Redeemer City Church: Recent Episodes
Today we will be finishing Luke's narration of the Jesus's Sermon on the Plain in which Jesus calls us to deep personal reflection and taking stock of our spiritual walk. Luke 6:43-49
In a world that encourages us to grow in assertiveness, domination and control, Paul tells us that people who are filled with the Spirit will grow in the opposite direction. As the Spirit increases in us, our pride will decrease.
Are you stuck? Maybe there was a season in your life when you were really growing, but now you've slipped into a rut. You know that God has more for you, but you can't seem to motivate yourself to press in. If this is true then this passage is for you.
Bible scholars agree that chapter 4 functions as the hinge of the book of Ephesians. Here, Paul shifts from theology to morality. Paul is going to start laying out some instructions – some commands – for the church.
Not only is the message "love your enemies" a part of the Christian life – it is one of the major displayers of your faith.
As we have seen over the last two Sundays, Paul has been proclaiming a message of unity to this Ephesian church. He's been reminding them that all the old divisions – particularly the divisions between Jews and Gentiles – can now be overcome in Christ! There is UNIFYING POWER in the gospel! Ephesians 3:14-21
While reflecting on this passage, the expression, "talk is cheap" comes to mind. It reminds us of Paul's example that, while it is one thing to SAY the right words, it's another thing entirely to back up those words with your actions.
While the language that the Apostle Paul uses in today's passage may feel foreign – the need that he addresses is not. Paul is speaking to the problem of isolation – the pain that comes when we sense that there is a chasm between us and God and between us and other people.
In today's passage I believe that Paul is still praying that God would open the eyes of our hearts to understand spiritual truths that are beyond our human understanding.
Paul's prayer for the church in Ephesus is centred around one request – that they would grow in knowledge.
Ephesians 1 contains some of the most theologically robust verses in all the Bible. Yet, it doesn't read like a lecture. It reads like a PRAYER of GRATITUDE! The Apostle Paul wrote this while he was under house arrest in Rome after being unjustly accused by his own people, but you would never know it! Praise is gushing out of him!
Two thousand years ago, Jesus died on a cross. Three days later he rose from the grave. Death has been defeated! And now, everything has changed! But HOW?
My prayer this morning is that we would come to recognize the cross as a SURE, UNDENIABLE SIGN of the Father's love for us. If God would give His Son for you, then you can be sure that His grace, and His love, and His forgiveness is yours.
Today is Palm Sunday, and we are looking at a very familiar passage. The Triumphal entry. It is beautiful and joyous. In it we see a picture of triumph when Christ will come again to receive adoration and worship and acclaim!
In this three-week series, we are inviting God to chisel away at anything that would hinder his generosity from shining through us. He is the overflowing God, and we were meant to be an overflowing people.
We were designed by God to be givers – not takers. Our time, our talent, our treasure – everything that we have and everything that we are – is meant to overflow in blessing to the world around us.
We are a blessed people, and we believe that God has blessed us so that the blessing might overflow to others. One of the ways that we 'overflow' is through our giving.
This morning we are going to see how God can, and has, used ordinary people like you and me.
When we do what is right in our own eyes, when we determine that there is no ultimate authority over us – that there is no King whose righteous standard we must uphold – then we distort justice in order to protect us and ours.
The author of the Book of Judges handpicked this "darkest hour" in Israel's history to illustrate how VILE – how DEPRAVED – Israel became when everyone was left to do what was right in their own eyes.
In today's passage Luke presents us with three confrontations where the Pharisees questioned Jesus based about the Law. In each of these interactions, Jesus provides an illustration to correct and teach the Pharisees.
For the final five chapters of Judges, the author steps out of the timeline that we have been following, and has hand-picked two stories that illustrate and summarize what Israel looked like when there was no king.
There is much for us to learn from Samson's final chapter which is one of the most tragic and memorable stories in the entire Old Testament.
Naomi was convinced that she was under the curse of God. But for those who trust in the Lord – though sorrow may last for the night – JOY comes in the morning. Here, with her sweet grandson asleep on her lap, Naomi finally knows this to be true. And so too do the witnesses in the livingroom.
So far in the story, Ruth "happens" upon the field of one of her husband's distant relatives, Boaz, and he is captivated by her integrity. Sensing that love might be in the air, Naomi, Ruth's mother-in-law, puts a risky plan in motion.
Taking place during the time of the judges, Ruth sits like a diamond of hope set against a black backdrop of despair. This is a VERY Christmasy story. It is a story of peace in a time of chaos; light breaking through darkness; joy overcoming bitterness and hope triumphing over despair! The themes of advent are all over the story of Ruth!
As the congregations of Simcoside Lifepointe Church and Redeemer City Church become one, it would be helpful to look at Psalm 133. David's goal is simply to awaken our hearts to see and appreciate the beauty of unity.
Today's passage is not ultimately about Samson. The author of Judges didn't write this down to entertain us. He wrote it down in order to teach us so as to change us. At the end of it we'll try to discern just exactly what we're meant to see.
The arrival of a miracle baby is a sure sign that God is about to work a great deliverance for His people. God is signaling here that – in spite of Israel's apathy – He is not about to let them go.
This morning, we're going to skip past Jepthah's negotiations with the Ammonites and look at the sin of Jephthah, the sin of Ephraim and the sin of Gilead
There are two stories in our text this morning but, if you look closely, you might come to notice that they are really one. In chapter 10, Israel cries out to God for rescue while in the opening verses of chapter 11, Gilead cries out to Jephthah for rescue but there is a great deal of clear and intentional overlap.
The story of Abimelech is an example that is meant for our instruction. Some examples are positive and should be followed. That's not the case here. It illustrates very clearly what we are NOT to do.
On a day when families across our country are gathering around their thanksgiving table – we decided that we would gather this church family around ours.
The church in Ephesus was dealing with false teachers promoting a false gospel. They were adding extra steps to the essential message by claiming that people could only be saved by abstaining from certain foods and not marrying. The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to Timothy to help him stand firm. He reminds him of the one true gospel.
In this third episode of Gideon's life, the enemy has been defeated, but the Gideon that we see here in chapter 8 doesn't look much like the man that we've been watching over these last few weeks. Up to this point, there's been an upward moral trajectory in Gideon's life but here – where we expect a triumphant conclusion – things begin to fall apart.
The Gideon we find here at the end of chapter 6 is not the same man we met at the beginning. Something has changed. The Midianites returned with their raiding party but – while his old instinct was to go into hiding – Gideon responded differently this time around.
And in every other story in the book of Judges, the Lord immediately responded to Israel's cries by sending a deliverer. But this time – before sending a deliverer – the Lord sent a prophet. And the prophet had some hard words for Israel.
As we were reminded last Sunday, stories teach. The author is recounting this history – not simply so that we would know facts about Israel's history – but so that we would learn from it. Therefore, as we see Sisera lying in a tent with a peg through his temple, we ought to ask the question: What is the lesson here?
Sin imprisoned Israel in a downward spiral. And none of the judges had the power to break those chains! Ehud could kill King Eglon, but he couldn't stop Israel from running back to her idols.
We look more like the book of Judges then we dare to admit. We ALL have a little dumpster fire simmering within us. That's part of what makes the book of Judges so beautiful! Because – while we read about the most vile and despicable sin – we simultaneously see a God who pursues and restores the most vile and despicable sinners. God did not send His Son to save the shiny, perfect people – He sent His Son to save sinners.
The book of Judges is a hard book. It is a violent book. This is a book that reeks of the reality of what sinful people are capable of. While it is a difficult book – it is also a GOOD book! If we can stop squirming long enough to listen, then we will find in these chapters timeless warnings and hope-filled anticipations! We will see honest reflections of ourselves and wonderful glimpses of God's mercy!
If you have received the call to become a disciple of Jesus, the son of God, then do not take that lightly. Jesus has called you, and it is a tremendous honour and privilege to serve Christ and follow him!
Too many Christians truncate the good news of the gospel as if it stops at the cross. The gospel is MORE than the forgiveness of sin. It is also the glorious reality that we can now live in the presence of God once again! We can become who we were always intended to be: Image bearers of God living in His presence so that we might enjoy and glorify Him forever!
The law could restrain us, but it couldn't change us. And that is why God promised that something – or rather, Someone – greater than the law was coming – the Holy Spirit.
Christians have been reconciled to God through Christ so that we can be his ambassadors offering reconciliation to the world.
Every spiritual gift is valuable, but some gifts are more valuable – in the sense that they are more edifying for the church. This is the main point of chapter 14.
Our text for this morning is one of the most well-known passages in all the Bible – and for good reason. Here, we learn about the value and the nature of love.
We, as Christians, are empowered by the Holy Spirit. What does that empowering look like? In the Apostle Paul's letter to the Corinthians, he dedicates chapters 12-14 to this question. Over the next three weeks, we are going to work our way through these three chapters as we seek to develop a biblical understanding of these gifts that we have received.
This morning is Pentecost Sunday when we remember that – fifty days after Good Friday – the risen and exalted Christ, in union with the Father, sent the Holy Spirit to indwell His people. Today, we celebrate the mystery that – if we have confessed our sin and placed our trust in Jesus – the God of the universe dwells in us!
In today's message, we will discuss who the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit does.
Today we are beginning a new, eight-part series in which we will be focusing on the Person and the work of the Holy Spirit. Ezekiel 36:25-27
If you are a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, then your life should slowly and steadily – degree by degree – be coming into conformity with the life described in this Sermon.
In our text today we look another form of hostility encountered by those who follow Christ – the demonic. This is not a comfortable topic for us, especially in a post-enlightenment culture where empiricism is the only excepted mode of truth. We have trouble with these "unseen" realities. The demonic is also scary and so we are tempted to skip over it.
The book of 1 Corinthians was written to the church in Corinth to address several key issues. One of the issues that Paul addresses is the chaos and self-centeredness that had become their worship services.
On Easter Sunday, we celebrate what we as Christians believe to be the most significant, world-transforming event in history. Easter Sunday is the day that death died. If it were not for the resurrection every funeral would be final. However, when Jesus stepped out of the tomb 2,000 years ago, he proved that sin and death no longer have the final word.
Without a word of self-defence, Jesus suffered the vilest expression of our sin. He was about to purchase redemption for sinners. In his suffering, he was making a way for crass, violent, hateful, godless sinners –sinners like you and me – to receive forgiveness!
In our text for this morning, Jesus turns his attention to those who have chosen to walk the narrow way, and he warns us that there are some who believe they are saved who are actually deceived – deceived by others, and even deceived by themselves. Some people think they are on the right road, but they are heading towards ruin.
As we go through the Sermon on the Mount we can see that the golden rule is not a new development in Jesus' sermon; it's the summary of it and it demands a response.
What is Jesus inviting us to ask for in this passage? What or Who is he promising to give?
Unforgiveness refuses to release another person from a debt that is owed. Bad judgement will not rest until every blemish – every fault – is brought out into the light to be scrutinized. Is that how God dealt with you? Is that the judgement that you received?
In today's passage, we see and know who Jesus is. We also discover how Jesus faced - and overcame - temptation.
Last week Jesus warned us not to succumb to greed. He reminded us that it is foolish and faithless to devote our lives to the storing up of treasure here on earth because everything on earth will ultimately fade away. Now, he turns his attention to the topic of anxiety and – at first glance – this feels like a new subject entirely but it isn't.
The hypocrite seeks treasure in the praise and approval of others. The worldly person seeks treasure in the comforts and pleasures of this life. Both are chasing the wrong treasure. Both are living in unbelief.
If you choose to fast, trust that the Lord will meet you in your fasting. He will reorient your appetites and grow in you a deeper longing for Him. He will listen to your prayer and He will answer.
The mission of John the Baptist was to turn people back to God, which would be made evident in their turning to one another. And in that way, people would be prepared to see the Lord.
We live in a culture that HATES forgiveness. Forgiveness gives the offender a mercy that they do not deserve. Jesus knows that forgiveness is HARD. As we consider this passage, we will see that the principle itself is clear, but the application is challenging.
In our sin, we will be tempted to treat prayer like a magic formula. But – as Jesus reminded us – our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we even ask Him. After giving that correction, Jesus presents us here with a model prayer that is striking in its simplicity.
Our passage this morning reminds us that alone in our humanity. There is someone who has suffered as we have. There is someone who has experienced our strife. There is someone who knows what it means to be a human—Jesus Christ, Son of Man and Son of God.
Today's passage draws our attention to the family that raised Jesus, and the worshippers who praised Jesus.
The Zechariah that we find in this passage is 'singing a different tune' than the Zechariah we met previously. Finally, by God's grace, he gets it! He understands! He delights! And he opens his mouth in holy prophesy! This morning, we're going to listen to and worship along with the song of Zechariah.
Mary gives us the example par excellence of humble, biblical and authentic worship. She has intimate knowledge of God's character as told through the arch of the Old Testament redemptive narrative and this is the fertile soil out of which her praise grows.
Our God has proven time and time again that He doesn't look for the strongest, the most charismatic, or the most impressive to accomplish His will. This week we will look at Gabriel's announcement to Mary and her response.
Luke wrote this Gospel so that we would have certainty concerning the things we have been taught. He compiled written and verbal accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and then – under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit – he recorded what we have before us. Luke was a thorough, thoughtful, meticulous historian. He wrote this Gospel that you may know the history of your faith.
In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is warning us not to trade treasure in heaven for a pat on the back in the foyer. Don't trade eternal glory for a temporary boost to your pride.
In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is focusing on how we can live righteously without succumbing to pride and hypocrisy. Today, we are going to zoom in on the first lesson which focuses on our giving.
Biblical giving is about our vision of and response to who God really is! IT IS ABOUT WORSHIP!
This is that last of the "You have heard that it was said, but I say to you" sayings in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has been correcting the misinterpretation and misapplication of the law that was being taught by the scribes and pharisees.
Over the last few weeks, Jesus has been correcting the scribes' and the pharisees' misunderstanding and misapplication of the law. In some cases, they were leading people to do the EXACT OPPOSITE of what the law required! To understand this correction, then we first need to understand the original law and the ways that the scribes and the pharisees distorted it.
The religion of the pharisees was DEAD. It was fuelled by PRIDE and empowered by LAW – but THAT ROAD LEADS TO RUIN! The obedience God requires is to be fuelled by LOVE and empowered by the SPIRIT.
The Apostle Paul calls us to look beyond our ever-changing circumstances and to REJOICE in the unchanging hope of glory that is ours in Christ.
God makes a promise, through His Son, of loyal love to us where He passionately acts in our best interest despite our brokenness and sin. This love acts sacrificially, in the face of imperfection and changing performance.
Last Sunday we learned that followers of Jesus are to be marked by a righteousness that is qualitatively different than that of the scribes and Pharisees. Their righteousness was merely external, but our righteousness will flow from transformed hearts. For the rest of chapter 5, Jesus is going to contrast the OLD standard of the scribes and Pharisees with his NEW standard.
In our passage for this morning, we are transitioning into a new section of the Sermon. In this section, Jesus will teach us HOW WE NOW SHOULD LIVE.
All truth is important to God but some truths are more important to our spiritual flourishing than others.
Psalm 84 is written by a brother who is convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that a life lived in worship is better than anything that this world has to offer.
In our passage for this morning, God will give us clear instruction about the worshipful response that He desires from us as we gather.
In today's passage, the God who made us is calling us to look past our circumstances and our feelings and engage in the worship for which we were made. He is calling us OUT of self-absorption and INTO God-adoration- Living as we do in a culture where we are all but enslaved by our feelings, this is a wakeup call that we need to hear time and time again.
Having a true vision of God as both great and good, as transcendent and immanent, is our deepest need. Psalm 139 gives a beautiful picture of this God in all His greatness and goodness.
Regardless of whether Psalm 24 was written for the return of the Ark to mount Zion in Jerusalem, or for another triumphant procession, it applies to EVERY TRIUMPHANT MOMENT OF GOD. The Ark coming home was a foretaste of the coming of Jesus and his Ascension to his rightful place, which is a foretaste of his second coming, which is the BEGINNING OF UNCEASING WONDERS.
Psalm 77 is a Psalm of lament. It is a Psalm that helps guide us in our sorrow and suffering. It kneels down in the muck and the mess of life beside us. It meets us in our darkness, and it helps point us to the light.
The metaphors that Jesus uses in today's passage, just like the beatitudes, highlight and emphasize our distinctiveness from the world and our witness to the world. The overarching point is that Christians are different from the world around them and, through their difference, they are able to witness to the world.
This, the final beatitude, serves to build off of the others- it adds to our understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
The self-realizing, self-forgetting aspect of meekness, the complete and utter trust and dependence on God that allows us to be meek, has a direct bearing on the ability of the Christian to be a peacemaker.
Being pure in heart is inherently tied to mourning our sin and the desire to be redeemed. If we do not see our impurity, we cannot long for purity.
All of the beatitudes are built upon the foundation laid by being poor in spirit, recognizing our desperate need for Jesus and mourning over our brokenness and sinfulness. As we turn our attention to the text this morning we will see this progression and how it naturally leads to being merciful.
Our beatitude todays flows out of the first three, namely being poor in spirit, mourning over sin, becoming meek This creates a hunger and thirst for doing things God's way.
There has been a clear logical progression from the first beatitude, blessed are the poor in spirit, to the second beatitude, blessed are those who mourn. We have seen that when we recognize our sinfulness and our brokenness it leads to a place of mourning and repentance.The progression moves from the heart of brokenness and mourning that the Christian demonstrates to how that heart posture changes our relationship towards God and towards the world around us.
This week we are looking at the second beatitude, blessed are those who mourn, which builds upon the foundation laid by the first beatitude, blessed are the poor in spirit.
The sermon on the mount is not telling people how to get saved. It is telling saved people how to live. In the first beatitude, being poor in spirit leads to God's approval which in turn leads to happiness, satisfaction, and joy, and that progression is incredibly significant.
Luke ends his book here with Paul preaching the gospel to the Jewish leaders in Rome with this most important fact- It is ALL ABOUT JESUS.
In today's passage, God demonstrates Paul's credentials as his spokesperson. He does that through the consistent pattern of the Bible, through signs and wonders, and he also does it through drawing a clear connection from Paul to Christ.
God's providence is the way he uses his sovereign power to govern all creation throughout all time to accomplish his good purposes. That is what we are seeing demonstrated in Acts 27. We are seeing God's wise and purposeful sovereignty- we are seeing his providence on full display.
In today's passage, we are looking at Paul's final defense before the Roman authorities. Paul's speech in Acts 26 is his climactic defense of the Christian faith in the book of Acts.
There is the path to righteousness and life, and the path to wickedness and death. Psalm 1 describes the nature of the path of righteousness and the benefits that are gained by following this path as well as the curses that will come from rejecting this path and following the path to wickedness.
Today's passage teaches about one of the most important messages for the Church today - unity within the Church. It isn't optional for us. It is at the very heart of the Christian life.
In today's passage, Paul is in prison, and he is caught up in a legal battle. A lawyer is going to put forward a case against him, Paul is going to respond, and then he's going to sit in a cell for two years.
John was the only gospel writer to include the story of Thomas refusing to believe the resurrection. Not only did he include it, but he has positioned it to function as the CLIMAX of his Gospel. John saw something powerful here. What do we learn from the story of doubting Thomas--
Today's text says that Jesus endured the cross -FOR the joy that was set before him.- This raises an important question. What is this -joy- that was set before Jesus--
On this Palm Sunday, we are going to read past the familiar story that describes the King's arrival and read onto a less familiar story that describes the King's heart.
In today's passage, the Apostle Paul is standing before the Roman tribune and the Jewish council. Paul starts this hearing by claiming that he is more concerned about how God would judge him than the Jewish council or even the Romans would, and in doing so, he says that his conscience is clean. The question for ourselves is- Are we more concerned with the way we are seen by God or the crowd we find ourselves surrounded by--
To prevent the crowds from murdering the Apostle Paul, the Roman tribute carried him away.-But as they reach the top of the steps, Paul made a strange request. He wanted to speak to the crowd. Even in this broken state, Paul saw an opportunity to share the hope that he had with the very people who are trying to kill him.
Paul was doing his very best to overcome this division in the church, and he had every hope that this Jerusalem offering would finally bind the church together but the greeting he received when he arrived was not what he was expecting.
Prophecy is a gift that God has given to His church so it would be unwise of us to refuse one of the tools that our Father has given to us for our good.
In our passage today, Paul is just about to set sail for Jerusalem, but before he departs, he needs to make sure that the elders in Ephesus understand that he is passing on the baton of leadership and that they understand what it will look like to shepherd the church in the days to come.
Following the riot in Ephesus that we considered last Sunday, Paul sets off and makes his way back to Jerusalem. In today's passage, we find a record of Paul's travel log along with a brief account of his visit in Troas.
Last week we saw the beginnings of the transformation of Ephesus by the preaching of the Gospel and changed lives. This week the transformation continue. Authentic disciples of Christ, living differently, living -THE WAY-, as salt and light is REVOLUTIONARY. And by their WITNESS they turn places upside down and, in today's text, cause a riot.
This morning we are catching a glimpse into the kind of ministry that turned Ephesus upside down.
In our passage this morning, we are going to read about two different episodes in the early days at Ephesus. In both episodes, Paul and his team encounter people in Ephesus who are well-intentioned but ill-informed. In particular, it appears that there was confusion surrounding the issue of baptism.
In today's passage we find the Apostle Paul feeling a bit beaten down and yet ministering faithfully in the city of Corinth. Looking back, we can see all the ways that God was working but Paul couldn't see it at the time. None of us can when we are living through it. But there are valuable lessons in this story.
The first advent swung the door of repentance and restoration wide open to the world and we are living in that season of grace and opportunity right now- Now is the time to bring this good news to the world because, in the second advent, that door of repentance will once and for all be shut. In the second coming, the child in the manger will return as a Warrior King riding on a battle horse and wearing a robe dipped in blood. Upon his return he will judge the world with perfect, uncompromising justice. This morning, we are going to focus our attention on the promise of the return of the King.
Matthew begins his gospel with a genealogy and we ask ourselves why-- He means for us to see that this child is the CHILD THAT THE WORLD HAS BEEN WAITING FOR- The Old Testament threads of promise - the longings and the expectations and the hopes of the people of God - hopes of an eternal kingdom, a blessing to the nations, and the defeat of our spiritual enemy - are all finding their glorious fulfilment in this birth--
God promised that a child would come who - at great cost to himself - would once and for all defeat our spiritual enemy and redeem and restore this broken world. Who is this child-- What will he be-- How will he set this world right--
The most important goal of this series is that we would come away with a greater understanding of who Jesus is and why he is EVERYTHING that this world needs. He is the light of the world- He is our peace- We need to celebrate and share that this Christmas season-
Despite the Apostle Paul's early success in Corinth, he was weary and in need of encouragement. The encouragement that he received is encouragement that each and every one of us will need to draw from in seasons of our own weariness.
As we evangelize today, we can't take for granted that the person we are speaking with has the same image of God that we have. We will often find ourselves witnessing to people who hold to other worldviews. In our passage this morning, we find a powerful example of how to do this.
In today's text, Luke is giving us two Masterclasses. One on how to do mission from the missionary master Paul, and the other in good listening courtesy of the Bereans.
Today, we will be focusing on Paul's ministry in a Macedonian city called Philippi. Our passage today is full of persecution and adversity but it was worth it.
Our passage today helps us to answer one of the most frequently asked questions in the church. How can I discern where God is leading me--
To what lengths would you be willing to go to make the gospel known around the world-- What sacrifices would you be willing to make--
In our text today, Paul and Barnabas - two of the speakers from the council who helped to foster this beautiful unity in the church - get into a dispute about their next missionary journey. The men who helped to bridge the cultural divide in the congregation find themselves unable to bridge the personal divide in their own relationship.
The Jerusalem Council forms the CENTRE of the book of Acts both structurally and theologically.- Acts 15 brings us to arguably the most significant decision in the history of the New Testament church.
As Canada stops today to give thanks, the greatest and the most profound thanksgiving should spring up from the church, for who has more to be thankful for than the people of God--
Today's passage is about the final leg of the Apostle Paul's first intentional, cross-cultural missions trip. Paul is breaking new ground as he makes his way into communities that have never heard the gospel. This reality should frame how we study this passage. This is a story about missions.
Our natural tendency to avoid correction has plagued humanity ever since the fall but it has become easier than ever to drown out and ignore all corrective voices in our lives.
Individualism is a big topic in on our culture's all-consuming emphasis on self. This individualism can creep into the church. That's a frightening reality. The church is supposed to provide us with a little foretaste of heaven, but when the church is filled with 150 people asking, -What's in it for me--- it becomes instead a little foretaste of hell.
The world despises leadership. We don't trust leaders and we don't think we need them. But, how are we supposed to receive leadership-- How does it work in God's design--
We avoid confrontation like the plague. That would involve meeting with people that we disagree with in person. That would involve looking them in the eye. That would involve a real conversation that might actually lead to real change. That's scary. Matthew 18-15-20
We are - by and large - a microwave culture. We demand quick results. Why read a book when you can read a tweet-- Unlike our ancestors who placed seeds in the soil and waited for crops to grow, we get what we need with the click of a mouse. Our target today is instant gratification.
Our topic this morning is self-reliance. It may seem far less sinister than other traits we've look at but of all the topics we will discuss in this series, this way of thinking has gained the most traction in the church.
This week we will study a problem that is pervasive. It is dangerously subtle, and terribly destructive. We will look at what God's Word says about the idolization of feelings.
Tribalism refers to the -us and them- mentality that fuels so much of the rage in our culture. In our passage this morning, we are reminded that long before social media or Canadian politics, this sin of tribalism existed, and it even crept into the church.
In our passage this morning, the Apostle Paul reminds us that right living is actually the heart of right worship when he tells us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship.
Today we will use John 3-16 as a litmus test to see whether or not we have lost something of the wonder that should characterize us as we think about what God has done to rescue us.
Today we are going to be looking at some of Paul's final encouragements to the Philippian Church. And these are encouragements that we desperately need to hear today.
Our passage this morning is the one and only instance where Luke records for us the content of one of Paul's synagogue sermons. Acts 13-13-52
Our passage this morning tells the story of the first stage of Paul's missionary travels where we will discover some valuable lessons in launching out.
In chapter 13, the focus of the story shifts away from Peter. From now on we will be following the Apostle Paul in his missionary journeys. In today's message we see the first account of a church sending out cross-cultural missionaries.
Our God delights in using the ordinary- Ordinary men. Ordinary women. Ordinary churches. Ordinary prayer meetings. These ordinary means are the tools that God has entrusted to us to TRANSFORM the WORLD-
In today's message, we will be considering how God desires to be known by his people. This isn't something unique to the Exodus story - it's all through the Bible, rooted in the character and purposes of God.
In today's passage, we see God purposefully providing for, sustaining and governing His church.
Who are you-- The way that you answer that question will shape everything about you. Which is why, in our passage this morning, the Apostle Paul is determined to make sure that we answer that question correctly.
The Church has always had barriers to break through and in Acts 10, God moved and shattered the barriers that once stood between the Jews and the gentiles. He broke down the religious and cultural barriers and answered the question, 'is salvation for the Jews only--' with an emphatic NO-
In today's passage we see that Jesus knows how to prepare and position his people for what's next. That's the big idea in this passage, but there are also some wonderful little lessons that we will learn along the way.
By looking into these -hidden years- in the life of the Apostle Paul we can learn something about how God shapes and moulds human character. This story provides an illustration of God's careful, slow and quiet Providence in the lives of those he calls into Christian service.
Our passage this morning takes place five days after the Palm Sunday celebrations. The roar of celebration has subsided, and a new roar - a roar of hatred and violence - is about to erupt. In our text today, King Jesus will be put on trial.
In our passage this morning, we will see how the disciples faired as the darkness descended.
Before Jesus would fix his gaze on Calvary and before he would step into our suffering - before the resolve of Good Friday - we find the distressed prayer of maundy Thursday.
In today's passage, Jesus offering two sobering warnings to his disciples, followed by three comforting truths
What does greatness look like-- What is the standard by which you would measure it-- In our passage this morning, the disciples are wrestling with these questions.
Our passage this morning describes the institution of the Lord's Supper - a meal that took place on the night that Jesus was betrayed.
It would have been hard to find a Christian in those days whose life had not been soured in some way by Saul of Tarsus. He was infamous. He was wicked. He was a lost cause. Saul needed a comprehensive, head-to-toe-to-mind-to-heart TRANSFORMATION- And that's what happened on the road to Damascus.
In our text this morning, Philip has this incredible encounter with a man whom God has singled out to hear the Gospel. This man did not belong in the covenant community and, yet, God specifically, intentionally, and with great care sends Philip to bring the light of the Gospel of Jesus to him.
Thus far in the story, we have watched as the gospel of Jesus Christ has transformed the city of Jerusalem. But here, in Acts 8, the gospel is beginning its spread to the nations-
Last week we learned about the martyrdom of Stephen. Instead of responding in fear, the Church grew both in numbers and resilience and, in doing so, testified to the truth of Jesus' words.
In today's passage, we find the longest sermon in the book of Acts, and we meet the first martyr of the New Testament church.
In the face of threats, and scandals, the gospel is proclaimed, and the church grows- The jealous religious and political leaders watch on with contempt, and we find their response in our passage for this morning.
Zephaniah warned the people of Judah that time had run out and God would execute His justice and vengeance on sin. But it would not be the end of the world. For as we will see this morning, after the storm of judgement comes, God promises to make all things new.
This Sunday, we will turn our attention to the prophet Micah, who lived some 300 years after King David.
In our text today, we find King David living in an unprecedented time of peace and victory. In this moment of triumph, God speaks to David, and he expands even further upon the glorious promise that we have been tracking.
Who can fix this broken world-- Who can fix my broken heart-- The Bible tells us that there is only one solution - we need DIVINE INTERVENTION- And, praise God, we have received a promise that help is on the way- We saw that promise in Genesis 3, and we find it again in our passage this morning.
This Advent season we will be looking at promises made in the Old Testament. The first one is found in Genesis 3-15, and it is a curious place to start because it is a promise that is made not to Adam or to Eve, but to the devil.
Today we will look at King Hezekiah and how he handled being confronted by Assyria along with three temptations to be avoided when we are in over our heads.
The story in this passage is amazing and it raise some difficult questions but before we unpack it, we need to keep in mind two simpler question---What do we see in this story-- -What are we to make of signs and wonders--
The God of Acts 5-1-11 feels foreign and even offensive to many. And if you were reading your Bible at home, you might just rush past that feeling as quickly as possible. But we won't be rushing past anything this morning because we need to know God for WHO HE IS, not who we imagine Him to be.
And in our text this morning, we get a snapshot of the early Church persevering and thriving as they met the challenges that came their way.
The Sanhedrin has issued their warning- If you keep speaking about Jesus, we're going to do to you what we did to your King. The Apostles have drawn their line in the sand- We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. The church is about to feel the wrath of the world. How will they respond--
Our passage this morning is the second half of the story that we considered last Sunday - Peter and John and the healing of the man lame from birth. The lame man is dancing, Peter is preaching, and the crowd is repenting and believing- Our text this morning picks up in the middle of that scene where we discover that the religious leaders in the temple are fuming. Peter response as only someone filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit can.
Our passage this morning begins to recount how the Apostles engaged in the first stage of their four-part assignment - the witness to Jerusalem.
In our passage this morning, we find a summary of how the church engaged with stage one - their ministry in Jerusalem. They were a healthy church - and their neighbours were compelled by what they saw.
The Christian life is joy-filled, but it is also simultaneously heart-breaking. It is glorious and exhausting - exhilarating and debilitating. It is up and down and everything in between. Nevertheless, if you are a Christian then, by the grace of God, you will continue to put one foot in front of the next. Because, according to Jesus -Matthew 24-13-, the one who endures to the end will be saved.
The believer, when confronted with anxiety, depression, indecision, uncertainty and hardship naturally has to ask themselves, again and again, WHO IS THE GOD IN WHOM I TRUST-- Why do I trust Him-- Is He mighty to save-- Psalm 111 helps us answer this today.
What is the greatest invitation you have ever received-- This morning we are going to look at the greatest invitation that we have ever been given. And that invitation is found in Luke 14 in a parable Jesus told- The Great Banquet.
The way that you respond to hardship, spend your money, treat your neighbour - the way you conduct yourself when no one is watching - EVERYTHING about you is shaped and dictated by your view of God. Who is He-- What does He require of you-- What will it be like when you stand before Him-- When you think about God, what do you see--
Christ followers are worshipers - that is our purpose - why we were created. As worshipers, in relationship with God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, worship is what we have been called to do, as a way of life, all the time. --What we do personally, privately, and then live out publicly, gets poured out as an offering on the Lord's Day in corporate worship.
All of God's Word is good but TODAY's passage represents one of the top three transformative events in the history of creation- If by God's grace, we can be helped to understand and to BELIEVE what we find here in these 13 verses, then our families, our workplaces and our cities will never be the same-
At first glance, the events during the 10-day period between the Ascension and Pentecost seem entirely uneventful and, one might even say, ordinary. But Luke - inspired by the Holy Spirit - saw something significant here, and he means for us to see it too.
The disciples had every reason to believe that the Kingdom of God was about to be realized. They weren't wrong to be thinking about the Kingdom as they looked at their resurrected King. But their question reveals that they didn't yet understand the timeline or the nature of the Kingdom.
In today's passage, the Apostle Paul is demonstrating one of the most important requirements for unity within the Church- humility. This morning we will see that unity is the result of humility. We will see the recipe for humility in Christ, and we will see the ultimate reward for humility.
This first chapter in Acts serves as a transitional chapter. In these opening verses, Luke is building a bridge from the conclusion of Jesus' earthly ministry as described in the Gospel of Luke to the beginning of the ministry of the Holy Spirit empowered church.
Our passage this morning was written to help Timothy to pastor the rich Christians in his church. But nowhere was Timothy instructed to shame the wealthy Christians into getting rid of their possessions. On the contrary, Timothy is instructed to remind these wealthy Christians that every good gift they have is from God.
Sometimes it is difficult for a congregation to see how a letter like 1 Timothy can be relevant to them. But behind every fallen leader is a church that allowed them to lead or allowed them to play fast and loose with the Bible. A church that often found themselves saying- -Something doesn't seem right here, but who's to say-- Who really knows how the church should operate--- The answer-- You do-
In today's passage, the Apostle Paul speaks to the challenge that Timothy will face leading a church that consists of a large number of slaves. How do you shepherd people who are still living under the yoke of slavery-- When your church is facing injustice and oppression, what is it that they need to hear from their pastor--
To thrive means living the life you were made to live in Christ. The reason why Christians are to put Godliness over earthly gain is because, for the Christian, Godliness IS Gain.
We do not like to experience negative emotions- we don't like to talk with people who are negative and going through pain. We do not want to make other people uncomfortable by talking about our trials and our sadness. But the Bible tells us in Romans 12-15 to weep with those who are weeping, and the Psalms of Lament are uniquely able to help equip us to do this.
Our Psalm last week - Psalm 88 - was a song that gave voice to private grief. Our Psalm this morning - Psalm 80 - is a song that gives voice to corporate grief.
Our text this morning is, without a doubt, the saddest Psalm in the Psalter. Unlike the rest of the Psalms of Lament, Psalm 88 does not end on a note of hopefulness. Is a believer allowed to pray that way- Are we allowed to sing songs that don't end with a note of triumph-
Through our victorious Saviour and Lord, we can enjoy a true, deep and lasting peace from God, even in the most difficult circumstances of life.
While none of us is Timothy, and most of us are not pastors or elders, we are ALL called to ministry in our various spheres of life. We are a KINGDOM of PRIESTS- The lessons in this letter will make us better mentors and better evangelist. This word is FOR YOU.
The Ephesian elders had been charged by the Apostle Paul to protect the people of God but they failed in their assignment. In this passage, Paul is addressing the issues that the elders should have addressed. He's knocking down lies and pointing the church toward the truth.
This morning we will answer two questions. What would the Apostle Paul have us understand about our individual yet interdependent identity and how do we receive this interdependent identity-
God is fiercely protective and unapologetically particular about His church. But we will never understand why that is until we understand what the church is.
Last week we studied the qualifications for the elders of the church - the men who are called to teach and to exercise authority. Today, Paul has set before us the qualifications for the deacons - those whose ministry it is to serve.
We need to learn a lesson from the crisis in the church in Ephesus so as not to repeat it- An unhealthy eldership will RUIN a church. And WE ALL will be held accountable if that ever
Our passage this morning is part of an extended teaching on how men and women should conduct themselves in the church. In verse 8 the Apostle Paul gave instructions for the men- They were to stop fighting and to start praying. In verses 9-10 he began his instructions for the women- They were to stop treating the corporate worship gathering like it was a beauty pageant and they were to instead clothe themselves with good works. Our text today represents the second half of Paul's instruction on how women were to conduct themselves in the worship gathering. -1 Timothy 2-11-15
Today we will be looking at the fourth woman in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus - the fourth curious footnote. This addition is perhaps more curious than all the rest. This fourth woman is not even named- That's odd because Matthew knew her name- He is referring here to Bathsheba, yet he intentionally introduces her in this genealogy as the wife of Uriah.
No cause is too small for our God, just as no problem is too big for Him. We are going to see this today in the life of Ruth - God does great things through ordinary people.
We are separated by a great chasm - a chasm that we created with our sin and rebellion. God saw us in our sin and our ruin, and He built a bridge across the great chasm - a bridge that was firmly planted on both sides- Jesus is the way home-
Our passage this morning is built on a premise that has been universally accepted by every generation up to our day, but which has recently been dismissed as barbaric and out of touch. Our passage this morning is built upon the premise that men and women are equal but different. In this text, Paul instructs Timothy to pass along one set of instructions for the men in Ephesus and another set of instructions for the women in Ephesus because Paul understands that men and women face different temptations and, therefore, need different encouragements.
In Ephesus, some opponents had begun to restrict the Gospel to only a select group. There were certain criteria that had to be met in order for you to qualify for the good news of Jesus Christ. This was a HORRIFIC belief that had to be stopped dead in its tracks.
When we are too afraid to say the things that need to be said - when we compromise on our convictions and make peace with sin - we murder souls. Evidently, as we will see in our text this morning, this is what the Apostle Paul believed. 1 Timothy 1-18-20
In our text this morning, the Apostle Paul shares his testimony, and he declares emphatically, -I - the Apostle Paul - was a sinner who needed a saviour- And I have a Saviour- And his name is JESUS--
A love for controversies, speculations and bunny trails was causing the Ephesian Elders to run off track. So as we learned last week, Paul told Timothy to stay in Ephesus to set things right because when leaders fall, the people suffer, and Paul saw that no good would come in this Church if serious changes weren't made. 1 Timothy 1-8-11
The Book of Psalms is the Holy Spirit-inspired hymnal of the church. Here, in the final Psalm, the book comes to a close with a crescendo of praise- On this Thanksgiving Sunday, we look into how we can apply this Psalm to the church today. Psalm 150
The word catholic, as it appears in the Creed, is simply another term for the word -universal.-
The introduction to Communion at the Redeemer City Campus of Cornerstone Baptist Church, Orillia held on March 1, 2020