As we continue to apply the Apostle Paul’s teaching from 1 Cor 15 to our life as a church we consider those things which Paul says are of first importance. In response there is an opportunity to covenant again with the Lord.
Sermons by Chris Johnson (Page 36)
The leaders away day focussed on responding to God’s prophetic word through the church meeting. Chris tests the outcome of this prayerful reflection against scripture. He encourages us to discover our gifts and challenges us to put them to use in serving others in our local community. In short to be “prepared to serve”.
Chris explains why we should eagerly desire the gift of prophecy and how to go about uses this gift based on 1 Cor 14.
The apostle Paul highlights three ways in which the interdependence of believers is undermined. Failure to acknowledge variety, inferiority and
superiority. Chris challenges us to overcome these tendencies and to opt to commit to interdependence.
Chris sketches out the general vision of where God seems to be leading us and briefly shares his hopes and dreams for the year ahead. Using 1 Corinthians 12 he then challenges us to eagerly desire the spiritual gifts and to excel in exercising the gifts God has given us, in the service He has called us to, and in the way He chooses to work in us.
As members of the congregation share stories of God’s love over that last year Chris applies Romans 5:1-10 explaining that we receive and experience this love through the Holy Spirit and are enabled to express it by the gifts He brings.
In these recordings of the Sunday Club Carol Service and Carols by Candlelight, Chris speaks of how Jesus is a different King to how a king would be imaged to be – A King forever; A King from Heaven; and a King who gives. He then examines how the birth of Jesus fulfils God’s big promises to us and challenges us to choose to accept God’s promise and put our trust in Him.
Chris unpacks the meaning of receiving Jesus and believing in His name so that we might become children of God. He stresses the importance of each individual responding to God’s initiative in order to receive the promise. This is made practical as he calls on us the respond personally to God’s call to Burwell Baptist Church.
Chris examines the Apostle Paul’s call for interdependence between men and women and the ways in which we might express this in our worship today. The passage also highlights the differing ways in which the genders showed respect for God in Corinthian culture which prompts questions as to how we should respond to our changing culture today.
Chris continues the series in 1 Corinthians 11, looking at what Paul has to say about the communion meal and the way that it was being observed in the church in Corinth – particularly the need to bring God’s Agape love to the meal; to recognise others as part of the body; and hence to be in unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ.