Calvary Baptist Church Sermon Audio: Recent Episodes
Calvary Baptist Church of Greenville Michigan
Every week, Pastor Mark Shaw, and others, preach from the Bible at Calvary Baptist Church of Greenville, Michigan. Join us or watch live each week. For more information, visit www.calvarygreenville.org
Due to technical difficulties, only a partial recording is available. The recording begins part-way into the sermon and runs to the end.
On the night Jesus was betrayed, He shared the Passover meal with His disciples. While they were eating, He inaugurated what is commonly referred to as "The Lord's Supper," "The Eucharist," or simply, "Communion." The simple elements of bread and wine reveal what makes Christianity unique, namely, the body and blood of God's Son Jesus Christ.
Our guest speaker today is Rev. Tim Shaw He graduated from Greenville High School in 2003. He did a pastoral internship here at CBC and graduated from Clarks Summit University and Seminary. He s the pastor of Perry Baptist Church in Canton, OH. He is married to Mary Beth and they have three children: Titus, Norah and Judah. (You have probaby heard a story or two about them )
When someone says, "I need a little R and R," they usually mean "Rest and Relaxation." That is certainly a good idea and the Lord delights to give rest to those He loves. But, there is another R and R that the apprentice of Jesus should consider, "Repentance and Refreshment." We don't normally put those words together but Peter did and we'll see why...and hopefully we'll have continued appreciation for how this works this morning...and throughout the week!
"You have reached your destination!" Most of us have heard our GPS say that to us a time or two. To arrive at the proper destination requires receiving the right kind of direction and responding to it. "Turn around when possible!" Yeah, we've heard that one too. Today we'll look at an ancient text about a modern issue...life and the two approaches there are to living it.
When we read Acts, it is often hard to remember that we are reading about the on-going work of Jesus through His people in the power of the Holy Spirit. We can get preoccupied with the descriptive and miss the prescriptive. We can become enamored with the miracles and miss the meaning. Part Two...
When we read Acts, it is often hard to remember that we are reading the on-going work of Jesus through His people in the power of the Holy Spirit. We can get preoccupied with the descriptive and miss the prescriptive. We can become enamored with the miracles and miss the meaning.
Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is an annual reminder that God values human life in all stages from conception to natural death. This i not a personal or political issue. The value of human life is a moral absolute and the implications are far-reaching.
As we resume our study of Acts at the beginning of this new year, it is appropriate and helpful to think about what those early days of the church were like. The apostles had witnessed the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus Christ. They had received the supernatural gift of the promised Holy Spirit. They were joined by 3000 others who repented and believed after the first "Christian sermon." A new community was forming; not against Judaism but out from it. What did they do? Is this more than historical narrative? Should what they did have any impact on what we do? Let's take a look...
In 1989, Dr. Stephen Covey wrote a book titled, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." It was a National Bestseller and had a number of follow-up works with the same ideas in mind. The book was rooted in "character ethics" rather than the "power of personality" because Covey maintained that who we are becoming is ultimately more important than what we accomplish. He was right, not because original but because he agreed with the smartest Person who ever lived.
Habit 2: "Begin with the End in Mind" is a good way for us to come to the Communion Table on January 1, 2017. Do what you do, "In Remembrance of Christ."
The advent (arrival) of the God-Man into the world is understated. Luke did not include much of the drama we typically embrace as we consider this story. Maybe the story gets embellished because we miss the profound truths here. It's an awesome story without adding to the narrative . May we never overlook the profound veiled in the common.
The big day had come! Elizabeth was going to give birth to a son. There was so much they knew...and so much they didn't know. There is a common theme about what Mary, Elizabeth and Zacharias did know...they knew God was/is full of mercy and tender compassion. We cannot understand the Advent of our Lord without understanding this reality.
We love stories. We tell them, we listen to them, we laugh and we cry. The greatest story is a true one. It is a colossal work of non-fiction. It involves the creation of the universe, the reason for suffering and frustration, a Hero who suffers to make it all right and conquers our greatest enemy. It's a long story and all of us are part of it...the last chapter hasn't been written yet but some of the best parts are what we enjoy in the Advent Season.
We love stories. We tell them, we listen to them, we laugh and we cry. The greatest story is a true one. It is a colossal work of non-fiction. It involves the creation of the universe, the reason for suffering and frustration, a Hero who suffers to make it all right and conquers our greatest enemy. It's a long story and all of us are part of it...the last chapter hasn't been written yet but some of the best parts are what we enjoy in the Advent Season.
After Peter explained the supernatural phenomena that people had seen and heard, he began to proclaim WHO was behind the epic event. The news was both good and bad...and good :)
With all the needs in our own community, why should we send people and money to other places in the world? The Day of Pentecost holds some answers for us — at least by way of application. Are you involved in missions? Should this be on "your radar?" How can you make an impact in the world from where you live? Consider some truths from Peter's sermon on that amazing Festival Day.
"A prime mark of the Christian mind is that it cultivates the eternal perspective...it is supernaturally oriented." — Harry Blamires "The true Bible-believing Christian is the one who lives in practice in this supernatural world." — Francis Schaeffer
"A prime mark of the Christian mind is that it cultivates the eternal perspective...it is supernaturally oriented. — Harry Blamires "The true Bible-believing Christian is the one who lives in practice in this supernatural world. — Francis Schaeffer
The disciples were living in the dreaded "meantime" between the Ascension and Pentecost. What were they to do? How should they live? Did waiting mean doing nothing? As they waited, prayed, rejoiced and worshiped some principles from the Word became clear to them. They acted in faith and reveal for us a way of dealing with disappointment.
For 40 days after the resurrection, Jesus continued to teach His disciples/apostles about the Kingdom of God. God's intentions were far bigger than the 11 originally imagined. In fact, the task was a "God-sized" task that required God's activity and provision. The assurances of Jesus in this paragraph give us hope.
Jesus said, "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." When He had let them out to the vicinity of Bethany, He lifted up his hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. Luke 24:49-53
Drama, intrigue, politics, riots, shipwrecks, martyrdom, miracles, rescues...and all this in the ancient world in and around cities like Rome, Corinth, Athens, and Jerusalem. This is the "stuff" of Acts. Get ready for a journey that explains our early days as a church and gives us direction for our part in His story.
There are some common misperceptions about the Person of God and His grace. As we remember Jesus today in this Communion service, we should be reminded of what grace really is for clarity and encouragement. :)
In Dallas Willard's helpful guide to kingdom life titled The Divine Conspiracy, he used the phrase, "A Community of Prayerful Love," to describe what life would be like if we applied the Sermon on the Mount in our believing communities. How different our families can "look" and "be" when we practice the teachings of Christ. Church-life can actually be a preview of Heaven when we embrace the abundant life Jesus offers through obedience to Him. At the heart of it all is prayer...
"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
Last week we considered the words that other people said to Christ while He was on the cross. This week we'll consider the words Jesus said to others. The contrast is profound. While He was being mocked, He was blessing. While He was being accused, He was caring for others. While the weight of the world's sin was on His shoulders, He was caring for us.
The cross is one of the most recognizable symbols in the world. It has been this way since the third century. It hasn't always been used properly or understood in the way the New Testament writers intended. Nevertheless, we consider it with Paul as a matter for glory...for it was on an old rugged cross that the destiny of mankind was altered forever (See Galatians 6:14).
We've studied the first three parts of the trial of Jesus. The ruling "religious body" known as the Sanhedrin, had declared Jesus guilty of blasphemy. The penalty was death but they could not legally carry out the sentence. They needed Rome to carry out their dirty work and as the Apostles' Creed says, Jesus "suffered under Pontius Pilate."
This is a sad text but the content of the Bible is more than "Chicken Soup for the Soul." Its writers did not set out to protect us from some of the harsh realities of a broken world. Rather, they remind us that through Jesus Christ we are given hope in these harsh realities. Judas had a tragic end; we don't have to end the same way.
Peter joined John in the courtyard of the high priest. Jesus was in the palace being "convicted" in a kangaroo court. Peter was in no state of mind (or heart) to be this close to such danger but he had disregarded Jesus' words and put himself in a precarious situation.
This may seem far removed from our lives in 2016...but this is a lot closer to where we live than we may recognize on the surface.
Perhaps there is no more infamous betrayel than the one before us today. The term, "the Judas kiss" has become synonymous with despicable, traitorous actions. We learned in previous studies that Judas had made arrangements in advance in exchange for money. He knew where Jesus would be praying that evening and led the "great multitude" to Gethsemane. The events that took place there are not what we would expect...unless we remember Jesus' purpose.
Dr. Timothy Gombis (Associate Professor of New Testamet at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary) preaches from Philippians 2 and 3 about Paul's Radical Reversal.
Once a year we take a Sunday to highlight the ministries of our church and take some time to consider where we might best serve the King for His Kingdom. We have learned from our study in Matthew that serving equals greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven. We have learned that even Jesus took on the form of a servant and that He did not come to be served but to serve.
The church in Corinth had a hard time dealing with the diversity among God's servants. Thankfully the Holy Spirit preserved the instructions!
The text before us this morning is of incredible importance, from it we derive the beginning of what we call "the Eucharist," "Communion," or "The Lord's Table." Those who participate in this ordinance with a tender heart and ears to hear will strengthen their faith and their love for the Lord Jesus will grow. Jesus is the Passover Lamb that took away the sins of the world.
The contrasts in this text are understated but as profound as any contrast of any literature. There is love and hate, death and life, compassion and agitation.
Matthew "turns the corner" in this chapter and takes us down the road to the cross and resurrection. There is much to learn in these rich texts. May the Lord help us to see all He intends for us in these chapters.
This text comprises the conclusion of the Olivet Discourse. In response to the questions of the disciples about details of the "end times," Jesus described in broad strokes what we could expect. We have learned that He is returning, that the world will be very different when He does and that we should be prepared and faithful while we wait. Jesus' conclusion is both comforting and sobering for eternal blessings or eternal torment await every individual. The final judgment will include a test for evidence — it will not be as radical as some think.
We are in another chapter of Kingdom stories. These stories were not told for their entertainment value, they were told to make a point about how we are to live in this world while we wait for the Second Coming of the King. Watching and waiting does not mean an absence of working. The managers in our text today were occupied in the absence of the master. There's a lesson for us here today.
Weddings are often a time of great joy and excitement. While the customs and traditions change over the years from country to country there are similarities to which most of us can relate. As Jesus prepared His disciples for His physical absence, He used a series of stories to illustrate the importance of being prepared for His return. One of those stories is before us this morning. It is the story of a wedding and the saga of ten bridesmaids — some that were prepared and some that were not.
While every Sunday is a celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the tradition of taking one day a year and setting it aside for this remembrance is not wrong. In fact, bringing this event to the "front and center" of our thinking is a worthy action. Everything in the Christian faith rises or falls on the resurrection. Paul wrote that if Christ is not risen our faith is in vain and we are, of all the people on the earth — the most miserable!
This morning we're going to re-visit the text of the disappointed couple that we read about last week. Their story didn't end with disappointment, will yours?
Palm Sunday was a pretty big deal...on the front end. Afterwards, not so much. People had high expectations. They no doubt said things like,
"That Jesus has a lot of potential, I sure hop He puts it to good use." "I think things are about to get better around her." "I just feel like something good is about to happen."
In marriage, church and in our life with God, misinformed and misguided expectations are dangerous. Many people leave the faith because they signed up for something God never delivered. What seems to be the problem here?
Note: The video is glitchy (pauses every few seconds). If you can put up with that, the audio and video is otherwise clear. Sorry.