Lewes Presbyterian Church Podcast

Gift of Prophesy
Cultural Christians
Born again Christians

Unconditional Love
Church of Corinth
Love Never Fails
 

For the Common Good
Wisdom and Knowledge
Discernment
Encouragement

The only sin God won't forgive
The Mission of Jesus Christ
Being a Servant
Unifiers
Sermon Series: 1 Corinthian Series
Sermon Title: On the Lord's Supper
Pastor Greg Wiest
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians‬ ‭11‬:‭17‬-‭28‬
“In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter! For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.”
Sermon Summary:
    In our passage today, St. Paul is disciplining the Corinthian Church for their lack of unity with one another. Their disunity was so bad that Paul said their meeting together did more harm than good. When there is disunity and fighting among ourselves, the enemy loves it. It paralyzes us to the point where we are no longer carrying out the mission of the church which is to make disciples. Unity in Christ needs to be a top priority in church. Unity begins at home. Husbands and wives should walk together and not be at war with one another. Love each other deeply from the heart. Forgive and be patient. Be at peace with friends, co-workers and extended family. Brothers and Sisters in Christ should work to be kind to each other and get along. Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers. We fight division and find unity by loving one another as Christ has loved you. Be willing to be offended from time to time and to forgive the offender. Put others first above yourselves. Jesus gave us the model of servant leadership. Don’t pick fights that are unnecessary and don’t stir up trouble. Work at being at peace with others and try to understand those you may disagree with.
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By Rev. Suzi Goodenough
Women in Leadership
Equality of Men and Women
Ruth in the lineage of Christ
Scripture Title: Created Equal - Called Together
Scripture Readings:
Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭ “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” ‭‭
Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ “The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
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Meek is Strength under Control.
The Training Effect
God's Holiness
Esau and Edom 
Father's Day
Daniel 7
Psalm78
Scripture Title: The Arena of Faith
Guest preacher: Rev. Al Oliver
Scripture Reading: Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭17‬ ‭
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.”
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Your Purpose in Life
Winning the race
The Outer Darkness
The mission of every Christian
Scripture Series: 1 Corinthians Series
Scripture Title: Life in Christ
Pastor Greg Wiest
Scripture Reading: ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭19‬-‭27‬
“Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
Sermon Summary: In our passage today, Paul is talking about how can we win non-believers to faith in Jesus Christ. There is an urgency about this . If people die without faith in Jesus they will spend eternity in what the Bible calls the outer darkness or hell. Our mission from Christ in Matthew 28:18-20 is to make disciples of all nations. People need to hear that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and was resurrected. And if they put their faith in Him, they will be forgiven and have life after death. While we are never to compromise our faith in Jesus or the moral law of God, we should be willing to do whatever it takes to win people to Christ. We yield to the deferences of others and give up our personal freedom at times to present the Gospel without distraction. We adjust our dress, our speech, and our food choice to win others to Jesus. Like Paul did with the Corinthians, we need to study the people around us and find out what they are like so we can adjust our approach in telling them about Jesus. Paul says, “I have become all things to all people so that by all means, I might save some.” Unbelievers are like people trapped in a burning house. We’ll do whatever we can to get them out and be saved. The mission of every Christian is to tell people about Jesus and make disciples. This is our lifelong mission. Paul compares this life dedicated to Christ to running a race. The finish line for believers is when we finish this life and enter into eternity in heaven and the ultimate prize is to stand before the Lord and be told, “Well done good and faithful servant.” Paul says we are to train for this race that we are running. We train for the spiritual race in order to serve Christ well. We train for discipleship through reading the Bible, through worship and sermons, through regular prayer and fellowship, and through Sunday School, life groups and Bible studies.
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Scripture and Marriage
How to handle relationships
To be single is to be complete in Christ
Scripture Series: I Corinthian Series
Scripture Title: Married Life
Pastor Greg Wiest
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬-‭16‬ “Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I say this as a concession, not as a command. I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?”
Sermon Summary:
     The Bible gives us the template for human relationships. It begins in the book of Genesis where God created us male and female to be in relationship with one another in marriage.  In Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus makes it clear that males and females join together in marriage and become one.  Our Scripture today says that each man should have only one wife and each woman only one husband. It teaches against sexuality outside of marriage between a man and a woman. Paul also says that he wishes that Christian brothers and sisters could remain single as he is single.  The unmarried person can be more focused on serving Christ and having a life more dedicated to the Lord.  We are complete in Christ whether we are married or unmarried.
    If one is married, then you must be devoted to your spouse and your life belongs to your spouse as well as to yourself. Marriage can be tough sometimes.  We have periods of time where we don’t get along. The circumstances of life can make marriage hard.  We have to work at loving each other, forgiving one another and communicating better with one another.  Most of us are not experts at marriage and don’t know how to fix a broken relationship.  Fortunately we have a God who has given us an instruction manual in the Bible.  There are also many good Christian books on marriage and Christian counselors who can help.  We need to study marriage, how it works and get help if we need it. The Bible is clear that married people should remain married if at all possible. Marriage is intended to be a permanent relationship. We need to keep working at our marriage all through life. Put effort into loving your spouse and make up your mind that you will keep your vow till death do us part.  If your marriage does not work out, God will restore you and heal the wounds that have taken place. If you find yourself single after divorce, Paul encourages us to remain single and devote ourselves to the Lord.  I would approach remarriage very cautiously.  Take your time, get counseling and consider singleness as an alternative.
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Handling Disagreements
Going the Extra mile
Having the attitude of Christ
When Jesus Returns
Free Passes
Scripture Title: Peace With Each Other
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭11‬ ‭ “If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers! The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
Sermon Summary:
In our Scripture passage today, Paul chastises these Christians for not settling their differences within the church. The problem with the Corinthians was not that they had disagreements with one another but how they handled these issues when they came up in the life of the church. The Corinthians response was to sue each other in court. And Paul was saying, can you not handle these differences within the church. Paul points out that when Christ returns, Christians will have enormous responsibilities in the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, we need to start handling things responsibly in this life, especially disputes between believers.
Whenever you bring Christians from different backgrounds, generations and life experiences into a church, we are bound to have disagreements and differences of opinion. Paul encourages us to avoid disputes altogether. Instead, he tells us to have the attitude of Christ. Christians need to forgive, to not be easily offended, and to not carry grudges. Paul asks the question, Instead of going to battle against a fellow Christian who has hurt you, why not rather be wronged? Why go after a brother or sister in Christ for the purpose of getting even or making them pay for their mistake? As Christians, we don’t keep a record of wrongs and we forgive those who have hurt us. As a church, we’ve got to love each other deeply from the heart and quickly forgive. Paul makes the point that many who are Christians’s today were desperately in need of forgiveness and transformation before they came to Christ. And I think the message is that if Christ is willing to forgive you and be patient with you, you should treat others with the same patience and love.
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The Fruit of the Spirit
Living in the last days
The anniversary of Christ in 7 years.
Scripture Title: Pentecost: A New Beginning
Scripture Reading: Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬-‭21‬ “Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
Scripture Summary:
Today we celebrate Pentecost, the day when the Holy Spirit was first given to all the believers in that first church in Jerusalem. The sound of a violent wind filled the room and tongues of fire appeared over the heads of the disciples. They began to prophesy and speak in languages that they had not learned. Peter told the crowd outside that this was the fulfillment of the words of the prophet Joel that in the last days God would pour out his Holy Spirit on all people who called on His name and became His follower.
We are in the last chapter of human history which is the age of the church and will culminate in the return of Jesus. Before the coming of Christ and the birth of the church, the Holy Spirit was only given to a very few exceptional people such as Moses, Abraham, David and the prophets. With the coming of Jesus, the Holy Spirit is given to all of His followers. In our Scripture passage, the spectacular signs of the Holy Spirit were full on display. Today, the presence of the Holy Spirit is mostly evidenced by a change in attitude, values, and behavior. Paul gives the characteristics of a Christian when the Holy Spirit has begun the work of transformation. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. When these qualities appear in the life of a believer, you know that the Holy Spirit is present and at work in that person’s heart. They become different than the world around them. We receive the Holy Spirit the moment we put our faith in Jesus Christ.
Christ’s coming is sooner than ever before. Isaiah 11:12 called for the return of Jewish people from all over the earth to Israel just before Christ returns. That prophecy has mostly been fulfilled in our lifetime. In Matthew 24, Jesus said that the Gospel would be preached throughout the world before His return which has become a reality in our lifetime. And Jesus said that in the last days there will be a great turning away from the Lord just before His second coming. This is happening in the West. In these last days, believers should stand firm by studying and becoming rooted in God’s Word, rejecting and battling against evil, serving the church, and proclaiming the Gospel until Christ returns. Christians have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to see us through.
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