Sermons from 2014
New Heaven, New Earth
The culmination of God’s plan of redemption is described in Revelation 21 and 22 as the new heaven and new earth. God’s great act of redemption is accomplished, it is done! There is no more death, no more pain, no more crying. Eternal life, for those who repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is glorious because God is there. We will see his face!
Messiah Has Come
After God created the world, sin quickly entered his good creation. In the midst of that first act of human rebellion God made a promise to send a deliverer who would rescue this world from sin and defeat all evil–including death itself. At the incarnation, the promised one is here! Jesus Christ entered his creation as a child. He came to give his life as a ransom. He came to rescue his people from their sins. In these chapters we…
Creation, Fall, Promise
God’s story of redemption (rescuing the world from sin) begins with the perfect creation. The creation account tells us that God’s words are powerful and that God’s works are good. Shortly after the world fell into the snare of Satan but God promised a redeemer, one who would deal a fatal blow to Satan and sin.
The Pain of Forgiveness
Forgiveness is costly to the one granting forgiveness. It was costly to God to forgive his people and it is costly for us to forgive one another. The pain and hurt that is caused by being treated unjustly can only be removed by fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ. So just how do we do that? What does that mean? This sermon explores those important questions.
The Necessity of Forgiveness
Jesus tells us in the strongest of language that Christians must forgive. To withhold forgiveness is to put yourself in danger of eternal condemnation. Since we must forgive, the obvious question becomes, “How do we treat someone who is unrepentant or where reconciliation is impossible?” To answer that question, we look at Romans 12. We commit not to take revenge, we proactively show love, and we leave room for the wrath of God.
Conflict and Forgiveness
It is inevitable, people will sin and you will be affected by it. How then do we deal with conflict? What does confrontation look like? What is the role of the church? This sermon seeks to explain an important passage when looking at conflict and forgiveness.
The Hope of Forgiveness
There is hope in forgiveness. There is joy and satisfaction in being forgiven by God and extending forgiveness to others. But what is forgiveness? How should Christians forgive? We are called to forgive others as God has forgiven us. God forgiveness is (1) gracious, yet costly; (2) conditional; (3) a commitment not to hold sin against us; (4) inseparable from reconciliation; and (5) does not mean that all consequences are removed. From these things we can appreciate more Christian forgiveness.
The Resurrection
The resurrection of Jesus changes everything! The historical proof is strong for Jesus resurrection, yet sin blinds our natural eyes from embracing the truth. Our response to the resurrection needs to be repentance and faith. The resurrection bring validation to Jesus’ ministry, it means the debt of sin has been paid, and it means new life for those in Christ. The resurrection is of first importance!
The Crucifixion
Fix your gaze on Christ. Look to him till your heart burns with love, till you overflow with gratitude, till you rejoice in wonder, till you bow your knee in allegiance. See the Son of God accomplish redemption!
The Wonder of Reconciliation
What is reconciliation? What is the ministry of reconciliation? These two questions are explored to see that those who have made peace with God have been entrusted to bring the message of salvation to a world in rebellion to their Creator.
What Did it Cost God to Save You?
Something truly amazing happened at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In love, Jesus accepted the wrath of God for the sins of his people. In love and mercy, the Father redirected his wrath towards his Son. This was real and costly. A great price was paid for redemption.That high price is illustrated in this passage and it calls us to give all for Jesus’ sake and the gospel’s.
Betrayed and Denied
In this text, Jesus is betrayed, abandoned, and denied. He is then beaten, mocked, and falsely accused. Yet, through this time of great suffering, Jesus is our source of hope and comfort. He went through this for his people. And now he is exalted, praying for his people that they would not fail, that they would not deny him.