Sunbury City Church - Sermons: Recent Episodes
Sunbury City Church - Sermons
Listen to our weekly sermons from Sunbury City Church. Sunbury City Church exists to glorify God by making disciples who love God, live the gospel, embrace our community, and plant movements. To find out more check us out at: sunburycitychurch.com
We so often run to places and things to shepherd and guide us. The problem is that none of these things work. We have only one good shepherd that promises to guide us through our lives.
We often disconnect our faith in Christ from our life and any change in life so we end up looking like the world. Instead we ought to commit to Christ and exprience the change that he brings.
Jesus' resurrection ought to lead us to give great glory and praise to the Lord resulting in the evangelization of the nations.
Each year we celebrate Easter, but why is Easter so important? Easter marks the promise of a future freedom that God gives with him forever.
When suffering comes, we must look to the Savior, remembering that he will return at any moment.
John tells us that in Christ, we have an advocate to allow us to worship God. This worship should lead to obedience to God in all things.
It is easy to envy the rich. James warns us that the world's wealth will fade and lead to judgment. Instead, we must long for eternity.
How do you lead yourself and others? There are five stages one must employ to lead themselves and others.
What does the Bible say about leading yourself? Joshua and Paul show us the importance of putting God first in our lives.
Romans 3:21-31
Title: Jesus the Just and the Justifier
1) The Gospel Makes us Equal
2) The Gospel Makes Much of God
3) The Gospel Makes us Righteous
To feel better we often speak evil towards others. Rather James calls us to use our words to serve our Savior and not ourselves.
We often have images that our etched on our minds and hearts. These images drive the decisions and direction our lives. Thus, what we look at reveal what we truly love, so we need to ensure we are looking at Christ.
Where do you turn when life is hard? Where you turn shows where you put your trust. Often, we turn to treasures and treaties rather than the one true Christ.
God desires to have fellowship with his people. This fellowship requires walking in the light and not the darkness. We can walk in the light through the forgiveness that Christ brings.
Most of screen our calls. Depending upon who calls, we decide whether we will answer. But when Jesus calls, we must be a people who always answer.
We get excited over the temporary promises that Christmas offers all the while Christ promises us true and lasting promises of joy. Turn to Jesus for true joy.
Can you use a little bit of good news? Christmas is all about the greatest good news we need to hear: the coming servant of God has set us free from bondage and given us eternal life with Him.
We feel all sorts of pain in the political, social, mental, emotional, and societal spheres of our life. Fortunately the aim of Christmas is Christ coming to bring restoration to our pain.
We call for an ambulance or seek a doctor because something is broken and we need healing. Maybe you're here feeling broken, you feel hurting. Today, we're going to see the one who drives the ultimate ambulance, the ultimate healer, Jesus Christ. Christmas is about bringing restoration to our brokenness.
What or who are you turning to for your security? What actually gives you security? Tonight we learn about the Nation of Edom and how they were fooled into placing their security on sinking sand.
Do you want peace? The world regularly promises peace. However, the world's path to peace is actually a path against peace. We can only have peace by going to the prince of peace.
James describes the power of the tongue. Works include our words, James challenges us with the reminder that if we believe in Jesus, our speech should be vastly different from that of the world.
What is your identity? How would you describe yourself? James deals with the question of identity by discussing the kind of person we should be if we trust in Jesus Christ. James wants us to be a word-doer, not a word-hearer.
How do you deal with sin? This talk discusses the practical model, personal idols, and spiritual warfare.
How do you deal with sin? Jeremiah 17:5-10 provided a Biblical framework for us to see.
When life is hard, we typically lash out in anger. James warns us that this anger does not produce the righteousness of God. Instead, we need the Word of God, not our words, to be woven into the fabric of our lives.
It is easy to fall into the deception that good comes outside of God. James tells us that good only comes when we are submerged under the reservoir of God’s grace.
We often want to take the easy path thinking it will lead to the good life, when in reality it leads to death. James encourages us to take the path of life which consists of many trials but results in a crown of life.
We all love grand reversals. The gospel presents us with the grandest reversal of all that should shape our present moment.
In a world that opposes Christ, living for him can be confusing. Thus, we need to turn to God as the only source of wisdom.
In this second session of a 2 part series, we look at the book Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands to learn the formula for Godly help.
Titus 2:11-15 provide us the foundation for true help. Here Paul shows that the same gospel that saves us also propels us to experience Godly change. When we help others we must point them to this gospel.
How do you handle suffering for the sake of Christ? James calls us to have all joy. This joy happens only when we embrace reality, stare at our Savior, and remain steadfast in Christ.
If you believe in Jesus Christ, you are heading towards glorification with Christ. Are you living in light of it now or living in light of your present situation?
All of us are looking for preservation. The question is, where do you turn for your preservation? John 6 shows us that we must turn to Christ.
Is the gospel another useless fact that has no bearing on your daily life? Or is it the very foundation that transforms every day?
We often seek to justify ourselves, yet our ultimate justification comes only through Christ alone.
Coming to faith must include repentance! Seeing Jesus radically transforms our lives so that we might trust and follow Christ. (Please note, there is 15 seconds of silence about 9 minutes in due to a technical difficulty)
What does it mean to be born again? How are we to respond to this truth? Jesus speaks about the work of God in regeneration through the Holy Spirit in John 3:1-15.
Do you ever wonder if you are saved? Do you ever think you are better because you are saved? The doctrine of God's election helps us to know God's salvation while living humbly with him.
How do you handle the storms of life? Turn and trust in the authority of Christ our Savior. He has authority over the greatest storms and seas in life.
The whole duty of man is to fear God. The world seeks to numb us to the ways of God. We must fight to delight in the Lord.
Many are discouraged right now. How do we handle this discouragement? We pause and remember Jesus Christ.
Are you a risk taker? When living for Christ, risk is right. May we leverage all we have to risk for the sake of the gospel.
A little bit of folly can ruin an entire life. The author of Ecclesiastes calls us to follow the way of wisdom and guard against folly!
How do you respond to the fickleness of life? Do you experience freedom from Christ? Ecclesiastes 9 shows us a picture of how we might experience this great freedom in Christ!
Have you ever felt lost before? How do you cope with this feeling? Many ignore the feeling or try to discover wisdom to make it through difficulty. Wisdom is excellent but does have its limits. Thus, we must walk by faith in Christ.
In Mark 4:1-20, Jesus tells us a parable about four soils and explains why he speaks in parables. Our response must be to receive and listen.
Why do bad things happen to good people? And why do good things happen to bad people? This is a question that plagues us. We may not have the most satisfying answers, but Ecclesiastes gives us the solution to make our way through this confusion: fear God first.
Do you feel powerless? Do you feel like your back is up against a wall? Do you feel confused? Easter reveals there is power in the cross of Christ.
The world's wisdom is enticing and yet leads to exhaustion. We need a new wisdom and perspective on life. This wisdom comes only through Jesus Christ.
We all want satisfaction in life. We want to be filled. Yet we run to the dreams and visions of this world, and they leave us exhausted and empty. Instead, we must run to God to find joy in life!
We often approach God in worship without thinking about our actions and words. But God is holy and as such we must approach him with reverent fear.
In Mark 3, we read how Jesus invaded this broken world with the Spirit's power to rescue his new family!
We all are searching for significance. The problem is the place we search. We must find our significance in our savior alone!
We long for control, believing that we can bring stability to our uncertain lives. The author of Ecclesiastes invites us to release control and instead trust in the providence of God over our time and justice.
This is an overview of the background to the New Testament and the books of Matthew, Mark, and John.
Christ elicits responses from 3 kinds of people: those who want something from Christ, those who want to judge Christ, and those who give up everything to follow Christ. Which one are you?
When we walk in a confusion world we often search for joy. The problem is the joys of the world do not fulfill like the joy of Jesus Christ. The solution is that we enjoy the gifts God gives by looking to him and not to the world.
Do you ever wonder what is the point of life? The author of Ecclesiastes address that very question and discovers that without Christ there is no real meaning to life.
We all look for rest and satisfaction. The problem is where we turn. Too often we turn to rules and regulations which weigh us down, when in reality we need to the hope of Christ to free us.
John warns the church to watch out for those who come to deceive God's people. To fight we must walk in the truth, walk in love, and worship Christ.
God is not surprised by our suffering. In fact he wants and can use our suffering to advance the kingdom of God. May we leverage our suffering for the glory of God.
Jesus is a friend to sinners. No matter your past, you can come and receive his grace and forgiveness.
What legacy do you hope to leave? In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul calls us to be a people who walk by faith and not by sight. The only way to be a people of faith is to remember our lasting home, our lasting help, our lasting hope, and our lasting heart.
At Christmas we are offered the greatest gift, a righteousness that comes from Christ. This righteousness saves us from our sin and guarantees eternal life with God.
False teachers regularly seek to derail the work of God. We must be aware and withstand through God’s strength so we do not waver in our faith.
It’s easy to miss our role in the expansion of the kingdom of God resulting in us sitting on the sidelines, when God is calling us to join him in his kingdom work.
Unfortunately the gospel can become second nature to many of us. The excitement fades and we are no longer passionate about Christ. And yet Paul shows the beauty of the gospel and how it ought to transform our hearts and move us to share this gospel to others!
In this passage, we will see Christ’s authority in full display. Being carried by four men was a paralytic. These four men were trying to do one thing, get their ill friend to Jesus. These men had faith that Jesus could heal their friend but Jesus will spin this interaction upside down. Instead of immediately healing the paralytic’s physical disability, Jesus does something better. Jesus heals his spiritual disability and forgives his sins. In this passage, we will see that all of mankind is in a helpless state and it is only by Jesus Christ, our great Savior, that our greatest need can be met: the forgiveness of our sin.
Since the fall, we run after our own desires leading to our own glory and great disharmony within the body of Christ. The gospel ought to motivate us to seek the glory of God which will lead to greater harmony in the church.
When we are transformed by the gospel of Christ, God calls us to a community where we are to live and walk wisely with one another.
Christianity must be about Jesus Christ first and foremost. Christ is the final judge. Thus we must lay aside our minor judgments.
In this sermon we are going to continue to look at the paradoxical nature of King Jesus. When we think of a king, we think of one who is sitting on a throne, ruling and reining in his palace. In our text, we will see in the most scandalous ways, King Jesus interacts with one of the most ostracized groups of people, a leper. Jesus, in the most compassionate and loving way, will care for this outcast, but in doing so will become an outcast himself.
Christ is returning soon. We must be ready now by living in light of the coming of Christ.
We do not like to submit to authority. Yet God is the one who established all authority on earth. Thus, we must work hard to try to submit to all authority above us, unless it contradicts God’s authority.
10 years ago God started Sunbury City Church with a vision to bless the community around us. Today, we have that same vision to take the blessing of God and allow it to flow through us to those in our community.
God gives all Christians spiritual gifts meant to build up the body of Christ. We must use our gifts to encourage rather than dismiss others in the church.
Often we see the gospel as good news for our future while missing the good news presently. The gospel must change us both physically and mentally each and every day.
Far too often we become complacent in our relationship with the Lord. We are enticed by the pleasures of the world leading us to wander from him. The only true comfort we can ever hope for actually comes from the Lord. Thus, we must commit to him.
We live in a world hostile towards Christ and his ways. When faced with such hostility we can either fight in our own power or give in and deny Christ. Jesus offers a different path by resting in his strength!
Hypocrisy plagues the church today. Many of us have learned how to put on our game face for church life, while living a completely different life behind closed doors. Jesus sees all we do and calls us to live entirely for his name and for his glory!
In this sermon we will see that Jesus Christ exhibits an authority unlike any other. First, Jesus has authority when he speaks. He speaks with such authority the response is that of amazement and astonishment. Second, Jesus has authority over the spiritual realm. The reality is that not only is there a physical realm, but also a spiritual one. But, we can have hope knowing Christ has authority over it. Lastly, although Christ has this eminent amount of power and authority, He compassionately loves and serves those who are hurting.
The world continues to preach toleration as a form of love. Unfortunately the church has looked more to the world than to the Lord for our definition of true love. If not careful we will experience the discipline of the Lord for our toleration. Instead we must look to the Lord for his direction in our lives and ensure we are submitting ourselves to his definitions.
We are so tempted to compromise our faith in the world we live in. Those who compromise however will experience the discipline and judgment from the Lord. The only path forward is for us to hold fast to faith in Christ by holding fast to the truth.
When trial and tribulation arise, we are tempted to give up or give in. Christ calls us to stand firm in the truth, promising eternal life to all who do.
Theological truth matters. We must protect the truth regarding who God is and how he operates in the world. However, this truth must never be without a love from God first. We must seek him and love him above all else.
If we are not careful we can spend much of our life crafting a little “kingdom” for ourselves. Everything we do: work, relationships, and activities, are geared to build our kingdom. In this passage, Jesus takes this idea of kingdom and flips it upside down. Jesus will show us that there is only one true kingdom that we should submit to and that is the Kingdom of God.
The mind of God is far beyond our understanding. Instead of seeking to grasp and understand every aspect of his mind we ought to simply marvel at the way he works his mercy in our lives.
God’s kindness in granting us salvation is meant to lead to our humility. Yet so often we see this kindness as a way to prove our superiority over others. Paul warns us that if we walk in arrogance we will experience the severity and judgement of God. May we heed his warning and return to the Lord with humility.
Is our salvation based upon our innate nature or some action we do? No! Our salvation has always been defined by the grace and work of God in our lives. We must rest in His salvation for eternal life.
God works in ways we do not always understand or initially agree. And yet his shocking salvation is always greater than we could ever imagine.
In this passage of Mark, we are going to look at two events in Jesus’ life. First, we will look at Jesus’ baptism. Ironically, if anyone did not need to be baptized, it was Jesus. So why did Jesus get baptized? This points to the reality that although Jesus is the Son of God, he is identifying himself with humanity. Second, we will see Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days. Just like Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because of their sin, Jesus will enter into the wilderness for 40 days and will overcome the temptation of sin. This points to the truth that our only hope to be clean from our sin is Jesus alone!
Election is a difficult subject. We hate the idea of a God who chooses as he sees fit. And yet Paul reveals that God’s election showcases both his power to save and his glory in saving sinners like us. May we marvel at a God who works to save.
Has God failed to deliver on his promises for his people? That is the question the religious Jews were asking when reading Paul. Instead Paul shows us the purpose of God’s election and how that election was fulfilled.
In our 1st sermon in the book of Mark, we will see that Jesus Christ is the long awaited king that was promised in the Old Testament. Our greatest hope is to bow and submit to the true great King, King Jesus.
Following Christ in this world is difficult. Often it will lead to suffering and persecution from multiple angles. However, for those in Christ, we have the love of God that will preserve us and lead us to eternal life.
Life is hard. We feel weak. Thus we turn to whatever we can find to relieve the pain and stress. Unfortunately they fail to provide us the help we are truly looking for. The only help and hope we can have in our current condition is the redemption of God.
The pull of sin is strong. Often we fall into it without even thinking. However, if we have come to believe in Christ, we are adopted into God’s family. This adoption ought to lead to a reformation in our minds, hearts, and action.
Do you ever feel like you want to be free? We all experience the weight of life and the reality of sin. The problem is we often believe we have the power to obtain our own freedom. Our only hope of freedom comes from the Holy Spirit releasing us and empowering us to live each day.
Every year we celebrate Easter, the day when Jesus rose from the dead. But why does it matter that Jesus rose from the dead? What importance does it have for our lives today. Paul shows us in 1 Corinthians 15 that the resurrection of Christ radically transforms our life because it is true, trustworthy, and triumphant.
In this text, we will see that God’s people were in rebellion. In God's righteous judgment, He will send fiery serpents to punish His people for their rebellious hearts. After Moses pleads with the Lord, God will provide a way to save those infected. Like the Israelites, we too are infected but with sin. Sin is leading us to eternal death. We need a remedy and that remedy is Christ.
Life can be hard. The problem is deeper than we think. We typically underestimate the sinful nature that is in us while also overestimating our ability to follow and obey Jesus Christ. Our only hope to fight against sin, is not obedience to the law, but rather deliverance that comes from Christ.
Through faith in Christ, we are free to live by the Spirit of God. Unfortunately we often live as if we are still bound to our old ways. Paul wants us to realize that through our union with Christ in his death we are freed and able to live to the ways of God.
We long for freedom. And yet the very places we turn to for freedom further enslave us. It’s only when we submit under the Lordship of God that we can experience true freedom for life.
It’s easy to live life on auto-pilot, not thinking about our next steps. For those who have come to faith in Jesus, our entire direction in life shifts. We are no longer kings of our own lives, but rather subjects under King Jesus. And Jesus’ kingship and dominion must determine our daily direction.
When we come to faith in Jesus Christ it changes the very foundation of our lives. We are given a new life in Christ and set free from a life enslaved to sin. Paul encourages us to live out of this new life rather than running back to our sin.
We either overestimate our sinful condition believing we have no hope, or underestimate our sinful condition believing we have power in ourselves. In reality we must realize that we are more sinful than we can ever imagine and yet God’s grace is so much greater than he can defeat any darkness that lurks in our lives.
We are constantly bombarded with images of strength and power, convincing us this is the way forward in life. Yet Paul tells us that for the follower of Christ God’s love is the power we need and this power comes to those who are weak, not those who display great strength.
In this sermon, the hope is to see that in all of life we are called to live through the power of Christ. Even while we are suffering we may rejoice because, God has invited us to proclaim the mystery of Christ. The mystery that now we have Christ in us! It is through this truth that regardless of where we are at in life we may display the goodness and grace to those who do not know Christ.
In this passage, we see that God has a heart for making a people for himself. Because of sin, this has hindered man's and woman's relationship with God. But God, in His grace and love, has been up to something amazing. God has been working all things out to redeem His people from sin. What Paul will bring out in our text is that at the center of this redemption is Jesus Christ. We will look at three truths, that God’s people is the Church (not a building), God has a purpose for His Church (glorify Him) and, God has a mission for His Church (to tell all peoples about Christ).
What is the big deal about Christmas? Each year we celebrate the birth of Jesus, God, who became man, and lived among us in order to rescue us out of our desperate situation. This year, turn to Jesus Christ for your one and only rescue.
We are all looking for some kind of restoration. Often we try to find it in our circumstances, how we are feeling, what we are going through. But ultimately restoration comes from Jesus Christ. That is why we celebrate Christmas. Christ has come to bring restoration to his kingdom.
Often we find ourselves basing life’s key decisions on what we can foresee or what we think is the best decision. But God calls us to be a people who walk by faith and not by sight. The same is true when we come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. It is solely based upon faith in God’s faithfulness to us, and not based upon our striving.
Podcast description: We live in a world in which we are constantly trying to prove our worth and value. And yet before God we have nothing to offer to gain his acceptance. The only way to have acceptance is to depend on his work, not our work.
Have you ever wondered if you can trust in the promises of God? In a world where promises are broken every day, it will be easy to think the same about God. In Genesis 15, we will see God make a covenant with Abram and God will be faithful to that covenant. In this passage, we will see Abram become an example for us today, that all we should do is have faith in God.
We try to lessen God’s standard because we do not want to admit that we are sinful. We think that if we claim to follow Jesus Christ than we are free to live how we want. Yet God has a standard that demands perfect righteousness, a righteousness that comes from Jesus Christ and changes us from the inside out.
We all know there is something broken in us. Often we believe we can fix the problem by simply knowing more, pretending more, or even gaining the approval of others more. And yet God’s heart is to have all of our heart. He doesn’t want us to hypocritically act the part of a follower of God, but rather truly love God with all of our heart.
Are some people more prized to God than others? Does our obedience have anything to do with it? Paul shows us how God is impartial and the only way to be right with God is not through being better than others, but trusting the one who was the best in all things.
Authority is a debated term these days. However, God has designed the world to operate under his authority. When we rebel there are eternal consequences. Our priority in life should be to submit to God’s authority.
Sin is a serious offense against God. We must take our sin serious because God reveals his righteous wrath against it. But there is a way out through Jesus Christ.
God gives life changing power for the powerless. No matter what background we come out of we are able to be right with God by faith in Jesus Christ. We must lay down our attempts at righteousness and cling to Jesus’ perfect righteousness.
Today we are in the book Habakkuk, where we will see that God's plan from the beginning was about faith in Him. In our passage, Habakkuk was in a difficult season, where Judah was on the brink of destruction by the Babylonians. Habakkuk is wrestling how a holy, righteous, and good God can continue to allow wickedness to stand. In our passage, we will see God speak to Habakkuk, giving him a promise that all unrighteousness will come to an end, and till that day, we are to live by faith.
We love what is novel and new. However Paul is going through great pains to show us that what is old is better, meaning what is tied in with the Old Testament, the faith that comes out of the Old Testament faith is best. We must submit ourselves to God’s plan rather than trust in our own plan. And we need to realize that God’s plan brings people to faith in Him, arises out of the OT faith, is executed by the entire Godhead, brings about the redemption of all who believe, and leads us to a new life in Him.
In our final sermon in our series in the Psalms this Summer, we are going to end on the exhortation to praise God. Between the two Psalms (149/150) we will answer the questions: who, where, why, and how of why we should praise God. As we delve into each of these points, the Psalms will paint a big picture of who God is and what this God does. And if we truly love this God, there should be no other option other than to praise Him.
All of creation is to worship God. He is to be worshipped because he created all things. He saved his people and gave them power. And now our response is to worship him. The reality is that we are created to worship something, it’s just a matter of what it is we actually worship.
We are called to praise God for all that he does. The Psalmist then shows us what kinds of things we should praise God for, primarily his sovereign care over those who are hurting (due to their own sin), those in need, and those who are his. The Psalmist shows that God is not a distant God who is aloof to all we are going through but stoops down to where we are and enters our world, encouraging us to trust in Him. Our response ought to be to praise God in all that we do.
Psalm 146 is showing us the reality that when we put our trust in worldly things it can not give life because they will eventually fade away. They only source that we can truly trust in that will always be eternal is God. He is the only source that can give life. And knowing this truth, the Psalmist, will praise God for who He is.
We love things that have enduring value. There is only one place to find true enduring value and that is in the grace of God. We must be a people who ponder the past grace of God using that to propel us to plead for present victory and future peace.
This sermon will bring out the reality that when we are in difficult seasons of life, that we should be in a desperate state towards God. That the only way that we can endure in these times is to be honest about sin, to press into God, and pray for deliverance. God in His faithfulness will never forsake the work of His hands. We should press into that promise for our hope. Praise the Lord that it is not up to our righteous works, but the righteous work of Christ that we can find our hope and fortitude.
What do you do when you feel distress? Where do you turn? How do you handle it? The Psalmist shows us our situation and stages we go through and must go through in order to experience joy in Jesus Christ again.
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