Emmanuel Community Church Sermons: Recent Episodes
Emmanuel Community Church
We are a gospel-centered church in Elmira, NY committed to glorifying the triune God by worshiping and making disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us that God is with his righteous ones to deliver them from every trial. Yet, as we wait for his plan to unfold, we need the wisdom to maintain our integrity in this world, and the faith to commit our lives to our sovereign God
In this sermon, as we consider Saul’s climactic fall with the medium at En-dor, pastor Mitch reminds us that the most miserable and hopeless life is the one spent apart from God’s all-sufficient word.
1 Samuel 27 sets up the final section of the book, where the reign of king Saul comes to an abysmal end. But the story here about David and the Philistines seems rather odd. It can be a difficult chapter to interpret, understand, and apply. But one thing is abundantly clear here (and in the chapters that follow): God continues to give success to his king. And through him, God’s plan for his people Israel continues to unfold. In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that even in the darkest places, God is always at work to fulfill his purposes. And it remains God’s intention to give his people success as we take the gospel of his kingdom into all the world, for the ends of the earth will be the inheritance of his King.
Psalm 54 was written by David when he was betrayed by the Ziphites. Twice these kinsmen from Judah betrayed him to Saul (1 Sam. 23:19; 26:1), but this was David’s response. In this sermon, pastor Matt helps us see the reassuring truth that God is gracious and faithful to help his troubled people. We can call upon the name of the Lord in faith, knowing that he will uphold our lives and deliver us from all our enemies, and rejoice in his power to save.
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that we must wait for God’s kingdom to come in righteousness and faithfulness. Those who put their hope in God are to walk in step with the truth of his gospel, as citizens of heaven now, knowing that he is faithful and just to reward us with his promised salvation.
In this sermon, Pastor Keith traces Nabal’s foolish response to David, David’s rash response to Nabal, Abigail’s wise response to David, and David’s faithful response to Abigail to show us that God grants us restraining grace for our faithful response. By the way of contrast with David, Pastor Keith points to great David’s greater Son […]
In this sermon, pastor Harry Fujiwara (of First Baptist Church, NYC) reminds us that, when we find ourselves in a crisis, and life seems to be caving in, our cries will be met with God's comfort. Ultimately, as we look to the savior, Jesus Christ, we will find our greatest comfort and our only hope in life and death.
In this sermon, Pastor Joel uses Psalm 57 to provide a deeper look into David’s heart behind this legendary confrontation. Though slandered and hunted, we see David’s confidence in God’s steadfast love and faithfulness unleash extravagant praise to God. Throughout all of scripture we see that God is glorified in the vindication of His beloved, which gives us comfort and courage to trust Jesus in the midst of our pain and peril.
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that we must wait for God's kingdom to come in his way and his time. It is our Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom (Luke 12:32), to make his saving rule known in our lives and in his world. And this means we can entrust our lives to him while doing what is good.
In this sermon, pastor shows us that the Lord meets his people with strength in their time of need. He is our helper, the upholder of our life, the one who will never leave us nor forsake us, and so we can trust in him for guidance, for assurance, and for deliverance whether in life or in death.
In this sermon, pastor Mitch reminds us that despite the plans of the wicked, those who trust in the Lord will flourish. The mighty man who refuses to make God his refuge will be uprooted, but the godly who rejoice in his steadfast love will be vindicated and blessed.
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that we must choose whether we will stand with Christ or against him. We will give our allegiance to either the Son that will reign or the Dragon that will rage. Yet the gospel is that in Christ there is both refuge and comfort as we await his promised salvation
In the first half of Psalm 34 we learned to savor the goodness of our Savior. Now in the second of this psalm, pastor Keith reminds that we are to walk in the fear of the Lord once once we have tasted and seen the goodness of God. For it is only as the church walks in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit that church will multiply (cf. Acts 9:31).
In this sermon on Psalm 34, pastor Keith examines David's response to God's deliverance from Gath and encourage us to taste and see God's goodness by seeking God's help, looking to God in His promises, crying out to God in prayers and fearing God by living to please Him in Christ. He shows us how experiencing God leads us to exalting God. So, when we savor the goodness of our savior in Jesus, we can sing of His goodness and testify His gospel in gladness.
After hearing about David's flight to Gath in 1 Samuel 21, we now turn to the psalm David wrote during this time, Psalm 56. In this sermon, Jared Wilson reminds us of the good news that God is for us forever in Jesus Christ, and if God is for us, who can be against us?
In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us how 1 Samuel 21 ultimately reveals the truth of the gospel, that Jesus is the king whom God has chosen that we must follow. Like David, he was sustained in life and delivered from death so that all who come to him in believing loyalty might find rest under his saving rule.
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that there only two responses to the Son of God: devoted love or foolish hate. It is only those who choose Christ above all else, who swear allegiance to him and live for his kingdom, who know the blessing of his grace and peace. It's only those who "kiss the Son," as the Psalmist says, who find refuge in him.
After reading about Saul’s plot in 1 Samuel 19—how he sent men to watch David’s house in order to kill him—we are now going to look at the psalm David wrote in response, Psalm 59. In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that our God will keep us safe in the mighty fortress of his love. When we are threatened by the enemy, we must keep watch, believing that our God is both able and willing to deliver us; and we must sing loud, knowing that death’s dark night will soon be over.
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that the kings of earth may plot and rage, but God’s anointed King will reign. No hostility or opposition can hinder the coming of his kingdom. Our God will thwart every intention of his enemies in order to preserve his king and all those who are loyal to him.
In this sermon, pastor Keith shows us from 1 Samuel 18 that the LORD prospers His King and that there are only two relationships to this king: one of love and the other of hatred. Love and loyalty to David was shown by Jonathan and the people of Israel as they saw David prospering in all his undertaking, because he was with the LORD. On the other hand, Saul only showed jealousy and hositility against David. But because David was with the LORD, Saul greatly feared David. Given the two opposite relationships to God's anointed King, pastor Keith asks whether you love God's prospering King Jesus or hate him.
In this sermon, pastor Mitch shows us that God’s faithful king leads us in victory over our enemies. Before we see how we need to be like David, we must see what this text reveals to us about the faithful king that God has provided for us in Jesus Christ, and how we can share in his victory over our greatest enemy: the power of sin, Satan, and death.
In this sermon, pastor Matt once again shows us that God has chosen for himself a king to shepherd his people. As David enters Saul’s service, he begins to prove that he is the man of God’s choosing, the son with the Spirit of Yahweh, the king-in-waiting who will one day wear the crown. But we’ll also see that this story, like all sacred Scripture, points us to the gospel of Jesus Christ. And just as he was anointed “king-in-waiting” at the outset of his ministry, so all those who have received his Spirit through faith now wait patiently for the day when we will reign with him
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us of the good news that God has chosen for himself a king to shepherd his people. From the little town of Bethlehem has come a ruler in Israel and Savior for the world, a man after God’s own heart, whose kingdom is forever
In this sermon, pastor Matt shows how Saul's responses reveal that insisting on our kingdom our way only invites God's judgment. Yet while the true King is grieved by our sin, he is never surprised. His purposes of grace remain, and all those who submit to God's kingdom God's way will know the blessing of his life-giving rule.
Having seen Saul's disregard for the word of Samuel and his rash vow, we now come to Saul's third and final "fall," where he is rejected by God as king over Israel. In this sermon, pastor Joel encourages us to not trust in religious behaviors but remain faithful and obedient to Jesus.
In this sermon about king Saul's foolish vow, pastor Matt shows us that apart from God’s life-giving word we are left to our own folly. To forget the Lord is to do what seems right in our eyes, to care more about our reputation, and ultimately to remain under the curse of sin. But it remains his gracious will to make kings out of clowns like us
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us of the simple gospel truth that God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the pioneer of our salvation, the leader who has made the way for faithless and fearful sinners like us to be raised to walk in newness of life and fight the good fight of faith as we follow him.
Our passage today marks the beginning of the end of the first king of Israel. In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us that a fearful people need a faithful king whose kingdom endures forever. What we need is a king who will pass the test of obedience which Adam failed on behalf of ruined sinners, a leader to bring us back under the blessing of God, a savior to deliver us from our fears and from ourselves.
At the end of chapter 11, Samuel summoned Israel to Gilgal to “renew the kingdom” (v. 14). Here, at the transition from the last of Israel’s judges to the first of their kings, Samuel will call them all to a renewed allegiance to Israel’s true and everlasting King. In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us that the God of glorious grace is a great God worth serving. For despite all our sin and the many ways we reject the one true King, it remains his intention to make his glory known through the redemption of a people who find life in his name.
After Saul is anointed and proclaimed as king, we have a story of God working salvation for Israel through him. When Jabesh-Gilead was surrounded by their enemy, the Ammonites, God grants them salvation through Saul. In this sermon, pastor Keith shows us that the LORD works salvation for His people. First, we see the enemy’s […]
In this sermon, Pastor Keith Ryoo covers the coronation of an apparent hesitant King Saul, Israel's first monarch, and Israel's complete and total rejection of God as their sole ruler. God permits Israel to have a king, despite the dire warnings of the obvious pitfalls of such a governmental system. What we see is that, despite the people's rejection, and their king's reluctance, God still rules.
In this sermon, pastor Mitch reminds us that, despite his people’s rebellion and rejection of him, the Lord ordains and ensures the deliverance of his people through his chosen ruler. This story reminds us that God is always at work, even in the ordinary events of life, to bring about his purposes of blessing his people.
In this sermon, pastor Matt explains that the king we need the most is not like one the nations have. We need a king to do for us what only God can do: We need a faithful king who is both willing and able to save us from the power of sin, to put the whole world to rights, and to reign forever and ever
In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us that those who repent of their sin and rely on God will receive his merciful help. As we turn away from our idols and put our trust in the Lord, we will come to experience the blessing of his salvation and become the covenant people we are meant to be.
In this sermon, pastor Matt again shows how those who fail to give God the glory due his name will fall before him. The good news is that the God of Israel will triumph over his enemies, and we can share in his victory, but his hand is stretched out against all those who refuse to submit to him.
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that those who fail to give God the glory due his name will fall before him. But the good news is that despite judgment, loss, and apparent defeat, the God of Israel is at work to save his people from the power of their enemies.
In this sermon, pastor Keith shows us from 1 Samuel 3 that God is always at work to fulfill his purposes through the ministry of His word. From God's word being rare and Eli's eyes growing dim to all Israel knowing that a prophet is risen in Shiloh, God provided His word and a minister of His word to begin a new thing in Israel. In these last days, God has provided Christ, the faithful prophet we need, who did not let any of God's word fall to the ground.
In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us that, despite corruption in his house, God is always at work to fulfill his purposes. He will provide for the needs of his people both in purging judgment and in preserving mercy
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that, like Hannah, we can rejoice in the God who is at work to turn the world right-side up. Because of who God is and what he is doing to restore all things through his Christ, we should be a people always abounding in joyful praise.
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that *God is always at work to fulfill his purpose especially in hopeless circumstances. He intends to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found. And so we can trust that he will hear the prayers of his people, remember us, and act for our good and his glory.
In this sermon, pastor Mitch shows us that radical generosity in all of life is a hallmark of a Christian.As we consider Paul's instructions on giving to the Corinthians we not only learn principles of giving, but we discover the reasons why we ought to be excited about generosity.
In this sermon, pastor Joel looks at Malachi 3 and Israel’s corruption to show us that our practices of giving are directly related to our relationship with God. What we will see is that how we handle our money reveals the condition of our heart, and what we do reveals what we value. In other […]
In this sermon, pastor Matt looks at one of the few passages in the Law that deals with the concept of tithing. In Deuteronomy 14, we learn what Israel was supposed to do with the tithe, who it was for, and why this act of generosity was crucial for their life and witness as a nation. What we will see is that, while our situation today under the New Covenant has changed, there is an abiding principle of giving we must learn: We honor the Lord with our wealth as we joyfully share his blessings with others. This principle addresses the alignment of our hearts, and whether or not we will live for God according to his word
With Isaiah behind us, and before we start preaching through another book of the Bible, we will be taking the next four weeks to focus on the topic of giving. The purpose of this series is to explain from Scripture why we believe that radical generosity in all of life, as well as faithful giving to a local church, is a mark of a disciple of Jesus. In the first sermon of our series, pastor Keith considers Abraham being blessed by Melchizedek and reminds us that out of a grateful heart comes giving glory to God.
In our last sermon for our series through Isaiah, pastor Matt reminds us that God will make his glory known to all nations in salvation and judgment. Through the gospel, the Holy One of Israel is gathering a worldwide people to worship him forever, but those who persist in rebellion against him and his Christ will not escape the fire of his wrath.
Just as we find ourselves at the end of another year, we’ve also come to the end of the book of Isaiah. Yet what’s remarkable about this final chapter is that the book of Isaiah ends just like it began. After all Isaiah has said about the nations of the world, the exile of Israel, […]
What is the Christian’s hope? For most people today, the answer goes something like this: “We get to go to heaven when we die.” Many times, this is the final destination of the so-called “Romans’ road.” But this is not the Christian’s hope. The Christian’s hope is the day of resurrection and the life of the age to come. The hope of our salvation is “the restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21), when God makes all things new. In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us that God’s people will forever enjoy the blessings of his salvation in the new creation. In the life of the age to come, sin and death will be no more. There will only be fullness love, joy, and peace because of what God has done through Christ.
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds of a simple yet eternally significant truth: The God who can be found repays all who refuse to serve him. If you seek the Lord with all your heart, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, you will find that he will cast you off forever.
In this sermon, pastor Joel reminds us that we must respond to our situation with faith and repentance as we wait for God to act. Our heavenly Father loves us, and he knows what is best for us, and therefore we can trust him in seasons of doubt, despair, and discipline.
Having taken a detailed look at the false teachers who have crept into the church but are kept for judgment, Jude now describes what "contending for the faith once for all delivered to the saints (v.4) looks like for believers in the local church. In this sermon, pastor Joel shows us that true believers practice, promote, and protect faithfulness to Jesus Christ.
After speaking about reality of true and false believers, Jude spends the majority of his letter describing false believers that have crept in the church. He marshals all kinds of historical events, people, and predictions, and then all kinds of present behaviors, metaphors, and labels to show the true nature of these false believers. In this sermon, pastor Joel reminds us to watch out for predictable pretenders and remember the judgment they face.
In this sermon, pastor Joel looks at the opening verses of Jude's letter and the characteristics of true and false believers. What we will see is that that true christians must protest the purity of our devotion to Christ, to his gospel, and to his people.
In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us once more that those who come to King Jesus experience all the blessings of God’s unfailing love. For God in Christ is pleased to show mercy to those who repent, and even bring about the restoration of all things, in order to make a name for himself.
In this sermon, pastor Matt helps us see that those who come to King Jesus experience all the blessings of God’s unfailing love. His salvation is a free gift; his kingdom is open to all. All that’s left for us to do is to acknowledge his rightful rule and accept his gracious invitation to come to him and live!
In this sermon, pastor matt reminds us that God in Christ has made the way for sinners to be brought under the reign of his grace. In his kingdom, in his church, we experience the unrelenting joy of God’s salvation, the unending security of his love, and the unwavering confidence of his peace
In this sermon, pastor Matt continues his exposition of the fourth Servant Song in Isaiah 53, reminding us again that God reigns as King through the sacrifice and exaltation of Jesus. Because Christ the Righteous humbled himself unto death to justify the ungodly, God has exalted him as Savior of the world that all might belong to his kingdom-family by faith.
In this sermon on the fourth servant song in Isaiah, pastor Matt reminds us that God reigns as King through the sacrifice and exaltation of Jesus. It is through the sufferings of his Christ, the sin-bearing death of his servant, that God’s glory is revealed, his people are redeemed, and his kingdom is established. And this is good news!
When Israel had given into the "sleep" of despair, doubt, and hopelessness, God brought them a word of comfort, calling them to wake up from their slumber to the reality of his reign. In this passage, pastor Keith gives us the remedy for our own sleep of remorse, self-doubt, and despair. and calls us wake up to the reality of God's reign and to rejoice at our coming salvation.
For this Lord's Day, we were pleased to have Joe and Sierah Pliska with us from Landmark Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. The Pliskas are preparing to serve as missionaries in Japan and Joe was able to share their plans for gospel ministry with our congregation and preach on the next passage in our Isaiah sermon series. In this sermon, Joe reminds us of the comfort God brings to his people and calls us to rememeber what God has done and what he promised to do for us, and how those promises are ultimately fulfilled in Christ Jesus
In this sermon, pastor Matt reflects on some of the words of comfort we have heard in Isaiah 40-48, for it is often in suffering that verses we have heard before and the truths we know take on a whole new meaning. He reminds us how God has been preparing us for this moment of suffering and loss and how God's word of comfort is a word that can cause those of us overwhelmed and paralyzed by suffering to take heart, fear not, and believe.
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that those who trust in the Lord listen attentively to his word while we wait eagerly for his salvation. King Jesus is calling the righteous today to remember all of God’s promises, to live in light of his kingdom, and to take heart in the world.
In this sermon, pastor Bryan Winchester of Saving Grace Church in Milwaukie, Oregon looks at the preeminence of Christ in Paul's letter to the Colossians to remind us that Christ's sufficiency is grounded in his supremacy. Because Christ as the firstborn of all creation and the firstborn of the dead, we must continue in the faith and hope of the gospel which we heard.
In this sermon, pastor Mitch 3 looks at the third servant song and reminds us that Jesus Christ is the faithful servant of the Lord. And as Christians who are the Lord's servants, who follow the Lamb wherever he goes, we are called to follow his example.
In this sermon, pastor Matt helps us see that the Lord does not give up on his people but calls us to faith by his precious promises. Our God is relentlessly committed to our welfare and has given us all the assurance we need of his unfailing love in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us again that Jesus Christ is the faithful servant and glorious salvation of the Lord. And through his person and work, as the redeemer of Israel, God has guaranteed that his glory will be the gladness of all the nations and the joy all the earth.
In this sermon, pastor Matt helps us see that Jesus Christ is the faithful servant and glorious salvation of the Lord, and only those who come to him in faith can belong to the true Israel of God and shine his light to the nations.
To close Paul’s letter to Philemon, Paul demonstrates the love of Christ by asking Philemon to put Onesimus’ wrongs on his own account. In this sermon, Pastor Keith walks through the text from verses 17-25, showing us the Apostle Paul’s gospel-shaped steps of reconciliation: paying for the other, assuming the best of the other, and calling on the faithful others. What we learn is that partners in the gospel are partakers of reconciliation.
In this sermon, Pastor Keith walk through the text from verses 8-16 showing us Paul’s authority unexercised, Onesimus’ identity redeemed, and God’s sovereignty remembered. What we will see is that love is demanding, but we don’t demand love; rather, we appeal to each other to love in the family of God.
Paul’s letter to Philemon deals with the theme of reconciliation and depicts God’s people in Christ as a family that can receive and restore even a runaway slave and a thief. We will see how Paul appeals to Philemon to demonstrate the power of the gospel by welcoming Onesimus back, no longer as a slave, but as a beloved brother. In this sermon, pastor Keith looks at Paul's greeting and reminds us that in the fellowship of the saints, our faith is to express itself in love toward others.
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that God remains faithful to his faithless people for the sake of his name and the praise of his glorious grace. The only question is whether we will humble ourselves before his glory, respond to his word with obedient faith, and experience his peace in Christ
Having just declared that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that the God of Israel is the one true God, Isaiah presses this reality further by describing the fall of Babylon and all of her idols. The Lord shows his people what happens when you trust in idols, when you look for salvation in anyone or anything, in order to call them to renewed trust in him. In this sermon, pastor Matt shows that those who choose to carry idols will perish, but those who rest in Christ will be saved. We must remember that the one true God has purposed to deliver his people from sin, self, and any enemy that threatens our joy in him, and that he will do it.
We’ve been working through the second half of the book of Isaiah, where we find God’s word of comfort to his people who would one day be exiled in Babylon. In chapter 45 we saw God name Cyrus, King of Persia, as the one who would set them free and even help them rebuild Jerusalem (45:13). Now, in verses 14-25, the sovereign Lord reveals what his salvation would mean not just for Israel but for all nations, for all the ends of the earth—including us today. This passage looks beyond God’s redemption of his people back then to what he has in store for the entire world. So, today we’ll see that God invites all nations to enjoy his saving rule through faith in his Christ. Jesus is the only hope for our broken, idolatrous, and sinful world, and all those who turn to God in repentance and put their trust in his Son will be saved
In John 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus that, "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life" (John 3:14-15). Right before the famous and beloved text of John 3:16 we find Jesus connecting his impending death on the cross to a story from the book of Numbers of the bronze serpent. In this Good Friday sermon, pastor Keith unpacks the story of the bronze serpent ans shows how there was and is still is a divine remedy for human tragedy. And as we turn our eyes to Jesus Christ and him crucified we too can look and live.
In this sermon, pastor Mitch reminds us that those who trust the Lord can rejoice in his sovereign and surprising plan. For all of history and the complexities of our lives are under the sovereign command of the triune God and fit into his surprsing yet perfect plan.
After the promises made in Isaiah 44:1-5, the Lord Yahweh speaks once more to remind Israel of his uniqueness, that he is the one and only God, and to reassure them there is no one else who can be their sure foundation. Rather than be like the nations, who seek deliverance from idols, God's people were to be witnesses of his redeeming love and renewing grace. In this sermon, pastor Matt wraps up this section of Isaiah, emphasizing how God's purpose in the redemption of his people is the praise of his name. The goal of his gospel is a people, renewed by his Spirit and reassured by his grace, who worship him and bear witness to the truth that there is no rock like our God.
The Lord had declared a message of comfort for his faithless servant, Israel: He would end their exile and bring them home. But Israel would need a greater liberation than this. For God’s glory to fill the earth through the genuine worship and faithful witness of his people, they would need not just a fresh start but a new heart, a new Spirit, a renewed life. In this sermon, pastor Matt continues to preach that God’s purpose in the redemption of his people is the praise of his name. And he enables us to live for his glory since he has given up his Son and poured out his Spirit to forgive our sins and give us new life.
It has always been God’s intention to bring his blessing to the world, to fill the earth with his glory, through his people. This was why God chose Israel to be his servant. However, as we saw last week, Israel too failed to do this. But Isaiah aims to remind us of what God intended to do for his chosen people by grace and through them for the world.In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us again again that God’s purpose in the redemption of his people is the praise of his name. He desires for us to know that he is the one true God and only Savior, to believe him and experience his grace in Christ, and to be witnesses of his redeeming love in the world.
In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us that God’s purpose in the redemption of his people is the praise of his name. For he not only opens our eyes to his glory and our ears to his gospel that we might repent and believe, but that we might be fearless witnesses of his grace in Christ.
. In this sermon, Pastor Joel shows how scripture identifies all of God's attributes with Jesus Christ. Jesus is both the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah; the anointed suffering servant and the man of war who brings about absolute justice and salvation. Seeing our God and savior, Jesus Christ, for who He truly is results in a new song of praise and worship from the ends of the earth and everywhere in between!
In this sermon, pastor Keith walks through the text answering the question “Who can contend?” in two ways. First, who can contend with God? No one. Second, who can contend with this broken idolatrous world? God’s Anointed One. He answers those two questions with the two “beholds” of the text. First, “Behold, idols are nothing.” Second, “Behold, my servant.” When we answer our two questions of “who can contend?” we will know that there is no one like our God, there is no one like His anointed one, the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Rev. 22:13).
In chapter 40, Isaiah established the fundamental principles about God to assure Israel of God’s power and eagerness to save them. Now in chapter 41, Isaiah brings these principles into clearer focus. This section begins and ends with God addressing the nations, but in between is a lengthy section of comfort and reassurance given to God's weak and weary people, a word we need to hear today. In this sermon, pastor Mitch reminds us that Christians have no need to fear because the sovereign God who rules the nations is the One who helps us.
Isaiah 40 brings us good news of God's comfort by showing us a stunning vision of God's glory. And Isaiah concludes by bringing these truths to bear on God's forgetful and doubtful people in order to give us hope. In this sermon, pastor Matt explains that the God of all comfort and unrivaled glory is a God worth waiting for. He is the God of endurance and the God of hope, whose power and grace are made known to us in Christ and made perfect in our weakness.
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that our God is the incomparable Lord who is both willing and able to save. He is the God who has revealed himself to us in the glorious Christ, who longs for us to see him as he truly is, and who alone is worthy of all our trust and all our affection.
In this sermon, pastor Matt once again explains that the comfort from God that we need is found under the saving rule of Christ. And this comfort is the good news of beholding God in all his glory, most clearly seen in Jesus, the King who is both a mighty warrior and gentle shepherd.
Though God’s people had failed to keep the covenant and would one day find themselves living as exiles in Babylon, God had not forgotten his promises. He remained faithful to the covenant, and in his wrath remembered mercy. Isaiah 40 is the word of comfort that God speaks to his defeated, and faithless people. And […]
In this sermon, as we begin the second half of Isaiah (chs. 40-66), pastor Matt shows us that the comfort from God that we need is found under the saving rule of Christ. For only King Jesus has entered into the despair of our world, dealt with the problem of our sin, and made possible the joy of our salvation.
In this sermon, pastor Matt preaches that the Lord alone is worthy to be praised for his acts of salvation and judgment. Psalm 98 is a beautiful illustration of the link found all throughout Scripture between the joy of experiencing salvation with the response of singing songs of praise.
As Zechariah's Benedictus begins, he blesses God for who he is and what he has done. Instead of focusing on the miraculous birth of his own son, which pointed to the Messiah's advent, he rejoices instead that the Lord has visited and redeemed his people. Now, in the second half of this song, Zechariah mentions his son, John, and affirms what the angel had told him about John’s calling and ministry. But even then, his gaze remains fixed on the merciful Most High and his promised salvation.In this sermon, pastor Matt encourages us to rejoice with Zechariah because th light of God’s glorious grace has dawned upon us with the coming of King Jesus. We are to bless our merciful God for in Christ alone is found the forgiveness of sin, the light of life, and the way of peace.
While Mary sang her “Magnificat,” Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, sings his “Benedictus.” The birth of John causes Zechariah to bless God for the birth of Jesus. Why? Because John’s birth was a sign of the Messiah’s advent. In other words, even in his birth, John was pointing to the Lamb of God. […]
In the second half the Magnificat, Mary moves to general reasons for magnifying God that not only apply to Mary but to the generations who see themselves as lowly like the mother of our Lord. So today, we transition our eyes from the Lord of Mary to the Lord of many. In this sermon, pastor Keith considers once again how God alone is worthy to be magnified, looking at how God resists the proud, reverses the powers of this world, and remembers his promises
For the Advent season in 2022 we are looking the songs sung by Mary, Zechariah, and the Angels which accompanied the birth of Christ. In this sermon pastor Keith considers Mary's song, traditionally known as the Magnificat, and the personal reasons Mary had for rejoicing in God. What we will see is that God alone is worthy to be magnified for the great things he has done and that this news is cause for us to sing too.
To conclude our sermon series, Pastor Matt recites the Paul's letter to the Romans in its entirety. There are several reasons why we concluded our series this way:
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that God is to be praised for his wisdom and power revealed in the good news of Jesus. Doxology is not only how Paul concludes his letter explaining the gospel of God; doxology is to be the response of all those who hear the gospel and behold the glorious Christ.
From Paul’s final exhortations we learn something about what a healthy Christian community looks like. We learn that a healthy church is one that strives to remain faithful to and united in the gospel. And in order to help the church remain united and obedient to the truth, Paul gives the church: a warning about false teachers, a promise of victory, and a prayer for grace
In this sermon, instead of spending time on conjecture about this list of names, pastor Matt helps us see that the manifold wisdom and saving power of God is made known through the church of Christ. More than just providing a portrait of the church at Rome, Paul's greetings reveal what God has done through the gospel of his Son in Rome, and what he continues to do in the world today.
In this sermon, pastor Matt explains that the church is where the blessing of Christ is known and where the glory of God is made known. This happens as the saints experience the peace of God, encourage one another in the faith, and contend together for the sake of the gospel.
In this sermon, pastor Matt helps us see that the gospel claims the whole world for Christ that all nations might be glad in him. And Paul’s goal in life, as a minister of God’s gospel, should be our aim as well: that the glory of the risen Christ, the King of kings, might be the glory of the nations.
In this sermon, pastor Keith reminds us that our God is glorified when we welcome one another in Christ, just as we have been welcomed by him.
As chapter 15 begins, Paul continues his discussion of the strong and weak reminding the strong to bear with the weak and not please themselves. Just like our Lord Jesus, we must use our strength to serve others and not ourselves. In this sermon pastor Joel helps us see that humbly serving others, in accord with Christ, harmonizes our lives and voices to glorify God, and that our Triune God works in us the desire and ability to love God and neighbor in humble service.
In this sermon, pastor Matt continues to teach how Christians are to enjoy their gospel freedoms in a way that keeps their fellow kingdom citizens from stumbling. To do this, we must not only consider the cross of Christ and the kingdom of God, but the goal of edification and the conduct of faith.
In this sermon, pastor Matt helps us see that Christians are to enjoy their gospel freedoms in a way that keeps their fellow kingdom citizens from stumbling. For true Christian liberty means the freedom to lay our rights and preferences aside in loving service to Christ and his blood-bought church.
This week, pastor Matt reminds us again that that Christians are to love and accept all those whom God has accepted at the Lord’s table. For in the end, it is our Lord Jesus to whom we all belong in life and in death, and he is the one to whom we all must give account.
In this sermon, pastor Matt begins to show us that Christians are to love and accept all those whom God has accepted at the Lord’s table. For when our view of those who belong to Christ is based on God’s view of them, the result is a church characterized not by worldly strife but joy and peace.
Since Romans 12, Paul has been giving the church general instructions for a whole new way of life “in view of God’s mercies." Now in Romans 13:11-14, he brings this section to close. But instead of telling the church to look at the present in light of the past (what God has done in Christ), he now tells them to consider the present in light of their future (what God will surely do in Christ). Paul is connecting eschatology to ethics, to our Christian conduct in this present age.
In this sermon, pastor Mitch reminds us that Christians must live every day in light of the coming Day of the Lord. When we understand what God has done and will do in Christ, we find all the motivation, the power, and the joy to live properly in the present. When we understand the time in which we live, we will know what to do with our time.
Since Romans 12 we have been looking at the various relationships the church has in light of the gospel and our new identity as citizens of God's kingdom. We considered the church's relationship to God, to each other, to the world, and to the state. In this sermon, pastor Keith looks at our relationship to neighbors, reminding us of our unending obligation to love and how our love for neighbor fulfills the law.
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that the posture of a citizen of heaven towards rulers and authorities is one of submission unto the Lord. For we recognize that they are God’s appointed servants, under the rule of his Christ, authorized to punish what is evil and to promote what is good
After all that Paul has said about the Christian’s relationship to the church, we come to what is arguably the most radical command in all Scripture. We saw it briefly in verse 14, but in verses 17-21 Paul now focuses on our relationship to the world, and the Christian’s display of non-retaliating love. In this sermon pastor Matt reminds us once more how love is the indispensable mark of the new humanity created in Christ Jesus. We prove to be God’s beloved children not only as we display his love in the household of faith, but also as we extend that love to our enemies in an unjust world.
Having just taught that Christians are members of Christ's body, and encouraging the church to use their grace-gifts in humble service, Paul shows them "a still more excellent way" (1 Cor. 12:31). In this sermon, Pastor shows how love is the indispensable mark of the new humanity created in Christ Jesus. For the love of God revealed in the gospel of his Son has also been poured into our hearts by the gift of his Spirit that we might love one another to the praise of his glory.
A renewed mind keeps God’s mercies central and takes delights in God’s will. But it not only makes true worship possible when it comes to our relationship to God, but it also makes humble service possible when it comes to our relationship to the church. In this sermon, pastor Matt teaches that a mind renewed […]
With this sermon we begin the final section of Paul’s letter to the church at Rome. In chapters 1-4 we saw how the gospel of Jesus reveals the righteousness of God in the justification of sinners. In chapters 5-8 Paul showed how the gospel provides the hope of salvation for all those united to Christ. […]
As the book of Jonah comes to a close, God teaches Jonah a lesson about anger and compassion, a lesson that the church must still be taught. In this sermon, pastor Joel reminds us once again of God's sovereign and scandalous mercy, available to all who call on the name of the Lord.
In this sermon, pastor Mitch reminds us of the profound truth this familiar story teaches us: that God is rich in mercy for all who turn from their sin and take him at his word. Here we find the irrefutable proof that God does not desire the death of the wicked but that all should repent and believe his word.
After being hurled into the raging sea, God mercifully preserves Jonah's life by sovereingly appointing a great sea creature to swallow him. From the belly of the fish, Jonah offers a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord from the belly of the fish, acknowledging that he had been spared from a death he deserved. In this sermon on Jonah's psalm of salvation, pastor Keith reminds us that God is the one who can bring anyone from the pit of the dead to the dry ground of the living, for salvation belongs to the Lord.
In this sermon, pastor Joel shows us the absolute sovereignty of God over all things and the futility of our attempts to outrun, outwit, or ignore him. But we not only see God’s sovereignty over nature in the story of Jonah but also unstoppable mercy. Despite Jonah’s disobedience and attempts to frustrate God’s plan, God’s […]
In this sermon, pastor Joel introduces us to the main characters in the story of Jonah and the historical setting of the book. As we consider Jonah's commission and his resistance to God's word, we are reminded of the futility of running from the Lord and encouraged to consider what our own response is to his word.
In this sermon, pastor Matt preaches that worship is the only proper response to who God is and what he has done in Christ. A true knowledge of God, informed by his Word and the gospel of his Son, will compel us to give to him the glory he is due in all of life.
In this sermon, Pastor Matt teaches that God has ordered history in such a way as to magnify his unfathomable mercy. His purpose, in and through Christ, is to save not only the nations but all Israel and so prove faithful to his covenant promises.
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that God's people are marked by faith that continues in humble reliance on his kindness. Whether Jew or Gentile, true Israel doesn't presume on the grace of God but clings to Christ and bears much fruit.
In Romans 11 Paul is ramping up to the climax of his discussion of Israel and the gospel. He lays out the future salvation of Israel and how God is even using their unbelief to accomplish his plans for the world. In this sermon, pastor Mitch reminds us that Israel’s hardening and rejection is neither total nor final and that God's gracious plan of salvation for the world is better than we can imagine
In this sermon, pastor Matt demonstrates that God abounds in mercy to the most unworthy of sinners to the praise of his glory. For his purpose, through the gospel, is to create a restored Israel by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.
In this sermon, pastor Mitch reminds us helps us understand that the only hope for our willful unbelief is the sovereign grace of God.
In this sermon, pastor Matt demonstrates that Christ sends us to preach his gospel that others might hear, believe, and be saved. For the good news of Jesus—the message we must proclaim—is the saving power of God to all who call on his name in obedient faith.
In this sermon, pastor Matt proclaims that God in Christ has done for us what we could not do for ourselves that we might be saved. We can either submit a righteousness of our own making in a failed attempt to be made right with God, or we can receive his righteousness through faith in his Son.
In this sermon, pastor Keith looks at the paradoxical conclusion Paul reaches about the Gentiles and Jews in their pursuit of righteousness. He reminds us that Christ Jesus will either be a rock of offense to those seeking to obtain a righteousness based on their own performance, or the Rock of Ages cleft for those who cling to Christ by faith.
In this sermon, pastor Matt explains that God has chosen to reveal his sovereign mercy in saving a people from every nation. The river of God’s mercy in Christ flows both deep and wide, as he calls underserving sinners into relationship with himself from the Jews and the Gentiles.
In this sermon, pastor Matt shows that God does all that he does to make his glory known in both wrath and mercy. And his ultimate goal in Christ is to have a people for his own possession who enjoy him forever, all to the praise of his glorious grace.
In this sermon, pastor Matt teaches that God is righteous in election since it perfectly accords with his name and reveals his glory. God is free to be merciful to undeserving sinners based on the work of Christ, and he is free to harden those who reject him in unrighteousness.
In this sermon, pastor Matt teaches that belonging to the true people of God through faith is the result of being born again by his grace.
After unpacking the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel (chs. 1-4) and the blessings of salvation provided by the gospel (chs. 5-8) Paul begins to explain the plan of God vindicated in the gospel in chapters 9-11. Here he aims to show how God’s plan for Israel and the nations reveals his saving righteousness, […]
In this sermon, our guest preacher, pastor Reid Ferguson of the Evangelical Church of Fairport, provides us with a biblical understanding of power from Proverbs 21 and exposes the danger of the lust for power in this present age. What we will discover is that there is nothing more countercultural than not needing or seeking power but simply trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ and his sovereign rule over all things.
In this sermon, our guest preacher, pastor Young Choe, teaches that the church must fear the Lord by recognizing who he is and being careful to do what he says.
In this sermon, pastor Keith reminds us that God created all things in wisdom and his wisdom can give us a joyful, abundant life. But this wisdom can only be found in God through Jesus Christ, who was and is God's wisdom incarnate.
In this sermon, pastor Mitch shows us that it is God’s wisdom, which is freely offered to us all, despite our foolishness, that is the key to living an abundant life now and to obtaining life in the age to come.
In the second half of the crescendo that concludes Romans 8, the Apostle Paul focuses on the love of God in Christ that not only secures our vindication on the last day but also our glorious victory now and every day in between. And in this sermon, pastor Matt again shows how God’s everlasting love gives the believer unassailable hope in life and death. When suffering comes our way, when our faith in God wavers and our love for Christ falters, we can rest assured in his almighty and steadfast love for us.
In this sermon, pastor Matt argues that God’s everlasting love gives the believer unassailable hope in life and death. Those who trust in Christ alone possess an assurance that is unable to be truly challenged, seriously threatened, or possibly defeated.
Our emotions and experiences would have us believe the lie that there is nothing good in the fiery furnace of trial. Present suffering can convince us that our lives are nothing more than broken pieces of glass, wasted and worthless. But behind the scenes, regardless of what we feel, God is putting all these pieces […]
In this sermon pastor Mitch reminds us that Christians can endure the sufferings of this present time because the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
For some, a new year brings the promise of a brand new start; for others, it only means that more trials suffering are just ahead. What we all need is real hope for the future—one that is more than just wishful thinking, but a confident expectation based on truth. In this sermon, pastor Matt preaches […]
In Romans 5-8, Paul draws out the many implications for those who have been justified by faith. He shows how we now live united to Christ, under grace, as slaves of righteousness, and a life according to the Spirit. In this sermon, pastor Matt explained that this new life made possible by the Spirit of […]
In this sermon, pastor Matt teaches that God’s Spirit compels us to live in light of his grace by putting our sinful deeds to death.
In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us that God sends the Spirit of his Son into our hearts that we might have new life and living hope.
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that God gave us his Son to free us from sin and death and to fill us with his life and love.
In this sermon, pastor Joel examines the conflict that results because of the sinful flesh and the deliverance made possible through God in Christ.
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that what the law could not do because of our sinful flesh, God has done for us in Christ.
In this sermon, pastor Matt helps us see that grace releases us from the law that we might belong to and live for the risen Christ.
In this sermon, pastor Matt shows us that those who are slaves of God by God's grace are those who have the free gift of eternal life.
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that grace doesn't set us free from slavery to sin so that we can live however we want; grace sets us free to become slaves of God our Savior.
In this sermon, pastor Matt reminds us that living under the reign of grace demands our attitude both to sin and to God must change. It demands an active commitment to walk in newness of life.
In this sermon, pastor Matt looks at the apostle Paul's explanation of the believer's union with Christ in order to convince us beyond a shadow of a doubt that we can be dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus
In this sermon, pastor Matt helps us see that grace has abounded in Christ that we might die to sin and live to God.
In this sermon, pastor Keith shows us that it is only by the abounding grace of God that we can be found in Christ and reign with him.
In this sermon, pastor Keith Ryoo poses the question: Are we in the first Adam, under the reign of sin leading to death? Or are we in Christ, the last Adam, under the reign of grace leading to life?