Hill Country Bible Church Dripping Springs Sermons

Discouragement is common. How often we are discouraged can be an index for our spiritual maturity. Being discouraged all the time shows that we have not yet learned how to deal with challenges in a God-honoring way. Too little or no discouragement shows us not caring or detached from those around us.

When people boast about their accomplishments or credentials, the motivation is generally self-centered. We can find that tedious. Even worse, though, boasting leaves no room for God to be glorified. Instead, we are called to boast about something unlikely, things that show our weakness.

From the moment we place our faith in Christ, our growth must remain grounded in the Gospel. Otherwise, we are susceptible to deception from teaching that sometimes veers from the truth of who He is.

God made each of us unique. As in our creation, we have unique salvation stories with unique parts in His redemption plan (Ephesians 2:10). Paul’s purpose was to preach the Gospel. In giving authority to his ministry in Corinth, he shows us how we should consider the use of our time to advance the Gospel.

: Christians are living in the “right now” and “not yet” of the kingdom of God. We experience many eternal blessings such as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. However, this world is not the promised new earth and so we constantly confront darkness. We are reminded that how we fight darkness is as important as what we are called to confront.

Just like loving others, speaking truth and sharing our faith, generosity is a characteristic of a disciple of Jesus. Paul has shown that grace leads to repentance and repentance leads to joy. Now he shows that joy inspires generosity. Because we have been so richly blessed, we desire to be a blessing to others.

As unlikely as it may seem, joy is directly and proportionally tied to genuine repentance for sin in ourselves and other believers. Admitting wrongdoing may not seem a right path to joy. However, it is because it leads us to celebrate the things God celebrates.

If we become complacent, the greatest threats to ministry can come from within the church, not outside of it. It is with this perspective that Paul identifies transparent love and uncompromising purity as solutions to two of the obstacles to reconciliation ministry.

Ambassadors of Jesus must represent Him well. Paul returns to the theme that a comfortable life does not affirm God’s power or work in our lives. Instead, it is the way He enables us to persevere, despite distress, that shows us as legitimate ambassadors.

Evil and brokenness have plagued mankind since the Fall. The solution to ridding ourselves of evil’s effects on the world will never originate from people. Instead, our hope comes from knowing God has reconciled us to Himself bringing peace through Jesus. In turn, all believers are called to be ambassadors of this reconciliation ministry.

A glance at the news and you might conclude this is an unprecedented time of crisis. However, times of crisis are not new. Today, as in Paul’s day, reflecting on the eternal “weight of glory” keeps us from becoming pessimistic and fatalistic. We are aware of life’s realities, but our eternal perspective motivates how we live.

Hope in Christ focuses us beyond current circumstances to the future. Paul recognizes that temporal afflictions, no matter how significant they seem, are no comparison to the eternal glory that awaits him (and us).

To have the most impact one would think God uses people and circumstances that have visible blessings in place. So that there is no doubt about whose power is at work, God moves through the unlikely to accomplish His plan to His glory.

Have you ever had the opportunity to share the Gospel but did not? We must think of ourselves as stewards of God’s ministry instead of thinking it is “ours”. Then, success the way the world defines it is irrelevant. We only need declare what God calls us to; Jesus Christ is Lord.

Using the comparison of the glory associated with the two covenants (v1-11), Paul applies it directly to false teaching occurring in Corinth. He shows how the Gospel provides a transformation the Law could not. In the Gospel, we have an unveiled view of God’s glory.

Paul had devoted his life to knowing the Law. After his conversion to Christianity, he was highly qualified to share the Gospel as a part of God's continuing story in Scripture. He shows the glory from Moses bringing the Law is exceeded by the glory of the ministry of the Gospel through the Holy Spirit.

People following Jesus must live authentic lives. Otherwise, observations about our faith can lead to false expectations about Jesus and what it means to follow Him. Paul shares his authenticity with four marks of the faith. They are about our attitudes, not our temperaments or personalities.

God’s instruction for faithful confrontation, personal repentance and corporate forgiveness gives testimony to the Holy Spirit’s work within the church. We should always have a readiness to extend true, God-honoring forgiveness.

A God-honoring approach to resolving misunderstandings requires that we first examine our motivation. It should not be a defensive reaction nor an attempt to inflict punishment. If done correctly, it will show the Holy Spirit’s work in His church.

The way we deal with suffering is a visible indication of the influence of God’s grace and peace in our lives. Rather than question why Christians suffer, we are called to rely on God’s strengthening (comfort) to have a restful spirit despite suffering.

If the penalty for our sin has been cancelled in Christ, then why must we keep confessing our sin? Declaring our penalty as paid, affirms our faith in Jesus’ redeeming work. Living a life of confession leads us to experience the joy of our standing in Christ. Confession wages war on sin and gives glory to God.

Regular confession of sin to each other is important. Sadly, it is infrequent in today’s church. Evidence suggests we are hiding sin from each other to the demise of our spiritual health. The church should be a safe place to experience grace.

Lent, the season leading up to the celebration of Easter, is a time for personal and church-wide repentance and confession. Psalm 51 serves as an apex of confession where David, a man after God’s own heart, confesses his sin and transgression.

Jesus’s followers know they need God’s forgiveness and know they are completely forgiven in Christ. There is a rich joy (blessing) in experiencing this forgiveness.

Through God’s grace we can approach Him without fear. Thus, we go to Him able to confess our sins with genuine repentance.