My Cringiest Sermon

Paul Is Just Fine

Clip shows a woman trying to discredit Paul and his letters.

Luke wrote Acts

If Luke wrote about the legitimacy of Paul, shouldn’t be believe it as much as the Gospels?

Acts 9:1–5 CSB

1 Now Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest 2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. 4 Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul said. “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting,” he replied.

Acts 9:10–16 CSB

10 There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” “Here I am, Lord,” he replied. 11 “Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, “to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so that he may regain his sight.” 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

We should be wary of anyone who attempts to discredit the Bible, because rarely is their intent to get to the truth.

Don’t be led astray by the false-truths spread by those who have selfish intentions.

Babbling in Tongues

A group at a Christian conference speaking in tongues.

Focus of spiritual gifts should be building up others (not blessing ourselves)

1 Corinthians 14:4–5 CSB

4 The person who speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5 I wish all of you spoke in tongues, but even more that you prophesied. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up.

1 Corinthians 14:13–19 CSB

13 Therefore the person who speaks in a tongue should pray that he can interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing praise with the spirit, and I will also sing praise with my understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you praise with the spirit, how will the outsider say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may very well be giving thanks, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, in order to teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Paul even goes as far as to place limits on how tongues are used in a church setting.

1 Corinthians 14:27–28 CSB

27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, there are to be only two, or at the most three, each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, that person is to keep silent in the church and speak to himself and God.

Passion is an awesome thing, but passion for passion’s sake is not the example given by Christ, who was measured and deliberate in everything He did.

Deconstruction

An individual states he deconstructed and asks what you do with your new found “freedom”.

Deconstruction —> Often from following compromised truth.

The world overcomes false-truth —> Leads to falling away.

Hebrews 13:9 CSB

9 Don’t be led astray by various kinds of strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established by grace and not by food regulations, since those who observe them have not benefited.

Meat —> Metaphor

Eating laws a “proxy” for compromised truth

Paul’s warning against false truth which is not good for the heart

When people create their own truth to follow, it’s no surprise when they become disheartened… because only THE truth can give what the heart craves.

You Can’t Redefine Marriage!

A woman says people can’t redefine marriage.

There is cultural marriage and what we define based on Biblical truth

Marriage existed even before sin!

Genesis 2:22 CSB

22 Then the Lord God made the rib he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man.

This is reminiscent of a father giving his daughter away.

Genesis 2:23–24 CSB

23 And the man said: This one, at last, is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called “woman,” for she was taken from man. 24 This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.

The institution of marriage is one defined divinely, not culturally.

We can’t control what the world does with these institutions, but perhaps helping them understand why it means so much is more important than forcing them to mimic a truth they don’t yet know.

Don’t Want To Be A Christian

A young woman doesn’t want to be a believer anymore due to hurt.

Related to deconstruction

Truth leads to a stronger foundation for troubling times

Proverbs 3:5–12 CSB

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight. 7 Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 8 This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones. 9 Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest; 10 then your barns will be completely filled, and your vats will overflow with new wine. 11 Do not despise the Lord’s instruction, my son, and do not loathe his discipline; 12 for the Lord disciplines the one he loves, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.

When we rely on compromised truth, we are weak against the ails of this world.

No Content Strategy When It Comes To Jesus

A man states that there is no content strategy for virality when it comes to spreading the Gospel

Matthew 23:8–12 CSB

8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 You are not to be called instructors either, because you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Luke 18:9–13 CSB

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’

Serving God is, fundamentally, service and not status.