We are a forgetful people in a land of distractions. Our minds are easily captivated by trivial and temporary inducements. New things quickly become old. In our mind’s eye even glory tends to fade and warnings tend to wane. It is no wonder that we who are invisibly united to Christ and visibly in and not of this world live in constant need of renewal. And what is true for the Christian is true for the church. This is a series that seeks to renew the mind of the church. Not so much by reviewing what she is called to do as much as what she is called. As with the Christian so with church, her God-given identity defines her. We who are the church are a people for God and none other.
Before we return to the book of Romans, we will be looking at the what scripture says about the Church, in its nature, how she expresses herself in song, and how the church cares and equips for its members.
The messages from this series can be found here:
Manny Pereira - April 25, 2021
Treason by Tribute
In response to His three prosecuting parables, the leaders of Israel scheme to trap Jesus as a hunter traps its prey. But they plot in vain against the Lord’s Anointed (Acts 4:25-27). What begins with supposed intellectual prowess ends with powerful surprise. The best minds are no match for Christ. Their maneuvers fail. With a masterful countermove, Jesus exposes their subversive ploy. They are forced to walk away in muzzled astonishment. Premeditated and pretentious were their wicked wiles. But Jesus could see their intent and turned the tables on them. The irony of a strange sedition backfires. They tempt Jesus to promote treason in the name of tribute. Yet it is they that are committing treason. In the end, Jesus’ answers are more than brilliant, theologically astute, and incontrovertible—they are subtly self-disclosing. The tribute of the people belongs to the true King.
Scripture References: Matthew 22:15-22
