Sermon by Larissa Okonkwo Acts 10:34-43 & 11:25-26 - A Christian is someone who, though they believe, may at times wrestle with doubt. They are called and chosen by God, fully accepted in His grace, and invited into a personal relationship with Him. A Christian belongs to God’s family, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and seeks to follow Jesus, even if they sometimes stumble or get it wrong.
Luke 23:33-43: Human beings often understand life through hierarchy, seeing a king as “above” us. Christians confess Jesus as King, yet Luke 23 challenges this framework. Instead of power and glory, Jesus is mocked, humiliated, and crucified, appearing weak and defeated. Soldiers and one criminal saw him as a failure, but another criminal broke his assumptions and asked Jesus to “remember me,” finding true meaning in him. This irony reveals God’s upside-down power, that is strength in weakness, kingship in humility. Like the criminal on his cross who found strength in the Lord, we too discover hope when we trust the servant and suffering King who remembers us.
Luke 21:5 -19 - We often avoid conflict and cling to familiar systems for comfort and security, but Jesus challenges these frames. In this way, Jesus’ message brings tension, destruction, and disruption. At the same time, it points to renewal: new heavens, new earth, and new life. Jesus confronts us to reshape our understanding. In this line of understanding, Jesus’ death is not a disaster or the end, but a new beginning. As we commission new leaders, we embrace God’s unfolding plan, trusting His wisdom and promise: “Stand firm, you will win life.”
Luke 20:28-37 - Jesus was challenged by religious leaders who fixated on logic, missing the deeper truth of resurrection and grace. Their narrow thinking reflected a human tendency and limited cultural frame rather than God’s bigger picture. We often let petty concerns cloud our understanding, yet Jesus reminds us that God is the God of the living. Resurrection is not just a future hope, but a present power that enables us to live meaningfully today. When we embrace God’s grace, even small things become a gift to cherish and a chance to experience the sense of eternity in our everyday life.
Luke 19:1-10 - When Jesus entered Jericho, crowds gathered to see Jesus, But Jesus chose to focus on Zacchaeus who was a latecomer and social outcast. This unexpected attention stirred complaints, revealing the crowd’s tendency to measure fairness by effort and visibility. Zacchaeus, however, stepped beyond shame and climbed a tree to see Jesus, embodying vulnerability and spiritual hunger. His story reminds us that God’s blessing comes not to the crowd, but to the one who commits to God’s mysterious way, despite criticism. This commitment is described as zeal in Bible so that we can have transformation in our journey.
Luke 18:9-14 - Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector invites us to reflect not on who is right or wrong, but on the nature of our relationship with God. The Pharisee’s prayer reflects social faithfulness, but lacks intimacy with God. In contrast, the tax collector’s vulnerable prayer reveals deep connection and humility. This parable emphasises that a meaningful life is not about pride but about embracing weakness and allowing God’s power to work through it. God’s community is built on brokenness, not perfection. Like Jacob, we are invited to wrestle with God, knowing He stays with us even in our failures. Vulnerability, not self-justification, is the path to divine intimacy and transformation.
Luke 18:1-8: The parable of the unjust judge challenges our understanding of power. Jesus uses this unsettling story to reveal the strength found in persistent prayer. The widow’s perseverance, despite facing an unjust authority, reflects genuine power — faith that endures beyond weakness. Like Jacob wrestling with God, or Paul proclaiming strength in prison, persistence in faith becomes a source of power. True strength is not in worldly authority but in unwavering trust in God. The widow’s persistence teaches us that faith, prayer, and endurance empower us to keep seeking God’s justice and righteousness, even when circumstances seem hopeless.
Luke 17:11-19 - This message reflects on Jesus’ healing of ten lepers, who were isolated at the border due to community laws. While nine returned to safety, one leper came back to the border which was the place of vulnerability, but where Jesus was. His act of returning to the border symbolises deep faith and discipleship. The border represents not just physical danger but emotional and spiritual struggle. Christians are called to live in this “in-between” space, where faith meets hardship. The story parallels Ruth’s commitment to Naomi. Though we live in a place of safety and vulnerability, we may grow in our place. At the border, Jesus meets us with healing and strength, declaring, “Your faith has made you well.”
Visiting Preacher Rev. John Martin introducing Fair Trade.