Meditation - Luke 24:25

“And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!”

Call to Worship - Psalm 73:21–28

“When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”

NT Reading - Galatians 3:1–12

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.””

HBC - LD44 / Q115. Question 115 -

Why then doth God so strictly enjoin upon us the ten commandments, since in this life no one can keep them?

First, that all our life long, we may learn more and more to know our sinful nature, and so the more earnestly seek forgiveness of sins and righteousness in Christ; secondly, that we may continually strive, and beg from God the grace of the Holy Ghost, so as to become more and more changed into the image of God, till we attain finally to full perfection after this life.

Sermon Series – Renewal in Christ

Sermon Text – 2 Corinthians 12:11-21

Sermon Title – Fool Me Thrice…

Sermon Summary:

You know the old saying, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” Its a good saying, but how do you reconcile it with Jesus telling us to turn the other cheek? Paul has been turning the other cheek for a long time now. He has forgiven the Corinthians 70 times 7. Paul has been very patient with the Corinthians but there are still a few holdouts. He wants them to be restored, but as his visit to Corinth draws near, he fears that a face-to-face confrontation may now be needed. When is it time to confront someone in the name of Jesus? How should confrontation be done. How far should the confrontation go? As we come to the end of 2 Corinthians 12, pray for God to open your minds and teach us how to handle confrontation according to the gospel.