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God’s Gift of One Another

Sermon from Ephesians 4:1-16

Being a part of any community can be difficult, and the Church is no exception. It is absolutely essential for us to be mindful of the significance of our calling as members of Christ’s Body, the Church, and that we remain united to each other in Him. Paul reminds us of this in Ephesians 4, and he urges us to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” There can be no divisions in the Body of Christ, but that is a really difficult way to live. In fact, it is impossible without a miracle of the Spirit of God creating and maintaining the bonds of love between us. He has gifted us all uniquely in order to “build up the Body of Christ,” and we are all required to participate. In fact, this Scripture specifically says that the work of the clergy is to equip the saints for work of ministry! It’s not the clergy who are the big shots in ministry – it is every member of the Church! We need to view each other as gifts of God, purposely designed to encourage each other, build each other up, speak truth to each other in love, and together do the work of God. Each of us has a unique contribution we are called to make to the work of God, and it is critically important that we stay plugged in and engaged in the Body of Christ.

God’s Gift of One Another – Sermon by the Rev. Charlie Holt from The Church of St John the Divine on Vimeo.

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Immeasurably More

Sermon from Ephesians 3:1-21

Like Simba in the Disney movie, The Lion King, we are prone to forget who we are, thereby sacrificing both the privileges and the responsibilities as children of the King. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is to us like what Rafiki’s knock on the head was for Simba… A wake-up call. The Lord calls us to dive in to the heart of the challenges of this fallen world. The truth we have is the hope of heaven and earth. God forbid we brush off the troubles of the world by saying, “Hakuna matata, no worries.” Paul says that God has entrusted us with the administration of the gospel to engage in this sinful and broken world. The problems surrounding us are bigger than us, but Almighty God has given us His Spirit to strengthen us and fill us with all His fullness. I experienced this firsthand when I was a part of what God was doing in Central Florida during the situation surrounding the death of Trayvon Martin. I saw God’s Spirit move mightily to bring unity and power in His Church during that time. I have seen the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge, and His power is at our disposal as His children. He can do more than we could ever ask for or imagine.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” – Ephesians 3:20-21

Immeasurably More – Sermon by the Rev. Charlie Holt from The Church of St John the Divine on Vimeo.

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A Matter of the Heart

Sermon from Mark 7:14-23

Like the Pharisees, we have a tendency to only worry about the mask we’re putting up on the outside, rather than worrying about what is on the inside. But Jesus speaks directly opposing to that tendency, saying that what matters most is what is found in the heart. Henry Drummond emphasizes it well:

“[Religious people] are inclined to look upon bad temper as a very harmless weakness. We speak of it as a mere infirmity of nature, a family failing, a matter of temperament, not a thing to take into very serious account in estimating a man’s character. And yet here, right in the heart of this analysis of love, it finds a place… The peculiarity of ill temper is that it is the vice of the virtuous. It is often the one blot on an otherwise noble character.” – Henry Drummond, The Greatest Thing in the World

We don’t need to be obsessive-compulsive about the outward behaviors, because they will never be able to deal with sin. Only God can address our heart problem, first by sending His Son to die for us and second by putting His Holy Spirit inside us to write His laws on our hearts and transform us from the inside. Stop worrying about the outward behaviors and traditions, and instead focus on Jesus’ work that allows you to come directly into the presence of the Holy God. He wants our hearts, not our outward appearances, and that then allows us to enter into true community with the Body of Christ, the Church.

A Matter of the Heart – Sermon by the Rev. Charlie Holt from The Church of St John the Divine on Vimeo.

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The Words of Life

Sermon from John 6:66-69

Jesus was never one to hem and haw about the truth. He was less concerned about numbers and more concerned about authenticity of faith. In John 6:66, the Bible tells us that this caused many of His followers to turn away, and He was left with just the Twelve. He challenged the Twelve, saying, “Are you going to leave Me, too?” And Peter says, “Where else would we go? You have the Words of Life.” The truth of Christ is so compelling that those who are called by Him have no where else to go. Jesus is the only source of life, and He still remains so today.

The Words of Life – Sermon by the Rev. Charlie Holt from The Church of St John the Divine on Vimeo.

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Seeking Jesus, the Bread of Life

Sermon from John 6:22-59

In the below sermon, I challenge you to check your motivations for seeking Jesus the same way Jesus challenged those who were “seeking” Him in John 6. Are you truly seeking to worship and adore Him, or are you seeking the fringe benefits? What lies are you believing that are keeping you from worshiping Him in spirit and truth? Jesus confronts our bad motivations and self-centeredness. The only “work” He asks of us is belief.

Seeking Jesus, the Bread of Life – Sermon by the Rev. Charlie Holt from The Church of St John the Divine on Vimeo.

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Trading Places

Sunday morning sermon from Mark 6:1-13

Our old saying says, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” The way Jesus said it was “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown” (Mark 6:4). The truth is that the more familiar we are with someone, the more likely we are to take them for granted. Jesus humbled Himself completely, leaving behind all the trappings of heaven, and He became someone so “regular” that the people of His hometown rejected the idea that He could’ve been the Messiah. He wasn’t handsome (Isaiah 53), He had no home (Matthew 8:20), and He sent His followers out with nothing (Mark 6:8). The only thing He had to recommend Himself to us is that He was God in the flesh, which is far more than we need or deserve. And that’s the only thing we need to be able to share Him with others as well. All that matters in the kingdom of God is whether you are bearing the name of Jesus Christ. Then, if people reject you, it can’t hurt you because all they are rejecting is Him.

Watch the full sermon:

Trading Places – Sermon by the Rev. Charlie Holt from The Church of St John the Divine on Vimeo.

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Loving the Untouchables

Sunday morning sermon on Mark 5:21-43

This sermon is about another “Mark sandwich” found in chapter 5, verses 21-43. Mark shares the story of Jesus’ resurrection of the daughter of Jairus, and the story is split in the middle with another healing of the woman with the issue in the blood. In both cases, Jesus touches someone who would be considered “unclean.” Rather than being defiled by those touches, however, Jesus brings healing and restoration to the unclean. Jesus’ compassion and power declares worthy and lovable those who society considers “untouchable.” We need to take Jesus’ example and love ALL in our society. We are all loved equally as children of God, and each of us as His followers need to love all equally in His name.

Loving the Untouchables – Sermon by the Rev. Charlie Holt from The Church of St John the Divine on Vimeo.

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The Problem, Misplaced Fear

Sunday morning sermon on Fear and Faith

Often, when we find ourselves overcome by fear, it’s because we have placed our fear in the wrong thing. The disciples in the boat with Jesus when the storm blew in had their fear in the wrong thing, and so they were terrified! If we fear only God, we have nothing to fear from the circumstances that surround us. Listen below to my Sunday morning sermon on the subject:

The Problem with Misplaced Fear – Sermon by the Rev. Charlie Holt from The Church of St John the Divine on Vimeo.

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Crazy with Jesus

Sermon on Mark 3:20-35

Watch my sermon from last Sunday on Mark 3:20-25. I call it a Mark “sandwich.” The two pieces of “bread” are the segments where Jesus’ family are afraid He is crazy: verses 20-21 and verses 31-35. The “meat” in the middle of the sandwich is where the teachers of the law accuse Him of being in league with Satan: verses 22-30. Jesus’ response in these verses tell us that He is not afraid of being called crazy or evil, because He is confident of what is true, and He knows where His power truly comes from. Examine your own heart and see where your confidence lies. Are you worried that people think you are crazy or wrong? Or are you standing firm in confidence that the power of the Holy Spirit in you is absolutely all that matters?

Crazy with Jesus – Sermon by the Rev. Charlie Holt from The Church of St John the Divine on Vimeo.