Showing posts with label servants. Show all posts

Sunday, 4 December 2016

'ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME GOD?'

Rev. Canon George Sinclair

by Rev. Canon George Sinclair

Pastor of the Church of the Messiah, Ottawa, ON.
www.messiahchurch.ca

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(Podcast of CFRA broadcast on Sunday, December 4th, 2016:

http://accm.ncf.ca/images/16.12.04.mp3

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‘Are We Talking About The Same God?’

This is an abbreviated version of a longer sermon that I gave at Church of the Messiah. The sermon is part of a series where I will preach through all of 2 Corinthians over 19 Sundays. The series is called, "Jars Of Clay: Being Human In Christ."

2 Corinthians 4: 1-6

The Light of the Gospel

4 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God,^[a] we do not lose heart. ²But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice^[b] cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. ³And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants^[c] for Jesus' sake. ⁶For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Footnotes:

a. 2 Corinthians 4:1 Greek having this ministry as we have received mercy

b. 2 Corinthians 4:2 Greek to walk in

c. 2 Corinthians 4:5 Or slaves (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface)

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Program Notes:

1. There can be justice without mercy. There can be no mercy without justice.

2. We think that justice is our greatest need, but God in His mercy knows that mercy is our greatest need.

3. The god of this age wants people to die. The God who is revealed by the Bible, dies for people.

4. We share the Gospel with people who are veiled and blind.

5. We are to share the Gospel, but only God can illuminate the human heart.

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 (ESV)

Rev. Canon George Sinclair

Church of the Messiah

www.messiahchurch.ca
613-235-0596
messiahchurch.office@gmail.com

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To listen to the above broadcast, click on the following link:

http://accm.ncf.ca/images/16.12.04.mp3

Sunday, 8 March 2015

'JESUS ON BEING UNWORTHY'

Rev. Canon George Sinclair

by Rev. Canon George Sinclair

Pastor of the Church of the Messiah, Ottawa, ON.
www.messiahchurch.ca

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(Podcast of CFRA broadcast on Sunday, March 8th, 2015)

http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/30219/good_news_147_mar08.mp3

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Broadcast Notes:

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'Jesus On Being Unworthy'

Luke 17:1-19

Temptations to Sin

17 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin^[a] are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! ²It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.^[b] ³Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, ⁴and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

Increase Our Faith

⁵The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” ⁶And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

Unworthy Servants

⁷“Will any one of you who has a servant^[c] plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? ⁸Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly,^[d] and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? ⁹Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? ¹⁰So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants;^[e] we have only done what was our duty.’”

Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers

¹¹On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. ¹²And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers,^[f] who stood at a distance ¹³and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” ¹⁴When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. ¹⁵Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; ¹⁶and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? ¹⁸Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”^[g]

Footnotes:

a. Luke 17:1 Greek Stumbling blocks

b. Luke 17:2 Greek stumble

c. Luke 17:7 Greek bondservant; also verse 9

d. Luke 17:8 Greek gird yourself

e. Luke 17:10 Greek bondservants

f. Luke 17:12 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13

g. Luke 17:19 Or has saved you

Dear friends, I originally gave this talk as a full sermon at my church - Church of the Messiah, Ottawa. I have shortened that longer Sermon for this broadcast. Feel free to check my church website if you want to hear the full sermon.

Jesus on Being Unworthy

(http://messiahchurch.ca/sermons/jesus-unworthy/)

Posted on January 18, 2015 by Rev. George Sinclair

All of my "points" today are in the form of a prayer.

1. Dear God, please grow in me a deep and humble trust in You, and free me up to speak to the wrongdoer of the wrong they did to me, and to forgive them.

2. Dear God, please grow in me a humble, trusting, walking, knowing of the greatness and glory and grace of the person and work of Jesus, Messiah.

3. Dear God, by grace I am Your doulos, please grow in me a deep, obedient and humble trust in You as my Master who commands me.

4. Dear God, please grow in me a deep, humble, thankful trust in Jesus who has healed my deepest wound and saved me by His death upon the cross.

- Rev. Canon George Sinclair