Concord United Sermons

We Believe in the Holy Spirit | Rev. Brooke Hartman

The Holy Spirit was God’s instrument in creation and continues to be God’s instrument in bringing new life in the hearts of believers. The Holy Spirit, goes before us, behind us, and all around us. The Holy Spirit inspires, encourages, convicts, teaches, and empowers.

Scripture - John 14:16-17

We Believe in Jesus Christ Our Lord | Rev. Mike Stallings

Christ is not Jesus’ last name. Christ is a statement of Jesus’ identity signifying Jesus as Messiah or Savior. Acknowledging Jesus as our Savior requires acknowledging that he saves us from our sins, saves us for eternal life, and saves us form the calamities of this life by promising to never leave us or forsake us. To say Jesus is Lord means to say that Jesus is our authority. Jesus’ example and teachings are how authority for faithful living. Jesus demonstrates is Messiahship and Lordship through the virgin birth and his death and resurrection. Jesus did not become Lord and Savior during his life. He has always been Lord and Savior as the Father’s only begotten Son.

Scripture - Matthew 1:18-25 & 1 Corinthians 8:6

We Believe in Jesus Christ Our Lord | Rev. Wil Cantrell

Christ is not Jesus’ last name. Christ is a statement of Jesus’ identity signifying Jesus as Messiah or Savior. Acknowledging Jesus as our Savior requires acknowledging that he saves us from our sins, saves us for eternal life, and saves us form the calamities of this life by promising to never leave us or forsake us. To say Jesus is Lord means to say that Jesus is our authority. Jesus’ example and teachings are how authority for faithful living. Jesus demonstrates is Messiahship and Lordship through the virgin birth and his death and resurrection. Jesus did not become Lord and Savior during his life. He has always been Lord and Savior as the Father’s only begotten Son.

Scripture - Matthew 1:18-25 & 1 Corinthians 8:6

We Believe in God the Father Almighty | Rev. Brooke Hartman

We Believe in One God who created all things for the purpose of inviting His creatures to join His Kingdom of Love. To say God is Father is not to say God is male. We call God Father because Jesus called God Father and taught us that the Father created all things and gives us every good gift. Whoever creates something create for a purposes. Therefore, in acknowledging God as creator we recognize that we both receive our life from God and our purpose from God.

Scripture - James 1:16-18

We Believe in God the Father Almighty | Rev. Wil Cantrell

We Believe in One God who created all things for the purpose of inviting His creatures to join His Kingdom of Love. To say God is Father is not to say God is male. We call God Father because Jesus called God Father and taught us that the Father created all things and gives us every good gift. Whoever creates something create for a purposes. Therefore, in acknowledging God as creator we recognize that we both receive our life from God and our purpose from God.

Scripture - James 1:16-18

The Best of All, God is with Us | Rev. Wil Cantrell

As Wesley laid on his deathbed, these were the words he sang and spoke, “The best of all, God is with us!”.  In the 1700s, Methodist were known to “die well”.  When asked about this, Wesley responded that it is because Methodist “live well”.  From Wesley’s fear of death being exposed on the ship across the Atlantic years before to a place of peace as he approached his death, God’s grace, love, and living a life rooted in the truths of God’s love and living a way of loving others is at the heart of following Jesus.  Dying well is much more about living well. 

Scripture - 2 Timothy 4:6-8

The Best of All, God is with Us | Rev. Sabine Collins

As Wesley laid on his deathbed, these were the words he sang and spoke, “The best of all, God is with us!”.  In the 1700s, Methodist were known to “die well”.  When asked about this, Wesley responded that it is because Methodist “live well”.  From Wesley’s fear of death being exposed on the ship across the Atlantic years before to a place of peace as he approached his death, God’s grace, love, and living a life rooted in the truths of God’s love and living a way of loving others is at the heart of following Jesus.  Dying well is much more about living well. 

Scripture - 2 Timothy 4:6-8

More Than a Place | Rev. Brooke Hartman

For Wesley, his work was not confined to a church building.  Wesley left the church to “go be more vile”, in his own words.  He used the practice of field preaching to meet people literally where they were.  He preached to coal miners and the least of these.  He was faithful in visiting those imprisoned, those who were sick.  Wesley argued against slavery.  Just as Jesus words remind us of the importance of being the hands and feet of Jesus, so Wesley’s influence on his community was significant. 

Scripture - Matthew 25:31-40

More Than a Place | Rev. Wil Cantrell

For Wesley, his work was not confined to a church building.  Wesley left the church to “go be more vile”, in his own words.  He used the practice of field preaching to meet people literally where they were.  He preached to coal miners and the least of these.  He was faithful in visiting those imprisoned, those who were sick.  Wesley argued against slavery.  Just as Jesus words remind us of the importance of being the hands and feet of Jesus, so Wesley’s influence on his community was significant. 

Scripture - Matthew 25:31-40

The Spirit of Christian Unity | Rev. Wil Cantrell

Scripture - 2 Kings 10:15 & John 13:34-35

John Wesley saw the dangerous potential for Christians to defend their Christian (and denominational) beliefs in unchristian ways. He subscribed to the saying: “In the essentials unity. In the nonessentials liberty. In all things charity.”

 

John & Charles Wesley often debated George Whitfield on matters of predestination, grace, and justice. However, towards the end of their lives Charles wrote a letter to George in which he says, “We loved more when we knew less.” It’s our goal as Methodists to only let our knowledge increase our love never lessen it.

 

This is why as Methodists we hold to the historic orthodox Christian faith, believe in social principles which contain a consistent ethic of the sanctity of life which cuts across partisan politics, and believe the Holy Spirit is at work in Christians with theological and political beliefs different from our own.