Eastview Christian Church Sermons: Recent Episodes
Eastview Christian Church
Sermons from Eastview Christian Church in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois with Mike Baker and other preachers teaching from the Bible.
Galatians 4:4Taken from The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones and illustrated by Jago. Text Copyright © 2007 by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Illustration Copyright © 2007 by Jago. Used by permission of HarperCollins Christian Publishing.
Becoming Our Vision | Romans 12:4-5, 15:1-15; Luke 10:30-35; Hebrews 10:23-24; 1 Peter 2:21-24
They will mount up with wings like eagles | Hope 1 2-12-23 | Zach Thompson | Isaiah 40:28-31
Guard Against False Teachings | These Last Days 2 7-17-22 | Connor Wood | 2 Peter 2:1-22
Watch for Signs and Stay Awake | These Last Days #1 7-10-22 | Zach Thompson | Mark 13:1-37
Do Christians have to obey Government? | Skeptical 2 6-5-22 | Mark 12:13-17, Peter 2:13-17 | Mike Baker
Isn't Christianity just another religion? | Skeptical 1 5-29-22 | Mike Baker | Mark 2:18-28, 7:1-13
Can you drink from the cup that I drink? | Leading Questions 5 5-22-22 | Mike Baker | Mark 10:35-45
Why Does This Generation Seek a Sign? | Leading Questions 4 5-15-22 | Mike Baker | Mark 8:11-13
Faithlessness is Conquered by Stories of God's Faithfulness Leading Questions 2 5-1-2022 | Connor Wood | Mark 8:14-21
Jesus is Risen | This Changes Everything 9 4-17-22 | Easter Sunday | Mike Baker | Mark 16:1-8
Jesus is Beaten and Mocked | This Changes Everything 6 3-27-22 | Mike Baker | Mark 15:-20
Jesus Is Tried and Abandoned | This Changes Everything #4 3-13-22 | Mike Baker | Mark 14:5
The Garden of Suffering | This Changes Everything #2 2-27-22 | Ben Miller | Mark 14:32-42
From 'Sleepy Faith' to 'Watch and Pray' | Failing Fearlessly 4 1-23-22 | Mike Baker | Mark 14:32-42
From "I Got This" to "Jesus Help Me" | Failing Fearlessly #3 1-16-22 | Mike Baker | Mark 14:26-31
From "Jesus and..." to "Jesus is Enough" | Failing Fearlessly 2 1-9-22 | Mike Baker | Mark 9:2-8
What are You Afraid of? | Miracles #3 | 12-19-2021 | Mark 4:35-41; 6:45-52 | Mike Baker
Eastview Online Live | Jesus' Baptism | Beginnings #4 11-14-21 | Mike Baker | Mark 1 9:11
Eastview Live Online | "Prepare The Way" - John The Baptist | Beginnings 11-07-21 Mark 1 1:8
Eastview Live Online | Useful For Ministry | Beginnings 10-24-21 | Brian Jobe | Mark 1, Acts 15:38-39, 2 Timothy 4:11
Eastview Online | Can I Go In Peace? | On Purpose 10-17-2021 | Mike Baker | Exodus 4:18-20
Eastview Live Online | Can You Send Someone Else? | On Purpose 10-10-2021 | Mike Baker | Exodus 4:13-17
Eastview Live Online | Who are You, God? | On Purpose 09-19-2021 | Mike Baker | Exodus 3:13-20
8-29-21 | Eastview Online LIVE | Return and Rebuild | Vision Sunday Mike Baker | Ezra 1:1-5, 3:10-13
8-22-21 | Eastview Online | For Peace | What Can I Offer? Mike Baker | Leviticus 7:11-19
8-8-21 | Eastview Online LIVE | When I'm Guilty| What Can I Offer? Mike Baker | Leviticus 5: 14-19
8-15-21 | Eastview Online LIVE | When I Sin | What Can I Offer? Mike Baker | Leviticus 4
8-1-21 | Eastview Online LIVE | When I'm Grateful | What Can I Offer? Mike Baker | Leviticus 2
7-25-21 | Eastview Online LIVE | Infinite Witness | Show & Tell Charlie Welke | Ecclesiastes 3:11,14
6-27-21 | Eastview Online LIVE | Servants | Royals Mike Baker | Exodus 28:1-4, 21; 29:1
This sermon will examine the actual ceremony that set apart or consecrated the priests as holy to God’s service and the ways in which they were set apart in practice and appearance. This teaching will remind the Fearless Christ followers of Eastview that we have been dedicated to God’s service, consecrated for him alone. As priests, we will be encouraged to be separate and stand out as holy, not in a negative way, but in how we carry ourselves in our everyday lives.
6-20-21 | Eastview Online | Intercession | Royals Mike Baker | Exodus 28:29-30; Leviticus 9:7-24
The priests of the Old Testament literally interceded for the people before God. They led to God with sacrifice and confessions of sins. They talked to God (prayed) on behalf of the people, and they represented the presence of the people once a year before God. Without the priest, you could not atone for sin, pray, or come before God. In the same way, Christians are a kingdom of priests who intercede on God’s behalf. The clothing of the high priests as described in Exodus 28 gives us insight into the weight of this intercession. The names of the people were represented on their hearts and on their shoulders. This sermon will teach us to bear one another’s burdens and care for those we have on our hearts.
6-6-2021 | Clothed | Royals Mike Baker | Exodus 28, Leviticus 8:1-13
In these two passages we get detailed descriptions of what the priests wear in service before God in the tabernacle. By examining this sacred dress code, we learn how we are to be spiritually clothed in Jesus. We will begin with “having put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27 and Romans 13:14). This will lead to other things priests in Jesus' kingdom should “put on.” This is the translation of the Greek word - endoo-oh which means literally “to sink into” (as sinking into, or put on clothes - often translated “clothed.” Both Ephesians 4:24 and Colossians 3:10 tell us to “put on the new self.”” Ephesians 6:11ff tells us to “put on the whole armor of God.” We also find in Colossians 3:10-12 that we are to “put on” several Christian attributes.
5-30-21 | Eastview Online LIVE | Harvest Zach Thompson | Leviticus 23:15-22
Pentecost, which in the Greek language means “fiftieth” was originally celebrated by the Jewish people on the 50th day after Passover in a festival known as the feast of weeks. It is called feast of weeks, because it was calculated by numbering 7 weeks after Passover. The celebration marked the first grain harvest in late spring and is therefore sometimes called “first fruits” (of harvest) or simply “harvest.” It is this Old Testament feast that occurs in Jerusalem in Acts 2 when the church was born. It is therefore, rightly referred to as the first fruits of Christianity when 3,000 people were baptized on that Pentecost Sunday. This sermon celebrates the birth of the church and our purpose in it.
Ark of the Covenant - The Mercy of God | Vintage Blueprint Mike Baker | Exodus 25:10-30
5-16-21 | Eastview Online LIVE | Altar of Incense - Prayers to God | Vintage Blueprint Mike Baker | Exodus 30:1-10, 34-38
Turning opposite of the table, one would encounter the seven branched lampstand (me no rah in Hebrew), the soft glow of which would give soft light to the room. Filled with holy olive oil, this light was to burn continually before the Lord day and night. The light, the flame, and the oil all are used to describe the Holy Spirit of God in scriptures.
5-09-21 | Vintage Blueprint Mike Baker | Exodus 25:31-40, 27:20-21
Turning opposite of the table, one would encounter the seven branched lampstand (me no rah in Hebrew), the soft glow of which would give soft light to the room. Filled with holy olive oil, this light was to burn continually before the Lord day and night. The light, the flame, and the oil all are used to describe the Holy Spirit of God in scriptures.
5-02-21 | Mike Baker Table of Shewbread| Vintage Blueprint Exodus 25:23-30
As we enter into the front room of the tabernacle proper (the Holy Place), we come to the table of shewbread on the right side just inside the entrance. On this table the priests were to place 12 fresh loaves of bread daily as a representation of the people of God (12 tribes). There are many allusions here to Jesus. He is the bread of life that sustains us. He desires to be intimately involved with us, as in sharing a meal together. We celebrate the Lord’s supper to remember his sacrifice. Obvious parallels to our weekly communion abound.
4-25-21 | Mike Baker Bronze Basin | Vintage Blueprint Exodus 30:17-21
The next step before entering the tent required intense ceremonial cleansing for the priests who were to serve in the tabernacle. Great pains were taken to make sure there was absolutely no filth, stain, or impurity of any kind. The priests were to be clean before God. Again, we will point to the cleansing of our sins through the death of Jesus and through our confession (I John 1:9) and how baptism is a picture of this cleansing.
4-11-21 | Mike Baker Vintage Blueprint | Tabernacle Presence Exodus 26:30-37
This week we will address the Tabernacle as a whole, including the courtyard that surrounded it. In this teaching Mike teaches about the specifics of the structure itself to explain two major Christ following truths. First we will celebrate the fact that Jesus as “the word became flesh and dwelled among us” (John 1:14) is his tent among mankind. Second we will acknowledge that we are now the tabernacle in which Christ dwells in us by his Spirit. God is indeed with us.
4-4-21 | Mike Baker Easter Sunday | Alternate Ending Luke 8:40-56
The story of Jesus raising Jairus’ daughter back to life will be the dramatic backdrop for celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Welcoming as many as 1,500 of our people back into the building for the first time in a year; we will preach God’s alternate ending (life after death) as illustrated in the raising of this 12 year old girl we meet in Scripture. Of course, Jesus secured this alternate ending for all humanity by his death, burial, and resurrection. This sermon will encourage Christ followers not to despair in hardships, but to celebrate the alternate ending God is still writing in each of them and will challenge non-believers to give their stories to the only ONE who can change the ending of their respective stories.
3-28-2021 | Mike Baker Passover #5: Delivered Exodus 12:33-42
This passage gives the details for how the people of God actually left Egypt after 430 years of being slaves. In this message we will teach their freedom from actual slavery as a picture of the slavery to sin we have been freed from through Jesus Christ. As God had promised Moses delivery for his people, God also promised a deliverer for us in his son Jesus Christ. This would be a great day for celebration of baptisms and individual stories of deliverance from sin.
3-21-2021 | Mike Baker Passover #4: A Memorial Meal Exodus 12:14-27
God wanted his people to remember this occasion of deliverance throughout generations to come. In fact, he established a set of questions and answers concerning the annual Passover celebration designed for parents to instruct their children. He established this meal as a perpetual reminder of how God brought his people out. In the same way, Jesus established a meal called, the Eucharist, the Lord’s supper, or simply communion. “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup…” he said. We will teach our church why the body and blood are so important and give insight into why we do this every week at Eastview.
3-7-2021 | Mike Baker Passover #2: It's All About the Blood Exodus 12:7-13
God also gave very specific instructions for the actual meal that would be celebrated on the night of Passover. Intentionally God gave the Old Testament People of God two visible signs of what Passover was all about. The first symbol was the blood smeared on the doorpost to cover all who lived within, and the second was the unleavened bread eaten with the meal. 1,500 years later, Jesus would celebrate Passover with his disciples on the night he was betrayed with the symbols of wine and bread. One to symbolize his blood and one to symbolize his body. Again, we will point to Jesus body and blood – shed for us, and broken for us.
3-7-2021 | Mike Baker Passover #2: It's All About the Blood Exodus 12:7-13
God also gave very specific instructions for the actual meal that would be celebrated on the night of Passover. Intentionally God gave the Old Testament People of God two visible signs of what Passover was all about. The first symbol was the blood smeared on the doorpost to cover all who lived within, and the second was the unleavened bread eaten with the meal. 1,500 years later, Jesus would celebrate Passover with his disciples on the night he was betrayed with the symbols of wine and bread. One to symbolize his blood and one to symbolize his body. Again, we will point to Jesus body and blood – shed for us, and broken for us.
2-14-2021 | Mike Baker Serve #2: Filled to Serve Exodus 3:1-11, chapters 36&37 As God commanded Moses to build the place of worship called the tabernacle, he appointed and gifted specific people to do the job. Both Bezalel and Oholiab were intelligent and had knowledge and craftsmanship to do the work, but the power and effectiveness for their calling can be found in God’s words, “I have filled him with the Spirit of God…”. As we serve God, he has not just filled us with the Holy Spirit, but lives in us by his Spirit. This same Spirit gifts and empowers his servants today to build the church as he did these servants in Exodus long ago. This sermon will encourage Eastview to identify their spiritual gifts and use them to serve.
2-28-2021 | Mike Baker Passover #1: The Sacrificial Lamb Exodus 12:1-6 The first step in celebrating the original Passover was procuring the proper sacrifice for the memorial meal. Each family was to select a lamb that was without blemish and set it aside until the proper time. This is, of course, the picture of Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Jesus too, was the unblemished lamb, selected by God, among us for a while, and then sacrificed for us.
2-21-2021 | Mike Baker Serve #3: Called to Serve Leviticus: 8-13, 9:15-24 The final sermon of this short serving series will conclude by teaching through the responsibilities of service given to the priests in the temple worship. As we note their different roles in representing people to God and representing God to people, we will discover that the church was called a kingdom of priests - here to serve our perfect High Priest, Jesus.
2-7-2021 | Mike Baker Serve #1: Freed to Serve Exodus 7:16, 8:1, 9:1, 9:13, 10:3, 10:7 The refrain associated with Moses as he repeatedly appeals to Pharaoh on behalf of the Israelite nation, is “let my people go.” But that is only half of the sentence. In each of these scriptures, the full request is, “let my people go that they may SERVE me in the wilderness.” God was not freeing his enslaved people so that they could bask in serving only themselves. He freed them from their bondage in Egypt, so that they could choose to be his servants in Egypt. Our freedom in Christ is not given to us so that we can turn our thoughts inward and think of what is best for us. To demand our freedoms as Christ followers is an oxymoron. Because of the freedom from sin and death that Jesus has given us, we are able to become servants to all and in so doing serve God. We have been freed to serve others.
1-31-2021 | Mike Baker Worship Reframed #5: The Contributions Exodus 25:1-9 Ultimately, worship will always cost something and this story from Exodus 25 is an incredible Bible example of unrestrained and willing giving for the cause of building the Tabernacle. Beyond the practicality of actually constructing the place of worship, is the heart of worship – a desire to give back to God something of value as a sign of valuing him. Contrary to popular notions about the church and money, this form of worship happens in the one “whose heart moves him” and “as a freewill offering” (35:29). In the end, their generosity ended with Moses commanding the people to stop because they had more than enough. May this sermon stir our hearts to give in a way that meets all the ministry needs we have.
1-24-2021 | Ben Miller Worship Reframed #4: The Presence Exodus 40:34-38 The point of worship is a realization of the presence of God. The book of Exodus begins with God’s presence moving into the Tabernacle that Moses had set up. Here he appeared as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. In this way, the glory of the Lord filled the tent and the people were aware of his presence. Thankfully, God no longer lives in houses made by man, but through his Son Jesus, lives in us by his Holy Spirit. In this sermon we will look at comparisons and implications concerning the house of God in the Old Testament and our bodies as temples of the living God.
1-17-2021 | Mike Baker Worship Reframed #3: The Prayers Exodus 34:1-9 As we continue our worship series, we will focus on the importance of prayer as a part of worship by spending time with Moses on the mountain of God as he received the new tablets of the Ten Commandments. In these verses particularly we are encouraged to seek God’s favor, ask for his presence, and forgiving us of sin. Along with these, we will see Moses fasting as he communicates with his God.
1-10-2021 | Mike Baker Worship Reframed #2: Music Exodus 15:1-18 When most Christ followers think of worship, they likely think first of music since this is the primary way the people of God have expressed their feelings, emotions, and beliefs about God from the beginning of time. This passage will examine the victorious musical worship that ensued after God had brought the people through the Red Sea in miraculous fashion. With phrases like “he has triumphed gloriously” and “who is like you, O Lord…majestic in holiness…” we will focus on the importance of praising and worshiping God through song.
1-3-2021 | Mike Baker The Word of the Lord Exodus 4:27-31, 19:10-25 We kick off the new year by celebrating the word of God as a part of worship. This sermon examines two proper responses in worship to the word of God. In the first, Moses and Aaron give God’s word of deliverance to the enslaved Hebrew people and they bow their heads and worship. In the second, God is getting ready to make a covenant with the people and give them his law and tells them to consecrate themselves in preparation for his word. Today we encourage the people of Eastview to worship the word that delivers us and the one that speaks truth. Of course, both are realized in the person of Jesus our deliverer and truth in flesh.
12-27-2020 | Zach Thompson Leviticus 25:11&12 As with the Sabbath Day and the Sabbath year (every seven years); the year of Jubilee (the year after 7 Sabbath years) was designed for rest. In this year, there was to be no working the fields (sowing or planting) as they rested in God’s provision and care from the produce that would grow of itself in that year. The land and its people were to rest as a “holy” thing during this year. Peace on earth is the song of the angels who appeared to the shepherds in Luke 2:14. This peace on the land was rest from the striving with sin and God and secured a sabbath rest for us eternally. During this season as we head into a new year, we will encourage the people of Eastview to practice some rest in Jesus.
12-20-2020 | Mike Baker Leviticus 25:23-34/47-55 Ultimately, the year of Jubilee was the complete elimination of debts and indebtedness. People received land and property back that they had lost because of debt and all who had become slaves because of debt were freed. This is why Jubilee proclaims “liberty throughout the land”. During the Christmas season we celebrate that Jesus came into the world to save his people from their sins. Unto us is born a savior who erased our debt and slavery to sin. In him, we celebrate liberty for our souls.
Leviticus 25:9-10 The word “jubilee” in the Hebrew language literally means “joyful sound” as in the sound of the Ram’s horn that announced feasts and celebrations. In the same way, that first Christmas was good news of great joy that is for all people. During this Sunday we will celebrate and rejoice in the birth of Christ and the joy only his presence in the lives of those who follow him can bring.
12-06-2020 | Jubilate Deo #1: Leviticus 25:8-13 The celebration of Jubilee was to begin with the sound of trumpets on the Day of Atonement and every Israelite was to return to the property of inheritance and each return to his own clan. This was God’s way of returning everyone to their homes and families in spite of what may have transpired in the previous 49 years. During this time of year when families traditionally return to their homes and families to celebrate Christmas, we will find parallels with the family from Nazareth who we to their hometown of Bethlehem on that first Christmas and celebrate how Jesus came to our home so that we could return home to God (Luke 1:30-33 and John 1:14).
Senior Pastor Mike Baker preaches from 1 Timothy 13:14-16 on this Thanksgiving weekend. Join us as we poke light hearted fun at our imperfect families, even as we are grateful for them. Then we will look at our spiritual family - described here in I Timothy as the “...household of God, which is the church of the living God...”. Indeed, the family of God can sometimes get messy, and we don’t always “behave”, but it is still the pillar of truth and the only place that confesses the good news of Jesus. And because of this, we can be thankful to be in this family.
Exodus 15:20-21 with Numbers 12 In week two of our brothers and sisters emphasis, we will examine what we know about Moses’ sister Miriam from the story of scripture. As Miriam watched over and protected Moses as a baby in the Nile, we watch over and protect our younger, more vulnerable brothers and sisters in the church. As Miriam led the congregation in musical and prophetic worship, we lead our spiritual siblings by living a life of worship that praises God and declares his word. Finally, we will learn a cautionary lesson from the episode of jealousy displayed by both Aaron and Miriam in Numbers 12 and how we can avoid rivalries and divisions within the family of God.
Exodus 4:14-17, 27-30; 17:8-13
Pastor Mike's message this week is from Exodus 4:14-17, 27-30; 17:8-13 and examines the spiritual brother and sister relationships in the church through the lens of Moses’ siblings, Aaron and Miriam. This is the sixth message in The Fam series.
Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro played a significant role in his life in this instance in which he was overwhelmed with leadership. Verse 24 of this passage sums it up where it says, “Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law…”. As a five generation church we will celebrate the wisdom of our more experienced family members. We will teach the importance of seeking and taking sage advice to help us as we follow Jesus. The body of Christ was built for this kind of relationship and Moses shows us the way as he leads the Old Testament people of God.
In this teaching we witness the good and bad in spiritual parenting. First, we will celebrate the faith of Moses’ parents who worked to protect his life in spite of impossible circumstances (Hebrews 11:23) and then we will notice Moses’ neglect in his son’s spiritual journey to God by not circumcising them. Prayerfully, we will be able to encourage thousands of parents to recommit to their children’s faith development along with teaching a younger generation to be Christian parents when their time comes.
This scripture will follow Moses from his Hebrew, slave birth to his adoption by the daughter of Pharaoh and becoming part of the royal family. This teaching will note how God works his sovereign plan through Moses including a foreshadowing of the Red Sea miracle with his name meaning ?I drew him out of water.? This teaching will give us a chance to talk about how God has adopted us through Jesus Christ and made us sons and daughters in his royal family (Galatians 4:5).
In this sermon we will encourage parents and parents-to-be to nurture their children in homes of faith. As we examine the faith exhibited by Moses’ parents we will teach about how a parent’s faith and Christian heritage can be so formative in a child’s life. This will be a chance to honor and encourage Christian family in a really natural way. See also II Timothy 1:6 and 3:15.
The book of Exodus begins with the names of the sons of Israel about 400 years before Moses was born. In fact, “names” (“shemot” in Hebrew) is the Jewish title for this book that ties what happens in it to the covenant God had established through Abraham. This sermon will look at the beginning of the 12 tribes of the people of God as they came to Egypt of which Moses is a descendant (see Exodus 2:1). Not only will we learn about Moses’ literal ancestry, but we will also find ourselves connected to this family through the Abraham covenant and the seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16,26-29).
We will end our all church study with a review of the Ten Commandments as given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. The first four of these “ten words” gave guidelines for vertical relationship (us to God) and the next six helped us understand horizontal relationships (us to one another). Jesus would later summarize these Ten Commandments with two words: Love God and Love People. By reviewing these ten laws we will encourage the people of Eastview in their respective relationships with God and others as he designed it.
How quickly we forget the greatness and power of God to meet our everyday needs. Not long after the triumphant delivery from slavery, and the miracle of the Red Sea crossing, the people complained against God for food. Of course, God had a plan, and that plan was to send bread from heaven to sustain them on their journey to the Promised Land. In this way, God fed the children of Israel for 40 years with manna each morning. This teaching will focus on God giving us our daily bread and Jesus as the bread of life.
This sermon will cover the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea on dry ground. Once again, God displays his greatness by doing what no one could expect. He provides a way out of trouble in a way that the people of God could not have imagined. At the same time, he completely destroys the enemies of the Hebrews giving us a glimpse of all Jesus has done for us. The main teachings of this text will focus on our great God providing a way when we don’t see it, and how we should have faith when we face impossibilities in our lives.
Next we move to the power of God which will be a general overview of the plagues that God powerfully sends against Pharaoh and Egypt in order to rescue his people. In each plague, the one, true living God shows he is more powerful than each of the false, Egyptian gods. They worship the Nile and he turns it to blood. They worship the sun and he brings darkness. They worship frogs and cows and he overwhelms them with frogs and strikes their cattle with death. This eventually causes Pharaoh’s magician to declare, “this is the finger of God.” The finger, hand, and arm of God is still as powerful today as then. He is more powerful than our fears, our enemies, our circumstances, our pasts, and our futures. And he has proven all authority by the death, burial and resurrection of his Son Jesus.
In our second teaching we will join Moses on the sacred mountain at the burning bush to discover that God speaks to his people. This important lesson encourages us to know that God initiates the conversation (“…the angel of the Lord appeared to him…”) and knows us each by name (“Moses, Moses!”). This is a picture of Jesus who was literally God with man calling us into his ministry and mission through the Living word. While most of us will never experience a literal burning bush, God speaks to us still through the life of his Son, the presence of his Spirit, and his “breathed out” written word – the Bible.
The first big idea is that God rescues us. The story of Exodus begins with the people of Israel groaning because of their slavery in Egypt. According to Exodus 2:23, they were crying for rescue and God heard their prayers. This teaching will encourage people that God hears and knows of the things that enslave us and bring us pain. And he has rescued us through his Son Jesus, first from the slavery of our sin and death, and then through every trial and temptation we experience in our journey of faith.