Speaker: Brian Brookins
Dying to Yourself, Loving Your Enemies and Trying to be Perfect
November 9, 2008
Speaker: Brian Brookins
Sermon Notes: Matthew 5:38-4
Don’t we see perfectionism as a bad quality? A perfectionist is often a difficult person to be around. They are unwilling to see their weaknesses and often appear to others to be self-consumed. Why on earth would Jesus encourage such a thing? Wouldn’t it be better to encourage us to live within ourselves? Jesus has been giving us instruction that is very hard, very specific, and very practical. He has not just given general principles and left those to be interpreted however we like. He has challenged us practically. I think that this general principle on being perfect helps retain the punch in the detailed challenges of the chapter. It is as if Jesus is saying to us, ‘don’t think I am playing games here. Do not think I am exaggerating. Don’t water down my instruction. I am giving this to you because I expect you to live it. This is truth and this is the way my followers live.’
Dying to Yourself, Loving Your Enemies and Trying to be Perfect [42:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (103)Kingdom Speech
October 31, 2008
Speaker: Brian Brookin
Sermon Notes: Kingdom Speech
In five verses Jesus teaches us more about human communication than contained in volumes elsewhere. The kingdom citizen is a truth-teller, truth-seeker, truth-keeper, and truth-lover. How do you call people to live and speak the truth? And how do you address this massive topic effectively without falling into a legalistic list of do’s and don’ts? Jesus does it! He does it and in doing so he invites us to himself. He is the truth.