Sunday Lenten Sermon Series:
Modern Day Idols
OVERVIEW: Idols are more than wooden or stone objects placed on an altar to worship. They are usually much more subtle than that. They often begin as good things in our lives that over time, become an obsession or a distraction or a fixation that replaces God as our ultimate desire.
March 9 • Money
1 Timothy 6:6-12 (NIV); Luke 12:13-21 (NIV)
Money is a necessity. Objectively, money itself is not the problem. Paul warns that it is the love of money. But for many people, money has become that idol that they will sacrifice anything to obtain and please. What is a healthy look at money that doesn’t turn it into an idol?
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March 16 • Sexuality
Genesis 2:18-25; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
God made us sexual beings as a gift. But when that turns into an objectification of another person for one’s own pleasure, this gift becomes an idol that movies, songs and advertisements have exploited. What precautions can we establish to prevent this good gift from becoming a degrading idol?
March 23 • My Country Tis of Thee…
Romans 13:1-7; Acts 5:27-33; John 18:33-38a
Love of country is a good thing. Throughout the Old Testament, God protected the nation of Israel from its enemies. But nationalism, taken to the extreme, can blind us to the ills of our country. As Paul wrote, “We must obey God rather than people.”
March 30 • Work
Genesis 2:4-9 (3:17-19); Colossians 3:16-17
Work is one of the good gifts that God gave to Adam. While many look forward to that day in which they can be done working, the concept of retirement cannot be found in the Bible. But this gift of work can quickly become an idol by the work-a-holic that finds meaning, purpose and identity only in their career.
April 6 • ME!
Luke 9:23-26; Psalm 139:1-4, 13-14
What? How can I become my own idol? I am created in the image of God. My life is a gift from God. I must create healthy boundaries in order to protect my own integrity and sanity. At what point, does this become self-worship?
Wednesday Noon Lenten Series:
First Corinthians: Messy Church, Faithful God
OVERVIEW: Church can be a messy business. It is not a modern or postmodern problem. Divisions, quarreling and immorality almost seem endemic within a community of people. In the first century, it was no different. In this letter to the Corinthians, Paul is addressing an increasingly wayward people to remind them of their unity, belovedness and identity in Christ. In our own life together, we sometimes need this reminder of our shared foundation. Paul reminds us how we, the church, of saints and sinners, live as God’s holy people in this world.
March 5 (Ash Wednesday) • Forgetting Who and Whose We Are
1 Corinthians 1:1-17; John 10:27-28
Paul begins his letter reminding the Corinthians that they are called to be saints, set apart for the service of God. Blameless? Certainly not! Sometimes we forget who we are just as Paul reminds them what it means to be God’s people. As we begin our Lenten journey, we can reflect on our calling as God’s people and examine the places where we may need renewal.
March 12 • That’s Nonsense!
1 Corinthians 1:18-31, 2:6-16; Matthew 5:1-12
Where is the real power of our faith? The message of the Gospel is radical, and foolishness to the world, but life to those who believe. Worldly wisdom goes along with human logic and societal expectations, but God makes the wisdom of this world seem foolish. In our power-seeking over one another, we discover that God chooses what is humble in this world and only the Holy Spirit can help us understand the mind of Christ.
March 19 • It Doesn’t Matter What I Do
1 Corinthians 6:12-20; Matthew 4:23
In a world where relationship structures have eroded and the body is objectified in so many ways, integrity and right conduct of the physical self is an important discipline for the spiritual self. Paul reminds the Corinthians to live in a way in which they glorify God in body and spirit. As the Body of Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit, how does our treatment of our bodies matter in our faith journey?
March 26 • Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should
1 Corinthians 10:23; Matthew 18:1-14
Did you see that post? Social media may be a development of the postmodern era, but concerns about temptation and competition have been a part of community since the time of the Corinthians. Community life requires awareness and care of our weaker brothers and sisters. When the Corinthians are causing some of their brothers and sisters to stumble over the question of eating meat sacrificed to idols, Paul reminds them that while all things may be lawful, they need to also keep the well-being of others in mind.
April 2 • Table Manners
1 Corinthians 11:17-33; John 6:35
Do some have plenty and some have little? The body of Christ contains people of all economic and social strata, and yet we share in the same holy supper. When Paul hears of the Corinthians divisions at the table, he admonishes them to eat together in a worthy manner. In the banquet of life, is the church tending towards healing or feeding those divisions?
April 9 • My Gift is Better Than Yours!
1 Corinthians 12-13; Luke 9:46-47
Community works when we all contribute our gifts to the common good and the glory of God. Unfortunately, we can’t help but evaluate one over the other. Among all of the great spiritual gifts we may receive, whether it be gifts of healing or prophecy, they serve the purposes of God. When the Corinthians get lost in their judgement over gifts, Paul reminds them, and us, that the greatest gift is love.
April 16 • Missing the Point
1 Corinthians 15:12-20; John 11:25-26
Proper belief relies on precision. Yet, in wrestling with questions of faith, the truth can get distorted. We can miss the point. The resurrection is something for which we, like the Corinthians, are still awaiting. It is beyond our imagination and still today leaves us with more questions than answers. Yet, it is the ultimate victory over death that we can anticipate. Our bodies, and the Body of Christ, will be transformed into the heavenly body it was meant to be.
