Born of the Spirit

4th Sermon in Series: The Holy Spirit

25 July 2010 - Rev. David Bisgrove

Prayer of Confession (Based on 1Corinthians 13)

Love is patient

Am I willing to endure trying people?

Love is kind

Am I thinking or acting unkindly toward anyone?

Love is not possessive

Am I manipulative? Do I use people?

Love is not boastful or proud

Do I love to be the center of attention

Love is courteous

Am I considerate, thoughtful, warm?

Love is not selfish

Am I always insistent on my needs and rights?

Love is not irritable or bitter

Am I forgiving? Do I keep a record of wrongs?

Love delights in truth and righteousness.

Do I put obedience to God first in my life?

Titus 3:1-7

¹Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, ²to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.

³At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. ⁴But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Spiritual Rebirth - Being born again

• Is a human community possible? The Holy Spirit should come in and transform us one spirit at a time.
• The power is external; it is greater than any other patron; Redemption of the world is found in your own soul, but we need humility to admit that we can't achieve it alone.
• The power is cosmic. Nothing in our lives is so bad that its immune from a cleansing by the Holy Spirit
• The power is gracious because it is given by Jesus's sacrifice.
• The power is vocational as we should be ambassadors of Christ no matter what we do for a living.

KINDNESS MATTERS

The Spirit of Truth

2nd Sermon in the Series: The Holy Spirit

11 July 2010 - Reverend Scott Sauls

John 15: 17-27

¹⁷This is my command: Love each other.

¹⁸"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. ¹⁹If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. ²⁰Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. ²²If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. ²³He who hates me hates my Father as well. ²⁴If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. ²⁵But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.'

²⁶"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. ²⁷And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

Absolute Spirit

An outside truth that commands and masters us.

In conflict with authority of rabbis and the autonomy of self.

Embrace our true family--those that are marginalized.

Reach across the aisles.

Strength comes from our weakness and our dependence on God

^{Galatians 3:38 - We're all the same.}

²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Money and the Logic of Grace

3rd Sermon in the Series: Money and Possessions--in the Teachings of St. Luke

20 June 2010 - Dr. Timothy Keller

Luke 14:7-24

7When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8"When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

12Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

15When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."

16Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'

18"But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.'

19"Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'

20"Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'

21"The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'

22" 'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'

23"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. 24I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.' "

• Practice sacrificial giving to the point where it changes your lifestyle.
• Knowing your inner wealth and worth allows you to deal with stuff on the outside.
• Galatians 6:1 - Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
• John 12:40-43 - ⁴²Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³for they loved praise from men more than praise from God
• James 4:10 - Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.