Sermon Video: To God be the glory forever! Romans 11:33-36

At the end of a three chapter journey wading through the causes and costs of the rejection of Jesus by the majority of his fellow countrymen, the Apostle Paul reflects upon the wisdom of God's redemptive plan which was able to not only overcome that rejection, but ultimately bring all Israel to redemption after the salvation of the fullness of the Gentiles, by composing a short hymn of praise to God.

Sermon Video: The Glory of Jesus revealed - Mark 9:1-13

 After telling his disciples that he must suffer and die, and that they must take up a cross and follow him, Jesus allowed Peter, James, and John to see the divine power and glory that made those sacrifices both possible and amazing. On the mountaintop Jesus' divinity was revealed, momentarily not cloacked by his humanity, but Jesus could not stay at the top of the mountain. That experience would be strength and encouragement for the road ahead. Moses, Elijah, and the Father all spoke to bolster Jesus for the Passion that was coming. For Jesus was indeed a king, worthy of glory and honor, but he would set that aside in order to give his life as a ransom for many.

Sermon Video: Don't turn away from God's presence - Mark 5:1-20

 Upon his arrival on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus is confronted by a man possessed by an 'impure spirit'. This frightening man does not challenge Jesus, but falls at his feet begging for mercy. Having just demonstrated his control over the physical realm (calming the storm), Jesus here demonstrates his lordship over the spiritual. Having delivered this man from spiritual darkness, Jesus then speaks with the local townspeople who rush to the scene. However, the people are afraid and ask Jesus to leave. Coming into the presence of God can be daunting, and these people would rather turn away. The healed man begs to go with Jesus, but Jesus has a better plan, and sends him to his hometown to share with them what God has done for him.

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Sermon Video: God will preserve his people, increasing his glory - Jude 24-25

Having just instructed the Church to show mercy to those who doubt, Jude now encourages all believers by assuring us that God is capable of keeping us from stumbling (whether through our own failures or any outside attack), and thus present us before his throne, WITHOUT FAULT! This is the culmination of the Christian hope: To stand in the presence of God, not only free from accusation, but clothed in the righteousness of Christ. This promise that God will finish what he has begun in each of us offers to us great comfort when things are difficult, and motivation to be self-sacrificial toward the mission of the Kingdom of God. Lastly, Jude ends by speaking of the timeless nature of God's glory, majesty, power, and authority, all of which existed before God became the Creator, and all of which will only increase and more and more people are brought into the family of God by faith in Him.

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Sermon Video: Propriety in Worship - 1 Corinthians 11:1-16

Having dealt with issues relating to how Christians ought to function within the outside culture, Paul now turns to the proper function of the Church itself, beginning with propriety of worship.  In doing so, Paul relates the 1st Century viewpoints regarding what is fitting and proper for both men and women to show respect for God while at worship to the Genesis account of Creation, a connection aimed at ensuring that the way in which the Christians were conducting themselves would bring glory to God, not man.  In doing so, Paul appeals to traditions that he taught to the church when he founded it, reminding us that our worship (and the way our local church or denomination functions in general) is by necessity both a reflection of theological choices and the culture from which we are drawn.  As such, it is not incumbent upon 21st Century Christians to imitate the style of worship of our ancestors in the faith, but rather to ensure that our worship is also fitting and proper, that it glorifies God and serves as a witness to those outside of the Church of our submission to the Lordship of Christ.

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Sermon Video: Putting others above yourself - 1 Corinthians 10:23-33

Following his appeal for unity within the Church and his caution about participating in other religions, Paul then tackles the complicated questions of interacting with unbelievers.  The balancing act in question is between purity of devotion to God and at the same time kindness and courtesy toward non-Christians in order to bear a good witness to them about the Gospel. 
Paul emphasizes the need to seek the good of others above that of ourselves, and in so doing reminds the people of the church at Corinth to see the big picture (vs. 25, everything belongs to God), value courtesy (vs. 27, social interactions with unbelievers are a positive thing), and exercise discretion when necessary (vs. 28, as a representative of Christ, not wanting to damage the conscience of others nor place a stumbling block in their way).
In the end, the need to help others see the value in the Gospel looms large in weighing the various choices faces the Christians in Corinth, that need remains as critical for us today as it was for them.

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Sermon Video: "If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." - Luke 19:37-40

As Jesus enters into Jerusalem to the joyous proclamation of his followers that he is the long-awaited Messiah come in the name of the Lord, he is confronted by the request of the Pharisees that he squelch the enthusiasm of the crowd.  In response, Jesus tells the Pharisees that, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."  Hyperbole?  It feels like it, but pointing to an important theological truth: The glory of God will not be denied.  God, being God, and being holy, righteous, and abounding in loving kindness, must be praised; it will happen.
What then is our response?  How effective and sufficient is our praise of God?  Is our worship all that it should be, as individuals, and as a church?  Do we encourage others to praise God, or get in their way?  These are important questions of self-examination we ought to actively pursue.

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Sermon Video: "In this place I will grant peace" Haggai 2:1-9,20-23

As the people have already returned to working on the temple following the urging of the prophet Haggai, what message does God have for them one month later?  Surprisingly, God chooses to point out to the people the vastly diminished scope of their effort in comparison to the glory achieved by their ancestors.  The Jewish remnant, now a province of Persia, have no hope of matching the results of their ancestors who built Solomon's magnificent temple during the height of the power and wealth of the Kingdom of Israel.  So why would God remind them of the fact that things are not what they once were?  Because they already knew it.  God chose to confront the issue head-on because he wanted to reassure the people that he was still with them, that his Spirit would still be among them, and that he would indeed be glorified in the temple they were rebuilding, even if it was but an imitation of the temple destroyed in 586 BC.
Here at 1st Baptist of Franklin we can understand the emotions of the Jewish remnant when they contemplated the glory of a few generations previously.  One hundred years ago our church building had 2,100 seats in the sanctuary (since renovated into an auditorium and recreation area, capacity now about 300), and the Sunday School attendance books show weeks with over 1,000 people.  Those huge numbers were doing the height of the oil boom, an era long past in Venango County.  What then do we do with less than 1/10th of their numbers?  Mourn the loss of that "golden age"?  No, we hold fast to the promises of God that he is with us in our generation as well, that God has a place for us in his will, that his Spirit remains among us, and that he most certainly will be glorified in our generation as he was in their generation.

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Sermon Video: Honoring God through the House of the LORD - Haggai 1

What is the value of the place at which the people of God gather?  We know that the Church is the people of God, not the buildings they meet in or the institutions they create to organize themselves, but does that negate the value (spiritual, primarily, but also emotional) of the worship space of God's people?  The prophet Haggai was sent by God to the Jewish people returned from exile in Babylon to Jerusalem to reassert the need for God's people to rebuild the temple of Solomon that had been destroyed in 586 B.C.  Why did they need to rebuild the temple?  "so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored" (Haggai 1:8).  The place in which God's people meet to worship and fellowship is of immense value.  The returned exiles had neglected for rebuild the temple for 16 years and had thus incurred God's displeasure.  The place where God's people meet doesn't have to be fancy, it doesn't have to be costly, but it does have to function as a meeting place where the presence of God can dwell among his people.  Whether a church meets in a storefront, a simple brick building, or a massive cathedral, they ought to treasure that sacred space, honorably maintain it, and put it to the use intended by God as the Spirit of God dwells among them when they are gathered in his name.

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