First Baptist Church, Milton, LA: Recent Episodes
Matt Palmer
Due to technical difficulties, the recording starts a couple of minutes in to the sermon.
Pastor Matt preaches on glorifying God in our work. Drawing from Genesis 1-2, Colossians 3, and several other Scriptures, Pastor Matt gives a brief theology of work and then outlines how we glorify God in our work.
Pastor Matt preaches from 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19. In this sermon, we look at how to glorify God with our finances - the money and income that God has given us to meet our needs, to manage well, and to share with those in need.
Disclaimer: Our normal mic was popping, so tune in for the chaos of switching to a handheld around 10 mins 30 secs in. The audio does level out and get much better by minute 13.
Pastor Matt preaches the next sermon in our Everyday Faithfulness series, focusing on the family. Drawing from various texts of Scripture, he lays out the biblical foundation of the family and three basic/beginning characteristics of a God-glorifying family. While there is much application to parenting, this message also applies to those who are pre and post children in the home.
Pastor Matt preaches from 1 Peter 3:1-7, Malachi 2:10-15, and James 4:1-2 and gives three principles for how to have a God-glorifying, Gospel-proclaiming marriage.
In today's sermon, Luke Arsement continues our Everyday Faithfulness series, focusing on evangelism. Luke preaches from Isaiah 12 and other passages defines evangelism, gives a model for evangelism, and then shows how all those who are redeemed by Christ are called to be evangelists. We'll hope you'll listen in and see how evangelism really is an act of obedience and worship to our Lord.
*Due to difficulties with the microphone, the audio picks up about a minute into the sermon. In that time Luke introduced himself and the text.
Pastor Matt preaches from Hebrews 12:1-2, identifying our past as one of the weights that can keep us from living faithfully in the here and now. In this sermon, we apply the Gospel to various aspects of our past - the sinful stuff that happened to us and the sinful things we did when we didn't know better and when we did know better. We hope you'll listening and learn to find healing and hope for your past in Christ.
Pastor Matt preaches from Hebrews 12:1-2. We're continuing our summer series, "Everyday Faithfulness." In this sermon, we see the kind of faith that leads to a life of everyday faithfulness.
Greg Thomas, one of our lay elders, preaches from Psalm 46. In this sermon, Greg reminds us that our Sovereign God is our place of refuge and help.
Pastor Matt kicks off our summer sermon series, "Everyday Faithfulness" by looking at 1 Corinthians 10:31 and seeing how the big truth of God's glory moves His people to live faithfully in the everyday stuff of life.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 14:25-26. In this sermon, we see how it is the Holy Spirit who helps have the Scriptures, understand the Scriptures, and obey the Scriptures.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 14:29-31. In this sermon, we look at how the Holy Spirit helps us fight spiritual battles against sin and unbelief. "The same Spirit that empowered Christ to endure the cross and raised Him in victory empowers us to endure temptation and come out victorious."
Pastor Matt preaches from John 14:28. In this sermon, we look at Jesus's (mild) rebuke of the disciples for being more sorrowful than joyful at his leaving. Looking at their example, we're able to see that it is the Holy Spirit who helps us have the right perspective on things - the perspective of faith in our Sovereign Lord who is working all things for His glory and our good.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 14:27. The Holy Spirit helps us to experience for ourselves and to extend to others the peace of God, which is ours by faith in Christ.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 14:15-26. In this sermon, we begin to look at what the Holy Spirit does in the life of the believer. This begins with the Spirit's primary role of glorifying the Father and the Son (John 16:14), which is what He leads us to do through making the personal presence of Christ within us real to us, and working in us and through us to love Christ and keep His commandments.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 14:16-25 a sermon titled, "The Promise of the Spirit (Pt. 1)." Pastor Matt focuses on verses 16 and 17 and answers the following questions from them, "Who is the Holy Spirit?", "Who receives the Holy Spirit?", and "What is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?"
Pastor Matt preaches from John 14:15-17. In this sermon, we look at how our obedience to Christ flows out of our love for Christ and is empowered by the Holy Spirit. We also see that the Ten Commandments are the content of our obedience. Pastor Matt closes with a practical plan for growing in our knowledge of those commandments.
Greg Thomas, one of our elders, preaches this week from Luke 7:1-10. The story of the centurion shows us what it means to have faith that amazes Jesus. In this sermon, Greg unpacks what it means to trust the word of Jesus and to be a model of faith to others.
Pastor Matt preaches on the two uses of justification from Romans 4 and 6, both of which are connected to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Resurrection frees us from the penalty of sin and the power of sin.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 14:7-14. In this sermon, we look at how Jesus encourages the disciples' faith on the night before His crucifixion. He reminds them that He is One with the Father and He gives them two big promises - that believers will do greater works than Him and that He will answer our prayers.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 14:6. This is the 6th of 7 "I am" statements in John's Gospel. In this one, Jesus declares Himself to be the only way of salvation. Pastor Matt looks at this verse from several angles to show why Jesus is the only way of salvation and why we need Jesus to be our only way.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 13:36-14:4. In this sermon, we see that the disciples' are troubled in their hearts about Jesus "going where they cannot come." But Jesus offers them, and us, hope for our troubled hearts. In this sermon, we see that anxiety is often rooted ins in, that we are not slaves to our emotions, that Christ offers us Himself as our great hope, and that He gives us an eternal perspective on our problems.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 13:31-35. The church is the new community of faith, and it is: 1) A cleansed community, 2) A worshipping community, and 3) a loving community.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 13:18-30. In this sermon, we how Jesus, in His grace, prepares the disciples to face what's coming over the next hours and days, and how he prepares us too, we look at the revealing of Judas as the Betrayer, and then from the text and from Judas's life, we see four characteristics of those who turn away from Christ. We hope the Spirit uses this sermon to keep us for Christ, as Jude vs 1 says.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 13:1-17. This is the story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet. In this sermon, Pastor Matt encourages us to see the love of Christ, receive the love of Christ, and show the love of Christ.
Luke Arsement, one of our elders, preaches from Ephesians 5:1-2. In this sermon, Luke encourages us to follow Christ's example of love, showing how His example of humble, self-sacrifice love is the model for how we ought to love one another.
Pastor Matt preaches from Colossians 3:1-17. In this sermon, Pastor Matt shows how the believer's union with Christ is his fundamental identity, how it is "our most powerful weapon" against sin, and how it the source of all of our obedience to Christ.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 12:37-50. In these verses, John summarizes both the results of Jesus's public ministry and Jesus's public teaching, and in it, forces us to reckon with both God's sovereignty and man's responsibility when it comes to belief.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 12:27-26 a sermon titled, "An Eye Towards the Cross." In this sermon, we look at some of Jesus's last words in his public ministry - words which focus on his cross. As we focus on the cross with Jesus, we look at the anguish of the cross (vs. 27-30), the accomplishments of the cross (vs. 31-32), and the appeal of the cross (vs. 33-36).
Luke Arsement, one of our elders, preaches "Jeremiah's Hope" from Luke 3:22-24.
Sermon originally preached on January 11, 2026
Greg Thomas, one of our elders, preaches "Patterns of Faithfulness" from 2 Kings 18:1-8.
Sermon preached on January 4, 2026
Aaron Stamp preaches a sermon from Hebrews 4:14-16 titled, "Hold Fast."
Original sermon date: 12/28/25
Pastor Matt preaches from John 12:12-19, "The Coming of the King." As we celebrate the coming of King Jesus into the world, our normal next text in John is the coming of Christ into Jerusalem and, by his actions, accepting the title of King. Not only that, but it is full of Christmas themes. That should not surprise us, as Jesus himself tells Pilate that it was for this purpose that He came into the world.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 12:1-10 on the famous story of Mary anointing Jesus's feet with pure and expensive oil. We look at how this is an unintentionally prophetic act of devotion, faith, and worship. At the same time, we also Martha and Lazarus serving Christ in their own ways. Finally, we see in the example of Judas that what keeps us this kind of service and worship to Christ is the hidden sins of our hearts. We hope you'll listen in and be encouraged to anoint Christ as King in your own heart, such that your life becomes a "fragrant aroma" of His gospel.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 11:45-57. We look at how the raising of Lazarus seals belief in Jesus for some, but opposition to Jesus for others. We also see how Caiaphas becomes an unintentional proclaimer of the Gospel, and close by seeing how we can trust that Jesus will show up for us.
Matt Doucet, one of our elders, preaches from John 11:45-57, which covers the response of those who witnessed Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Some believe that He is the Christ, while others oppose Him to the point of violence. Such will be the case for all who bear witness to Jesus.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 11:36-44. This text covers 7th and final sign in Jesus's public ministry - the raising of Lazarus from the dead. We hope you'll listen and come to a greater faith in Jesus Christ.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 11:17-37.
In this sermon, our focus is on how Jesus’s love for Martha and Mary affects how He cares for each of them in their grief. Part of this is Jesus's fifth "I am" statement in the Gospel of John, "I am the resurrection and the life." We hope you'll listen in and see a picture of how Christ loves us as His sheep and how He made a way for us to live, even though we die.
Due to technical difficulties, the sermon recording picks up right after the introductory remarks and the Scripture reading.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 11:1-16. In this sermon, we are introduced to Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, a family that Jesus loves dearly. Lazarus is sick and eventually dies. And in these opening verses, we learn a lot about prayer, God's sovereign love for His people, and how He does all things for His own glory and our good.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 10:30-42. In this sermon, Pastor Matt focuses on the "basic belief" of the Christian faith. There are several foundational, non-negotiable beliefs that Christians have about the work of Christ and the salvation He offers, but there is a belief UNDER them, a belief without which they cannot be true. And that’s the truth that the man Jesus Christ is God.
We hope you'll listen in and see the importance of and come to believe in the Deity of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Matt preaches a message from John 10:22-31. In this sermon, we look at the origins of the Feast of Dedication and how this informs the Jews' question to Jesus about whether or not He really is the Christ. In His answer, Jesus gives us what may the deepest answer to the problem of unbelief in the Bible. We hope you'll listen in and see and be humbled by the sovereign work of God in your salvation.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 10:7-21. In this text, Jesus makes two of the seven "I Am" statements John's Gospel - "I am the door of the sheep" and "I am the good shepherd." This is an incredible passage showing the exclusivity of Christ as the only way of salvation and what we does in order to secure that salvation for us.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 10:1-6. In this first sermon back in our series through the Gospel of John, Pastor Matt shows how John 10 fits in to the context of John 9-10, helps us understand the sheepfold illustration Jesus makes in verses 1-5, shows why - beyond just cultural context - Jesus introduces this shepherd concept, and then show four truths we learn from these verses about a shepherd and his sheep.
In this final sermon from our series through the Ten Commandments - Summer at Sinai - Pastor Matt preaches on the aftermath of Sinai. We look at Israel's response to the Ten Commandments in Exodus 22:18-23, Exodus 24, and Exodus 32. In this we see our own inability to keep God's commandments, we see our need for Christ and His Gospel, and we see how, having been saved, the Ten Commandments become a guide for Christian living and godliness.
Luke Arsement, our (at this time) elder-in-training, preaches on the Tenth Commandment from Exodus 20:17.
Luke shows us how covetousness is rooted in discontentment and points us towards Christ and our salvation as the ultimate source of contentment for the Christian.
Greg Thomas, one of our elders, preaches on the 9th Commandment in Exodus 20:16, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
In this sermon, Greg looks at 3 ways we bear false witness and 4 ways we bear true witness. We see how truth is a matter of life and death and how we can only look to Christ as a perfect law keeper and the ultimate source of truth and mercy.
Recording begins a minute or so into the sermon
Pastor Matt preaches on the 8th Commandment, "You shall not steal." After detailing his early career as a thief, he walks us through what theft reveals about our hearts, the many different types of theft in the Scriptures, and how to walk in faithfulness to the positive duties of this command.
Audio gets better at 3:01
Pastor Matt preaches on the 7th Commandment in Exodus 20:14, "You shall not commit adultery." In this sermon, we look at the commandment itself, the seriousness of adultery, the breadth of what is forbidden by adultery, and then practical tips for individuals and married couples to avoid temptation and sin in this area.
Pastor Matt preaches from Exodus 20:13 on the Sixth Commandment, "You shall not murder." In this sermon, we look at the command itself - why we need it, why we have it, and what doesn’t qualify as murder. Then we see three ways we can love our neighbors well in light of this commandment and the rest of the Scriptures.
Pastor Matt preaches from Exodus 20:12 on The Fifth Commandment. In this sermon, we consider what it means to honor our fathers and mothers, how that changes from one stage of life to another, and how those who struggle with this command might find healing and hope through Christ's Gospel and His church.
Pastor Matt preaches on the Fourth Commandment from Exodus 20:8-11. Of all the Ten Commandments, the command to keep the Sabbath is the one most likely to be seen as no longer applying to Christians under the New Covenant. Pastor Matt shows that while there are varying degrees of observance, the Sabbath - now the Lord's Day - is still a day to be kept holy to the Lord.
Pastor Matt preaches on the Third Commandment from Exodus 20:7. In this sermon, Pastor Matt walks us through the importance of God's name, why God takes His name so seriously, and ways we are guilty of taking God's name in vain. It's a lot more than saying bad words with the word "God" attached to it.
Pastor Matt preaches on the 2nd Commandment from Exodus 20:4-6. He shows how people have always desired to worship God through images and through their own ways, but that God has revealed Himself to us as a God who is heard, but not seen, and has commanded us to worship Him in specific ways in the Scriptures.
Pastor Matt preaches from Exodus 20:3, the first of God's Ten Commandments. In this sermon, we begin by looking again at the Christian's relationship to these Old Testament commandments. We then look at both what is forbidden and what is required by the first commandment.
Pastor Matt preaches from Exodus 20:1-2. In this sermon, we look at the Preamble to the Ten Commandments, the Commandments themselves, and other Scriptures, to see that they are God's gracious, revelatory, and enduring commands to His People.
Greg Thomas, one of our elders, preaches from Exodus 2:23-25. In this sermon, he gives the context and background of Israel's rescue from Egypt and reminds us of God's faithfulness to His covenant people.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 9:13-34. In this sermon, we look at the middle section of John 9 - verses 13-34 - and the three interactions that take place there. In this, we look at the danger of making up our rules for following Christ, how the fear of others keeps us from a courageous witness for Christ, and the power of a simple witness to the work of God in our lives.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 9:1-12. In this sermon, Pastor Matt walks through the story of Jesus's healing the blind man and, then, shows four spiritual truths that John is communicating in this 6th of 7 signs.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 8:48-59. In this sermon, we look at how we can be prepared to respond to insults, and even worse, like Jesus does at the end of John 8. How can we be prepared to respond to insults with grace and an unwavering commitment to the truth of the gospel?
Pastor Matt preaches from John 8:37-47. In this passage, Jesus makes what is perhaps is most offensive statement - "You are of your father the devil." Pastor Matt shows from this text how we cannot rest in our family's faith, but must have personal faith in Christ. This text shows us three evidences of that faith and how we can be assured that God is our Father.
Pastor Matt preaches from Hebrews 2:18-19. This is our theme verse for this weekend's Kids' Conference 2025, "Jesus is Our Perfect Savior in Every Way." We hope you'll listen in as Pastor Matt preaches on the incarnation of Christ, how He makes propitiation for our sins, and how He helps us in our temptations to sin.
In today's sermon, Pastor Matt preaches from John 8:31-36 and makes the point that true disciples are those who know the truth of the Gospel, endure in the faith, and live in freedom from sin.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 8:12-30. In this sermon, we look at the conversation between Jesus, the Pharisees, and the crowds after He makes His great claim, "I am the light of the world." In it, we see six signs of spiritual ignorance, the fruit of spiritual ignorance, and the cure for spiritual ignorance.
In this sermon from John 8, Pastor Matt sets Jesus's 2nd of 7 "I Am" statements in the context of the Feast of Booths, and shows how Jesus is the fulfillment of the lamp-lighting ritual that takes place during the Feast. He then walks through what it means for Jesus to be both the light of the world and the light of life.
In this sermon, Pastor Matt preaches from John 8:1-11. He spends the first half of the sermon talking about "textual criticism," and why this particular passage of Scripture may not be Scripture. He then walks through the text, answering common questions about it, and shows how the truths in it line up with the rest of Scripture - namely that there is unfathomable grace available for the worst of sinners.
In this sermon from John 7:40-52, Pastor Matt shows how the crowds responded to Jesus's invitation to come to Him for living water. What we see is that the identity, teaching, and authority of Christ are all sources of division, particularly between believers and unbelievers.
We had the privilege of hosting Dr. James White, of Alpha and Omega Ministries, on April 2, 2025. Dr. White taught on the dual nature of Christ, known theologically as the hypostatic union. We hope you'll listen in and be encouraged by this teaching on the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 7:37-39 and walks us through the context of Jesus's promise of the Holy Spirit and the promise that "out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
In today's sermon from John 7:25-36, Pastor Matt continues to walk us through the responses of the crowds to Jesus and His teaching in the temple at the Feast of Booths. From this text, we see the importance of basing our beliefs about Jesus on the Scriptures alone and how the Gospel itself demands a response.
In this sermon from John 7:14-24, Pastor Matt walks us through the opening exchange between Jesus and the crowds in the temple at the Feast of Booths. In particular, we see how the crowds judging Jesus by outward appearances and not with right judgment applies to us today.
In this sermon from John 7:1-13, Pastor Matt encourages us to believe that is the Christ as He is the fulfillment of what is celebrated at the Feast of Booths. We can and should believe in Christ in spite of the unbelief of Jesus's brothers, the Jewish authorities, and the Jewish people.
Pastor Matt takes a break from John, preaching from Matthew 6:5-15 on prayer. Specifically, we look at what Jesus says not to do and then walk through the ACTS Prayer model from the Lord's Prayer and other Scriptures.
In this sermon from John 6:60-71, Pastor Matt walks us through the aftermath of the Bread of Life Discourse, which sees Jesus's disciples whittled down from 12,000 at the beginning of chapter 6 to only 12, arguably 11, by the end of the chapter. In this, we see three offensive aspects of the Gospel message and three responses to that message.
In this sermon from John 6:35-59, Pastor Matt walks us through Jesus's Bread of Life discourse with particular emphasis on the New Covenant fulfillment of Old Covenant types of shadows that Jesus is alluding to throughout these verses.
In this sermon from John 6:35-46, Pastor Matt walks us through God's sovereignty over the salvation of all those who believe in Christ. It is God's sovereignty that is the basis for the certainty of the believer's persevering in the faith unto final salvation.
Sola Men's Bible Conference Sermon 4. Matt Palmer, First Baptist Milton, preaches from Titus 3:1-15.
Sola Men's Bible Conference Sermon 3. Chad Thibodeaux, Vatican Baptist Church, preaches from Titus 2:1-15.
Sola Men's Bible Conference Sermon 2. Brandon Guidry, Parkerson Avenue Baptist Church, preaches from Titus 1:10-16
Sola Men's Bible Conference Sermon 1. Chad Norman, First Baptist Opelousas, preaches from Titus 1:1-9.
In this sermon from John 6:22-34, Pastor Matt preaches from John 6:22-34 - the first part of Jesus's discourse with the crowds after He feeds the 5000. Jesus is the Greater Moses, the one who provides not the physical bread for daily life, but the spiritual bread for eternal life. And not only does He provide the bread, He IS the bread.
In today's sermon, Aaron Shamp preaches for us from John 6:16-21, continuing our series through John. He shows from this incredible story of Jesus walking on the water both God's sovereignty over and presence with us in the storms of our lives. It is an incredibly encouraging message and we hope you'll listen in!
In this sermon from John 6:1-15, Pastor Matt walks us through the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. He shows how this story is about much more than just the miraculous feeding itself. It is a picture of Christ's Sovereignty, the certainty of His saving His people, and how He multiples the effects of our meager efforts for His kingdom.
In this sermon from John 5:40-47, Pastor Matt walks us through Jesus's diagnosis of the Pharisees' unbelief and shows us how we are guilty of the same kinds of unbelief. This applies to both those who have received Christ as their Savior and those who haven't. It is in these areas of unbelief where we find the sin that still plagues us. We hope you'll listen and that the Spirit will use this sermon to bring you to repentance and faith.
In this sermon, Pastor Matt returns to the series through the Gospel of John after taking a few weeks off for the holidays. In John 5, Jesus is responding to the Pharisees charges that He is "making himself equal with God." Jesus does not deny the charge, but shows how He is equal with the Father and then calls witnesses that testify to His authority and divinity. Listen in as we hear the three witnesses and increase in faith and belief that Jesus is the Son of God.
In this sermon from Philippians 1:3-11 and on this first Sunday of a church adoption, Pastor Matt exhorts the members of these formerly two congregation to build a partnership in the gospel that is characterized by thanksgiving and joy. He does so by walking through the Gospel message and then seeing, from Philippians 1:3-11, how the Gospel builds that kind of community.
In this sermon, one of our elders, Matt Doucet, shares precepts and promises from Philippians 4:1-7. How are we to think and act towards others as we live in this world awaiting the return of our King? As we bring every concern and need before God in prayer and thanksgiving, and experience the peace of God by His giving, we make our joyful and gentle spirits known to others, even in the midst of disagreement.
In our Christmas Sermon, Pastor Matt encourages us from Philippians 2:5-13 to have the same kind of humility that Christ has - a humility that is exemplified in Christ's incarnation and sacrifice, and which is ours by virtue of our union with Him.
"Before the Christmas manger, even before the miraculous, Holy Spirit wrought conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary, He WAS. The baby in the manger is the self-existent Son, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father. That’s the starting point. The magnitude of Christ’s taking on humanity can only be seen against the backdrop of His Divinity."
In this sermon from John 5:25-29, Pastor Matt continues to walk us through Jesus's answer to the Pharisees' charge that He is making Himself equal with God. In this sermon, we cover doctrines such as effectual calling and assurance of salvation, the aseity of Christ, and Jesus's fulfillment of the Old Testament "son of man."
In this sermon on John 5:18-24, Pastor Matt walks us through the beginning of Jesus's answer to the Pharisees' charge that He was "making himself equal with God." Jesus does not deny the charge, but instead shows how His equality with the Father is grounded in the Father's love for the Son and the Son's obedience to the Father. This leads to deep Trinitarian truths that should evoke within us a sense of awe, wonder, and worship at the nature of Christ.
In this sermon from John 5:5-18, Pastor Matt addresses an important question raised by this text, namely, "What do we New Covenant, Sunday worshipping Christians do with the Sabbath?" We look at what was going on with the Pharisees and why they got so upset with Jesus, some of the problems with making our own rules a standard of righteousness, and what the Bible teaches about the Sabbath and what it might mean for us today. We hope you'll listen in and determine to make your Sundays the best day of the week.
In this sermon from John 5:1-15, Pastor Matt walks us through the incredible story of the man healed at the pool of Bethesda. This story is important on several levels. It shows us the compassion, grace, and healing power of Christ in healing this man. It introduces us to the rising conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leadership. Most importantly for us, it teaches us about about our utter helpless to save ourselves, the sovereign initiative of Christ to save us, and our mandate to walk in obedience to Christ once we have been saved.
In this sermon on John 4:43-52, Pastor Matt shows us that this story is about Jesus healing a boy from a distance, showing both His compassion for the sick and the hurting and His authority not being limited by distance. But it's also about the glory and grace of Christ as he deals with a prayerful man with an imperfect faith.
In this sermon from John 4:31-42, Pastor Matt concludes the story of the Samaritan woman at the well by showing how the seed of the Gospel springs up into eternal life, not only for her, but for her whole community. In this, we are challenged to believe that the fields really are "white unto harvest" and encouraged to continue in the work of evangelism.
In this sermon on John 4:19-24, Pastor Matt walks us through the history between the Jews and Samaritans and how that informs. his response to the Samaritan woman's question about worship. In his response, Jesus gives us some of the most significant teaching on corporate worship in the Scriptures. We hope you'll listen in and see what the Bible has to say about true worship.
In this sermon from John 4:7-30, Pastor Matt walks us through the Samaritan woman's journey of faith. Comparing her responses to Jesus to Nicodemus's responses, he shows how the Spirit must reveal spiritual truth to us if we're going to understand it. He then shows Jesus's grace to us always accompanies the truth of our sinful condition. Once we've received that grace, we become eager evangelists.
In this sermon from John 4:1-15, Pastor Matt returns to the series through the Gospel of John and shows how the story of the Samaritan woman is ultimately a story of the grace of the Sovereign Christ. We hope you'll listen in and be encouraged to draw deeply from the well of Christ's grace and love.
Sermon 10 in our Doctrinal Foundations series. In this sermon, Pastor Matt draws from Genesis 2, Genesis 3, and Ephesians 5 to show that marriage is God's design and what that design is. He addresses topics such as the covenant of marriage, sexual purity, the root of marriage problems, headship and submission, and even divorce and singleness.
In this sermon, Pastor Matt walks us through Mark 10:17-27, the story of the rich young ruler who asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus answers his question in a profound way - a way which shows him the depth of his sin and need for Savior.
Sermon 9 in our series, "Doctrinal Foundations." This is the first of three sermons on the Doctrine of the Family. Pastor Matt defines complementarianism, which is our position regarding gender and gender roles, and shows from Scripture our creation as male and female is very good, the similarities between men and women, and the differences between men and women.
Sermon 8 in our Doctrinal Foundations sermon series. In this sermon, anchored in Acts 1:6-11, Pastor Matt talks Eschatology, or what we believe about the end of the human history. There are a lot of things about eschatology that are not plain, and we're not going to be closed-handed about those things. But we will be closed handed about the main thing - the physical, literal return of Jesus Christ to fully restore His kingdom.
Sermon 7 in our series, "Doctrinal Foundations." This series began back in April and we are walking through the biblical foundations for our upcoming statement of faith. In this sermon, Greg Thomas shows us from Matthew 28:18-10, the Great Commission, how the church is commanded to be on mission with the Gospel.
Sermon 6 in our series, "Doctrinal Foundations." This series began back in April and we are walking through the biblical foundations for our upcoming statement of faith. In this sermon, we see from Titus 2 and various other texts how the church lives in community with another for the purpose of growing as disciples of Christ.
Sermon 5 in our series, "Doctrinal Foundations." This series began back in April and we are walking through the biblical foundations for our upcoming statement of faith. In this sermon, we see from Ephesians 4:1-16 and various other texts what the church is, how the church is structured, and what the church does when it gathers.
In this sermon on John 3:31-36, we see that when God sends Jesus into the world, He sends Him not as a voice from God but as the voice of God. We believe Jesus's word because of who He is and because His word is the true, life-giving word of God.
In this sermon from John 3:22-30, Pastor Matt says that true humility is a distinctly Christian virtue. After defining humility, we see five characteristics of humility from the example of John the Baptist in this passage. This culminates in the truth that the Christian has no greater calling than John the Baptist's calling, to make much of Jesus Christ during our short tenure on earth.
Pastor Matt preaches through John 3:16-21, which shows us the depth and character of God’s love and how and why we respond to that love. For all of its universality, it is very particular. God has given the entire world only one way of salvation. There are only two responses to God’s love. There is only one reason behind each of those responses. Each one of those responses has only one eternal outcome. In short, God’s love, the human condition, and the way of salvation are all right here in John 3:16-21.
In this sermon on John 3:16, Pastor Matt walks us through a deeper look at John 3:16. His goal is to deepen your understanding of this incredible verse so that you love it and the God it teaches us about more than you do now. How? By simply shifting our focus from the end of the verse to the beginning. By showing you that this verse is primarily about God and the depth and display of His Sovereign Love, and that the certainty of there being a believing, faithful people rests in that love.
In this sermon, Pastor Matt revisits John 3:3-8, this time focusing on the need to be born again. In this sermon on the doctrine of regeneration, we see that regeneration is necessary because of our sinfulness, regeneration is effected in us by the Holy Spirit, and regeneration affects every area of our lives for the rest of our lives.
A sermon through John 3:1-15. Pastor Matt walks us through Nicodemus' conversation with Jesus and shows us how the Gospel is a gospel for those who are trusting their own righteousness. Our righteousness isn't enough. Our religious heritage and background and accomplishments aren't enough. Like Nicodemus, we must be born again.
They believed in Jesus, but Jesus did not believe in them. In this sermon on John 2:23-25, Pastor Matt shows how some belief doesn't lead to salvation. He then shows, from the text, three differences between superficial faith and saving faith.
In this sermon, Pastor Matt preaches from 1 Corinthians 10:31 and shows us how to glorify good with our eating. This includes getting to the bottom of what the sin of gluttony really is and giving some practical tips for approaching our food and our eating in a way the glorifies God.
Pastor Matt is back and preaches a sermon from John 2:13-22, where Jesus cleanses the temple. In this sermon, we see that there is far more going on than Jesus flipping tables and exhibiting righteous indignation.
Greg Thomas, one of our elders at First Baptist Milton, preaches a message on Jesus's first miracle and sign, the turning of water to wine at the wedding at Cana, from John 2:1-12.
Matthew Doucet, one of the our elders at First Baptist Milton, preaches a message titled, "Come and See," from John 1:35-51.
Pastor Matt preaches from John 1:19-34 on the witness bearing ministry of John the Baptist. In this sermon, we see how we ought to follow John's example of preaching Christ in the face of opposition, knowing that God has a people who are hungry for His Word.
Pastor Matt preaches through John 1:14-18. The emphasis shifts from Jesus's divinity to his humanity. Pastor Matt shows why both are necessary and the shows how the incarnation of Christ reveals God's glory and grace.
In this sermon, our second in the gospel of John, we look at what it means that Jesus is the Light and that the darkness will not overcome his light. Then we look at John the Baptist's example of bearing witness to the light, namely that the Gospel message is a message about Christ.
Sermon 1 in our new series through The Gospel of John. Pastor Matt introduces the book, showing the purpose of the book from John 20:30-31, and then walks us through the opening verses of John 1, showing that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah and pre-existent Son of God.
Sermon 4 in our series, "Doctrinal Foundations." In this sermon, Pastor Matt addresses the Doctrine of Salvation. After opening with what he says are the "nuts and bolts of the Gospel message," Pastor Matt walks us through the "golden chain of salvation" in Romans 8:29-30 and shows how God's saving purposes began in eternity past and continue on into eternity future.
Sermon 3 in our series, "Doctrinal Foundations." In this sermon, Pastor Matt addresses the Doctrine of Man. Specifically, he talks about what it means for man to be made in the image of God, man's created purpose is to bring glory to God, and how man's fall into sin has had devastating consequences.
Sermon 2 in our series, "Doctrinal Foundations." In this sermon, Pastor Matt addresses the Doctrine of God. Specifically, he talks about several foundational issues related to the study of the doctrine of God and then five key aspects of God's nature and attributes - God is Trinity, Creator, Holy, Sovereign, and Love.
Greg Thomas, one of our elders at FBC Milton, begins our new series where we seek to lay out the doctrinal foundations for our church. In this first sermon, we look at the doctrine of Scripture. In particular, Greg shows how the Scriptures are authoritative, inerrant, reliable, infallible, and sufficient.
Embedded within the Biblical accounts of Jesus's death and resurrection are three portraits of the Gospel message - three stories of three different people that show us three different aspects of the Gospel. These portraits help us see what Christ did for us and how we can respond to His work in faith.
In this last sermon on the book of Ecclesiastes, we see the big, final answer the question, "What is good for man in this vain life?" We’ll answer that from the text with what is good, what is better, and what is best.
In Ecclesiastes 11:1 through 12:8, we have the last words of the Preacher. He brings his quest for ultimate meaning and purpose in life to a close. The Preacher gives us three matters of the heart, matters of faith and thinking, that are universally true - they are true no matter where or when you live. If, with the Holy Spirit’s help (and you’re going to need it), these can be true of you, you’re going to live to a good, satisfying, God-honoring life.
The major theme of Ecclesiastes 10 is that there are two ways of life - the way of the wise and the way of the fool. And really that’s Old Testament language for the way of righteousness and the way of sinfulness. In this sermon, Pastor Matt shows us from Ecclesiastes and other passages that it is only by faith in Christ that we can follow Him on the path of wisdom.
Ecclesiastes 9 is about as pessimistic as the Preacher gets, if you can imagine that, but also includes the sixth and strongest of the calls to joy in the book. How do we do good and live a God-glorifying life when life is so full of big unknowns? By finding joy in all that we do know - in all that God has given us to enjoy for His glory.
How do we continue doing good and pursuing righteousness when the systems of the world suppress righteousness and encourage evil? In this sermon from Ecclesiastes 8, Pastor Matt shows how knowing Christ and His Word helps believers navigate the complexities of living in a sinful world with wisdom and joy.
What is good for man in this short life? That's the big question of the first half of Ecclesiastes (chapters 1-6). In Ecclesiastes 7, the Preacher begins to answer that question by considering how to have a good life in light of suffering/hardships and the fact that humans are sinners.
Money is a good gift from God that can be enjoyed to His glory, but it is also incredibly dangerous and is itself a terrible god.
Listen in as we see from Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:12 the various ways that money makes a bad god, how the Gospel frees us up from the love of money, and how we can use and enjoy our money to the glory of God.
In Ecclesiastes 5:1-7, the Preacher addresses worship and gives us instructions for how we ought to worship God in light of His transcendence. In this sermon, we look at God's transcendence and immanence and then see how that effects how we come into worship and what we say during worship.
Ecclesiastes 3:16 through 4:16 is, in some sense, the Preacher’s Festivus, his airing of grievances. He’s got a lot of problems, 5 in particular, and we’re gonna hear about it. These are all real problems - injustice and oppression, death, work, loneliness, and government. But when you apply biblical wisdom and God’s commands to all of these areas, you get a really compelling vision of what life ought to be like.
In Ecclesiastes 3, the Preacher (Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12) considers meaning and purpose in life alongside the reality of time. Time itself is part of God’s good creation and He, even though He stands outside of time, is actively working within time to carry out His good purposes on time. So, as Christ-followers and sons of God, how we think about time and use our time matters. So let’s think about time with Ecclesiastes' Preacher.
The Preacher's quest for meaning in life begins in Ecclesiastes 2. He begins with hedonism before moving on to materialism. Along the way, he makes some depressing observations about life and death. Using a running illustration of losing his new remote control, Pastor Matt shows us how relatable Solomon's search for meaning really is and how ultimate meaning and purpose is found in doing all things for the glory of God.
Sermon 1 in a new series through Ecclesiastes. In this sermon, Pastor Matt introduces the book and then walks through Ecclesiastes 1:1-18 and shows how the search for meaning and purpose in this life is ultimately pointless apart from Christ.
On New Year's Eve 2023, we had the chance to hear from one of our elders, Gary Barnes. Gary's sermon, "Contentment - The Rare Jewel," comes from 1 Timothy 6:6-10 and Philippians 4:11-12.
During our special Christmas Eve service, Pastor Matt delivered a much shorter than usual message. This message, from John 1:14, shows the importance of Christ's incarnation - His coming in the flesh - to the Gospel message itself. We hope you'll listen in and be encouraged to "repent and believe in the gospel."
Sermon 3 in our Advent series for 2023, "Behold This Child." Luke 2:22-38, Joseph and Mary bring the infant Jesus to the temple, where they encounter Simeon and Anna, two people who were waiting for the redemption of Israel. These verses show us that Christ came to fulfill every requirement of the Old Covenant, every prophecy made about Him, and all the hopes and longings of His people.
Sermon 2 in our Advent series for 2023, "Behold This Child." We cover Luke 1:39-80, reading these Scriptures and seeing from them five actions that are true of all Holy Spirit filled believers everywhere. We see each of them in the lives of Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, and the townspeople in these events leading up to the birth of Christ. We should be praying and striving for these things to be true of us too, and repenting where they are not.
Sermon 1 in our Advent series for 2023, "Behold This Child." In this sermon, we look at Gabriel's visitation of both Zechariah and Mary. Our plan for such a large portion of Scripture is to read a little bit and talk, pointing some things out along the way. Then we close with 6 observations from the text, 6 applications regarding what we ought to believe and how we ought to live.
In this 5th and final sermon in our series through the Five Solas, Matt Doucet, one of our lay elders, preaches on soli deo gloria, the glory of God alone. In a Scripture-laden sermon, Matt seeks to help us rightly see God's glory in Christ and to magnify that glory for His name's sake.
In this 4th sermon in our series through the Five Solas of the Protestant Reformation, Matt shows how the key word when it comes to the doctrine of Christ alone is sufficiency. We rest in the sufficiency of Christ's atonement, the sufficiency of Christ's merit, and the sufficiency of Christ's intercession.
In this 3rd sermon on the Five Solas of the Protestant Reformation, we come to the doctrine of justification by faith alone. This doctrine is probably where Catholics and Protestants are furthest apart. As protestants, we believe that God justifies us on the basis of our faith alone, solely by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. But that doesn't mean our works don't matter. As we see at the end of the sermon, genuine, saving faith is always accompanied by good works.
In this second sermon of our series through the Five Solas, we look at the doctrine of "grace alone." What the Scriptures teach us is that we are saved, or justified, by God’s free grace alone. We don’t earn it, there’s nothing in us or about us, and certainly nothing that we do that earns, or merits, salvation. But God, through the finished work of Christ, provides for us a salvation we don't deserve.
In this first sermon of our new series, "The Five Solas," we introduce the Five Solas, look at Martin Luther's role in unintentionally starting the Protestant Reformation, and then talk about the "moral imperative" of Scripture Alone from 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
In this sermon, we’ll walk through the last section of 2 Peter - what my Bible calls the “Final Words.” And these are good words. We don’t have the fireworks that we’ve had the last few weeks, with big doctrine and moons melting and all that. But what we do have is arguably even more important, more foundational, than those details about Christ’s future return, as Peter brings this letter to a close with the same goal he’s had all along, which is to anchor us in the faith, to tether us to Christ, so that we persevere to eternal life - so that the return of Christ is good news for us, not bad news.
Having answered the question of why Christ seems to be delayed in His return in verses 8-10, in 2 Peter 3:11-15, Peter focuses on what we are waiting for and how we are waiting for it. In this sermon, we look at these verses and consider what will happen to Earth when Christ returns, how we should feel about that, and then how we should live in light of it. We hope you'll be encouraged to a greater pursuit of holiness and godliness as you live in light of the future return of Christ.
There is no shortage of intrigue regarding the end of the world. Believers and unbelievers alike love to speculate how this is all going to come to an end. The Bible is clear that the end of history as we know it begins with the future return of Christ. In this sermon, we look at 2 Peter 3:8-10 and see how the seeming delay of Christ's return is rooted in God's timelessness, grace, and patience.
In 2 Peter 3, Peter turns his focus back towards the beloved church members and deals more specifically with what the false teachers are teaching and what we should believe. In this sermon on 2 Peter 3:1-7, we are encouraged from this text to live according to God's Word, to remember the connection between right belief and right behavior, and to persevere in the faith by having a Christian worldview. All of this is in light of Christ's promise to return in judgment and salvation.
In 2 Peter 2:10-22, Peter continues his indictment against false teachers. In these two paragraphs, Peter shows us the fruit of false teaching in both the lives of the false teachers and their followers, and then he shows us their fate in this life and for all eternity. It is a sobering warning for Christians to stay faithful to Christ and His Word.
In 2 Peter 2:1-10, the issue of false teachers comes to the surface. They are not just a possibility to look out, they are a reality to recognize. This text shows us that false teachers inevitably draw others in the church away from Christ, but will face certain destruction. As always, there is a message of hope as God rescues and preserves the repentant and righteous through the finished work of Christ.
In 2 Peter 1:19-21, the Apostle Peter gives us one of the clearest statements that this Book, this Bible, is in fact God’s Word. In this sermon, we walk through these verses and see what they mean. What we will see there has several implications concerning God’s Word. Then we’ll give a brief answer to a major question regarding our Bibles. Our hope is that, by the end of the message, you have a greater confidence in your Bible as the Word of God and a greater commitment to reading it, studying it, memorizing it, and living it out.
In the context of 2 Peter, this paragraph - chapter 1 verses 16-21 - is dealing with a very particular issue - namely the future return of Christ. In Peter’s mind, the Transfiguration is proof of both the future return of Christ and the certainty and authority of the Scriptures.
So we’ll really be weaving two major threads together this morning, because that specific application to Peter’s audience and to us also carries with it the broader principle that we ought to pay close attention to Christ and His Word, and to those who give testimony to it, not those who would lead us away from it.
During our Sunday School hour, we held a Question and Answer time with our Elder nominees - Greg Thomas, Gary Barnes, and Matthew Doucet. They share their testimonies and then answer questions from the congregation.
We need to be reminded of things fairly regularly. That’s just as true for spiritual things, gospel things, as it is anything else. With spiritual things, there’s the added difficulty of spiritual warfare. The Bible says that Satan seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the enemy is always seeking to steal, kill, and destroy our every moment awareness of the Gospel, so that we don’t live out the Gospel and miss opportunities to share it with others.
In this sermon, we look at several reasons why we need to be reminded of the Gospel from 2 Peter 1:12-15 and four ways we can be reminded of the Gospel.
In 2 Peter 1:5-7, Peter lists qualities that are essential to the Christian life. In verses 8-11, Peter shows us why they are essential to the Christian life. In the overall context of 2 Peter, we could answer that "why" pretty easily - true Christians have these qualities and, in the end, they see Jesus. The false teachers, the false converts, don’t have these qualities, and they suffer for it in the end. Listen in as we see how these qualities are essential for fruitfulness, assurance, and eternal life.
There comes a moment in everybody’s walk with Christ that they must commit to a single-minded, focused determination to grow in their faith in Christ - to take hold of all that God has provided for them (2 Peter 1:3-4) so that they make progress in their faith. 2 Peter 1:5-9 shows us the characteristics of that growing faith.
All of the Christian life is an exercise of grace received. In 2 Peter 1:3-4, we see how Christ has granted His people everything they need in order be saved and to live a godly life. In this sermon, we look at what those things are and how Christ gives them to us. We hope you'll listen in and be freed up from the bonds of sin and legalism as you learn to rest in the grace of Christ for both your salvation and your growth as a Christian.
In this sermon, Pastor Matt walks through the greeting of 2 Peter and shows how it serves as a good introduction to the rest of the letter. We see how Peter writes to protect the young church against false teachers, and then we see the incredible gospel truths that Peter uses to identify his audience as true believers.
In this sermon, Pastor Matt shows us how the Christ is the "righteous one" of Psalm 1. He is the one who perfectly lives "the way of the righteous" in Psalm 1. Therefore, the pursuit of happiness, for the believer, is the pursuit of Christ. By faith in Christ, we are enabled to begin to live out Psalm 1 and experience the blessings of walking in faithful obedience to God. As we see in this sermon, ordering our lives according to God's Word is key to living a blessed, happy life.
In this sermon, Greg Thomas preaches a sermon from 1 Corinthians 12 on spiritual gifts.
Christ promises us a helper in the work of building the church. The Spirit equips us with gifts to be used in accordance with right doctrine, by His power, and for each need as they arise, according to the will of God.
In this sermon, Matt Doucet preaches from 1 Corinthians 3:9-11. He shows us that Christians are those who have been called by God's grace into relationship with Christ and His people. According, as we are being built into the temple of God, the house of His dwelling, we are also equipped and tasked to co-labor with each other and Christ to build His church. The Father has predetermined the design. We build on the foundation of the Son's finished work on the cross and His resurrection. And we do so as the Spirit empowers us to work for God's glory. Let us labor and build in a manner worthy of His name!
In this third sermon on the Trinity, we see how the Spirit applies what the Father has purposed and the Son has accomplished. In particular, we see how the Spirit helps us to see, reflect, and treasure the glory of God.
In this 2nd sermon on The Trinity, we continue looking at our series in a sentence, "What the Father purposes, the Son accomplishes and the Spirit applies." In this sermon, we see that God the Son accomplishes the purpose of making known the glory of God to the children of God through creation, incarnation, and redemption.
Over the next three weeks, we will be looking at the doctrine of the Trinity. Our series in a sentence is, "What the Father purposes, the Son accomplishes and the Spirit applies." In this first sermon, we seek to understand the Trinity itself and then we look at what it means for God to be Father and what the Father purposes for His children.
In this last sermon in our series through 1 Peter, we look at the last verses of the letter as Peter draws our attention to what runs underneath our being God’s people, our ability to endure suffering, and every other theme we’ve touched in this book - the all-encompassing grace of God.
Christians generally make 2 mistakes when it comes to how they think about Satan - they either attribute too much to him or they don't attribute enough to him. The Bible is clear that Satan is a real, personal being who is hell-bent on opposing Christ and His Kingdom. In this sermon, we look at 1 Peter 5:8-9 and see who Satan is and how we can avoid and overcome his temptations.
In 1 Peter 5:6-7, we see that humility is the key to enduring the inevitable sufferings and difficulties of this life - what you might think of as anxiety-inducing situations. There’s a lot of hope in these verses and a lot of help for finding peace of heart and mind in the midst of our anxieties.
In this sermon, we look at 1 Peter 5:5 and Hebrews 13:17 and see the two characteristics of a local church family that makes it through the trials and sufferings of this life - submission and humility.
One of the ways God has gifted His church is by giving them men qualified to care for His people. In this sermon, we look at 1 Peter 5:1-4 and see the connection between these instructions to elders and Peter's teaching regarding suffering and trials at the end of chapter 4. Then, we see 6 truths regarding a church's elders from this text and other Scriptures.
If 1 Peter 4:12-16 prepares us to face trials and sufferings well, then verses 17-19 help us understand to some degree why God still ordains and allows trials and sufferings in the first place. Trials and sufferings have a deep function in the plans and purposes of God in this life, and our goal in this sermon is to see that today.
In 1 Peter 4:12-16, Peter gives us three wrong responses to suffering - surprise, retaliation, and shame. In this sermon on verses 14-16, we see how the covenant blessing of being insulted for Christ helps us to do good to those who insult us rather than retaliate against them and to glorify God in the name of Christ rather than be ashamed of the name of Christ.
Peter's aim in this final section of 1 Peter, which begins in chapter 4 vs 12, is to prepare Christians to face suffering so that they are able to keep the faith through the suffering and come out on the other side - which is sharing in the glory of Christ when His glory is fully and finally revealed. Verses 12-13 shows us the inevitably of suffering and how Christians ought to respond to it, namely not being surprised by it, but rejoicing in the midst of it.
Greg Thomas preaches from Acts 5:33-42. In this sermon, Greg takes a close look at Gamaliel's counsel to the Pharisees in how they will deal with Peter and the rest of the Apostles, who refuse to stop talking about Jesus despite warnings, imprisonments, and even beatings. Greg shows how God's sovereignty over even seemingly unrelated events prepares the way for the Gospel from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and to all the ends of the earth. Greg exhorts us that the God of the Bible is One who is worthy to be trusted and worshipped.
In Philippians 3, the Apostle Paul writes that he wants "to know Christ and the power of the resurrection." In this sermon, we look at what Paul says kept him from knowing Christ and how that applies to us today. We also see that the power of the resurrection is a justifying, securing, and sustaining power for the believer.
In Ephesians 5:22-33, Paul teaches us the marriage is a living, breathing analogy for Christ's relationship with His Church. When we look at the instructions in this passage, we get instructions for marriage and we also see how Christ relates to His church and how His church ought to relate to Him.
Spiritual Gifts make Baptists nervous. We think if we give the Holy Spirit an inch, He's going to take a mile. But the Scriptures are clear that each believer has a spiritual gift which is to be used for the good of the church. In this sermon, we look at Peter's instructions regarding spiritual gifts in 1 Peter 4:10-11 and see how they are to be used in service to God's church to show both His grace and His glory.
In 1 Peter 4:7-9, Peter is teaching us how to live in light of Christ’s return. We recognize that Christ could return any moment, but that doesn’t cause us to lose our minds. Instead, it causes us to be self-controlled and sober-minded, to love one another earnestly, and to show joyful hospitality to one another.
In 1 Peter 4:1-6, we see that God’s people are called to live holy lives. Even though the word “holy” is not used in this text, what we see is a progression from positional holiness to personal holiness to persecution for holiness to perseverance in holiness. We hope you'll listen in and be encouraged to live the kind of holy lives God is calling us to live.
1 Peter 3:17-22 is a notoriously difficult passage, but man, it is incredibly encouraging. Why is unjust suffering better than deserved punishment? Why does Peter talk about Noah here? What does it mean that Christ preaches to spirits now in prison? How does baptism correspond to Noah's flood? What does it mean that baptism now saves you? Aren't we saved by faith? We answer all those questions and are encouraged in our own suffering for righteousness' sake and gospel proclamation!
In this Sunday's sermon, one of our deacons, Matt Doucet, preaches on suffering from 2 Corinthians 1:3-6. Through the Scriptures and a powerful example from his own life, Matt shares how the church is called to look to Jesus and look to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ for comfort and help through our sufferings - even the ones we bring on ourselves.
Today's sermon, "When The Finally Ask," is from 1 Peter 3:13-16. From 1 Peter 2:11-12 to this point, Peter has been giving us instruction on how to live amongst unbelievers in such a way that they see our good deeds and glorify God. In 1 Peter 3:13-16, Peter tells us to be prepared to give a defense for the hope that we have in Christ - to be prepared for when they finally ask us about our faith. We must be prepared and ready to tell them about Jesus. These verses teach us how we prepare our hearts and our words for a powerful Gospel witness.
In 1 Peter 3:8-12, Peter's turns his attention back to the church as a whole and teaches us how we can respond to unjust suffering in a God-glorifying, gospel-testifying way. In verse 8, we see the characteristics of a church whose members can respond to unjust suffering the way Peter teaches us to in verse 9, which is the way Jesus taught him to, and which is the example of both David and Paul - without returning evil for evil or insult for insult. In this sermon, we'll see how we can keep this counter-intuitive command for the glory of Christ.
In this sermon, Pastor Matt walks us through 1 Peter 2:18-25, particularly Peter's command for servants to submit to their masters. The issue of slavery and the Bible is addressed towards the beginning of the message. Then, Pastor Matt shows how this command applies to us today, particularly in the workplace. This applies even to those enduring unjust suffering in the workplace and in the public square. Finally, we see that we endure unjust suffering because that is what Christ did for us, leaving us example to follow.
In 1 Peter 2:13-17, Peter shows us how believers follow the command to "live honorably among the Gentiles" (1 Peter 2:12) in their relationship towards the government. This passages focuses on the believer's submission to the government, given that God has instituted government for the good of the people. And yet, there are times for civil disobedience. As we see in the end, the goal of both our obedience and disobedience is the glory of God. Listen in as we seek to understand this complex relationship of "sojourners and exiles" to human government.
1 Peter 2:11 begins a new section in 1 Peter. In the first two verses of this section, Peter is setting up the general principle for how to live a God-glorifying, Christ-exalting, Gospel-light shining life as we live among those who are not God’s people. The specifics will come in the following verses when we see how to relate to the government, and our employers, and our spouses, and how we’re to respond to suffering on account of our faith. We’ll get to all that. But first, there is this general principle that should govern our conduct among unbelievers, which is simply this: the testimony of your life better match the testimony of your mouth.
This week, our sermon was brought to us by Greg Thomas. Greg preached from Acts 4:23-31 and showed us how God's sovereignty gives us confidence in our prayer. We hope you'll listen and be encouraged in your own prayer life as we come into 2023.
In Matthew 1:23, Matthew writes that the events of the birth of Christ happened the way they did to fulfill the prophecy that the Messiah would be born of a virgin and would be called Immanuel, which means "God with us." In this sermon, Pastor Matt shows us how all of the longing of the Old Testament for the Messiah were fulfilled in the Christmas manger. He also shows us how God's presence with us is both a right now and a future reality, as Christ sends His Spirit to indwell us now and how Christ will one day return in person to fully and finally restore God's Garden presence with us.
In this sermon, we walk through Luke's narrative of the birth of Christ. Much of what I say today will be familiar to you. Some may be new to you, but much won’t. And that’s alright. Sometimes we just need to hear the old story. Sometimes we need to be reminded to believe in the incarnation of the Son. God became man. And that is huge. The King is born, but He’s born in the most unexpected way.
Today's passage, 1 Peter 2:7-10, brings to a close the first major section of 1 Peter. In this opening section, Peter has been seeking to ground these elect exiles’ identity in who they are in Christ and what he’s done for them, and then show them their responsibilities towards God and towards each other as God’s people, especially in the face of oppression and suffering on account of their faith.
In these last verses of this first section, Peter again reminds us of our identity - our corporate identity - and he does so by setting up, in verses 7-8, the fact there are two kinds of people in the world. Our world loves to divide in a myriad of ways. And yet God’s Word tells us that people are ultimately divided in only two ways - those who stand on the Word and those who stumble over it.
In our text for today, 1 Peter 2:4-8, we see that the New Testament church is the glorious fulfillment of the Old Covenant temple. Christ is the chosen and precious cornerstone of the Church and we are the living stones which make up the Church. Further, each believer is called to priestly duties within that temple-church. In carrying out these duties and purposes, the Church radiates the light of the glory of Christ into the world.
This is the second sermon on 1 Peter 1:22-2:3. In these sermons, we see that those who have been saved by faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ are commanded to have a sincere love for one another - a love which grows as they grow in Christ.
In this sermon, our focus is on 1 Peter 2:1-3, which tells us how we are to live out this difficult command, namely by putting away certain unloving and unlovely sins and by growing up in our faith through the Word of God.
In 1 Peter 1:22, the focus shifts from our vertical relationship with God to our horizontal relationships with one another. In fact, what we see is that our relationship with God has tremendous effects on our relationships with one another. In verses 22-23, Peter makes this clear by the way he weaves the two relationships together. We are now God’s people, and God’s people relate to each other in certain ways.
In this sermon, we look at the command to love one another, how the Gospel enables us to love one another, and how this command is at odds with two of our culture's values/mantras about love.
Our text, 1 Peter 1:20-21, brings up the doctrine of the eternal nature of Jesus Christ. In this sermon, our goal is to understand and believe the eternal nature of Jesus Christ and then see what it means in the flow of Peter's thought in 1 Peter 1. There are big theological truths covered in this sermon, each of which serve to bolster our hope in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Christians are people who set their hope on the grace that is to come (1 Peter 1:13) AND who conduct themselves with fear because of the judgment of their deeds that is to come (1 Peter 1:17).
How do we make sense of these seemingly contradictory truths? Listen in to this sermon on 1 Peter 1:17-19 as we seek to answer that question!
In 1 Peter 1:15-16, Peter calls us to be holy as God the Father is holy. In this sermon, we look at what holiness is, what holiness looks like for us as the children of God, and the place of grace in our pursuit of holiness.
In this sermon, we look at the first command given in 1 Peter, "set your hope on the grace that is to be yours at the revelation of Jesus Christ." Pastor Matt explains the importance of the indicative/imperative structure of the Scriptures and then shows us that hope is a command and how we can live in obedience to that command. This is so important for us because, when it comes to our hope, we are tempted to either lose hope or to put it in something other than Christ. Listen in and see what steps you can take to keep your hope fixed on Christ.
We had the privilege of hosting Pastor Kirk Alexander from Christ Church Northside on Sunday, October 16, 2022. We hope you'll listen in and be encouraged as he exhorts us to overcome worldliness, particularly in how we relate to one another as Christians, from James 4:7-12.
In 1 Peter 1:10-12, Peter shows us that, despite the sufferings and trials of this life, which we talked about last week in verses 6-9, we are living in the best times to live as Christians. We are living in the fulfillment of God’s great plan of salvation.
Peter is addressing here a common experience for all Christians everywhere, which is the fact that we have this gracious savior, the hope of an imperishable, undefiled, unfading inheritance, all of these great promises for the life to come, and yet, our experience of life on this earth is filled with trials and hardships. How are we to understand the call to worship God and rejoice in our salvation in the midst of the very real, very difficult circumstances of life? Peter ties all of this together for us in 1 Peter 1:6-9. We hope you'll listen and be encouraged in your faith by God's Word.
The big idea of 1 Peter 1:3-5 is this: God is worthy of worship, he ought to be praised, because He has saved us from our sin - He has given us new life - with the result that we have hope in this life and in the life to come, and nothing can take that away from us.
In this sermon, we walk through 1 Peter 1:3-5 and see the precious truths of our salvation - that the God who has caused us to be born again will keep us born again, and that these truths give us hope in the midst of all of the troubles and difficulties of this life.
1 Peter 1:1-2 is probably labeled “Greeting” in your bible. This is not only the most theologically dense greeting of all the epistles - the New Testament letters, but it also ranks up there with the most theologically dense two verses in all the Bible. In these verses, we see what it means for Christians to be "elect exiles" and how each person of the Trinity - the Father, the Son, and the Spirit - is at work to secure for you an eternal salvation.
In 1 Peter 1:1, Peter identifies himself as the author of 1 Peter and as an apostle of Jesus Christ. In this sermon, we look at Peter's journey of faith from fisherman to apostle - from his call to follow Christ on the shores of the Sea of Galilee to his restoration on those same shores after he denied Christ the night before his crucifixion. In this sermon, we see that Peter's journey of faith was a lot like ours - full of ups and downs, victories and defeats, and courage and fear - and if Christ can use a man like Peter for his kingdom work, he can use people like us.
Before we begin a new series on the book of 1 Peter, we're going to spend a week or two looking at the man behind the book - Peter the fisherman turned disciple. Today we’re in Matthew 14 verses 22 through 33. It is the story of Jesus walking on water. This is such a great passage of Scripture, and it serves as an illustration of the truth of Hebrews 12:2, that we run the race of the Christian faith by looking to Jesus, by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, especially in the midst of crazy circumstances. We hope you'll listen in and be encouraged in your own faith.
Malachi’s ministry is several decades after Haggai and Zechariah, somewhere around 480-450BC. The temple has been rebuilt. God’s covenant presence is being restored to Jerusalem following the Babylonian exile. There is a functioning priesthood, but the people’s zeal for walking in faithfulness to God has waned. They have fallen back into some traditionalism and they’ve gotten lax with the commands of God. And he’s going to call them back to covenant faithfulness. In this sermon, we see what it looks like to walk in covenant faithfulness with God.
Zechariah is one of the most difficult of the Minor Prophets to read, interpret, and apply. It is full of prophetic language - there are visions, apocalypse, warnings of judgment, and an appearance by Satan. In spite of those things, Zechariah is the second most quoted prophet in the New Testament, and that's because it teaches us so much about the coming Messiah. Our hope in this message is that you understand Zechariah a little better, see its place in the story God is telling, and are encouraged in your efforts, and our efforts as a church, to advance Christ’s Kingdom.
Haggai is a prophet to the returned exiles in Jerusalem. After starting off strong in the process of rebuilding the temple, they soon drifted off into misplaced priorities and faced discouragement from within themselves and from the people around them. God sends Haggai to call them out for their sin and encourage them in the kingdom work He has for them. The issues the people of Jerusalem were facing are common to us today. We would do well to listen to the prophet Haggai, just as the people did then.
The prophet Joel is best known for its locust plagues and its focus on the Day of the Lord. Joel uses this imagery to teach that God is a God is a God of great justice and great mercy. The question for us is whether or not we will receive justice or mercy from God. Joel gives us the answer, showing how we can receive God's mercy and how God can bring restoration to what our sin has destroyed.
Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament. Its 21 verses fit on two pages in my Bible. But this little book is both a powerful warning against the deceitfulness of pride and a powerful message of hope for the people of God. We hope you'll listen in and be both convicted and encouraged by God's Word!
Listen in as Greg Thomas fills in for Pastor Matt this morning. Drawing from Genesis 1, John 1, and other scriptures, Greg exhorts us to be amazed by God's power of creation, authority over creation, and purpose in creation.
If you’ve ever been confused, or maybe a little confounded or even frustrated, at what God seems to be doing, or seems to NOT be doing, if you’ve ever been in circumstances that you just couldn’t make sense of and couldn’t see how God might work them all out, if you’ve been praying for something for what seems like forever and God just doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it, then Habakkuk is the book for you. Listen in as we discover how "the righteous shall live by faith" in the midst of difficult circumstances.
Zephaniah has some of the most intense descriptions of God’s judgment in the Minor Prophets, possibly in all the Scriptures, BUT that intensity is matched in its message of hope - the Gospel message of mercy and forgiveness that is ours in King Jesus. Listen in as we seek to understand Zephaniah's prophecy of The Day of the Lord, consider the sins for which judgment is coming, and then see the beautiful picture of God's love for His people at the end of the book.
The book of Nahum is a timely message for the church today. Listen in as we see how a message of destruction against Nineveh some 650 years before Christ shows us:
1) that the church can have great courage in the face of her enemies today,
2) that the church ought to rejoice at the downfall of evil, and
3) that the church worships and proclaims a God of great justice and mercy.
Micah’s two biggest concerns are also Jesus’ two greatest concerns - that we might love God with all that we have and all that we are, and that we might love our neighbor as ourself. These aren’t new concerns. Amos mentions these things. Hosea mentions them. Now Micah. What does this tell us about people? We have the same sinful inclinations.
It shows us a bit of our nature. The Bible is a mirror. It is a true, impartial mirror. It is a light that shines and reveals our true nature and the evil that is in our hearts that we would prefer to keep in the darkness. And the truth is we are all prideful, we are all prone to idolatry, and we are all prone to self-centeredness.
It was for those sins that judgment was coming for Israel and Judah, which means we too will face judgment for those sins. This should cause us to ask how we might be right with God, what God might require of us in order to be right with Him.
In this second sermon in our series through the Minor Prophets, we look at the book of Hosea. This message of Hosea is that God pursues an unholy, unfaithful, unworthy bride - and He makes her holy, faithful, and worthy. Not because of anything they did, but because of His mercy and His grace and His love. In other words, Hosea is a beautiful picture of the Gospel. In this sermon, we consider how Israel has forsaken the Lord through idolatry, how we might be guilty of similar sins, and how Christ alone is worthy of worship.
Starting with this message, we are walking through many of the Minor Prophets in chronological order. Each week, we'll cover an entire book. This week is Amos. Amos is a shepherd from the southern kingdom of Judah whom God commissions to call the northern kingdom of Israel to repentance. Just like Amos, we are commissioned with a word from the Lord for people today. Listen as we hear Amos's message, apply it to ourselves, and find grace in Jesus Christ.
God has given elders and deacons to the church, not to rule tyrannically, but to serve lovingly. In this sermon, we'll see that it is important that we have a plurality of elders, that elders and deacons function biblically, and that we appoint men who are qualified to those offices.
In this sermon, we look at one of the two ordinances of the church - baptism. In this sermon, we see that baptism is both an external symbol of our being washed clean by the blood of Christ AND the state that we Christians live in as we are covered by the blood of Christ. We also see that our normal mode of baptizing is to immerse the new believer in water because it best symbolizes the believer's participation in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and subsequent union to Christ by faith.
Part 2 on Acts 2:42-47 - In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit falls at Pentecost, 3000 people are saved, and then they begin to live out what the Holy Spirit is working in them. Acts 2:42-47 describes the life of the early church as they followed the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit, and gives us us a picture of what church life looks like in its purest sense - straight out of the box, so to speak. Listen in as we look at the final 3 of the 5 ministries of the church seen in this passage.
In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit falls at Pentecost, 3000 people are saved, and then they begin to live out what the Holy Spirit is working in them. Acts 2:42-47 describes the life of the early church as they followed the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit, and gives us us a picture of what church life looks like in its purest sense - straight out of the box, so to speak. Listen in as we look at the first 2 of the 5 ministries of the church seen in this passage.
In this sermon, Pastor Matt talks about various questions surrounding the Lord's Supper - are the elements literal or symbolic? Is it a sacrament or ordinance? What kind of grace does God give us as we take it? How often should we take it? And finally, how do we make sure to take the Lord's Supper in a worthy manner (1 Corinthians 11:27)?
We hope you'll listen in for these answers and see how the Lord's Supper is a means of grace that sustains our faith, brings unity to the church body, and looks forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Part 1 in a new series on The Church. In this sermon, we answer the question, What is the Church? We see from various Scriptures that the church is primarily the people of God and that it reflects the glory of our Triune God.
"The resurrection of Jesus Christ is absolutely necessary to the Christian faith."
In this Easter sermon, Pastor Matt gives three reasons for the necessity of Jesus's Resurrection from various places in the Scriptures.
The Bible's simplest, most succinct definition of faith is Hebrews 12:2, "looking to Jesus." In this sermon, Pastor Matt talks about what it means to look to Jesus and how we look to Jesus for salvation, sanctification, in all of our circumstances, and as a church.
Pastor Matt's first sermon as pastor of FBC Milton. Sermon text is Philippians 1:3-11. This message was preached on March 27, 2022.