For the past several weeks, my family and I have been attending a one year old church plant in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston called Rescued Church. Rescued is a beautiful expression of the Body of Christ in Boston: urban, racially diverse, socioeconomically diverse, and diverse in age. Rescued has a deliberate and marked emphasis on the centrality and supremacy of Jesus. And Rescued is committed to cultivating Jesus-disciples passionate about the Gospel. That's why we've felt comfortable at Rescued so quickly. Kingdom people are our family.

Joining the Teaching Team

This past week, I was asked to join the teaching team at Rescued while the congregation studies First Corinthians. I'm honored to be teammates with Rick Grant and Mako Nagasawa, two men who I respect not only as passionate teachers, but even more so as men of integrity who passionately love Jesus.

First Corinthians Sermon

Rescued is in week three of the new series, with Mako having kicked it off, and Rick teaching last week. Yesterday, I taught on chapter 1, verse 17 through chapter 2, verse 5. My message was entitled Christ Crucified: The Foolish Wisdom and Vulnerable Power of God. The video can be seen below, but the final few minutes, in which I outline some application points and close with a benediction, were unfortunately cut off. So, I've included those application points and benediction below.  

1. We can humble ourselves like Jesus did, consider others before ourselves, refusing to trust in our own human wisdom, but trust in the Spirit of Jesus: Wisdom from God.

• In our relationships with one another, let’s be like Jesus, let’s serve one another in humility and obedience
• In our conversations, let’s not be afraid to say “I don’t know. Let’s seek God together to find out”
• In our lives, let's model trusting faith, not arrogant certainty-seeking faith

2. We can make ourselves vulnerable like Jesus did, despising the shame, conquering fear, and triumphing over the powers who are defeated because of the Cross and Resurrection!

• In our relationships with one another, reject the lie that vulnerability is weakness, embrace the courage to make that honest, raw bid for connection
• In our conversations, let’s not put up fronts to protect our egos out of shame, the fear of disconnection
• In our lives, let’s model the Cross-shaped vulnerability that attracts people like it attracted people to Jesus

3. We can know that we are chosen in Christ like Paul did. He knew he was a murderer and someone who trusted in his own wisdom, and yet Christ chose him.

• Remind yourself regularly that even though you’re a “nobody” in the world’s eyes, you’re a “somebody” in God’s eyes
• Remind others that they too are a “somebody” to God!
• Demonstrate God’s love to the “nobodies” of the world—the despised ones.

Benediction

May you live a life worthy of the Lord, a life pleasing to him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

For he has rescued you from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, 
the forgiveness of sins.

Go in peace, in humility, in vulnerability, and in power.