Sunday, September 29, 2013

"SDG"

From 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 and 3:5-9
• It’s not about me. It’s not about you. It’s about Jesus.
As today’s opening songs testify… (I will call upon the Lord, My life is in You, Holy is the Lord, How great is our God…) It’s not about me or you, it’s about Jesus.
It’s about Jesus and you as a disciple
It’s about Jesus and you as an apostle.
• Took a break from our reading in Luke for today, for a few words from Paul to the church in Corinth.
We read in Acts chapter 18 that Paul had traveled to Corinth and lived there a year and a half, teaching about Jesus the Christ, first to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles. After some time he sailed to Ephesus, where he lived for three years or so, again teaching about Jesus.
It was from Ephesus that Paul wrote letters to the church in Corinth, having heard about conflict within the church.
As long as there have been churches, there has been conflict in the church. Paul wrote to Corinth about twenty years after the resurrection of Jesus.
• Paul appeals to the folks in Corinth to be united in mind and thought and to work together, and that is my appeal to you, CUMC.
The solution to church conflict is not that the loudest group wins
And the solution to church conflict is not that the "losers" leave
Both of those options make the devil happy
and the church and its witness suffer.
My appeal to you is to participate in the life of the church together – to be co-workers in God’s service (1 Cor. 3:9), working together for the glory of God.
It’s hard, and by God, it’s possible.
• I’m reminded of the beginning of the book of Nehemiah. Remember Nehemiah had learned how the walls of Jerusalem still lay in ruins after Nebuchadnezzar had taken the city generations before. Nehemiah went to the ruins and rallied workers together to repair and rebuild the wall. Read chapters 3-6 and you’ll learn how many people worked together, and how they overcame naysayers and attackers and accomplished the mission that couldn’t be done. Took ’em about seven weeks.
• That’s what I’m asking of you, church. To work together to rebuild this church. To come to the table and put in the effort to be the church. To set aside fears and prides and it-can’t-be-dones, to commit to Christ and to the church, and do the work of healing this congregation. What better way to demonstrate the glory of God than to be the church united in mission and ministry to the Campbelltown area.
• It’s not about you, and it’s not about me. It’s about Jesus.

• Oh yeah – why “SDG”?
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer 300 years ago. He wrote these initials at the beginning and end of his church compositions, and some of his secular compositions as well. George Frederic Handel was also known to inscribe his compositions with these initials.
SDG is the abbreviation of the Latin term “Soli Deo Gloria” which means “To God Alone be the Glory.”
It is my hope and prayer that the things I say and do would give glory to God.
It is my hope and prayer that the things this church does would give glory to God.

To God alone be the glory.

Now turn in those commitment cards you took home last week 

• Closing Song: Every Day 

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