Pastor Matt's Podcasts: Recent Episodes
Matt Bower
These are sermons delivered weekly from Valley Covenant Community. We hope you enjoy these podcasts as we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and study His word for practical application.
Paul used his Roman citizenship against his persecutors. We here in America have many more rights than Paul did, it is time we utilize our rights against our persecutors.
Paul wrote to the Romans as mature Christians. He gave them meat, not milk. This gives us tremendous insight into the nature of the word of God and its ability to mature Christians in its faithful preaching and hearing.
In this sermon we study the power that the word of God has on a person's life. Jesus uses His word, both Old and New Testaments in order to affect change in the life of the believer.
Any given church is filled with differing opinions. How are we to handle these opinions? What would happen if the church decided not to disagree with things that are irrelevant? How much further could we go in terms of expanding the Kingdom of God rather than expending our virtue fighting the brethren?
With the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it is important to know and understand where the ideas came from, who preached these ideas, and how they have been applied. This sermon is just a taste of the history and writings of those who were there.
In this sermon, we look at the fulfillment of the law with love. How do we truly love one another? It is not complicated, it has to do with obedience to God's word once again.
In this last of the three-part series on Romans 13 and civil government, we examine the nature of the Constitution and the character of the people. The source of authority, the government and the people must be in alignment morally and spiritually in order for the government to function as it should. A change in one will necessitate a change in the rest.
The Wall of Separation has been an attempt to neuter the church for years. But if God is the God who created the church and the State, then both the church and State are equally under God's authority still. Both are subject to His word, His law.
Romans 13 has been preached for the last number of years to encourage Christians to unconditionally submit to civil authority. However, this is not the case. This scripture describes three things regarding civil government. First, it describes the source of civil authoirty. Second, it describes the purpose of civil authority and thirdly it describes the powers of civil authority. If we read it in this context we can see how the United States Government was founded (mostly) in this biblical context.
In this section, Paul explains more on biblical ethics in terms of interpersonal relationships. Christians are to live by faith and this includes dealing with those who persecute them. No one is to return evil for evil, but we are to repay evil for good. What does this mean? How does this look in real life?
In this section of scripture, Paul introduces the action of love without hypocrisy. Without God's law defining law and its application, love has no meaning.
After solidifying the body of Christ, as both Jew and Greek, Paul then turns his attention to the functions of the members of the body. Far from being a program or a corporation, the body of Christ is to function as a body, edifying and encouraging itself, through the gifts of the Spirit.
After incorporating the Gentiles into the covenant, Paul then solidified the body of Christ as one. It is one body, with many members, each gifted to different functions within the body of Christ.
There is much talk about the church vs. Israel today. Romans 11 gives us a great, simple understanding of the relationship between these two. Enjoy!
In this episode, we examine what will become of the Jews, from the time of Paul to the day Jesus returns. It is important to understand the docrine of the End Times and which would cooperate best with what scripture presents. Enjoy!
Paul continued to evangelize the Jews, writing to them and about them specifically as he explained the gospel message. He would refer to the Old Testament in order to explain its prophetic application in the New. As he evangelized the Jews with the OT scripture, he also evangelized the Gentiles with the same. Both Jew and Gentile are now one in the church. There is no separtation of Jew and Gentile.
In this episode, we see that Paul expresses his desire to see all of his Israel brethren saved. By quoting the Old Testament, Paul brings the references of Jesus to bear in the New Testament.
In this sermon we examine the difference between the Gentiles gaining righteousness by faith as apposed to the Jews attempting to gain their own righteousness through works. This is alive and well today. If you listen to progressive Christians, you will hear all the things, defined by the world, that the Christian must do in order to be called a Christian.
In this study, we read that God made some men vessels of wrath and others vessels of mercy. These vessels were created by God out of the same lump of clay, so the question is, "How can God find fault in man if He created them as either vessels for destruction or vessels of honor? Paul answers this question and more in this part of his letter to the Romans.
In this episode we examine the conceptions and misconceptions when it come to the doctrine of election and why this should compell us to evangelize all the more. Is God fair or is He just? Scripture answers these questions in no uncertain terms.
Romans Chapter 9 is referred to as the chapter on predestination. But it is more than that. Predestination is to be found throughout scripture in its entirety. Here we see some very specific concepts that we can deal with today. Although Paul left the Jews who rejected Christ but still preached to all Jews in the synagogues until they either accepted Him or rejected Him. Election in this case is personal, not national (Israel). This answers some questions that we all have today.
In this sermon, we read that God chose His people, and loved them. The requirement of His people is that they obey His commands. This is proof that they know God, and are truly saved. This has been attacked in the US today in exchange for humanistic "love". Enjoy!
Our nation is divided, the only thing that can bring this nation together is God's word. To become one nation under God, one law, one justice, one word, one message, we must align with God hand His word once again.
In this sermon, we study the meaning behind God foreknowing us, predestining us, calling us, justifying us and glorifying us. All of this has meaning to our current time in life, not to the time when we are resurrected from the dead. God saves us, and predestines us to be conformed to the image of Christ, that is a life-long and eternal committment. Enjoy
With the recent protest against the Immigration Customs Enforcement, it has now entered the the inside of the church. There were protesters that went into the Cities Church in St. Paul Minnesota, interuppted and disrupted. As Christians, what is our response to be? The Bible is very clear in each and every situation that arises, protesting in a house of God is no exception.
In this episode, we examine the inheritance of an adopted child of God. Ultimately we won't have wings, sitting on a cloud while playing a harp. Our inheritance is very different than that. This word will encourage us all to embrace our place in the kingdom and every aspect of God's work in our lives.
In this episode, we discuss one of the benefits of being an adopted son of God, heirs and joint-heirs with Jesus. This is the benefit of sharing in the sufferings of Christ. Only through suffering can the Christian get the glory.
Christians are adopted into the family of God. There is a family shift from living under the reign of sin and death to living under the reign of grace. The Spirit of adoption is now on the life of the believer. There are several marks of the believer that differentiate the son and the former life of the slave.
In this study we examine the power of the Holy Spirit which is given to every Christian at conversion. It is this power that is given which grants the Christian the ability to battle the flesh, that which is left over from our old nature, Adam. It is this Spirit which is of adoption into the family of God.
We now come to the center of the message of Romans. Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
In this sermon we examine the meaning and differences behind walking according to the flesh and walking according to the Spirit.
There are three ways Christians deal with sin in their life. One is not to acknowledge it at all, in that they don't believe the law applies any longer. Without the law, there is no sin, no need for sanctification. the other extreme is to believe that God justified and sactified the believer. Therefore, they are incapable of sin. Against both of these views, Paul explains that the battle over the sin of the old man is still within every believer. However, the believer is not to be dominated by sin. This is reality. Every Christian's battle.
Paul continues to address the beleiver and unbelievers relationship to the law of God. To the unbeliever, the law remains an indictment. To the believer, it becomes a guide for living. In order for America to become a nation set apart for God's purposes, Chrisitians must embrace God's law from a proper perspective. And pastors must preach the gospel in terms of God's law-word.
In Chapter Seven, Paul makes an analogy that he didn't use before. In marriage, when one spouse dies the other is released to re-marry. Paul relates this to the believer's relatiohsip to sin and death. When the believer dies he is released from all obligation to the law of sin and death. He is then free to remarry, in this case, to Christ.
In this sermon, we examine the implications of living under the reign of grace. Paul said that people who live under the reign of sin are free from righteousness (justice). This means that a sinful people, a sinful society is free from righteousness. They live under and demand injustice. But a people that live under grace, under righteousness have a truly just society.
At the point of salvation, we are no longer living under the reign of (government and authority) of sin and death, we are no living under the reign (government and authority) of grace. One brings freedom and liberty under Christ, the other leads to death.
The law had a purpose from Adam to Abraham to Moses, to Jesus. What was that purpose and what is the purpose today? As we go through the book of Romans, we cannot understand God's grace without understanding His law. This sermon gives some insight into that purpose.
It was by one man, Adam that sin entered the world. It is by the life, death and resurrection of one Man, Jesus, that sinful man may be justified, saved, and redeemed. We have a choice to live by one or the other.
This sermon explains this as well as its practical ramifications in everyday life.
In this sermon, Paul discusses another benefit to justification by faith: Joy. This joy surpasses our understanding, over all cirucumstances, from the little things to the big. If you are needing some encouragement, this is the sermon for you.
In this study, we look at the results of being justified by faith alone. We have peace with God, access to the Father, hope and tribulation. From tribulation, which we are to embrace, it produces, character and hope. knowing our justification by faith establishes us firmly in God. Nothing will move or shake us.
In the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk assassination, there were numerous commentaries, stories, outbursts, etc. about him and what he represented. In this sermon, I take a look at a few biblical examples to see what constitutes a Christian Martyr's death and if Kirk was in fact a martyr.
In this sermon, we study how Abraham's faith is the same faith that all bleleivers have. It is the faith in practice that is essential. To beleive, to have faith, is not something that is "out there" not to be realized, it is something that is tangible, to be apprehended, and to be applied. Enjoy.
In this sermon, we study the expansion of the blessings of the covenant, from Abraham to his descendants to the spiritual children of Abraham, the church. We also take a brief look at the world's attempts to keep the Christian in a place of guilt in order to manipulate them. Enjoy!
Paul made it very clear in Romans that our justification is by faith alone. However, James Chapter 2 says that it is not just about faith, it is also about works. Which is it? This sermon defines the bibilical meaning behind justification by faith followed by works.
Our understanding of salvation rarely goes beyond our teaching in Sunday School. However, without a proper understanding of the gospel, we risk limiting our growth in the kingdom. Enjoy.
Far too often the gospel is presented without the need for repentance. Rather, the gospel is presented as accepting Jesus as something extra in a person's life. The acceptance of Jesus is the acceptance of life itself. Therefore, it is essential that the need for the gospel, the need for Jesus be presented.
Paul addressed the Jews in his epistle to the Romans. He anticipated their objections to the Gospel of Christ to the Gentiles. Therefore, he stated the objection and emphatically stated the response. Though the unbeleiving Jew could not justify himself, just like the unbelieving church-goer, in the end he only condemns himself.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul addressed the sins of the Gentiles. He then addressed the sins of the hypocrisy of the Jews. Their confidence was in receiving the law, being part of the covenant, the chosen people of God. However, Paul told them that without faithful adherence to the covenant, their blood and their circumcision didn't mean anything.
The New Testament Christian has much the same issue today. That is, he is confident in his salvation by grace and that he is no longer under the law. However, without faithful obedience to the covenant, the Christians' confession, baptism, church attendance, et. al., mean nothing.
In this sermon, we examine the uncomfortable topic of the rewards in heaven and the wrath in hell. Paul addressed the Jews, who thought their birthright in the Covenant secured for them a place in heaven; however, Paul blows this theory apart when we tells them in no uncertain terms that God is not partial. Everyone will be judged by their deeds.
When God gives a people up, or gives a people over to themselves, He does this for redemptive purposes. God allows the sinners that suppress the truth in unrighteousness to go further into their own sin. He allows them to feel the consequences by giving them over to themselves, releasing them from His divine restraints.
Paul lists many sins that are representative of all sins as the people, the culture, spiral downward into debauchery. But all of this has redemptive purposes.
In this study we look at the parallel of what God reveals to man. Last week we studied God revealing His righteousness to those who believed. This week we study God revealing His wrath to those who supress the truth in unrighteousness. God is a God of love, but He is also a God of wrath.
In this study, we once again look at the gospel of the Book of Romans. The foundation of the Reformation, "The Just Shall Live By Faith" is here laid out for us. These two verses are packed with Old Testament language, and are extremely relevant to us today due to the pull of "Universalism" on the faith.
As we get into our study on Romans, it is important to see just how Romans is the gospel of God. It is a transition from the gospel of the Old Testament to the explanation of the same gospel in the New Testament.
In this new series, we examine the wealth of content that Paul gives to the Romans in his greeting. The book of Romans has rightly been called "The Gospel of Romans." The continuity between the Old Covenant and the New is systematized in this book. Enjoy.
In this second part of the series, "Silencing the Enemy", we examine those who are most susceptible to listening to the enemy.
Satan bombards Christians with noise. One of our greatest tasks is to worship God and drown out the noise of the enemy. This sermon defines the nature of the Christian's responsibility to do just that.
The Children of Israel were saved from Egypt in order that they may worship God. The Tabernacle was built with beautiful furniture, but regardless of how beautiful it was, the tabernacle itself was not to be worshipped. We need to hear that same caution today. We cannot worship the ministry, we must worship Christ alone.
In this sermon, we discuss how God finances His kingdom through the vocation of His people. Building the church is not the same thing as building the kingdom. The church helped in building the foundation of Western civilization; however, when the church began emphasizing evangelizing individuals rather than the nations, they handed off many of the kingdom responsibilities fo the State.
In this sermon, we examine the privelege of serving the King and His kingdom. God gives us the opportunity to serve Him with our free-will offering, but He also gives us the opportunity to serve Him with the skills we put on. All of this advances the Kingdom of God for His glory.
In this episode we take a look at the reflection of God's glory that came from Moses when he came down the mountain with the new tablets of the covenant. The people were terrified witht he glory that shone from his face, but he kept his face uncovered until he delivered the word of God. Only then did he cover it. What does this mean to us? What is the demand on Christians who have the glory of God upon them? What is every Christian's responsibility?
In this episode, we review the renewal of the covenant and will examine three of the four foundational pillars of a covenant/constitution. What are these three essential pillars and how are they also to be found in our own United States Constitution? This explains some of these aspects.
In God's abundant grace and mercy, He forgave Israel their sin of idolatry; however, there were still consequences. God still wouldn't abide with them in camp. In addition, although He would still allow them to go into the promised land, He had a very stern warning, they were not to commit idolatry with the gods of the pagan occupants of the land.
This is a stern warning to us. Before we say we would never do this, consider the State of Washington recognizing two Muslim holidays. This is an official act. Christians are to be discipling the nations, instead, in the name of tolerance, we are being discipled by ungodly religions.
The story of Lazarus is well known; however, what isn't as well known is the purpose of the death of Lazarus. Jesus had a specific purpose for his death and his resurrection, but the Jews had a very different purpose for his death. This difference is still with us today, we see it at almost every funeral.
When Moses didn't know how God would bring them into the Promised Land without His presence, Moses asked God to show him His ways. After God explained His ways, it was still confusing, so Moses asked God to show him His glory. All of this amounted to the same thing, God said to Moses to follow the Angel (Preincarnate Jesus). In the New Testament, Jesus said the same thing, "Follow Me."
The modern concept of revival is not the biblical approach to revival and revivals of the past. This section of scripture reveals how God humiliates His people in order to turn them to repentance and prayer. It is a move of God to turn from their wicked ways that promotes true, godly revival.
Moses was the mediator of the covenant. His goal was to help Israel to the Promised Land. He interceded for Israel when they created the gold calf to worship, but he was not able to give his own life for the lives of these idolaters. He didn't have a sinless life, like Jesus.
We too are called to be covenant mediators, but we are not called to be the savior to anyone else. There is only one Savior, and He died once, for all.
Aaron catered to the demands of the people, settingup a democracy in effect. The people demanded he create an idol for them when Moses took too long getting the commandments of God from Sinai. However, when Moses came down, he took moral authority, had the moral courage to demand that the idol be destroyed. We need men of moral courage, who speak with moral authority in the name of God today, rather than the Aaron's of the church, who compromise and create idol worship.
When Moses gets the tablets of the covenant, this should be an exciting time for Israel; however, when Moses delays coming down and because the children of Israel are a stiff-necked people, they demand Aaron make for them a god that they could worship. They couldn't wait for God's word, God's instructions, it was taking longer than what they thought, so they created their own idol.
We have God's word right now, His Word, the Bible. Far too many people think that it takes to long to read, understand and apply, so they go off and make an idol for themselves, and worship it as their own creation. We can learn a lot from the lessons of Israel, this one in particular today.
In this sermon, we explore the biblical understanding of taxes, Holy Spirit inspired work, and of the Sabbath rest. God defines, directs and controls each of these areas. If we give them over to the State, we not only put the State before God, but we are enslaved to it.
The Ark of the Covenant was the throne of God for the Hebrews. The throne of God was in His palace, called the Tabernacle. What we examine in scripture today is the power of the throne of God as the Hebews had to take the Ark into the land of Canaan. God spelled out very specific instructions for His dwelling place, His people are to do exactly what He commands and not get creative in the building process.
In this sermon, we examine the ratification of the covenant, the blood covenant, anfd to he affirmation of the people committing to obeying the covenant.
Before the Hebrews went into the Promised Land, they recieved the Ten Commandments, the Case Laws, and the special instructions to work, rest, celebrate and follow Jesus. All of this is what we read both in the Old and New Testaments.
In dealing with the laws of the covenant nation, it is important ot understand how God's law dealt with those who were not Hebrew. There would be many strangers croming in or passing through the land of Canaan. There were four typse of people that the Bible called "strangers". Not all were the same. Each type was to bre treated differently. In the United States, we too must differentiate between each of these four "strangers". Treating them biblically will ensure justice and righteousness in the land.
There are many issues that Christians get asked about, but are either not knowledgeable enough too answer, or simply are too weak in their faith to give the biblical answer. One of these issues is God's design for the death penalty. This sermon will give both encouragement and a biblical knowledge base in order to answer these questions.
God's laws are a reflection of His own character, when we obey the moral principle of His laws, we are exemplifying His character. The case laws found in Exodus are laws that have at their very root, one or more of the Ten Commandments. If we are ever to be a godly nation once again, we must rediscover the moral principles of God's laws once again.
Before going through the Case Laws found in Exodus 21-23, it is important to understand why we are to study these laws. In this sermon we get a proper perspective of God's law as a reflection of His character. If you want to know Jesus more and more, then it is imperitave that we read, study, and meditate upon His word more and more.
In this study, we examine the implications of the children of Israel's desire to stand afar off from God afrter He gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. There are two distince fears people have of God, one is healthy and the other is not.
The Tenth Commandment, "You shall not covet..." deals with issues of the heart. The reason that God placed this in the big ten is because covetousness and envy destroy families, communities and nations. This sermon will always be relavant.
The ninth commandment, You shall not bear false witness, is one that we have reduced to "Do not tell a lie." This commandment, like all the others was given in order to produce a free people living in a free society under God.
In our current society that plays fast and loose with the truth, this word is especially relevant to the church, that the church may set the standard for the world.
The Eighth Commandment, "You shall not steal", deals with every aspect of theft. This commandment guarantees property rights to individuals, however, with rights come responsibilities. As the Parable of Talents indicates, a servant that is granted much, much is required. A servant that is granted little, there is still a multiplication required and given back to his lord. To hide the talent is to steal from the lord.
Adultery is much more than just cheating on your spouse. It is included in the Ten Commandments because it is an attack on God, the family and the nation. We need to re-examine the implications of adultery and what it has to do with the foundations of social order again.
Many Christians have begun to lose hope in turning our nation back to Christ. The last statistic that I read was that over 20 million Christians won't even vote this election cycle. What should be the Christian posture to voting and to civil government itself? What is the point of voting if things are going to get progressively worse? The answer is to be found in the victory of Christ in every area of thought and life, and how the church is to enforce that victory every day.
The Sixth Commandment, "Thou shall not murder" has vast implications for our society today. The further we have moved from God law the greater the moral decay in America. It has become very clear that we are living in an increasingly unjust society. The people call evil good and good evil. Once the United States turns again to her biblical roots of law and justice, we will see a great turn in her moral character, safety and righteousness.
In this sermon, we examine what it means to honor your father and your mother. Far more reaching than the cursory "honor and obey", this is fundamental to a free society.
In this episode, we examine the implications of the Fourth Commandment, the keeping of the Sabbath day holy. There is much relevance for us today in this commandment. It has more to do with being separate from this culture of idolatry and resting in the completed work of Christ than it has to do with just taking a day off. Enjoy.
In this episode we examine the law as a reflection of the Character of Christ, the difference between negative and positive law, and the implications of the Third Commandment on society today. Enjoy!
Pasor Artur Pawlowski is a Polish born Canadian who is fighting the good fight to recover our liberties once again. Standing strong against Caesar, suffering for the faith, remaining strong in Christ. His message will inspire and challenge. Enjoy...
The Second Commandment deals with idol worship. We really don't understand just how much idol worship there is here in the United States today. This sermon defines idol worship, gives some examples, and what we are to do about it. Enjoy.
The Ten Commandments are the foundation of our civil society. The further we move away from these commandments, the less civil our society becomes. In the first commandment, we read that we have one God. One God means one law. How important is that for us to rediscover in today's society.
In this prologue to the Ten Commandments, we examine the religious nature of the law for a country. The Children of Israel had come out of slavery, been tested, organized into a Republic, and then prepaired to recieve the law of God. These laws never change, we are to govern and be governed under the same laws.
In the United States, we were once established in Biblical law as it was expressed in Common Law. With the denial of God, the source of law has been replaced by man. If you replace the source, you replace the law, if you replace the law, you replace the culture. We are in desperate need to put God back on the throne as the only law-giver in America.
In this seventh installment of Child Training, we examine Satan's attacks on the children. If he can't kill the child in the womb, then he destroys or steals the childhood through false teaching and training. Experts abound in child training, but if the training is not based on God's word, then it is twisted into something else that will destroy the life of the child and family.
The Children of Israel had camped by Mt. Sinai, and were being prepared to recieve the covenant law. God had some very specific instructions for them, and worked through a mediator, Moses, to do so. This is another expansion of the covenant, all of which points to the New Covenant in Christ.
The Children of Israel had to prepare to recieve the law, to become responsible under the law. To these ends, God sent Moses' father-in-law to instruct Moses and the Children of Israel to be a representative Republic. Ultimately this would be the foundation of the United States' civil and legal order.
By Chapter 17 of Exodus, we find Israel still complaining and God still faithful. Instead of gratitude there was infighting. In fact, they were ready to stone Moses for bringing them into the desert. Once God gave them water to drink, then another problem occured, Amalek began attacking them and killing the weak straglers. Israel was to deal with their own issues, then turn and deal with Amalek. In the church today, we have the same issues. church infighting leave us open to Amalek.
In the 16th Chapter of Exodus, we read that the children of Israel once again begin their complaints against Moses and Aaron. Rather than praying to God, they complained about Moses and Aaron. God graciously answered the complaints, but we see that the Hebrews were not accepting the responsibility of their new found freedom. Their slavish mentality caused them to desire to turn back to Egypt every time they ran into difficulty.
God not only supplies them with food (manna) but He also supplies them with a sabbath.
In this sixth installment of the child-training series, we study the puposes of dsicipline. Ultimately, to discipline is to make disciples. As God disciplines His people, so too are the natural parents to discipline their own children. When the children grow and mature and leave the house, they know the disciplines of the Lord because of what the parents put into their lives.
Once the children of Israel were on the other side of the Red Sea, it only took them three days to start complaining. God designed a series of tests for them in order to prepare them for the Promised Land. So too do we go through the testings of God after our own salvation.
With the salvation of the children of Israel came the destruction of the Egyptians. In this episode we examine how the salvation of God's people isn't an escape, it goes hand-in-hand with the destruction of God's enemies.
When the children of Israel were in the process of leaving Egypt, Pharaoh began to pursue them, God was leading them in a roundabout way to the Promised Land, and they ended up getting caught between the Red Sea and Pharaoh's army. In this episode we discuss the slavish mentality. There are easier ways, there are more logical ways, but in the end it must be God's way.
In this sermon, we examine God's requirment of the firstborn. The firstborn represents the family entire, giving the firstborn to God then speaks of giving the entire family and all they have to God. The lamb could redeem the firstborn donkey in our example given by Moses, just as Jesus, the Lamb of God would ultimately redeem us all.
In this session, we discuss the importance of patterning our child-training after God's own ways. While this does not guarantee that the heart of the children are kept by the parents, it does guarantee that parents are not limiting their children's obedience to God.
When the children of Israel left Egypt, they left with a mixed multitude. That means that the there were Hebrews, Egyptians, and other slaves that came with them. God gave specific instructions regarding these "foreigners". In order to partake of the Passover, they had become circumcised, that is, the cutting away of the flesh.
Churches today also have mixed multitudes in their congregations. The foreigners in the body, those not part of the covenant, must have a circumcision of the heart before being able to partake of communion. Unfortunately, churches today are not making any requirements on the people in the church to become partakers of that covenant community. We need to rediscover God's requirements.
In this sermon, we examine the nature of the final judgement on the Egyptians, the death of the firstborn. Scripture only gives us two verses describing this judgment when it happened. Most of the time is spent on describing the purpose of the Passover Meal. We study how the Hebrews had to be ready for this judgement, because everything in the Egyptian society would change.
In our society today, we know that God has been judging the United States for years. How are Christians to prepare for God's judgments? This sermon is especially relevant today.
Bringing up children to become Christ-like in their character is challenging. However, God gave us a pattern to follow in order that we may teach and train our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. This lesson in the child training series is a great resource for new parents, old parents and even grandparents. Christian maturation is lacking in the culture today, this will be an excellent tool to bringing faith back into the family.
God instituded the Psssover before the Hebrews left Egypt. This was to be done by faith in victory, deliverance and judgment even before these took place. We are to do the same today, although we don't seem to have the victory, we are to take Communion in victory, grateful for deliverance, and judgment on God's enemies.
While still in Egypt, the Israelites were commanded to observe the Passover. This marks their covenant with God and their deliverance from Egypt before they left Egypt. They were under Egyptian rule and law, their religious order, but God would give them His law when they left Egypt. There is no neutrality, either the Hebrews were under Egypt or God, the transition had to take place before they left Egypt.
As Moses gets the final instructions about the last of the plagues, this one hits the people of Egypt in a powerful way. It is the killing of the firstborn. As Egypt kept the children of Israel (God's firstborn) as slaves, aways from the life of worshiping God, so would God kill the firstborn of Egypt.
The same holds true today. As God's people, the church are inundated with foreign gods to be worshiped, imposed upon by the power of the State, God will not tolerate the enslavement of His firstborn, the church.
In this episode we will examine the family government and what that means to the original purpose of man in the Garden and man's repurpose with the Great Commission.
Moses and Aaron continued to ask Pharaoh to let God's people go. However, Pharaoh's belief system wouldn't allow it, Pharaoh himself claimed ownership over the Hebrew slaves. This became a battle over sovereignty. Who is sovereign, Pharaoh or God? The State claims sovereignty over every area of life, but God is a jealous God and will not tolerate anyone or any institution that claims ownership over His people.
As we continue to study the plagues of Egypt, we get an increasing understanding of how God deals with a State that is in control of all aspects of life. In Egypt, Pharaoh and his agents attempt to control the Hebrew's worship of God. God deals with those who try to keep His people from worshiping Him.
In the first two plagues, turning the Nile into blood and the plague of the frogs, we begin to get an understanding of God's dealings with nations that reject His authority. God went after the god of the Nile as well as the god of the frogs, humiliating the Egyptian religion. However, Pharaoh's heart remained hardened.
In this second part to the child training series, we deal with people having a hard time understanding biblical principles of the family. Unless people embrace it by faith, they change and manipulate scripture in order to fit what they want to do in their family.
We also deal with the structure of the family in this episode. The structure of the family and the support of the church, how they must cooperate and coordinate in the training of the children.
When Moses had to confront Pharaoh, Pharaoh's belief system and social structure would not allow him to grant Moses' request to leave for three days and worship God. In our society today, we see the same thing happen. Christianity is not one faith among many, it is the only faith. A pluralistic society cannot tolerate a faith that has one way to the Father, and that is through the Son. The belief system results in a social structure, in our nation, that structure must be claimed by the Christian faith once again.
In this episode we examine how Moses and Aaron represented God to the Egyptians. They did not take on Pharaoh, or the gods of Egypt; rather Moses and Aaron obeyed God's command and did exactly what they were supposed to do and God then performed the miracles.
We are God's representatives here on earth, our task is to obey in every area of life, then we rely on God to perform the miracles and overcome the gods of this age.
Moses and Aaron were appointed by God to preach the Gospel to Pharaoh as as well as the children of Israel. Everything seemed to be against them, they were rejected by Pharaoh himself, by the children of Israel and they were old, eighty and eighty-three respectively. There was nothing in the natural that would have indicated that they would have succeeded in their task. However, it wasn't about them, God had given them the mission and tools to succeed in their task. We need to see the same thing in our own lives today. With so many things coming against us, we need to stand in our identity in Christ and confront the modern anti-Christian culture. This story is just as relavent today as it was in Moses' day.
This is the first sermon in the series of the Christ Centered Family. When dealing wiht child-training, it isn't enough to teach tips on how to raise a child; rather, child-training requires an entire life-style change. We begin with the four types of parenting, three of based on unbelief while only one is firmly grounded in faith.
In the Recommissioning of Moses and Aaron, God recounted to their genealogy to them both. They were God's choice, God's men to deliver the gospel to the Hebrews and to Pharaoh. There was nothing that they did themselves; rather, it was what God did for them that qualified them for this task. Similarly, our salvation is for a purpose, we can trace our roots as spiritual sons and daughters to father Abraham, through Christ. This is nothing that we ourselves did, rather this is what Christ did for us, in order that we may deliver to gospel message to the lost in our time.
When Pharaoh refused to let the Children of Israel go, he burdened them with more labor (make the same amount of brick without straw). When this happened the people comeplained to Moses, then Moses complained to God. God never addressed any of these complaints. Rather, God reminded Moses of the Covenant, and told Moses to tell Pharoah to let the people go.
When the problems of life come to us for choosing God's way, we tend to focus on ourselves, our hurts, our needs, our desires. When we complain to God about these things, God reminds us of the purpose of the covenant. In other words, God reminds us of the purpose of the pains of life.
Through Moses and Aaron, the gospel came to the children of Israel and the people rejoiced and worshiped God for the message of salvation. Everyone wante to be free from slavery; however, no one understood that salvation can only come thorugh resistance. In this sermon we study Pharoah's response to the request of freedom. Instead of releasing them, he made things more difficult for them. Instead of blaming Pharoah, the people blamed Moses and Aaron for their problems.
This sermon is expecially relavent in the attack on the Christian faith by the State today.
God called Moses and yet used Aaron for many of the great tasks. Aaron was a cushion for Moses, one step away from the people so that the people wouldn'd become familiar with him. Familiarity leads to presumptuous sin. We study this along with Numbers Chapter 16 to get an understaning of the disastrous consequences of the sin of presumption.
God protects those who are His own. In this sermon we examine two implications of this. First, those who keep God's people from worshiping and serving Him and second, those who do not teach and train their children in the covenant. God's anger and retribution comes against both.
When God told Moses that he was to go back to Egypt and preach the word to Pharoah and the Israelites to let God's people go, Moses had some objections. Each objection is very familiar to us, we too are called by God to se the captives free by preaching the Gospel of Salvation. In this sermon, we see how God answers each objection. The call of God on our lives is to turn our faith into action.
In this episode, Moses asked God who he should say God is that called im to free the Children of Israel. God said, "I AM, or Jehovah. In this statement, Jesus identifies Himself as Jehovah in several texts in the book of John. In this sermon, we see what this really means and how it relates to us all.
In this episode we examine Moses and the burning bush. Everying about this scene is just as relavant to us as it was to Moses. What are we to do in order to fulfill our call in Christ?
Moses left Egypt and his Hebrew when he went to Midian. There he met Jethro, his future father-in-law. Moses had to step out of Egypt and he had to step away from the Hebrews in order to become educated without their influence. Jethro, as priest of Midian was able to aid and encourage this education. Moses would then be able to go back to Egypt speak justice with righteousness.
This same concept holds true in the church. If we want to be effective in the world today, we have to have a biblical worldview in order to speak into both the world and the church world (Egypt and Hebrews).
In this sermon we study the Way the Truth and the Life of Exodus. The life of Moses also exemplifies this. So that Moses didn't go the way of the Egyptians, nor the way of the Hebrews, Moses left for Midian. Egypt represented the State while the Hebrews represented the people of God serving the State.
This is an important step for modern Christians as well. Once we repent and leave the way of Egypt, (the world) we can't embrace the way of a church (the people of God) that serves Egypt (according to the way of the world). We have to step back from both in order for God to teach us His justice and righteousness. Then we can engage with the Word of God rather than the ways of men.
We can't read current events, find a pattern, then read that pattern into scripture. This perverts what the scripture is to really say. Rather, we are to read scripture, find the pattern, then interpret current events according to that pattern.
In the first chapter of the book of Exodus, we find a pattern of the State as it fears the church. What Pharoah did to the Hebrew children was very similar to what the State does to the church today.
Before reading and studying through Exodus, it is important to get the proper perspective on the covenant. In this sermon, we look at the difference between Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism. The way we read through scripture has consequences, we have had consequences of both.
In this introduction to the book of Exodus, we discuss how the gospel of the New Testament is reflected in the story of the Exodus. It is important to understand the Old Testament in terms of Jesus' revelation in the Old Testament. Here is the beginning of the story of our salvation....
At the end of the book of Genesis, we read that Jacob dies and his body is taken to the promised land in a grand procession. We also read that Joseph asked that his body be taken into the promised land as well. However, rather than being taken immediately after his death, Joseph asks that his body go into the promised land when the chilren of Israel go and occupy the land. In the death of the patriarchs, there is tremendous hope for the future.
In ths sermon we study the remaining blessings on the sons of Jacob. These blessings are very different, according to their faithfulness and their character. In this we can see the blessings of the church today as well.
In this sermon, we study Jacob's blessings at the end of his life to Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah. It is important to understand why the "blessings" to the first three didn't look like blessings. It is also imporant that we are able to identify with the fourth-born, Judah so that we too are part of the Lion of the tribe of Judah. This is a very important message for today.
In Genesis 48 we study the blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh as well as why Jacob switched the blessings, the first and second born. Many people feel unqualified to speak into their children and their grandchildren. Jacob's faith overcame all of his shortcomings, he boldy spoke to the generations, the church.
The Egyptians gave their money, their cattle, their land, and ultimatey their freedom for grain. As Christians we are strictly forbidden from doing such a thing.
Joseph formed a totalitarian economy in Egypt. Why did a godly man like Joseph do this? Public policy is a reflection of the morality of the people. A Pagan people who don't think generationally will ultimately end up with a messianic State.
Joseph told his brothers to bring Jacob the family and all their posessions down to Egypt in order to escape the famine. God told Jacob that he would be with him and that he would make him a great nation in Egypt. the reason for this was to increase and multiply under to protection of Egypt and without the influence of the Canaanite cultures in Canaan. God places His people in situations in order that God's purposes may be achieved, even though His people may not understand it.
Joseph was chosen by God in order to save his family. In this sermon we discuss the two definitions of grace, unmerited favor and divine enablement. While modern Christians understand unmerited favor, we need truly need to emphasis the responsibility of salvation, that is, through divine enablement. Joseph really exemplified this.
When Joseph completed the pressure and the testing, it had its desired result. Judah, the spokesman for the family at last volunteered to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of his brothers, including the beloved brother Benjamin. The story of Joseph and his brothers is the story of salvation.
In this chapter, we study Joseph's continuining pressure and testing on his brothers. The purpose of this is always redemptive, it is to get them to repent and to make sure their repentance is genuine. This is the way the chosen family of God qualifies to carry on the covenant.
When Joseph's brothers came down to Egypt to buy grain during the famine, Joseph had a choice. Though they didn't recognize him, he did recognize them. He could have shown mercy to them and forgiven them. However, God dealt with Joseph for several years already, teaching him to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly before God. He then began to place pressure on his brothers in order to push them to repentance, then test them to see if their repentance was genuine. There is much to be learned from this life lesson of Joseph.
Joseph had all the qualifications of a true leader, he was humble enough to hear the word of the Lord and bold enough to speak it.
Joseph's lesson in prison was the lesson of humility. He was sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused by Potiphar's wife, and thrown into prison. What is more, adding insult to injury, Joseph had to serve two of the kings servants who were in the prison with him. Though he was placed in charge of the prison itself, he had to learn the lesson of servant leadership. Again, all of this was to prepare Joseph to govern a nation to save the church (Israel).
The story of Joseph is very familiar to us all. However, when we study his life for application to the church and the members, it comes to new life. The first lesson, that of character, gives us a glimps into how the church is to respond to temptations.
Genesis 38 is a difficult Chapter to preach through. The story interupts the story of Joseph and picks up on the story of his brother Judah. As we study this section, it is important that we keep God's transcendent perspective in mind. God used Judah to keep the line of promise pure, though there are many mistakes made along the way. Nothing that has been done by you or your family that cannot be undone through repentance. Judah's life reveals that fact.
We can't understand the sufferings of life without a sovereign perspective. In this sermon we examine the betrayel of Joseph for God's purposes. The brothers did it to Joseph, the Hebrews did it to Jesus, we can expect the unfaithful in the church to do it to us. One thing is clear, we are to remain faithful, allow the work of the pain and suffering to do its work to grow and mature the church in order that it may continue to preach and teach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As we begin studying the life of Joseph, we begin by introducing the purpose of Joseph's life. Israel and his sons were to carry on the promised seed, the seed of the New Testament church. The purpose of Joseph's life was to suffer at the hands of his brothers, yet it was to save those very same brethren that persecuted him. Joseph was faithful to his unfaithful brothers.
We can learn a lot from this as a faithful church, to those who are in the church that are unfaithful. The remnant must remain faithful, there will come a time of spiritual famine, the faithful church will have the word of God to feed those who had been unfaithful.
Jacob had problems his whole life. When he was called to go back to the promised land, we would think that all Jacob's problems would have been over and he could reap God's blessings. However, on the journey back, his beloved Rachel died, his oldest son Rueben had relations with Jacob's wife, and his father Isaac died shortly after Jacob finally got back to the promised land. Added to this was the fact that chapter 36 lists the wealth, increase and the power of Esau. Why does God give us problems? Why did God bless the line of Esau? This sermon helps give us part of the answer.
In this fourth sermon on the current spirit of the age, we look at the woke, or the neopagan worldview compared to the Biblical worldview. Although we have engaged in this battle for years, this last three years has revealed that, by in large, the church has failed in her task of defending the faith. We are to be the salt and light to the world and that requires us to be faithful to the word of God. Without the faithful teaching of the world on a dailing basis, our youth don't have the knowledge base to fall back on in order to battle against the spirit of the age. We have a big work ahead of us.
As we continue to examine the current spirit of the age, we examine Paul's warnings to the Colossians regarding empty philosophies. We are facing three philosophies combined to become neoPaganism. These philosophies are Marxism, Postmodernism, and Critical Theory, these three concepts combine to become what is called the religion of "woke".
In this second episode, dealing with the spirit of the age, we examine the starting point for analyzing the zeitgeist. It has to be from a standpoint of the word of God. Everything is answered by the Word. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were tempted by the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life. The same holds true with the temptation of Jesus in the desert. These are the same temtpations that will come after man, Satan has no other strategy. If we have put on the whole armor of God, then we are able to withstand the evil day, the day that we too are tempted.
In the next few episodes, we are going to examine the concept of the spirit of the age. Every age has a driving spirit behind it, thats soul purpose is to usurp the word of God. We are to put on the full armor of God, utilizing the word of God in order to bring every thought into captivity to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This podcast is an introduction into this concept.
When Jacob was fearful of being killed by the surrounding pagans, God visited him and told him to go back to Bethel. When the pagan culture looks to overwhelm the church, we too are go go back to the word of God, get refreshed and renewed. The first thing Jacob did was to repent, then got rid of all the pagan idols. This is a sign of true renewal/revival, the word of God will change the culture, the culture will not change the church.
In this sermon, we deal with the topic of the rape of Dinah. Although it is a difficult passage to read, it's lessons are very clear, we need to understand the issues involved with the young people of the covenant get too close to the pagan culture. There are many unintended consequences when this happens. It is essential that we keep the church separate from the world.
In this sermon on the resurrection, we study the power of the resurrection of Christ. Recently there have been those who are preaching the gospel without the resurrection, but this is futile, faithless, empty, powerless gospel. We are called the preach and receive the full gospel of Christ, a gospel without the resurrection is no gospel at all.
In this episode we examine the reconciliation between Jacob and Esau. Laban and Jacob could not reconcile but Jacob and Esau were able to. What was the difference between these two relationships? As covenant members of the church of Christ, it is important how we handle our relationships with non-believers. This sermon gives additional insight to the church's relationship to the world.
In this sermon, we look at Jacob's journey back to Canaan. There are two places of resistance he experiences on his journey: first, God resists him and second, is the resistance of Esau. As we encounter resistance in our own Christian walk, it is important for us to understand the purpose of the resistance and get the lesson God is teaching us.
In this sermon, we deal with the issue of Laban's false accusations against Jacob, and Jacob's response. When a Laban refuses to admit his sin, then a rebuke is necessary. If no reconciliation can be made, then a Mizpah must be declared. This is an excellent word for those who feel manipulated, taken advantage of, and stolen from. What is the biblical way to get out of such a relationship?
In this sermon we study the terms of the new agreement between Jacob and Laban and its outcome. God will bless the uprightness of His people. Laban's envy and unethical behavior against God's chosen is dealt with once the previous agreement is complete.
In this sermon, we compare the courtship of Isaac and Rebekah to the courtship of Jacob and Rachel. Without guidance in the covenant, a person will eventually begin to compromise with the social norms of the culture. This is where the problems begin.
In this episode, we look at what Jacob's obedience to his father and his mother, and Esau's disobedience. However, Esau's envy governed his life, he couldn't help but be watchful of how his parents treated his brother and what they commanded him to do, so he attempted to replicate it. This is a counterfeit way to do things, what the seed of the serpent attempts to do on a continual basis. The genuine covenant is what God does for us, the counterfiet is always our attempts to get to God.
In this episode, we examine the story of Isaac's blessing on Jacob rather than Esau. What were the motives behind Isaac, Rebekah, Esau and Jacob? These verses reveal the threat of the covenant line of promise coming to an end if Esau were to recieve the blessing. Esau sold his birthright, married two Canaanite women and thus hybridized the promised seed. Jacob was the true heir of promise. What were the characteristics of Esau and how do we deal with Esau today?
Envy is a pagan sin that does not belong in the church. Unfortunately many of us have to deal with this sin, it is not a matter of if you have to deal with it, but when you have to deal with it. The story of Isaac and the Philistines gives us a pattern to follow when dealing with peopl who subscribe to the economics of envy.
When there was a famine in the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, Isaac chose to go to Egypt. Although God stopped him from completing his journey, Isaac still suffered from some of the consequences leaving the Promised Land. It is important that we understand this, that we realize this, so that when God allows a time of famine in the are we are called, we remain faithful to the call.
In this sermon, we examine the difference between Esau and Jacob in how they viewed the birthright. One viewed with contempt, the other struggled to apprehend it. If we view this as our own birthright, being heirs and joint heirs of Jesus as members of His church, it will give us an indication of our own respect or disdain for salvation. How do we view our salvation through Christ?
When Abraham died, scripture tells us that he lived a full life, or a satisfied life. What are the key elements to living a satified life when you have gone through so many challenges, testings, etc. Abraham gives us a distinct pattern for us to follow.
The courtship and marriage of Isaac and Rebekah sets a high standard for courtship relationships even today. Although every relationship is different, this story sets out a pattern that young people may follow for their marriage relationship. In this podcast, Pastor Matt systematically goes through Genesis 24 and lists the biblical principles of a godly courtship. Enjoy...
Abraham purchased a field and cave in Hebron in order to bury his wife Sarah. This is an important passage to us in the free foothold Abraham establishes in the Promised Land.
Abraham's journey to the land of Moriah with Isaac gives us a clear understanding of the purposes of God's testing us. We are to identify with Christ, and with His resurrected power. The parallels between Christ's crucifiction and the planned sacrifice of Isaac gives us many of the insights into the purpose of God's tests for us.
In this sermon we examine the birth of Isaac, the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael and the covenant with Abimelech. We have much to learn about the grace of God, His tender mercies that are everlasting.
In this sermon, we examine Abraham and Sarah traveling South. They are carrying the promised seed in a pagan land. The seed is in peril once again when Abimelech takes Sarah for his wife, but God warned Abiblimech in a dread that he would be a dead man. Listen as this sermon illustrates our own Christian walk in a pagan society and what God calls us to do and be.
The story of Lot gives us an understanding of what the cost of loving the world would be. Lot lingered in Sodom, he was forced to leave by the hand of the angels, his wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, and his daughters conceived two boys through incest with him. His life became like the town he desired to live in, insignificant.
Understanding God's ways gives the Christian great insight into the consequences of man's actions. When God told Abraham that He would destroy Sodom, Abraham appealed to God based on the righteous that may have still been in Sodom. Abraham knew God's word and God's ways enough to pray the prayer of a righteous man. When we read the headlines in the newspapers today, do we know God's word enough to pray in His will? Or are we like Sarah, when she heard God would bless her with a child and just come up with all the objections of why God can't do something?
Abraham and Lot both had visits from angels, the reception these angels received were very different. The Bible has laws of hospitality, which are very important for us to understand today. The laws of hospitality were obeyed by both Abraham and Lot; however, the city of Sodom violated those laws.
In this sermon, we examine the differences between the laws of Christian hospitality and that of a wicked society's hospitality. This is important for us as we deal increasingly with a wicked and perverse generation. If we want to turn the culture back to God, we have to have a biblical response to the righteous as well as the unrighteous.
In this sermon we examine the expansion of the covenant with Abraham. Abraham and Sarah seemed to be satisfied with Ishmael as the promised seed; however, God expanded their vision to give them Isaac. When a person enters the covenant that God provides, then their purpose expands with the kingdom of God.
In this sermon we study God's covenant with the generations. If we aren't thinking generationally, we are not thinking covenantally. Single generation thinking is a "starting over" process with each succeeding generation. Thinking generationally, on the other hand, plans, prepares and invests for future generations. One is man's way while the other is God's way.
In this sermon we examine the differences between the word of God and the word of man. God spoke once again to Abraham when Ishmael was 13 years old. It had been a long time between God's revealed word. God's word has some very important distinctive, different than that of the word of man
In this sermon we look at Sarah's desire to get the promised seed through unbiblical means. Whenever we attempt to attain God's will through unbiblical ways it ruins relationships, first with God and then with one another. Many times people want to know God's will, but fail to apprehend God's way. This episode of Abraham's life will give hope and encouragement to many.
In Genesis 15, Abraham was given two promises, he was promised that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars of the sky and he was promised a land that they would inhabit. Abraham wanted assurances from God that this would take place, God gave him the assurance of the covenant. What do we have as assurance that God's promises would take place?
In this sermon, we take a closer look at Genesis 15:6 "And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness." This is one of the most important scriptures to our understanding of our salvation. The imputation of righteousness to Abraham, and sin to Jesus is explained in 2 Corinthians 5:21 "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." The way to salvation in the Old Testament and the New Testament alike was through the work of Jesus.
After Abraham came back from victory and retrieved his nephew Lot, the king of Sodom came to greet him, but then so did Melchizedek. Melchizedek, a reflection of Jesus, gave Abraham communion and a blessing. Abraham in return gave Melchizedek a tithe of all he had. The king of Sodom on the other hand, made demands on Abraham and would allow him to keep the goods that he took as booty. This is the difference between God's way and man's way. God gives while man takes. Both offer a way or a means of salvation, but only one is able to give salvation unto life.
When Lot, his family, and all his goods were taken captive during a rebellion, Abraham went and got him back. Significantly, Abraham's trained men also routed the armies of the tyrant who took him. Lot's choice to live in a place that compromised God's ethics caused him to be taken captive and ruled by a tyrant. A nation's morality will determine what form of government they will live under. It is the church's responsibility to preach, teach, and to show the biblical manner in which we are to live. As the church goes, so goes the nation.
In this sermon we examine the separation of Lot from Abraham. Lot was given the choice of land, he chose the plains of Sodom, there the men were exceedingly wicked. Lot lacked discernment in his choice. He desired the promised land without Christ. We look at a few reasons why Lot lacked this discernment and it how serves as a caution to us today.
In Genesis Chapter 12 we read that Abraham was given some amazing promises by God. As soon as Abraham got to the promised land in order to receive those promises, he ran into problems. In this sermon we discuss those problems, their purposes and how that relates to our own Christian walk. We don't pray for problems, we pray for blessings. However, God doesn't give us the promises without us learning the lessons of the problems.
In this sermon, we study God's promises to Abraham and see just how they are also God's promises to the spiritual sons and daughters of Abraham (Galatians 3). These promises take faith, faith in Christ and faith that God will fulfill them. As Christians, we can embrace these promises as our own, that God will extend, expand and build on the promises of Abraham to include the world, and all the Gentile nations.
Since the Christian has been grafted into the people of God (Galatians 3), we can receive the promises to Abraham as our promises to us as well. This also means that what Abraham went through, we can fully expect to go through like-trials and testings as well.
This first sermon on the story of Abraham examines the call of God on His life. He did not choose God, God chose him. Likewise, when God has a call on the Christian's life it is the same scenario. God calls, we respond. Knowing that God has a call on our lives and it is not our "choice", then we also know that the trials and testings of the faith we go through are to strengthen that faith and it will see us through.
Since the Fall of man in the Garden, man has always had a dream of being like God, determining for himself good and evil. In man's rebellion, the descendants of Nimrod attempted just that in the building of the Tower of Babel. They rebelled against the mandate to fill the earth and instead built a centralized city that they may have all power and authority for themselves.
Man is still attempts to centralize authority, resulting in the tyranny by the few and the slavery of the many. But just like the story of Babel, God's will shall be accomplished, God will come down and scatter man from his unified dream. God's government for man is a decentralized government, it is localism.
God instituted slavery as a consequence for those who had contempt for authority. Ham exposed the nakedness of his father, Noah, to his brothers. His mocking and scorning revealed the contempt he had for biblical authority. Noah cursed Ham's youngest son, Canaan, because Ham was Noah's youngest son. This was perfect justice. It was the descendants of Canaan that would serve the descendants of Noah's other two sons, Shem and Japhath. This reveals the importance of honoring those in authority.
Once Noah and his family came out of the Ark they had the daunting task of building a new civilization. The first thing Noah did when he came off the ark was to build an altar and sacrifice one of each of the clean animals. This pleased the Lord and turned away His wrath, so immediately God promised never again to destroy every living thing on earth.
But God also instituted three things to help man take dominion over the earth. First was family, then dominion over nature, and lastly civil government. Noah and his family had everything they needed to be fruitful, multiply and subdue the earth for the glory of God.
The story of Noah's ark is much like the story of our salvation in Christ. Once saved from destruction, it is our task to learn what God's way is to rebuild everything according to His word. Noah had to start from scratch, we too, need to come out of the ark and re-build a godly culture.
In Genesis Chapter 7 we read of Noah and his family getting into the ark. There are several aspects of Noah's faith that we read in this chapter. He heard the word of God and he acted on it, all by faith. Noah applied his faith and God was pleased with him. In this sermon we examine this as well as the faith we are to have in building our arks today. An ark has to have all the elements of civilization within it, and each family is to sow into the next generation. What do we sow into the next generation?
In Genesis 6 we read that Noah had detailed instructions as to how he was to build the ark. In verse 22 we read that Noah did all that God commanded him. Noah couldn't get creative with the ark, there were very specific things that had to be done in order that the ark would do what it was supposed to do. Noah was obedient to the word of God as judgment was coming near. We are to be building an ark, something that holds all the foundations of civilization, so that when judgment comes, we will be able to rebuild. If judgment doesn't come in our lifetime, then we would build for the next generations.
Before the flood, we read about the results of mixing of the godly seed of Seth and the ungodly seed of Cain. The hybrid seed grew, matured and resulted in the totally depraved mind of man with his thoughts continually on sin. While the righteous ponder how they can obey God's word, the unrighteous ponder how they can rebel to a greater extent against God.
In this sermon we examine the line of Cain to Lamech. The line of Cain (the seed of the serpent) is out to kill, steal, and destroy the line of the promise, Seth.
In this episode, we continue to examine the two seeds, the seed of the serpent (through Cain) and the seed of the Promise (through Seth). the seed of the serpent seeks only to destroy the seed of the woman. We see the results of these two lines in the 7th generation from Adam: Lamech was totally depraved, wicked, murderer (through the line of Cain), while Enoch walked with God until he was no more (through the line of Seth). It was only after these two lines mixed that we see the devastating results. It is important for us today to keep what is holy, holy and separate from that which is evil. There can be no compromise with evil.
When God cursed the serpent in the garden, He proclaimed that their would be enmity between the Seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. The result is a prolonged war between these two seeds. The story of Cain and Abel gives us a glimpse of these two seeds and what was to come in the following generations. Satan is always waiting to devour the seed, but the Seed, Christ, has already crushed the serpent's head, it is up to the church, the body of Christ, to enforce that victory of the Cross.
In this sermon, we examine curse God declared on Adam and Eve and that they were expelled from the garden. God in His mercy and His grace did blessed them even while He declared the curse on them. Once He drove them out of the garden, man in His rebellion has been attempting to get back in on his own terms. There is only one way back to the Tree of Life, that is through Jesus, there is only one way for man's justification and atonement and that is also through the Jesus. Man's attempts at self-justification and self-atonement keep him in a perpetual state of sin, guilt and shame. All this was nailed to the cross, with Christ setting us free, we are free indeed.
God cursed the serpent, Satan telling him that although he would bruise the heal of the woman's seed, the woman's Seed would crush his head. This is the first gospel message in the Bible. We see that Jesus did crush the serpents head at the cross. We get to participate in that victory, but, like in the garden itself, it still requires obedience.
In this sermon we study the temptation of Eve, the responsibility of Adam, and the work of the Second Adam granting access to the Tree of Life once again. None of this was a surprise to our sovereign God, in fact without sin entering the world, we would not know the amazing grace that our loving God gives to us. Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more (Romans 5:20-21).
In this sermon we examine the the creation of Eve from Adam's rib and the joining of the too in marriage. In their state of innocence they were naked and unashamed. This means that they were exposed in everything but had no sin or guilt. Today, with those who reject Christ, we see that they are full of sin and guilt and therefore have everything to hide. Instead of being exposed and unashamed like Adam and Eve, the sinner attempts to hide their exposure, by changing the world around them to conform to their own imaginative world. The only way we can stand exposed and unashamed again is through the work of the blood of Christ.
In this sermon, we explore Adam's task to "dress and keep the Garden". These two words have significant meaning throughout scripture. It means that Adam was to work and to protect. This was the paradise that God placed Adam in. Far from our contemporary idea of paradise, no work and no struggles, Adam's paradise in the Garden included both these concepts. If we are to fulfill our task in our own gardens, we are to work and protect.
Those who rebel against God's created order still demand to be respected, still demand "integrity" as a human being. In this sermon we study the meaning of integrity as it relates to the meaning of being created in the image of God, and re-created in the image of Christ. It is important that we stand on the word of Truth in every area, casting down all vain imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Christ.
In this sermon, we examine elements of God's original order and purpose for His creation. We also study some of man's humanistic attempts to re-define and re-purpose God's created order. Humanistic man, in his rebellion against God desires to re-create all things in man's own image. Churches need to preach and teach God's word again, without apology. We need a comprehensive and consistent Biblical worldview in order to come against man's ungodly system.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…
In this episode, we examine the Genesis story of creation. In this day and age, we have philosopher kings who are demanding we abide by their alternate version of reality, their imagination, twisting God's reality, remaking the world according to the image of man. Against this, the church has to stand and preach, teach, educate, and press the creation story. Our children have to cooperate with God's reality if we hope to have some semblance of order in the next generation.
This is the final sermon in the "Government in Crisis" series. In this sermon, we look at what we need to do now. Repent, Rebuild and Reload.
In this episode we examine the preaching that needs to come from the pulpits today. The "preaching one" is one who has been called by God and sent to preach His word. There are many usurpers today, that call and appoint themselves as preachers. This has caused the pulpits to be seen as ineffectual and ultimately worthless. We need to reclaim the pulpits once again, supporting those who are called to the preaching of the word.
In this third installment, we examine the just powers that belong to the civil sphere. The scripture allows the civil sphere very limited powers: The power to protect the godliness of the nation, the power of the sword and the power to tax.
This is the second sermon in the series "The Crisis of Government". First sermon we examined the creation of the civil sphere. In this sermon we study the purpose of the civil sphere. What is the purpose? What happens when the civil government fulfills its purpose? What happens when the civil sphere violates its purpose? Romans 13 is not designed to allow Christian citizens to obey every law, rule or regulation of the civil government. In that vein, we also take a brief look at the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and its roots in Christianity.
God created the civil government, which is simply one government among many. We need to understand the purpose and the powers of that sphere of government once again. Man's law have only caused division and strife in the United States. We need unity once again, and that can only come from a common understanding of the origin, the purpose, the power and the historic place of the civil sphere in America.
In Paul's concluding comments to the Galatians, one of the gems we get out of this is the purpose of persecution. This is something Christians in the West are going to experience more and more, we need to understand its purpose, and what to do in the face of it.
In this sermon, we examine the reasons why the Judaizers desired the new Galatian Christians to be circumcised. They desired a religion of the flesh, simply an outward expression rather than an internal heart change. They also desired to escape persecution from the Roman government. In the last three years of the COVID virus, we have seen both these motives exposed in many churches.
The Biblical concept of sowing and reaping has been overlooked for a number of years in the church world. Sinful man desires to sow one thing and reap something else entirely. This is not God's way, if we desire to reap, we must sow. This message gives some key principles about this process.
Galatians 6:6 is one of those scriptures that pastors don't necessarily like to share on. It seems self-serving for a pastor to preach on getting paid. However, if we look into other scriptures, we are able to see how much the New Testament deals with paying a teacher of the word of God. It requires a lot of responsibility on the teacher as well as the one who is learning. I give some very practical examples from my own life in this teaching.
In this study, we examine what it means to walk in the Spirit. Paul begins with a negative example, do not be conceited, provoking or envious, but then goes on to describe what the church should look like. This includes, but is not limited to bearing one another's burdens while carrying their own load.
Every Christian battles the fallen nature, the flesh, but we do have the victory through the Spirit. No one said it would be easy, it is a life-long death to the flesh in order that we may remain free in Christ. This study examines what this means to every Christian.
In the episode we examine the power of the freedom given to the Christian in order to dominate the flesh through the Holy Spirit. The scripture is very clear on this point, pre-Christian we are dominated by our sins, our flesh, but after our regeneration, we are empowered to controls our impulses. This does not mean that we won't sin, for though we are now dead to sin, it is a life-long death.
In this Sermon, we examine how people in the church hinder believers from obeying the truth. These troublesome people need to be dealt with quickly and effectively before they are able to contaminate the entire body.
In this sermon we study the connection between the freedom Christ gives us and the responsibility we have to maintain that freedom. There is a clear connection between faith, freedom, grace, and love. Understanding this connection allows us to live as we ought to live, not as we please.
In this episode, we examine the allegory Paul uses with the children of Abraham. Instead of identifying as the sons of the free woman (Sarah), Paul likens the Judaizers to the sons of the slave woman (Hagar). He continues to compare the law, Sinai, Hagar, Ishmael and Jerusalem of the day with those who were slaves. In other words, what was to serve the kingdom had become served by the Judaizers. We have to be careful to seek first the kingdom, anything else would place us under bondage once again.
The Galatian Christians were called to be sons and heirs in Christ. Instead of choosing the freedoms found in Christ, they turned back quickly to the bondage of the way of the world by listening to the Judaizers. This temptation is still with Christians today. In this episode we examine the differences between the immature slaves and the mature sons in the kingdom.
Just as the children of Israel were freed from the Egyptians and had to come under the laws of Moses, so too does the Christian come under the laws of Christ after being free from the slavery of sin. Freedom requires responsibility. The Hebrews only knew the life of slavery, when they didn't want to be responsible before their God they desired to go back to Egypt and lie under what they knew. Christians too have this pull on their lives. There is a desire to go back to the elemental things of the world, live under slavery once again. Paul addresses this in the first section of Chapter 4 of Galatians.
In this sermon we examine a real issue that many Christians have with the Bible. What do we do with the Abrahamic Promise, the Mosaic Covenant, and the New Covenant through the work of Jesus? Is any one apposed to the other? Or is there continuity one to another? If God never changes, does His word change? If we get rid of the law of God in the Mosaic Covenant, what replaces it? This episode gives us a great understanding of rightly dividing the Word of Truth in our day.
In Galatians Chapter 3, Paul relates the consistency of the Gospel from the Old to the New Testament. Even Abraham wasn't saved by works, but by faith. It is a severe indictment upon those who attempt to add to the scripture, we are justified by faith alone.
When we have difficulty understanding certain passages of Scripture, many times it is due to our misunderstanding of other portions of Scripture. When we learn to think of a passage with a wrong interpretation, it clouds our ability to understand other portions of Scripture. The believer's relationship to the law is described in many portions of the New Testament, when we properly understand this, then and only then can we properly apply the Word of God in our lives entire.
Justification by faith is a theological concept that has either been ignored or misapplied by many preachers and teachers lately. This word and its concept is explained through scripture and it must be re-taught from the pulpits again. If it is not, we will continue to produce self-centered, self-righteous Christians who think they have somehow merited their way to heaven.
Paul confronted Peter for bowing down to social pressure rather than adhering to the revelation of the word of God. This podcast explores this and more.
In our continued study of the book of Galatians, we further look at the issue of protecting the gospel. Paul defended his authority and that he received the gospel of Jesus by Jesus Himself. We too have to defend the gospel from those who would want to change it, pervert it, add to it or subtract from it. This is very relevant to us today. There are those who desire to add the ideologies of this world to the Christian faith and subtract some of the doctrine of our faith. When this happens, it destroys the Christian faith. There is no neutrality. We need to stand against them with everything we have within us, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul was very concerned with the Galatians being so quick to turn away from the Faith. Many of Paul's concerns are happening again to us in this very day and age. Paul was uncompromising and intolerant when it came to the true gospel. What do we tolerate today in our day of "Tolerance"?
Paul wrote to the Galatians because there was false teaching that was turning them away from the true gospel. Paul found that he had to defend his authority as an apostle, but then quickly reminded them of the gospel that they received. This is as important for us today as it was for the Galatians then.
Christians should view civil government as a ministry of God. In this podcast we examine how this ministerial role is different than man's legislative role. While God's form of civil government is limited, with separation of powers, and checks and balances, Man's form of civil government is centralized, unlimited, and unchecked. One delivers freedom while the other delivers slavery.
In this sermon, we examine some of the issues of our day. The main issue is sin, but just as Adam and Even attempted to cover their own sin with fig leaves, so too does unredeemed man attempt to cover his own. There must be atonement for the sin and guilt of man. For the Christian, we are assured that Christ's Blood has paid the price, made atonement for all our sins. For unredeemed man, scapegoating and false atonements are the ways that he has to alleviate his guilt-ridden conscience.
When man sinned in the Garden, he became guilty of breaking the law of God. He is a sinner. The only way to get rid of sin and guilt is through the blood of Jesus. Sinful man however, attempts to rid himself of sin and guilt through other means.
This is the final sermon on the Beatitudes. In this episode, we examine the most mature state of Christ's teaching in this list: one who is able to endure persecution for the sake of Jesus' name. Those who endure to the end, will be blessed, but it requires going through the progression of the Beatitudes.
“Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.” Peacemakers are called to enforce the victory of the cross. Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the total destruction of the enemy.
The imagery revealed in this text is that of the high priest going into the Holy of Holies. He had to be cleansed of his own sins and the sins of the people. This is the only way he could go into the presence of God. We too must be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb in order to come into the presence of God. This speaks of our motives, our motives must be pure.
In this sermon, we examine the biblical concept of mercy versus the humanistic concept resulting in unsanctified mercy. How can we show mercy and obtain mercy without subsidizing evil?
In this sermon we examine what hungering and thirsting after righteousness means as well as what it means to be satisfied. We compare and contrast true righteousness with self-righteousness, unfortunately many in the church today confuse the two. We cannot makeup our own definitions and our own righteousness, it is important that we allow scripture to define what we are to hunger and thirst after, only then may we truly be satisfied.
There is a difference between being meek and being weak. A meek person is the most dangerous person to the enemies of God. Jesus was meek, yet He drove the moneychangers out of the temple with a whip. Moses was the most meek person on earth during his day, yet he stood against Pharaoh and the armies of Egypt. The meek shall inherit the earth.
After recognizing your totally depraved condition before God (poor in spirit), then comes the process of mourning. This mourning is mourning over our sin, and sinfulness. It brings about repentance and comfort.
Scripture has a lot to say about the believer's civic responsibility. In this sermon, we examine 5 duties every Christian must do in order to keep the civil government accountable to the Christian form of government we have.
In this new series, we are going to examine the beatitudes. These are progressive character sketches of Jesus Himself. This first one, poor in spirit, gives us the beginning point of the Christian life. Only by coming to Christ entirely empty, without anything to give or offer, may we the be filled with the kingdom of God.
In this episode, we talk about what happens in a church community when God's word comes in doubt, either from the pulpit or the people. Unless the community well is from the source, Jesus Christ and His word alone, then everything becomes suspect.
Nehemiah had to deal with the pagans that desired to trade with the Hebrews, but they wanted to trade on the Sabbath. Nehemiah gave clear jurisdictional guidelines to the pagans and Hebrews both. This is an excellent study in Nehemiah chapter 13, of enforcing the jurisdictional authority.
God calls us all to build His kingdom in His way, the building process of the Christian Faith must be without compromise. Nehemiah 13:1-14 gives us a good understanding of what Nehemiah had to deal with, and his unwillingness to compromise the faith.
Nehemiah Chapter 12 gives us good reason to celebrate, in fact Christians today have more to celebrate than anyone else.
In this episode, we examine the difference between building the city of God (Jerusalem) and building the city of man (Babel). If you read Chapter 11 of Nehemiah, you will come to realize why we are not be a Nimrod
Nehemiah Chapter 10 gives us a few unifiers of the covenant faith. In examining this chapter1. Spread a unified message versus a competing message we will be able to...
2. Engage the enemy in a coordinated way versus fighting with one another.
3. Defend the faith together versus defending ourselves.
4. Build a lasting legacy for the generations to come versus expending our godly heritage on ourselves.
5. 2 Peter 1:5-7 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
A repentant nation demands God's word from the pulpit. It demands to be poured into so that National Virtue is poured out to the next generation.
In this chapter, the people desire to have the word of God read to them. This is the nature of revival, the people desire the Word (the Word made flesh is Jesus). When a people desire God and His righteousness, of their own volition, and begin to repent without any prompting, you know you have revival.
Nehemiah only allowed people who could prove their genealogy come in to Jerusalem to live. This is important. Had everyone been allowed in, then there would have inevitably been issues with problematics. Instead of worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth, and remaining in obedience to God's law, they would have been arguing about side issues rather than building the city for the glory of God. In the church today, so many people come in and are welcome that do nothing but argue and wrangle over non-issues.
Nehemiah had a lot of pressure placed on him to appease the enemy. This pressure also came from those who he didn't consider enemies, but for the sake of getting along, also asked him to give in. Many churches have also been in this position. The demand to appease the enemy is an ever present temptation.
Unfortunately, Nehemiah not only had to deal with outside threats, but he also had to deal with threats within Jerusalem. The church today has to deal with many issues inside the church itself, rarely being able to engage the real enemy that are attacking it on a constant bases.
In this Resurrection Sunday message, we examine the implications of the belief in the resurrection of Jesus. In a recent article, 23% of Christians do not believe in the resurrection of Jesus. However, without this belief are they really Christian at all? Romans 10:9 “…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
The Resurrection was and is God's plan for victory, without the faith in this, the faith is futile. 1 Cor. 15:17, “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!”
In this sermon, we examine the issues surrounding the building of the wall. As the Hebrews were being attacked outside the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah came up with plans and strategies to thwart the designs of the enemy. They all came together and were able to build and protect. The church today needs to look closely at the principles of building that Nehemiah gave us by his excellent example.
In this podcast, we examine the principles of rebuilding the walls through the the 3rd chapter of Nehemiah. In addition, we also examine the gates of Jerusalem that needed to be rebuilt, and how they relate to the church today. We need to rebuild and defend each aspect of the church.
Nehemiah didn't go to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls without obtaining God's ordained authority to do so. There were several prerequisites that Nehemiah had before he went. When he was finally able to go, he was going with power and authority under God. This sermon gives us some insights into what Christians should be doing in order to rebuild His church here in America.
In this study, we are going to examine the book of Nehemiah, understand what was going on at the time, then apply it to our current situation in the church today. It has become painfully clear that many churches, ministers, and denominations have allowed the walls and the gates to lie in ruin. Pagan philosophies and theologies have been allowed into the churches and some have been preached from the pulpit. We are living in like-times as in Nehemiah's day. It is time to repent and reload, there is much work to be done.
In this podcast we study the defining elements of the Postmodern culture and what the scripture has to say about it. The second part of the podcast discusses some of the characteristics of focusing on the Kingdom of God versus being focused on the institutional church. The church focus makes us more susceptible to conforming to the world, while the kingdom focus conforms us to the image of Christ.
Many Christians have difficulty thinking in a "Both/And" manner. In this lesson we examine the 5 aspects of covenant through the "Both/And" principle rather than the damaging "Either/or" principle.
We must come under the sovereignty of God in spirit and in truth. We must come under and function under the authority of the covenant with authority and liberty of conscience. We must come under God’s ethical standards of the covenant with the law and grace. We must come under the sanctions of the covenant in justice and mercy. And we must come under the continuity of the covenant through works and faith.
In this sermon we examine an example of a philosophy statement. I spend a lot of time on the philosophy, answering the question "why?" and a short period of time touching on the "what?" and the "how?". This example is on the philosophy of Dance that we use for the Summer Ball.
In this sermon, we touch on the "why", the "what", and the "how" to the building of a culture within a culture. Our contemporary culture looks more and more like Babylon. We are in desperate need of pulling the kingdom tools together in order to build (or re-build) a God-honoring culture once again. It begins in the hearts of men and spreads from there....
It has been said that we live in a post-Christian society. Although we have seen our ethics and morals deteriorate through the last 100 years, I would encourage everyone to believe that we are not at the end of a Christian era, but we are at the beginning. We have had a tremendous problem with the church in general succumbing to the dominant, secular culture. Instead of being a counter culture, many Christians adapted to the dominant one and ended up become a sub culture. Rather than a post Christian era, we need to act upon our faith and evangelize as though we are in a pre-Christian era. 1 John 5:4,5 "4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"
As the church goes, so goes the nation. This podcast explains, through the scriptures, what that exactly means.
In this Podcast we discuss some of the failures of the church and the pulpit in light of recent events. This is a reminder of who the church is and what it is to be doing. At the cross, Jesus proclaimed that "It is finished." This is definitive, progressive and final. It is finished, it is being finished and it will continually be finished the the Last Day. We are to walk in the victory of the cross, applying it to every area of life and thought. This message is filled with scripture, be prepared to be washed in the Word of God.
In this Podcast, we examine the fifth aspect of covenant, that of continuity. This aspect requires a proper perspective of the previous four: sovereignty, authority, ethics and sanctions. Without the proper application of these, there can be no continuity. As an example, we do a short study of Absalom and how he was only a single generation thinker. Not only did he promote discontinuity, he did it by rebelling against God's sovereign plan, God's authority in his life, God's ethical standards and God's sanctions. In the end, Absalom was trapped in his own pride.
The fourth aspect of the covenant, sanctions, is one of the most difficult to understand for modern Christians. This is something that has not been taught on a regular basis from the pulpit, so its application is confusing. There are positive and negative sanctions in the covenant, if we only emphasis the positive sanctions, then we do a tremendous disservice to believers when negative sanctions occur.
Authority is the second aspect of the covenant. Unless and until a person accepts the sovereignty of God in their lives, then authority will always be an issue. The ultimate authority for man rests in God and His Word to us.
The third aspect of covenant is ethics. Scripture is clear that the driving force of God's ethics is love. This has been misunderstood and misapplied as it has been separated from law. But it is impossible to have ethics without law. This lesson goes through abundance of scripture in explaining the law of love, i.e., the law of Christ.
The first aspect of covenant is the sovereignty of God. If God is not sovereign in the life of any person, then something else will take the place of God. The remaining aspects of the covenant will be mis-aligned, they will deny God's representational authority, His ethics, His sanctions, and ultimately they will be cut off.
There are 5 aspects to the covenant, in the Old and New Testaments. This pattern is seen throughout scripture: Sovereignty, Authority, Ethics, Sanctions, and Continuity. In this lesson, we see examine these as expressed in the Lord's Prayer and the Great Commission.
Every believer is called to function in three offices, that of the prophet, priest and king. Each has their own function which cooperates with the other two. In order to be well-rounded in the kingdom, it is important to understand these offices and how they operate for the glory of God and expand His kingdom.
In this lesson, we examine the definition of the church and its application. There is a reason why we have 305 million Christians in the United States and yet the church seems to be so powerless. Rather than a social club, the church is to be those called out to govern in authority and power.
At the point of our conversion, we make a citizenship transfer from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His marvelous light. Kingdom signifies "government", so we transfer our sovereign, authority, ethics, sanctions and our continuity from being under one government to another. What does this look like in our relationship between those who are redeemed and those who are not?
In this, the second lesson in the Ambassadors Series, we examine the concept of renewing our minds. We are to pattern our own paradigms according to the pattern of the kingdom of God.
In this new series, we are going to study the concept of being an ambassador of the kingdom of God to the world. Ambassadors live under the authority of another country, in this case, kingdom. We are to be in the world and yet not of the world. We are to think and reason through things biblically/governmentally, not thinking as the world thinks, but having the mind of Christ.
Scripture is clear, we are to submit to the Word of God. When scripture commands that we submit to any human institution (parents, church, one another, civil government) it is a given that all are also submitted under God's word.
In this podcast we examine what it means to participate in the sacrifice outside the gate. This imagery is taken from the Levitical law, but the writer of Hebrews draws upon it for application in our Christian lives. Are we dominated by dead sacrifices or are our lives a living sacrifice?
Sometimes I emphasize a point in a sermon in order to gain more understanding. This is one of those occasions. I am not apposed to "programs" in the church per se. However, this scripture is clear that if our works are dead works, without Jesus as the center, then we are to shut them down and follow Jesus outside the camp. A church dominated in dead programs has a lot of activity but no live. A church dominated by applied faith may not have a lot of activity, but has a lot of life.
In this sermon the writer of Hebrews tells us to remember those who taught us the Word of God. Remembering shows action and it is an active recall of the proper doctrine that has been placed within us for over 2000 years that we need to remember. The reason that we have a solid Christian faith today is because of the faithfulness of the preachers and teachers who have gone before us.
This keeps us grounded in the Word and keeps us from blowing to and fro after unsound doctrine.
In this sermon, we examine two more elements of Christian civilization, family and property. God's law protects both of these because they are foundational elements of society. These are to be guarded from other men as well as guarded from the state. The more the state takes from family and property, the less liberty and freedom people have.
The book of Hebrews was written shortly before tremendous persecution. Chapter 13, the concluding chapter has several thoughts in quick succession, so that it was much like a Post Script to the main body of the letter. These were geared toward preparing the Christian Hebrews for the coming persecution. The first three thoughts were centered around the unity of the brethren.
2 Corinthians 2:11 says that we are not to be ignorant of Satan's devises. Exposing his devises from the pulpit is a significant task of every minister. In this episode, we examine a thumbnail sketch of one such devise, the Hegelian Dialectic. The three step approach of "Thesis", "Antithesis" and "Synthesis" is still used today. But instead of advancing society, it is being used to rebel against God's original order.
God's word cannot be compromised. The preacher must preach the word of God without mixing it with human philosophies. Throughout the years, God has been shaking His kingdom, purifying it over and over again sin the advent of Christ. If the Hebrews' punishment was severe in the Old Testament for disobeying God, how much more severe will it be in the New Testament?
Mount Sinai of the Old Testament and Mount Zion of the New Testament. Mount Sinai was unapproachable. This is the place that the Ten Commandments were delivered to Moses. With the smoke and fire like a furnace, and lightings and thunder, etc., the people were terrified. They wanted Moses to mediate between them. They wanted God to speak to Moses and then Moses would speak to the people.
Mount Zion and Jerusalem represents the New Covenant through Christ who took on the terrifying judgment of God upon Himself thus giving us access to the mountain, Mount Zion. With this access, we have the privilege of living on that mounting as the church, the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. With this privilege comes a greater responsibility than those Hebrews of the Old Testament had.
In this sermon, we examine the warning Hebrews gives us to those who get weary in the race. It is important to pursue peace with all men and holiness lest we fall from grace or we let any root of bitterness spring up within us. This is what Esau allowed in his life, and this is what we are at risk of allowing in our lives if we aren't surrounded by a community of brethren, in holiness.
In this episode we examine the race of faith in the course God's gives us. When we experience rebukes and scourging from God, it is designed to train us to run the good race, removing any encumbrances and sins that would get in our way. Instead of looking to these issues as problems, we need to look at think of them as God's love for us as His sons and daughters. We are to learn, train and endure that we may complete the race, looking to Jesus as the Author and the Finisher of our Faith.
Hebrews 12:1-2 comes immediately after the faith chapter and the cost of the faith. Many will ask, "How can I do this?" This chapter begins with the word, "Therefore", which then answers the question, it gives us the "how to" in order to run the race of faith and run it well.
After the list of those who were faithful in the Old Testament, Hebrews gives us a list of things they did as they were victorious over their circumstances. There is also a list of the things the faithful did that were victorious while they were living under the circumstances as well. God doesn't promise us that we will have tribulations, but He also promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us.
This sermon examines king David and Bathsheba in light of what had already happened to king Saul. David had been faithful to Saul, but Saul got distracted from his primary purpose. David also got distracted and he too had issues that he had to deal with. David risked by like Saul and having his kingdom removed from him. Unlike Saul, David repented and his repentance was total.
In this episode we examine 1 Samuel 28. After the unfaithful Saul expended the rest of his virtue by his continued disobedience to God's law. When he sought guidance from God once again, God didn't answer him. He then went to the Witch of En Dor, a medium for guidance in order to bring up Samuel.
We have the same problem today. People will not seek God's help or guidance until there is a crisis and fear grips their heart. They attempt to gain guidance through ungodly means. This gives us valuable lessons in our church and civil leaders today. We need to continually seek God's word and His counsel everyday through the reading of the Word of God rather than simply when we get into a crisis. What "familiar spirits" are people going to today instead of God's word?
David had opportunities to kill Saul. In fact those with him saw it as God delivering Saul into David's hands just for that reason. David declined to do so, and forbid those with him to take Saul's life. Instead, he determined to wait for God's timing as to when he would become king. Although he knew he was anointed to become the next king, he refused to usurp God's process.
In this episode, we examine David in the Cave of Adullam. Three hundred men who were distressed, in debt and discontented joined him there. This sounds like the church. In a very short while, they were a trained group of warriors who answered the call for help from a town that had been taken by the Philistines.
We can learn many lessons from this sermon, remaining faithful to those who are faithful and being faithful to those who are not. The church is to be like the Cave of Adullam, we need to be a refuge and a place to have justice for the people. Enjoy....
Saul was jealous and envious of David, realizing that David was the genuine anointed king. His attempts to kill David with his spear failed. When Jonathan intervened and Saul realized Jonathan was loyal to David, he attempted to kill him with the same spear.
In this episode, we examine what happened and why the spear of accusations by the posers of this world are deadly. This is a timely word as we are dealing with so many posers who, out of jealousy and envy, attempt to destroy what is around them.
Here is the lates episode of the sermon series on Hebrews. In this episode we examine the link between Jonathan and David. Jonathan was heir to be king, but David was anointed king. Jonathan covenants with David, and gives him his robe, armor and sword, a sign that he voluntarily gave his claim to the throne to the Lord's anoint. All the while Saul increases in his envy and jealousy of David, to the point he attempts to kill him. How does a genuine, anointed king respond to his king in fact?
Saul had the anointing lifted from him and it was given to young David. How these two acted and responded to events is telling. Saul became a poser with a distressing spirit upon him because he was no longer anointed to be king. He functioned outside of his jurisdiction. David on the other hand, had the heart that desired God. He was a genuine king. Though Saul was still king in fact, he was a poser who ruled by anger and fear. David was genuine who sought to defend God's reputation.
Samuel was dedicated to God's service before he was born. He served as a priest, a prophet and a judge; therefore, he had to function in three separate jurisdictions at any given time. As part of his duties, he had to challenge King Saul when Saul overstepped his jurisdictional boundaries. This is a timely word when jurisdictional lines seem to be constantly crossed for the greater good of the community. God's kingdom does not allow for this, and there are harsh consequences coming. Enjoy...
Jephthah was born to a harlot, cast out of his father's house, hung out and raided others with "worthless men". In the end, however, he ended up being asked to head the people of the lands he was cast out from, because he was a warrior. His name is found in Hebrews 11 as a man of faith. He had every excuse not to help his fellow countrymen, but he did anyway. What is your excuse?
It has been said, "As the church goes, so goes the nation." Before the Revolutionary War, the pulpits thundered freedom and liberty in Christ. There was an intricate tie between our civil liberties and our religious freedoms, you could not have one without the other. As one historian noted, "“To the pulpit, the Puritan pulpit, we owe the moral force which won our independence.” We need this moral force again.
In this Podcast, we examine three warriors that are listed in Hebrews 11. Gideon, who was a reluctant warrior, Barak, who was a cautious warrior, and Sampson, who was a presumptuous warrior. Despite their faults, all persevered until the end and became men of tremendous faith.
This episode had some synching issues, it would speed up then slow back to normal. Otherwise it is still understandable. In this sermon, we discuss some of the rules of warfare that led to the destruction of Jericho and the saving of Rahab and her entire family. Why would God call Rahab faithful if she lied to her local countrymen about keeping the Israelite spies. The answer is very important for us today.
Here we discuss the faith of Moses' parents, the faith of Moses and what that means to us during this time. Sorry for the poor audio quality on this one, something happened to the original, so I made a copy of a copy.
During this time of uncertainty, it is important that we get a biblical perspective of Covid-19. Through the laws of leprosy in Leviticus 13 and 14, and the understanding of Jesus' healing of the leper in Luke 5, we can get the scriptural understanding of what is happening today.
In this episode, we examine how holding on to the past, getting bitter about things that happened to us, will effect the present and the future. Jacob is a good example of one who couldn't let go of the past, whereas his son Joseph not only let go of the past, but looked forward to the future. Bitterness never produces fruitfulness.
In this Podcast, we study the figurative sacrifice and resurrection of Isaac and compare it to the events of Jesus' actual sacrifice and resurrection. We also examine what the purpose of that was in the Old Testament and what that means to us in the church today.
Why does God test our faith when He is all knowing, He already knows how we will respond to any test He gives us? The story of Abraham and Isaac and the sacrifice gives us a clear picture of the purpose God has for us in these tests.
In this sermon, we study Sarah's faith and the Seed that was promised her. We are all to take heart, although Sarah laughed when she heard she would have a child at 90 years old, God was still faithful and fulfilled His promise to her. That same faith she had, is available to us. In fact, the seed of faith is with us as well.
In this episode, we study the first part of Abraham's life. We are looking at his obedience to the call of God, by faith, yet at each turn it doesn't look like things are turning out well for him. God has a plan and a purpose for our lives, but it's His way, not our own. Enjoy
Our faith is a faith that is not seen but we have to walk in the reality of it. Obedience to God's will is the reality of walking out, the evidence of those things not yet seen. Our faith must be walked out in the midst of ridicule and even persecution.
When we are first saved, we are reborn into a battle. We examine what God desires from us when persecution comes into our lives. Everyone experiences it to various degrees, we all have a choice as to how we respond to it.
In this episode, we will examine the promise of walking in a consecrated way before the Lord, and the warning of turning away from Him and His word. Those who come to the knowledge of truth have a responsibility, but there are clear consequences for those who rebel against it.
In this sermon, we tackle some hard to understand scripture. Remember, Paul started by stating that they couldn’t handle solid food so he had to give them spiritual milk. The only way they could get their systems to digest solid food was to give them solid food. Paul gets into some solid food through Chapter 9. He writes to them about sanctification, so we are going to look at it as our once for all sanctification by the blood of Christ, as well as the continual sanctification in our own lives. However, there is more to it than that, when we do God’s work on anything, we begin to sanctify it, setting it apart for the original purpose God intended.
The cross of Christ is scandalous, it causes people to stumble. For the self-righteous, there is no need for the cross because their is no need for forgiveness. They haven't done anything wrong. For many others, the cross is scandalous because they don't think they are worthy of Christ's forgiveness. on the one hand, some are too good, on the other hand some are not good enough. Against this, the forgiveness of God is available for all who would repent and turn back to Christ.
In this Sermon, Pastor Matt tackles the issue of having a clean or a clear conscience. What the old covenant could not do through rituals, the new covenant does through the blood of Christ. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
This is a podcast sermon introducing our Mission Statement as a church. Like all churches we have our own visible expression of the kingdom. This gives guidance and direction as we fulfill the Great Commission in our sphere of influence.