- “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:15-17″
- It is important right at the outset that we see the far reaching social implications of the issues with which we are dealing. These are matters that profoundly affect corporate and institutional, as well as private, life. The social dimension to money is ‘business’; for sex it is ‘marriage’; for power it is ‘government’.
- I am using the terms business, marriage, and government in their broadest sense. Business refers to the task of bringing forth the goods and services of the earth either to bless or oppress humankind. Marriage refers to the human relationship par excellence that creates the context for either the deepest possible intimacy or the greatest possible alienation. Government refers to the enterprise of human organization that can lead toward either liberty or tyranny. Instantly you can sense that money, sex, and power are vital issues, not only to each of us as individuals, but to all human society.” Richard Foster
The Tyrannical Trinity
February 24, 2008 at 9:03 pm (Sermon)
Are You Plugged?
February 20, 2008 at 6:09 pm (Sermon)
- John 15:1-8
- Jesus is the vine. He became human. If you were to read the passage carefully, you can see that we were grafted into Jesus.
- He is the vine and we are the branches. As Jesus was lifted up on the cross, so were we lifted up. The word “cut off” comes from the word take up or lift up. In order to make the branches bear fruit you have to lift it up. So when you go to the vineyard, you will see that the branches are hanging on the wire.
- Not only are you suppose to be lifted up but you need to remain on the vine. You need to be plugged in order to bear much fruit. So to remain or to abide means to be connected.
- How? What did Jesus do in order to be plugged in? He spent time in prayer, fasting, and giving. If you do these things, you will grow to bear much fruit. These disciplines are the connection to bear the result. The results are two fold: developing character of God and leading people to Jesus.
- You know there is more then this. You have to be plugged into the body of Christ. When Jesus said you are the branches, He was talking in plural form ‘you’ not singular. So He was talking about His disciples, His church. So the question I want to ask you is this. Are you plugged into the church, the body of Christ.
- To be plugged means to be connected to the source. To be connected to the source means it is being connected to the Word.
- Read John 15:1-8 then read 15:9-17. These passages are the same. So to bear much fruit, you have to love each other as Jesus has loved us. This is His command.
- Are you plugged?
