We started a new sermon series yesterday. We'll spend January doubling back onto the Second Part of our Vision, Build Up our Communities in Vitality and Numbers. We'll do that by looking at Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, in which Paul tries to Build Up a church that has fallen on hard times.
We began yesterday by asking, "What is that Builds Up a community?" The Corinthians seemed to have been swept up in the expectations of their culture. The Greco-Roman culture put a premium on public speaking, and apparently the Corinthians thought they could Build Up their church through the power and persuasion of their preachers alone. Paul reminded them that it's not the messenger, but the message that counts -- the simple Gospel message of "Jesus Christ, and him crucified." That Gospel message is the only thing that ever has or ever will Build Up a Community in Vitality and Numbers.
Speaking up Building Up our Community in Numbers, we had 910 people in worship yesterday in the Mill Run Sanctuary! Our goal of 1000 is getting closer...
Listen to the sermon here.
