All the Sermons

Scripture Philippians 2:1-11 Listen link: www.lcepc.org then look for “sermons” tab. Come and See. Look what Billy did! Watch what I can do. Videos of amazing feats of strength, agility and magic are all over Facebook. So are the funny mishaps and accidents. We love to see for ourselves what is going on in the world around us. Demonstrations mean a lot to us. Seeing is believing right? If seeing is believing, then it would be good for us to look at today’s text and see what Jesus Christ has done for us. I am going to talk about 4 things Christ has done for us that we need to see. First, I’ll just list them out. Then we’ll explore the depths. Here are the four things that this text tells us Christ has done that we need to see for ourselves. 1. Christ has revealed that we are united in him and he is in us. 2. Christ has revealed the mind of God. 3. Christ used a particular method to unite us with God and reveal God’s mind. And 4. Christ has arisen unto victory and exaltation a...

Phil 1:12-30 Listen Link: www.lcepc.org then look for “sermons” tab. Have you ever had a bad day? Have you ever lived through very difficult circumstances? Sure, we all have. But what you have experienced, certainly I will say that what I have experienced, is probably very mild compared to what Paul endured. And yet he is the one who said, “Whatever happens, stand firm. It’s worth it.” What encouragement does he give? Is there any evidence that Paul knows what he is talking about? All he says in this letter is, “I am in chains.” But there is so much more to this story! Most likely Paul was writing from prison in Rome, the one we read about in Acts 28. But the whole drama of how he got there starts in Acts 21. Seven chapters in the Book of Acts describe the things that happened after Paul completed his third missionary journey and returned to Jerusalem. I think it’s important to summarize those events here because it will add meaning to what Paul means by stand firm. The dram...

Phil. 1:1-11 Listen Link: www.lcepc.org then look for “sermons” tab. Do have any letters, written years ago, that you’re still hanging onto? Many people do, or used to anyway. Greeting cards? Thank you notes? Love letters? Are there letters that you have kept in a drawer or filing cabinet, or even in a shoe box on the closet shelf because they mean a lot to you, sent by someone you love? The letter to the Philippians is sort of like that. You’ll see what I mean in a moment. As we begin this series, looking at Philippians, the first thing we should notice is that this is a thank you letter from Paul the missionary to a supporting church. The church loved this letter, and kept it, and even shared it with other churches! That’s why it’s still around today. I bet Paul would be amazed to visit earth today and find his personal letter included in the Bible. What a high honor! The Church, that is, the world-wide body of Christ Church, has discerned that this personal letter was also ...

Scripture: Acts 16: 4-40 Listen Link: www.lcepc.org then look for “sermons” tab Life can take some unexpected turns. Since we started shopping for a house, we’ve made an offer four different times. The first two times, someone else made a better offer before ours was accepted. Then we made an offer and paid for an inspection. When the seller saw what he would have to fix, he backed out and decided not to sell to us. Finally, we made an offer that was accepted. It looked good. Paid even more for the official appraisal, waited more than two weeks for their decision, got that approved with a couple of minor repairs. Then that seller also backed out because they couldn’t get the financing for the house they wanted to move to. As of last Thursday, we start all over, looking for the house that God has marked out for us. It is frustrating. But we are comforted by the fact that God is looking out for us and guiding us along and keeping us from getting into trouble. Not that’s all a be...

Scripture Eph 6:10-18 Focus: 18 Listen Link: www.lcepc.org then look for “sermons” tab I remember last week I mentioned that the suit of armor given to us by God is not dead metal but is powered up more like Iron man. Deep down inside, a lot of us wish that it really could be like Ironman, stepping into real metal with real power, especially if we know we’re heading into conflict. In his armor, Tony Stark was nearly invincible. He was powerful and confident to take on a world full of evil enemies bent on destruction. In his powered-up suit, Tony was fast. He was strong. He could fly. And he had powerful weapons in his hands to beat most any bad guy. He knew what he could do. He knew he could win. And he knew how to win. He wasn’t a killer. But he wasn’t gentle either. He met force with force. Basically, he fought fire with fire. But he always won, by being smarter than the bad guy. As humans, that’s the way we naturally think of power and its value for protecting life, liber...

Ephesians 6:17 Listen Link: www.lcepc.org then look for “sermons” tab Can I say something that might sound crazy when you first hear it? Every Christian is a heretic! That includes me. I say that because I am an imperfect human being that does not fully understand the mind of God, just like every other imperfect human being that ever lived. That doesn’t mean I don’t have anything right. I think I’ve got a lot of good Christian Biblical theology tucked away inside my helmet of salvation. But I am willing to admit that I don’t know everything. This goes along with that acceptable saying that says, “The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.” So, because of that, never be satisfied that you have all your theology right. Keep studying the Bible and learning and growing into who you are supposed to become in Christ. Don’t be afraid to explore new realms of thought and inquiry as you continue to get to know God and seek his face. It may be that new ideas will lead us ou...

Ephesians 6:17: “And take the helmet of salvation.” Listen Link: www.lcepc.org then look for “sermons” tab We all know helmets are a good idea, and these days there are many forms of helmets for various purposes. I found a picture of a helmet after a crash. It’s rubbed flat in one spot from a long drag down the road. I also found a video demonstration about the value of a good helmet. That’s pretty dramatic! Stories about people whose lives were saved by their helmets make the news! The helmet of salvation is just as important in your spiritual armor. The Roman helmet was a heavy bronze or iron thing. They could be pretty fancy for a Roman Centurion. Or pretty plain, purely functional. The Roman helmet was usually lined with felt, or even sponge, to bear the weight. Nothing short of an axe or hammer could get through that. Decorations were often included for identification purposes. Showing your true color.   Similar to the breastplate of righteousness, your helmet prote...