Summary of dr. Peter Hack’s sermon on 2023-06-11

According to the Scriptures, God’s will is for the Church to grow through the use of spiritual gifts. Let’s not dwell on the past! It is true that the past has its values, but our lives are not determined by the past. The goal cannot be preservation, but only continuous development. The gospel has resulted in tremendous innovation, even though the opportunities at that time were significantly more limited than they are today. As a consequence, the members of the early Church practically turned the world upside down. The decline and decay began when some started thinking that traditions should also be incorporated.

The Romans persecuted the Church using state means, but since they couldn’t prevent the spread of the Gospel, they decided to assimilate it by taking its essence away.

From then on, they attempted to worship God through idols and statues. This violated the commandments; idolatry came to the surface, which resulted in a change in the essence of worshiping God. The growth of the Church can only happen in truth and love. Truth without love becomes legalism, and love without truth turns into rebellion. Words must not be separated from actions. Idolatry conflicts with the worship of the living God!

WHERE THERE IS IDOLATRY, THE ESSENCE IS PRECISELY LOST, AND THE ABILITY TO GROW CEASES. Repentence just means the beginning of a process that results in the shooting up and growing of the previously sowed seeds.

Jesus spoke about how the measure of faith can continually grow and, like a mustard seed, can become a great tree. In this process, God is there to help us, but there is a need for a desire for continuous growth within us. When someone undergoes conversion, they express their desire to enroll in God’s school. After conversion, the first step is rebirth, which is a wonderful opportunity for a fresh start, a clean slate. After rebirth comes the state of spiritual infancy. The message of this revelation is that the individual should not be left alone in their infancy but should be nurtured, assisted, and protected while still maintaining their freedom. It is God’s will for us to help one another in the Church, setting a good example.

Those who can remove envy from their lives can experience great help in experiencing the blessings, healing, and liberation of their brothers and sisters.

The foundation of our conduct in life before conversion was based on what the people around us did. This is especially true for children, but it applies to adults as well. It is God’s will for us to break away from this and enroll in God’s school to avoid being misled by the deceitful motives of impostors. Let us not remain as children in a spiritual sense, who are characterized by being gullible.

It is good that we can learn from one another, constantly growing and building. We must reach the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity. As a result, we can become Christlike individuals. We come to worship in order to continually be transformed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.

Today, we know less about reality than before the information revolution because we lack the opportunity to gain conviction. They are trying to convince us, using more sophisticated techniques than ever before, that what is bad is actually good. Modern technology is capable of creating the same level of addiction as traditional drugs. The world is becoming highly uniformized, which is the precursor to the arrival of an antichristian world order. Just as in the time of Lot, supernatural intervention is needed for salvation. The trap arises from the fact that initially the danger is not visible, and when it becomes visible, the person is no longer capable of overcoming it by their own strength.

The world strives to present sin as attractive because it does not stand on the foundation of biblical values. The Scriptures teach us to resist this and hold fast to the truth.

In our personal lives, let us be aware of our abilities and be glad when it becomes clear that we have misunderstood something. The problem arises when it doesn’t become clear because then there is no opportunity for improvement. Jesus recruited disciples who were willing to learn, to know His truth, and to follow it. Therefore, let us be ready to walk with the Lord as disciples in His Church! Just as in the body, every member is needed in the Church.

Those who grow in their personal spiritual lives also contribute to the growth of the body. Strong and resilient Christians are needed, who are pillars of the Church of Jesus Christ.

We should not try to bring about change by our own efforts because Jesus Christ did not call us to a self-improvement circle but to His Church, where there are spiritual gifts that help believers in their development. Let us be open to the future, to growth! Let us long for deeper knowledge of God. Let us not be discouraged when we make mistakes because our Shepherd is always there to help us!

The Scripture passages mentioned:

• Ephesians 4:11-16
• 1 Corinthians 3:6-7