Sermons from Cornerstone Church, a thriving congregation of the PCA nestled in the expanding Milwaukee suburb of Delafield. Cornerstone's vision is to impact the western suburbs for Christ by calling them to Realize their need for Christ, to Respond to God's call in worship, and to Relate the message of the gospel by Reaching out to Others.
How you receive criticism tells much about you. Are you torn up over harsh words? Similarly, how you give criticism tells much about you. Do you readily attack others who disagree with you? This all relates to how you see yourself in Jesus Christ. Come and learn how Jesus is your true image and how to bear with one another in love.
How you receive criticism tells much about you. Are you torn up over harsh words? Similarly, how you give criticism tells much about you. Do you readily attack others who disagree with you? This all relates to how you see yourself in Jesus Christ. Come and learn how Jesus is your true image and how to bear with one another in love.
Usually the fruits of the Spirit are taught as "laws" of Christian living. That is not the apostle Paul's intent. Instead, we are encouraged to have a new walk, through the Spirit, with the Lord -- resulting in a fruitful relationship. Come find out how to be truly fruitful Christians.
We are free! Those who are in Christ are free! But what does it mean to be free? Last week we heard that freedom doesn't mean free to do whatever you want. This week we’ll focus on the true freedom of being who we were made to be, those who lavishly love God and others. The grace of Jesus is love on display, so as we are freed in Christ we become free to love.
Jesus has set us free! Yet, why do we so often run back to patterns of slavery? Fearing what people think of us? Doing more and more to get approval? Doubting that our sin is truly paid in full by Jesus? Discover anew the freedom that Jesus has bought for you and how live afresh in that freedom as we study Galatians 5:1-6.
There is much proof of Jesus' resurrection — the empty grave, the hundreds of eyewitnesses, the radically changed lives of the disciples. Yet, sometimes we doubt the resurrection — not so much its history but its power and meaning today. The story of Thomas at Easter reminds us afresh to bring all our doubts to Jesus because Jesus cares for us and leads us to new life beyond the doubt.
This morning we gather for the beginning of Holy Week, the Passion of Christ. We don't gather as we will on Friday night with shouts of "Crucify Him" but rather with cheers of "Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!" We all long for a king to rule with justice and equity, to really care for us, but often we make a king into our own liking and purposes. Join us as we look at the Gospel of King Jesus in Mark 11:1-11.
This is a challenging example of law and promise seen in the births of two sons, Isaac and Ishmael. One was a birth of promise and the other out of works, one a birth of hope and the other out of fear. As those who are heirs of Christ, the offspring of the promises of Abraham we are sons of the free woman, no longer slaves, and that should radically affect how we live.
[21] Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? [22] For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. [23] But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. [24] Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. [25] Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. [26] But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. [27] For it is written,
“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband.” [28] Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. [29] But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. [30] But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” [31] So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. (ESV)
We look at Galatians 4:8-20. Though the laws are different for the religious and irreligious, both groups fear not being known and are trying to make a name for themselves through their law keeping. We see that being known by God sets one free from law-keeping and the need to perform. Even more, being known by God leads to great joyfulness in living for Jesus.
We don’t really think of ourselves as slaves. Yet, neither do we really think of ourselves as sons or daughters of the Living God. In Galatians 4:1-7, we will explore what is sonship and how it gives us great freedom.
Paul is still developing his theme of “why the law?” This morning we’ll look at the law as our schoolmaster or pedagogue. It teaches and trains us for our need for Jesus, but also the values and loves of the law-giver, who is our Father, clothing us with Christ and his law-keeping. We were slaves, then students, and now sons of the Living God!
It is true that we cannot earn our righteousness through the law but by faith in Christ. What, therefore, is the purpose of the Law? Why should one obey or should one obey? What we’ll see this morning is that there is a problem with the law, but the law does have a purpose, and through the law we are able to receive blessing. So, we ‘ll ask, “What’s Law got to do with it?”