, these models should be in the church.  After all, all true church members understand that they have been forgiven MUCH by God, therefore, they should be the first to extend forgiveness to others … but ARE churches places of forgiveness?  Reviews are mixed.

What is clear, though, is that on the pages of the New Testament we see amazing examples of forgiveness.  The chief example, or course, is God our Father forgiving us in Christ.  However, there are also other examples of the followers of Jesus forgiving one another in light of what Jesus has done.  One of those examples is found in 2 Corinthians 2:5-11.

Apparently a man had done some pretty hurtful and damaging things to the Apostle Paul … things that required the church to act to protect the reputation and integrity of the local church.  It is even possible that the man who had hurt Paul was asked to leave the fellowship of believers in Corinth for a time.  At some point in the midst of this discipline, the offending party apparently repented of their sin.  Though the church in Corinth eventually disciplined the man in his sin, how would they treat him in his repentance?  And what was Paul’s stance on the matter (since he was the one in the crosshairs of the abuse in the first place)?

This is the situation we will be looking at in part 3 of our “Mission: Prep” series this Sunday at Wildwood Community Church in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 services.  We will be looking at how we should respond to a repentant brother or sister in Christ who sin against us … at the corporate church level.  Two weeks ago, we saw that the “comforted comfort.”  This week we will see that the “forgiven forgive.”  Part of our preparation for the mission is to practice forgiveness as a church assembly.

Hope to see you Sunday for worship, communion, and study of God’s Word.  See you there … and bring friends!

On Sunday, January 15, 2023 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on 2 Corinthians 1:12 – 2:4.  This message was part 2 in the “Mission: Prep” sermon series.  Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find audio and video of the message to listen to/watch, download or share.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read 2 Corinthians 1:12 – 2:4
3. Have you ever “rejected a message” because of the “messenger”?  Describe that event and see if you can determine what contributed to your rejection.
4. Have you ever been misunderstood (as you were serving/ministering to someone else)?  Have you ever misunderstood someone else as they were serving/ministering to you?
5. Paul argued that if you checked his heart you would see that his motivations were pure in his actions toward the Corinthians.  Think of your own times of ministering to/serving others.  How pure are your motives as you serve others?  If challenged (and your heart was laid open) would your motives stand up under inspection?
6. Why does personal integrity matter so much for someone who ministers in Jesus name (according to the verses we read today)?
7. What is an area of personal integrity that you need to improve in the days ahead?
8. What is one particular application you took away from this passage/message?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

 

To listen offline, click the link:

Mission: Prep #2 1.15.23

 

To listen online, use the media player below:

 

To watch, use YouTube online:

 

In this day and age, many people are “deconstructing” their faith.  Entire podcasts (garnering huge audiences) are detailing the negative impact that abusive church leadership has had on the faith of a generation.  Almost every day you can open a newspaper or scan social media and find evidence of another awful situation that has played out in a church.

We must first admit that though we have a perfect God and an amazing Savior, the church is an imperfect place, because it is made up of sinful people like you and me.  Everything from grievous sins and abuses (on one end of the spectrum) to unwise decision-making (on the other) can creep into churches and impact their congregants in profound ways.

But why are the decisions of church leaders and their responses to these sinful situations so impactful on their congregants?  And why should church leaders be held to such a high moral and ethical standard (if all sin and fall short of the glory of God)?  This is the subject of 2 Corinthians 1:12 – 2:4.  In these verses, the Apostle Paul addresses a few complaints he has received from the Corinthian Church … complaints that apparently led some in Corinth to believe that Paul was unfit to be an Apostle or a spiritual leader.  Some Corinthians were complaining that Paul was flaky, non-committal, hard to understand, too worldly, and too harsh.  That is quite a string of accusations against the man who God used to write half of the New Testament!  

Rather than just ignoring these criticisms, or squishing the Corinthians with his apostolic authority, Paul was compelled to lovingly and pastorally address them.  Why?  Because if people could not trust the messenger, why would they trust his Message?  So Paul addresses their concerns over 16 verses … the same 16 verses we are going to be looking at in our sermon this Sunday at Wildwood Community Church.

As we continue to talk about how God is preparing us for the mission He has called us to (in part two of our “Mission: Prep” series), we will see the importance of integrity and motivation in our connections with others.  Hope to see you Sunday at 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 … and bring friends!

On Sunday, January 8, 2023 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on 2 Corinthians 1:1-11.  This message was part 1 in the “Mission: Prep” sermon series.  Below you will find questions related to this message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find the sermon audio/video to listen to/watch, download, or share.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read 2 Corinthians 1:1-11
3. Do you have an example from your life where a time of “loss” prepared you to help someone else in the future?
4. Paul talks about the people in Corinth as “the church of God” and “saints.”  Given what we know of their struggles and behavior (from 1 Corinthians) how does this help you understand the grace of God toward you and me (who also have lots of struggles)?
5. What are some examples of general affliction you are experiencing right now … or even “suffering” right now you might be experiencing because of your connection with Jesus Christ?  What are some ways “the Father of mercy and all comfort” is caring for you in this season of your life?
6. How are you relying upon the “God of reality” not just the God of a textbook of theology today in the midst of your struggles?
7. Who in your life is struggling right now that God may want to use you to administer comfort (through your presence, encouragement, and prayer)?  What is one thing you can do this week for this person to encourage them?
8. Using 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 as a model, take some time praying for a brother or sister in Christ the the Lord has laid on your heart (who is experiencing difficulty).  After you pray for them, send them a note of encouragement today, letting them know you are praying for them.
9. What is one particular application you took away from this passage/message?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

 

To listen offline, click the link to download:

Mission: Prep #1 1.8.23

 

To listen online, use the media player below

 

To watch the service, use YouTube online:

 

 

What is the difference between “money lost” and “tuition paid”? 

I am not sure where I first heard this analogy, but it is not original to me.  It contrasts money that is flushed down the drain, and a payment that is made to learn something new.  In my life, I have paid tuition at the University of Oklahoma for my undergrad, and at Dallas Theological Seminary for both my Masters and Doctoral degrees.  In total, tens of thousands of dollars were invested in tuition at these institutions … but that money was not “lost.”  My experiences both places helped grow me more into the person I am today.  

So to summarize, when we “pay tuition” we may lose money, but we gain an education/“preparation for future impact” in return.

The point of the comparison, though, is not simply to reflect on formalized education.  The point of the comparison is that in life, we often learn a lot through painful experiences.  Painful and costly experiences can actually prepare us for something more.

While I don’t remember where I first heard the “tuition vs. loss” analogy, I DO remember where I learned that “experience prepares us for service.”  I learned that from 2 Corinthians 1:1-11.  In these verses, the Apostle Paul writes to his friends at the church in Corinth and instructs them that when we go through difficult circumstances … when we suffer … when we experience “loss” … the God of ALL COMFORT comes to us and comforts us.  Not only does He comfort us, but He has designed His comfort to be portable – that we might share it with others going through similar circumstances.

The suffering we go through is not loss, but tuition.  The comfort we receive is not intended to be only for us, but to flow through us into the lives of others.

God is not a God who is distant and uncaring.  He is the Father of all comfort and mercy, and He comes near to the brokenhearted and the hurting.  He did so in the time of the Bible, and He will do so today.

This Sunday at Wildwood, we will begin a year long study of the book of 2 Corinthians.  This study will help us understand the Mission we are on … and who is in Control of that mission.  From January 8-22, we will kick off this study looking at “Mission: Prep,” how God prepares us for the Mission He wants to work through us in the world.  This preparation involves a calibration of our motivations and attitudes, a willingness to extend forgiveness to those who have hurt us, and (in this week’s message) how God prepares us to comfort others through the comfort He gives to us in the midst of our troubles.  We will be in part 1 this week looking at 2 Corinthians 1:1-11.  Hope to see you there in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 service … and bring friends!