Sermon for Janaury 11: Golden Repair for Free

What do you do when your earthen pots or clay plates and cups are broken?

In Japan, the artists often put together the broken pieces mixing the lacquer resin with gold. What they end up with is a pot with cracks but the cracks are filled with gold. This reminds us how our life is like a pot with cracks that requires repairs and fixing rather than something to deny or disguise.  When we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit through baptism God makes us stronger and more beautiful in all our broken places. That is a golden repair which God gives us for free.

If you want to learn more about this golden repair, please come and join our worship at 10:30 a.m.

Please read: Acts 19:1-7

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples  ² and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”  ³ So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied.  ⁴ Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”  ⁵ On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.  ⁶ When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.  ⁷ There were about twelve men in all.

‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭38‬ NIV
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.””

See it at Bible.com:

http://bible.com/111/luk.6.38.niv

‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ NIV
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

See it at Bible.com:

http://bible.com/111/eph.6.12.niv

‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬ NIV
““You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.”

See it at Bible.com:

http://bible.com/111/mat.5.14.niv

‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ NIV
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

See it at Bible.com:

http://bible.com/111/mat.5.16.niv

‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭5-6‬ NIV
“The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”

See it at Bible.com:

http://bible.com/111/mat.28.5-6.niv

‭Isaiah‬ ‭29‬:‭13‬ NIV
“The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”

See it at Bible.com:

http://bible.com/111/isa.29.13.niv

‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭37-38‬ NIV
“Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.”

See it at Bible.com:

http://bible.com/111/mat.22.37-38.niv

‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭3-4‬ NIV
“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

See it at Bible.com:

http://bible.com/111/mat.6.3-4.niv