Sunday's Sermon: Discerning the Body

This Sunday I preached from 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 on "Discerning the Body." The following is a brief excerpt from my sermon:

On the night when Jesus was betrayed--literally, on the night “he was being betrayed”--even in the midst of being betrayed, Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper. And it calls our attention to what the Gospels say about that night. What else did Jesus do on that night...in that room...with his disciples? He took a towel and put it around his waist and then he got down on his knees with a basin of water and he washed his disciples' feet, each and every one of them. 

• He washed the feet of Thomas, who would doubt his resurrection. 
• He washed the feet of Peter, who would three times would deny him. 
• He even washed the feet of Judas, who would betray him. 

That is the example of our Lord; that is the kind of love he showed us. And it is the kind of love we are required to show one another. And after washing their feet he issued to them a command…“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35) This should always be the case; we should always have love for one another, but especially when we come to the Lord's table, it is necessary that we have love for one another.

 Click here to listen to this week's entire sermon as well as past sermons I've preached.

Free Download of Piper's Bloodlines

You may recall a couple months ago I posted a video related to John Piper's book Bloodlines: Race, Cross and the Christian, which tells the story of his personal journey from racism to the path of redemption. I just saw that Desiring God is making the book available for free download in PDF form. Click here to take advantage of this wonderful offer.

I have once again embedded the video below. If you have not yet seen it, please set aside 17-18 minutes to do so.


Bloodlines Documentary with John Piper from Crossway on Vimeo.

Bloodlines: Race, Cross and the Christian

Last month, Crossway Publishing released John Piper's most recent book, Bloodlines: Race, Cross and the Christian. Below is a related video documentary featuring Piper as he discusses his personal history of growing up in the segregated South. In it we clearly see the transforming power of the gospel and the beauty of racial diversity and harmony in Christ.

It's a little longer than most videos I post, but please take the time to watch it. I promise, it will be 17 or 18 minutes very well spent.



Bloodlines Documentary with John Piper from Crossway on Vimeo.

How We See Other Denominations

The other day I saw this chart which, in a somewhat whimsical way, depicts how people of various denominations tend to see people differently based upon their denominations. 

I found it comical (and in many cases stunningly accurate).  Beyond this though, it caused me to think about how we should think of people who do not share our denominational affiliation. 

It occurs to me that the main issue in our attitude toward other Christians ought not to be one's denominational label, but whether they have been united with Christ through faith by God's grace.  Put simply, those who have, are in the family as our brothers and sisters.  Those who have not, are not.  As a result, we must always remember, there are many people outside our denomination who are in.  And sadly, there are people inside our denomination who are out.

Now I'm not saying we should eschew denominational affiliations.  I believe they are valuable as we seek to be encouraged and corrected in our efforts to faithfully live out our doctrinal understandings according to the Word of God.  But as we do this, let us always do so "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (For) there is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call - one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:2-6)