URC Learning: Rev. Adam Kaloostian: Recent Episodes
Rev. Adam Kaloostian
What is the “kingdom of heaven”? What characterizes its citizens in the age before it comes in its fullness? How do its citizens enlist other ones? Matthew 5:1-16 http://media.urclearning.org/audio/AMK_Matt_5_1_16.mp3
To side with baby Jesus was to side with God, to reject Him was to reject God. No matter, as Jesus was divinely protected in order to this time obediently re-live the history of the nation of Israel and its prominent leaders and bring glory to the universe. Hosea 11 Matthew 2:13-23
“King” Herod and the unbelieving Jewish rulers show us how and why people reject Christ. The mysterious eastern magi are surprisingly brought to Jesus as examples of His grace to us Gentiles, and of lives devoted to Him. Matthew 2: 1-12
On the glorious occasion of the baptism of two children in our church, we considered the basic law-and-gospel meaning of baptism. Acts 2:36-39
Jesus’ conception and birth was magnificent, unusual, miraculous, and extraordinary. It’s no wonder, since His birth is a destiny-of-the-universe-altering event. Isaiah 7:1-16; 8:1-10; 9:2, 6-7 Matthew 1:16-24
Jesus’ temptation ordeal in the wilderness was His triumphant re-living of both Eve and Adam’s Garden of Eden failure, and the Israelites’ wilderness wandering failure. Jesus’ obedience here was His one summary act of obedience (Romans 5:18) by which He reversed the curse and earned righteousness for His elect. Matthew 4:1-11
Matthew uses the sacred Old Testament genealogical list to introduce the monumental event of Jesus, the Great and Universal King, being born into the world. [please note: I meant to say “squelch our enthusiasm” instead of “quench our enthusiasm” right near the beginning of the sermon]. 2 Samuel 7:11-16 Matthew 1:1-17 http://media.urclearning.org/audio/AMK_Matt_1_1-17.mp3
This closing bookend of Book 1 of the Psalms connects clearly to Psalms 1 and 2. We must align ourselves with Jesus in His weakness, because the Lord restores, sustains, and blesses both Jesus and all who are found in Him. Psalm 41 http://media.urclearning.org/audio/AMK_PS_41.mp3
Psalm 37 talks about two paths and their ultimate destinations. In Christ we are on the first path, and though we should not be surprised or discouraged when we don’t receive the desires of our hearts right now, this path does lead to the happy land of glorification.
The Canaanites were wrong about who was behind the extraordinary autumn storms coming off the Mediterranean Sea. The God of Israel commands the waters under Him and they work fierce destruction, showing His power, holiness, and judgement. Yet by His same commanding voice He surprisingly speaks grace and peace to His people. http://media.urclearning.org/audio/AMK_P29.mp3
This song warns us against harboring the kind of human pride and its poisonous fruit that result in the Lord’s sometimes delayed, but always severe, judgement. The song also encourages us when we fall victim to the hostility of the godless world. http://media.urclearning.org/audio/AMK_P10.mp3
Psalm 28 It’s the times when we face our most severe trials that we are tempted to lose confidence in the Lord’s ability or willingness to establish us in a confident, peaceful place. In those times, the Lord gives us this Psalm so that we reflect on His faithfulness to His people, including us, across […]
Because Jesus sang this song before us and for us, God Himself by His Spirit puts this song in our hearts and on our lips. We sing it and the Lord answers us by giving us joy and peace in the midst of our suffering. http://media.urclearning.org/audio/AMK_P4.mp3
Psalms 1 and 2 are together the introduction to the Psalter. Right away we get music that takes us from creation to redemption, from Adam to Christ, from our struggle under the common curse to the promises of the new heavens and the new earth someday. http://media.urclearning.org/audio/P1.mp3
Paul’s defense before Felix is highlighted by his assertion that his conscience is clear, a remarkable stement given that Paul expects to come out of the grave and be judged by his God someday. Acts 24
Paul sounds like His Lord as he resolutely sets out for Jerusalem, expecting death. But he lives on for a while, a symbol of the power of Christ’s resurrection that will be unleashed in Paul’s body and our bodies on the Great Day. Acts 21:3-19
Pastors and elders, consider the magnitude of the grace of God at work in Paul’s life, and be inspired to imitate him in your ministry of the Word and rule. And all Christians, be inspired to support the pastors and elders who imitate Paul and to not tolerate pastors and elders who don’t. Acts 20:13-38
Leaving Ephesus, Paul continues his remarkable apostolic journey, eventually coming to Troas to display Christ’s great resurrection power. Acts 20:1-11
As the apostle-missionaries enjoy success but face persecution in the form of blasphemy, personal attacks, and jealousy of religious and political leaders, their humility and resolve inspires us to be undaunted in our own ministry. We can be confident because we belong to Jesus and because all whom He appoints to eternal life will also […]
Another Herod becomes another obstacle to the existence and success of the church. This Herod is shamed by God exercising His power to execute him after miraculously releasing Peter from prison.
The Lord changed Saul’s life. The Lord changed Saul’s message. And through those radical changes, the Lord has also changed us. Acts 9:19-31
The many strange details in this story point to the strange and wonderful truth that people of every unexpected nation and stripe have been brought near to the Christ of Whom the ancient Jewish prophets spoke. Isaiah 53 Acts 8:25-39
The power of Christ breaks through into Samaria in a way that even Simon, the arrogant money-grubbing illusionist, must recognize. Be encouraged that the grace and power of Christ are at work in your life, and be warned against false teachers and against your own love of money. Acts 8:4-25
The great persecution breaking out against the church in Jerusalem is the occasion for us to be inspired by Stephen and instructed about the power of Christ at work through the preaching of His Word. Acts 7:57 – 8:8
(44:04) The persecution against the early church again intensifies as Stephen, one of the recently appointed deacons, becomes the center of the controversy. His martrydom becomes a clear example of of our own humiliation and coming exaltation. Sermon text: Acts 6-7
(37:21) Far from an abstract, irrelevant philosophical concept, the Bible’s teaching about the extent of God’s control is not only true but the only sure basis for any comfort in this trying life. Knowing and embracing God’s providence is the privilege and responsibility of all His creatures made in His image. Sermon text: Matthew 10:29-32 […]
(46:36) The apostles are arrested again, and this time they come close to receiving the death penalty. But Christ stamps out this attack on the advancement of His glorious gospel through an unlikely man. Sermon text: Acts 5:14-42
(35:07) Our magnificent God and Father created everything out of nothing as an arena to display His glorious majesty. Indeed, the King established and occupied His throne, the heavens and the earth. Sermon Text: Genesis 1:1-2 Belgic Confession Article 12
(34:11) The Lord strikes Ananias and Sapphira dead in a terrifying, immediate act of church discipline carried out by the Lord of Glory. This is the same God we worship today, though often times we (dangerously) don’t treat Him like it. Sermon Text: Acts 4:32 – 5:14
(32:42) There’s no good reason for the political-religious temple establishment to oppose the gracious power of Christ at work through the apostles. But they do, so there’s no reason why the church should expand, given the strength of its opponents. But it does, so we must conclude that Christ’s expansion of His kingdom is relentless. […]
(27:40) As the author to the Hebrews explains, a priest who is holy and eternal is required to truly fulfill his office. If Jesus is indeed the great High Priest, then He must be holy and eternal. If He is holy and eternal, then He must be true God. Sermon text: Belgic Confession, Article 10 […]
(36:21) We see ourselves as the miserable, pathetic crippled beggar and as the rebellious, covenant-breaking, apostate generation of Israelites. We see the Lord as the One who gives us the opposite of what we deserve, giving us peace and future glorification. Sermon text: Acts 3:1-26
(32:43) The last two aspects of Luke’s prescriptive portrait of the early church regard the regular celebration of the Lord’s Supper and participation in “the prayers”. Sermon text: Acts 2:42-47
(36:12) The Scripture is clear about this magnificent and in some senses incomprehensible doctrine. To reject the teaching of the Trinity is to reject God Himself. Sermon text: Belgic Confession, Articles 8-9
(37:49) Please note: The last five minutes of the sermon were mistakenly deleted from this sermon. Challenges against the completeness of God’s Word arise in many different forms. A series of these challenges, including the rise of the Apocryphal books, and the unwarranted binding of the conscience by religious authorities, are addressed. Sermon text: Belgic […]
(42:08) Luke breaks up his reporting of the dramatic, redemptive-historical events of the early part of Acts with this the first in a series of prescriptive portraits of the early church’s activity. Sermon text: Acts 2:40-47
The foundation of our beloved confession is that the Scripture is the very Word of God written. In fact, the foundation laid in article three is the basis for all of what the confession says about the Word in the following articles. Belgic Confession Article 3 2 Timothy 3:14-17
This sermon is part one of the 2007 “Commission-Driven Reformed Church” series preached at the Ontario United Reformed Church. We must believe and live out these six ideas in order to be faithful to our evangelistic calling. Acts 11:19-26
Christ now pours out His Spirit, reversing the Babel disaster and empowering His church to be His instrument to recreate the fallen human race. Acts 2:1-21
Doesn’t Luke know better than to start the triumphant tale of the early church’s expansion with the disheartening story of a suicidal reprobate? Apparently he knows this unpleasant story is exactly what we need to hear right at the beginning of Acts. Acts 1:12-26
The true God reveals Himself in two ways: indirectly through the world He has made, and directly through His Word. Knowledge of God is not arbitrary but bound by His own revelation, and therefore treating His Word properly is of the utmost importance. Belgic Confession Article 2 Psalm 19
We do not believe in any given god, but only in the true God as He has revealed Himself in His Word. His glory is in one sense beyond description, so we are left with Him coming down to our level to tell us the truth about Himself; and even at that, we can only […]
Jesus exercises His power and authority as He extends the multinational New Covenant church in Luke’s second volume, Acts. Christ’s instructions to the disciples prepare them and us for doing church and living life between the first coming of our Lord and the second. Acts 1:1-11
The beginning of our series on this preeminent expression of the Bible’s basic teachings considers the meaning and implications of its first line: “We all believe with the heart and confess with the mouth. Belgic Confession Article 1 Colossians 1:9-12 and 2:1-3
The conclusion to Luke’s first volume leaves us with Christ’s disciples amazed at what has happened. Christ has secured the glorification for them by His life, death, and resurrection. We now anticipate Christ’s continued work in history through the disciples and us as we turn to volume two, the book of Acts. Luke 24:33-53 and […]
The angels asked the women coming to Jesus’ grave, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”, in other words, “Why do you think and act like Jesus is dead, when He is alive?” We ask the church today the same question. (Please note: the first half-minute of the sermon is cut off […]
Guilt and shame can eat people alive, and many attempts to deal with this problem just make things worse. In this story, the mercy of Christ in His atoning death extends to a man who acknowledges the root of his guilt and shame. Luke 23:26-54
Pilate, Herod, and the Sanhedrin unite to convict the true King of crimes He didn’t commit. This true King allows Himself to be identified with the criminal released in His place in a grand display of His amazing grace. Luke 23:1-25
Believe it or not, people might confess the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed and still deny the truth about who Jesus is. The Athanasian Creed answers recurring, cancerous heresies pertaining to the glorious God-man, our Lord Jesus Christ.. Matthew 28:16-20
The various people and groups of people in Luke 22 all relate differently to Jesus as His death on the cross unmistakably nears. Where do you fit into the story? Luke 22
Jesus warns the disciples about the pending destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. He also teaches them to expect a delay between that event and His final return to judge the living and dead and usher in the glorification of the universe. Luke 21:5-38
The Pharisees couldn’t discredit Jesus’ authority, nor could they make Him out to be a blasphemer, nor could they arouse the anger of the Roman government against Him. So, trying somehow to stop Him, the Sadducees attempt to poke holes in His theology. Jesus dispenses of their folly, thunders forth His Messianic claims, and again […]
There are many reasons why the Apostle’s Creed has always been so popular. One is that its content is the apostolic doctrine itself, which Paul and the others were passionate about proclaiming and defending. 1 Timothy 1:1-14 http://media.urclearning.org/audio/AMK_The_Magnificent_Apostles_Creed.mp3
Only Jesus will decide when it is time for Him to lay down His life for His sheep. In this story, He averts the traps set by the Sanhedrin to discredit His authority and to present Him as a threat to the Roman government. Luke 19:47 – 20:26
Christ’s sufferings spilled over into the lives of His apostles. We who hear and believe the apostolic message have Christ’s sufferings spill over into our lives, too. These sufferings include persecution and other consequences of following Jesus, along with the agony of the common curse. We are called now to patiently endure, knowing that because […]
As we hear about Jesus crying over Jerusalem and angrily driving the hucksters out of the temple, we are called to identify ourselves with ancient Israel in one sense, but certainly not in another sense. Luke 19:41-46
Find out the truth about the timing of Christ’s return. See what events you should expect will signal the end of the world as we know it. Luke 17:20-37 OT supporting text: Isaiah 52:1-10
Jesus the Son becoming the God-man has real implications for everyone living after that awe-striking event. Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 35-36 Hebrews 2
As he approaches Jerusalem and the crowds anticipate immediate glorification, Jesus stops to correct their timeline. He focuses them and us who live in the delay between His first and second coming on believing Him and His gospel, and giving our whole lives to profitable service. Luke 19:11-28
Part 2 of a two-part series on church plants and giving. Christians are tempted to be stingy in their financial support of the church. Church pastors are tempted to be greedy money-lovers. Our gratitude to Christ demands a different approach to money in the church. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 HC Q & A 86, 103, 111
Part 1 of a two-part series on church plants and giving. The apostle Paul writes to the Corinthian church, challenging them to imitate the unexpected financial generosity expressed by the believers in Thessalonica, Philippi, and Berea. 2 Corinthians 8 & 9
http://www.start.urclearning.org/audio/AMK_White_Hot_Worship.mp3 Here’s the skinny on all the latest worship techniques that will set your congregation ablaze and grow your church into the thousands. Well, maybe not; it’s not our party anyway.
We as human creatures like to rebel against the idea that our Creator is the One who personally directs everything that happens in the world. When we do this, we rob God of His glory, and we have no real basis to think that He is strong enough to help us in our troubles. Jeremiah […]
You may be surprised to hear that Jesus is fine with you asking Him to make you happy and comfortable and rich. But He will only answer that prayer for certain kinds of people. And the happiness and riches you’ll receive now are measured by a different standard than the world’s. Luke 18:28 – 19:10
Having told His disciples that His final return would be unmistakable and unexpected, Jesus makes very clear who in that day will receive glorification, and who will be left dejected. Luke 18:1-27
In Luke 17, Jesus moves from instructing the beliefs and lives of His disciples in general, to addressing their responsibilities as apostles and church officers in particular. He also tells them where they will find the power to accomplish that kind of difficult obedience. Luke 17:1-19
Why was it necessary for our salvation that Jesus be true, 100% God; and true, 100% man? Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 16 – 19
In Luke 16, Jesus uses an odd story to teach His disciples to understand and use their money in a way unlike the self-righteous, immoral Pharisees. Of course, He needs to tell His disciples (us) this because they (we) are strongly tempted to think and act like His enemies.
What do you mean when you say that “Jesus died on the cross for my sins?” You’d better have the right answer to this question, since many different answers have been offered and only one of them is true.
In Luke chapter 15, Jesus masterfully weaves together three parables as one, challenging the Old Testament religious scholars who oppose Him to acknowledge their own lost condition and rejoice that He has come to seek and save the lost.
LISTEN BY CLICKING HERE Jesus came in fulfillment of the Old Testament – What the Bible is about
God gave them over – God allows some humans to remain as they choose, in their own damnation
Righteousness Revealed, Wrath Revealed – God displays both his righteousness and his wrath in Christ
A riveting exploration of Peter’s response to Christ’s calling. Why would Peter try to resist the call of God?