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 - February 9, 2020
Pride and Privilege
True greatness is defined in Christ and is manifest in the humility that exalts Him. After defining greatness and reproving His contemporaries as a childish generation failing to rightly respond to the light given them, Jesus now turns from the general to the specific—and it is nothing less than stunning. In this passage, we are met with the most severe words of Jesus to this point in Matthew. The sharpest indictment yet to be given is here issued with shocking force. The implications are far-reaching and revealing. It all has a great deal more to do with the person of Jesus than is often realized. Then, insightfully, pride is featured as the most dangerous hindrance to rightly responding to Jesus. Immediately the principle of greater privilege requiring greater responsibility emerges. Here, some of the greatest themes in Matthew converge in matters of pride and privilege.
Scripture References: Matthew 11:20-24
