Multicultural Ministry Matters

In this final post about preaching application, I want to talk about what we want :) The Bible often talks about what we want - our desires. Our desires can lead us into all kinds of debauched behaviour (1 Pet 1:14; 2:11, 14; 2 Pet 2:10, 18), which bring God's wrath, and ultimately lead to eternal condemnation (Colossians 3:5-6; James 1:14-15). But desire can also be good and Godly. Paul longed for (Greek epipotheo ) his heavenly dwelling, the resurrection body (2 Cor 5:2). He longed to see the Romans (Rom 1:11; 15:23) ( epipotheo again). It's good to want (Greek orego ) to be an overseer - that is, a church leader (1 Tim 3:1) . The writer to the Hebrews says the heroes of the faith longed for ( orego again) a heavenly country (Heb 11:16). We can't limit our attention to word studies. There are plenty of descriptions of people wanting good or bad things. Simon the sorcerer wanted to be able to give people the Holy Spirit, like the Apostles seemed able to (Acts 9:18-19). Th...

This continues my thoughts on sermon application. The theme passage for this discussion is Ephesians 4:22-24: 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. In my first post in this series, I said this passage suggests three interlocking lenses for sermon application: The way we think, our worldview; Who we are, as individual Christians, and corporately as families, churches and communities; and What we want, our desires. My previous post addressed worldview - being "made new in the attitude of our mind". Here, I want to think about self-image. When we become Christians, we are regenerated, we are "born again". As far as God is concerned, we're new people. Our old self died with Christ, and we are new people, raised with Christ in glor...

This continues my (much delayed!) series on sermon application. When thinking of application, I first think of how I want to think different. We all have habits, attitudes, and ways of thinking that are ungodly and un-Biblical. This is not because we're all dirty rotten sinners who deliberately suppress the truth (although we once were exactly that: Romans 1:18). It's just 'normal' to think like that. Everybody does it, it's taken for granted. Of course I have to tell lies for my boss. How else do you expect me to keep my job? What, do you want me to get fired or something? How will I feed my kids, then? And pay the mortgage on the house? And of course I have to buy the latest flatscreen TV. Everyone else has one. And the kids are pestering me for one so they can play their latest games on it. Which I had to get for them coz all their friends have it, and I can't make them miss out, can I? And of course I need new clothes for this season. How else will I keep up...