“Philippians 2:5-11 (NKJV)”
St. John’s Downtown
Houston, TX77002
July 5, 2009
Dr. Tony Campolo
St. John’s Downtown
2019 Crawford, Houston, TX77022
July 5, 2009 8:00 AM
“Philippians 2:5-11 (NKJV)”
- Tony prays
- Power vs. Authority
- Power: “policeman”-has power because he has the ability to coerce
- Authority: “my mother”-had authority because of sacrificial acts of love
- Jesus
- Had power, but he “emptied himself to power”, he gave up his power
- In order to love, one must give up power
- God: loved so much, he became vulnerable
- God will come a second time, in power-but he is here now, in love
- Jesus refusing to use power
- Satan tempts Jesus to turn rocks into bread (Economic power)
- Jump from the tower (miracles, “signs”)
- Take the kingdoms (political power)
- World will not be convinced by economic power, miracles, or political power, but by sacrificial love/ the cross
- Jesus refuses to force you to follow him, you are drawn in free will because of his sacrificial love
- Jesus will change the world through sacrificial power
- Halfway Houses Story:
- Town meeting with City Council ready to oppose the halfway houses
- Mother Teresa begs city council to make room for the houses
- City Council voted again, accepting the halfway houses, no one opposed
- Mother Teresa has authority because of her life of loving sacrifice
- Elias Santana Story
- Medical Dominican Missionary :gave surgery to rich, used that $ to buy medicine for poor
- After working for the poor, he preached to hundreds
- Sacres Peres said, “He has earned his right to be heard”
- We must change the world through Sacrificial Love
- Religious Right: thinks that they will change the world by force-“with enough votes”
- Church’s gay protest: won the votes, but hatred from LGBT community and their supporters
- To reach out to the LGBT community, we must do it through sacrificial love, not play the power games
- Story of the two friends in the military
- Gospel phrase: “After what he did for me, there is nothing I wouldn’t do for him!”
- Prayer: “We reach out in loving sacrifice because you did, forgiving others, giving out to others, serving others, because of you”
- Closing words
Tags: power, authority, police, mother, love, vulnerable, economic power, political power, miracles, sacrifice, halfway house, Mother Theresa, Dominican Republic, Elias Santana, rich, poor, Sacres Peres, gay, protest, LGBT
07052009 St. John's Downtown 8 AM