Union Church Sermons: Recent Episodes
Union Church
Union Church is a church in Livingston County, Michigan. We are a church saturated in the Word, centered on the gospel, and empowered by the Spirit. We exist not for ourselves but are united by the gospel to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples.
Pastor Kyle Rodriguez finishes our "More and Deeper" series by reminding us that joy in God is the only source for deep discipleship.
Pastor Ethan Ezikian exhorts the church to be a people aimed at making disciples of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Kyle walks through Paul's exhortation to the church in Ephesians for unity in the Gospel, both the foundations and practical implications. To be a faithful church, we must aim for our Gospel Doctrine to spill out into Gospel Culture.
Pastor Ethan Ezikian exhorts us to follow in the steps of the Proverbs in not merely seeking to gain wisdom, but aiming at passing down the path to the good life in our homes and churches.
How do we know the will of God for our lives? That's a question that every Christian asks at some point, and it's a question about which the Bible has much to say. Pastor Kyle Rodriguez walks us through the broad guidelines the Word of God gives us for knowing God's will.
Pastor Ronnie Goble (Rooted Church) exhorts us to have an eye on the future of the kingdom of God as we go about the Christian life.
Pastor Andrew Chesebro, visiting from Pathway Covenant Presbyterian (PCA), teaches on Jesus' commands on loving your neighbors and the golden rule.
Pastor Ethan Ezikian teaches on the necessity of wise friendship, how to cultivate it, and the source of wise friendship.
Pastor Kyle walks through Proverbs' wisdom on the topic of anger. In a world where anger is everywhere, how can wise, godly people deal with it?
Sometimes it's easier to learn something by learning what it is not. This week, Pastor Kyle helps us better understand wisdom by looking at the different ways Proverbs describes fools.
Pastor Kyle unpacks why delighting in the Word of God, not merely going to it, as the source of all wisdom brings flourishing.
Pastor Kyle opens our series on wisdom by exhorting us, with the Proverbs, to desire, strive, yearn to "get wisdom."
Pastor Ethan summarizes the big message of Romans 8 and the comfort that believers can take in knowing that nothing can separate them from the love of God in Jesus Christ.
Pastor Ethan reminds Christians that as they endure heavy trials, the Spirit is there to help them in their weakness.
Why do we suffer? What are we waiting for as we endure suffering in this broken world? Those are the questions we must be able to answer if we are going to maintain faith through a lifetime.
The Holy Spirit assures us of our salvation in Christ in numerous ways, namely by testifying to us that we are adopted children of God.
How does real change come about in a Christian's life? That's the aim of Paul's writing in Romans 8:3-11, as he encourages Christians to live in the Holy Spirit as he dwells within them.
People who are Christians, members of the Kingdom of God who have been born again, are fundamentally “disciples.” But what is a disciple? How does one become a disciple, and what are the fundamental realities that undergird our growth as disciples? Jesus’s final command gives us a hint: Disciples have been washed clean of sin, given new identities, and empowered to a new way of living.
“I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you.” (3:6). We have been given the gospel to proclaim for the healing of individuals and the repentance and refreshing of the world.
A primary fruit of the gospel is God-glorifying community that provides a foundation for God-glorifying mission. The devotion of the church (to the apostle’s teaching, the fellowship, the breaking of bread, and the prayers) gives birth to an awe-filled, miracle-marked, loving, generous, hospitable, multiplying community.
Jesus told the apostles to wait on the promised Spirit and now we see the coming of the Spirit sparking the gospel ministry the church.
The early church was dependent on prayer and driven to prayer. As we wait for the kingdom of God, let us be a praying church.
Jesus is building a church as a taste of his coming kingdom rooted in his real resurrection, dependent on the power of the Spirit, commissioned to the ends of the earth, fueled by the hope of his return.
Jesus rose again to a physical body. He is the foretaste of our resurrection, the firstborn from the dead. And after he rose with a physical body, he ascended to heaven. In the ascension of Jesus we see that he may not be here, but he is actively working by reigning over all creation at his Father’s side. He is risen not to wait but to reign. He is risen not to obscurity, but to be King.
The Emmaus Road - Luke 24:13-35
Jesus being alive is the full embodiment of Paul’s sentiment that all of the promises of God “find their Yes” in him (2 Cor. 1:20). Knowing who he is and that he is alive changes how we read all of the Bible.
Exodus 20:12
We are a church saturated in the Word, centered on the gospel, and empowered by the Spirit. People from all walks and stages of life call Union Church home as they grow in grace and in the knowledge of God.
Located in Livingston County, Michigan Union Church is a safe and welcoming community for the broken and suffering. At our church, it is ok to not be ok. By God’s grace, we eagerly seek healing, sanctification, and transformation in the lives of people. We are so moved and shaped by who God is and what he has done that we sacrificially practice generosity, hospitality, and care
Learn more about us:
Website: https://unionchurchmi.com/
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IG: @unionchurchmi
Series Intro/No Other Gods Before Me (Ex 20:1-17)
Main Idea:God gives us the law so that we might delight in him alone.
Next Thing: Glorifying God
We make decisions daily, and this year will be full of new ones. As we do so, we must seek the discernment of the Holy Spirit who leads and guides us. At the bottom line, however, is the truth that the next thing we should do is the most God-glorifying thing we can do.
A New Zeal | Killing Sin
Sin has a destructive way of worming into our lives in subtle ways. It’s critical for Christians remade in Christ’s image to regularly take an assessment and kill indwelling sin, being zealous to destroy the idols that we’ve placed on the throne of our hearts.
As Christians, our core identity is as sheep to Christ’s shepherds. This identity shapes how we relate to him, seeing him as one who cares for us, who welcomes us to his table and nourishes us.
There is one thing that must be the foundation of all that we do, both as individuals and as churches: the cross of Jesus Christ. This is the message we preach to others and ourselves, as opposed to a message of power or wisdom, and fundamentally shapes our culture.
Here, the promises to both Mary and Elizabeth are confirmed: John really does have the Spirit dwelling in him, even in his mother’s womb (1:15), and Jesus really will be the Lord of God’s people (1:32-33). God’s Word has been confirmed by the testimony of his Spirit in his people. What a comfort to the people of God to have his Spirit confirm his promises in the midst of their waiting!
And in response to that confirmation, the people of God worship—even as they yet wait. For in their confirmation, God’s people are reminded that the promises of God are secure in the character of God, and they believe. And that belief prompts them to worship the God who lifts up the humble.
Waiting may feel like a poor, weak, foolish, humiliating exercise. But in receiving confirmation of his promises, God’s people are reminded that he is one who exalts those of humble estate, prompting them to grateful worship.
This story is contrasted with the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Where they were praying and waiting for the Lord to work, Mary was completely surprised as the Lord surprisingly and miraculously intervened. Where Zechariah questioned how he should “know” the truth of the angel’s promise, Mary questioned how the miracle would come about. Where Zechariah’s ability to speak was taken away in response to this promise, Mary speaks a word of submission and faithfulness in response to this promise.
Ultimately, the message of this pericope is that Jesus is even greater than John. The miraculous intervention of Christ is the greater and truer work of God than any other promise fulfillment that the Lord makes. As we wait upon the Lord for the fulfillment of lesser promises, we should look to the ultimate fulfillment in Christ as our greatest hope—which allows us to follow Mary’s example of radically faithful submission to the Lord.
Though we are often overwhelmed by the tension of waiting for the Lord to work here and now to bless, preserve, and comfort us, the knowledge of the greater miracle of Christ and his intervening salvation prompts us to faithfully submit to the Lord’s plans that are greater than we could ever imagine.
Zechariah and Elizabeth have endured much suffering despite their righteousness, being barren. In the same way, Israel had thus endured much suffering unto this point, being under the rule of the Romans and enduring centuries of silence from the Lord.
But, the Lord here gives a promise: The suffering is coming to an end, that joy will come. A child will be born to Zechariah and Elizabeth, and that same child will make the people of the Lord ready for his imminent arrival.
There is a bit of “meta” happening here. Just as John will prepare the people for the ultimate fulfillment of God’s covenant promises, the announcement of God’s promises themselves prepare us for the ultimate fulfillment, “turning” us to the Lord. The Lord hears our prayers in suffering, and in advance of fully and completely answering us, he reminds us of his promises, making us ready for his final “Yes and Amen.”
In the midst of our suffering, God grants his promises to turn us back to him, making us ready for the full and final restoration of joy in the promises’ fulfillment.
In the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul writes to a local church about the foundations of the gospel and its implications for God’s people. The glorious truth of the gospel does not exist in a vacuum. By its very nature it transforms the way we relate to God, to the world, and to one another. In this series we will glory in the depths of the gospel and seriously consider how God’s word provides a blueprint for us; shaping our understanding of God and the gospel, correcting our sin-rooted assumptions about the world, and forming the ways we live as citizens in God’s kingdom.
The book of Psalms is the hymn book of Israel. With rich imagery, deep emotion, and a range of postures they give voice to the ways God’s people come before him in worship. In studying the Psalms, followers of Jesus are given a vibrant guide that should define, shape, and deepen our attitudes and practices of individual and corporate worship.
This summer, as Union Church continues to build an identity and culture of a church family, we’ll look at several Psalms to ask ourselves how we can reflect the biblical postures of the Psalms faithfully. And as a New Testament church, we’ll ask how Jesus Christ puts a new lens on those postures and equips us for gospel-centered worship.
The book of Psalms is the hymn book of Israel. With rich imagery, deep emotion, and a range of postures they give voice to the ways God’s people come before him in worship. In studying the Psalms, followers of Jesus are given a vibrant guide that should define, shape, and deepen our attitudes and practices of individual and corporate worship.
This summer, as Union Church continues to build an identity and culture of a church family, we’ll look at several Psalms to ask ourselves how we can reflect the biblical postures of the Psalms faithfully. And as a New Testament church, we’ll ask how Jesus Christ puts a new lens on those postures and equips us for gospel-centered worship.
Though oft-neglected at the back of our Bibles, the book of Revelation is a stunning picture of the glory of God woven throughout history meant to draw his people into courageous, hopeful endurance. But many of us are intimidated by Revelation—with its intense, supernatural visions and unfamiliar symbols—seeing it as an elaborate codebook that only the most scholarly can crack. Others are obsessed with working to crack the code and are certain that doing so will unlock our understanding of specific current events and help us predict the future.
But Revelation is first and foremost a letter to churches, a letter that is meant to equip the people of God in every geographical locale, every modern time period. It is a revealing of the things unseen, reminding us that there is more to reality than simply what is physically in front of us. It is a revealing of the King of Kings who once was dead, but now is alive and is working all things together for his glory and the good of his people. It is meant to be read, to be understood, and to be rejoiced in.
During our pastoral installation service, Josh Blunt, Lead Pastor of Sunshine Community Church, preached on the role of a pastor outlined in 1 Peter 5. On this day, the advisory board officially installed Ethan Ezikian and Kyle Rodriguez as pastors of Union Church.
The disquiet of the world is quieted in the coming of the Son. We can take joy in the coming of the promised One. “No more let sin or sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make his blessings flow, far as the curse is found.”
From the movements of nations to the disposition of our hearts, today’s world is filled with division, uncertainty, and fear. At our core we know that it isn’t supposed to be this way. We long for unity and security. Assurance that things are going to be ok. We long for peace. Jesus is our peace.
There is evil in the world. We grieve it and we long for things to be set right – for the guilty to be punished and for victims to be vindicated. We long for justice. Our groaning beneath the injustice of the world is answered by the Righteous Branch who executes justice and righteousness.
In Genesis 3:15 God gives the first promise of the gospel. This promise comes in response to the rebellion of Adam and Eve which led to the fall of humanity and the fracturing of the cosmos by sin. The sin of Adam and Eve is the source of the longing that colors the whole course of human history. We were made for union and communion with God, but our sin has ripped a gaping hole in the fabric of creation… and in the depths of the human heart. The longing that fills that hole can only be satisfied by God. In his mercy, God answers our longing with a promise of redemption. And that promise is first given in Genesis 3:15. This promise of redemption is the promise of a person. Jesus Christ is the answer for our longing.
To be united with Christ means to be indwelled by his Spirit. Every power we have, every new desire we have, is given to us by the Holy Spirit. To be united with Christ is a core function of the Spirit. He is the one who connects us to the vine, who fills us with new life, who carries us forward to the day of Christ. Because we are united to him by his Spirit, we then are adopted children, given the inheritance of the Son of God and all that accompanies it.
When Jesus Christ died on a cross and was buried in the grave, our sinful flesh was with him. That means that retribution really has been poured out on our sin, God did not merely look the other way in an unjust manner. It means that our flesh that was enslaved to sin has been killed and buried. It means that we are free—free from guilt, free from shame, and free from the slavery of sin.
God’s people are called out, set apart, and united by the gospel for mission. We have been called to be ambassadors of his kingdom, witnesses of the gospel. We are called to scatter on mission for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples.
God’s people are united by the gospel of Jesus Christ as one body. The salvation found in Christ is not merely an individual gift, but one that is fully experienced and purposed for the corporate life of his people.
To be a part of the church, at its core, means to be set apart by God. The Church of Jesus Christ is a peculiar people. We stand out from the world because God has revealed himself to us and empowered us by his Spirit to respond. And through this, we are called into a new identity as a holy race, a royal priesthood, a people called to proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness.
We'll be gathering in person to worship starting this fall, but until then we'll be releasing monthly video services to give you a taste of what our gathering will be like.