Always Yes In Christ! Series

SERMON OUTLINE:

A Clear Conscience (vs 12-24).

A Compassionate Heart (vs 1-11).

A Conquering Faith (vs 12-17).

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• Anyone know what these words have in common?

• ‘Gadget, Nemesis, Stoplight, Status quo, Internet, Eureka, Kamikaze,

• Connoisseur, Vice versa, Karate, Déjà vu, Gringo, Prima donna, Baptism’

• They are all transliterated words,

• Instead of translating the word into English;

• We just adopted that word or phrase into our language.

Now one of those transliterated words is the word ‘Amen’.

• If you listen to a person pray in Chinese or Japanese or Swahili;

• Or German or French or Russian or Arabic,

• There is a good chance that you will understand at least one word of their prayer!

• The last word they say, "Amen"

• It may be pronounced slightly differently,

• But you will nearly always be able to pick it out.

• It was used in the Hebrew Old Testament;

• And the Greek New Testament adopted it;

• And they transliterated it into their language.

• And it seems every other language has done the same!

• It is practically a universal word.

• Sometimes the word is translated in our Bibles as:

• “Surely, Sure, Truth, Verily and Amen!”

Quote: Bible scholar E.W. Bullinger says:

“When it is used as an adjective, it means FIRM.

As a metaphor it means FAITHFUL.

As an adverb it means Verily, Truly, or Certainly.”

• So if you use the word at the start of a sentence it means:

• “This is sure-fire truth, Assuredly so, and Certainly so”

• If it is used at the end of a sentence it means ‘SO BE IT’,

• Or, “Yes, I want that to be true”.

• TRANSITION:

• The word ‘Amen’ is significant in verse 20:

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God”

• The apostle Paul makes a simple point;

• God always, always keeps his promises!

• He traffics in truth!

Ill:

• The Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson

• (Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.)

• Tells of a storm that caught hold of a ship;

• The storm threatened to drive the ship towards a rocky coast,

• It would have been destruction for both the ship and the crew and passengers.

• In the midst of the terror, one daring man,

• Disobeyed orders and went up to the deck,

• He then made the dangerous walk towards the pilot house.

• As he opened the door and looked in he saw the Captain,

• At his post holding the wheel unwaveringly,

• Inch by inch, the Captain was turning the ship from danger to safety;

• The Captain saw the passenger watching him and smiled.

• Then, the daring passenger went below and shouted out to the other passengers:

• "I have seen the face of the Captain, and he smiled. All is well."

• TRANSITION: We know the character of our Captain;

• He tells us “All is well!”

• What he says he will do! God always, always keeps his promises!

Note: Background info:

• The Apostle Paul was going to have to cling to the promises of God;

• Because the background to this letter is stormy seas!

Quote: A poet wrote:

• “Christ is no security against storms,

• But He is perfect security in the storm.

• He does not promise an easy passage,

• But he does guarantee a safe landing.”

• TRANSITION: The apostle Paul will say a loud, “Amen!” to that.

• He is facing a stormy situation;

• But he knows that God will see him through it!

Now there were three things that were troubling him and shaking him up.

FIRST: Criticism.

• The apostle Paul had changed his plans;

• And the opponents of Paul saw this as Paul not keeping his promise.

• Misunderstands can often lead to deep wounds.

• Question: Have you ever been misunderstood?

• Answer: Of course you have!

• But have you ever been seriously misunderstood and perhaps suffered for it;

• Perhaps losing promotion at work,

• Perhaps losing a friendship which you valued,

• Perhaps even losing your good name among people whom you respected,

• Suffering an injury not in your body or your bank balance,

• But in your reputation, having your character called into question.

• The apostle Paul has been misunderstood by his critics at in the church at Corinth.

• He founded that church six years before he wrote this letter;

• But six years is a long time in Church life!

• The church at Corinth has grown;