Sunday's Sermon
George Bernard Shaw once said, "I often quote myself. It adds such spice to conversation."
And I intend to do that right here.
On Sunday I preached from Eph 4:17-25. Here is a little snip from my notes.
By implication this text [Eph 4:17-25] is about idolatry. Sin is a turning from God to the idol of self. We give ourselves to this idol and end up being controlled by it; we become the slaves of our own desires, needs and addictions. These desires deceive us because they promise happiness and fulfilment but cannot ever provide it. Instead, they destroy us. They will eat us alive like a cancer. The problem with idols, as Tom Wright points out, is that “idols demand sacrifices.” (Wright, Tom. Bringing the Church to the World. Minneapolis: Bethany, 1992. p. 48) These idols will call on us to sacrifice our lives and the people we love in its service. But we will never be able to pay the cost of the sacrifice, it is too great. The judgement of sin – at least in part – is that people are given over to their sins. The consequence of sin is its own punishment. But human beings were made for so much more, for such a higher calling than to be slaves to an idol, including the idol of self. The only way to find our lives and live as true humans made in the image of God, is to uncurl ourselves from ourselves, and to open our lives to Christ and to others.
And I intend to do that right here.
On Sunday I preached from Eph 4:17-25. Here is a little snip from my notes.
By implication this text [Eph 4:17-25] is about idolatry. Sin is a turning from God to the idol of self. We give ourselves to this idol and end up being controlled by it; we become the slaves of our own desires, needs and addictions. These desires deceive us because they promise happiness and fulfilment but cannot ever provide it. Instead, they destroy us. They will eat us alive like a cancer. The problem with idols, as Tom Wright points out, is that “idols demand sacrifices.” (Wright, Tom. Bringing the Church to the World. Minneapolis: Bethany, 1992. p. 48) These idols will call on us to sacrifice our lives and the people we love in its service. But we will never be able to pay the cost of the sacrifice, it is too great. The judgement of sin – at least in part – is that people are given over to their sins. The consequence of sin is its own punishment. But human beings were made for so much more, for such a higher calling than to be slaves to an idol, including the idol of self. The only way to find our lives and live as true humans made in the image of God, is to uncurl ourselves from ourselves, and to open our lives to Christ and to others.
posted by Timbo at 2:51 pm
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