Cahaba Park Church Podcast

Paul is writing to wealthy Christians, exhorting them to see their wealth as a gift from God, and to be grateful. Gratitude is the opposite of pride, and must lead to generosity. Being generous and eager to share provides a foretaste of glory.

What is wrong with pursuing wealth? With money we can do lots of good things. We can purchase food and clothing, and care for those we love. Money can facilitate fun vacations and help create memories. The Bible never condemns having money. The Bible condemns the pursuit of wealth, because the pursuit of wealth creates a mindset that influences our affections and ultimately our worship. Rather, we must pursue Christ. There is freedom in Christ to find security in Him alone.

Most of our serving is aimed at what we can do for others, without developing a relationship with them. The only way to move beyond this isolation and insulation is in messy relationships where we desperately need Jesus. Everything God has done for us stems from the foundation of His love and desire to be with us. This reality moves our service away from merely providing stuff into relationships with others.

In Paul’s brief letter to Philemon, we witness the way God orchestrates events in our lives to reconcile people to Himself. We get to participate in relationships being restored. It is an impossible assignment. Apart from Christ, we cannot do it, but by the power of the Holy Spirit we are enabled to see God work in real ways in people’s lives - including our own. The church is revived, and non-believers are intrigued.

How are we to think about those who serve as spiritual and economic leaders? In 1 Timothy 5:17-6:2, Paul describes a variety of reasons and ways we are to honor leaders. In this portion of Scripture, we continue to learn practical applications of the Gospel as we seek to live our lives as mission.

God cares for the widow because He cares for the helpless. In 1 Timothy 5, Paul shows us that if we are caring for the widow, then we are practicing faith that is real. But if our Christianity does not work at home in practical ways, then it is not Christianity, and our religion is worthless. True Gospel Hope is modeled in the way we care for those who cannot care for themselves.

Paul, after equipping the church in Ephesus to detect and deal with false teaching, now turns his attention to truth and the way we can commend it through our behavior. Paul exhorts believers in the community to act in such a way that the cross becomes the only offense.

How do Christian leaders grow in discernment? In 1 Timothy 4:1-10, Paul warns us of the traps that lead our hearts and affections astray. He encourages us as believers to train ourselves in holiness by immersing ourselves in the Word of God, remembering that we belong to Jesus. Sermon Outline: 1. The trap A. Diabolical B. Hypocritical C. Moral 2. The training A. Word B. Holiness

The Bible tells us that the greatest manifestation of our faith is the way that we serve others. God cares so deeply about service that He instituted the diaconate, an office within the church devoted to merciful service. As deacons serve the body of Christ, not only do they teach us how Christ serves us, but also how we serve one another.

How do we think about the elders who are called by God to shepherd us? Are they superheroes of the faith, with a different communication line to God than the rest of us? What does the Bible say about elders? We are beginning a new series called “New Leaders.” Through it, we hope that all of God’s people will grow in their understanding of how the Gospel changes everything, including how to lead in the Kingdom.

Our work must be empowered by our union with Christ.

Sometimes, it is tempting to compartmentalize our faith and work into separate categories of the sacred and secular. The Gospel corrects us, for as far as the curse is found, the Resurrection reaches farther. Throughout this series, the way that the Resurrection affects our work has been a part of each sermon; yet it is important to dwell on this point further, drawing some very practical conclusions. The Resurrection affects our work because the Resurrection changes everything.

Last week, we learned that we work not for our glory but for God's. How do we work for His glory? In 1 Corinthians, St. Paul writes that we bring glory to God by trying to please everyone, seeking many to be saved, and imitating Christ.

In our work, it is easy to focus on seeking our own security and glory. In Genesis 11, the people of Babel sought those things when building the tower. Through this Scripture, the Lord reveals to us this problem with our work and the rescue that we need.

How do we find joy in work that feels pointless? We are designed to work, but we are not created to find our worth in it. When we build our life on the Lord, we are able to rejoice and find contentment in the life He has given us.

All the work we do in our broken, fallen world has varying degrees of frustration. However, the frustrations we experience are there by God’s design. They remind us of our need for Him and the perfect, finished work of His Son, Jesus Christ.

How we think about our work reveals our understanding of the Gospel.  Are we so busy that we think our work is at best tangential, and at worst unrelated, to the Gospel?  The Apostle Paul teaches that Christians must learn to ask new questions about our work and to see our work in a different light, as a reflection of our understanding of salvation.