How would the city of Corinth compare today with a modern city? Corinth was the first frontier outpost. It was a prosperous city. Caesar’s Roman army retirement community live there. It was located on a key east-west trade route. The poor got rich in Corinth! You might say all the lotto winners lived there. The displaced Jews lived there because Caesar kicked them out of Rome. Sexual perversion was rampant in Corinth. Somehow money and sex are always linked together? The Temple of Aprodita had 1000 temple prostitutes as part of their worship. The Temple of Apollos had nude statues of male prostitutes. Corinth was much like American culture today with sexual brokenness. When Paul walked into Corinth people were celebrating the Isthmian games which was the ancient Olympics. Corinth had athletic training centers much like Colorado Springs does today. The people of Corinth celebrated strength, independence, intellectualism, materialism and public debate. The Greek orator’s debated constantly. They all figured it out they did not need God! 1 Corinthians 2:3-5. Paul says I was not with you with enticing words of man’s wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power. That our Faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God! Can God raise up people in a corrupt culture? America is becoming more secular. Heathenistic cultures trump pleasure over purpose. The message of the Crucified Christ is not popular in America just as it was not in Corinth 2000 years ago! But it is still really good news! Polite people did not talk about the Cross in the 1st. century. The worst criminals were crucified. How do you message people about the Cross? The cross was cruel and ugly punishment. Jesus was tortured, beaten, bloodied and murdered! He died the lowest kind of death. It goes to say the Cross is foolishness to the perishing. Why did God choose death to redeem? The wages of sin is death! To the saved the Cross is the power of God! Are you grateful for the Cross? The Cross is central to belief. The Cross is entry to everything. The Cross destroys the wisdom of the wise! Intelligent people say that if God cannot answer all my questions then I will not follow him! My adopted son Abram is a very intelligent little boy. His grandfather was a nuclear physics engineer! Sometimes Abram will ask me questions that are deep and thoughtful. Sometimes I do not know the answer to his question. God came to save us and not answer all our questions. Corinth had some of the best minds of that era. They were intellectuals, philosophers, Romans, Greeks and Jews. Preaching Christ was foolish to the gentiles. The Jews expected a military Messiah. What do you want to hear? I want to be skinny and rich! American and Corinth cultures say “Blessed are the smart and the strong, Blessed are the ambitious, God helps those who help themselves!” Superman has arrived! It is me! Jesus said,”Blessed are the poor in spirit,meek,merciful and kind.” The Roman government of Corinth ruled by fear and intimidation like many governments do today. Why did Jesus submit to the tyranny of the Roman government and the Jews and go to the Cross? To show the world a new way to use power! The world uses power to rule over people. Watch an NFL game. Hundreds of millions of dollars spent to try to dominate one another! Competition is to fight for power! Dominate others! Get power to defend yourself! Buy armies and men and women to rule over others. When Pilate had Jesus on trial he told Jesus he had power to condemn Him to death or release Him. Jesus told Pilate I lay my life down and unless my Father gives you power you cannot touch me. Christ goes to the Cross to use power in a new way. Christ gave His life for people and not to rule over people! God has given us power for people in service to people and care for them. Jesus became a nobody to save everybody. Jesus is calling the marginalized and the down and out. Not to manipulate them but release them from the bondages of sin. The nobodies are being invited in. Discover a new way of being powerful. Everyone can belong! No disenfranchised! The Cross is where you start and finish. No substitute for the Cross! All must come to the Cross and believe! Source; Sermon notes taken from message given by Pastor Brady Boyd at New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Message given on Sunday January 5, 2014.
Tag: culture
Being Awesome In Obscurity! Matthew Chapter 6.
Why do we do what we do? Motives! Great people of God always have seasons of obscurity! Jesus in the desert, John the Baptist, Apostle John and many more examples in the Old Testament. American culture counters the idea of obscurity with social networks, web sites, instant media flashes, ect. God has to prepare out hearts and will not let us go public until we are right with Him and our fellow man. Motive is the spiritual mirror of the heart. The truth of scripture divides the motives of the heart. No one can hide wrong motives from God. The religious leaders of Jesus day gave money to be honored by men. Jesus said to give in secret. Then God will reward you openly! You will notice Jesus mentions reward three times. You will notice in Matthew Chapter 5, verse 16 that Jesus says to let your light so shine. Is Jesus contradicting Himself or is He talking about two different things? Shine or do in secret? It is all about motive. Neither do we boast or hide. We are a peculiar people. When people ask about your Godly behavior share your story about how God has changed you! Jesus mentioned a reward five times when you do the following three things in secret! They are; Give, pray and fast. Jesus says when we do these things which means we do them regularly! All three of these things are costly! Giving costs us money. To pray costs us time. To some time is money. To fast costs us energy. Most people say they trust in God and few Christians will do these three things regularly. To do these things means we embrace weakness. Most Christian’s will want to tell others they are doing these three things. Why? Motive! The Pharisee’s were the religious super stars of Jesus day. They fasted, prayed and gave money openly for men to see with no effect or approval from God! There will be seasons of obscurity sent from God to you so that you get right with who you are and do not give up your identity to please men! In Luke Chapter 4, verse 14 we read He returned with Power of the Spirit! God will not give you a public platform until you are ready! When Jesus came up out of the water during Baptism His Father in Heaven said; ” This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased!” What is the reward Jesus is talking about if we do these three things? Some Christians especially in America think it is money, big houses, fancy cars, gold, land, stocks, bonds, ect. Some will even borrow great amounts of money to show the world they are Blessed of God? The reward Jesus is talking about is this; ” His Presence. ” His love for you! An eternity spent with Him both now and forever! Source; Sermon notes from Pastor Brady Boyd at New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. July 14, 2013. Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Deviled Ham Luke Chapter 8, Verses 26-39
Jesus calmed a storm which really messed up the weather forecaster’s prediction and then the very next day met a naked crazy man on the beach. Even the crazy man knew someone messed up a perfectly good storm. The Gadarene area was a Roman colony made up of soldiers and gentile pig farmers. This story has helped advocate for the mentally ill over history. Jesus was and is today an advocate to help the mentally ill. The mentally ill are usually pushed to the outer fringes of a culture. Yes, all the way to the cemetary! Then bound with chains to be sure they do not disturb the dead! Satan will always try to isolate people. Whether through divorce, institutions or popular culture. Satan hates marriage and any unity that brings people together under righteousness! There are 4 area’s of theology in American culture. Area #1-No God, No Demons. Area #2- Big God, No Demons. Area#3- Big God, Big Demons. Area#4- Big God, Defeated Demons. The first 3 categories isolate people in our culture. Category 4 brings balance and unity to our culture. Jesus wanted to know the crazy man’s name? Jesus is interested in people not demon’s. A Roman Legion is about 5000 soldiers. The demons did not want to go to the abyss? Why? Their evangelism program would be over! They needed to take someone with them. They were pro-porkchop and wanted deviled ham! Jews considered pigs unclean and not redemptive. The local gentile community was making a living off the unclean. The next thing we see in this story is a man walking around in his right mind wearing clothes. Who gave clothes to this naked man? Does your church have a clothes bank? A wild man gets tamed! Jesus is more than a lamb he is a lion! Never try to tame God down and domesticate Him! Remember all this took place before the Cross! The Demon’s recognized Christ’s Divinity! The sane man wanted to go with Jesus and get out of town! Jesus wanted him to be a witness in his own community. If you are not a witness where you are do not waste time and money running somewhere else! Can you imagine the story he had to take back to his community? The community had to trade in 2000 pigs for a sane clothed man. The Gadarene’s did not like it and wanted Jesus to leave town! Their money was more important than this lunatic! Never get over your salvation! Others may try to tame you down but be wild for Christ! Christ will always make you a testimony of His love and power! Let Christ through you serve Satan a plate of deviled ham! Source; Personal notes from message given at New Life Church by Pastor Brady Boyd, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com
Debt!
Proverbs Chapter 22, Verse 7, says; “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender”. America is in trouble because of her personal and public debt! We got to our present mess by bad habits! Our culture continues to disregard Biblical values! If any people or nation spends more than it takes in a crisis is just ahead! The only way to stop this is for Americans to get their own house in order and then elect leaders in Washington who live within Biblical values and do not spend more taxes than they take in! Also reduce the tax burden on fellow Americans so they have more to spend to help our economy! Also for the rich to understand that they have an obligation to help the poor and not to take away their hope for a better tomarrow! Jesus paid a debt he did not owe and took upon himself my sin and has brought redemption to my life! I owe a debt I cannot pay and understand His grace did for me what I cannot do for myself! Thankyou. James GodWhoisGod.com