Emmaus Road Church: Recent Episodes
Emmaus Road Church
2 Timothy 2Do The Right ThingPastor Mike speaks on 2 Timothy 2 and doing the right thing as believers.
Prioritize Those In Need | 1 Timothy 5Pastor Mike talk about those in need and how we as Christian need to do.
Start of a series in 1 Timothy. Pastor Mike reads from chapter one and explains why we should serve as Christ-Followers.
Harmony of the Gospels 117SEC 256-258Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:15-18, 1 Cor. 15:6-7; Luke 24:44-49, Acts 1:3-8The Great Commission
The Harmony of the GospelsSection 252-254Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1; Matthew 28:2-4; Matthew 28:5-8, Mark 16:2-8, Luke 24:1-8, John 20:1; Luke 24:9-11{12}, John 20:2-10The Empty Tomb
The Harmony of the Gospels WK 111
Section 241-243
Matthew 27: 57-58, Mark 15:42-45, Luke 23:50-52, John 19:31-38;
Matthew 27:59-60, Mark 15:46, Luke 23:53-54, John 19:39-42;
Matthew 27:61-66, Mark 15:47, Luke 23:55-56
The Burial of Christ
The Harmony of the Gospels WK 110Sections 139-140Matthew 27:45-50, Mark 15:33-37, Luke 23:44-45a, 46, John 19:28-30Matthew 27:51-56, Mark 15:38-41, Luke 23:45b, 47-49Guest Pastor Adam from High Point Church
The Harmony of the Gospels 109Section 138Matthew 27:35-44, mark 15:24-32, Luke 23:33b-43, John 19:18-27“The Crucifixion”
Harmony of the Gospels wk 108Section 136-137Matt 27:27-30, Mark 15:16-19Matt 27:31-34, Mark 15:20-23, Luke 23:26-33a, John 19:17“Bear the Cross”
The Harmony of the Gospels WK 106Section 233-234Matt. 27:2, 11-14; Mark 15:1b-5; Luke 23:1-5; John 18:28-38Luke 23:6-12I Want The Truth
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 105Matthew 26:69-75, Mark 14:66-72, Luke 22:55-65, John 18:25-27Matthew 27:1, Mark 15:1a, Luke 22:66-71; Matthew 27:3-10Acts 1:18-19AKELDEMA: Field of Blood
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 104SECTIONS 228-229John 18:13-24; Matthew 26:57-68, Mark 14:53-65; Luke 22:54 FOLLOWING AT A DISTANCE
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 103SECTION 227Matthew 26:47-56, Mark 14:43-52,Luke 22:47-53, John 18:2-12JUDAS’ KISS
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 102SECTIONS 225-226Matthew 26:30-35, Mark 14:26-31, Luke 22:39-40a, John 18:1Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:40b-46KEEP WATCH AND PRAY
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 100SECTIONS 223-224John 16:23 - 17:26JESUS’S HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 097SECTIONS 216 & 217Luke 22:31-38 / John 13:31-38Matthew 26:26-29 / Mark 24:22-25 / Luke 22:17-20 / 1 Corinthians 11:23-26COMMUNION
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 096Sections 214-215Matthew 26:21-25 / Mark 14:18-21 / Luke 22:21-23 / John 13:21-30Luke 22:24-30BETRAYAL OF THE SON
Preparation For The PassoverThe Harmony of The Gospels WK. 94Matthew 26:17-20, Mark 14:12-17, Luke 22:7-16
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 090Matthew 24:42-25:13, Mark 13:33-37, Luke 21:34-36BE WATCHFUL AND READY
The Harmony of the Gospels wk 89Section 206Matthew 24:32-41, Mark 13:28-32, Luke 21:28-33“The Second Coming is Near”
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 088SECTION 202 & 203Matthew 24:1-3, Mark 13:1-4, Luke 21:5-7Matthew 24:4-14, Mark 13:5-13, Luke 21:8-19THE COMING KINGDOM
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 087SECTION 201Mark 12:41-44 // Luke 21:1-4The Widow’s Generosity
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 086SEC 199-200Matthew 23:1-36, 37-39, Mark 12:38-40, Luke 20:45-47HYPOCRISY ERODES AUTHORITY
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 085Section 196Matthew 22:41-46 / Mark 12:35-37 / Luke 20:41-44WHEN SHILOH COMES!
The Greatest CommandmentThe Harmony of the Gospels WK84Section 197- Matthew 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-34
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 083SEC 196Matthew 22:23-33 / Mark 12:18-27 / Luke 20:27-40WHOSE WIFE WILL SHE BE?
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 082Section 195Matthew 22:15-22 / Mark 12:13-17 / Luke 20:20-26AVOIDING A TRAP
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 078SECTIONS 191-192John 12:36b-50Matthew 21:19b-22 / Mark 11:19-26SONS OF LIGHT
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 075SECTION 187Matthew 21:1–17 // Mark 11:1-11 // Luke 19:29-44 // John 12:12-19A FORMAL PRESENTATION
The Harmony of the gospels WK 74Section 185-186John 11:55-12:1, Matt 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, John 12:2-11Surpassing Value
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 071Sections 179-180Matthew 20:1-19 / Mark 10:32-34 / Luke 31-34IT’S NOT FAIR
HARMONY OF THE GOSPEL 070SECTION 178Matthew 19:16-30 / Mark 10:17-31 / Luke 18:18-30AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE LAW
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 069SECTION 177Matthew 19:13-15 / Mark 10:13-16 / Luke 18:15-17sRAISING GODLY OFFSPRING
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 068SECTIONS 175-176Luke 18:1-14 / Matthew 19:1-12 / Mark 10:1-12PRAY AND DO NOT LOSE HEART
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 066 SECTIONS 172-173 John 11:45-54; Luke 17:11-21 COMPETING KINGDOMS
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 059 SECTIONS 161-163 John 10:40-42 // Luke 13:22-35 SINGULAR FOCUS
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 058 Sections 158-160 John 10:1-39 THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND HIS SHEEP
The Harmony of the Gospels wk 56 Section 152-154 Luke 13:10-21, John 9:1-8, 9-12 “Blinders”
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 044SECTION 127-128Matthew 18:1–5 // Mark 9:33–37 // Luke 9:46–48Matthew 18:6–14 // Mark 9:38–50 // Luke 9:49–50
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 042SECTION 124Matthew 17:14-21 // Mark 9:14-29 // Luke 9:37-43aHELP MY UNBELIEF
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 041SECTIONS 121-123Matthew 17:1-13 // Mark 9:2-13 // Luke 9:28-36b
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 040SECTIONS 119-120Matt 16:21-28 / Mark 8:31-9:1 / Luke 9:22-27UNASHAMED
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 039SECTION 118Matthew 16:13-20 / Mark 8:27-30 / Luke 9:18-21WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 038SECTION 115-117Matthew 15:39 - 16:4 // Mark 8:10–12Matthew 16:5–12 // Mark 8:13–21Mark 8:22–26DONE WITH HYPOCRISY
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 037SECTION 112-114Matthew 15:21-38 // Mark 7:24-8:9MINISTRY IS FOR THE DOGS
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 036SECTION 111Matthew 15:1-20 / Mark 7:1-23 / John 7:1RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 032SECTION 104 & 105Matthew 14:13-21 / Mark 6:31-44 / Luke 9:10b-17 / John 6:1-13 GOD WILL PROVIDE
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 031 Matthew 11:1 / Mark 6:12-13 / Luke 9:6 Matthew 14:1-2 / Mark 6:14-16 / Luke 9:7-9 Matthew 14:3-12 / Mark 6:17-29 NOT GOOD ENOUGH
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 030 Matthew 9:35-38 // Mark 6:6b Matthew 10:1-42 // Mark 6:7-11 // Luke 9:1-5 GO TELL
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 029 Matthew 9:18-26 / Mark 5:21-43 / Luke 8:40-56 Matthew 9:27-34 Matthew 13:54-58 / Mark 6:1-6a BELIEF OR UNBELIEF?
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 027 Sections 93 & 94 Matthew 13:53, 8:18, 8:23-34 Mark 4:35-41; 5:1-20 Luke 8:22-39 MISSIONS & SPIRITUAL WARFARE
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 026 Mark 4:26–29 Matthew 13:24–30 Matthew 13:31–32 / Mark 4:30–32 Matthew 13:33–35 / Mark 4:33–34 HEALTHY GROWTH
// INTRO
It was William James who wrote, “I am Done with Great Things!” In one of his letters, the philosopher and psychologist shared a conviction regarding his focus not on big, grand things, but with small “almost invisible” decisions: “I am done with great things and big things, great institutions and big success, and I am for those tiny, invisible molecular moral forces that work from individual to individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets,... yet which if you give them time, will rend the hardest monuments of man’s pride.” He rightly points out that mankind is usually obsessed with the big and grandiose, but overlooking the importance of small things We love BIG! God bless ‘MERICA!! Bigger is better! And we’re proud! And I could go on and on about Western culture and values, but what I want to say simply is that we tend to focus on all the wrong things in this life, and in the process, we miss many things that God is doing Things in the normal mundane everyday Things He’s doing in small places in small ways Things He’s doing in and through average, everyday people who aren’t in the spotlight, who don’t have prestige, fame, or power We’ve got our lines crossed when it comes to greatness and humility
Now it has been said that “He who has never been humbled cannot be great - humility is the true test of greatness!” And I believe that to be absolutely true This is why Jesus is the greatest Man to ever live There is no one more humble, and thus more great, than Jesus
We’ve spent a good deal of time in previous weeks talking about this inverted Kingdom Those seeking applause and accolades will find themselves humbled And those who humble themselves, Jesus said, will be exalted It is a Kingdom of inversion - a 180 degree departure from the default settings of this life In the Kingdom, small things can be incredibly potent and powerful The size of a thing is not necessarily proportional to its potency or importance And this is something we need to keep in mind as born-again Believers in Jesus When we look with our physical eyes, we’re often wrong about what we perceive But to be in the Kingdom means that we need to look through spiritual eyes informed by God’s Word What we think to be good at first glance, can actually be harmful And that which we overlook due to it’s plainness and lack of shimmer can turn out to be priceless in the Kingdom of God So with that paradigm in mind, let’s go to the text this morning
// TEXT & EXPOSITION
SECTION 84
Mark 4:26–29 [26] And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. [27] He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. [28] The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. [29] But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Right off the bat, Jesus reminds us that these parables are about the nature of God’s Kingdom And remember that Jesus has established for His disciples that His teaching in parables is for them, and not for those outside that circle That will be true for the duration of Jesus’ earthly life, but will cease to be true once He’s been resurrected and then has ascended into Heaven
We’re simply told that the Kingdom is as if a man scattered seed on the ground That sounds a lot like the parable we unpacked last week But notice the dichotomy in this parable - the man scatters seed but the seed sprouts and grows This tells us something VERY important This tells us that Mankind has responsibility in this AND that God has responsibility in this It’s not one or the other - it’s both Though certainly not exhaustive, some of those include the responsibility to love, to lead our families, to do and teach what is right And God has taken on some responsibilities, as well He creates, sustains, loves, gives us His Word, creates good things for us to enjoy, leads us when we ask and pray So Man works and God works And this was and is His idea, and how He set it up
We see this in the parable where the seed of the Gospel has a life and power of its own This again speaks to the sufficiency of God’s Word, as we established last week All the farmer can do is plant the seed in suitable ground He cannot make it grow He doesn’t even understand how it grows The Kingdom of God grows because of the mysterious power of the seed (God’s Word) to produce a crop
Thinking practically about this parable of the seed that grows, one of the outcomes here is the certainty of a harvest And the parable seems to be establishing that there is some element of mystery here for us We don’t know or understand all of the ways in which God’s Word works - we just believe that it does! So this seed that Jesus has given to us germinates, sprouts, grows and produces fruit in mysterious ways And in our present age, God’s Kingdom grows according to His will
SECTION 85
Matthew 13:24–30 [24] He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, [25] but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. [26] So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. [27] And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ [28] He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ [29] But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
An enemy sowed tares, which means we need to answer the question, “What are tares?” A tare was a darnel weed prevalent in Israel, that is largely indistinguishable from wheat until it matures and bears fruit These people start out incognito, but generally blossom into false converts and false leaders In other words, at some point where there should be maturation and fruit, they begin to show that there is none Some people go their whole lives, playing at being a Christian I know - I was one of those until my senior year of college I claimed to know and have a relationship with Jesus Christ, but there was NO fruit at all in my life And that’s how you know Such was the case with Diotrephes in 3 John and the false apostles mentioned in Revelation 2
The enemy who sowed those tares, did it at night and in the darkness:
Ephesians 6:12 - For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Jesus speaking to Saul: Acts 26:16-18 16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you,17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
Colossians 1:13-14 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
This is the work and Satan and his demons, to sow tares Pulling up the tares would damage the wheat so he sends enemies of the Gospel into the Church to confuse things A current example would be something like Critical Race Theory That’s sowing tares in the Church Churches in western culture are all too ready to grab onto something new or exciting - it’s a function of our consumerist mindset instead of having the mind of Christ
God’s solution? Teach the Word and challenge people to embrace orthodoxy and live it out Love them, disciple them, get the Word in them and get them sharing their faith And when they won’t, and flatly refuse to do anything other than sit and soak, invite them to try other churches (we call it out-counseling) Oh, Pastor! That sounds so harsh! It is. And when things have come to that point, it generally has to be Jesus says that what is sown in the heart will eventually show itself for what it really is It will show itself to be good fruit/harvest or tares (looks good on the outside but has no substance) And as an undershepherd of Christ Jesus, I am tasked with being a fruit inspector (and some of y’all are WAY fruity!) But if the worst you’ve ever known is being disciplined in the Church, that was for your benefit And if you can’t embrace it and heed it, it only gets worse
Jesus says that the crop is gathered on the Day of Judgment and is separated or judged for what it really is The good wheat (that which produced fruit as a sign of true salvation) was gathered into God’s barn/storehouse (heaven) The tares which produced NO fruit, were cast into the fire (of Hell) They looked good on the outside, but inwardly they never surrendered and submitted to Jesus They were not saved Now you tell me, is it loving to pass over the tares and let them go on pretending, ending up in eternal torment OR is it more loving to confront them now, even to say hard words to someone, and risk offending them in order for them to see the truth about themselves?
Some of us in the Church need to grow a backbone The Church today has an abundance of Evan-jellyfish (Christians without spines) Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is to confront and rebuke someone And if you know my testimony, then you know that it was 3 young women in the Music Dept at the college I attended, who took me to lunch and called me out on my duplicity Without that confrontation, I don’t know if I’d be here today
Do the hard thing Say the hard thing Do it in love
This age will end when Jesus (the Judge of the world) separates the weeds from the wheat (judgment) The weeds (all who do evil) will be thrown into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth The wheat (the righteous) will be revealed and will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father (the future Kingdom which will appear at the end of the age) God’s justice will finally be fulfilled
SECTION 86
Matthew 13:31–32 [31] He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. [32] It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
Mark 4:30–32 [30] And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? [31] It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, [32] yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
This is one of my FAVORITE parables because when you actually parse it out, it surprises most people Jesus says that the mustard seed is the smallest of seeds, but when it was planted, it becme this HUGE (like an evergreen) tree A mustard bush, when fully grown, is usually 2-3 feet high at most Some of the cedars in my backyard are 70-90 feet high So this mustard seed growing to the size of a large tree is definitely abnormal
It becomes so large, in fact, that the birds of the air come to make their nests in it Now, that doesn’t sound like such a big deal at first In fact, it sounds like a good thing - we like birds And don’t we want people to come to church? But we have to remember our consistent idioms (word pictures) that Jesus is using The “birds of the air” are the ones that snatched the seed away in the parable of the 4 soils Jesus called them the messengers of the evil one So take that explanation back into this parable Jesus is saying that the Church got so BIG that messengers of the Evil One could come in and be at home and not be seen for what they are You know what we call that? We call that a MEGA-CHURCH, and it’s not a good thing, in my estimation
When it comes the Church, bigger is not always better Yes, more resources allow us to do more ministry, but there’s a limit And I think in America especially, we’ve assumed a different interpretation of this parable because what Jesus is actually saying goes against our consumer mentality
SECTION 87
Matthew 13:33–35 [33] He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
The usual interpretation is that the leaven is the gospel and the woman is the church, but given the consistency of Jesus’ use of idioms, I don’t believe this is the case at all Because of that interpretation, many have thought at various times that the church was going to introduce the millennium to the world, and that it would usher in the Kingdom In the 1800’s (the age of progress), it was widely held that the gospel would so permeate the world that Christianity would be universally accepted all over the planet
But that doesn’t line up with the parables we already have deciphered In fact, leaven is used consistently in the parables as a bad thing, because matza, or unleavened bread was the staple of the day As we’ve already seen, Jesus used leaven consistently as an idiom for false doctrine
To unravel this, we have to go back to Genesis 18 and the first mention of “three measures of meal” in the Biblical text During their conversation, it suddenly dawned on Abram that God Himself was visiting him, accompanied by two angels That was the beginning of the use of the three measures of meal as a symbol for fellowship
Going back to the Exodus in Egypt, before the Jews ate the first Passover, God sent them all through their houses with candles and lamps looking for leaven They were to clear every bit of it out of the house lest any of it get into the three measures of meal, or the Passover feast, and destroy the beauty of the symbolism free from sin
Never once is leaven ever used as a symbol of anything good in Jesus’ parables Everyone in this crowd knew that this woman had no business putting leaven into these three measures of meal That was to destroy the very meaning of this significant offering, for Scripture had taught them that the three measures of meal were to be unleavened
In the New Testament you find five distinct usages of leaven and they all mean something bad Never, ever in the Scriptures does leaven symbolize something good So when it comes to the meaning of this parable, we see that false doctrine and teachings will infiltrate all aspects of the Church until Jesus sets up His Millennial Kingdom on earth at the end of the Tribulation (aka: Daniel’s 70th Week, the Time of Jacob’s Trouble)
[34] All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. [35] This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”
Mark 4:33–34 [33] With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. [34] He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
And we covered this last week, explaining that Jesus was obscuring His teachings to the crowds and making them known only to His disciples so that He would eventually be crucified Had He made them plain with explanation, they would not have crucified Him, and we would not have a sufficient atoning sacrifice to grant us salvation
// APPLICATION
So I’d like to give you a few handholds from these parables this morning that will help you apply some of these truths
Healthy growth is slow and steady
Maybe that comes as a surprise to you, but it shouldn’t Imagine your 3 year old toddler having grown to 6 feet tall and having the strength to pick you up You could say that there was growth, but you’d be hard pressed to convince anyone that it was good or healthy So why do we clap like North Koreans at a missile parade when a church plant goes from 30-500 in year 1 or 2? Part of the answer is that church growth is a lucrative business
But I can look back in the 2000 year history of the Church, and what I see there is faithful men and women rightly handling the Word of Truth, sacrificing their time and effort to make investments in people with the Gospel message and God’s Word And those early churches didn’t grow to 500 and purchase the Temple of Artemis to meet in They planted more churches as they evangelized the known world and made disciples who made disciples That has been what has changed the world And I believe that is what’s missing right now in the American Church model
Everytime I go to a regional or national conference or gathering, I am bombarded with speakers and leaders challenging myself and others to GO BIG! Make a HUGE impact for Jesus and the Kingdom! Do GREAT things for the Church! But that’s not what I see in the Gospels and the New Testament I see a call to faithfulness and shepherding the flock of God A good church planter or pastor knows that he just has to accept and embrace that much of the work before him is tilling soil and breaking up fallow ground It’s HARD work but it MUST be done Healthy growth, whether in a person or in a Church, should be slow and steady And if you plant or pastor, make sure you have a consistent method for connecting with new people and moving them through the membership process
All of us need to sort out our responsibility from God’s responsibility
God has clearly given Mankind some responsibilities, and embedded in that word is the definition - the ability to respond When it comes to the parables we have read today and last week, Redeemed Mankind (saved people) clearly have the responsibility to sow the seed of the Gospel We are to “tend the fields” which means befriending our neighbors, encouraging them, and praying for them as they wrestle with the Gospel and submitting to Jesus We participate in the harvest when we present the Gospel for the first time or the 50th time, and someone responds to that well-meant offer of salvation We are told to guard the good deposit that God and others have made in us We are commanded to scatter seed as we go And that list goes on
But God’s has responsibilities, as well He has already provided the seed for us He works and labors with us and in us while we labor in His fields He sorts it all out in the end, separating the wheat from the chaff Therefore, God’s Word reminds us… [12] Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, [13] for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13)
Generally speaking, God seems to work primarily through small, local bodies of Christ-followers rather than big, sexy rock shows
You can whip up a crowd in a large church or arena and play on that emotion to get people to raise their hand or come forward And some of those conversations will be genuine, but it's mostly because others have been laying the groundwork for months or years
It might sound like I’m beating a dead horse, but bigger really is NOT always better, especially when it comes to planting churches OR making disciples If you go back to Matthew 13, the mustard seed became a great tree, like the cedars around here, that’s not good or healthy growth The local church was never intended to be an organization that is so large that those who actually serve the enemy can infiltrate it undetected I tell church planters in our network and in our region that launching a church of 200, 300, or even 500 is not something we ought to celebrate by default Many of those are disgruntled, angry church goers taking their issues with them into the next church Again, as Americans, we’re so prone to look at the size of what is happening and congratulate people on it being a “work of God” But what if it’s not?
The unintended consequence of celebrating big with the assumption that it’s always of God is that the small plants and churches that are steady on and faithful and growing slowly inevitably receive the message that Jesus hasn’t blessed them as much or God’s not in it…. There are unintended consequences of making a big deal out of BIG
Just a couple of weeks ago, the day after we returned from Atlanta, I had the opportunity to teach a breakout session at Converge Northwest’s annual regional conference I told that room of about 15-20 people that if you’re committed to building disciples and developing leaders, you WILL multiply - it might just take longer than you want it to I’ve had to repent several times in this process that I was diminishing in my heart the work of God in the lives of people in THIS church because I had embraced frustration due to the slow pace of our growth as a church And God reminded me of a lesson my dad taught me when we lived in Athens, GA SLEEP - CREEP - LEAP with Leyland cypress trees in GA Again - If you’re committed to building disciples and developing leaders, you WILL multiply - it might just take longer than you want it to
Save yourself the heartache of buying into ALL the quick-growth methodologies There is no substitute for faithfully reading and studying God’s Word and making the local church a priority in your life and the life of you family And I’ll leave you Paul’s advice on the matter Galatians 6:6–10 [6] Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. [7] Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. [8] For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. [9] And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. [10] So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Let’s go to the Lord in prayer!
// PRAY
// SING
// GO
In our flesh, we tend to obsess over BIG things in the Church world, and we miss many things that God is doing Things in the normal, mundane everyday of life His working in small places in small ways Things He’s doing in and through average, everyday people who aren’t in the spotlight, who don’t have prestige, fame, or power We’ve got our lines crossed when it comes to greatness and humility
Jesus is the greatest Man to ever live There is no one more humble, and thus more great, than Jesus So let’s follow His example as we make disciples who make disciples, and may we all be found faithful in His Presence when we stand before Him!
Emmaus Road Church, YOU ARE SENT!!
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 024 Matthew 12:38-45 Matthew 12:46-50 / Mark 3:31-35 / Luke 8:19-21 JESUS >
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 020 Matthew 6:19-7:6 / Luke 6:37-42 Matthew 7:7-27 / Luke 6:31, 43-49 Matthew 7:28-29 The Sermon on the Mount pt 3
Genesis 2:15–25 1 Corinthians 7:10–16 Ephesians 5:22–33 1 Peter 3:1–7 God’s Design for Marriage
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 018 Matthew 5:21-48 / Luke 6:27-30, 32-36 Matthew 6:1-18 SERMON ON THE MOUNT PART 2
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 018 Mark 3:13-19 / Luke 6:12–16 Matthew 5:1–2 / Luke 6:17–19 Matthew 5:3–12 / Luke 6:20–26 Matthew 5:13–20 THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 016 Matthew 12:1-8 / Mark 2:23–28 / Luke 6:1–5 Matthew 12:9–14 / Mark 3:1–6 / Luke 6:6–11 Matthew 12:15–21 / Matthew 4:25 / Mark 3:7–12 I DESIRE MERCY, NOT SACRIFICE
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 014 Mathew 8:2-4 / Mark 1:40-45 / Luke 5:12-16 Matthew 9:1-8 / Mark 2:1-12 / Luke 5:17-26 Matthew 9:9 / Mark 2:13-14 / Luke 5:27-28 Matthew 9:10-13 / Mark 2:15-17 / Luke 5:29-32 JESUS IS FOR LOSERS!
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 013 Matthew 4:18–22 / Mark 1:16–20 Mark 1:21–28 / Luke 4:31–37 Matthew 8:14–17 / Mark 1:29–34 / Luke 4:38–41 Matthew 4:23–24 - Mark 1:35–39 / Luke 4:42–44 Luke 5:1–11 WE ARE CALLED
Harmony of the Gospels 012 John 4:39-45 Matthew 4:17 / Mark 1:14b-15 / Luke 4:14b-15 John 4:46-54 Luke 4:16-31a Matthew 4:13-16
Harmony of the Gospels 011 John 3:22-36 John 4:1-4 Luke 3:19-21 Matthew 4:12 / Mark 1:14a / Luke 4:14a John 4:5-26, 27-38
Harmony of the Gospels 008 Matthew 4:1–11 / Mark 1:12–13 / Luke 4:1–13 John 1:19–28 John 1:29-34 WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?
Harmony of the Gospels 007 Matthew 3:11-12 / Mark 1:7-8 / Luke 3:15-18 Matthew 3:13-17 / Mark 1:9-11 / Luke 3:21-23a
Harmony of the Gospels 006 Mark 1:1 / Luke 3:1-2 Matthew 3:1-6 / Mark 1:2-6 / Luke 3:3-6 Matthew 3:7-10 / Luke 3:7-14 JOHN THE BAPTIZER
Aaron Oosterwyk uses Matthew 20:20-23 to redefine greatness. How do we define greatness as Christ-Followers.
Pastor Mike preaches on Resurrection Day, Easter Sunday, about the Resurrection of Jesus.
PROPHETS PRIESTS & KINGS 1 Samuel 9:1-26 THE HAND OF PROVIDENCE
God’s providence simply means the amazing way God supervises all things to provide for his people. It is His benevolent intervention in human affairs.And while we’re prone to think God only works in the big and spectacular moments of life, we find that’s not the case at all. His plan is often very different from our own plans, but also far better than our own.
Prophets Priests & Kings 09 1 Samuel 8:1-22 BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR
Culture is religion externalized, and any culture that gives in to carnality always experiences unintended consequences. Sin leads to the erosion of authority, and leads the people away from God and His ways. This move is always symptomatic of a rejection of God’s Kingship and authority being substituted for Man’s rule and reign.
Prophets Priests & Kings 08 1 Samuel 7:3–17 HERE I RAISE MY EBENEZER
Just like the Philistines of old, our enemy is an unscrupulous, amoral opportunist. But God is the one who fights for His people, and we have the ultimate Ebenezer. We have Calvary! We look back to the hill with Jesus bleeding and dying on the old, rugged cross and see God’s provision. The Lord not only won a victory that day, but THE victory for all time!
PROPHETS PRIESTS & KINGS 1 Samuel 4:1-22 THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED
Because of rampant sin and a disregard for God, the glory departed from Israel. Private disobedience always leads to public powerlessness. When the glory has departed, the Church gets gimmicky and loses discernment. The Lord is looking for a remnant in these days whose hearts are faithful.
PROPHETS PRIESTS & KINGS 04 1 Samuel 3:1-21 WHEN GOD SPEAKS
Samuel begins among religious trappings, but not knowing the Word of the Lord. God then graciously reveals His Word to Samuel, who listens attentively, and then relays the Word of the Lord to others. This is precisely what Jesus wants for each one of us. God has revealed His Word to humanity, and we need to listen to it, read it, study it, let it change us as we pass it on to others.
Prophets Priests & Kings 03 1 Samuel 2:12-36 WORTHLESS MEN
Sometimes those who presume to serve God don’t actually know God, and sometimes the servants of God obscure Him, making it hard for others to see Him. God calls his sons “worthless” which means “without worth; of no use, having no importance or value; good-for-nothing.” We use all kinds of standards to determine a person’s worth, but the Word of God determines a man’s worth by whether or not he “knows the Lord.”
1 Samuel 1:21-2:11 FOLLOW THROUGH
Anytime we vow a vow or make a promise to a Person made in God’s Image, it is very important that we follow through. It points us to the relationship between faith and the fulfillment of a promise. When we don’t follow through, then that says something about our word. But Hannah exulted in the Lord and proclaimed His goodness and His character as she followed through on her vow to God.
1 Samuel 1:1-20 HANNAH’S FAITH
As we begin 1 Samuel, we immediately come upon the faith of a barren wife named Hannah. In her deep distress, she called upon the Lord and believedHe heard her cries for help. Without faith it is impossible to please God, and Hannah exemplifies the faith that God calls us to.
1 Corinthians 16:12-24 FINAL INSTRUCTIONS
If ever there was a timely word for Christ’s Bride in western civilization, it is what we find here in the closing of this letter: Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong, and do all of this in love!
1 Corinthians 16:1-11 KINGDOM PRIORITIES
God has ordained us as Priests and Ambassadors of His Kingdom, As such, we need to be about the King’s business. His Kingdom priorities must become our highest priorities.
1 Corinthians 15:35-58 RAISED AND GLORIFIED
This world is not our home. It is a training ground where every human being decides his or her allegiance to Jesus Christ, and cultivates sin or holiness in preparation for eternity. And one day we will hear the trumpet of God and we will be raised, changed, and glorified forever in His presence!
1 Corinthians 15:12-49 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RESURRECTION
The Church can gather every Sunday and sing loud, or even attend services every day of the week. We can engage our emotions in worship and sing loud and give faithfully. But if we REALLY believe the Gospel, how can we justify our lack of obedience to what Jesus commanded us to do? Believe it or not, some have no knowledge of Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 HOLD FAST TO THE WORD
If the Holy Spirit lives in you, then stand with 3 essentials; Faith, Courage, and Obedience. This could be our finest hour if God’s redeemed people will step up and step out in faith and courage and obedience to the Great Commission. The Resurrection happened. Jesus is alive. We have the hope of glory!. What are we waiting for??
1 Corinthians 14:33-40 WOMEN SHOULD KEEP SILENT
God is not a God of confusion but of peace. Therefore, corporate worship is about doing things in such a way that builds others up and works for the common good. In that context, Paul is commanding the women to keep silent in a certain setting - namely during the judgment of prophecies. We can always be confident of this – that regardless of whether we understand Him, we can trust that everything He does is right and good.
1 Corinthians 14:26-33a CONTRIBUTE TO THE BODY
Take a mental inventory right now of all that you call “yours.” The truth is that none of it belongs to you. You are a steward of God’s resources and called to contribute to the Body of Christ. So contribute your gifts, talents, and abilities for the building up of the Body. Choose obedience and sacrifice instead of the illusion of security. Engage with the mission of Jesus in the power of the Spirit!
1 Corinthians 14:1–25 BUILD UP THE BODY
If you are a follower of Jesus you have been given specific spiritual gift(s) and you need to discover what they are and put them to use! God doesn’t need our service, but He wants our hearts. The direction of our lives should be becoming more “others-focused” and “Kingdom-focused” rather than self-focused.
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 A STILL MORE EXCELLENT WAY
Jesus has offered up Himself as a sufficient sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, and He’s put His Spirit in us. Now that the love of God dwells in us by the Spirit, we cannot sit by on our blessed assurances while the people around us slip into Hell. We cannot say that we are filled with the love of Christ if we are unwilling to obey the command of Christ. We cannot say we love God, whom we have never seen if we don’t love the people around us.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Cross was always the plan. God has poured out amazing grace in the face of incredible sin. This is the GOOD NEWS of the Gospel!
1 Corinthians 12:12–31 MADE FOR A PURPOSE
You were created on purpose, for a purpose! There are no insignificant parts of the Body of Christ, nor is any part so significant or important that it becomes independent of the whole. Use the gifts and talents that God has given you, and do not downplay the value of what you do as part of Christ’s Body!
1 Corinthians 12:1-11 SPIRITUAL GIFTS
Spiritual gifts are God’s grace to us, His Church, His Bride, and they are for life. So we need to discover and grow in our gifts. The key is obedience to what He's already revealed to you and a willingness to say YES to whatever He reveals next.
1 Corinthians 11:17-34 THE FATHER’S DISCIPLINE
God is love. God loves His children. Love must include correction and chastisement Therefore, God must correct and chastise His children. If you receive the discipline of God, then it is only because you are one of His children. He wounds, but He binds up; He shatters, but His hands heal.
1 Corinthians 11:2-16 HEADSHIP AND SUBMISSION
While we no longer view a woman’s wearing of a head covering as a sign of submission in the Church, male headship is still a reality God calls us to in the Church and in the home. This arrangement reflects the relationship within the Godhead to a watching world when we model it correctly. Scripture calls us to gladly submit ourselves to the authorities God has placed over us within the boundaries He has set. In doing so, we make Jesus known to our neighbors and the nations.
1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1 IMITATION GOVERNS THE WORLD
Every Christian should find someone who is Christlike and learn from his or her example, and aim to become someone whom others can follow. When we imitate Christ, our love for Jesus grows because we do not allow external circumstances or internal desires to distract us. We focus on obedience to His Word as we will fulfill the Great Commission. When we imitate Christ, the lost will come to know Him!
1 Corinthians 10:1-22 LEARN FROM THE PAST
Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.The Lord wants us to look back and learn from our spiritual history with the nation of Israel so that we do not repeat their mistakes. We remember our spiritual heritage, and that God calls His children to holiness because He is holy.
1 Corinthians 9:19-27 RUNNING FOR THE PRIZE
God’s Word acknowledges that there are lost people all around us, in every country, every town, so He calls the born-again Christian to join Him in the labor of winning souls. The Apostle Paul was willing to do whatever it took to get the Gospel to the lost. For him and for us, everything must be subservient to this one mission - the proclamation of the Gospel.
1 Corinthians 9:1-18 Support Those Who Serve
We are called to be generous. God has called each one of us to support those who serve us in the Gospel. We need to be cheerful givers and have an eternal mindset. When we support our pastors or other ministers, it not only benefits us but benefits others. We must be kingdom minded!
Luke 12:13-21
The abundance of generosity poured out on you and me now holds us culpable. We bear the responsibility to be generous in return. The Gospel should give us generous hearts overflowing with radical sacrifice to God.
1 Corinthians 8:1-13 ACCOMMODATING THE WEAK
The Church must not accommodate sin or the tyranny of the weaker brother, but instead press on to present everyone mature in Chist Jesus. And the perfect love of Jesus among us will cast out fear as we continue to grow in the grace and goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 7:25–40 SINGLE MINDED
We are far too entangled in this world and this life, and need to fix our eyes on what is eternal. We should live for that, invest in that, and accept nothing less. Jesus is calling us to be supremely devoted to Himself and His working in the world at this moment in time, and that’s the heart of living SINGLE MINDED!
1 Corinthians 7:17-24 CONTENT IN THE LORD
Take your focus OFF you status on earth and put it ON your status before God. This admonition is there precisely because we get tangled up in our efforts at upward mobility. We think the grass is greener on the other side. But our status before people makes no difference when it comes to our standing before God.
1 Corinthians 7:1-16 THE BIGGER PICTURE
The big picture is that our earthly marriages point to Jesus and the Church. And as we love Him more with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, then we will love our spouses better and more deeply and completely. And we gain insights into the depth of the love and forgiveness that God has for us as His covenant people. We need to have the bigger picture in view when it comes to the things of God, and especially marriage!
1 Corinthians 6:12-20 HOLD MY BEER
Just because you can do a thing, it doesn’t mean you should. And that’s what Paul is saying to the Corinthian church, when they are found pushing the boundaries where grace lies. It is as if when it came to flagrant, sexual sin, they were saying “Hold my Beer! Watch this! Paul’s rebuke is a needed warning to the Church then and now!
1 Corinthians 5:9-6:11 SO WERE SOME OF YOU
God doesn’t want us to merely have the right information, but to experience a fundamental transformation that continues over the course of our lives. So we press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of us, We go forward and walk in light of our new identity. And we submit to the transformative power of the Spirit who now lives in us!
John 19:38 - 20:18 GOD’S EMPTY PROMISES
Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” And this is where the fears of Friday are turned into the security of Sunday. But we don’t stop there - we must go on to the Mission of Monday! The ongoing story of Easter is what WE DO with the Gospel.
1 Corinthians 5:1-8 CONFRONTING IMMORALITY
Christians must seek to be holy and keep themselves from sin. We are called to live lives separated from sin. We must be honest with one another in the Body, confronting each other in our sin and confessing it to one another. None of us is above sin.
1 Corinthians 4:6-21 SPIRITUAL FATHERS
The Church today does not have many spiritual fathers - men who teach but also invest themselves in the lives of others. When God raises up men like this, the Church becomes healthy at every level, and the mission of Jesus is fully engaged. The younger see the older and do likewise because imitation governs the world.
1 Corinthians 3:18-4:5 ALL THINGS ARE YOURS
All things are yours...This world, this life is for our use, not for our enjoyment. When this short life is over, we will have 1000 years of the Kingdom on earth to reign and rule with Christ, and then at the ending of that Age, there will be then a new Heaven and a new earth in which righteousness will dwell forever. So look up from the grind of THIS life and glance ahead at what is coming, and live free from entanglement in the knowledge that all things belong to you!
1 Corinthians 2:1-16 THE ULTIMATE BAIT & SWITCH
So Jesus pulls the ULTIMATE INVERTED bait and switch! The inverse is getting something we think is good, but instead of something bad, in the end, we receive infinitely more good than we could have imagined! And God’s express desire is that we would trust His character as our foundation.
1 Corinthians 3:1-17 WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
When we think of this thing we call Church, Jesus invites us to think of it as a Family, a Field, and a Building. We are born again into a new Family where we grow up in Christ and mature. We sow and reap in the Field, as we ourselves produce. And we build up the Kingdom like a Building that is cared for by the quality of our service unto one another and the Lord. Where is God developing your maturity? What is your life producing? What is the quality of your service?
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 THE FOOLISHNESS OF GOD
The Christians at Corinth were quarreling and it was sabotaging their impact upon the city. That which had started out with tremendous power in the Spirit was beginning to fade, but the cure for divisiveness and dissension was and is the Gospel. Believing the gospel is not only the means by which you become a Christian, it is the means by which you are delivered in your Christian life.
1 Corinthians 1:1-17 CHURCH MATTERS
Why would Paul take time to write to such a divided, dysfunctional, jacked-up church? Because Jesus loves His Bride! When the church is wayward, He calls us back. When the church is steeped in sin, He disciplines us. Those in the church are to steward it well, and that means being willing to have the hard conversations and do hard things for the sake of Jesus’ Bride. We deal with church matters because CHURCH MATTERS!
Jon Waller from Renewed Life Church shares some of his story and reminds us that Jesus changes everything!
Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 CARPE DIEM
Right now is all we have. So let us be good stewards of what we’ve been given. Right now is the time to share the Gospel with our family members and friends, with our neighbors and anyone who will listen. We will ALL stand before God and give an account of the life that we lived. Are you building with gold, silver, and precious stones, or are you building with wood, hay, and stubble? Only what’s done for Christ will last. That is the true meaning of Carpe Diem. Seize the day, Saints!
Ecclesiastes 11:1-10 RISK IS RIGHT
Risk is defined as any action that exposes you to the possibility of loss, damage, or harm. It’s something we all face and deal with because it is woven into the very fabric of our lives. We cannot avoid it even if we want to. As followers of Jesus Christ, we must not let fear keep us from obedience and acting in faith. Risk it all to serve your King!
Ecclesiastes 10:1-20 LIVING UPSIDE DOWN
This fallen, upside down world is all any of us have ever known. We can easily become too comfortable with it, and forget that Jesus didn’t turn the world upside down. The Fall did that. Jesus came to an upside down world and lived rightside up. He made a way for anyone who would follow Him in faith to live rightside up as well.
Ecclesiastes 9 DEATH AND TAXES
Yes, death and taxes are constant realities in this life, but there is a constant that is better and sweeter and higher and greater. It is the Love of our great God. And our Great God seeks His glory not at the expense of His creation, but at the expense of Himself.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with the WHAT of Christmas, but when the WHAT is divorced from the WHY, Christmas becomes something else entirely. Whatever your Christmas traditions, make sure you make time with friends and family, you slow down, enjoy God’s Word, and remember the WHY of Christmas.
Ecclesiastes 8:10-17 DAZED AND CONFUSED
Solomon’s situation in Ecclesiastes is one of being dazed and confused on some points related to God and life.Remember that at his point on the timeline, there is no Bible like we have now, and he’s lacking some information that we have in the complete Word of God. Praise God that we have not only His Word written, but also the Living Word - Jesus!
Ecclesiastes 8:1-17 UNDER AUTHORITY
Authority flows to those who take responsibility. Authority flows away from those who avoid and evade responsibility. You cannot be a good authority until you’ve learned to be under authority. This is true in all 3 spheres of authority that God has established on earth: the Home, the Church, and the Government.
Ecclesiastes 7:14-29 SOVEREIGN OVER ALL
We keep looking for ways to hack the system (lifehacks) but we always fail because God is sovereign over the system, and He never fails. Jesus calls us to give up finding our own unique pathway to eternal life and instead embrace the Way that He Himself has opened up for those who would come in humility and faith. And as we receive the Gospel for the first time, or lovingly listen to it for the hundredth time, we take it with us as we go and give it to others in Jesus’ Name!
Ecclesiastes 7:1-14 DO HARD THINGS
When we do hard things, we’re rejecting the path of least resistance and developing Godly character. It moves us towards Christlikess more than almost anything else in this life. The Scriptures call us to become men and women of Godly character marked by grit. And if you absolutely must rebel, then rebel against the status quo and cultural expectations and DO HARD THINGS!
Ecclesiastes 6:1-12 A PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE
The futility and meaninglessness of this life “Under the Sun” is that nothing satisfies the heart’s longings except the One who made it. So by taking us through these perspectives on life, Solomon is essentially slamming all the doors for us that we might otherwise try to open and walk through in a vain attempt at finding meaning. With Christ, we have everything. Without Christ, we have absolutely nothing.
Ecclesianstes 5:8-20 The Anxiety of Wealth
The things that we value so much here according to worldly standards will be of little-to-no value in the life to come. This is why the Scriptures tell us that we need to be renewed in our minds and our thinking. We should heed the warning and invest accordingly. The most foolish thing we could ever do is lay up earthly wealth when Jesus has called us to store up treasure in Heaven.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 FEAR GOD
If our lifestyles and our daily choices are divorced from the words that our lips are singing when we're gathered as the Church, then it is because at our core we do not FEAR God. The culture around us, this lost world, doesn’t need practical advice for living.vThey need Jesus the God-Man. The answer for the Church’s lack of faith and for the lost in the world is the same: Fear God!
Ecclesiastes 4:1-16 Solomon’s Lament
In all his “wisdom,” Solomon thought that because he understood the principle behind the Law, he was not constrained to obey it. And we are likely to do something similar quite often. Fame and popularity, riches and glory are all fleeting. That was true even for Solomon, and here in his journal it would seem that he recognizes it deeply. We each get one go at life as we wheel around under the sun, and if we are truly wise, we will humble ourselves under the Son
Ecclesiastes 3:1-22 Nothing Really Matters
A culture that rejects God as their authority over them is doomed to go headlong into meaninglessness and futility. Our hope is not in this life or our circumstances.Our hope is placed securely in the One who not only knows the future, but holds it in His hands.But for many around us who are still without hope, there is a frantic scramble to gain immortality by any other means.
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 The Pursuit of Pleasure
When we experience fear, it is almost always things that we are scared will enslave or overpower us. Yet very seldom do we fear our pleasures and passions accomplishing the same end. But in a Divine twist of fate, that is the more common occurrence. Solomon arranged every aspect of his external world to afford him maximum pleasure, but he never experienced true happiness or lasting joy or peace.
The Futility of Life
We could spend our whole life on earthly pursuits only to find that they are in vain. Imagine looking up to find your life over and wondering if some other pursuit might have given meaning to your life. Solomon had the means to pursue every avenue of pleasure and meaning, and he tried them all for us.Now we have the opportunity to learn from his example.
Approaching Armageddon
The Day of the Lord is coming. It will not hurry, and it will not delay. God’s timing is perfect in all things. God desires all men, women, boys, and girls to be saved. He’s given us His Son, and the Word about His Son, the Gospel. Because of that assurance, we have hope that we will escape the time of God’s wrath that is coming upon the whole earth.
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The Apex of Humanism
God is the only Being or Person who can and does know the future with accuracy and precision. These predictive passages in the Bible are not given to us to frighten us, but to remind us that Man’s solutions, apart from Jesus, never solve Man’s problems, that our battle is spiritual, and that people are lost and dying without Jesus. We have been called to rescue as many as we can.
The Most Detailed Prophecy in the Bible
Because of sin, mankind suffers from a deep-seated lust for power, pleasure, prestige, and possessions. Deep in our wayward, broken hearts, we believe that our worth and identity, our satisfaction and desires are all met in these. Pursuit of these is a fool’s errand, and we have seen it time and time again down through the ages, tracing all the way back to Cain and Abel. How gracious of our Heavenly Father to give us these lessons in His Word, that we might learn from those who’ve come before us and avoid their pitfalls.
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
You and I were born into a world that is at war, a spiritual war that has been raging almost since the beginning of time. We must learn to respect our foe, but not fear him. We need to become aware and familiar with his tactics, but not become preoccupied by them. As born-again Believers in Jesus Christ, we do not fight FOR victory - we fight FROM victory because Jesus has already won the war!
Daniel’s 70 Weeks Prophecy
Prophecy is God’s Impurmater - His divine mark on the text of Scripture that we might know with full assurance that it is from Him. The prophecies in the BIble that have come to pass prove this beyond a shadow of doubt, and give us confidence in the ones that are yet to be fulfilled. God’s clock restarted with the rebirth of Israel in 1948, and now we are seeing the 70th Week of Daniel forming on the horizon. Let us make the best use of what time we have to make Jesus known!
A Prayer of Brokenness and Repentance
The story of the Bible is really a story of contrasting worldviews. It is the story of all of human history, which is a tale of 2 cities - Babylon and Jerusalem. Daniel reminds us that it is not so much a matter of which city you live IN, but which city you live FOR. And constant, consistent, fervent prayer is essential to that calling.
Ram v. Goat
The spirit that drove Antiochus Epiphanes was the spirit of Antichrist. That same spirit is driving what’s happening in the world at this moment. You are witnesses to the manifestation of the spirit of antichrist in an unprecedented way. But know that we’ve not seen the fullness yet. It is coming.
Up Close with the Beast
The world that we now live in is set on a path that is Biblically prophetic and ordained by God. An increasing unified chorus of voices from all nations, languages, and creeds is calling for our planet to come together - to transcend political and religious differences and ideologies - and to “evolve” beyond our current level of development into what we need to become to navigate this New World Order that is coming upon us. The stage is set. The actors are in place. We now await the rise of the chief villain in this closing act, and his arrival is very soon.
God’s Sovereignty
As we open chapter 7, the text changes from a pure narrative (storytelling) to an apocalyptic narrative (telling us the future through signs and symbols). We see the Gentile kingdoms down through history, a glimpse of God’s throne room in session, and the Son of Man receiving a Kingdom.
The Lion’s Den
As the born-again, blood-bought, Spirit-filled people of God, how should we navigate this moment in history? As regimes change, cultures shift, and nations crumble, let us rest in the knowledge that God is with us, God is for us, and God in us. He will see justice done. Our part is to make Him known while we still have that privilege.
The Writing Is On The Wall
Daniel means “God is Judge.” The Lord hates sin, and His judgment is just and timely. Broken and contrite hearts that repent receive grace and mercy. Hard hearts that justify themselves receive judgment and wrath.
Living in Babylon 08 The Power of a Testimony
King Nebuchadnezzar experienced the judgment of God on his life - 7 years of abasement and humiliation. God took what was UGLY in his sight and made it CLEAN, and He does the exact same thing today. Every single person who has come to faith in Jesus also has a testimony, and it is one of the most effective tools that God has given you. At the end of the day, people will respect the story of change in you, especially if they’re seeing it first-hand.
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If we are going to live for Jesus in this world, if we are going to be His alone, if we are going to refuse to let this world squeeze us into its mold, then we are going to suffer persecution. But do not ever forget - one faithful soul PLUS GOD is a super-majority! Man purposes the furnace to overwhelm us. Satan proposes the furnace to consume us. But God proposes the furnace to refine us and make us more like Jesus.
Man is an incurably religious creature, and we all inevitably bow at some shrine. It is either the worship of the true God or some false substitution. But what happens when God’s people refuse to bow to worthless idols, and what can we learn from their experience?
SET IN MOTION Daniel receives both the dream and interpretation from God, and discloses it to King Nebuchadnezzar. But the dream has implications for us today. There is a coming Kingdom which will forever displace all the kingdoms of this world.
The Holy Spirit opens the way for us to interact with God’s Word in understanding and gaining wisdom. It’s about obedience, not simply the right information. Daniel sought the Lord God Almighty as a first priority and received not only knowledge, but wisdom from God, that he might do good and influence others for good. God wants that for us - to employ reason and His revelation to make Him known.
Do you want influence? Seek faithfulness. Do you want to be powerful and wise in God’s economy? Then embrace the reality that this world is going to think you foolish. Do you desire power and strength and might? Then humble yourself and serve others! That’s the call of God!
It is our inward resolve that dictates our action in the moment of decision. Have you made the decision to follow Jesus? Are you resolved to follow Him no matter where He leads, even if it leads to your death? That is the stoutness of heart that is required to live in Babylon while staying true to Jesus.
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At the closing of this letter, Jude is very deliberate by the Spirit of God to not let the false teachers steal the spotlight. It would be easy enough to be consumed with them and make them the focal point and even build the ministry of the church around combatting them. Instead, as Jude wraps up, he takes great pain to remind us to keep the main thing the main thing.
Judgment is coming. It is predicted all throughout the pages of Scripture in great detail. It is the proper response of a holy God to sin in the lives of unrepentant rebels.
God is helping His people by PROFILING DECEPTION for us. He’s rendering aid against the enemy of our souls. This is a gracious thing for our heavenly Father to do, and it is for our good and for our protection.
God is not mocked. Every rebellion against God has failed and will fail. The only 2 options for the rebellious heart are Repentance or Retribution. This is the warning of Jude and it is much needed in our day.
The world needs to hear the Good News. We need to remember that you can’t improve on the Gospel! There’s no greater source of life, hope, and security in this world than the Good News of eternal life in Christ Jesus.
There are plenty of people in Church who believe some truths about the Kingdom and the King, but don’t follow Him. What about you? Are you simply embracing some facts about Jesus, or are you actively following the King?
Passover - Unleavened Bread - First Fruits = Deliverance - Purification - Harvest
God gives Old Testament rehearsals so that we can identify New Testament realities. We have been delivered, and are being purified, so join Jesus in the Harvest!
The role of a King is as the ruler/leader/sovereign, and as such he sets the rules, standards and expectations for how things ought to be in His Kingdom. That being the case, the question we ought to be asking is...What does our King expect?
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Being Kingdom Minded means that we embrace the reality that it all belongs to God. He's called us to be stewards, not owners. He gets our first and our best as an act of faith and worship.
We are called to daily extend the Presence of Jesus and the truth and love and God into our community and context. His Kingdom is real, it is a present reality, and it is coming to earth! God's children must become Kingdom Minded!
If you have a faith that works, you should have a faith that makes you faithful, because it’s a faith in a God who is faithful.
We typically don’t want anyone touching our money and our stuff, but Jesus insists. All through the text of Scripture, He insists that He is Lord over our finances, over our passions, over our pursuits in this life.
Jesus is not calling you to behavior modification. He is calling you to humble yourself and walk in obedience. He is calling His people to align themselves and their desires with His will, His Kingdom, and His agenda. That fundamentally requires humility.
A person will either move towards wisdom or folly. In order to understand pure wisdom, we must first be made pure ourselves That necessitates our need for the Holy Spirit.
If you’ve been saved by the blood of Jesus, then you are Christ’s ambassador. You represent Him as a first priority in every situation, endeavor, and relationship. What comes out of your mouth is a reflection of what is in your heart, and therefore validates or invalidates your ambassadorship in the eyes of those around you.
The works that James is hammering on here and in the rest of his letter, are not works that bring us into a right relationship with the King of kings. Rather, they are works that are an outworking of our submission to our King. Even demons have right theology. Is your belief becoming biography?
At the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ is level ground for all people. When it comes to value, all the distinctions, accomplishments, and feats that we use to set men and women apart from one another as “better” mean nothing to Jesus. They have no place in the Church of Jesus Christ as they divide His Body.
Our deeds VERIFY our words, and our words CLARIFY our deeds. How we live obediently as Christ-followers gives context to the message of the Gospel. As God’s people, we can count on the certainty of trials. And by His grace, we can also know and understand God’s purposes in them as we endure.
Our deeds verify our words, and our words clarify our deeds. The Gospel we proclaim, and the way which we live must go hand in hand. This is the purpose of James' letter. In this first section, James reminds us that as God’s people, we can count on the certainty of trials. But we can also know and understand God’s purposes in them as we go through them.
The American Church systems are giving us precisely what they are designed to produce - consumers of religious goods and services. We have been entrusted with the message of reconciliation between God and Man, and to is more than a command to be obeyed, or a suggestion to be considered. It is a sacred trust!
We can never find contentment in stuff, nor can we buy fulfillment. Being content is not rooted in our circumstances. So this Advent, worship Jesus, slow down, and seek to be a blessing to others!
When it comes to the Advent season, how do we recalibrate our souls? How do we get back to the real reason for the season? Everyone at that first Christmas gave their full worship to Jesus, and that’s what we need, as well. It's as simple as that. We desperately need His PRESENCE before we need our presents, and not just on Christmas morning.
Boasting in the Lord is the opposite of boasting in one’s self. Instead of drawing attention to ourselves, we draw attention to Christ. This boasting is a call for people to admire him as much as we admire him. We are seeking praise—for Christ’s worth - not our own glory!
The Christian life is not a passive experience, but an active engagement. God is not mocked, Whatever we’ve sown is what we will reap. So let us strive to sow with the Gospel and the things of the Kingdom, and to utilize our resources here and now to invest in eternity.
Gospel-centered community means that we fight sin together. It is forgiveness that builds up the Body. You were not made to do life alone! Speaker: Scott McAllister
Jesus didn’t save you so you could sit and stagnate. That’s an illusion anyway as there is no such thing as stasis in this life. You don’t drift towards holiness - the Spirit leads you and you must follow, and the challenge is to stay in step with Him as He leads.
People have been searching for true and lasting freedom for thousands of years. Satan lied when he promised freedom from God and the one rule that governed humanity. God’s solution to our bondage has always been Jesus, who frees us from sin and death. So DO NOT return again to a yoke of slavery!
The use of word pictures is a powerful tool in communication. It can move a person beyond logic to emotion very quickly. Paul employs this tool in arguing against a legalistic shift that Paul rightly recognized as incredibly dangerous to the Gospel.
When it comes to the Church, and living life together, concerns are inevitable. How we communicate them matters, and so does how we receive them in humility. And while Christlike compassion isn’t always soft and gentle, the goal is always correction and the building up of the Body.
Just like earthly adoption, God brings us into his family as those who weren’t naturally His, and then legally makes us to be just like his Son. We are brought into a new family, and totally divested of our former way of life. God completely and totally changes who we are and what we get.
Wayne Ihrig (Elder at Emmaus Road) walks us through the purpose of God's Law as we continue our series in Galatians called PURE Gospel.
God is holy and because He is holy, He must punish sin. But we can now choose whether to receive that punishment ourselves OR to believe in faith God is holy, and because He is holy, He must punish sin. But we can now choose whether to receive that punishment ourselves OR to believe in faith that Jesus bore our punishment for us so that we can be forgiven and free. That act of faith in response to the Gospel opens up a COVENANT relationship with the One True and Living God.
Jesus changes us when He comes to dwell inside us by His Spirit. The question we need to wrestle with is “Are we deliberately participating in the mission of Jesus in allowing Him to use us to impact lives for His Kingdom?”
The PURE Gospel changes us from rebellious sinners into the children of God. The OBJECTIVE TRUTH of the Gospel changes our OBJECTIVE REALITY. We call that our TESTIMONY!
Paul argues the point that God is the one we should aim to please. You will either live for the approval of man, or you will live for the approval of God, but you cannot do both!
PURE: Whole, uncorrupted, complete, without defect. Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia to contend against a false gospel that could not save. ANY Gospel that is note pure is NOT the Gospel.
Facilities and Finances are 2 things that most people in the church would rather avoid talking about. But the reality is that planning for the future requires that we do just that.
Emmaus Road Church exists to Build Disciples, Develop Leaders, and Multiply Churches. We do that by Loving God, Loving People, Living Generously. But to move into the future, we need to add staff, intentionally disciple, and grow the church.
Humility is that trait most exemplified in Christ which humans hate most, but which God loves most. Baptism is, at its core, essentially an act of public humility.
Baptism is not something God requires for salvation, but it is something God desires for His children!
Prophecy is the ultimate proof that the Bible is God's Word because only God knows the future!
Many Christians during the Reformation fought and died for the doctrine of Sola Scriptura. Join Pastor Mike as he explains why this doctrine is so vital to the Church and our building a Biblical Worldview.
Christians have lots of questions about lots of different topics, but underneath it all, the issue is, "How do we think about all of life through the lens of the Bible?"
A meaningful and real experience with the Living, Loving God of the Universe, plus time alone, equals a slide back towards a life of chaos. There is no spiritual cruise control. You’re either intentionally moving towards Jesus or you’re sliding back into your flesh.
The lack of a stable population in Jerusalem is a problem Nehemiah sets out to solve. But in order to see it done, God's people must be willing to move, to rejoice, and to serve.
Obedience is costly to you, and to those around you. You can embrace that cost, or you can be frustrated by it, but you cannot undo it. You can only decide to obey Jesus who saved you, or run from Him.
The way to healing is to tell the truth, not just about our situation or circumstance, but about God and His goodness and salvation, and to tell it again and again and again so that it takes us back to Him once more.
When Christ-followers embrace God’s Word as our authority, we gain a deep sense of trust in it’s jurisdiction over us, which leads us to read it faithfully and obey what it says. There’s a truth to know and believe, a reality to embrace, and a directive to obey.
The people of God are important to Him because they belong to Him. When we belong to Him by the blood of Jesus, we very much belong to each other. This is what makes the Church so very different.
There comes a crucial moment in pursuing the completion of God's will and work when the buik of the work is done, and you can see the finish line. It's then that the enemy shifts his strategy, It's then that God's people need to finish the drill!
A backslider is someone who, having professed faith in Jesus, is currently going the wrong spiritual direction. Corporately, Israel was backslidden in Nehemiah's day, but God raised up a leader who would confront the issue head on.
Many Christians think that following Jesus means a life of smooth sailing, with no opposition and no set backs. But the Bible says we have an enemy who hates us and opposes us. As followers of Jesus, we should expect opposition.
It doesn't matter how hard we search in this life, there is nothing that can give us hope beyond the grave! Only Jesus Christ can offer us such hope because only Jesus has overcome the grave!
Scott McAllister walks us through the death of Jesus for our sins, and many of the prophecies that foretold of that sacrifice on our behalf.
On that first Palm Sunday there wasn’t a soul in Jerusalem who actually understood what Jesus was up to. The crowd was welcoming a King, but their expectations were wrong because they were rooted in a different agenda. If we're not careful, we can fall into the same trap.
Pastor Dan lays out the case that our fight to overcome the evil one and this world is grounded in our hope in Jesus Christ!
Pastor Dan Moushey shares his personal testimony and calls Christians to find our identity fully in Jesus!
God's intentionality is on display in the text of Nehemiah 3 as each gate speaks to an aspect of the Gospel. The beautiful message hidden here calls us to action!
Nehemiah’s wisdom is shown in never calling people to follow a leader, but to embrace the mission. At no point in this book will you see Nehemiah call people to follow him. Instead, he continually presents the vision for what God has called them to, and points the people back to God. So must we!
Ministry is seeing God’s will be done on earth as it is in Heaven….His hand reaching to touch others through you. Nehemiah prayed, and God answered his prayers abundantly! But he was ready for God to answer him! Are you ready for God to answer your prayers?
Nehemiah recognizes that he MUST pray - not just passing prayers at bedtime or before a meal - but heart crying, on your knees, intercession at the foot of the throne prayers!!! We need to follow suit as the people of God, remembering that Nehemiah is our prototype of BUILDING IN FAITH.
With Man, when things break or are broken, we discard them, we put them in the trash and are done with them. They are no longer desirable to be used. But God highly values broken things! In His economy, He has chosen to preferentially deal with, use, and bless broken hearts and broken people.
There is a battle for your mind, taking place at this very moment. The Apostle Paul compares the mind to a fortress, and it is constantly under attack. There is a battle raging within your mind and you are in danger of being taken captive and made a prisoner. You are the target and your mind is the bull's-eye!
The simple truth is that we don't fear God as Scripture tells us, therefore we don't truly know and experience His character, we don't trust His Word, and therefore don't share the Gospel with the lost.
There is a perspective on life that God wants His children to adopt. It’s a perspective that focuses on eternity rather than the immediacy of our lives right now. It’s a view of life that sees beyond our current circumstance, to the peace and love that we’re going to experience with Jesus forever.
David's victory song of faith becomes a victory chant for followers of Jesus. Faith is not something to be consumed or watched - it’s not a passive experience. It is something to be actively embraced and lived!
Do you come to God to be fulfilled or to be filled? It might seem like semantics, but the difference is world's apart. Proverbs directs us to not simply trust in God, but to TRUST GOD, and that distinction powerfully impacts everything in our lives.
So much of our lives are spent grasping for what we consider sources of security - relationships, emotional connections, money and finances - but I want to suggest to you this morning that much of what we grasp for in the name of security is actually an illusion! True security is only found in Jesus and in obedience to Him.
We celebrate what God has done in 2018, and we look ahead in faith to what He will do in 2019.
Pastor Mike takes a look at the Christmas story through the lens of a beloved poem and song, It Came Upon A Midnight Clear.
When the Word of the Lord comes to you, how do you respond? Are you like Mary who submitted in faith though she didn't understand. Or are you more like Zechariah who demanded more evidence before he would believe?
As Paul concludes his letter to the Ephesian church, he identifies Christ-followers with the distinct role of being ambassadors for Jesus.
On her journey to maturity, Emmaus Road must reach 3 mile markers of maturity: self-governing, self-sustaining, self-replicating. Today, we install our 3rd Elder, reaching our first marker, and that's cause for celebration!
God tells His people to put on His armor and take up His sword to combat Satan and his forces. We live in a world at war, you are in a battle with a real enemy, and yet most Christians don't live like it...
Paul addresses the relationship between slaves and masters, but doesn't call for abolition outright. That's a hard reality for us. But perhaps the harder question is, "What can we take away from this passage in terms of personal application?"
What does it look like to raise kids God's way? What happens to a family and a culture when we don't? God's Word gives us some important instructions when it comes to parenting.
God places the burden of gently caring for our wives squarely on the husband's shoulders. The consequence of carelessness in this area can be the hinderance of our own prayers to God.
Self-sacrifice is how Jesus most clearly demonstrated His love for us. His death on the cross exemplifies what it means to choose sacrifice for the good of another. This is the call of God on the husband to love his wife like Jesus loves the Church.
We continue week 2 of exploring God's commands to wives as we look at Peter's admonition in his first letter. Covenantal Christian marriage is counter-culture!
The idea that wives are to submit to their husbands seems such an archaic and outdated idea in our 21st Century culture, but is it? What does God's Word really say?
In this passage, Paul lists for us 3 things that God wants for every Christ-follower. Are they present in your life?
Imitation seeks to adopt the characteristics of a person out of admiration and a desire to be like that person. The basis for our desire to be like someone or something else in some significant way is rooted in admiration. In this passage, Paul gives us 3 main ways that we should imitate God.
Holiness is also a deeply personal reality. God applies His holiness to you, the individual, in unique ways according to your circumstance and situation, so Paul gives us handholds for what it looks like to live the Gospel as God's people in practical holiness.
If we try to speak the Truth (preach the Gospel) while still walking like the Gentiles in our old selves, then we invalidate our words. But, if we speak the Truth to our neighbors and family and friends after having put on the new self, then we operate in the power of the Spirit and have credibility.
The Church is a living organism made alive by Jesus. If each one of us are members of that Body, cells that make up a larger whole, then what is our function? What does a healthy Body look like?
In this section, Paul is wrapping up his presentation of doctrine and theology with a prayer for the Church, as he transitions to the application of all those truths. But this prayer presents some unique truths that Jesus-followers need to deeply consider...
You and I are the recipients of a great mystery - a stewardship. This mystery was hidden for thousands of years, but revealed to the Apostle Paul, and now is passed on to you!
Jesus’ insertion into human history tore down walls. The coming of that tiny baby in Bethlehem was the sound of a bulldozer warming up. As His followers, we’re called to walk in His ways, and for those who are not yet saved, there is still a very real wall looming....how will we respond?
On August 18, 2018, we gathered to celebrate the life of our beloved brother, Jason Parker...
God's Word makes clear the default condition of mankind due to sin, and also the condition of saved humanity once Jesus has intervened. How does a person go from Point A as an object of God's wrath to Point B as a recipient of grace? Find out as Pastor Mike unpacks the first part of Ephesians 2...
At the end of chapter 1, Paul prays for the Ephesian church, unpacking even more blessings like our great hope, our inheritance, and the power of God made available to all Christ-followers!
Two simple verses round out Paul's poem about the blessings that the Trinity bestows on us related to our salvation. Two simple verses packed with a tremendous amount of truth.
The blessings that God has predestined for His children are both now (in part) and also not yet (in full). The wonderful and sometimes difficult part is that those blessings are also tied to God's people, the Church. What does it look like for us to allocate and operate in those blessings as God's people now?
Following his greeting to the Ephesian church, Paul begins a poem of sorts that details the blessings Christians have from each member of the Trinity, and how those blessings are part of a package deal for any and all who are "in Christ."
Ephesians is one of Paul's prison letters written not to just one local congregation, but several churches in and around the city of Ephesus in Asia Minor (modern Turkey). In his greeting to the Christ-followers there, Paul explains to them just how very rich they are in the things of the Spirit!
Wrapping up our short series on your questions, Pastor Mike tackles issues related to Heaven, angels, and LGBTQ people in the Church.
This week Pastor Mike tackles the question, "What is the Bible?" and along the way deals with distinguishing between the Old and New Testaments and Covenants.
Pastor Mike answers questions that have been coming in all through the 1 John series, from "Why did God make us?" to "Does our church support female pastors?" and many others. When it comes the Christian life, Jesus, and the Bible, there are no dumb questions!
Christians claim to have the only access point to heaven, and to know God exclusively through Jesus. Is that claim true? Is making that claim arrogant? Is our confidence in this claim rightly placed? Find out as we wrap up 1 John and explore this idea of confidence.
Many Christians around the world die for their faith every year. While Jesus may not be calling you to die for the faith, He is calling you to die to self and live for Him. How is your testimony a reflection of Jesus to a watching world?
God's love initiates towards us and is most clearly seen and demonstrated in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. But God also perfects His love in us as the Church and manifests that love in some very practical ways....
Is it safe to assume that anything supernatural is from God? Should we be a people who seek and chase after signs and wonders? What does it mean to be discerning? Find out as Pastor Mike continues our series in 1 John with a sermon on DISCERNMENT.
When it comes to our stewardship as followers of Jesus, what priorities belong in the first circle or tier of that stewardship? John's gospel and first epistle both seem to indicate the importance of loving the Church as a first priority. But what does that look like practically?
Practicing sin is lawlessness, and that's something that Jesus came to expressly destroy. That is to say that ongoing, habitual sin is not in keeping with one's claims to be a child of God. If that reality of ongoing sin and a lack of love describes your life, you make have a false sense of assurance and be self-deceived. We don't always see ourselves clearly, and that's why we need the Body of Christ so desperately.
Jesus spoke at length to His disciples about abiding in the vine. John picks up some of the same language as he reminds us we need to let the Word and the Anointing abide in us, and that we need to abide in Jesus!
Everybody these days is talking about conspiracy theories. Some are hard to believe. Others seem more palatable. But what if I told you that there really was a global conspiracy designed to move people away from the knowledge of God? Join Pastor Mike as he explains that conspiracy from God's Word.
People say a lot of things, but how can you know if what someone says is actually true? The same is true with the claims of some to follow Jesus. How can we know whether or not they really desire to follow Him? Chapter 2 of 1 John answers these questions very directly!
Pastor Ryan Jensema from Northwest Baptist Church in Bellingham, WA agreed to church swap with Pastor Mike this week as we strengthen our ties as part of a church planting network. Pastor Ryan explores Philippians 4 and the reality that there's just no way forward unless it's with Jesus.
John is known today as the Apostle of love, but love has a backbone. He was also a stern man, combatting false teaching in the church and contending for the faith. Chapter 1 introduces us John's refutation of Gnostic teaching and a series of litmus tests for the Christian faith.
Two disciples were walking on the road to Emmaus on the day of the Resurrection. Their encounter with the risen Christ changed them forever. Within that encounter, there are 5 realities that have become our Core Values at Emmaus Road Church...
Good Friday is an invitation to enter into the mindset of the disciples who couldn't see Sunday morning and the Resurrection yet. Pastor Mike unpacks 3 ways in which the cross of Jesus Christ is SCANDALOUS!
We call it Palm Sunday or the Triumphal Entry. Jesus had avoided being made King by force on several occasions, but then on this day He orchestrates it. Why? What was so significant about this date in history and how is it connected to Jesus as Messiah?
Jesus was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. There was nothing about Him from a worldly perspective that was attractive that we should desire Him. God's Word tells us that as Jesus was in the world, so are we. What does that mean, and why is it so important? Find out as we unpack Isaiah 52-53 together.
Psalm 22 was written by King David 900 years before crucifixion was even invented as a form of execution. How does this song of David foreshadow David's Greater Son, Jesus? Find out with Pastor Mike as we unpack this psalm together...
As we prepare our hearts for Resurrection Day, it's important for us as followers of Jesus to familiarize ourselves with the Old Testament, especially the specific prophecies that relate to Messiah's life, death, burial, and resurrection. The Scarlet Thread begins in Genesis 3 and traces through the the songs of David and the writings of Isaiah.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
:: Parables: the Pharisee and the Tax Collector ::
// Why does it seem that self-righteousness is such an easy trap to fall into? How does relativism (comparing yourself to others) actually keep you from being close to God?
// Describe the last time that someone wrongly looked down on you and judged you in their self-righteousness. How did you feel? Were they right about your sin or wrong? How did you respond?
// How can we as Christ-followers avoid the sin of self-righteousness? What is the balance between extending grace and holding people accountable?
This week's parable is about a defenseless woman seeking justice who finds that her only hope is an unrighteous judge who couldn't care less. What lessons about God and prayer is Jesus wanting to teach us through this? Listen and discover a heart of persistent prayer!
In response to questions about His authority, Jesus responds with 3 parables. In Matthew 22, we read about a great King sending invitations to a wedding feast! The decisions that the King makes are crucial to our understanding of the way God works in relationship to humanity.
A rogue son squandering his estate... A heartbroken parent longing for reconciliation... Jesus is the master storyteller, and in the parable of the Lost Son, He shows us the heart of our heavenly Father.
Why does it seem that forgiving those who wrong us is such a difficult thing to do? Can God really forgive me for all the bad things I've done? Where can I get the power and compassion to truly extend forgiveness to others? Pastor Mike answers all these questions as we unpack Matthew 18 and the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.
At some point every person complains that life seems unfair. We don't get what we think we deserve. But sometimes, despite what we think, that turns out to be a good thing. God certainly is just, but His loving nature longs to be gracious to all that He has made.
Matthew 13 tells us that Jesus began to teach in parables, but what are parables anyway? And would He do that? What was He trying to hide? Join us as we delve into the parable of the 4 soils.
In Revelation 21, Jesus says that He will continually make all things new. That process has already begun through the expansion of His Kingdom on earth in the hearts and lives of men, women, boys, and girls. As we look ahead to 2018, how does Jesus want to use us?
Too few people in the world realize the magnitude of the Gift we've been given in the first Christmas, nor understand the great cost involved for the Godhead in giving it.
Obedience is costly. The simple truth is that God uses people who desire to do His will. That's why God chose a humble young lady named Mary to be the mother of Jesus. Like Mary, are we counting the cost of obedience to the Lord?
One of the surest truths in this life is that we all face moments of disappointment. How we see God in those moments determines whether we walk in frustration and bitterness or walk in joy and peace.
The decisions we make to pursue something in life are ALWAYS costly! When it comes to the first Christmas, those who were a part of those events made choices to pursue God's revelation, and it cost them something in the process. Looking at Christmas through this lens reminds us that ultimately Jesus is worth whatever it might cost us in this life to gain Him!
Thanksgiving Day has come and gone, and on it's heels Black Friday. While we were taking time to thank God for all our blessings, suddenly we were again consumed with want, want, want! When is enough enough? What will it take for us to reach the place of being content? Find out as we join Pastor Mike and Emmaus Road Church for the conclusion of the 2 part series, Live Simple.
In the midst of a complicated world, God calls His people to Live Simple. As we enter the 2017 Holiday season, it's a good time to revisit that calling, and to wrestle with why gratitude is essential to Living Simple.
We live in a culture that has redefined the ancient institution of marriage. What does that word even mean? Should we hold to the traditional notions of marriage and of men and women in separate roles at home? Find out as Pastor Mike finishes out our series "Urban Legends: Myths Christians Believe"
We live in a culture that has all but rejected any notion of absolute truth. Is it true that all truth is relative? How can we know? And how do we as Christ-followers make Jesus known in such a culture?
Are God and Satan locked in a cosmic power-struggle that will decide the fate of the world? Is there a precarious balance between good and evil in the Christian worldview? Guest speaker Scott McAllister unpacks what the Bible says about this myth.
Does God's Word forbid us from judging? If so, how can we discern rightly or make any moral distinctions? Find out as we look at this Urban Legend together...
As followers of Jesus, do we really have the right to do whatever we want with our physical bodies? Find out as we join Pastor Mike as he tackles this Urban Legend....
How does one parent in such a way as to maximize the potential for their child to know and love Jesus? That's really the heart of this message.But because we're generally looking for the quick and easy fix, many myths have sprung up about how to bring your kids to Christ.
Does the grace of God give the Christian license to sin? Some people sure live like that's true. Get the answers as Pastor Satty tackles this week's Urban Legend.
Does it seem like God is grumpy and vindictive in the Old Testament, but loving and compassionate in the New Testament? Does God change? Find out as Pastor Mike deal with this myth that Christians believe.
Hell is an uncomfortable and unpopular topic, even in the Church today. Many Christians shy away from it, and some even deny it. What does the Bible say about this topic? Surely a loving God would never send people there! Join us as we tackle this myth that Christians believe.
Are we living in the Last Days? With so many things happening all around the world, many people are asking that very question. Followers of Jesus are wondering whether or not the Rapture is a real event, and if Jesus will return for His Bride, or whether we'll experience the Day of the Lord. Find out as we build this doctrine on the foundation of God's Word.
We use the word "generous" a lot in our culture, but what does it really mean? What does it look like from God's perspective. We serve a generous God, and the Gospel obligates to generosity in response.
When we awaken to the reality of the war that's raging around us, the next logical question is, "How can I fight my enemy effectively?" Psalm 149 answers this question for us in a surprising way.
Blessed are the peacemakers. Jesus said that in the Sermon on the Mount. Sometimes there's a peace that is only to be found on the other side of war. We line in a world at war and we have a real enemy. We must fight!
You and I were made to be ruled by a King, but not just any king. That sounds strange to 21st Century American ears, and its especially hard since none of us have ever seen a perfectly benevolent ruler at any point in history. But Jesus is coming again soon, and He will reign over the earth...
Does God want unity or uniformity? What's the difference? And what are the things that threaten the unity of the Church? Psalm 133 lays out clearly God's heart and design for unity in among His people...
Joy and gladness result from continually cultivating an awareness of God's presence in our lives. Psalm 4 details a view of life and the world around us that is permeated by an overwhelming gladness in the Lord.
Where does a power to forgive others come from? Why do I need forgiveness from God, and how can I get it when I don't deserve it? Our sin has to be covered - the question is will we try to cover it ourselves, or will we invite the Living God to do it for us...
Life is short and it goes by quickly! How can embracing the brevity of this life lead us to a place of wisdom? Psalm 90 answers that question.
God has ordained some basic human institutions like the family. As His people, we should be seeking to understand and embrace His design rather than the world's notion. Psalm 127 gives us an important perspective.
What does sowing and reaping mean for believers in Jesus Christ? Why isn't there more laughter and joyful shouting in the church? Find out as we look at Psalm 126
Many people think God's Word is silent on the issues of conception, the beginning of human life, and abortion, but they couldn't be more wrong.
We launch our series "Summer Playlist" with a look at Psalm 19 as God reveals Himself through his Creation and through His Word...
Pastor Ryan Jensema from Northwest Baptist in Bellingham, WA shows us how our shame leads to a lack of vulnerability, and how that short circuits our desire to neighbor well.
We tend to avoid neighboring for fear of getting tangled up in the messy lives of others. Jesus gladly entered into the mess to love people right where they were, and He calls us to do the same.
The #1 obstacle to neighboring well is time. If we're not careful stewards of this valuable resource, we miss opportunities to partner with God in what's He's doing right next door!
Jesus said we are to love God and love our neighbor. This is the Great Commandment. Pastor Mike unpacks the Parable of the Good Samaritan as we begin our series on The Art of Neighboring.
Exiles are, by definition, on the periphery...on the outside. Yet God has called us to lead. What does that look like? Find out as we wrap up the letter of 1 Peter...
God's Word promises Christians that we will experience suffering in this life. What is suffering? Why does it happen, and how can we handle it in a way that honors Jesus?
Many people come to church on Easter without fully understanding the significance of what we celebrate. Join us as Pastor Mike walks us through the redemptive narrative to give context...
The theme of running a race is all through the Scriptures. God calls us a long-distance endurance race, not a short sprint. How are you running, and will you finish well?
One day, every person will stand before Jesus to give an account of his or her life. On that day, will you have a clear conscience? 1 Peter 3 gives us some essentials as we continue in our series: EXILE
God's Word tells us that we're exiles and strangers here on earth. But what does exilic living look like at home? Pastor Mike shares from 1 Peter about marriage that brings honor to Jesus...
As beings made in the Image of God, we are hardwired to REFLECT image...if not His, then something else...What are you reflecting?
Foundations in the Garden Part 6 by Pastor Mike Satterfield Warning: This sermon deals with adult topics and contains content probably not appropriate for young children.
Foundations of the Garden Part 1 by Pastor Mike Satterfield Note: This may contain content not appropriate for young children as it deals with biblical sexuality topics.