Genesis Church - Sermons: Recent Episodes
Genesis Church
The author of Hebrews walks us through the construction of the Old Testament tabernacle, what the various furnishings represented and how the tabernacle system was inadequate.Today’s text reminds us that the OT tabernacle was waiting for something better. When Jesus appeared, He fulfilled all that the tabernacle was representing. His blood sacrifice cleanses us inwardly vs. outwardly so that our consciences can be cleared and we have freedom to serve Him by way of worship and praise.Access to God is no longer limited.
The love language for God is the language of covenant. A covenant is a divinely imposed legal agreement between God and people that stipulate the conditions of their relationship. It is a love relationship initiated by God and given to people.The language of covenant is beautiful: “I will be your God, and you will be My people,” God declares. These covenants are filled with promises to be kept by God and conditions to be met by people. But the problem for every covenant is that the people never keep their end of the bargain. God is continually faithful, the people are not.Yet, there are echoes of a New Covenant, promises that one day God will go from writing His Law on stone tablets to writing His Law on the hearts of those who know Him. For the New Covenant to be true, we first needed a covenant keeper, a person who actually keeps our side of the relationship on our behalf.
The author of Hebrews uses the comparison between Melchizedek and Aaron to make a clear point. Jesus is our Great High Priest, but not in the order of Aaron. God separated the line of the kings and the line of the priests in Israel as a way of protecting the people from the failures and flaws of each role, and therefore, unlike all the other nations, no one could be a King/Priest. The priests were flawed, their lives were short, and their sacrifices insufficient to truly cover sin.Yet, Jesus is a better King/Priest, in the order of Melchizedek. As King, He is our King of Peace. As High Priest He offered Himself once for all. We do not have to come back again and again—the cross of Jesus makes us perfect and righteous, so that we, like the Son, are considered perfect forever.
On Easter Sunday, 2006, Genesis Church held its first worship service. And, so the adventure began.Genesis was planted with the vision to be a safe place for anyone from any background, story, or struggle to explore Jesus and find faith. It was our desire to be a church on mission in Eureka and for Eureka.For over 18 years this church family met in public schools, starting with Eureka High School, then Blevins Elementary, and most recently at Pacific Intermediate. The exception was in 2020 when our gatherings happened in parks, picnic pavilions, and parking lots. While there have been ups and downs, God has been so faithful and kind to us.This morning we dedicate the building—the new home for this church to the Lord. While we are thankful for the faithfulness of God for all He has done in providing this space, we also want to be reminded that the church is not a building and that our central mission has not changed. It is still our vision to be a Gospel-centered church in community and on mission to Eureka, Pacific, and beyond.
As we close out 2024 and look to the new year, several of our Elders will be speaking this morning.
The author of Hebrews is one of several New Testament authors who quotes Psalm 110, making it the most referenced Psalm in the New Testament. This ancient song written by David pointed toward a future Priest/King for Israel. This is two of the four key human leadership roles given by God to His people; the others being Judge, and Prophet.God, in His kindness towards the Hebrew people gave these key leaders—each one responsible for an area of Israel’s life and existence. But more than this, each stood in some way as a representative of God and His relationship with His covenant people. Furthermore, each of these roles pointed forward to the coming of one person who would rescue God’s people, offer the true sacrifice, usher in God’s Kingdom, and bring the very Word of God.As we approach Christmas we will consider how Jesus is our True and Better Judge, Prophet, Priest, and King, and show how we all need each of these for a fruitful life.
The author of Hebrews has already alluded to Melchizedek twice; now he gives us a whole chapter connecting this figure to the mission and ministry of Jesus. Melchizedek is only mentioned twice in the Old Testament, once in Genesis in the story of Abraham, and then again by David in Psalm 110. But the author shows us something amazing about how we are to understand the Old Testament—that we are to see every single story pointing to Jesus.Melchizedek was the King of Salem, but also a priest of God, he received offerings from Abraham. And, he is a type of Jesus—a small picture of Jesus pointing forward to the true King/Priest. In this sermon we will look at typology and other ways the Old Testament points us to Jesus as the full substance of the small tastes given in the text of the Old Testament. We hope to learn how to read the Bible, and specifically the Old Testament, showing how every story, every law, and every song points us to the coming of Jesus.
The in between is hard. God is a God of promises and He is faithful. Yet, we wait to see all of His promises fulfilled.Abraham was given a direct promise of an heir and then waited 25 years into very old age before God kept the promise. Still, the Lord had sworn, so Abraham knew the promise would come true.God promised Israel a redeemer from the family line of Abraham; then Israel waited for hundreds of years, with generations coming and going, before seeing this promise fulfilled when God’s Son was born in Bethlehem.While we experience the blessings of Jesus and our salvation, we also wait and trust in unfulfilled promises. In Jesus we have a better promise and while we do experience many of the blessings of grace, we still long for the day when all the promises are complete. Yet, we can go on because we have a sure and steady anchor for our souls in the faithfulness of God and the promises made true in Jesus.
Maybe the most important question we can ask ourselves is, “How can I know that I am actually a follower of Jesus?” Is it possible to know?The Biblical answer is a definitive “yes”, but with a bit of a caveat. We can know that we are genuinely saved because it is Jesus who does the saving and He will never lose someone He has actually rescued. Yet, our assurance of this salvation can waver. The author of Hebrews wants us to have “the full assurance of hope until the end.” So, he calls believers to make sure we are setting our assurance on the evidence of God’s saving work in our lives.Today we will look at the signs of grace highlighted in this text that reveal the authenticity of someone’s salvation; things which also give us greater assurance of our salvation. And we will see that the author of Hebrews points us to a few beautiful benefits when the Holy Spirit gives us greater assurance that we truly belong to Christ.
“Raise your hands if you’re sure!” Do you remember the advertisement? Catchy slogan, but for some who are “perspirationally” challenged, placing one’s hope in an deodorant is going to take more than just a catchy slogan and name. It’s one thing to have an anti-perspirant leave you pitted, it’s an entirely different thing to have assurance of an authentic salvation.The Scriptures reveal the beautiful doctrine of the assurance of our salvation. In other words, if God saves a person, can that salvation be lost? The absolute answer is “no”; yet, not everyone who claims salvation has actually been saved.Our passage this morning is really the heart of the application of the great book of Hebrews and it comes with a warning not to leave the faith and the promise of a God who will never lose someone who is authentically His.Today we will begin a two-week look at this passage that dives deeply into the beautiful doctrine of the assurance of our salvation.
The Priest’s job in the Old Testament was to be the go- between, the mediator between God and people. They offered sacrifices for the people and served as interpreters of the Torah. Yet, their ministry was imperfect because they were flawed and broken people who also needed the forgiveness of the sacrifices. Therefore, before offering a sacrifice for the people, the priests had to offer sacrifices for their own guilt. Often though, rather than serving the Lord and His people, they misused their position for personal benefit and honor.Hebrews shows us that Jesus is our true and better High Priest, who sympathizes with our weaknesses; He was sinless—He did not need a sacrifice. This true and better High Priest was the sacrifice that allows us to draw to the throne of grace with confidence so we can receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.
Many of those who grew up in church will remember being involved in Bible Drill. Bible Drill was a program using competition to help kids learn to find stuff in the Bible. The teacher would say, “Ready, draw swords!” and kids would raise their Bibles to get ready to search. Then the leader would bark out a passage and say, “Go!” and the race was on.As a pre-adolescent boy, it felt kind of cool to hear the call to arms, but also a bit bizarre that our response was to raise a book in readiness to find a passage. At first look, the Bible appears to be just like every other book, filled with information and stories on pages. Yet, as any long time reader knows, the Bible is something different—it is alive, active, cutting. The reason is that this book is inspired; it is the very Word of God.To be honest, we don’t read it—it reads us, exposes our need, and points us to Jesus, who is the true author behind every word.
Most of us could use a good nap. The problem with life is that it is so difficult to ever really rest. We believe the universe depends on us, and if we stop for a minute it will all fall in.Religion is the spiritualization of this, picking up the weight of salvation and trying to carry our load. But the call of the Gospel is to enter rest, to cease from works, and to enter the land of promise. The Sabbath was a day set aside to slow down from the busyness of work, to rest, gather at a table, and worship with God’s people. These rhythms are important, yet the author of Hebrews also shows us that the Sabbath rest was a pointer looking to Jesus, who is our true Sabbath.And while there are great benefits to taking a day off and clearing our calendar for worship, family time, and rest, the True and Better Sabbath is found in Jesus, the only real place where we can rest, stop earning, and enjoy the land of promise.
It would be devastating to hear your doctor tell you that your heart is damaged beyond repair, the result of years or ignoring signs and warnings. Worse than that is to develop a spiritually hardened heart that gradually moves farther and farther away from the kindness of God and the grace found among His people.Under Moses, the Hebrews were rescued by God from slavery in Egypt and brought to Yahweh and into a covenant. Yet, they quickly abandoned the Lord, falling into sin and failing to believe His promises. This section recalls the horrible story of God’s people found in Exodus and Numbers, when a whole generation of Hebrews died in the wilderness, missing out on the hope of the Promised Land. While God was still faithful, keeping His promises to their children, the first generation who crossed the Red Sea missed it because of their ungratefulness, idolatry, and unbelief. This is a warning for everyone who once looked to Jesus but turned away, developing a hardened heart.Jesus provided a better Exodus because His redemption is even greater than the rescue from slavery in Egypt under Pharoah. And the promises of rest and peace from the Gospel are far better than those found in the Old Testament. Yet, there is a clear warning to protect ourselves from spiritual heart disease.
For the First Century Jew, Moses was the foundation for their faith and their greatest hero. He was a prophet and spokesman for God who gave Israel the Torah (first 5 books of the Bible). He was their deliverer who led them out of Egypt and through the Red Sea. And he was the leader that took them to the Promised Land. For Jewish people, the life, work, and theology of Moses was the foundation for their whole identity as a people. The Jews who were following Jesus were accused of leaving Moses to embrace a different rescuer and, therefore, a different religion. As a result they were being persecuted. But the author of Hebrews shows us that Moses was just a brick in the wall, a servant in the house. Jesus is actually the builder of the whole house that is Israel, and is the ultimate apostle and high priest. More important, to rightly understand Moses is to realize that his life, ministry, and writings were pointing forward to Jesus who is worthy of more glory than Moses.Today this is a reminder to be careful about our influences. We often have received our philosophy, values, and even identity from influential people. Whether we have been shaped by ancient philosophers, celebrities, or politicians and political pundits, the call of this passage is to consider Jesus, who is the Apostle and High Priest of our faith and confession. For those who know Him and hold fast to their hope, they will discover a better identity and a sure world view.
This One who is the ruler of all, for a little while was made lower than the angels, put on flesh, suffered and tasted death. The One for whom and by whom all things exist lived the perfect life then died our death and through His suffering brought many sons to glory.The glorious miracle of the incarnation is in view in this text, and for these people, the man Jesus was someone they had seen, heard, known. Yet, this individual in human history destroyed the power of death and the devil on our behalf, standing as every human being’s Representative and High Priest.
There is nothing more dangerous on water than a ship that is drifting in a current, caught up in the surf without any real focus on where it is going. We never drift toward anything positive.The second chapter of Hebrews begins with a warning, one that all of us our need to hear. Speaking in language used to describe ships coming in to port, the author reminds followers of Jesus to pay massive, major attention to the Gospel message, because we are so prone to drift. The message we received from Jesus and continue to proclaim is a message filled with grace, hope, justice, and love. It is the message of a great salvation.Yet, we also need to hear the warning about neglecting this message. Most people don’t just wake up one day far from Christ and His mission. Rather, as C. S. Lewis stated in The Screwtape Letters, “The safest road to Hell is the gradual one, the one with a gentle slope.”
In the movie, Angels in the Outfield, the climactic scene shows an aging pitcher who is convinced by a kid to believe that he can rise to the occasion in a ballgame because he has an angel with him. Of course, this is one of many movies with angels as the invisible heroes (or destroyers). These movies work because people are interested in angels, in spirits, in the unseen. But are they real?Truth is that the Bible teaches us that there are real spiritual beings with incredible power, unseen by our eyes yet present in the world. The Biblical picture is not quite like the images from Hollywood, yet they do exist and are active in the world. Furthermore, one of their roles is to serve those who know Jesus. But, we should not seek angels or worship them, rather, we should seek the One whom angels worship.Hebrews tells us of the superiority of Jesus over angels as they are nothing more than servants of God who fulfill His purpose, but Jesus is the Divine Son whom the angels worship and over whom Jesus rules.
Hebrews opens with an incredible declaration: the God who exists has chosen to make Himself known; He is a God who speaks and reveals Himself.We are not left alone to guess or figure out our own spirituality. We have a God who has condescended to make Himself known so that we can have a relationship with Him. Furthermore, this God speaks in many different ways, to and through many different people. Yet, the author of Hebrews reminds us that the clearest forms of God’s revelation are through the prophets who wrote the Scriptures and His sending of Jesus, His own Son, into the world. Jesus is full revelation of the God who came among us. It is He who created the universe, owns everything, and is the sacrifice for our sin.So, in reality Jesus is also the point of all revelation and the central theme for everything in the Bible. This sermon will point to a Jesus-centered hermeneutic as the goal for the study of all Scripture.
Jesus is Better! This is the theme of the book of Hebrews. We open our series on the New Testament book of Hebrews with an overview by looking at the interpretive keys to understanding any piece of literature, including issues of authorship, recipients, occasion, and purpose.We will find that even though the genre is a letter, it actually is a sermon intended to be read out loud to the gathered church as a continuous appeal with two key messages. The first is the superiority of Jesus in all things. Specifically, Jesus is superior to anything in the Old Testament because He is both the purpose and fulfillment of everything there. The second message is a warning not to fall away from Christ, even if the result is loss of earthly prosperity or persecution.Following Jesus is so worth it because He is better. “Better than what?” you might ask. Better than everything.
The life of faith is designed to be done with a team. It’s not a solo event. We go together and we need each other. It would be nonsense for my little toe to look at my body and say, “Yo, I don’t need you. Gonna do this on my own.” It’s just as silly for those who believe in Jesus to disconnect from community and live out their faith without a family. We were made for relationships and there are amazing blessings that are only available when you are connected to the church and involved in community.The imagery of the church as a body is so helpful. You are important. You are needed for the organism to function. But, you also need the other parts of the body to be healthy and growing in your faith and life. At Genesis we nurture this sort of fellowship in our Community Groups. We hope to show you today why involvement in a group is vital for your growth in the Gospel. We will introduce all of the groups and leaders as a way of inviting you in. If you are already in a group, great! Keep going! If you want to try a new group, now is a great time to check one or two out. If you aren’t in a group, we invite you to visit a group, enjoy some food and fun in a community, and consider how you might find your place in the body.
John Travolta and Olivia Newton John sang it in Grease, “We go together, like rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong.” While no one is entirely sure what that means, we know there are certain things that just belong together. Peanut butter and jelly, nuts and bolts, movies and popcorn, coffee and donuts to name a few.Over and over again in the Scriptures we are told that the people of the church go together. In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul uses the metaphor of a body of to remind us that the church needs each one of us, and each one of us needs the community of the church.Over the next two weeks we are going to look at this passage as a reminder of the importance of finding community in a local church. We need each other and we are better together.
Have you ever been on one of those long family road trips? Everyone brought their suitcases down, Dad played a Jenga game trying to figure out how to make everything fit, Mom packed a bag full of snacks, kids with their games ready in the back seat. Pulling out of the driveway was so exciting, but the thrill waned quickly as boredom and whining took over in the car. Somewhere in the journey the family pulled out a playlist of songs and belted them out together. But after hours in the car and maybe a night or two in hotels along the way, the anticipation builds again as the family started counting down the miles and seeing landmarks near the destination. Nothing beats that feeling of pulling in to the destination and the thrill of arriving.Our Summer journey through the Psalms of Ascent is coming to a close. For the travelers, this song was the song of arrival—they had made it to Jerusalem! Let the celebration begin! The songs for the journey have helped the travelers along the way.We need the Psalms! These ancient poems, prayers, and songs are for our journey. They are God’s kind gift to remind us that in the ups and downs, difficulties and joys, our God is with us all the way and He will get us to our destination. So, we join the song of blessing and celebration. Even though our sermon series journey ends today, the book of Psalms is a treasure that we should return to often.
“Why can’t we all just get along?” Sounds like a crazy pipe dream in our culture. Unity among a group of people often takes incredible energy to build, yet a quick moment can destroy it.Our Psalm this week is a song of praise for the unity of God’s people. The pilgrims have arrived in Jerusalem, they are overjoyed to be joining the myriads of the Hebrew brothers and sisters who have come from around the world, gathered to celebrate God’s grace, forgiveness, and provision for them. People who have been separated by miles and ideas have come together with a common need and a common Redeemer. So, they sing in celebration about the beauty of unity.It is interesting that as Jesus prays over His disciples, in a prayer where He could have asked for anything, He asked the Father that we may be one—unified. The world is so disjointed and way too often so is the church. Our challenge today is to pursue unity in the Gospel and for our mission.
Psalm 132 is a testament to the faithfulness of our God.Within this Psalm are reminders of the sanctity of worship, the significance of the Ark, and the divine promise to David that impacts the life of believers to this day.It reminds us that God’s covenant is trustworthy and why we need to seek His presence in our lives.
You are busy. I know you are, because you are an American living in Eureka. Our busyness is often unavoidable; yet, we wear our busyness as a badge of honor. When asked, “How are you?”, how often do you hear (or respond yourself), “I am so busy.” It’s almost like the pace of life authenticates our value. But, it might be that busyness is actually the conduit for our own pride and one of the greatest enemies to intimacy with God.Psalm 131 is a simple and short prayer of declaration from the pen of King David. I guarantee that he was a busy man with incredibly weighty challenges. Yet, he penned a song that was a reminder for Hebrew pilgrims that the most important place for us is in the presence of our God, who alone is capable of doing the great and marvelous works we all need. Like a toddler who crawls up on mama’s lap just to be in her presence, David recognizes his need to get quiet and balanced in his soul, coming to Jehovah just to sit in His presence.My guess is that many of us have a hard time stopping our busy lives and chaotic brains long enough to experience the beauty offered in this Psalm. So, today we will throw out some ways we might pause in humility and experience God’s kindness.
We aren’t very good at waiting. Actually, in the technological age, we are awful at it. We don’t have to wait for anything. The answers to our questions are a click away, if we want stuff we have websites that will get it to us in our sleep, and if we are bored there are a myriad of screen options that can solve boredom quickly. But maybe being bored and having to wait on things actually produces something good for our character and lives.Interestingly enough, God seems to want us to wait on Him. Psalm 130 is a cry from the depths, from a place of darkness, pain, and unanswered questions. From the depths, God seems to be silent … He does not answer as fast as Google. So, the Psalmist makes the declaration to wait for the Lord, to hope in Him when the outcome is not clear. Furthermore, the song gives a corporate exhortation to wait and hope in the Lord.This amazing song reminds God’s people that waiting on the Lord is a very good thing, because we wait knowing that God is forgiving, He loves us, and that the morning will eventually come.
Have you ever experienced periods of affliction, perhaps at the hands of people who seemed out to get you? That’s the context of our Psalm this week: Israel experienced affliction time and time again from people bent on hating God and Zion (God’s chosen people).While Israel’s persecutors could prosper for a time, The LORD was faithful to rescue His people, and Psalm 129 is a reminder of what they as a people had been carried through by His sovereign hand. The Psalm concludes with a prayer that those who aim to oppress God’s people will ultimately be fruitless without His aid.But at a deeper level, this Psalm points us to a greater truth. There is one who has borne the affliction we have earned such that we could be rescued by His stripes, and His resurrection means that the efforts of our enemy will bear no eternal fruit.
Fear is an emotion that is often instinctual. A snake goes between your feet, a truck swerves into your lane, a text from your boss asking you to come to the office … they all can initiate fearful responses.What do you fear? As we search the Scriptures, it is interesting that we find we are commanded not to fear and also to fear. On one hand, the most repeated command in the Scriptures is, “Do not be afraid.” In fact, Paul writes that God has not given us a spirit of fear, and that we are to cast our anxieties on the Lord. On the other hand, over and over again, we are commanded to fear the Lord.Our Psalm today clearly states that those who properly fear Yahweh will be blessed. Our traveling song this morning is a wonderful reminder that the proper fear of God actually displaces our other fears, and leads to a path that is filled with God’s presence and kindness.What our culture and country need now more than anything are a people who fear the Lord, and who pass the fear of God on to future generations.
Bobby McFerrin, in his 1988 hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” tells us to just stop worrying. It is a very catchy tune with a great “hook” that will stay in your mind for days. But he doesn’t tell us HOW to stop worrying. For that answer we turn to King Solomon, one of the wisest men to ever live.In one of only two Psalms attributed to him, Solomon teaches us that self-reliance and the unavoidable worrying that comes with it leads to vanity. But reliance on God’s provision and protection, acknowledging that HE is in control of everything, is the only way to build anything of lasting value and the only way to achieve true rest and security.Come along with us as we learn the only way to “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”
God has done great things for us. The Hebrew people said that, we say that, but what did God do for them, and what has He done for us?Our study of Psalm 126 today will show us what He has done and help us have joy as we remember the salvation of the LORD!
Today is such an exciting day, as we get to commission and send our team of missionaries headed to Chicago. We have over 50 people spending the week there to work with Renewal Church. Please pray for our team this week.Our Psalm this morning begins with the phrase, “Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion.” To understand this melodic poem, we need to figure out what it means to trust in the LORD. This is vital since we believe that we are saved by grace through faith alone. The song tells us that those who trust in the LORD will not be moved, but we had better make sure we have the right kind of faith in the right object.
In the 2013 movie Man of Steel, the villain General Zod arrives on Earth and seeks to wipe out the human race in order to make a new home world like his destroyed home world of Krypton. Superman must step up and stop Zod or the world he’s come to know and love will be utterly wiped out.In Psalm 124, King David remembers such a time where the nation of Israel was in danger of being wiped out but the LORD stepped in and rescued His people. This same LORD has purchased and delivered for Himself a people for His own possession.Are you His?
The situation for the community of faith in Psalm 123 is difficult and bleak. They are a people scorned and oppressed. They would like their God to show up with fire from heaven and devour their enemies, but so far His vengeance hasn’t happened. They need a song reminding them of God’s sovereign rule from the heavens when it seems as if He is absent and uninvolved. Psalm 123 is a community lament seeking relief from the Lord. It is a cry for mercy from the God who can act and change their situation.Yet, it is also a call to faith, to lift their eyes together and see again the God who is enthroned in the heavens. He is the master, they are the servants. When they cannot see His hand at work, they know they can trust His purpose and character. The call is to keep trusting and walking in obedience, even if it doesn’t make sense to those around us. Because God is faithful.
“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’” I remember my parents quoting this almost every Sunday as my sister and I were fighting in the car on the way to church.Psalm 122 is a Psalm of joy anticipating the experience of entering Jerusalem with the people of God. This song for the journey remembered the ultimate destination, Jerusalem, and the goal—to gather with God’s people in His presence to worship. They sang this song to remind themselves that it was a privilege to be chosen by God and included in His glorious purpose.The greatest joy in life happens in knowing God and worshiping Him.
Don’t you love driving in the mountains? There is something majestic about terrain that is not, well, Illinois flat. Whether driving through the Rockies, Smokies, or our more hill-shaped Ozarks, there is always beauty to behold. On the other hand, a trip through hilly mountainous terrain on foot may not be as fun.For many of the Hebrews, the trip from their hometown to Jerusalem took them through hills and even some small mountains. Rather than seeing beauty, they noticed danger. Hooligans and marauders were in those hills. There were some dangerous animals, and definitely some difficult walking with risk of injury. When the Psalmist says, “I lift my eyes to the hills,” he is genuinely concerned about the dangers that lie ahead and wondering where help might be found. Yet, He quickly remembers Jehovah, the God who sees their journey and will protect them along the way.Our Psalm of Ascent this morning, Psalm 121, is a great song of hope for the journey, a reminder that the God we serve doesn’t take naps or have days off. Rather, our God is sovereign and purposeful, and will use the hills in life to shape us deeply.
This morning we will look at Psalm 120, the first Psalm of Ascent, a song from sojourners who are far away from home, who are being harassed and suffering. Yet, they know their God is the source of hope and peace that fills their longings. They are beginning a journey to meet Him face to face.
Today closes out the series, The Recipe, on our vision for making disciples. Over the past weeks, we revealed 10 ingredients that we hope to “bake” in to the lives of people and we have looked at the different types of people we are called to disciple. We have created a grid for disciple making that will help every ministry in our church evaluate and cast vision for the central task Jesus has given our church.Our final sermon in this series will cast vision about the ways Genesis is already being intentional about Jesus’ commission and share the strategies we hope to implement in order to improve our recipe going forward.
With only a couple weeks left in our series, The Recipe, on our task of making disciples, this morning we come back to where we began—with Jesus’ commission to make disciples of all nations.We believe that Christ has entrusted us, Genesis Church, with the commission to make disciples here in Eureka/Pacific and the surrounding area. We are an outpost of Christ’s Kingdom in our community with this task. But, we are also part of the task of taking the Gospel to the nations.Today we will take a look at the layers of people reached by the ministry of Jesus, from those who were far from God all the way up to the most religious, and from individuals to large crowds. Hopefully we will learn that following Jesus and obeying His commission will lead us to make disciples of all sorts of people, from those who are completely uninterested in church to those who are serving as leaders and pastors and everyone in between.
We come to the last of the ten ingredients in our recipe for making disciples, - the ingredient of witness. To be a disciple of Jesus is to be an ambassador sent to our world as a representative of Jesus’ Kingdom to proclaim His message of reconciliation.Love for neighbor includes the desire to see them come to Christ. The discipleship found in the Gospels and lived out in Acts is clear… that those who have the Spirit will be Christ’s witnesses. We represent Christ by sharing the good news of Jesus and sharing our own stories of redemption. Discipleship in the church must include both equipping and motivation for this task.
The Gospel has an engine that propels disciples out as missionaries. We see this clearly in Jesus’ ministry with His disciples. He invested in their lives, taught them the truths of the Gospel, and did a lot of ministry with them. This was preparation, as Jesus then calls them to lift their eyes to see the lostness and brokenness of their culture and begin praying. The amazing thing is that they actually become the answer to their own prayers as Jesus sends the disciples on mission.Disciples have spiritual gifts and part of spiritual growth is learning to use these gifts for the building up of the body of Christ and advancing the Kingdom of Christ. Any approach to discipleship that creates people who only sit and learn will create top-heavy Christians. The call of discipleship is to hear the call of Jesus and live as people who are sent together on mission.
Theology matters—it matters greatly. What we believe about God, Jesus, ourselves, and redemption will show up in the way we live our lives.It is God’s design that the church teach people the great truths about God so that people will authentically worship God, standing in awe of His person and work. It is also His desire that believers in Jesus grow in these great truths so that truth shapes their lives and they can be protected from false teachers.New disciples will probably need these truths taught on a simple level, but the goal is that they will begin to embrace the faith once for all delivered to the saints, be able to teach it to others, and be able to spot a counterfeit.
As we continue our series on the ingredients necessary for making disciples, this morning we will share the importance of holiness. The concept of holiness, or being holy, is a difficult concept for us; yet, this is actually the ingredient that provides the flavor for the Christian life.The primary goal for disciples of Jesus is for them to be shaped day by day into the image of Christ. Disciples are people growing in the character of Jesus so that they are increasingly demonstrating Scriptural morality and values in their personal lives. This involves a transformation in our sexual ethics, integrity and honesty, kindness, generosity, justice, and care for our neighbor. God is holy, Jesus is holy. Without holiness, it is impossible for us to see and really know God. Holiness in the Christian life matters and disciples will desire the blessings of holiness.Furthermore, we will discover that there is a deep connection between our holiness as disciples and our happiness in life … because the flavor of holiness brings glory to God and the most joy for His people.
Today we celebrate the pivotal and climactic moment for all of history, as the Son of God was delivered over to sinful people who condemned the innocent Savior to death on a cross. Jesus submitted Himself to the divine purpose for our salvation, laying down His rights and life for us. But that is not the whole story!Jesus rose again and defeated our worst enemies: death, hell, and the grave. Before His death, Jesus predicted these events to His disciples and then made a bold demand on those who want to follow Him. True discipleship is a life of following the very path of Jesus—denying self and dying to self. The result of a sacrificed life is resurrection power.Following Jesus does mean walking the path of Jesus but the outcome is gaining resurrection power and finding our true selves.
In the Scriptures, discipleship is never an individual event, it is a team sport. In fact, let’s just state that maybe the biggest obstacle to authentic discipleship in our culture is our rugged individualism. Yet, God designed this Christian life thing to be done in community, a group of “one anothers”.First of all, God has ordained that our growth happens in community. This is modeled in Jesus’ calling of the 12 to Himself where He invested in them, did ministry among them, and then sent them out. Second, growth in the Christian life happens in the context of deep and meaningful relationships as people seek to follow Jesus together. Third, it is the authentic love found within community that images the glory of God to the outside world.What this means is that disciples need both rows and circles. Rows where they gather with God’s people for worship and to hear the word taught. And, circles where authentic relationships, so important for our being, are shaped into the image of Jesus.
God’s means for making disciples is the local church. We live in a time when we have access to all the teaching and content of Christianity on a device, without the mess and time commitment of going to church every Sunday. As a result, many people are disconnecting from their churches and finding other things to do.But, the evidence is significant that growth as a disciple cannot happen apart from a person being present when the church gathers, finding their place in the body, and actively participating in the mission and ministry of the church.
Any meaningful goal will take effort and discipline. In most cases, long term goals will require dedication to rhythms of intentional effort. Following Jesus is really no different. Growth in the Christian life does require our dedication to rhythms and practices called the spiritual disciplines.As Jesus is teaching His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount, He addresses their generosity to the poor, prayer, and fasting. We should notice that He does not say, “If you pray,” or “If you fast,” or “You might consider giving to the needy.” Jesus assumes that this will be part of the normal rhythms of His disciples’ lives, but wants to make sure that the way they go about these things comes from the proper motivation and toward the ultimate goal of knowing Jesus in a deeper way.Today we will show how the disciplines of prayer, generosity, fasting, worship and gathering with God’s people, and witness are key ingredients for discipleship. Our goal as a church is to help people implement these disciplines and provide resources for these means of grace.
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible. It’s made up of 22 different stanzas with 8 verses in each stanza. All of the Chapter is devoted to praising God for His revealed word. It’s a song of praise for God’s love for us as shown through the pages of scripture. It’s a Psalm that encourages us as disciples of our need to hear, read, proclaim and even sing the word of God. It’s a song that is ultimately thanking God for His Holiness and for the perfect obedience of the Son – Jesus Christ.
At Genesis we sing a song that goes, “My one comfort both in life and death is that I am not my own.” This is the essence of stewardship, and the truth that all of our life, from top to bottom, belongs to God, is His, and our call is to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him in everything.This morning, we’ll see how this ingredient informs every choice, every possession, and every relationship we have in our life, and why it’s so important in making disciples.
It’s Valentine’s week, so no better topic than to talk about love. What we love defines us, shapes our lives, and we are continually being shaped by the objects of our affections. So, it should not surprise us that the primary call in making and becoming disciples is a command to love.This is so vital for our Christianity; we must continually remind ourselves that our faith is a relationship, not a call to religious performance. God is a loving Father and we are invited to know Him, to love Him, and to experience Him. Every activity in the Christian life should flow out of our love for Jesus. This should be the motivation for all of our religious activities and pursuits. Whenever our spiritual activities become mundane, or we do them out of duty, they will accomplish nothing. But when my obedience and service flow from a growing love relationship with my Creator and His Son Jesus, then spiritual activities and service will change my life.Loving God is both the pathway and the goal of our discipleship, but it will also spill out in love for my neighbor. Therefore, our goal at Genesis is to make much of Jesus, hoping to lift people’s eyes to see Jesus and fall in love with Him.
As we continue our series on Genesis Church’s recipe for making disciples, this morning we begin explaining the key ingredients … and the first and most important ingredient is Gospel clarity and fluency.Knowing and believing the Gospel is central to our journey of becoming disciples—followers of Jesus. Apart from the Gospel, religion will be centered on efforts to change our own lives by fulfilling religious duties and rules. Paul reminds us of the universal need of the Gospel, but also the beautiful truth that we are justified as a gift because of the finished work of Jesus.Disciples need foremost and consistently to be reminded of the central truth of the Gospel, and shown that their identity and acceptance before God is always based on the finished work of Jesus. In other words, they need the Gospel, as Martin Luther declared, “beat into their heads continually.”The Gospel is our one and only message as a church and it is our desire to lead our people to gain clarity and fluency in the Gospel.
What is a disciple and how are they made? If Jesus’ call to each person is to be a disciple and His commission to His church is to make disciples, we had better know what this means.We might learn about disciple making by thinking about the perfect chocolate chip cookie. First of all, no way a great one comes from store-bought dough. To get the perfect recipe, you have to start with the goal of knowing the texture, taste, and aroma for the perfect cookie. Then you will need to develop a recipe with a combination of the right ingredients, mixed and baked, to get that cookie.In the same way, if we are to be a disciple making church, we need to begin with the definition of a disciple and then discover the ingredients Jesus gave and the conditions necessary to make disciples in our culture.
Jesus’ parting words to His followers gave their marching orders: to go and make disciples. While we may struggle to understand all the implications of this call, these men knew exactly what Jesus was commanding. They had spent over three years with Jesus as He invested in their lives making them disciples. So they knew that the commission was to invest in others the way Jesus had invested in them.This morning we begin a new series on this commission to make disciples. Over the next couple months, we hope to answer two questions. First, what is a disciple? Second, what will it take for a church to make disciples?Like any good recipe, we must use the right ingredients mixed and baked in the right way to get a perfect cookie. We will start this journey by looking at Jesus’ Great Commission and discover what Jesus meant when He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
Can you believe how rapidly our world is changing? We witnessed how quickly the world can be paralyzed with the threat of a global pandemic. Your savings can be wiped out almost overnight with a stock market crash. Advancing technology is changing every industry, sometimes for good, sometimes… not so much. With Artificial Intelligence a student can write a 10-page term paper in minutes!The uncertainty that comes with rapid change can be disabling. So how do we face such a rapidly changing world? Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever! Today we will see how leaning into our unchanging God is the only way we can face rapidly changing world with peace, joy and confidence.
As we close out 2023, we also come to the end of our Hallmark Christmas Story. Boaz, in response to Ruth’s proposal, seeks out the closer relative to Elimelech and his deceased sons. He isn’t going to let another 24 hours pass before he has Ruth’s future secured.Will the budding romance between Boaz and Ruth come to fulfillment or will the closer relative step up? And, how does all this play into God’s sovereignty?
As we continue in Ruth 3 this morning, the focus of our story is an unusual proposal. Boaz’s kindness and attention spurns an interesting plan initiated by Naomi to be carried out by Ruth. In the previous chapter we were introduced to Boaz, a great guy who could marry Ruth and rescue the family. But like so many guys, he seems to be unaware of the opportunity in front of him and drags his feet to initiate a relationship. So, the budding love story takes a crazy turn as Ruth proposes to Boaz in the most bizarre way.The story is beautiful—a couple moving to marriage and a family being restored. But the story also paints a picture of and points us to another covenant marriage, and a True and Better Groom who pursues and redeems His bride.
According to the Law, the Hebrews were to leave the edge rows of their fields for the poor. This act revealed that they knew God was the giver of the harvest and that they were God’s representatives to the poor. In our passage today, as Ruth goes and gathers wheat, she catches Boaz’s attention and he shows her kindness and even welcomes her at his table.While love might be in the air, the greater beauty in the story is that Boaz is a picture of His God and the promised future Redeemer. The faithfulness of Boaz to God’s call will include him in the family tree of the future Redeemer for Israel.
Do you like sad stories? The start of Ruth is set in a difficult period of history and begins with really hard circumstances for two women. Oppression of God’s people, a famine, tragic deaths of providers all lead to a season of bitterness and darkness.But, this sad story turns to one of redemption as Ruth returns to the homeland of her mother-in-law, Naomi. Little did Ruth know that this was the beginning of a redemption story that would put her in the family tree of the ultimate King for Israel.
Micah ends His prophetic book by raising the question embedded in his name: Who is like Yahweh? The answer is the only source of hope for people who have fallen, broken lives in a fallen, broken world.The True and Living God is full of grace and forgiveness – He will not stay angry forever, rather He loves us and will be faithful. And, He keeps His promises. How do we know? Because the hope promised in Micah and throughout the Old Testament finds its fulfillment on a Spring day when Jesus died on the cross bringing the justice and love of God together in one defining moment.
During the final years of Micah’s ministry, Assyria is ripping through the northern portions of the land leaving Israel devastated and in bondage. Micah helps God’s people realize that there was a connection between their sinful disobedience and the judgment of God in their lives. The consequences of their rebellion is costly, yet for those in a relationship with God, there is always an invitation to repentance which leads to restoration and forgiveness.In the first of Martin Luther’s 95 Thesis that sparked the Reformation, he said that for the believer in Jesus, all of life is repentance. Repentance is one of the great gifts God has given to His people, as our humble sorrow for and turning from sin and idolatry opens the door for reconciliation and all of the blessings promised in the Scriptures.Our prayer today is that Micah’s example will push us toward true repentance so that we, as God’s people, can drink deeply from the well of His grace.
It is a simple yet complex question: “What does the Lord require of you?” This is a question many people want answered. People are spiritual and religious and, for the most part, they want their leaders and gurus to give them the rituals and activities necessary for acceptance by God. The Jews in Israel at the time of Micah were no different. So far, Micah’s prophecy has given an indictment for God’s people and then pointed to the birth of a King in Bethlehem as the ultimate source of hope. Chapter six comes to them with a simple proposal to answer this question.Religious activity is worthless unless it changes the structure of our hearts and the way we love and care for people in the world. The people who have been rescued by God should reflect His values, character, and attitudes in the culture around them. We live in a world full of deceit, oppression, and injustice. Will the people of God be nothing more than a reflection of the world around them or will they stand in stark contrast?The way forward is to hear the call to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God. This is the way the people of God offer the only hope for our world.
It was really just a small, redneck town. Not a whole lot there— just a small shepherding village about six miles from Jerusalem. But the small village of Bethlehem was the birthplace of King David.In one of the clearest prophecies about the coming of Jesus, Micah predicts that the little shepherding village of Bethlehem will be the birth place of another promised Shepherd-King who would bring hope and restoration to the people of God. Like the nation, this King will come to rule, but will also be attacked like a young lion attacks a flock of sheep. Yet, this King’s hand will be lifted up over his adversaries and cut off all His enemies. As a result, the ministry of this King will cleanse and purify His people in a glorious way.Of course, about 700 years later a man and his pregnant virgin fiancée will make the trek to the same little town and give birth to the True and Better King, Jesus.
Where do we find hope in our world?It’s not hard to look around and find things fairly bleak in the world. It can seem that the world is random, chaotic, and cruel.The tone of Micah’s message changes quickly in Chapter 4. While judgment on Israel is coming, this is not the end of their story. Micah shifts from the indictment on their rebellion to the hope for restoration. And that hope did not rest on the goodness and obedience of the nation, rather this hope is in the dawning of a new Kingdom and the restoration of Jerusalem as the hope for the nations. In this, Micah offers Israel and us the source of true hope when the world is hard, and that hope is found in the sovereignty and goodness of God.
The whole world has just gone through a time of trials and suffering. God never promised the church to keep us from suffering. The tough reality is that God guarantees that we will face various trials. The good news is that God has a profound plan for the trials He permits in our life and part of that plan is to fulfill a powerful promise to each of us. As we walk through 1 Peter’s teaching this morning, we can be encouraged by what God has done in the past four years in Ecuador and carry that testimony into the next trial that will strengthen and perfect our faith.
The phrase goes, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” In Micah’s day, the illusion of peace and prosperity hid the fact that the leaders were the primary perpetrators of the injustices taking place in the land. Rulers used their position to protect their own power and wealth and the prophets of the day were more than happy to proclaim a message that benefitted the powerful—who were also more than happy to use them.The truth is that evil and unjust leaders are a sign of God’s judgment upon a culture. Being prophetic in voice means that we are willing to proclaim the truth of the Gospel against the injustice no matter who is involved. For God’s people, we find that representing Jesus means that the cries of injustice should receive our hearts, our voice, and our hands.
God’s love and grace should produce people who are generous, gracious, and deeply care for others. Instead, God’s people were involved in the worst types of injustices, showing no concern for human life, and mistreating the poor, immigrants, women, and children.Those in power will do anything to anyone to gain wealth, get more land, and become more powerful. Cries for justice matter, and God’s people should care for the marginalized and hurting.And, we must never forget that ultimately, God will judge and will bring justice—even to His own people.
Micah’s message begins with a major warning for His people Israel, predicting coming destruction at the hands of the Assyrian Empire. This was ultimately God’s sovereign judgment on His people who were drenched in idolatry.Micah builds Jehovah’s case to show the people’s guilt and deserved justice. The first indictment is that Israel had traded their relationship with True God for cheap imitations and fake man-made gods who cannot deliver. Most of the time, the drift toward idolatry is subtle. Generally, we don’t begin with outright rejection of Jesus.Most of the time, the path to idolatry happens as we mix the spirituality and beliefs around us with the faith delivered in the Gospel. We want all of God’s promises and blessings, yet reject any type of God who keeps us from doing what we want and getting all the things we desire. Yet, idolatry always fails us, our idols cannot save. And worse, idolatry robs us of our witness to the world.As we will find today, idolatry is the core problem for our lives—because our hearts are idol factories.
Micah stands in a long line of prophets, those sent with the Word of the Lord in their mouths and on their pens. They functioned as God’s prosecutors, indicting the nation for their failure to remain faithful to the covenant, while reminding them that God is holy and will be faithful to His promises. While their messages are difficult, any time we have a Word from the Lord it comes with an invitation and a promise. The invitation is to repent and believe the Gospel. And the promise is that God saves and restores. This sermon will introduce Micah and the moment into which he spoke, but will also remind us that God’s Word may have come in time but is always timeless.
As a church, we are setting aside today to emphasize the importance of foster care and adoption. Jesus’ brother, James, wrote a letter to early Christians and his words are striking. The clearest evidence of true religion shaped by the Gospel is the way the faith community cares for the marginalized—specifically widows and orphans. This sentiment is echoed throughout Scripture. Furthermore, one of the most beautiful metaphors of the Gospel is that we have been adopted into God’s family, with God as our True Father.As we bring attention to this issue, we hope that it might lead some to consider foster care and adoption, while calling the entire church to a posture of love and support for those who do so. We will also share a bit about some ministries involved in this sort of care and cast vision for a ministry that could lead our church to create a culture of care for marginalized children and for families who get involved in adoption and foster care.
We like to say that the Gospel comes with an engine. The Gospel saves individuals, but then places them in a community of people and then sends them on a mission. And, not just any mission—we are invited into the Missio Dei, the mission of God.Our Community Groups are so much more than a place to hang out, read a few verses together, and then eat cookies. We see ourselves as a people who have been rescued by the Gospel so that we make the Gospel visible to our city and the world.Peter wrote a letter to the early church and stated that God’s mercy was given to them so that those who once were not a people would become God’s people receiving mercy. But God did this so they could both proclaim His excellencies and demonstrate His mercy, which would cause outsiders to glorify God on the day of visitation.Joining God in His mission is one of the core pillars for us as a church. It is our passion to live together as people sent to our city and world, and to develop each follower of Jesus to live as a missionary to their neighborhood, family, and work place.
I am dating myself a bit, but I was a big fan of the TV show Cheers. The show was about a group of people who had developed a web of meaningful relationships at a Boston bar, and over the years, characters were developed in a way that revealed they deeply cared for and about each other. The show’s opening song was catchy, and revealed something all of us need: a place where everybody knows your name and are glad you came.We live in such a fragmented culture, it is difficult to find a place where you can both be a mess and loved anyway. But, this should be the exact nature of the sort of community you find in the church. When God saves a person, He makes them a part of His people. The church is not a building, hierarchy or institution—it has always been a redeemed people. The Gospel forms a people, so the local church is made up of people who are diverse, yet Christ arranges them into His body and dwells within them. This community is marked by humility, love, and unity and becoming more like Jesus. And it is marked by deep, meaningful relationships that puts the beauty of the Gospel on display.This morning we will talk about community, explain how our church is structured for this to happen, and invite you to pursue a place where everybody knows your name.
Welcome to Genesis Church and Baptism Sunday! Today we start a 3-week series, Pillars, where we will see that God’s purpose for us has always been tied to three key pillars: the Gospel, Community, and Mission.
Many of us grew up believing that the Gospel, the message about Jesus’ death and resurrection, was the ABC’s of Christianity, the first message we need to know in order to be saved—that after believing the Gospel we move on to the deeper things, right? Actually, the Gospel is the A-Z of our faith, the central message of the Bible, and the answer to every question.
For the follower of Jesus, the Gospel has saved us, is saving us, and will save us. And the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection is good news that reaches every fiber of our being, every relationship, every part of our lives. The world around us cannot see the beauty of the Gospel of the glory of God. But when the Gospel transforms people, the church becomes the lens that makes the Gospel visible and the glory of God radiant.
We are a people with one message—the Gospel—and we will tell it over and over.
We close our Confronting Christianity series with a doozy. How could a loving God send people to hell?
Philosopher and Theologian Peter Kreft has said, “Of all the doctrines of Christianity, hell is the most difficult to defend, the most burdensome to bear, and the first to be abandoned.”
Hell has to be an outdated idea flowing from religious zealots seeking to control the lives of people, right? The truth is that no single person said more about the existence and nature of hell than Jesus Himself. If we look at Jesus’ words closely, we will find that hell is actually an extension of God’s character and expression of His righteousness, justice, and yes, even His love. But most important, Christ Himself took on the full weight of hell for us on the cross so that we, as sinful people deserving justice, do not have to end there.
Today Elder John Parke will lead us in a study of Psalm 19 and how that scripture can help us answer the question “How can we take the bible literally”?
We will look at the composition of the Christian bible, the various human authors and literary styles. Our text today will testify to the power and authority of the true author of scripture, God Himself.
Hasn’t science disproved Christianity? The vast majority of our current academic community and culture would answer that question with a resounding YES!
So, we need to understand the difference between “science” and “scientism”. When we do, we will see that through the ages, sinful man has found a way to twist the beauty of God’s gift of science into a belief system that denies God. Far from disproving Christianity, science fully supports our faith. Science is a God-given tool used to reveal God’s glory, majesty and power. The more we see His glory, the more we see our own sin and insignificance and our need for a savior.
Christians are painted many ways in our culture, as we’ve learned over the course of this sermon series, and one of the loudest accusations is that “Christianity is Homophobic.” Certainly, mass attention goes toward the loudest of groups such as Westboro Baptist Church, a cult who yells obscene and sinful things at people who identify as LGBT, but the question is, do they represent the ideas of the majority of Christians?
In this sermon, we will learn what God’s Word says about sexuality, God’s design in relationships, and how Jesus emphasizes the beauty of marriage between man and woman. By doing this, Jesus excludes homosexuality as holy and good for His people. In the end, we must conclude that we as Christians are to love those who struggle with the sin and temptation of homosexuality and that Christ calls us all to something greater: Glorifying and loving God in self-sacrifice and self-control for building of His kingdom.
There are many questions that people use to discredit The Bible and God Himself, often looking to the horrors historically present in our world. One such question is how The Bible, and ultimately God, responds to the notion of slavery. Does God forbid slavery in the Bible, or does He condone it? Why should we believe in a God whose people were complicit in using the Bible to support slavery and oppress so many people? While people tend to look for black or white responses to these questions, there is perhaps a deeper premise at work in the gospel.
In the deceptively short book of Philemon, we see a practical application of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the context of slavery that effectively blows apart these questions and brings about change through the Kingdom of Heaven, showing how in the gospel, believers are freed from enslavement to sin, welcomed into a new family where all are equal in Christ, and made fruitful for God’s purposes of reconciliation and the dissemination of gospel freedom far and wide.
For many skeptics of the Christian faith, the question of suffering and evil is seen as a trump card disproving the existence of God. If God is good, and God is all powerful, how can this God allow so much purposeless suffering and evil in the world? Of course, those raising this question come at it from two different perspectives. Some ask the question philosophically, seeking to discredit the idea of God. Others though, ask the question experientially, as sufferers who have gone through horrific and painful life events.
While the skeptic may believe they have the ultimate defeating argument, the truth is that this question poses more challenges to the secular worldview than it does for those who believe in the God revealed in Scripture. Yet, the “why” question lingers.
The book of Job examines this question philosophically, yet also from the perspective of a person whose suffering is catastrophic. While his journey is painful, Job helps us realize that God is both purposeful and redemptive in suffering. And while we, like Job, might ask God, “Why?,” often God does not answer with information. Rather, in the midst of suffering, God gives those who trust Him something better… Himself.
Today we will look at two questions from the book Confronting Christianity that address similar issues. Doesn’t Christianity hinder morality? And, doesn’t Christianity and religion cause violence? Be careful not to answer these questions to hastily.
The truth is that religion is the cause of much suffering, injustice, hate, and evil around the world. Furthermore, religion has pushed agendas and morals that have deeply hurt people. And yes, at some times and places, institutional Christianity is equally guilty. The Gospel, on the other hand, is something different. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches His disciples about the quality and ethic of life that His followers should have. The truth is that the influence and impact of those who have lived as salt and light around the world has been monumentally positive.
Today we will examine some of the entrenched benefits the Gospel has had on our culture and in other places around the world. Furthermore, we hope to show that those who reject religion while calling for human rights and justice are actually borrowing ideas that began with Jesus.
Our guest speaker today is Ramon Rivera. Ramon’s wife, Diamond, and their two children, Scarlett and Levi, are joining us as special guests today. The Riveras live in Chicago where Ramon serves as a Pastoral Resident at Renewal Church. The Riveras are considering planting a church out of Renewal in the Humboldt Park area. Ramon is a recent graduate of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.
On a personal note (from our Pastor, Mike Hubbard), we got to know Ramon and his family when he officiated the wedding of our daughter, Alex, and son-in-law Cameron, who also attend and serve at Renewal. It will be a joy to hear Ramon preach Christ from James 1:9-18 this morning.
Take a look around at the folks attending this morning. Notice anything unusual? Probably not. The vast majority of us are Caucasian. Most of the churches in Eureka and the surrounding area are majority Caucasian. Does that indicate that Christianity is primarily a “white man’s” religion? Or, instead, maybe that indicates that we’re not seeing the bigger picture.
Today we’re going to look back at the birth of Christianity and also look forward to the culmination of the Church and see how that compares to the argument that Christianity is a “white man’s” religion. We’ll dig into why there are valid reasons to ask our question this morning. We’ll also see how the Gospel not only answers the question but also directs and drives us towards a different and glorious outcome.
In a recent opinion article in our local newspaper, the writer shared from her experience reasons for leaving the church and pursuing a different path for feeling close to God or the universe. She is not alone in her sentiments, as millions of people are leaving Christianity, deconstructing their faith, and abandoning religion. A common thread in many of these stories are experiences of church hurt and interactions with hateful religious people. In reality, aren’t we better off without religion? Wouldn’t the world be a better place if people rejected any true beliefs and learned to get along?
The truth is that worldview matters, and ultimately the trajectory of our lives follows the object of our worship. In today’s sermon we will look at a few core ideas that will help us hold on to the Gospel and the Biblical worldview. First, the Gospel gives us the best framework to see the world as it really exists, explaining our existence, our pain and struggle, and our longings. Second, only the Gospel provides any true hope of something better. And third, the reality is that our Christian worldview actually does provide incredible benefits to us individually and for the human flourishing for our culture.
We live in a pluralistic society, where people believe that the greatest doctrine is that there is no real truth or no exclusive path to God. People are fine with the idea of Jesus, but when Christians make the claim that Jesus is the only way, the culture says Christians are intolerant. Should we back off of the exclusivity claims of Christ? Well, if what we are saying is that Christianity is the best possible religion, then yes, we need to be careful. But Gospel Christianity is not a system of belief and activity that will get us to God. Rather, the center of our faith is a person who came in history and accomplished something that no other religion offers. So, we must believe that Jesus is the only way, only truth, only life.Yet, in other ways Gospel Christianity is the most inclusive worldview in the world, declaring clearly that God loves the world and that all are welcome in Christ’s Kingdom—no matter their background, failures, or culture. Therefore, the inclusivity and exclusivity of Jesus is a belief that should lead those who follow Jesus to humbly share this message with the whole world.
The story of Jesus is not over. In one of his final prophetic discourses, Jesus promised that one day He would return and every eye will see Him.In His first appearance, Jesus came to earth as a simple Galilean peasant who lived the perfect life, died on the cross for us, and rose again. But the promise of the Second Coming guarantees His final victory over all enemies and the gathering of the elect— His people from every tribe, nation, and people. So, we believe in the visible return of Christ that will end history.We live between these two appearances of Christ; yet, as a church, the hope in the Second Coming is the cause for endurance and hope, and is a promise that will purify our lives.
What significance could the death of a man 2000 years ago possibly hold for me? Why does the empty tomb even matter? Even if I do trust in Jesus and believe He did rise - what does that mean for me when I die?The resurrection of Jesus Christ is essential to Christianity. The apostle Paul tells us if Jesus did not rise from the dead, there is no point in believing in Him because there is no hope to be found in Christianity. The death of Christ only matters if He rose from the dead and is alive today, reigning in Heaven. And His resurrection means that we have hope and God has a plan for all of creation.
Nobody’s perfect, right? We often use this sentiment to justify our failings to ourselves, those around us, and ultimately to God. And, of course, it is true—with one exception.As we continue our sermon series on the core Christian beliefs about Jesus, today we will see that Jesus is perfect. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life. The serpent tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden, and they quickly gave in to his seduction and every person after them fell in the same trap.When Satan came at Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus stood true to God’s Law and purpose, rejecting the temptation for a greater purpose. Therefore, Jesus is our perfect Law keeper, making Him True Israel. And His perfect life also makes Him the unblemished Lamb of God who can take away our sin.
The prophets in the Old Testament are an interesting group of characters. They tended to be eccentric people who were generally disliked by kings and the people. This was primarily because their messages warned of judgment to a nation who turned from their God. Yet, what binds these people together is the reality that God literally put His very Words in their mouths and on their pens. The role of the prophet was to speak for God to the nation. Central to this claim is the glorious truth that the God who is speaks and makes Himself known.Moses was a significant prophet because He saw God face to face. And God makes an amazing promise to Moses, that one day He would raise up another prophet like Moses, whose message would come from the very face of God. While other prophets came and went, the people spent centuries looking for The Prophet. In the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus prophetically exposes her brokenness and need, and she recognizes that He is this promised prophet. In this story we see the entire purpose of God’s prophetic revelation through Jesus—to bring God’s love near and make God’s redemption known.
Today we will study from the book of Hebrews in order to gain better understanding of the significant role of the high priests for the Jewish people in the Old Testament and marvel at the way that Jesus has transformed that role by becoming the Great High Priest.Since Jesus has defeated death and ascended into the heavenlies, He now holds the position forever and ever. We can take great encouragement from the implications that were outlined to the recipients of the letter to the Hebrews.
The central declaration of faith among early Christians was that, “Jesus is Lord.” In saying these words, followers of Jesus were being revolutionary—declaring faith in and allegiance to Jesus as the ultimate ruler and authority on earth and in their lives. Rome demanded people to see Caesar as their lord, and in response, Christians declared that Jesus alone is their Lord, their King.As we consider the person and work of Jesus, we need to examine three key offices held by Jesus Christ. This week we will consider Christ the King. The whole story of the Bible is about the existence and rule of the Kingdom of God. As the Kingdom of Israel failed, the Scriptures began the promise of and hope for the entrance of a King who would rule and usher in God’s Kingdom. Russell Moore wrote, “The mission of Christ starts and ends not just in the announcement of forgiveness of sins or in the removal of condemnation—although both of those things are true and essential. The mission of Christ starts and ends with an announcement that God has made Jesus emperor of the cosmos—and he plans to bend the cosmos to fit Jesus’ agenda, not the other way around.”So, when Pilate asks Jesus if he is a king, he is asking a question we all must answer. And one day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Christ alone is Lord.
Exactly five days before He would die on the cross, and one week from His resurrection, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a colt. The crowd’s reaction and declarations are striking, as they lay palm branches on the road in front of Jesus and declare, “Hosanna to the Son of David.”In this moment the Jewish crowd is recognizing an amazing truth. For centuries they had been waiting on the one person who was the fulfillment of all the prophecies, pictures, and promises of God. But now He is here, in their midst, and they are declaring that Jesus truly is the Messiah for whom they had been waiting.From the beginning of the Old Testament, the hope for redemption was to be found in a single person who would come in history. There are hundreds of texts pointing to this truth. These Scriptures are in place to point us to our incredible need for a Messiah and to Jesus as the anointed one of God who fulfills all of Scripture. This sermon will take a journey through some of the prophetic texts and show us Jesus as the True Messiah.
Resurrection Sunday is the wonderful reminder that the crucified Jesus is now alive. This is the greatest reversal and victory in history. But only because of what happened on the cross. Jesus was no mere rabbi who got caught up in a political riot and ended up dying for a cause. Something cosmic happened for all people and for all of creation on that weekend.Some 700 years before Jesus died on the cross, God gave the prophet Isaiah a mental picture of this event, revealing a king who is rejected and dies a violent death, yet his death is for His people, in their place, for their sin. We needed a substitutionary sacrifice and Jesus’ death on the cross provided it. No person ever understood this truth more than Barabbas, a condemned terrorist awaiting execution. Yet, in an odd twist of fate, because Pilate was seeking to set Jesus free, Pilate offers the crowd an option, and Jesus ends up literally dying on the cross prepared for Barabbas. His story is our story and here we find the beautiful truth that Jesus is our sacrifice.
It boggles the mind! The infinite Creator and Ruler of the universe cried as a baby, went through adolescence, and grew in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man.Omnipresence grew in size. Omniscience developed in wisdom. Omnipotence got stronger so He could work in His dad’s carpenter shop. Jesus did not just appear to be human, He was truly man, fully human—just like you and me.The humanity of Jesus was absolutely necessary as the means for our salvation, as Jesus came to be the second Adam. In His humanity, Jesus lived the perfect life and, therefore, became the human covenant keeper, fulfilling the Law for us. And in His humanity, Jesus died our death in our place. Fully God, fully man. Theologians call this the hypostatic union: the merging of two natures in one human being.This morning we will take a look at this beautiful truth, finding that we must believe it to be saved; yet, also finding that our God has come near and is approachable for each of us.
Who is Jesus really? Just a good and moral man? Or maybe He is a prophet similar to Jeremiah or John the Baptist? Perhaps He is a delusional man who just THOUGHT He was God? Or was He truly God incarnate, creator of the universe and savior of the world?Today we begin a new sermon series looking at who Jesus is. Ultimately, every one of us is confronted with the same question Jesus asked Peter in Matthew Chapter 16. Who do you say Jesus is? The answer has eternal implications.
We come to the end of this story, sermon #50 from the book of Acts. It ends with a rather frustrating cliff hanger. Paul has reached Rome, and the Gospel has spread all over the Empire. But he is still awaiting a trial when the book abruptly ends. We have no idea what happened to Peter and the other 12. And the story ends with Paul awaiting his trial before Nero where he could die or go free—which happened?If we read this story as primarily a narrative about early Christian leaders, the story ends without a resolution. But if we understand Acts as the story of God and the beginning of the mission of God, we realize the book of Acts is just the beginning. As Scripture, Acts ends. But the story goes on, and we get to be a part of it. For God’s glory we are still telling the story. We are Acts 29.This sermon will be a primer on church history and the advance of the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and a reminder that the story is not done. Therefore, we are still called to this big plan and have our moment to join the story.
When writing Romans 15,Paul made his goal clear to the Roman church. He planned to drop off an offering in Jerusalem and then come visit for the first time to encourage this church living in the shadow of the Roman Empire. It was also his wish that the Roman church send him on to Spain so he could continue the glorious mission to which God had called him. His ministry was to go to the nations, take the Gospel to the Gentiles, and preach Christ where the name of Jesus had not even been named.Although the way Paul arrived in Rome was much different than his expressed plan, he has now arrived in the most important city in the world. He was not the first to bring the Gospel to Rome, but his ministry in chains reminds us of the mission of God and the mission for the church. God is a sending God. He sent Jesus as our sacrifice to secure redemption, then sent the Spirit to empower the church to take the Gospel to all nations. And, He sends the church into the world so we can proclaim this, “Let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles (and therefore to you!).”In this next to last sermon from Acts, we will be reminded of the wonder of the Gospel that is for all people.
We are nearing the end of Acts—just 3 sermons left—as we see Paul being sent off to Rome. He does not know what awaits him, only that he will have the opportunity to proclaim Jesus there. But the trip is, well, less than uneventful.Even though Paul warns them not to set out to sea, the captain knows better, and as a result, they are swept up in a hurricane- like storm that hurls them out to open sea, drifting for days, and ending up shipwrecked on an island.The story of the storm just does not make sense in Acts—God’s plan was for Paul and his buddies to get to Rome, but the storm came anyway, and the mission seemed threatened. They end up shipwrecked on Malta, and then Paul gets bitten by a snake. On the one hand, the storm came out of nowhere and seemed to disrupt the plan. On the other hand, the story reminds us of God’s providence; His unseen hand guiding the events of life and His presence in the storm.So, we are reminded that following Jesus does not guarantee we won’t have storms; yet, we can know that God is present in the storm and His purpose for us will be accomplished because of them.
Paul finds himself yet again brought before those in authority. His audience is the Roman governor, the Jewish King, and a host of other prominent folks from Caesarea.Will Paul finally break down and plead for his release? Will he give in and pay the bribe that Festus’ predecessor, Felix, wanted him to pay?Instead of doing any of these things, Paul shares his testimony: What he was like growing up and in his early years and how Jesus interrupted his plans and radically changed him. He even invites his hearers to repent and believe.Today we’ll look at three principals we can take from Paul’s example and use them when we share our story.
There’s a new sheriff in town … or well, at least a new Roman Governor. As Festus begins his rule on behalf of Rome, he has a problem that was left to him—Paul’s imprisonment. The Jews want his first act to be handing Paul over to them so they can deal with him as they want. This will gain goodwill for Festus, but previous trials and his own tribunal prove that Paul is not guilty of anything deserving a trial, much less a death sentence. Yet, politics put Felix in a position where he could gain favor over those he is supposed to govern by giving in to their demands.So, Paul drops his trump card—as a Roman citizen he can appeal to Rome, meaning any trial that could result in his death had to be heard in Caesar’s court in the capital city. At this point the Roman government is generally sympathetic to Paul’s arguments and faith and Paul responds with respect, submission, and gentleness. Generally, this should be the posture believers have toward authority. Yet, there are times when the hostility starts with authorities and the government, and believers’ responses might look different.Today we will look at our responsibilities and attitudes as they relate to those who govern and have authority over us.
You don’t have to look very far in our world to find a story about scandals in the church and among its leaders. Pastors and leaders are exposed for sexual sin and abuse, abuse of power, financial mismanagement, and a myriad of other moral issues. Whenever these things happen it negatively impacts the witness of the church and wounds others who are involved in the community of faith. Integrity matters!In this Acts passage, Paul is falsely accused by the Jewish High Priest and is able to defend himself and gain the ear of the sitting Roman governor. Felix knew about Christianity so Paul could have used this moment to leverage the relationship for his benefit. Instead, Paul speaks a warning to Felix about God’s judgment for oppressors.But another thing becomes clear—if Paul will bribe the Roman official, he would be free to go. It was a common practice, and Paul should have no problem getting a few churches to throw a few bucks his way for the cause of the mission so he can go free. Not doing so leaves Paul in prison for two years. But the beauty of his witness was maintained as Paul chose to act in integrity.At times the world may be hostile toward those who believe in Jesus, but as followers of Jesus, we are called to turn the other cheek and respond like Christ when persecuted rather than stooping to the tactics of the world.
The story from Acts this week is filled with the sort of excitement that would make for a good movie. The narrative includes a plot to assassinate Paul, a spy who discovered the plot, and a quick exit from Jerusalem to Caesarea in the middle of the night with a Roman soldier escort. The threat is real to a man who had been persecuted so many times.But his part of the story began with a prophetic word from Jesus that Paul would survive all of this and reach his goal of preaching Christ in Rome. This is a wonderful moment, and will be the backdrop of everything else that happens for the rest of Acts. On the other hand, not all people who are suffering for the name of Jesus will receive this sort of vision.Throughout history people have faced threats, persecution, and martyrdom for the cause of Jesus. The story of the martyrs should challenge us to faithfulness and the current suffering of the persecuted church should get our attention. Today we will look at the reality that there are people under threat all around the world, and learn how we can be more informed, prayerful, and supportive of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
The call of the Gospel is that followers of Jesus obey Christ and love their neighbors, even to the point of laying down their own lives. Yet, this does not mean that they must be naive and not use the means necessary to protect one’s rights and defend the Gospel.Paul is incredibly shrewd after his arrest, by leveraging his Roman citizenship, putting Roman soldiers who beat him up without a trial in a really bad place, and giving Paul greater freedom to proclaim Christ. He also plays the political game well with the Jewish leaders, pitting the two major religious tribes against each other.Paul shows us here that there are times for Christians to stand for their rights, asking those in power to protect freedoms that will provide means to preach Christ and protect human flourishing. And, the central freedom to be defended is the freedom of religion and speech. A free church in a free state creates the best option for human flourishing and for the proclamation of the Gospel.
In Jerusalem, Paul finds himself in a culture that is opposed to him as a person and to the Gospel he is proclaiming. He receives pressure from the religious Jews and the secular Romans. He was there because of the Will of God, yet, his presence in the city gets him beaten up a couple times and thrown in jail.The final chapters of Acts reveal the story of Paul in the midst of a culture that is hostile. In the story we see an example of a man who gives multiple defenses of the faith while remaining a true witness of Jesus.As our culture grows more hostile to faith in Jesus, we, too, must make sure we do not cower away from the true Gospel and its implications. Yet, we must also make sure that we love the culture around us, maintain our humility, and make sure that if we are to be persecuted that it is for the right things.
One of the deepest longings we experience from the time we are born is the need to be known and loved. Paul reminds us that God demonstrated His love for us through the story of Jesus, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.This is the love that saved us from God’s wrath and reconciled enemies to God. The love of God known in Jesus is the only love that will truly fill our soul.
We all want to find something that will make sense of the world and give us the hope for something better ahead. But is this just wishful thinking? Where can we find hope when life is hard and death is certain?Christian hope is more than an active imagination longing for something out of reach. The gift of hope is the reality that we can know for certain that we are not alone in our suffering, we are being changed into new people, and our final destination is secure. More importantly, this hope comes because Jesus, through His presence, is with us always.
I don’t know if Paul had a life verse, but he spoke words that were recorded by Dr. Luke in Acts 20 that have become the favorite of many people. Simply put, Paul states his desire to run his race well, to cross the finish line faithfully, and to complete the ministry God has given him.
For those of us who follow Jesus, life is a race to be run with our eyes on the finish line in hopes of a prize. There is another passage from the pen of Paul coming much later when he is nearing the end of life. In 2 Timothy, Paul testifies that he is close to the finish line and gives thanks that he has remained faithful in the race and he can see the prize.
These two texts reveal the life mission of this great missionary and Paul helps us find our life purpose as well—to run the race faithfully with endurance until we, too, reach the finish line.
Leadership matters.
At our moment in church culture we have had a myriad of examples of church leaders who lacked integrity and character. There is a long list of pastors with moral failures alongside those who bullied and used people. It is no wonder so many are leaving the church and rejecting any authority.
On his way to Jerusalem, Paul stops to visit the Elders of the church in Ephesus. Earlier, Paul spent over three years serving this church and raising up the leaders and Elders who would continue the work when he left. Now he wants one last gathering to love on these men and challenge them as leaders of Christ’s church.
Not only is our text today one of the most heartfelt and beautiful moments in Acts, it also, more than any other, gives clarity to the call on the lives of men who serve as the elders or pastors of the church and the weight they must carry together. What we see in the Scriptures is a plurality of leaders serving as a band of brothers who give their lives for the church for the cause of the Gospel in a city.
Our idols die hard.
In Ephesus, the preaching of Jesus and the birth of a church in that city led many to turn from idols and trust in Jesus. The Word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. But the people’s defection from the city idolatry had a significant economic impact on the silversmith trade as their primary income was from making idols.
Idols die hard—in each of us individually and also in the context of the larger culture. We are always negotiating with God, trying to get Jesus to coexist with the idols of our hearts. But when we see this is not possible, we are left with a choice. The city of Ephesus was known for the temple to the goddess Artemis, which shaped the identity of the city. The preaching of the Gospel confronted this idolatry and led to a riot. While this riot ended in somewhat peaceful terms, the basic message was clear. Jesus and Artemis could not stand together, one of them would have to go.
Our hearts are idol factories and the Gospel continues to confront our idols. So beware: our idols die hard.
As Paul nears the end of his third major missionary trip, it is time to head home. Instead of heading straight to Antioch, he plans to go to Jerusalem first. The story helps us see that Paul never travels alone. He has a crew of people who are serving with him, representing the churches he has visited, and doing the work of ministry together.
During his travels, Paul has been collecting what has become a significant sum of money, given by individuals in the churches to support their suffering brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. The names mentioned are traveling with Paul to protect, provide accountability, and deliver these funds to Jerusalem. It is clear that there is no Lone Ranger mentality with Paul.
In every situation there is a team of people doing ministry and mission together. This includes when Paul preaches on and on… and a teenager falls asleep and out of a window during the preaching.
Paul’s third missionary journey brings him back to Ephesus, where he preaches Jesus to a group of John the Baptist’s disciples who have not yet heard of the Holy Spirit. Paul then reasons about Jesus in the synagogue and a lecture hall. The story takes a bizarre turn though, when some itinerant Jewish exorcists (that sounds fun) show up seeking to do miracles like Paul in the name of Jesus. Their story ends with a demon possessed man beating these charlatans up, then sending them out naked and ashamed in the streets. Front and center in the story is the reality that magical spirituality and idolatry is a real problem in Ephesus.
Idols are anything that challenges Jesus for supremacy in our lives and gives a sense of identity outside of the Gospel. The Sons of Sceva had a religious idolatry rooted in their desire to control the spiritual world for fame. Others sought the fulfillment of all their hopes and dreams through magic arts. Yet, the preaching of the Gospel confronts these and all idols and calls us to identify them, kill them, and lay them at the feet of Jesus, which is exactly what happens for a myriad of people in Ephesus at an incredibly great cost. This morning we will take a look at the Gospel and our idols.
Every once in a while I will hear someone complaining about “doctrine” in the church, proclaiming that doctrine divides while Jesus unites, or that doctrine is cold and dead. Do doctrine and theology matter?
Our story this week reveals Paul making a quick trip through the important city of Ephesus on his way back to Antioch. He preaches Jesus and there is a new church, yet he doesn’t stay long. Paul’s old friends from Corinth, Priscilla and Aquila, remain in Ephesus and come into contact with a gifted young preacher named Apollos. The dude can wax eloquent and knows much of the Bible. Yet, there were some areas of the Gospel that he was unaware of and needed more training and discipleship for his ministry. Priscilla and Aquila pour into the life and doctrine of this young preacher.
We are reminded here that passion and gifts are not enough—that doctrine really does matter. Gifted preachers can preach an erroneous or incomplete Jesus, which can lead to churches embracing false gospels. Charles Spurgeon is attributed as saying, “A mist in the pulpit will lead to a fog in the pew.” The story of Apollos reminds us that theological formation matters in our spiritual growth and that authentic discipleship will shape the things we believe.
At Genesis, we love church planting and consider the planting of new churches a significant aspect of our mission. Church planting is not easy and often the cost can be great. Yet, it is the single most effective way to reach people and their cities with the Gospel.
So far in Acts, the story of Paul’s missionary efforts has been the story of Gospel proclamation and church planting. The story now has Paul coming to the city of Corinth. Corinth is a different and difficult place; an immoral city that was one of the most important seaports in the ancient world. Yet it is here that the Spirit tells Paul to remain as the church planter for a longer season.
The new believers in Corinth have all sorts of challenges and struggles as they grow as disciples of Jesus, but the church became a counter culture representing Jesus to the culture in this city. Our desire is to see this story repeated often, especially in hard to reach places in our city and around the world.
At the time of the New Testament, Athens remained the seat of philosophy and culture in the ancient world. While it had lost some of its luster to the Roman Empire, the lore of the great philosophers still hovered in the city. When Paul arrived to this city in hopes of proclaiming Jesus, the first thing that happened to him as he observed the culture was his angst about the incredible numbers of idols to the Greek gods in the city.
His preaching brought him into contact with the two major schools of philosophical thought from the First Century, and the outcome is that Paul is given the opportunity to preach Jesus on Mars Hill. Yet this sermon is also a sort of trial, and had the potential to end badly if his message was rejected. It is into this context that Paul preaches Jesus carefully and in a way that is absolutely directed at the educated and intelligent audience on Mars Hill.
Paul reminds us of two basic truths we must maintain as we seek to take Jesus to the world. First, there is only one Gospel, and we must proclaim Jesus without changing the truth of the message. Yet, there are an infinite number of cultural and social locations where the Gospel can be proclaimed and it is our task to know the culture and make Christ known in each place. So, the way we proclaim the timeless truth of the Gospel might look different as we seek to contextualize the Gospel to differing cultures.
The trip through Macedonia takes Paul and his companions into Thessalonica and Berea. A church is planted in these cities as some Jews and Greeks believe. Yet, the response of the larger crowd of Jewish people in these cities cannot be more different. The people in Thessalonica outright reject the preaching of Jesus and even side with the secular culture around them to rid the city of the Gospel. Yet, we are told that in Berea, the people “Received the Word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”
The Bereans teach us how to listen to every sermon by checking the Scriptures to make sure what was proclaimed in the sermon lines up with the Bible itself. This morning we will take a look at the importance of the Bible, and examine the role of the preacher and the hearer in our Sunday gathering. May we as a church be much like the Bereans.
Nobody promised this Christianity thing would be easy. How would you respond if you were arrested merely for changing the life of a broken, hurting person? This is the outcome for Paul and Silas as they end up in the inner prison of the Macedonian city of Philippi merely for rescuing a slave girl from her demons. Doesn’t seem fair. Do they complain? Curse and get bitter? What we find them doing in the middle of the night is actually unnerving and unnatural. We find these two guys in chains, yet they are singing praises and declaring the glory of Jesus in this dark dungeon. God again executes a miraculous release, yet this time the prisoners do not leave. That is interesting— freed prisoners who do not run away. By the end of the story we have another whole house of people who have been rescued by Jesus and a growing church in this city. The praise from prison becomes contagious and shows all of us how we can respond to the worse of adversities we face in life.
I remember hearing the story of the Macedonian Call in a missions class at my church when I was a kid. The image of a Macedonian man appearing to Paul in a vision and crying out, “Why don’t you come over here,” felt a little like Red Rover to me. Yet, this story revealed something about God and Paul. Both of them had a passion for the unreached people in the world. The Macedonian Call is a reminder that there are still people all over the globe who have never heard the name of Jesus. In some of these places God is doing miracles and even sending visions to people. Yet, the primary way God has planned to reach those people is through the faithful witness of Jesus’ people and the raising up of future missionaries like Timothy to join the task. The result is the salvation of people such as Lydia in cities like Philippi and formation of a community of faith that will be a mission outpost is each city. Today we will consider the global task God has given us and consider ways each of us can be a part of the Gospel to the nations.
Paul and Barnabas were heroes, fighting in the trenches of the Gospel together. They traveled the world and they stood unified at the Jerusalem Council. You would have thought they would be together until the end.
But, there was an issue that came between them—the person John Mark (aka, Mark who wrote the Gospel bearing his name). Mark ditched them on the first missionary journey, a hardship that must have hurt the mission. Now Paul and Barnabas are prepping for another world beating mission journey. Barnabas, the encourager, sees redemptive hope in Mark and wants to give him a second chance. Paul has his eyes on the big picture—the lost people in Asia who need the Gospel—and does not believe they have time to take a second chance on someone who already failed. So, the Gospel tandem had a disagreement that led to their parting ways.
There are times in our Christian journey where we will have disagreements and may even part ways. Yet, in this case, God multiplied the mission teams and impact. So who was right? Well, in a way, both were.
The theological question addressed in Acts 15 was not a small one. God had revealed Himself to the Jews and gave them the Law, and this God also sent Jesus (a Jewish man) into the world to save people. So, shouldn’t these new Gentile (non-Jewish) followers of Jesus be required to obey the Law and join the Old Testament covenantal people through circumcision? Of course, this is a big ask, and add on to this, is giving up bacon.
This chapter is one of the benchmark moments, not just in Acts, but in all of church history. On one hand, it was important to stay faithful to the Scriptures. On the other hand, Paul and Barnabas’s mission led to the conversion of a large number of people from the nations believing in Jesus and receiving the Holy Spirit without circumcision and adherence to the Law. The Apostles and Elders of the early church, including Paul, Barnabas, and James the brother of Jesus, come together to wrestle with this question through the lens of Scripture and, with the help of the Spirit, come to a settled position. In this instance, the great doctrine that we are saved by grace alone through faith in Jesus alone wins the day. But this story also gave the church a model to follow for centuries as it had to deal with multiple theological questions and even heresies.
This morning we will look at an event called the First Church Council and we will find that the core doctrines of our faith are very important.
The book of Acts contains the amazing story of how the good news about Jesus started with a small band of people in Jerusalem, and in a few short years, ended up with followers of Jesus and churches in every key city in the Roman Empire. A key aspect of the story involves the missionary efforts of Saul of Tarsus, A.K.A., the Apostle Paul.
Today’s passage gives us a quick glimpse into the missionary ministry of Paul. He goes on three great journeys traveling from town to town to preach Jesus and plant churches. This sermon will be a little different from our normal sermons as we will share a biography of this amazing servant of Jesus, and we will look at Paul’s missionary efforts around the world.
So far in our study of Acts, we have seen the apostles speak primarily to Jews, who had the benefit of years of Old Testament background that provided a framework of understanding for how Jesus fit into God’s plan of salvation.
This morning, however, we see Paul and Barnabas enter a town inhabited largely by people with practically no exposure to the Bible. In fact, their roots are deeply entrenched in Greek and Roman mythology, and things quickly get a bit crazy for the apostles. How will Paul and Barnabas approach the gospel differently for the non-Jewish crowd? And what implications does this have for our call as believers to share the good news when we encounter people with no Biblical background? We’re glad you’ve joined us to study this interesting passage today.
Next Sunday will be an exciting day at Genesis as we celebrate baptisms in the Meramec River. My guess is that almost everyone here has some opinion about what baptism is and how it is administered. And for the most part, those opinions were probably shaped by the faith tradition of your family.
Baptism is a big deal in the Christian story and the narrative in Acts. Jesus Himself was baptized by his cousin John and He commanded His disciples to baptize people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Throughout Acts we see people believe and Luke is careful to show us that they are then baptized in obedience to Jesus’ commands and as a demonstration of this new faith.
This morning in our journey through Acts, we are going to pause and take a look at the practice and importance of baptism, and even invite some of you to join us in the river next week to make your public declaration of faith in Jesus Christ.
In Acts Chapter 13, Barnabas and Saul set out on the first ever mission trip. And, what a trip it was!
Along the way, they are called to the Governor’s mansion in a Roman province where immorality reigns supreme, confronted by a false prophet/sorcerer, and preach to a whole city—only to be run out of town by the most religious people there!
Yet, after all that, we are told they were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit! What can we learn from them about how to live on mission every day in our crazy culture? It turns out we can learn quite a bit!
Are you ready for a Great Adventure?
Antioch was a major city in the Roman Empire, serving as the eastern capital for the empire. It was also the city where a large number of the Jewish believers fleeing Jerusalem landed. Upon arriving in this city, they began to preach Jesus and a church was planted. They did not just reach out to their own people, but took the Gospel to the nations of people living in this ancient metropolis, and the church exploded in growth as a multi-cultural community of faith. To help the church, the mother church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas, who sought out Paul and brought him to Antioch.
This cultural crossing missionary heart was so impactful that the residents in the city came up with a nickname for the believers in Antioch, “Christians”, or little Christs. The missionary heart that began with reaching across ethnic and language boundaries in their city also prepared them for the task of reaching the nations and the call to send out their very best to join the mission.
As we look at the church in Antioch, our goal today is to think about what it looks like to be a church and individuals with God’s missionary heart.
The Gospel has always confronted the kingdoms of the world and often suffers under wicked rulers. The message of Jesus the King is generally not well received by those who believe they are sovereign.
In today’s passage, Herod throws his weight around, arresting and killing James, the first martyred Apostle. When that pleases his constituency, Herod goes after Peter, with plans to end Peter’s life as well. God miraculously saved James through death and saved Peter by rescuing him from death.
But the story reminds us that no leader is sovereign and wicked leaders will answer to God, as Luke chooses to tell us the story of Herod’s horrible death, which he interprets as an act of divine judgment. In this we are reminded that no kingdom of this world can stop the mission of God and His purpose for our lives.
And, we are reminded of the importance of prayer in the church, and the reality that God does answer our prayers—sometimes in bizarre, humorous, and miraculous ways.
From the earliest part of the Biblical story God indicated that His plan was the blessing of all nations through His covenant of grace. Yet, until the story in Acts 10, the only people of God were descendants of Abraham or those who converted to Judaism. Our story this week represents a radical change in God’s grand narrative of salvation, resulting in the inclusion of the first Gentiles (non-Jews) into the Kingdom and people of God.
The long passage begins with visions by two men. God speaks to Peter, changing his heart toward Gentile people. At the same time, a Roman Centurion named Cornelius has a vision causing him to seek out Peter. This beautiful story leads to the conversion and gift of the Holy Spirit to the first Gentile. This paves the way for us to be included in the people of God and His glorious purpose on earth. It also reminds those of us who have been included in the people of God that we are to love and pursue all people, and that we cannot allow any human barriers to keep us from representing Jesus to the world.
Have you ever read the stories of miracles in the Bible and wondered why these sorts of things don’t seem to show up in our day?
Luke tells us stories of two miraculous healings at the hands of the Apostle Peter. These signs accompany Peter’s preaching of Jesus leading to the advance of the Gospel. They are two in a myriad of stories of miracles found throughout the Bible.
We can come to these stories with skepticism and also wonder why we don’t see these kinds of healings all the time. This sermon is going to interact with the question of miracles, why they happen, and what God accomplishes through miracles. We will find that God is the God of the miraculous and the greatest miracle among us happens every time someone believes in Jesus.
Is the Gospel we preach able to save a murderer? The story of Saul, AKA Paul, shows us that nobody is outside of the reach and usefulness of Jesus.
We first met this man standing over the martyred body of Stephen, and subsequently leading the persecution of the church in Jerusalem. He then goes on to be the muscle for the Jewish leaders, seeking to stamp out the growth of the church. Saul was at the forefront of persecuting, arresting, and even killing Christ followers. In Acts 9, he is on the way to the city of Damascus to hunt down believers who have fled there, but on the way Jesus appears to him miraculously and gloriously saves this Pharisee. He is loved and baptized by a brave believer named Ananias, and his life is gloriously changed. Paul immediately joins the mission of Jesus along with the other faithful witnesses. As a result, he becomes #1 on Jerusalem’s Most Wanted.
His story is living proof that nobody is beyond the scope and possibility of God’s glorious salvation made possible in Christ.
What a bizarre and amazing story! An Ethiopian man had traveled to Jerusalem to worship God. Because he was a eunuch (made that way in order to serve his queen), he would have been excluded from worship in the inner courts of the Temple. As he returns home, he is reading a scroll of Isaiah and comes to a passage he does not understand. But Philip comes alongside, explains the text and points him to Jesus. Philip is a faithful witness.
This is what our neighbors and friends need as well—to be shown Jesus from the Scriptures and have the good news explained. When we do this, God will be faithful, and we, too, can see people rescued by Christ and baptized.
This morning our passage will be looking at two guys—two guys that had position, power, and prestige. Yet, they wield these things completely differently. One guy uses it for the betterment of others in humility and the other, out of pride, is only looking out for himself.
As we look at both men, especially the second, ask yourself how you are like him. Ask God to reveal to you how pride is, maybe subtly, rising up in you to rebel against the things of God and act in opposition to scripture.
Stephen desired for Christ to be known, even though his preaching and witness enraged the city leaders in Jerusalem. In rejecting Jesus, these residents of Jerusalem responded by killing the messenger rather than listening to the message. They sent this young preacher out to the crowd with a death warrant which a terrorist mob is more than willing to carry out. And standing over the body is this guy named Saul.
Stephen’s death lights two intertwined fires. The first is a fire of persecution that breaks out in Jerusalem led by Saul of Tarsus. Yet, the fire of persecution lit the wick leading to the explosive scattering of the church which led directly to the Gospel going to the nations.
The way God will tell His story flowing from the death of Stephen, the scattering of the church, and entrance of Saul is nothing less than amazing. We are not promised that following Jesus will be easy; we may have to lay down our lives to be on mission. But, we are promised that our mission cannot fail.
Courtrooms seem like the perfect setting for great drama: Witnesses recount crimes under oath, lawyers display evidence, and judges and juries ultimately decide fates. Countless films and TV shows have used the courtroom to capitalize on the climactic moments and sensational elements of the justice system. If the accused takes the stand, they use the time to testify to their innocence of the crime. They typically do not speak for long. They try to avoid giving the prosecuting attorney a reason to cross examine them.
In our study today, we enter a Jewish courtroom set in the early days of the church. The ancient Jewish court system was called the Sanhedrin. The Great Sanhedrin was the supreme religious body in the Land of Israel during the time of the Holy Temple. They dealt with religious and ritualistic Temple matters. Unlike our favorite television court scenes, there were no defense attorneys. The accused provided their own defense. Stephen stands before the Sanhedrin to defend the charge of blasphemy. He proceeds to deliver the longest speech recorded in scripture. He uses the speech to plead with the Council that they are the guilty ones. While defending the charge of blasphemy, his recall of Old Testament history becomes more of a prosecution against the Sanhedrin than a defense of the false charges against him.
The early church hits an incredibly dangerous crisis moment, as the community is in danger of fracturing over the cultural and political fault lines of their times. The issue showed up in the way the early church cared for widows left destitute by crisis and heartache. It seems that the Hebrew-speaking Jews, who would have aligned more with the anti-Roman view of the day, were being served, while the Greek-speaking women, who would have been more sympathetic with Hellenism, were being left out.
The potential for political rivalry and division is significant. But the apostles step in and lead the people in a solution that actually empowers the Hellenistic Jews and puts them into leadership, preserves the unity of the church, assures the pastoral care of those who are hurting, and maintains the focus on the mission of the Gospel.
As a result, we end up with what many believe are the first deacons in the Bible and the outcome is that the church continues to multiply.
In our age of affluence there is one commodity that is hard to find: lasting joy. We think joy comes in a package or experience. So, it is shocking when we see the Apostles rejoicing after having their lives threatened and being beaten.
The Apostles were arrested by the Sadducees, but an angel let them out and they went right back to preaching. The Apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin, the ruling council or the Jews. Only a last minute intervention from one of the council members prevents a death sentence being given; still, they warn the Apostles again along with a beating. But, what can they really do to a band of men who enjoyed fish with a risen Savior? They are witnesses and nothing can stop this movement.
The Gospel we preach is powerful and worthy; the only source of true and lasting joy. Following and proclaiming Jesus may cost us. Yet, it is in paying this cost and living for something greater than self that will give us the ability to find joy when and if we are counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus’ name.
Throughout the Bible, the people of God are said to be the bride of Christ. The story from Acts today shows us how important Jesus’ bride is and the lengths He will go to bless, protect, and provide for her.
The first and third section of this text give us two more snapshots into the community and life of the church, where we see the generosity and care for the needy and the power of the witness and ministry of the church. But, in between, we have this crazy story of a misguided couple who meets their doom. The story seems harsh and out of place, but it really reveals the love of Jesus and the protection of her purity for His glory.
May is Prayer Month here at Genesis. OK, let me rephrase that… EVERY month is prayer month, but we as a church have set aside May as a month of intentional focus on the prayer life of our church so that we, like the early church, can be devoted to prayer (Acts 2:42). In His providence, God has us in the perfect passage to kick this off, as we will see the prayer of the early church in Acts 4.
If someone threatened your life and the life of those whom you love, how would you pray? The story in Acts brings us to one of the most amazing and challenging prayers in all of Scripture. The Apostles were warned to stop speaking in the name of Jesus and threatened by the most powerful rulers in the city. Instead of praying for safety and protection, they pray for boldness; asking God to empower them and perform miracles.
This morning we will learn from the text about the importance of prayer and hear how Genesis seeks to live out our core value of prayer as a faith community.
After healing the man who was crippled from birth, the bold preaching of the resurrection gets Peter and John in trouble with the Jewish authorities for the first time. They are brought before the big guns and questioned. We need to remember that these are the same men who presided over the trial of Jesus and were the most well known leaders of Judaism, the religious faith of Israel.
It was the perfect opportunity for Peter to cower again, but not this time. In boldness and filled with the Spirit, Peter answers their challenge with a clear and simple declaration—that there is salvation in no one but Jesus.
The exclusivity of the Gospel message is a doctrine that every other worldview and religion finds offensive. How can there be only one name, only one way, only one path to salvation?
The sermon today will show why we can never back away from the message that Jesus, and Jesus alone, saves.
This morning we will be looking at Peter’s sermon to a crowd after the healing of a crippled man in Acts 3. In his message, Peter makes a statement directed to this crowd just a few weeks after Jesus’ death that is striking: “You killed the author of life.” Think about the claim—killing the author of life. Is that even possible?
Many of the people hearing the message were also in the crowd that rejected Jesus, called for His death, and cried out for the release of a murderer instead of the release of Jesus. So, yes, they literally were involved in the death of Jesus. But we weren’t there, so what about us? Peter’s sermon is the central message we proclaim on Easter and every week—that even though we were not there, our sin caused the death of Jesus. Yet, God’s power raised Him from the grave, and we are witnesses.
The Easter story comes with an invitation to turn to Jesus and believe and the promise that “times of refreshing” will come from the presence of the Lord. It is our hope that all who are here will experience the blessing of Jesus today.
We live in a world with needs. These needs can be overwhelming for the church and for us as individuals. We can feel paralyzed believing we can’t make a difference. On the other hand, we can get so intent on trying to meet all these needs that we lose the central mission of the church.
The amazing passage for today’s message reveals how the apostles are literally carrying on the ministry of Jesus. The man asks for a handout, but Peter and John don’t have spare change. Yet, they do have something amazing to offer the man. First, they offer him the name of Jesus. Second, they reach down to him and lift him up with the care and compassion of Jesus.
While we may not heal like this, we too are sent in the world as the hands and feet of Jesus with the commission to offer the only thing that can really save—the name of Jesus.
Have you ever been part of a tight knit group of people who gave you both a place to belong and a sense of purpose? For me, it was the sports locker room. Because I was part of the team, the locker room became the place where we knew and accepted each other deeply, but it was also the goal of winning that brought us together.
In Acts 2, Luke allows us to peer into the inner life of that first church in Jerusalem. Instantly numbering over 3,000 people and growing daily, this church shows us the rhythms, community, and outcomes of this fellowship of people. We see that the church was a place to belong and a place to become. But the text, as it sits in Acts is more than just one glimpse. It is the model for every church that will be planted in Acts after this. In other words, whenever we find a church in the rest of Acts, we are to see the same rhythms, community, and outcomes taking place in those cities as well.
Christ has redeemed a people for His glory and placed them in a community that becomes an outpost—an embassy of Christ’s Kingdom in that city. This community is the church of Jesus Christ, and is still the hope for the world.
“Happy birthday, to you…” The Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 is the birthday of the church. The day begins with 120 people awaiting the promise Jesus made. By 9 a.m. the miraculous power of God’s Spirit filled everyone in this room. They spill into the streets while speaking in tongues and the result is people from around the world hear the Gospel in their own language.
But, some of the religious crowd accuse them of being drunk, so the Apostle Peter steps up, and filled with the Spirit, preaches the first Christian sermon. He preaches from the Old Testament and even accuses the crowds and leaders of killing the Messiah. No holding punches, but the crux of Peter’s message is about Jesus crucified and risen resulting in the forgiveness of sins and the promise of the Spirit for all who believe. This invitation is for all who repent and are baptized. So, on day one of Christianity, the church grows from 120 to 3,120.
But, the key is to know that the Spirit empowered Gospel found in the Word of God is what birthed the church. And, this same Gospel proclaimed is what shapes the church and gives it life today.
Jesus told His initial followers that they were to go and wait for the promised Holy Spirit that would baptize and fill them. And, then the day of Pentecost came. These men and women were in a Jerusalem home when it filled with wind, fire dropped on each of them, they were filled with the Spirit, and started speaking in tongues.
But, what is Pentecost and what does this day teach us about what is happening in the story? In late Spring, the city of Jerusalem would fill with people from all over the world to celebrate this festival. The observance was filled with meaning from their Jewish heritage and a chance to give thanks for God’s gift of the harvest. God chose this day to fill His followers with the Spirit and begin the great harvest among the nations.
As those gathered for this festival found out, to be filled with the Spirit is to be sent out as a witness and even supernaturally empowered for the task.
The second chapter of Acts is a pivotal moment, not just in Acts, but in the entire storyline of the Bible. We have 120 people in a room waiting for the promise Jesus had made to them: that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. The day is Pentecost, a Jewish pilgrimage festival exactly 50 days after Passover, and on this year exactly 50 days after the cross of Christ.
Suddenly, these people had a wind blow through them and a fire fall on them. But what is really going on in this moment? These things represent more than just a bizarre moment that seems it could have ended with scalded hair. The story, while true, also connects this moment to the larger story of Scripture revealing the Trinitarian God and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Today we will look at the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and the importance of our relationship with Him; and yes, it is Him, not It. We will see that the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives will bring some very distinctive marks—marks that changed the people in this room and that will change us as well.
The story of Acts takes us into an upper room in Jerusalem where 120 people gathered to wait for the promise, just as Jesus told them to do. The Apostles are in the room, each of whom failed and fled on the night of Jesus’ crucifixion, including Peter. Also in attendance are a group of women, many who had demons, and Jesus’ brothers who rejected Him during his ministry. This small band of people were shortly going to be filled with power and change the world. But one person was conspicuously absent—Judas. His death is vividly described and his end was brutal. Yet, the difference between Judas and the people who are in the room is not so much in the level of their failure; rather it was Judas’ response to his sinfulness and the evil of bearing the guilt of sin alone that led to his demise. So now Judas needed to be replaced so that the apostolic band would once again have integrity. Another sinner in need of grace is added and the team is ready for game day.
Even after Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples still didn’t quite get the idea of the Kingdom and their place in it. So, they ask a simple question, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?”
Their question reveals that they still think God’s mission is political and about restoring their nation. Jesus’ answer shifts their understanding of both His Kingdom and their mission. They will not be soldiers in a revolution; they will be witnesses sent to the nations, proclaiming what they have seen and experienced. And, they will do this in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
And, because their mission depends of the power of God’s Spirit, which Jesus had already promised them, their role at the current moment is to wait. But the promise of that day is real, and the ascension of Jesus guarantees the reality of the gift of the Spirit.
Their mission cannot, will not fail. This, too, is our mission—to be witnesses to our city and beyond, even to the ends of the earth.
Today we begin a new series: To Be Continued… on the book of Acts. We often hear the phrase, “God has a plan for your life,” and this is true. But that plan fits in God’s global plan and story. This story is the primary message of the entire Bible: God’s purpose to display His glory through creation, the redemptive work of Jesus, and the salvation of His people to the ends of the earth.
The book of Acts in the New Testament is a key chapter in that grand story revealing God’s work in redeeming diverse people all over the Roman world resulting in the birth of the church. Acts is the continuation of Jesus’ redemption story and shares the amazing story of how the Gospel spread from a small group of 120 people in Jerusalem to every major city in the Roman Empire. This happens as the Holy Spirit empowers followers of Jesus and Jesus builds His church. And, as with the entire story of God, Acts is more than just a narrative revealing history, it comes with an invitation to join the story of the mission of God and His people.
So while Acts ends as a book of the Bible, it is a story that is to be continued until Jesus comes again, and we get to play a part!
There are times in God’s story when He calls the people of God to join His vision for a project. In Nehemiah, the walls had fallen, leaving the holy city vulnerable, so the people took their places on the wall, declaring that it was time for them to rise up and build. Each person and each family had their place on the wall and had to contribute to and work on the building project, with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other.
In another story told in Exodus, God commanded that the people build the Tabernacle—a tent representing the presence of God. Moses challenged the people to give generously to the project, and they did; so much so, that they finally had to tell the people to stop giving (I’ve never seen that happen).
In both of these instances, the call to give was never a commission for equal gifts, but for people to give according to what God led and their ability. The goal is that every person is involved, and not by equal gifts but through equal sacrifice. Now is our time—we are believing the Lord. Let’s rise up and build!
People in our culture pay a lot of money and spend significant energy developing their financial plan, seeking to guarantee security and happiness well into retirement years. Start early, build a portfolio, and invest well. The goal is security, comfort, and maybe even a beach house late in life. But what if this approach actually ran in a different direction—the financial planning Jesus gives us.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus revealed attitudes and actions for developing a portfolio that will last well past our retirement years, as He pushes us toward contentment and an eternal perspective on investing. And, Jesus’ investment plan comes with a pretty significant warning: we cannot serve both God and money.
We have sticky fingers. It is often difficult for us to give away our money and our things. Yet, when it comes to our finances and possessions, throughout the Scriptures we find that the key markers revealing authentic faith are contentment and generosity.
We can’t outgive God, but for those who have been blessed by the grace of God, the call is to be a blessing through their giving. The regular, sacrificial, and missional giving of God’s people is used by God to advance His Kingdom and care for the broken. It is also a key that unlocks the blessings of God’s riches in the lives of His people. Being content with what we have, no matter what those things are, reveals our trust and creates a path for being thankful.
Today we will look at why we should give, some principles about the ways we should give, and some keys to a life of contentment in Christ.
As our church prepares to build a structure that will become the place we gather to worship and serve the community, we are in the midst of a series titled Rise Up and Build.
We continue the series today as we study 1 Chronicles 29:1-20 and read about a time that King David led the people of Israel through the construction of Solomon’s temple.
The events talked about in this text took place 3,000 years ago. Yet there are principles in this chapter that are timeless and apply to us today. Within the text that we are reading today is one of the great prayers of scripture. In the prayer David proclaims several timeless truths about God’s nature. We will closely examine the truth that God is the rightful owner of all things and what that truth means for us.
Perhaps you have seen home movies or videos of children opening their gifts on Christmas morning when they open that one perfect gift. The one they have been pestering their parents about for months! The one they have begged Santa to bring! They are overcome with joy, running about the room jumping and screaming. This is the reaction that brings joy to the giver, the parents, for it makes them feel like they have given the perfect gift.
Today we will look to the example of the Perfect Giver and let His example shape our hearts and minds about giving. James 1:17 tells us that EVERY perfect gift comes from God. How do we respond when we “unwrap” God’s gifts? Maybe we are missing out by not making every morning like a child’s Christmas morning.
We are entering an exciting season as a church, as we will work together to build a building for our gatherings and activities. But we need to remember that we are not building the church; that is never our job.
The church is not a building, an event, or even a leadership structure. Rather, the church is a community of redeemed people who are on mission together. So, we begin this series on our building journey by reminding ourselves that the church is God’s idea and it is Jesus who builds His church. No building can replace the true architect of the church or the reason we exist.
Yet, a building can be a tool to be used for the advancement of the Mission of God and the spread of the Gospel in our city. Today we will both hear about the mission of Jesus’ church and pray for that mission together.
It’s that time again! The time of year when weight loss, fitness, and life improvement companies shell out millions for advertising. The New Year always brings the promise of a fresh start and new hopes.
For most of us, that is quickly followed by the reminder that we really do not have the power to change ourselves—which should bring us back to the Gospel. The core message of our faith is that God has brought us mercy through Jesus and this mercy has the power to transform us.
As we enter the New Year, we will take a look at Romans 12:1-2 as Paul shows us how we can know God’s will and live transformed lives in 2022. And it all circles back to the Gospel and the mercy of God as our hope.
Welcome, and we are hoping that your celebration of Christmas was joyful! In the last message from the Bah Humbug Advent series, we will look at what happens when, or rather, right after we take our last breath?
The last big life question we will examine is that of our ultimate destiny. Will we be worm food, recycled, live as angels with little harps on clouds? The truth is that anyone answering that question is doing nothing more than speculating, because no one living has actually been there. Well, with one exception.
The Christmas message is beautiful and simple. First, the Baby in the manger actually came from the eternal realm and stepped into time and space to become one of us. But then He died— meaning that, in His humanity, Jesus has been to the other side, and then in His resurrection, He came back again. On multiple levels, He is the only one to speak with authority about our ultimate destiny. So, we close our Bah Humbug series by looking at what may be for us the most important question—one that has implications for eternity.
Why are we here? What is our purpose? For ages, people have written, discussed, and philosophized over these questions with myriad answers.
As we continue to look at John 1, we come across the Word, or the Logos. But what exactly is this Logos? What does it have to do with my purpose? Aren’t I free to look within myself and decide my own purpose?
The Bible is clear that God has a plan for us. He created us and has given us our purpose; He serves as the outside, objective source of ultimate truth that is meant to guide our lives and squelch our tendency to want to choose our own path based on emotion. And in spite of our sinful desire to overthrow His reign, He has graciously loved us by sending the Logos in the form of a person, the Lord Jesus Christ, to save us when we do not deserve it - the greatest Christmas gift one could ever hope for.
The existence of evil and suffering in the world is one of the most significant objections to belief in the God of the Bible. Some of the common questions are:
What is wrong with the world and how do we fix it? If God is good, then why are people and things so bad? If God is love, why does evil exist?
The worldview of the Bible actually gives the clearest and most rational explanation to the existence of evil. Simply put, “The world was made through Him, but the world did not know Him.” Evil is actually not a thing, rather it is the absence of something, specifically the absence of God in His glory. We were made by God to experience God, yet, we do not know Him. Sin severed the relationship, and everything from there is broken and cannot be fixed.
Our hope then, does not lie in political solutions or human reform, it comes in the birth of a baby who is God, and His coming rebuilds access to know our God. Better yet, those who know Jesus find that they are made family, becoming children of God.
Bah Humbug! A phrase heard often during the Christmas season from the lips of curmudgeonly skeptics who dislike the whole Christmas season. Our Advent series this year will wrestle with our doubts and examine the big life questions we ask.
Our question for today: Where did we come from? Not just us, what about the rocks, trees, dogs, stars, and even spiders? Did everything happen by random chance and a big bang? Or, is something or someone else behind it?
By coming into the world, Jesus was not just giving us a cuddly story so we could sing songs. His birth is the pronouncement that the Creator God has stepped into what He has made in order to redeem it. John reminds us that everything that has been made was made by Jesus, and that He is the very source of life which includes giving us the next breath. Everything in the cosmos owes its existence to this baby and was created to demonstrate the glory of Jesus.
In the final message from the Bad Lip Reading series, a simple question—how many Wise Men came to visit Jesus? We sing a song that tells us, right?
This question will help us see the central problem with so much of our faith, that we are Biblically illiterate, and therefore in danger of being swayed by anyone who can quote a few Bible verses or throw out ideas that sound like they are from God’s Word. Yet, the way Satan deceives us is not by throwing ridiculous ideas out of left field that are antithetical to the truth; rather, he gets as close to the truth as possible and convinces us that God has said things He really didn’t say. This was Satan’s tactic with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and it is his goal with us.
The way to combat this is to roll up your sleeves and work hard to know the voice of God in the Word of God in order to fully know what He has really said.
We’ve all been there—having coffee with someone whose life has crashed in on them, one hardship and loss after another. A second friend enjoying the java pulls out the Christian cliches for the moment. “God will never give you more than you can handle, you know.” Followed up with, “Everything happens for a reason, and whenever God closes a door He opens a window.” These phrases have to be in the Bible, right?
In reality, the Bible is full of passages, prayers, and stories that show us the truth that life in this world is incredibly difficult, and at times and for some people, more than they can bear. Furthermore, some of the passages are clear that God is the ultimate and providential source behind the hardships that crush. In fact, Paul so much as confesses that the weight of their suffering and persecution was way more than he could handle.
There is a real danger in trite hopeful words because they do not honor the suffering nor do they picture God honestly. Rather, what is promised in Scripture is that when we come to the end of ourselves what we find, or more importantly who we find there, will give us a hope that is much greater than the hollow promise that God will never give you more than you can handle.
As we continue our Bad Lip Reading series looking at ideas and phrases that are not in the Bible (although many believe they are), today we examine a phrase that sounds right: Let go and let God.
If we believe in God’s sovereignty and providence, and if we believe we are saved by grace alone in Christ alone, isn’t this the logical response to life? On one level, of course it is. We go through hardships, difficulties, suffering but also struggle with sin and habits. Isn’t our faith based on trusting God and getting out of the way?
But in another way, the sentiment that is actually being expressed in this phrase, the answer is no. The Bible actually never points us in the direction of faith without action. In fact, the Bible gives us the Law to remind us that faithful obedience is necessary to have an assured faith. The Bible is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. God has provided everything in our redemption—salvation and sanctification are all of grace. Yet, we play a role by actively pursuing God in repentance, faith, and obedience. We have an active role to play, and Jesus invites us to walk—not to sit and wait on God.
One of the statements we hear in our culture is that God wants us to be happy. Another one that is closely tied to it is that in order to be happy, one should follow their heart. In other words, you do you. That might sound all well and good but as we’ll see this morning, Scripture doesn’t agree. In fact, your heart shouldn’t be trusted.
However, that doesn’t answer our main question this morning. Doesn’t God want us to be happy? If not, what does God want for us?
We’ve all heard phrases that many assume are in the Bible, but actually are not. One of those is, “God helps those who help themselves.” George Barna tells us that 82% of Americans believe this is a verse in the Bible.
This phrase is pretty much the basis for every human religion. It seems logical—God does his part, I do my part, everything works out in the end. Sadly, though, this idea is a lie from the lips of the old serpent himself. The only thing I contribute to my salvation is the sin that led to its need.
The Reformation, led by Martin Luther was a theological revolution that at the core addressed this lie. Luther helped the church reclaim the central tenet of our redemption, that we are justified by the grace of God alone, and receive this only as helpless people who fall on God’s mercy through faith alone.
The truth we will ultimately discover is that God helps those who realize they are unable to help themselves.
V’Nahafoch Hu, “The reverse occurred” as the ESV translates this Hebrew phrase from Esther 9:1 It literally means “it was turned upside down” or “the opposite happened”. When Jews celebrate Purim this phrase is at the center of the party.
The kingdoms of this world seek to control and rule with power, influence, oppression, and fear. Yet, in the end, they all come and go—Persia is long gone, as is Greece and Rome who replaced it. But, in Persia lived the people of a different Kingdom whose King is always at work, even if in the shadows. There is always an upside down world, a Kingdom who works through weakness rather than power, love rather than fear, humility and grace rather than oppression and abuse. It is an upside down, inside out, forward back Kingdom that always stands against human kingdoms and powers. This Kingdom will not fall and will have the final say.
The Old Testament contains the story of God’s salvation through the covenant with Israel. While they were not faithful, God was, and the story of Esther continues this narrative. God saved His people through two unlikely heroes, one who put her life on the line, and the other had a wooden stake prepared for him and was on his way to execution.
While God’s name is not mentioned in the book of Esther, God delivered His people from this horrible genocide, keeping His promises to them. But more importantly, these people were the vehicle for the Promised Messiah. We, like Mordecai, face a gallows, and we, too, had someone die in our place there. But in our case it was not the wicked Haman, rather the righteous Jesus who gave His life freely for us. In this way, Esther is an echo of the salvation we have in Christ.
And, interesting enough, the story here points us to the missionary purpose of all salvation, as the nations are included in God’s plan for salvation.
Our study of the story of Esther comes to a climax, as Haman’s plot is exposed when Esther informs the king of her racial and religious heritage. The king sides with Esther, and as Haman begs for his life, he just happens to trip and fall on Esther, making the king believe Haman was trying to assault the queen.
Haman’s demise is one of a number of stories in the Biblical narrative reminding us that the enemies of God and His people will eventually fall, and that God will vindicate His glory. Haman fears the wrath of the king, but it is the justice and judgment of God that is really on display here.
Thinking about the wrath and judgment of God is not a fun subject. Yet, we will not understand God and His providence until we realize that He is not unwilling or impotent to address the evil in this world. All of this points us to the cross, where Christ bore the wrath due to us and defeated our ultimate enemies. The story also points us to the Second Coming of Jesus, where the final victory will be sure and all enemies of the Gospel will meet God’s justice.
Our chapter in the book of Esther today is one of the great plot twists in all literature and in all history. A whole series of what seemed to be random events have strung together in the story leaving God’s people in danger and the queen hosting not one, but two, banquets for the King and the wicked man behind the genocidal plan.
We are not given the reasons Esther decided to throw another banquet, but what we do know is that in this break in time God turned the tables. A random sleepless night and random bedtime reading reminded the king that he had never honored Mordecai. This is the beginning of Mordecai’s honor and Haman’s downfall.
But more than this, the story reminds us that God is always at work bringing glory to Himself in the story of history, and He does this by lifting the lowly.
Did you know the Bible tells us there is one thing that God absolutely opposes? “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble,” declares James 4:6.
Today’s passage from Esther sets the two key characters in deep contrast. Esther puts her life on the line as she in faith comes to the king with the goal of making Haman’s plot known. She is humbly obedient to God’s plan and enters the king’s presence humbly. Haman, on the other hand, is the epitome of arrogance and self-exalting pride.
God is sovereign—His plan will be accomplished. Yet, our relationship to His Kingdom is determined by whether we submit to Christ as King in humble faith, or oppose this Kingdom through self-centered pride.
As we continue our journey through the story of Esther, the story comes to its climactic moment. Esther became the queen through a random set of events. While she has privileges, stepping before the king could cost her life. Evil Haman has secured the king’s decree setting a day for a genocide of the Jews by the Persians.
In this text, we see how God accomplishes His purposes from the shadows, by raising up people “for such a time as this” and strategically placing them as representatives of His Kingdom within the other kingdoms of the world. He will deliver the Jews, but Esther is the queen for this very moment.
This story shows us the beauty of two amazing truths. First, we again see God’s providence in this story—His secret working in our lives and stories. Second, we see that we have an important role to play and, when our story finds its place in God’s story, we will experience our true purpose.
Today we will look at a story from the book of Esther of two back room meetings where two sets of plans were devised resulting in two murderous plots.
The first, an assassination plan against the king, just happened to be overheard by Mordecai (good guy) as he went about his business at the gate. The outcome was that Ahasuerus’s life is spared and the men who plotted are executed.
The second, a wicked and jealous plan to exterminate the Jews, is caused by Mordecai’s unwillingness to treat Haman (evil guy) as a god and leads to a sinister plan to exterminate the Jews.
Evil plans have always existed and many get carried out. But in the end, no back room discussion is outside of ear shot of our God. God laughs at the planned attempts to thwart His purpose and destroy His people. Ultimately, it is only the purpose of God that will stand and not our plans. Evil may seem to reign for a moment, but God claims sovereignty over even evil and the Devil’s schemes.
As we continue our study of the Old Testament story of Esther, the two main characters enter the story. First is Mordecai, a Jew who is a direct descendant of exiles who were deported from Israel to Babylon around 114 years before the events of this book. He is a normal Jew working at the King’s Gate in Susa, the capitol city. He is also the guardian of little orphan Esther, a young and beautiful Jewish woman living in the same city at the same time.
The chapter is filled with a crazy declaration by the King and his henchmen leading to the awful use and abuse of women by this king. Esther is caught up in that, but ends up finding favor with her caretaker and eventually the king himself.
Mordecai and Esther represent the most unlikely of rescuers for the Jews, and their lives seem random and out of control. Yet every detail has been orchestrated for the deliverance of the Jews. At the same time, this is a reminder that the random and even broken aspects of our own lives are under the sovereign care of our Redeemer and God.
This morning we will take a one week break in our Esther series to look at a book telling the story of God’s people back in their homeland at roughly the same time. The story of Nehemiah is about a building project, specifically the building of the walls around Jerusalem. These walls would make Jerusalem a safe place for worship, raising of families, and commerce. More importantly, this city is the center of God’s mission at the time.
As we jump in to Fall as a church, we, too, are facing a potential building project. The purpose of this sermon is to cast vision for our church for the coming year. Like the builders in Nehemiah’s time, we want to be people working on the wall with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other. The trowel for building, the sword to fight for the Kingdom and advance the mission.
The Esther story begins with an introduction of King Ahasuerus and the Persian Kingdom seated in Susa, and his Queen Vashti.
This king believes in his own greatness; so much so, that without much thought he banishes his queen for failure to parade herself in front of his drunk friends at his party. However, this king is nothing more than a pawn in the greater story of God, history, and redemption. What we will see is that all kingdoms believe in their own greatness, yet they are in place because of God’s sovereignty and are nothing more than blips on the radar in God’s eternal purpose.
For us, the issue is clear—our lives will only make sense when the rightful King rules in our lives.
The story of Esther focuses on two key Jewish characters living in the middle of the Persian Empire, around 750 miles from Jerusalem, used by God to foil a plot by an evil man desiring to exterminate the Jews, God’s people. Throughout the story, one very important character is conspicuously absent. Esther is the only book in Scripture with no reference to God or any interaction with Him.
So where is God? While He is not named, God is definitely not absent. In fact, He is the central character in this wonderful story, but He is always in the shadows accomplishing His purpose and rescuing His people.
Esther is the story of God’s providence, His secret control of all things and the beautiful truth that God uses ordinary flawed people in His plans.
We hope you have enjoyed our Summer journey through the favorite passages of some of our leaders. Today is the last message in the series Our Favorite Things.
Today we are looking at Psalm 23, the favorite passage of one of our Elders, Bob Lancaster. But, he is not alone—this is one of the most recognizable and beloved passages of Scripture in the Bible.
The Shepherd’s Psalm reveals to us the love, care, and guidance God gives His people. We are reminded that, even in the shadow of the valley of death, we are not alone, and for those who know this God, we have His presence and the resources to make it through the darkest times.
And yes, this Psalm points us to Jesus who is the Good Shepherd who leads, feeds, guides, and protects His sheep, securing their journey to His eternal pasture.
Our Favorite Things is the title of our summer series. The Elders and staff have selected a favorite passage of scripture and sermons are based on each of those passages. Today’s message is from the Romans 8:1-17, chosen by Genesis Elder, Kirk Mathews, who will be bringing the message today. Kirk recently completed the preaching cohort class with three other Genesis Members.
The 8th Chapter of the Book of Romans is full of glorious declarations as the Apostle Paul writes to the church of Rome about the freedoms we can enjoy as believers in Jesus Christ! After defining struggles with his own sinful nature in Chapter 7, Paul shares how each member of the Trinity plays a part in the freedoms available to the believer. Today we will see how to deal with the “Me Monster” that lives in each of us and begin to understand justification, sanctification and adoption as they relate to the Christian life.
Our Favorite Things is the title of our summer series. The Elders and staff have selected a favorite passage of scripture and sermons are based on each of those passages. Today’s message is from the book of Philemon chosen by Genesis Elder, Eric Burnley, who will be bringing the message today. Eric recently completed the preaching cohort class with three other Genesis Members.
The book of Philemon is a personal letter written by the apostle Paul to a brother in Christ meant to speak into a situation between a master and his runaway slave. But how does Paul approach this scenario? At a broader level, how does the gospel speak into our relationships with each other? In this short book, we see God active in reconciling His people in two primary ways, and this morning we will dive into how Paul lives out the gospel by example in his attempt to aid in reconciling this broken relationship through brotherly love.
Our Favorite Things is the title of our summer series. The Elders and staff have selected a favorite passage of scripture and sermons are based on each of those passages. Today’s message is from Jeremiah 33:2-3, the favorite passage of Genesis Office Admin Carla Moore.
The pop song Call Me released in 1980 by Blondie proclaimed, “Call me, on the line, call me any, anytime.” While the reason for this call is vastly different from today’s passage, the central message is the same. In Jeremiah 33, God is speaking to and through the prophet from the worst of circumstances. Yet from this there is an invitation, “Call to me, and I will answer you.”
This passage reminds us that dependent prayer is the lungs of the Christian life, the access to the oxygen that keeps us alive spiritually. So today we will learn what it means to call on the Name of the Lord and will find ways to put this kind of prayer into practice.
Our Favorite Things is the title of our summer series. The Elders and staff have selected a favorite passage of scripture and sermons are based on each of those passages. Today’s message is from Matthew 11:28-30, the favorite passage of Genesis Kids Director Missy Raley.
Everybody loves an invitation, especially to a fun party or fabulous event. On the other hand, it can be a real bummer to be left off an invitation list. In one brief declaration, Jesus gives the greatest invitation that has ever been offered. The invitation is a summons where weary, worn out people can find rest and joy.
So who can come to this party? The one major requirement to be included on the guest list is the realization that you do not belong there. Jesus has offered an invitation to all of us, and at the heart, this invitation is the greatest news we can ever get.
Our Favorite Things is the title of our summer series. The Elders and staff have selected a favorite passage of scripture and sermons are based on each of those passages. Today’s message is from Micah 6:6-8, the favorite passage of Genesis Kids Director Leslie Holdegraver.
This passage contains, as one scholar states, “the finest summary of the content of practical religion to be found in the OT.” The question is simple: what does the Lord delight in and require from His people?
Almost anyone who explores religion is seeking the answer to this question: what exactly do I have to do? The answer, “Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” Actually, in answering this question, the prophet does not give us a list to do but tells us the type of people we should become if the Gospel is truly taking root.
All of Scripture teaches that there is nothing we can do to please and honor God. Jesus is the only one who lived the perfect life that fulfilled God’s requirements. Yet God has given us perfect justice, amazing grace, and beautiful relationship because of Jesus. If we are experiencing Him, our lives and community will be shaped by the character of God made known in Jesus.
Our Favorite Things is the title of our summer series. The Elders and staff have selected a favorite passage of scripture and sermons are based on each of those passages. Today’s message is from John 16:25-33, the favorite passage of Youth Ministry Director Travis Dierker.
As Jesus is nearing His crucifixion and death on the cross, John records some of Jesus’ final words to His disciples regarding three things: faith, hope and love.As we must have faith and trust in Jesus, He provides us with hope for the future, but most of all He provides us love. “Take heart for I have overcome the world” provides us with peace, hope and love.What a great reminder for all of us during any trial or tribulation!
One of my favorite Christian songs is “Praise You in This Storm”—it is such a great reminder that we must trust in Him and praise Him during the tough times, knowing that in the end, He has given us faith, hope and love.
Today the series continues with John 6:22-35, which is a favorite passage of Genesis Church Elder John Parke. He recently completed a class called the Preaching Cohort and this will be his first sermon.
The gospel of John was written by one of the people who spent the most time with Jesus during his earthly ministry. Besides witnessing many miracles that Jesus performed, John heard many conversations that Jesus had with the people that He encountered. Today’s scripture is a portion of one of those conversations. The lesson of the sermon is that Jesus is the true bread of life for all who believe in Him as Savior.Belief in Jesus provides sustenance for our souls and impacts us for all of eternity.
In the movie, The Princess Bride, Inigo and Fezzik take Wesley to miracle Max to hopefully bring their friend back to life. During the course of their conversation, Max says that their friend is only mostly dead and not all dead. Paul also describes us as dead. Are we “mostly” dead or “all” dead? Either way, is there a remedy and if so, what is it? As followers of Jesus, we were once dead, but by God’s grace we’re alive. What does that actually mean? How should that shape how we respond to God and direct our lives?
We begin the sermon with Mike Hubbard’s favorite passage. Paul was a scholar who was working his way to the top of the religious world. He had much to brag as he built a reputation before his world. Then he met Christ and everything changed. The things that once brought meaning he now sees as worthless rubbish because it was replaced with something, or specifically someone who was much better. His whole goal is to know Christ and live his life before the face of God. This too is our goal, to live our entire lives for an audience of one.
I’ve had a few opportunities to travel abroad. I enjoyed the different cultures and experiences. But, no matter how I tried to fit in, it is obvious I was a tourist. Never mind the language and skin color questions, my values and attitudes shout out “American” to anyone from the culture visited. Who I am has been so shaped because of the country of my citizenship which shapes my values and attitudes. If you are a follower of Jesus you are a tourist here. Our true citizenship is in a far away country, and we are ambassadors or representatives of that Kingdom. We will never truly understand our identity until we realize that we can enjoy our time here, but our lives, values, and attitudes should be shaped by our true home.
No matter how hard we try, so much of our human identity is shaped by our family. So much of who we are was defined by the personalities, love, and presence (or lack of) of our parents. God’s design was for the family to be a place where love would shape us, but often our experience is different. So we shape our identity in the search for love and acceptance. What if we knew that God had chosen us to be His children, to be adopted into His family. What if we understood that He did this so that He could set His affection on us. And what if we really realized that Jesus is our older brother who acted to bring us to God’s family. Maybe we could find our true identity in this family and discover the love we need.
So often, our sense of identity is shaped by our failure and guilt, and the effort to find some kind of atonement. People will go to great lengths to feel forgiven and clean. None of us feels like saints. That role is reserved for the super holy people, right? But not me. Yet, one of the most common titles given to followers of Jesus in the New Testament is that we are “Saints”. No, you don’t have to perform postmortem miracles to prove that you have sufficient merits. In fact, the truth is that you do not have sufficient merit to take on this title. Yet, because of what Christ has done for us and the reality that redemption gives us a whole new identity, we can find great joy in the reality that we are a holy new people for God’s possession.
The most important thing we need to know about our new identity in Christ, is that we are in Christ. This is not a minor statement in the New Testament. Paul said that if any person is “in Christ” he or she is a completely new creation, the old is gone and the new has come. To be in Christ means that our whole identity is wrapped up in our union with Jesus Christ, which is one of the great doctrines of the Bible. Being in Christ means that Jesus stands before God as our representative, meaning that I am positionally right with God and forgiven because of this union. God sees me in Christ. But being in Christ also means that Christ is in me, and is the power to become what God intends, for me to be reshaped by the life of Jesus.
As a Law & Order fan, I remember one episode that shook me a bit. The story centered on an elderly man who owned a family home that he purchased when he was young, and which he had raised his family. The home which had been paid off for years was now worth a significant amount of money. But his online identity was stolen by a hacker who then used the information to take out a mortgage, and as a result the home was foreclosed an the man lost everything. But more than this, the man shares that this thief did more than just steal his house, he robbed the man of his dignity. “This man robbed me of me!” We seek to understand ourselves and live our purpose, yet this goal seems so elusive. The reason is that there are hackers seeking to rob me of me. The more we seek to define our identity the more the enemies of our true self seem to steal. We need to be on guard against the three hackers who rob us of our identity, the world, the flesh, and the devil, and be aware of how each of these robs us of the wholeness of self God intends for us to experience.
The mission of Jesus is about making disciples who will then make disciples who will make disciples… This is the story of Jesus’ call to His first disciples was the call to follow. This is the essence of discipleship, to follow Jesus. Yet, Jesus also tells them that following means fishing. In other words, to be a follower of Jesus is synonymous with being a fisher of men and women. From the first call there is a connection between the pursuit of Christ and joining in His mission. From day one, this has been central to our identity as a church, the desire to be a church making disciples as we are on mission in our city and in the larger world. God is a sending God and to follow Christ means we are people sent to Eureka and beyond, and any understanding of discipleship without connection to mission is incomplete.
The mission of Jesus is about making disciples who will then make disciples who will make disciples… This is the story of Jesus’ call to His first disciples was the call to follow. This is the essence of discipleship, to follow Jesus. Yet, Jesus also tells them that following means fishing. In other words, to be a follower of Jesus is synonymous with being a fisher of men and women. From the first call there is a connection between the pursuit of Christ and joining in His mission. From day one, this has been central to our identity as a church, the desire to be a church making disciples as we are on mission in our city and in the larger world. God is a sending God and to follow Christ means we are people sent to Eureka and beyond, and any understanding of discipleship without connection to mission is incomplete.
The two stories from Luke show two types of people who were marginalized by the religious culture, yet they came to Jesus who received them and loved them. The outcome for both was a fresh start and new life. When Genesis was planted, we started with knowing two things. First, we knew that the Gospel was glorious and capable of saving any person who met Jesus and followed and giving them a new beginning in life. Second, we knew that in order for people to meet Jesus there had to be a church who cared about the unchurched and dechurched in our city. We wanted to be a church in Eureka for the city of Eureka sharing the Gospel with the people of Eureka. At the time we met many people who had a common story, generally some religious background, yet they were no longer connected to church. We planted Genesis for these people and wanted Genesis to be a safe place for any person, no matter what background, story, religious heritage, or struggle to explore faith and hear from Jesus.
The majestic holiness of God begs a question, who can actually ascend the Hill of the Lord and enter His holy place. The answer ought to leave us quivering and hopeless. None of us live up to this Psalm. Yet there is one who has clean hands, a pure heart, and who does not lift up his soul to what is false. This One ascended the Hill of the Lord for us. He was rejected in His life, despised in His death, yet vindicated in His resurrection. And now we can lift our heads and see the King of glory coming in, strong an mighty (I can almost hear Handel’s music flowing in the text). Christ is risen, He is the King of Glory. What a great Easter declaration.
Suffering and pain are a significant part of our experience in a fallen world. And at times we may feel as if God has left, as if we are treading our darkest moments alone. David pens this song of faith in one such experience. His pain and depression are real, and he wonders why God has left him. Yet, while he is writing out of this pain, something even more incredible happens as the Spirit inspires David to write words that will be repeated by Jesus on the cross and which will prophecy in vivid imagery that event. God has not abandoned David, nor us. Rather, God is the one who brings redemptive beauty through our suffering by entering into our pain. He suffers with us. But more important, Jesus suffers for us. As we enter Easter week this Psalm will lift our eyes to the cross and the beautiful truth that because God left Christ on the cross we can know that we are never truly alone.
The Psalter ends with a celebration, a series of Hallelujah songs designed to lift our hearts and worship with our entire being. Music matters, and we should sing, we should shout, we should play instruments, and maybe we should even do a little dancing.
Thankfulness is one of the primary responses that will arise when we truly understand grace. On the other hand, Paul tells us in Romans 1 that it is the lack of thankfulness that leads people into idolatry and rebellion. When we realize all that has been done for us giving thanks to the Lord should be natural. This Psalm reminds the people that God is the great giver and that His gifts flow from His steadfast love. The song leads the chorus to be thankful for God’s grace in creation, in redemption, and in His provision.
This is such an amazing Royal Psalm, written by David the king. But he is looking forward to a future King promised by God in the covenant who will fulfill the promise of David’s kingdom and will also serve as the great High Priest for God’s people. Here in the middle of the songs is one that is about Jesus hundreds of years before He is born.
If you have ever felt like you were drowning, don’t know how to swim, and someone just handed you an anchor this Psalm is for you. The effects of the Fall and hardships of life come at us from so many angles. Our own sin and failures are a huge part, but add to that suffering, enemies attacking, friends betraying, depression and anxiety, and shame and it makes for dark times with little hope. So what is one to do in those times? This Psalm is a deep lament out of the pit crying out for God to hear and God to act, but the Psalmist also reveals the correct response, and that is to keep believing and worshiping our God.
The Psalms of Ascent (Psalm 120-134) were a series of songs sung by the Hebrew people as they traveled in bands toward Jerusalem for the pilgrimage festivals. This means they were songs written and then gathered to help the people prepare for their celebration of worship at the Temple and in the city as they were reminded of God’s great redemption and care. This song is a simple reminder, I need help and my help comes from the Lord. Too often we want to sing, Where does my help come from? My help comes from within, I have the resources, I can do it alone.” But, it is the people who are needy and seek help that will find the strength to stand and the direction to keep moving from the God who never takes a nap.
One thing that is for certain, we are not eternal. When we are young it seems like our lives will last forever, we are invincible, and all our dreams will come true. But life has a way of eroding this positivity away. What we learn is that our lives are hard and short, but we still want our days on this blue ball to matter. This Psalm written by Moses points us to the eternality of the God whom we praise. It is in recognizing our fraility but trusting in God’s everlasting nature that we can find hope for beyond the grave and purpose and joy for our tough time here.