CBA Meeting Sermon: Mark 9:33-37

The Audio link is here (or here)

Chrysostom Story: Hesitant to become preacher, had to be forced to become archbishop--

386 Antioch to 397 Constantinople

Did not want the promotion to archbishop. Did not relish the power or hold it.

At first, things went smoothly in Constantinople. The people were impressed with his preaching. The Empress Eudoxia responded to his spiritual prescriptions. Chrysostom, however, was not one to let diplomacy stand in the way of calling people to repentance. He found that many of the clergy in Constantinople were undisciplined and unspiritual, and so he instigated reforms which made many unhappy. Chrysostom also discovered that much money was being wasted by church officials. He put himself on a limited budget and diverted funds formerly spent on luxuries to the poor, to building hospitals, and to establishing new churches.

If a preacher be indifferent to praise, and yet cannot produce the doctrine “which is grace seasoned with salt,” he becomes despised by the multitude, while he gains nothing from his own nobleness of mind; and if on the other hand he is successful as a preacher, and is overcome by the thought of applause, harm is equally done in turn, both to himself and to the multitude, because in his desire for praise he is careful to speak rather with a view to please than to profit.

Mark 9:33-37

Subject: Moving Forward

    How do we go forward as an association?

Central Theme:

     Our focus as disciples determines God's reception of us

Objective Statement:

     Every disciple of Jesus must serve without consideration of return

Rationale:

     1. Our time is often spent in arguments about who is the greatest: the Calvinist? The Traditionalist? The Hymn-singer or the Praise Band? The Missionary or the Pastor? The Church-planter or the church-sustainer? The minister or the layman? The old-guy or the young guy? The Seminary Grad or the self-trained?

     2. Yet do we want to have to answer the question: "What were you arguing about on the road?" when finish our journey?

     3. Our goal, our purpose is to serve: 

          A. Serve the Lord: there is no greater purpose

          B. Serve God's people--individually and together in His churches

          C. Serve those God has created--the world outside the church

Responses:

Implementation:

1. Budgetary

2. Cooperative Action

3. Church Action

4. Personal Action

Source notes: My Logos Bible Software collection has A Treasury of Great by Clyde Fant, volume 1 of which mentions John Chyrsostom. There are a few other history sources that I read and brought in for the information on him as well, such as Schaff’s History of Christianity and Ferguson’s Church History. And Gonzalez’ Story of Christianity.