Sermons by Tim Stephens (Page 45)
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.
Evolution and the Bible
Is it even conceivable to believe in a literal six day creation just thousands of years ago rather than millions of years ago? How can we reconcile Genesis with what we’re told is a scientific consensus on an old earth and evolutionary progress. What we see is that the Bible tells us of that the Creator God made this earth just thousands of years ago by the word of his power and he promises to do the same in the…
Islam and the Bible
Does the Bible teach us how to behave and think in a world with increasing violence in the name of religion? This sermon looks at Romans 13 to see that government is supposed to punish the evildoer, not the church. As Christians we should support our government, military, and police as they work in our country and abroad to rescue the vulnerable and punish those who do evil. For the church, our aim is different. Our answer to violent Islam…
Abortion and the Bible
Abortion has been happening for a long time and God’s people have always been against it. How can we support this position from the Bible? How can we defend this view from the slogans we hear today? This sermon looks at the biblical witness and then addresses a number of objections before reminding us that our God is an adopting God. The world’s answer to unwanted children is abortion, the Christian answer is adoption.
Gay Marriage and the Bible
Did Jesus address homosexuality? Many say no. Jesus did, however, clearly define marriage and the bounds of sexual intimacy between one man and one woman in a one flesh union. This is not “traditional” marriage or Jewish custom. Jesus said that this is how God designed male and female and society at the beginning, in the garden of Eden. What we see today, divorce, adultery, same-sex marriage, is a result of sin. From the beginning it was not so.
Homosexuality and the Bible
What does the Bible say about homosexuality? To be upfront, the Bible says it is sinful. This sermon goes through a variety of text to show that and then reflects on a number of objections that are common when such an issue is discussed. What we all need, since we are all sinners, is the forgiveness and mercy of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. Denying sin will not lead to forgiveness, rather denying self, taking up our cross and…
The Way of Christ
Finishing the exhortation to be united and stop the divisions in the church at Corinth, Paul admonishes them to live in accordance with the way of Christ. This is how he lives and this is life consistent with following a crucified Messiah.
Stewards of the Mysteries of God
Divisions in Corinth caused by elevating certain teachers and tearing down others are addressed in the passage. The topic of proper judgment is dealt with. The key to proper judgment is humility, and the key to humility is recognizing the grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Becoming Fools
What does it mean to become a fool? This sermon seeks to demonstrate that we must ascribe and live by God’s wisdom even if we are regarded as fools in the world’s eyes.
Careful Building
One must be careful how they labor in service of Christ’s church. The foundation of the gospel has been laid and those who continue to build the church must be faithful to the gospel in all things. To those who labor well, commendation from God is received, to those who do not labor well, they are in danger of losing this reward. And to those who destroy the church, God will destroy them.
Spiritual Immaturity
Why could Paul only address the Corinthians as spiritually immature? They were acting like the world when it came to the matter of treating servants of Christ in the church. This is an important passage as the doctrine of a “carnal Christian” was born out of this text but such an idea is actually foreign to the text.
The Natural and Spiritual Person
The word of God contrasts the natural person with the spiritual person (the person with the Spirit of God). The contrast could not be any more dramatic. The Scriptures put the natural man in a shocking light! It is a marvel that God is gracious to make the natural person alive to treasure the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a call not to treasure the world’s wisdom or standards; there is not even a comparison when seen in the…
Spiritual Wisdom
In this text, the scriptures explain that God’s wisdom in the gospel is true wisdom. It is eternal and unchanging, while secret and hidden, it has been revealed through the Spirit so that we might see the glories of God in Christ Jesus. This is written so that we would not desire the world’s wisdom but rather fix our hearts on God’s wisdom in Christ. It is also written so that we would not boast in our own wisdom since…