Guerrilla Christianity

S9E01: Theocracy or Monarchy? (Prophets & Kings pt. 1)

Sermon #448

Welcome to the 9th season of Guerrilla Christianity!  We are beginning a new series for the season of Pentecost called "Prophets & Kings."  We will be looking at how God has appointed kings to rule over Israel, and how He uses prophets to speak to those kings when they get out of line, which is a frequent occurance.  In today's lesson from 1 Samuel 8, we see the people crying out for a king to rule over them, God's warning through the prophet Samuel that the king they get will not be the king they want, and their ultimate rejection of both Samuel and God as they clamor for a king to rule over them "like the other nations."  

1 Samuel 8:4-20

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 6, 2021 (Originally published July 28, 2021)

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S.D.G.

S11E46: On the Holy Spirit (Pentecost 2024)

Sermon #607

At Pentecost, Christian churches around the world celebrate the birth of the Church and the giving of the Holy Spirit as related in the Book of Acts, chapter 2.  There were 120 disciples in the upper room when the Holy Spirit came upon them and they ran out into the streets proclaiming the gospel in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.  We are told that three thousand were added to their ranks that day.  Two thousand years later there are two ends of the spectrum when it comes to how churches approach the work of the Holy Spirit among us.  Some would diminish the importance of the work of the Spirit.  Some would over-emphasize it to the point of making the Holy Spirit the central object of their worship.  But as we see in today's lesson from the Farewell Discourse of Jesus, recorded in John's Gospel, the role of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, is to point us to the Second Person of the Trinity, that is, Jesus Christ, and to glorify him.  We can neither ignore the work of the Spirit in the church, nor can we make it the only thing we focus on, but Pentecost shows us that the Spirit is living and active among us and points us to the saving work of the Father in Jesus Christ our Lord.

John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15

Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 19, 2024

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S.D.G.

Lectionary Readings for Third Sunday after Pentecost/Proper 5, Year B

June 9, 2024

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 8:4-20; 11:14-15

Psalter: Psalm 138

Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1

Gospel Lesson: Mark 3:20-35

Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

S.D.G.

S6E05: Christ, Son, and Lord (We Believe... pt. 3)

Sermon #285

We begin looking at the Christology of the Apostles' Creed with three statements of who Jesus is.  First, he is Christ, the anointed of God.  Second, he is the only begotten son of God.  And third, he is Lord of all.  Third in the series on the Apostles' Creed.

Text: John 1:1-18

Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 10, 2018 (Originally published August 27, 2018)

S.D.G.

S11E45: That You May Know (Agape: The Love of God pt. 6)

May 12, 2024

Recently (a few days before I delivered this sermon) I had been to the Billy Graham library in Charlotte, NC.  The tour that they give illustrates the progression of how God used this man to proclaim the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.  But more importantly, the tour was presenting the gospel itself as well.  We preach the good news because we want others to know that God has loved them by sending his Son to be the propitiation for their sins, that they can have eternal life through Him.  I've heard it said that gospel preaching is just telling people how you want them to be.  In my case, I preach the gospel because of how God has transformed me, and how I know God can transform others.  In today's closing passage in John's first epistle, we see four things that John wants his readers in the church to know with assurance: that we may have eternal life, that we may have deliverance from sin, that we have been regenerated (born again), and that Jesus Christ is God.  

1 John 5:13-21

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 12, 2024

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S.D.G.

S6E04: Maker of Heaven and Earth (We Believe... Pt. 2)

Sermon #285

As we continue to examine our affirmation of faith, we turn next to the notion of God as "maker of heaven and earth."  What does it mean that God is the creator of all things?  What does it mean for us that we are part of His creation?  And how does acknowledging God as creator of the universe affect our relationship with Him and with His creation: our home, the earth?

Text: Genesis 1:1-2:4

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 3, 2018 (Originally published August 20, 2018)

S.D.G.

Lectionary Readings for Second Sunday after Pentecost/Proper 4, Year B

June 2, 2024

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 3:1-20

Psalter: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18

Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 4:5-12

Gospel Lesson: Mark 2:23-3:6

Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

S.D.G.

S6E03: God the Father, Almighty (We Believe... Pt. 1)

Sermon #283

The Apostles' Creed is one of our most ancient statements of the Christian faith.  It affirms our belief in the triune nature of God, and the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  Many churches recite this affirmation of faith each week, but how often do we really consider the meaning of the words?  Why did the ancient Christians determine the need for such a statement of faith, and what does it mean to us today?  On this Trinity Sunday it seems only appropriate that we begin this series, "We Believe..." with a look at God the Father, Almighty, from the throne room vision of Isaiah the prophet.

Text: Isaiah 6:1-6

Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 27, 2018 (Originally published August 16, 2018)

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S.D.G.

S11E44: Born of God (Agape: The Love of God pt. 5)

Sermon #605

What does it mean to be born again?  We know what it means to be born.  I recently celebrated a birthday, and it's an annual reminder of an event that is momentous in my life, and yet I don't remember it actually happening.  Modern day evangelists often accuse Christians of not being born again because they don't remember the exact day, hour, and minute that it happened.  Surely something as momentous as an encounter with God would be worth remembering!  Yet what we see in today's lesson is that we have as much to do with being born again as we have to do with being born at all, which is to say, not at all.  We don't decide when to be born, and we don't demand of God to be born again.  Jesus said that unless we are born again we cannot even see the kingdom of God.  Why ask for something you cannot see, do not know exists?  No, the act of regeneration is entirely a work of God, but the response afterward is faith based on sight - being able to see the kingdom and trusting in Christ alone for our salvation.

1 John 5:1-12

Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 5, 2024

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S.D.G.

S6E01: Pentecostal Power (Pentecost 2018)

Sermon #282

We begin our sixth season of the Guerrilla Christianity podcast with a deeper look at the Holy Spirit. We see the Holy Spirit at work in the pages of the Bible, and we know He is at work in us as believers in Jesus Christ. What exactly does "Pentecostal Power" mean? How can the Holy Spirit of God move in us to bring about glory for God as never seen before? We look at the first Christian Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles in the upper room, and when three thousand people were converted to follow Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Text: Acts 2:1-21

Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 20, 2018 (originally published on August 8, 2018)

S.D.G.