Forest Park Church Sermons: Recent Episodes
Forest Park Church
Welcome to the weekly audio podcast of Forest Park Church in Waldorf, MD where our mission is to make disciples who have good theology, live in biblical community and live missional lives. visit us at fp.church
In our text today Paul is going to show them that if they are exercising their spiritual gifts in love, their main concern then would be the building up of the church, especially when gathering for corporate worship. That would mean at times they would put some spiritual gifts to the side and exercise other spiritual gifts. Because there are some spiritual gifts that are more edifying in the gathering of corporate worship than others.
In our passage today, Paul is going to show them that no matter what spiritual gift the Spirit gives and empowers them with, that gift does not benefit anyone unless they use it in love. Love is not a spiritual gift. Love is essential for using spiritual gifts and is more important than spiritual gifts.
As Paul is addressing the issue regarding spiritual gifts, Paul is showing the church that God is the giver of diverse spiritual gifts to a united church. We will discover the purpose and power of spiritual gifts.
In our text today, as Paul is addressing the abuse of the Lord’s Supper, Paul is going to reveal the underline problem, the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper, the appropriate approach to the Lord’s Supper and the solution to their problem.
Paul is addressing the wearing of head coverings. We cannot understand this text without understanding the historical-cultural context. We discover that men wore head coverings during corporate worship to flaunt their social status and women removed their head coverings to flaunt their rebellion and life of promiscuity. Paul shows them that men wearing heading coverings during corporate worship dishonors Christ and women who remove their head coverings dishonor their husbands. Paul is going to give them three reasons why they should not be doing it.
Paul is finishing addressing the issue of eating food offered to idols that Christians must not participate in eating food sacrifices to idols if it leads to the participation in worshipping idols. For a Christian cannot participate in the Lord’s Supper and participate in pagan religious ceremony. Instead, he instructs the church to glorify God by building up others in everything they do.
Paul in our text is going to give us the reason why it is so important for a Christian to live like a Christian. Because our eternal life depends on it. So, we must exercise self-control and flee from idolatry.
As Paul continues to address the issue of eating food offered to idols, he uses his lifestyle as an example to imitate, that there are times where we give up some of our rights for the sake of the gospel.
1 Corinthians 8 goes far beyond whether or not the people in Corinth should eat meat offered to idols. Paul teaches us that true knowledge doesn’t lead to pride. Rather, true knowledge leads us to love God and love one another. We are created by God and exist for him in Christ Jesus.
Paul is going to address engaged people who are planning to get married and whether they should pursue marriage. It does seem that some of the Corinthians might have believed that it was sinful to get married considering the “present distress”, and Paul responded that it is not sinful, but may not be the most prudent. The work that we need to do to understand the text and apply it to our lives is to understand what Paul meant by the “present distress” and take a closer look at his recommendations.
As Paul is addressing the issue of divorce, he is addressing two groups of people and for each group he describes the ideal situation and the not so ideal situation. The first group are the people that are married, and the second group are the Christians who are married to non-believers. Paul lays out the general principle that should guide each one in the various situations.
Paul gives the church of Corinth instructions and wisdom about marriage and singleness. Paul shows us that both marriage and singleness are a gift from the Lord and the way we navigate through this is to lead the life the Lord has assigned us.
Paul is addressing the issue of sexual immorality, where some Corinthian men are defending their behavior by using common slogans among the Corinthians. Paul would take their slogan and refute their arguments with gospel truths by reminding them of who they are in Christ and what Christ has done for them.
The nation of Israel is facing difficult and trying times as the 12 tribes have split into two Kingdoms moving further away from God. Making matters worse, neighboring Assyria grows stronger threatening to take over, and Israel’s leaders turn to other nations for help instead of relying on God. Despite the repeated failures of Kings past though, the prophet Isaiah delivers a message of hope to Israel showing them how one day the Lord will raise up a King from the lineage of David. This King will have the Spirit of God and rule with all righteousness over the whole earth in ushering in God’s Kingdom. This King, will never fail, but will provide a true hope to all who turn to Him. That King is Jesus Christ!
One of the purposes that the Lord is accomplishing in the book of Daniel is that even though God’s people are taken into captivity, God is using His people to serve as a witness of Him. We have already seen king Nebuchadnezzar’s confession and in the infamous story of Daniel and the lion’s den, we are going to see the confession of king Darius. We learn that the Lord glorifies himself and makes himself known among the nations through Daniel’s unjust death sentence and the rescuing of Daniel as Daniel remained faithful to the Lord.
A major theme in the book of Daniel is that the Lord is sovereign over human kingdoms, and He gives it to anyone He wants. The last king of Babylon, Belshazzar is going to learn this the hard way that the writing is on the wall. We learn that it is better to learn from the consequences of someone else’s foolish choices than to choose foolishness ourselves and face its consequences. If the Lord sees our sins, confronts it, exposes it, and deals with it, where do we turn to? Jesus.
Our missionaries and church planters Max and Jennifer Kennedy from Nicaragua provide an update and message about stepping out for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 8:13 teaches us that the Lord hates arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech. Perhaps no one in the Bible came to understand this truth better than King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Proud of his accomplishments and proud in his speech, he learned the hard way that pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall. He learned the hard way that you can be strutting like a king one day and living like an animal the next. He learned the hard way that the Most High God is God and he is not.
As we watch the story unfold in Daniel 3, we will discover men of courage, conviction, and commitment. But even more important we see a faithful God who did not deliver his people from the fire but was with them in the fire and delivered them out of the fire.
The Lord reveals His greatness to the nations by revealing the mystery of His kingdom and demonstrates His power. Christ is King who will rule for all eternity and His kingdom is unlike any other earthly kingdom.
The Lord reveals His greatness to the nations by revealing the mystery of His kingdom and demonstrates His power. Christ is King who will rule for all eternity and His kingdom is unlike any other earthly kingdom.
In Daniel 1:17 we are told that God gave Daniel understanding in “visions and dreams of every kind.” Now in chapter 2 we see how valuable this gift from the Lord is. A theme that is beginning to unfold is that the Lord creates impossible situations with the intentions to reveal His greatness to the nations. We learn that we respond to these impossible situations from the Lord through dependence in prayer and proclaiming His greatness to the nations.
In Daniel 1:17 we are told that God gave Daniel understanding in “visions and dreams of every kind.” Now in chapter 2 we see how valuable this gift from the Lord is. A theme that is beginning to unfold is that the Lord creates impossible situations with the intentions to reveal His greatness to the nations. We learn that we respond to these impossible situations from the Lord through dependence in prayer and proclaiming His greatness to the nations.
Daniel 1 is not a chapter about dieting, it is about courage to live our biblical convictions when compromise would be much easier. Daniel believed the Lord was better than Babylon and anything it could offer. Like Daniel we are exiles, and as exiles we must cling to the Lord as our only hope and remain faithful to live out biblical convictions.
Daniel 1 is not a chapter about dieting, it is about courage to live our biblical convictions when compromise would be much easier. Daniel believed the Lord was better than Babylon and anything it could offer. Like Daniel we are exiles, and as exiles we must cling to the Lord as our only hope and remain faithful to live out biblical convictions.
The Christian life is in one sense difficult, but in another sense it is simple. It is difficult because we are still sinners living in a cursed world, but it is simple because Jesus boils down the Christian life to two words: “Follow me”
On the evening of that resurrection Sunday, Jesus appeared to the disciples just as He appeared to Mary. What we see is how the disciples moved from grief-stricken cowering in fear to now fixing their gaze on their resurrected Savior. How they move from unbelief to believing as they are filled with peace and joy for the resurrection had changed everything.
On the evening of that resurrection Sunday, Jesus appeared to the disciples just as He appeared to Mary. What we see is how the disciples moved from grief-stricken cowering in fear to now fixing their gaze on their resurrected Savior. How they move from unbelief to believing as they are filled with peace and joy for the resurrection had changed everything.
After the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, all hope seems lost. The disciples have scattered about, and Jesus’ body lays still in a sealed tomb. Brokenhearted and no doubt discouraged, Mary Magdalene comes to Jesus’ grave 3 days later after the Sabbath to find the tomb unsealed. Confused and in shock, she alerts Peter and John to come see. What the disciples would soon discover is what is recorded as the greatest miracle and event in all of history. They would discover Jesus has risen, and that their faith and salvation through Christ would be assured forevermore!
After the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, all hope seems lost. The disciples have scattered about, and Jesus’ body lays still in a sealed tomb. Brokenhearted and no doubt discouraged, Mary Magdalene comes to Jesus’ grave 3 days later after the Sabbath to find the tomb unsealed. Confused and in shock, she alerts Peter and John to come see. What the disciples would soon discover is what is recorded as the greatest miracle and event in all of history. They would discover Jesus has risen, and that their faith and salvation through Christ would be assured forevermore!
As we get to the details of the crucifixion, John gives us these details not to amaze us, disgust us, or move us to compassion, but to help us believe. In sense the apostle John acts as a witness climbing into the stand and placing his hand on the Bible, making a solemn oath as an eyewitness with the intentions to cause us to believe, saying “I was there, I saw it with my own eyes. The reason I am telling you is so you will know that Scripture has been fulfilled and will believe on Jesus as the Messiah.”
As we get to the details of the crucifixion, John gives us these details not to amaze us, disgust us, or move us to compassion, but to help us believe. In sense the apostle John acts as a witness climbing into the stand and placing his hand on the Bible, making a solemn oath as an eyewitness with the intentions to cause us to believe, saying “I was there, I saw it with my own eyes. The reason I am telling you is so you will know that Scripture has been fulfilled and will believe on Jesus as the Messiah.”
A dominant theme of Jesus’s trial before Pilate is the kingship of Jesus. The garments the soldiers placed on him and the horrible crown they forced him to wear, the mockery of Pilate presenting Jesus is a weak and harmless king reveals that Jesus is a humble King who rules through his suffering.
In our text today a dominant theme of Jesus’s trial before Pilate is the kingship of Jesus. Four times Pilate publicly refers to Jesus as the “King of the Jews”. When Pilate gives into the people’s wishes and orders Jesus’s execution, he had a sign made that calls Jesus the King of the Jews. Not only does Pilate call Jesus the King, but the soldiers also dress him up and present him as a king in mockery. Why does Pilate continue to use the title “King of the Jews” to describe Jesus? Does Pilate believe Jesus is the prophesied King?
As John writes his account of the cross, he does not focus on human liability, but rather he is showing us every step of the way to the cross is planned and controlled by Jesus. Jesus himself said in John 10:17-18 “I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.” From a human perspective, it seems Jesus is swept to the cross by forces outside his control. John is showing us that Jesus orchestrates every encounter, and every event reveals his sovereign control.
While the weight of all the world’s sin is being placed on the shoulders of Jesus and the cross is waiting for Him, our unity is on His mind. We see the idea of being one is mentioned three times in our text and the purpose of this unity is so that the world may believe Jesus was sent by God the Father and that God the Father loves us as He loves Jesus. What does this unity that is so important to Jesus look like?
The hour has finally arrived. This hour was not just the hour that Jesus was preparing for, but the hour the whole world was anticipating. For the hour was the fulfillment of the promise made in the garden that God would send a rescuer to save humanity from sin. The moment when everything will change, when sinful creatures separated from their creator, can be restored, and enjoy fellowship with him. At the climax of the story, Jesus stops to pray.
The time was drawing near. Jesus would soon breath His last breath as He hung on the cross. This news, though not yet fully understood, was weighting on the disciples. They did not understand what was happening and how this could fit into God’s plan. The moment was full of sorrow and confusion, yet Jesus tells them that their sorrow will turn to joy and that this joy will endure regardless of circumstances. Which makes us wonder how can the darkest, dire, and depressing circumstances turn to joy? What is this joy and what does this joy look like?
Sorrow mingled with fear and anxiety gripped the hearts of the disciples as they looked ahead as Jesus spoke about leaving and the opposition that was waiting for them. In their sorrow Jesus comforted them. He tells them it is for their benefit that He leaves, because He will be sending the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will continue the ministry of Jesus, by exposing the darkness, guiding the disciples into all truth and glorify the Son.
Jesus wanted His disciples to be prepared for everything they would face when He was gone. As Jesus encouraged them to remain in Him, He now warns them of the opposition they would face. The more they remained in Christ, the richer their fellowship will be with the triune God which would propel them into the mission of God that would cause more separation from the world and would lead to opposition.
As the disciples travel at night in a boat across the sea of Galilee, they battle a vicious wind and turbulent waves. Tired and weary from their hours long journey, the disciples get the surprise of a lifetime as they see Jesus walking on the water besides them. As Peter comes to grips with the situation and seeks out the Lord by walking on water, he soon loses focus and begins to sink due to his little faith. In an amazing illustration of the Gospel, however, Jesus immediately saves Peter and meets him where he’s at, just as He does today with those who look to the cross and call upon His name!
John 15 contains a beautiful imagery of the vine and branches. This imagery speaks of the union between the believer and Christ. This union originated in Christ’s initiative and is sealed by his death on their behalf. The union is completed by the believer’s response of love and obedience. This is the essence of Christianity – our union with Christ.
As Jesus continued to encourage the hearts of the disciples, he begins to describe the relationship between the triune God and the disciples. This is not a relationship based on reciprocity, nor is it a relationship with no expectations, but rather it is a relationship of mutual love. What we are going to see is that this relationship between the disciples (believers) and Jesus mirrors the relationship among the three persons in the trinity.
The news of His coming departure, the betrayal by one of His own, and Peter’s denial was likely weighing heavy on their hearts. They did not understand what was happening. They had followed Jesus, and they believed Him to be the Messiah, but it seemed that life was not going as they had planned. Yet, Jesus did not leave them hopeless but pointed them to the hope that is found in him. The answer to their troubled hearts was Jesus.
In the darkest hour, Jesus’ focus is on the glory of God. This begs us to ask the question of how do our lives bring glory to God? Jesus calls us to follow Him and lay down our lives in humble service, and He is glorified when we do. Jesus calls us to love another, and He is glorified when the world takes notice. Jesus calls us to fix our eyes on the cross and point the world to the glory of the cross, and He is glorified when the cross is lifted high.
As Jesus prepares the disciples for the reality of his death and the pain of his departure, what will they need? The same thing every generation of disciples need, not an inspirational speech but a deeper understanding and experience of the gospel. This is precisely what Jesus does in his act of humility in washing their feet.
The book of John does not record the agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, but many of the same emotions that were expressed in the garden, we will see in our passage. Today, John gives us a glimpse into the heart of Jesus, the reason why He came and the reason for unbelief of the people.
The news of the resurrection of Lazarus was on everyone’s lips, and the question of Jesus’ identity dominated their conversations. When they heard Jesus was coming into the city, they came to meet Him, grabbing their palm branches in hope of salvation, singing the words of Psalm 118, “Lord give salvation now”. Jesus did not avoid the crowd who wanted to make him king, but rather he redirects to what type of king He is, by riding in on a young donkey.
John is showing us how Jesus is being honored by others even though they do not grasp the significance or meaning of what is happening. In this narrative he gives us two pictures between Mary and Judas. Mary is at the feet of Jesus adoring him in love, offering extravagant devotion and anointing him for his burial. Judas sits in condescending arrogance, not only questioning Mary’s action but judging Jesus’ willingness to accept such a gift.
The raising of Lazarus caused the religious authorities to decide to arrest and kill Jesus in fear of losing their power and privilege. Caiaphas, the high priest, unwittingly prophesied that Jesus’ death would be a substitutionary atonement. We see that the God of all grace is sovereignly at work, at all times and in all places and no council nor authority can frustrate His plans.
When Jesus saw Mary and the Jews crying, he was both angry and weeping. The same sin and death that prompted his outrage, also generated his grief. Moved by compassion He went to the tomb and with a loud voice He called Lazarus from death to life, revealing the glory of the Father. Since dead people cannot hear, this calling points to the divine calling, where Jesus calls His own out of the grave of their sin.
The people in Jerusalem wanted to arrest and kill Jesus for blasphemy. Yet Jesus escaped them because his time had not yet come. What calls him close to Jerusalem where He could possibly be arrested and killed is the appeal of Mary and Martha with the news that one of his dearest friends was ill. Yet when Jesus heard the news, he delayed two more days, and in their pain and confusion he revealed himself as the resurrection and the life.
As Jesus’ ministry continued, it seemed that the opposition continued to grow stronger and stronger. The Jews gathered around Jesus, and from their question it seemed like they wanted to know who Jesus was and believe on Him. However, after Jesus had told them and shown them that He was the Son of God and one with the Father they refused to acknowledge this truth and wanted to kill him. In a sense they claimed to want to believe, but truly they had come to condemn Him.
Immediately after the man was healed of his blindness and was kicked out by the religious leaders, Jesus began to speak of the true shepherd of Israel. In this imagery, he is comparing the true shepherd of Israel with the thieves, robbers and hired hands. At the end Jesus claimed to be the good shepherd, the true shepherd of Israel that the prophet Ezekiel spoke about.
The man who had been blind his entire life could now see, rather than the religious leaders rejoicing with the people, the healing was met with skepticism. The discussion between the religious leaders and the healed man revolved more around the identity of Jesus than the meaning of the miracle. Was Jesus from God or was He a sinner? When questioned, the healed man was not sure how to answer. Yet one thing he did know, was that he was blind, but now he could see.
Missionaries Rodney and Lindy Kidd from Mannheim Germany share the work the Lord has done as they planted churches that planted churches.
Chapter nine centers on one event in the life of Jesus. It is here that we see Jesus gives sight to a man born blind. In this miracle, we see one of the greatest demonstrations of what the gospel does and what salvation is. For through Christ, the blind can see.
Jesus continued his conversation with the Jews where he confronts their unbelief and gives the reason for their unbelief. At the heart they were believing lies and rejecting the way, the truth and the life that stood in front of them.
As Jesus spoke to the crowds, he spoke of the life and freedom that is found in being a true disciple. Throughout the book of John, we have seen many believing in the Lord. But not everyone had true faith and were genuine disciples. In our passage, Jesus speaks to those who were following Him and tells them what it means to be a true disciple.
During the celebration of the Feast of Shelters, the people looked back and remembered how God delivered and provided, and the people looked forward to God providing a Messiah to deliver and provide for them. In that moment Jesus stood up and declared that He was the light of the world. He was showing them that the whole Exodus of deliverance and provision was pointing to Him.
The question of who Jesus is rings throughout chapter seven as the people were amazed at Jesus. With questions swirling around who Jesus is, at the end of the feast, Jesus makes a passionate plea to the pilgrims before they departed to their hometowns. The response of the people remained divided even among the religious authorities.
Jesus’ ministry was leaving those He encountered curious about who He was, and what exactly He had come to do. Who is Jesus? That is the question that every person must answer. If Jesus is who He says that He is, then this demands a response in the hearts and lives of every person.
As Jesus continues in his conversation with the crowd in the Synagogue in Capernaum. Jesus is calling the people to come and eat his flesh and drink his blood. To come and feast on him. In this metaphorical calling, it began to become clear to those following Jesus could no longer follow him, because his teaching was harsh and offensive. What they wanted, Jesus would not give, what Jesus offered, they would not receive.
After Jesus had fed thousands with just a small lunch. The people followed Jesus to see more miracles. But Jesus was showing them something more. For He did not come to give physical bread, he came to give Himself. For He did not come to provide temporary desires, but to satisfy the deepest needs of our hearts. The people came asking questions. But instead of answering their questions, Jesus answered the question of their hearts.
In chapter 6 we find out that the time of the Passover was near, and the people would have remembered their history and the deliverance of God’s people out of Egypt. John is going to show us the miracles Jesus performed. In these miracles John is going to show us that Jesus is the Promised One from long ago. He is the true and better Moses. These miracles shout out the message of the gospel, that there is nothing impossible for Jesus. There is nothing that He cannot overcome.
After Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, Jesus made a stunning declaration that God was His Father. The religious leaders knew what that claim meant, for Jesus was claiming to be equal to God. Based on the staggering claims that Jesus makes about himself, he reveals his equality and unity with God the Father. Our response to Jesus must be that of honoring, believing, and obeying his Word.
The nation of Israel’s history had been full of judges, kings, prophets, and priests, who had sought to shepherd God’s people. Some of these leaders were faithful, and many were unfaithful and wicked. All these rulers were pointing towards and making the people’s hearts yearn for the one true Shepherd that God promised.
King Ahaz was a wicked king who was leading God’s people astray. Instead of relying on the Lord to deliver and protect them, he relied on the King of Assyria. The Lord tested Ahaz, by telling him to ask for a sign and in return the Lord gives him as sign that the Assyrians is coming. The sign for Ahaz was a sign of destruction, and yet the sign was also a word of hope for the future.
When God promises a great light, a light that will shine on His people. He is promising them, His blessings, presence, and revelation. No longer will God judge them and hide His face from them. God has given us a great light in the coming of Jesus who is God’s blessings, presence, and revelation.
God’s perfect world and pinnacle of creation humanity is turned upside down in the Garden of Eden, when a crafty serpent known as Satan appears on the scene. With ordinary measures, the serpent tempts humanity into sinfully breaking the only command they were ever given to appease their own selfish desires. As a result, mankind experiences the worst thing possible in a broken relationship with God, and is defeated by Satan in the Garden of Eden. With the created order upside down and headed for imminent pain and death, humanity finds itself in need of a Savior who can defeat this enemy once and for all and repair the broken relationship with a loving God. That Savior is Jesus!
As Jesus continues to heal, there were some who came to Him asking for healing, but there were others like the man in our story today who did not even know Jesus and did not ask for healing. Jesus who knows all, sees this man, and with a powerful word heals him. This set the stage for confrontation with the religious leaders over the Sabbath.
Jesus performed many miracles during His public ministry. Some who saw Jesus performing miracles, only saw him as a miracle-worker, but John is trying to show his readers that He is so much more than that. For the man (Jesus) who performed signs and wonders was also the promised Messiah, the Son of God, and the Savior of the world. In our text today, John invites us to believe, but to believe in who He is and not just what he can do for you.
Salvation had come to the Samaritan woman, and through her testimony she would point others to the One who Saves. Her story reminds us that our stories that God is writing are powerful tools to proclaim the goodness of God and the message of the gospel.
John intends to contrast between Nicodemus of chapter three and the Samaritan woman in chapter four. Nicodemus was a learned, powerful, respected, orthodox and theologically trained. The Samaritan woman was unschooled, without influence and despised. Nicodemus was a man, a Jew, and a ruler. She was a woman, a Samaritan, and a moral outcast. Yet both needed Jesus. Whether rick or poor, young or old, prestigious or outcast, there is only one answer to the aching in our souls. Jesus is who we long for. Jesus is who we need.
As we come to the end of chapter three, John shifts our attention back to John the Baptist and showing us how John sought to point all attention to Jesus. We see that Jesus surpasses John the Baptist and any baptism or ritual purification he may have represented. John finds his joy, in wholeheartedly embracing God’s will, and the supremacy it assigns to Jesus. We learn that Jesus must increase, and we must decrease. These words are the anthem that we should live out.
While King Solomon loves the Lord and mostly follows His Statues, we discover he's not setting the best example for the people of Israel to worship God. In spite of this failure, the Lord still lovingly meets with Solomon and grants a prayer request for him to receive wisdom. However, we soon discover that this noble request contains so much more then a one-time action from God, but rather a continuous knowing heart in alignment with God's will. We also discover that we too have this same continuous connection with God in Christ Jesus our Lord!
As the new birth is grounded in the death of Jesus (Lifting up the Son of Man), so also is the death of Jesus grounded in the love of God. Apart from God’s love for the world, the very world that stands under His wrath and condemnation, no one would be saved. Therefore, God’s love for us is astonishing. John shows us that the measure of God’s love for us is Jesus and the purpose of God’s love for us is that we might have life.
Jesus, who knew all men and knew what was in man, entered a conversation with a religious man named Nicodemus in which Jesus instantly gets to the heart of the matter. What we must understand is that Jesus is insisting this new birth is the prerequisite for entrance into the kingdom of God and this truth is applied to a man of the caliber of Nicodemus. If Nicodemus cannot enter the promised kingdom by virtue of his standing and works, what hope is there for anyone one else seeking salvation along those lines?
When Jesus made it to Jerusalem, he did not find a temple filled with true worship and celebration instead he found the temple transformed into a place of commerce. Jesus was looking past the surface level and was concerned with a much deeper problem. This passage has great application for us as we live in a consumer culture that focuses more on what we can get from God, instead of focusing on God himself. Jesus came to transform our hearts and cleanse us from sin. He came to make us new.
The account of Jesus’ public ministry begins with the first sign of turning water into wine. At first glance, we might wonder what the point is of this miracle. But as we dig a little deeper and see both the cultural context and the religious context in which it took place, we begin to see the message that John conveys. Jesus came to bring a new way.
As the disciples are introduced to Jesus of Nazareth, everything changes. Jesus asks them what they are seeking, and he invites them in to come and see. The same question is asked for all of us as we come to the book of John and see Jesus, what are you looking for? The good news of the gospel is that Jesus is everything we are seeking.
After the prologue, the question we all should be asking is, “who is this Word?” John is going to show us as he unpacks the testimony of a well-known and important witness. John the Baptist’s life pointed to Jesus, and this should be our prayer for our own lives as well. Like John, we can recognize our unworthiness and marvel at his worthiness and His grace in calling us to Himself. What a gift that we get to serve him.
John’s Gospel begins in a different way. It does not begin with the historical developments (Joseph, Mary, Bethlehem, the visits of the shepherds). It begins by thinking about what the coming of the eternal Son, the coming of God, means. The prologue is like larger foyer to the rest of John’s Gospel. It draws us in and introduces us to major themes that we see throughout John’s Gospel.
In Psalm 11, David finds himself in a bad situation. He is likely fleeing from Saul who was hunting him down, seeking to take his life. It was a serious time, and this psalm is a psalm of confidence in the Lord. Our situations so often sway our emotions and even our trust in the Lord. As we see evil triumph and chaos surround us. But David reminds us in this psalm that even when the situation seems hopeless and logic would tell us to give up or flee, we can take heart as we trust the Lord.
Psalm 51 is from David, when the prophet Nathan came to him and confronted him of his sin with Bathsheba. This personal lament is David’s prayer to the Lord. In this prayer for restoration, we see David’s brokenness before the Lord, his dependence on the Lord and his praise and deeper commitment to the Lord. May this psalm help us see the depths of sin and repentance as we look to Christ.
Psalm 51 is from David, when the prophet Nathan came to him and confronted him of his sin with Bathsheba. This personal lament is David’s prayer to the Lord. In this prayer for restoration, we see David’s brokenness before the Lord, his dependence on the Lord and his praise and deeper commitment to the Lord. May this psalm help us see the depths of sin and repentance as we look to Christ.
The main theme of Nahum chapter three is the end of Nineveh’s “endless cruelty”. The time has come for Nineveh to face divine reckoning for its wickedness before the God of the universe. The policies of Nineveh toward the nations and God’s people are now coming back to haunt them. In our text Nahum will expose: Nineveh’s cruelty, vulnerability, corruption, and the response of the nations. In a sense we will see the destruction deserved. May our hearts be stirred towards sincere repentance.
For many years, the Assyrian empire conquered nations and scattered the people all over the kingdom. Now Assyria is about to be conquered and scattered as an act of divine justice. We learn that God’s justice against His enemies parallels His restoration of His people. There is no enemy the Lord cannot defeat. This is wonderful news or horrendous news, and this is why we need Jesus.
Nahum decrees that God would deal with Assyria by completely destroying them, and the people of God would be redeemed. It is both devastating as we see the power of God on display and comforting knowing that the Lord is the redeemer of His people. Because the Lord redeems His people, it calls for rejoicing.
Nahum begins his oracle in a tone that might shock us today starting in verse two. The prophet wastes no time getting to the heart of the issue. The fact that God is not pleased. In these verses Nahum gives us five declarations of the Lord. The only response to these declarations is to take refuge in the cross of Christ.
Nahum’s revelation of the Word of God needs to be heard in every generation. Where people are warned of the coming judgment of God, so that they will throw themselves on God’s mercy and look to Christ. Where people will be comforted by God’s judgment, knowing that vengeance belongs to the Lord, He will vindicate and make every wrong in the world right.
Luke’s message ends up being something like this, “This book is finished, but the mission Jesus assigned to the church is not.” This means we get to participate in the next chapters of Acts. We get to join the story of proclaiming the gospel to the ends of the earth. Until we see the King, let us keep fighting, keep running the race, and keep enduring.
In the last leg of their trip, we see how the Lord was faithful in keeping His Word as Paul finally made it to Rome after two and a half years. In our text we see Paul’s faithfulness to the mission of Jesus Christ. Where Paul kept his heart focused on sharing Christ rather than allowing his circumstances to shut him down. Making the most of His time, by making Christ known effectively.
Paul is on his way to Rome and under the best conditions, sailing straight to Rome from Caesarea would take five weeks. Yet when this trip was over, the journey will have taken them well over sixteen weeks. From the drama that unfolds along the way, we see a wonderful picture of God’s providence and faithfulness in keeping his Word.
Paul would spend two years in prison, before finally giving his last two defense speeches before Festus and King Agrippa II. In his last defense speech before King Agrippa, it was not technically a legal defense, but rather involved his personal story of meeting Jesus and the commissioning he received from Jesus. In our text we see that Paul brings up the universal need for the wonderful privileges of the gospel and how both Festus and Agrippa responded.
Things do not get easier for Paul. He became the target of a terrorist attack and then a defendant in a tense court case that seems to go nowhere. Yet Paul remained calm and courageous as his submitted his life to the sovereign plan and power of God. Sometimes it seems easier to affirm the sovereignty of God theologically rather than resting in the sovereignty of God experientially. This passage shows us that we can rest the weight of our concerns on God our Father, who holds everything in his hands.
Paul is on trial as Lysias the Roman commander is trying to get to the bottom of who Paul is and what Paul did to cause all this commotion. During these trials, we see how Paul reacted and then at the end he receives reassurance from our Lord Jesus Christ.
When Paul arrived in Jerusalem, things got interesting. A formal meeting took place where he was welcomed by the church in Jerusalem, celebrating all that God had done in his ministry. In hostility he was falsely accused by the Jewish crowd that lead to his arrest. Paul makes his defense in humility and love, telling people about his encounter with Jesus Christ that changed his life forever.
In Acts 21 we see the apostle Paul’s life illustrates the painful pleasure of following Jesus. Paul is a man on a mission, headed to Jerusalem. His friends think he is crazy for going, however Paul is resolved and compelled by the Spirit. Paul’s trip to Jerusalem is full of hellos and good-byes and in our text Luke wants us to see the strength and importance of Christian community and the cost of discipleship.
Despite Paul’s hurry to make it to Jerusalem before Pentecost, he still made the time to invest in elders, demonstrating his care for the Ephesian church and its leaders. In Miletus, Paul gives them this powerful charge which we have in summary form. In Paul’s farewell address to the Ephesian elders, he highlights the nature and importance of the church and the role of its overseers.
In Acts 20:1-12 illustrates how we can give and receive Christ-exalting, Spirit-empowered encouragement. We need to commit ourselves to encouraging one another as we gather to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection, experience the Lord’s Supper, and hear the Lord’s Word.
Paul’s ministry in Ephesus was described as a major disturbance about the Way (Acts 19:23). Indeed, Christ’s work through Paul was causing a major disturbance. From their point of view, there was a major disturbance, but from our point of view what happened in Ephesus is better called “a great awakening.”
In Acts 18:23, Paul begins his third missionary journey. In our text we see a range of people who needed Gospel-centered instruction for different reasons. Some people knew Christ and simply needed encouragement and reinforcement. Others were genuine Christians, but they lacked doctrinal clarity. Still others were religious but had no understanding of the gospel. Some needed to hear the gospel to believe, while others refused to believe in Christ.
We have historical, biblical, and verifiable evidence to make us certain that Jesus Christ is the resurrected Lord of all. Luke shows us how, the tomb was open and empty. The scriptures were opened and fulfilled. Their eyes were opened, and they recognized. Their minds were opened, and they believed. Are you open to the claims of Jesus Christ?
By the time we have reached Acts 18, Paul has already been through a long list of terrible challenges and trials. Between the years 49 and 52 AD, Paul traveled approximately two thousand miles by foot and about a thousand miles by boat. When he reached Corinth, something happened to Paul. Despite remarkable success in gospel ministry in Corinth, Paul’s confidence seemed to evaporate. He seemed to be overcome with fear and tempted to remain silent. Yet when he seemed ready to quit, the sovereign Lord, gives Him an assuring word and fulfills a promise to Him.
While Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy to join him in Athens, he was deeply distressed when he saw that the city was smothered in idols. Rather than allowing his feelings to lead him to angrily take a sledgehammer to the idols, he – in holy love – engaged the people. Paul was brought to the Areopagus to explain his message of the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
Luke briefly records Paul’s stops in Thessalonica and Berea, and both stories draw our attention to the attitude of the Scriptures, both by the teacher and the hearers. We see the centrality of the Word of God in the mission of God in the book of Acts. Paul and his companions turned the world upside down by turning the Word of God loose.
As Paul and his companions reached Philippi, Luke records three conversions. These three conversions should encourage us as we behold Jesus’ power and grace in transforming people. These three conversions should also instruct us as we consider how three different types of people, from three different walks of life, were converted and transformed in three different ways, by the one and only Savior Jesus Christ.
Paul and Barnabas’ second missionary journey started with a good idea to revisit the churches established on the first missionary journey. However, the trip did not go as planned. It started with a relational conflict that led to separation, adding companions and the Triune God preventing them from entering into certain regions. Despite these wandering days, the Lord sovereignly guided them to advance the gospel.
As the church flourished and the people rejoiced in the gospel work despite opposition from the outside, we now come to a point where the church was facing opposition from the inside. As the gospel of grace was disputed, the leaders of the church came together, defended the gospel of grace and encouraged grace to be displayed among the people to lovingly preserve the unity of the body.
The completion of the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas provides us with an instructive and inspiring model of Christian perseverance. We learn that when we are truly captivated by the gospel, when the truth of who Jesus is and what He did for us becomes the most important thing in our lives, we gladly sacrifice comfort, safety and selfish desires to make sure we help others know Him.
As the mission continued, Paul has been preaching already, but this is the first sermon of Paul Luke records. This sermon has a lot in common with Peter’s Pentecost sermon and Stephen’s sermon. Although Stephen emphasized Israel’s rebellion, Paul emphasized God’s grace to Israel. In this Christ-exalting sermon, we learn that the promise of forgiveness and justification is for those who trust in Christ alone.
As Christians were scattered because of persecution, they carried the gospel with them and by God’s grace made many new disciples. However, in our passage we witness something different, a church on mission. We learn that worship and praying fueled the mission. The Spirit and the church affirmed the mission.
King Herod launches a public assault on the leaders of the church in Jerusalem, killing James and imprisoning Peter, but he ultimately cannot stop the advancement of Christ’s kingdom. Christians from every age will face conflict if seeking to advance the gospel. However, we can face such conflict with unshakable assurance that Christ will win.
The church in Antioch – not the mother church in Jerusalem – changed the world. The Jerusalem church was wonderful, and it should be appreciated for its uniqueness and power, but it had its challenges when it came to evangelizing non-Jews. Antioch, by contrast, was an international church. Luke describes in a small summary how the church in Antioch flourished.
Throughout Scripture God's reveals His plan to His people, not for approval or input, but graciously invites them in to participate in what God is doing. In Genesis 18, the Lord invited Abraham in, and Abraham drew near to God and boldly interceded. Abraham could be bold, because He knew God and appealed to the character of God. When we pray, we can boldly intercede, because the Lord has invited us in to participate in what He is doing as we appeal to His character.
Glory is not the first word you think of when you think of Jesus’ birth. In the kingdom of God, humility precedes glory. We see this modeled for us right from the Savior’s birth. Yet in the announcement of the birth of God’s Son to the shepherds, God displayed his glory and the angels praised God saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven…” We learn that God’s mercy to men brings God’s highest glory in heaven. Let us treasure it and tell everyone about it.
The cry for mercy is as old as humanity’s fall in the garden. It has been uttered, whispered, and yelled in every generation among every people since sin entered the world. When we reach those limits, something in us looks for mercy. We learn that great mercy comes from a great God through His great Savior. God’s mercy means joy and praise for us.
From the beginning, God planned to carry out His plan to save the world by the birth of a child. Genesis 3:15 says the offspring of the woman would crush the serpents’ head. The angel of the Lord revealed this plan to Mary that she will conceive and give birth to a son, who will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. Mary responded in faith to God’s grace and praised God even before the promise was fulfilled.
Luke does not begin his Gospel with a full-grown Jesus or even with an infant Jesus. Luke begins his Gospel in the wombs of two women. He illustrates how God in infinite wisdom placed the weight of his entire plan of redemption on the back of an unborn baby. As God miraculously opens the womb of an old woman named Elizabeth, we learn that God is faithful and powerful to keep His promises.
In order to convert Cornelius, and to show the Jewish Christians the gospel was for everyone without distinction, God had to “convert” Peter – not to Christianity but to the implications of Christianity. Peter had to be convinced that the gospel is for everyone, including those completely outside the Jewish nation.
In order to convert Cornelius, and to show the Jewish Christians the gospel was for everyone without distinction, God had to “convert” Peter – not to Christianity but to the implications of Christianity. Peter had to be convinced that the gospel is for everyone, including those completely outside the Jewish nation
In Acts 9, we read of perhaps the most famous conversion in the history of Christianity. The conversion of Saul of Tarsus is actually one of the most important events – aside from Jesus’ resurrection – in the history of the world. Saul’s conversion plays a monumental role in the advancement of the kingdom across nations and centuries.
Already the church is advancing across ethnic and social lines when Philip, having established the mission to the Samaritans, becomes involved in an even more far-reaching missionary breakthrough. His witness to this Ethiopian man reveals the global nature of God’s offer of salvation and the gift of seeing a servant living out God’s mission.
Luke describes how the gospel was spreading through ordinary people in various situations. Despite the brutal murder of Stephen, God continued his mission of redeeming a people for himself – a people from every tribe and tongue. In fact, God uses persecution to launch His people into Samaria of all places.
Luke describes Stephen’s Christlike character, ministry, and death. To be like Jesus does not mean simply gathering facts about Jesus’ life and then copying them. As Christians, we must realize that we can pursue likeness to Jesus because we have been united to Jesus. Through that union with Christ, we can live out Christlike lives.
In Acts 6 Luke describes the blessings and the challenges facing the rapidly growing body of Christ in Jerusalem. We see that gospel-centered growth brings blessing, challenges and opportunities. Luke goes on to describe how the early church handled the challenges and continued to advance the mission.
Faithful gospel ministry results in both blessing and opposition. As the apostles continue to minister to the people in word and deed, it was enriching the poor in spirit and enraging the prideful. Persecution intensified and their opponents moved from threats, to floggings and eventually it will escalate to death. However, this energized the church as they rejoiced and continued proclaiming the gospel.
Luke uses two stories to highlight the kindness and severity of God at work in the church. As a whole, these two stories illustrate the nature and importance of unity. In the first story, we see how unity is established by the gospel and is displayed through generosity. In the second story, we see how unity can be threatened by hypocrisy. May God make us a people known for gospel-saturated generosity and not evil hypocrisy.
Peter knew what it was like to cower and fear. However, there is something different about Peter at this point in his story. As Peter and John are standing before the same religious powers that had just arrested, tried and murdered their Lord, Peter response in boldness. They were bold because they had the Holy Spirit and they personally knew the One who has all authority in heaven and on earth. We have the same Spirit to embolden us in sharing in the mission of redemption.
Luke describes how the apostles continued Jesus’s ministry in word and deed. In healing the lame man, the miracle served the gospel message. We learn that it is not about the power and godliness of Peter and John. It is not about the faith of the lame beggar. It is about Jesus, who is the glorified servant of the Lord, the source of life, the Holy and Righteous One, who causes redeemed sinners to dance in His presence with joy.
God builds His church by His word. Just as God spoke creation into existence in Genesis, He speaks this new creation – this new community – into existence through his mighty Word. The Church is God’s plan. That plan is bigger than the random conversion of individuals. Jesus is saving a people for himself, to be His people, His bride. Luke tells us what characterized the early Spirit-filled church – what made it healthy, dynamic and alive.
Peter addresses the crowd in explaining the promise of the Holy Spirit that God kept. In Peter’s explanation, we see how the Spirit works to accomplish his primary purpose: exalting Jesus. We learn that we have the necessary equipment to be faithful witnesses because we have the Word and the Spirit. Thus, we can speak with confidence, knowing that the Spirit empowers us and convicts people of sin and leads them to repentance.
In the Old and New Testament, God promised to pour out His Spirit on all of His people. In Act 2, we see the promise kept at Pentecost. In the coming of the Holy Spirit, there are three miraculous signs. These signs caused the crowd in Jerusalem to be amazed and perplexed. We learn that the gospel changes everything and is for all nations.
Everything in Acts chapter 1 is preparation for the great outburst of Holy Spirit. Over a period of forty days, they had listened to the teachings of their Lord Jesus. They had received His commission of advancing God’s global kingdom, and they had been given the promise of the Holy Spirit to empower them. After the ascension there was noting left to do but to wait in prayer. In that time of waiting in prayer and reading Scripture, we see the Lord working.
In the ascension of Jesus, the disciples were limited in their thinking of the restoration work of the Messiah. Jesus rocks their world as he tells them that the plan is not the restoration of the kingdom to Israel, but the global kingdom of God that will cross geographical and cultural barriers. They will play an essential part in it. They were to be witnesses of it.
Jeremiah is lamenting in prayer. He is seeking the Lord to move, as he holds fast to the belief that God hears, cares and can act. In his prayer, he expresses their sorrow, confesses their sin and hopes for God to restore them. We learn that sorrow is powerful, it can wound or it can heal, it can enslave or it can lead you to freedom.
As Jeremiah is describing the horrific siege, he attributes the horrific siege to the wrath of the Lord, the sins of the leaders, which eventually became the sins of the people, and the power of the enemy. There is nothing the people could do as they looked in vain for help, longing for a savior, who is a better king, prophet and priest.
The Psalms help us understand what we are going through. They lead us to the meaning of new mercy and the mercy we experience helps us understand the Psalms. In the desperate, hopeless, lost and weak times, but not alone. This is when we reach for the psalms. As we find grace that comes with a melody. In Lamentations, we see a pattern of suffering and song. In our suffering, we sing: Great is His Faithfulness.
In the dark night, the people (author) experienced complete devastation. In His brokenness, this is where God finds him and this is where God works. In the darkness, the author remembers God’s faithful love and light begins to pierce the dark night, knowing that God’s mercies are new every morning.
Summary of Message: There is a dark night when the Lord rebukes his people as they sit in silence. When tragedy happens, we respond to God by crying out to Him for His great mercy in humility, because we do not know why it happened and we soberly examine ourselves.
Suffering is unavoidable when obedience is absent. We think obedience is too much of a hardship. We do not want to obey and we resent God for asking us to do so. Obedience is never easy, but the price of obedience is a bargain compare to the price of rebellion. Avoiding sin cost less than repenting of sin. To ignore God’s prevention is to embrace God’s condemnation.
The wise builder heard the words of Jesus by faith believed what Jesus said is true, recognized Jesus’ authority. Because of Jesus’ authority demanded obedience, the wise builder built his life on the foundation of King Jesus – The rock of salvation. The foolish builder heard the words of Jesus, by faith believed what Jesus said might be true yet failed to fully recognize Jesus’ authority. Because of the failure to believe and submit to Jesus’ authority, the foolish builder built his life on the foundation of his own authority – The destruction of self.
Jesus has reached the climax on the Sermon on the Mount. He has extended an invitation. This invitation demands a response. Sitting idly by and trying to remain neutral is not an option. There are two roads and two gates that stand before us. Our response has eternal consequences.
The guarantee of answered prayer is truly a golden promise. Doing to others what you would want them to do to you is also a golden rule. Like the two great commandments to love God and others, these two nuggets of gold first direct our attention to our God. Then they direct our attention to others. The order is crucial. First, I talk to God about His good gifts. Then, one of these good gifts is the supernatural ability to live out the golden rule.
To judge others without examining and correcting oneself is detrimental, dysfunctional and self-deceptive. However, it is biblical and wise to discerningly judge those who abuse God’s message. Our goal is to treat others as God, in Christ, has treated us.
The great battle of the Christian life are fought in our minds. This is certainly the case when it comes to worry or anxiety. One of the things we are going to learn is that worry is a sin, because it is a symptom of unbelief. We need to remember that the God who took care of our greatest problem at the cross can certainly be trusted to take care of anything else we may face daily in this life.
Jesus says the mark of a citizen of God’s kingdom is that his eyes are fixed on heaven not earth. His spiritual vision is single and not divided and he servers the right master not the wrong one. Jesus understood that we have a limited amount of devotion, love, and service to give. This requires making difficult decisions .The more we love money, the less we will love God. As our obsession for money increases, our passion for God decreases. If you sell your soul to money, then you will forfeit your soul.
The Lord’s Prayer serves as a model prayer, an easily memorized outline that serves as a lesson in how to approach God as Father and how we are to speak to Him. However, it also serves as an outline of the Christian life by providing certain fixed points of concern for the family of God. It underlines life’s priorities and helps us to get them into focus.
In Matthew 6, Jesus deals with how citizens of God’s kingdom practices acts of righteousness. Once again, Jesus is going to address matters that deals with the heart. We need to be careful in how we practice acts of righteousness because motives matter. We should be giving, praying and fasting sincerely before God, who gives eternal reward, instead of hypocritically before people, whose reward fades quickly.
Love for neighbor was the essence of Old Testament ethics, but Jesus deepens that ethic in a surprising way. We are to love our neighbors even when they are hostile and do evil acts against us. Love for enemies is meant to be shown in acts of kindness. The model for this difficult activity is nothing less than God Himself. Like obedient children, we must imitate our Father and act toward evil people as he does. If God can be merciful to wicked as well as good people, so must we.
Jesus teaches us as citizens of God’s kingdom, everything we say should be true and good, because God witnesses everything we say and do. As citizens of God’s kingdom, we reflect the character of our King in the way we treat others. We look to the cross as we see how our King did not respond in violent aggression but laid down his life graciously to save us (enemies of God) so that we can be children of God.
In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul highlights the good news of Christ’s resurrection, the power of His resurrection, and the result of His resurrection, what it means for us today. Through this passage, we get the heart of the story of Scripture: Jesus died and rose again to save sinners. The truths taught in this passage demand our attention as well as our affection as we are strengthened in our faith by thinking about the substitutionary life and death, resurrection, and return of Christ.
Jesus directly address the popular view of divorce in his day. He teaches that marriage is sacred and we dare not trifle with it. Marriage is a sacred union between one man and one woman for life. What makes marriage sacred is because it is a gift from God. God uses our spouses to save us. Divorce may be the norm in our culture, but it must never be the norm in our churches, for God desires reconciliation.
In our hearts there is a place reserved only for Christ. Jesus certainly wants to lead and guide our behaviors, but first and most importantly, he wants our hearts. What he bought, we should gladly and freely give to him. Treasure Christ above all in your heart, and the eyes, the hand and the rest of the body will happily follows its lead.
Jesus’ teaching and His interpretation of the law transcend the literal demands of the law. Jesus surpassed the law by insisting that one should not only avoid sinful actions, but also avoid sinful attitudes. We must guard our hearts before it gives way to evil actions. As citizens of God’s kingdom, we must live at peace with others and seek to reconcile broken relationships.
What you think about Jesus will ultimately influence what you think about the Bible. Our theology of the Living Word (Jesus) and the written word (the Bible) go hand in hand. Because of the lordship and authority of Jesus, the Scriptures proclaim Him as its central message, are completely trustworthy, and require obedience and righteousness from the heart and spirit.
King Jesus continues in His sermon and reminds us, that He redeemed and brought us into His kingdom so that we can be the salt of the earth that is in decay and the light of the world that is in darkness. King Jesus warns us that in this responsibility we cannot lose our purity or our usefulness. We as a light on a hill, a light in a home, must reflect the great light who is Christ and in doing so point others to Him.
Since we are citizens of God’s kingdom, having been redeemed by Christ and brought into this kingdom, we ought to live a certain kind of way among the nations. In the Sermon on the Mount, we learn how to live in His kingdom. The sermon begins with a preamble known as “The Beatitudes”. Where the greatest preacher who ever lived, gave the greatest sermon ever, gives us a portrait of Himself.