August summary
of sermon themes
How does each sermon connect to this theme?
What are marks of the church? Our Catechism states that the church is one, holy, universal and apostolic (6.4), it is where salvation is made accessible to humanity, and where we praise and worship God (6), and it has a dual nature - visible and invisible (6.3). This is where the believers come in. God’s work in and through the church become evident in the lives of believers, and through them, people around us experience God, the gospel, and His desire to save all.
This month, each sermon will expound on marks of the church, and how we as believers embody them to the world.
Aug 2: The church has a dual nature; it is visible and invisible. In this sermon, we will come to understand how we experience God’s presence and work in the church, and how the effects make the invisible, visible in our lives.
Aug 9: On the second Sunday, will explore 2 Corinthians 5, and Apostle Paul’s explanation of apostolicity - both the message and the messenger.
Aug 16: On the third Sunday, the sermon will expand our view of oneness in the church - that which embraces diversity, unites us in Christ, and leads to unity of mission.
Aug 23: The fourth Sunday will take us to the Ten Commandments, exploring how mutual honor creates healthy families and healthy Christian communities.
Aug 30: The fifth Sunday will offer an extended definition of the Fifth Commandment, one that includes compassion and protection as remedies to the dangers to life.
Aug midweek: In the midweek sermon, Jesus’ encouragement to those with little faith motivates us to see that God can work and transform, even in our weaknesses.
The church is not a location or building, but rather it is us, the believers, who align our lives with Christ and share His gospel with the world.
John S Schnabel