Sermons by Tim Stephens (Page 2)

Tim Stephens is the senior pastor of Fairview Baptist Church, Calgary, Alberta. Tim grew up on a farm in Eastern Ontario, graduated with a Computer Engineering degree from Queen’s University, a Masters of Divinity degree from Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry in Expository Preaching from The Masters Seminary. He is happily married to Raquel and they have been blessed with nine children.

No Images: Worshiping the Invisible God in Spirit and Truth

This sermon expounds the Second Commandment, showing that while the First Commandment forbids worshiping false gods, the Second forbids worshiping or representing the true God in any false way. The sermon considers six reasons for this prohibition before considering how the commandment both prohibits images in worship (including nativity scenes, crucifixes with Jesus, children’s Bible illustrations of Christ, etc.) and commends knowing and worshiping God through his self-revelation in Scripture and in the living Word, Jesus Christ.

Grace Before Law: The Gospel According to Moses

The beginning with the Ten Commandments must be understood in its proper context of grace rather than as a burdensome list of rules. The introductory context emphasizes that the historical setting and theological context frame the law as a gift to an already-redeemed people. Most crucially, God’s own preamble highlights his identity and saving grace before any command, showing that obedience flows from loving gratitude for redemption, not as a means to earn it. This pattern of grace-first-then-law is echoed…

For To Us a Child is Born | Part 3: Our Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 6:9)

This sermon on Isaiah 9:6 explores the final two messianic titles given to Jesus Christ. “Everlasting Father” highlights Christ’s eternal existence as God, while “Father” describes his functional role rather than his ontology. Jesus is the father of creation (through whom all things were made), the father of believers (birthing spiritual life and protecting his people), and the father of the age to come (ruling the restored future). “Prince of Peace” portrays Jesus as the divine ruler who brings comprehensive…

To Us a Child Is Born | Part 2: Our Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6)

Description: Isaiah 9:6 proclaims that the child born to usher in light, joy, liberty, and peace is Jesus Christ. Defending the prophecy’s fulfillment against skeptics, the sermon considers Jesus’ majestic titles, focusing on “Wonderful Counselor” (the source of divine wisdom guiding creation, redemption, and history), and “Mighty God” (evidence of his full deity, demonstrated in Scripture and his works). Ultimately, this child is “given to us” personally—for sinners to receive by faith as their own Savior, Lord, and King. Here is…

To Us a Child is Born | Part 1: The Light of Christ (Isaiah 9:1-5)

In this sermon on Isaiah 9:1–5, we’re reminded that Jesus Christ is the promised child and great light who dawns upon a people living in deep darkness—whether national, societal, or personal. The Scriptures reveal that Christ’s kingdom is inaugurated through his sacrificial death and victorious resurrection, turning darkness into light as sinners repent and believe the gospel. We consider five glorious effects of this gospel light in the lives of those who embrace Christ: multiplication of life, irrepressible joy, heartfelt…

The Truth Commission: Has Anything Like This Ever Happened?

In Deuteronomy 4:32–40 Moses convenes a “truth commission,” urging Israel (and us) to search all of history—from creation to the present—and ask two questions: Has any people ever heard the voice of God speaking from fire and lived? Has any god ever taken a nation for himself out of another nation by signs, wonders, and a mighty hand? The honest answer is a resounding no—only the Lord has done this at Sinai and in the Exodus. This same pattern continues…

Watch Yourselves Carefully: The “Gods” of Our Age and the Mercy of the True God

Moses warns a new generation that a nation rises or falls by the God it serves, for idolatry is not merely ancient history but the defining spiritual battle of every era. In our own day, sophisticated new gods—DEI, Climate Change, Expressive Individualism, Indigenous Spirituality, Multicultural Pluralism, and the Technocratic-Therapeutic State—quietly demand our ultimate allegiance, redefining sin, salvation, authority, and hope while displacing the true and living God. Yet the same Lord who spoke from the fire, redeemed his people from…

Remember the Essentials: God’s Glory, Word, Covenant, and Commands

In Deuteronomy 4:9–14, Moses urges Israel to diligently guard their souls, minds, and hearts by never forgetting God’s self-revelation at Horeb—his blazing glory, spoken word, redeeming covenant, and holy commandments—so they and their children will fear and obey him all their days. This same call echoes for us today, not at Sinai but at the cross, where Christ supremely reveals the Father, compelling us to treasure these four essentials as the non-negotiable core of faithful living, to teach them to…

What Makes a Nation Great?

Deuteronomy 4:5–8 reveals that true national greatness is not found in engineering marvels, military might, or material wealth, but in a people who honor God’s righteous law, draw near to him through the reconciling gospel of Jesus Christ, and commune with him in prayer and worship. When a nation keeps God’s statutes with heartfelt obedience, the watching world will marvel, exclaiming, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people,” because no other nation has a God so near…

Trusting God When Obedience Is Hard

This sermon explores the challenges of obeying God’s difficult commands, drawing from the narrative in Deuteronomy 3:12–29 where the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh are instructed to leave their newly acquired land to fight for their brothers’ inheritance, and Joshua is charged to lead courageously despite fearsome enemies. It highlights the temptations to fear and settle for less, using the historical context of Israel’s victories over Sihon and Og and the faithlessness of the previous generation as lessons. The…

Giants in the Land

This sermon explores the biblical accounts of giants, such as the Anakim, Rephaim, and Nephilim, as described in Deuteronomy, Numbers, Joshua, and Genesis, proposing that these were historical figures descended from angelic beings intermingling with humans, as per Genesis 6:1–4. It addresses the reality of the spiritual realm and its impact on the material world. These giants, offspring of fallen angels, are part of a larger, cosmic battle against God’s people. The giants’ defeat by Israel and David, prefigures Christ’s…