"Roadblocks to Faith" Sermon Series

In recent weeks we have explored four common roadblocks to spiritual growth and faith: doubt, fear, worry, and guilt/shame. These are, in many ways, autobiographical. When considering them I looked at my own life in order to preach to myself. Yet it is my belief that these roadblocks are common among us all. At the root of each of them is an attack on our faith. The answer, of course, is to stay focused on Jesus.


Sermons:

November 22, 2015 | Matthew 11:1-6: From Doubt to Faith
November 29, 2015 | Joshua 1:1-18: From Fear to Faith
December 6, 2015 | Matthew 6:25-34: From Worry to Faith
December 27, 2015 | Leviticus 16:1-22: From Guilt and Shame to Faith


Other:

Ravi Zacharias' 12 Arguments For the Historicity of the Resurrection
Does God Exist? The Cosmological Argument
Does God Exist?: The Moral Argument



Previous Sermon Series:

The Gospel Is . . .: Sermon Series on Galatians
"The Beatitudes" Sermon Series

December 27, 2015 | Leviticus 16:1-22: From Guilt and Shame to Faith

We conclude our series on Roadblocks to Faith by exploring the burdens of guilt and shame. Our passage was Leviticus 16:1-22:

1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they had approached the presence of the Lord and died. ² The Lord said to Moses:

“Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. ³ Aaron shall enter the holy place with this: with a bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. ⁴ He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be girded with the linen sash and attired with the linen turban (these are holy garments). Then he shall bathe his body in water and put them on. ⁵ He shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. ⁶ Then Aaron shall offer the bull for the sin offering which is for himself, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. ⁷ He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting. ⁸ Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. ⁹ Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell, and make it a sin offering. ¹⁰ But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat.

¹¹ “Then Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his household, and he shall slaughter the bull of the sin offering which is for himself. ¹² He shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and bring it inside the veil. ¹³ He shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, otherwise he will die. ¹⁴ Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

¹⁵ “Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. ¹⁶ He shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities. ¹⁷ When he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household and for all the assembly of Israel. ¹⁸ Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat and put it on the horns of the altar on all sides. ¹⁹ With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and cleanse it, and from the impurities of the sons of Israel consecrate it.

²⁰ “When he finishes atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat. ²¹ Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness. ²² The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.

Audio
Notes


For more:
November 22, 2015 | Matthew 11:1-6: From Doubt to Faith
November 29, 2015 | Joshua 1:1-18: From Fear to Faith
December 6, 2015 | Matthew 6:25-34: From Worry to Faith
December 27, 2015 | Leviticus 16:1-22: From Guilt and Shame to Faith

Worship Minimovie: The Incarnation Spoken Word

Here is the worship minimovie from Sunday morning.

Worship Minimovie: Christmas According to Children

Here is the worship minimovie from Sunday evening.

Worship Minimovie: Good News Scale

Here is the worship minimovie from Sunday morning.

December 20, 2015 | Matthew 2:13-15; Hosea 11:1-11

Here is the sermon from Sunday evening taken from Matthew 2:13-15 and Hosea 11:1-11. Matthew claims that Hosea 11 is a prophecy about the birth narrative of Jesus. As we see in the sermon below, it is prophetic, but its a different type of prophecy.

¹³ Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord *appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”

¹⁴ So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. ¹⁵ He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

Audio
Notes


For more:
December 20, 2015 | Micah 5:1-6
December 13, 2015 | Isaiah 9:1-7

December 20, 2015 | Micah 5:1-6

Below you will find the sermon links from yesterday morning taken from Micah 5:1-6.

“Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops;
They have laid siege against us;
With a rod they will smite the judge of Israel on the cheek.
² “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity.”
³ Therefore He will give them up until the time
When she who is in labor has borne a child.
Then the remainder of His brethren
Will return to the sons of Israel.
⁴ And He will arise and shepherd His flock
In the strength of the Lord,
In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God.
And they will remain,
Because at that time He will be great
To the ends of the earth.
⁵ This One will be our peace.
When the Assyrian invades our land,
When he tramples on our citadels,
Then we will raise against him
Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men.
⁶ They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword,
The land of Nimrod at its entrances;
And He will deliver us from the Assyrian
When he attacks our land
And when he tramples our territory.

Audio
Notes


For more:
December 13, 2015 | Isaiah 9:1-7

Why the "X" in Xmas is not an Anti-Christmas Conspiracy

Every year I am inevitably asked the same question: what's with abbreviating Christmas to "Xmas?" There are usually two types of people who ask this question. On the one hand is the conspirator who assumes that "Xmas" is a secular coo against Christ. On the other hand is the confused who simply wonder why anyone would abbreviate "Christ" with a simple "X."

Good news American Christians, the abbreviation is not that big of a deal.

The Greek word for "Christ" is christos. The first letter of christos is the Greek letter chi which is transliterated into the English letters "ch." The chi itself looks like an English "X." Christians would often abbreviate christos with the Greek letter chi. A good example of this would be the Chi-Rho monogram which was a type of cross with the first two letters of christos - the chi and the rho. A picture of the Chi-Rho Monogram is available below.

Another example would be the ichthus. The word "ichthus" is Greek meaning "fish." Christians turned it into an acronym with each Greek letter representing something about Christ. The iota ("i") meaning "Jesus," the chi (ch) meaning "Christ," the theta ("th") meaning God, the upsilon ("u") meaning "son," and the sigma ("s") meaning Savior.

This brings us back to "Xmas." What appears to be the English letter "X" is actually a Greek chi which has a sacred history of being an abbreviation for "Christ" Thus, "Xmas" is short for "Christmas." Christ, therefore, has not been taken out of Christmas nor is this a secular, anti-Christian attack on Christmas. Abbreviating Christmas does not make one less a Christian or anti-Christmas anymore than abbreviating any other word. The chi is a reminder that Christmas is about the incarnation of God who condescended himself as a man in order to save mankind. The confusion over "Xmas" is not part of the so-called War on Christmas (or Xmas if you so desire).

There is a bigger issue here.All around us are people lost without the gospel. Many bible-believing, Jesus-worshipping, church-going Christians will fight against the secularism of Christmas, yet at the same time do not know the spiritual state or needs of their neighbors. Jesus is more offended by our lack of missional obedience than he is how we write "Christmas" on our cards. He cares more about the truth of the incarnation and the power of the cross than he does about more trivial matters. He cares more about the heart of the Target cashier than whether or not she uttered the words "Merry Christmas" as opposed to "Happy Holidays."


For more:
Advent: God With Us 
Odd Thomas - The Incarnation (Spoken Word)
An Anti-Santy Ranty: A Moralistic God vs. the God in the Manger
Happy RamaHanuKwanzMas

December 13, 2015 | Isaiah 9:1-7

Here is the sermon from Sunday morning taken from Isaiah 9:1-7:

But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

² The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.
³ You shall multiply the nation,
You shall increase their gladness;
They will be glad in Your presence
As with the gladness of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
⁴ For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,
The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.
⁵ For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult,
And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
⁶ For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.

Audio
Notes

Worship Minimovie: God With Us

Here is the worship minimovie from Sunday morning. It is one of my personal favorites.


Advent: God With Us from The Village Church on Vimeo.

Worship Minimovie: Christmas Chaos

Here is the worship minimovie from Sunday evening.

Worship Minimovie: Risking It All

We are currently taking up our annual Lottie Moon Christmas offering which goes to support the work of foreign missionaries. We encourage you to give sacrificially as we continue to seek to reach people around the world with the good news of Jesus.


Risking it all and following Jesus - A Future City - David Platt from IMB on Vimeo.

December 6, 2015 | Matthew 6:25-34 - From Worry to Faith

I'm a few days behind, but here the sermon from Sunday morning continuing our series on Spiritual Roadblocks. This time we focused on the roadblock of worry. Our passage was Matthew 6:25-34:

²⁵ “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? ²⁷ And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

²⁸ And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, ²⁹ yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! ³¹ Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ ³² For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

³⁴ “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Audio
Notes



For more:
November 22, 2015 | Matthew 11:1-6: From Doubt to Faith
November 29, 2015 | Joshua 1:1-18: From Fear to Faith
December 6, 2015 | Matthew 6:25-34: From Worry to Faith

Worship Minimovie: By Faith

Here is the minimovie from Sunday evening:

Worship Minimovie: Faith on a Wire

Here is the minimovie from this past Sunday morning:

Ravi Zacharias' 12 Arguments For the Historicity of the Resurrection

In his sermon He is Risen given at the 2013 Ligonier Conference (video below), Ravi Zacharias offers twelve arguments in favor of the historicity of the resurrection.

1. The disciples eye-witness experience where they saw and touched.
2. The early proclamation the resurrection.
3. The transformation from fear to martyrdom
4. The empty tomb
5. They proclaimed the resurrection in Jerusalem itself.
6. No one was able to produce the body.
7. The existence of the church founded by law-abiding Jews.
8. The change of the day of worship to Sunday
9. The conversion of James.
10. The conversion of Saul of Tarsus.
11. Why on earth would they have put the evidence in the mouths of women?
12. Why would Jesus claim He was going to rise bodily when He could have claimed He was going to raise spiritually?

For more:
April 5, 2015 | Zechariah 3:1-10 - Easter 2015

November 29, 2015 | Joshua 1:1-18: From Fear to Faith

Here is the sermon from Sunday morning on the subject of fear - a major roadblock to faith. The sermon passage was taken from Joshua 1:1-18:

Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, ² “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. ³ Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. ⁴ From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. ⁵ No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷ Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. ⁸ This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

¹⁰ Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, ¹¹ “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you are to cross this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you, to possess it.’”
¹² To the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, ¹³ “Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God gives you rest and will give you this land.’ ¹⁴ Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but you shall cross before your brothers in battle array, all your valiant warriors, and shall help them, ¹⁵ until the Lord gives your brothers rest, as He gives you, and they also possess the land which the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to your own land, and possess that which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

¹⁶ They answered Joshua, saying, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. ¹⁷ Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you; only may the Lord your God be with you as He was with Moses. ¹⁸ Anyone who rebels against your command and does not obey your words in all that you command him, shall be put to death; only be strong and courageous.”

Audio
Notes



For more:
November 22, 2015 | Matthew 11:1-6: From Doubt to Faith
November 29, 2015 | Joshua 1:1-18: From Fear to Faith
December 6, 2015 | Matthew 6:25-34: From Worry to Faith

Does God Exist?: The Moral Argument

Sunday morning I briefly referenced two key arguments for the existence of God. Below is a helpful video defending the moral argument.

Does God Exist? The Cosmological Argument

Sunday morning I mentioned briefly two evidences for the existence of God. Below you will find a helpful video explaining the first of those arguments known as the Cosmological argument.

Worship Minimovie: Mustard Seed

Here is the worship minimovie from Sunday morning.

November 22, 2015 | Matthew 11:1-6: From Doubt to Faith

Below you will find the links to yesterday's sermon. It is the first in a brief series we are doing on common roadblocks in the Christian life beginning with doubt. Our focus was John the Baptist from Matthew 11:1-6:

After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.
 
² When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples ³ to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

⁴ Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. ⁶ Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

Audio
Notes

"The Beatitudes" Sermon Series

For eight weeks we studied each and every Beatitude of Jesus as found in Matthew 5:1-12. Below you will find all of the sermons and links related to that series.


Beatitudes Sermons:

September 20, 2015 | Matthew 5:1-3 - If Your Happy And You Know It Your Impoverished
September 27, 2015 | Matthew 5:4 - I'm So Joyful I Could Cry
October 4, 2015 | Matthew 5:5
October 11, 2015 | Matthew 5:6
October 18, 2015 | Matthew 5:7
October 25, 2015 | Matthew 5:8
November 1, 2015 | Matthew 5:9
November 8, 2015 | Matthew 5:10-12


Sunday Evening Sermons:

October 25, 2015 | Psalm 51 (audio only)
November 1, 2015 | John 20:19-31 (audio only)
November 8, 2015 | 2 Corinthians 1:3-11


Other

Millard Erickson on Mercy


Previous Sermon Series:
The Gospel Is . . .: Sermon Series on Galatians

November 8, 2015 | 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

Here is the sermon from last Sunday evening taken from 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 on suffering:

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. ⁶ But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; ⁷ and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.

⁸ For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; ⁹ indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; ¹⁰ who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, ¹¹ you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.

Audio
Notes


For more:
September 20, 2015 | Matthew 5:1-3 - If Your Happy And You Know It Your Impoverished
September 27, 2015 | Matthew 5:4 - I'm So Joyful I Could Cry
October 4, 2015 | Matthew 5:5
October 11, 2015 | Matthew 5:6
October 18, 2015 | Matthew 5:7
October 25, 2015 | Matthew 5:8
November 1, 2015 | Matthew 5:9
November 8, 2015 | Matthew 5:10-12

November 8, 2015 | Matthew 5:10-12

I am a little behind, but here is the sermon from last Sunday morning which completed our series on the Beatitudes.

¹⁰ “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Audio
Notes


For more:
September 20, 2015 | Matthew 5:1-3 - If Your Happy And You Know It Your Impoverished
September 27, 2015 | Matthew 5:4 - I'm So Joyful I Could Cry
October 4, 2015 | Matthew 5:5
October 11, 2015 | Matthew 5:6
October 18, 2015 | Matthew 5:7
October 25, 2015 | Matthew 5:8
November 1, 2015 | Matthew 5:9
November 8, 2015 | Matthew 5:10-12

November 1, 2015 | Matthew 5:9

Here is the sermon from Sunday morning taken from Matthew 5:9 on being peacemakers.


Audio
Notes 


For more:
September 20, 2015 | Matthew 5:1-3 - If Your Happy And You Know It Your Impoverished
September 27, 2015 | Matthew 5:4 - I'm So Joyful I Could Cry
October 4, 2015 | Matthew 5:5
October 11, 2015 | Matthew 5:6
October 18, 2015 | Matthew 5:7
October 25, 2015 | Matthew 5:8

October 25, 2015 | Matthew 5:8

I have had issue with my podcast host, but we are back online and working again. Hoping the issue has been resolved. We shall see.

Nevertheless, here is last week's message from Sunday morning taken from Matthew 5:8 on being pure in heart.


Audio
Notes


For more:
September 20, 2015 | Matthew 5:1-3 - If Your Happy And You Know It Your Impoverished
September 27, 2015 | Matthew 5:4 - I'm So Joyful I Could Cry
October 4, 2015 | Matthew 5:5  
October 11, 2015 | Matthew 5:6
October 18, 2015 | Matthew 5:7 
 October 25, 2015 | Matthew 5:8

Worship Minimovie: God's Holiness

Due to technical issues, we were not able to show the following video Sunday morning regarding holiness. I thought it important enough to publish here.

Worship Minimovie: Forgiven

Here is the worship minimovie from Sunday evening:

One Another

Tonight we will be discussing (Lord willing) three spiritual disciplines. One of those is fellowship. Christians are not to be isolated selves that walk the Christian walk alone. Rather we must join with one another in fellowship. This is a discipline especially in an individualistic world. One of the ways the New Testament discusses this is with the words (one word in Greek) "one another." Here is a helpful info graphic showing that.




HT: Overview Bible

Worship Minimovie: Blessed Are the Merciful

Here is the worship minimovie from Sunday morning:

October 18, 2015 | Matthew 5:7

Here is the sermon from Sunday morning taken from Matthew 5:7 - Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.

Audio
Notes


For more:
September 20, 2015 | Matthew 5:1-3 - If Your Happy And You Know It Your Impoverished
September 27, 2015 | Matthew 5:4 - I'm So Joyful I Could Cry
October 4, 2015 | Matthew 5:5   
October 11, 2015 | Matthew 5:6
October 18, 2015 | Matthew 5:7  

King Jesus Retreat Youth Videos

Millard Erickson on Mercy

From his book Christian Theology:

God's mercy is his tenderhearted, loving compassion for his people. it is his tenderness of heart toward the needy. If grace contemplates humans as sinful, guilty, and condemned, mercy sees them as miserable and needy. Words like . . . chesed . . . racham . . . and eleos  give expression to this dimension of God's love. The psalmist said, "As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him" (Ps. 103:13). Similar ideas are found in Deuteronomy 5:10; Psalm 57:10; and Psalm 86:5. The attribute of mercy is seen in the pitying concern of Jehovah for the people of Israel who were in bondage to the Egyptians. He heard their cry and knew their sufferings (Exod. 3:7). It is also seen in the compassion Jesus felt when people suffering from physical ailments came to him (Make 1:41). Their spiritual condition also moved Him. (Matt. 9:36). Sometimes both kinds of needs are involved. Thus, in describing the same incident, Matthew speaks of Jesus having compassion and healing the sick (Matt. 14:14), while Mark speaks of His having compassion and teaching many things (Mark6:34). Matthew elsewhere combines the two ideas. When Jesus saw the crowds were helpless like sheep without a shepherd, He had compassion on them. So he went about "teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness" (Matt. 9:35-36). (322)

For more:
September 20, 2015 | Matthew 5:1-3 - If Your Happy And You Know It Your Impoverished
September 27, 2015 | Matthew 5:4 - I'm So Joyful I Could Cry
October 4, 2015 | Matthew 5:5   
October 11, 2015 | Matthew 5:6

Worship Minimovie: Timm Paints the Gospel

Here is the worship minimovie from Sunday morning:

October 11, 2015 | Matthew 5:6

Here is the sermon from Sunday morning taken from Matthew 5:6 - Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.


Audio
Notes


For more:
September 20, 2015 | Matthew 5:1-3 - If Your Happy And You Know It Your Impoverished
September 27, 2015 | Matthew 5:4 - I'm So Joyful I Could Cry
October 4, 2015 | Matthew 5:5    
October 11, 2015 | Matthew 5:6

Worship Minimovie: Our King

Here is the worship minimovie from Sunday evening:

October 4, 2015 | Matthew 5:5

Here is the sermon from Sunday morning taken from Matthew 5:5: "Blessed are the gentle [meek], for they shall inherit the earth."


Audio
Notes


For more:
September 20, 2015 | Matthew 5:1-3 - If Your Happy And You Know It Your Impoverished
September 27, 2015 | Matthew 5:4 - I'm So Joyful I Could Cry
October 4, 2015 | Matthew 5:5   

Worship Minimovie: The Key to Meekness

Here is the worship minimovie from Sunday morning:


The Key to Meekness from tmh_pictures on GodTube.

September 27, 2015 | Matthew 5:4 - I'm So Joyful I Could Cry

Here is the sermon from Sunday morning taken from Matthew 5:4: Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Audio 
Notes 

 
For more:
September 20, 2015 | Matthew 5:1-3 - If Your Happy And You Know It Your Impoverished

Worship Minimoive: Beautiful Things

Here is the minimovie from Sunday morning:

The Gospel Is . . .: Sermon Series on Galatians

Recently we finished our (longer than expected) series on the book of Galatians. Below you will find every sermon and other links relevant to the series.

Sunday morning:

April 26, 2015 | Galatians 1:1-5: The Gospel is Freedom
May 3, 2015 | Galatians 1:6-10: The Gospel is Primary
May 17, 2015 | Galatians 1:11-24: The Gospel is Real
May 24, 2015 | Galatians 2:1-10: The Gospel is Apostolic PDF 
May 31, 2015 | Galatians 2:11-16: The Gospel is Alive
June 7, 2015 | Galatians 2:17-21: The Gospel is Authentic
June 14, 2015 | Galatians 3:1: The Gospel is Wise - Part 1
July 5, 2015 | Galatians 3:1-14: The Gospel is Wise - Part 2
July 12, 2015 | Galatians 3:15-29: The Gospel is Promise
July 19, 2015 | Galatians 4:1-11: The Gospel is Adoption
July 26, 2015 | Galatians 4:12-20 - The Gospel is Love 
August 2, 2015 | Galatians 4:21-51 - The Gospel is New Life
August 9, 2015 | Galatians 5:1-12 - The Gospel is Liberty
August 23, 2015 | Galatians 5:16-25 - The Gospel is New Life
August 30, 2015 | Galatians 5:26-6:5 - The Gospel is Restoration
September 6, 2015 | Galatians 6:6-10 - The Gospel is Good
September 13, 2015 | Galatians 6:11-18: The Gospel is Central


Sunday evening:


May 24, 2015 | Some Things Never Change: The Immutability of God & Why That Matters
July 26, 2015 | 1 Kings 19:1-18
August 2, 2015 | John 3:1-21
August 9, 2015 | Romans 12:1-2
September 6, 2015 | Matthew 13:1-23


Articles:

4 Reasons the Cross is Central to Christianity
Ours is a Day of Addiction: MacArthur on the Slavery of Moral Liberty
Where is this Liberty?: Martin Luther on Freedom in Christ
Two Terms that Constitute Christianity: Luther on Grace and Peace

September 20, 2015 | Matthew 5:1-3 - If Your Happy And You Know It Your Impoverished

Here is the sermon from Sunday morning which covers our first installment in our new series on joy from the Beatitudes.

When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. ² He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Audio 
Notes

Worship Minimovie: Every Knee

Here is the minimovie from Sunday evening:

Worship Minimovie - Blessed

Here is the minimovie from Sunday morning:

Worship Minimovie: True and Better

Here is the worship minimovie from Sunday morning.

September 13, 2015 | Galatians 6:11-18: The Gospel is Central

Here is the final sermon from our series on Galatians taken from Galatians 6:11-18.

¹¹ See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. ¹² Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³ For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. ¹⁴ But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. ¹⁶ And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

¹⁷ From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.

¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.

Audio
Notes


For more:
April 26, 2015 | Galatians 1:1-5: The Gospel is Freedom
May 3, 2015 | Galatians 1:6-10: The Gospel is Primary
May 17, 2015 | Galatians 1:11-24: The Gospel is Real
May 24, 2015 | Galatians 2:1-10: The Gospel is Apostolic PDF 
May 31, 2015 | Galatians 2:11-16: The Gospel is Alive
June 7, 2015 | Galatians 2:17-21: The Gospel is Authentic
June 14, 2015 | Galatians 3:1: The Gospel is Wise - Part 1
July 5, 2015 | Galatians 3:1-14: The Gospel is Wise - Part 2
July 12, 2015 | Galatians 3:15-29: The Gospel is Promise
July 19, 2015 | Galatians 4:1-11: The Gospel is Adoption
July 26, 2015 | Galatians 4:12-20 - The Gospel is Love 
August 2, 2015 | Galatians 4:21-51 - The Gospel is New Life
August 9, 2015 | Galatians 5:1-12 - The Gospel is Liberty
August 23, 2015 | Galatians 5:16-25 - The Gospel is New Life
August 30, 2015 | Galatians 5:26-6:5 - The Gospel is Restoration
September 6, 2015 | Galatians 6:6-10 - The Gospel is Good 
September 13, 2015 | Galatians 6:11-18: The Gospel is Central
May 24, 2015 | Some Things Never Change: The Immutability of God & Why That Matters
July 26, 2015 | 1 Kings 19:1-18
August 2, 2015 | John 3:1-21
August 9, 2015 | Romans 12:1-2 
September 6, 2015 | Matthew 13:1-23
4 Reasons the Cross is Central to Christianity

4 Reasons the Cross is Central to Christianity

At the core of Christianity stands the cross. To most that might sound too elementary but few Christians sitting in our pews have seriously given it much thought beyond Passion week festivities. No other symbol better represents what Christianity is than the cross. While preparing a recent sermon series on the atonement, I sat and wondered what the Bible has to say about the cross and precisely why it matters. Why, of all available options (from a fish to to shepherd's staff) did early Christianity choose the cross to represent them and us today? Is the cross a mere symbol for the Christian or the root of Christianity? Is it merely an event in human history or the crux of human history? If it is the latter, then why? Below, then, are four truths of the cross that show why the atonement is both central and necessary.


1. The Cross is God's Clearest Revelation of Himself

Often when reading Scripture, we approach it as a divine encyclopedia. If I want to know what the Bible says about pride, marriage, suffering, or election I simply open my Bible, highlight a number of verses and suddenly I know what the Bible says about a given subject.

This can be a dangerous and misguided approach to understanding Scripture. We rightly and justly believe that the Bible, all sixty-six books, is God's special revelation to man, however, the purpose and climax of Scripture is to how the Creator redeemed a fallen humanity and cursed cosmos. The Bible is not a collection of stories, it is a story. It is not about a series of characters, from Adam to John, but about its author.

Thus the cross stands as the central message of Scripture. The cross, then, is also a divine act of special revelation. We see God most clearly through the lens of the cross. At the cross we see God's sovereignty, providence, benevolence, justice, power, holiness, mercy, glory, transcendence, immanence, and victory. In short, any study of God - his essence, nature, attributes, etc. - would be incomplete without a study of the cross for at the cross God has made Himself known.

2. The Cross Personifies God's Love

Though highlighted in the first point, the subject of the cross and God's love deserves special attention. One should note that after the cross, God's love is repeatedly referred in the past tense or in direct reference to the cross. Consider the following few examples:

• John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...
• Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
• Romans 8:37 - But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
• Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 
• Ephesians 2:4-5 - But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
• Ephesians 5:2 - and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:16 - Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,
• Titus 3:4-5 - But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared...
• 1 John 3:16 - We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us...
• 1 John 4:9-11 - By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
• 1 John 4:19 - We love, because He first loved us.

One other important text should be added here. In applying his doctrine to husbands, Paul tells men to love (present tense) their wives as Christ loved (past tense) the church (Ephesians 5:25). How did Christ loved the church? He died. Thus for Paul we could say that the only good husband is a dead one! Or better yet, a crucified one.

The point is to show how frequently the New Testament writers proclaim that God loved us (past tense) instead of loves us (present tense). The difference is important. By using the past tense, the apostles are not saying that God's love has ceased but instead reminding us that God's love is continually demonstrated by the cross. We need not doubt the depth of God's love when we approach the cross. God is love because God loved.

3. The Cross is the Means By Which God Saves Sinners

Clearly the cross is declared as the saving act of God toward sinners. Sinners are saved by Christ at the cross. To make this point, the New Testament authors utilize a number of motifs and images of salvation. Here are a few of those motif's and what redemptive doctrine is associated with it.

• The Court - God declares the guilty righteous (justification)
• The Shrine - the wrath of God is satisfied (propitiation) and the sinner is cleansed (expiation)
• The Home - God's sets us right with Him (reconciliation)
• The Orphanage - God adopts sinners as sons and daughters (adoption)
• The Battlefield - God defeats the enemy and peace is declared (Liberation)
• The Market - God sets the slaves free (redemption) and all our debts are paid in full (ransom)

The above are not theories of the atonement, but actual images frequently used throughout the New Testament authors and more could be added. At times, the apostles mix these motifs. For example, in Colossians 2:13-15 Paul intertwines both Redemption (Christ paying our debts) with Christus Victor as the means of forgiveness. 

All of these images point to the central theme of Scripture that God has come down to save sinners. He is the justifier of the guilty, the liberator of slaves, and the adopted Father of spiritual orphans. He pays our ransom, redeems us of our sins, and reconciles us to Himself. And it all happens at the cross. There is no salvation, therefore, outside of the cross.

4. The Cross is the Standard of What it Means to be a Christian

In Matthew 16:21-25 an important four letter word is used by Jesus twice to make two very profound points. First, Jesus says He must go to the cross thus establishing its necessity. He could do nothing else and was incarnated for nothing else. This is why in verses 22-23 Jesus rebukes His well-intentioned disciple, Peter, for suggesting that Jesus could build His Kingdom without the cross. Jesus equates Peter's desire with that of Satan Himself. Jesus must go to the cross and it is important for Peter, the disciples, and us to know, embrace, and celebrate that.

In verses 24 and 25 Jesus uses the word again. If Jesus must go to the cross, he adds, then anyone who wishes to follow Him must likewise pick up their cross and follow Him. To where? To Calvary for sure. Thus for Jesus and the New Testament, what it means to be a Christian is summarized in the cross. A Christian is a follower of Christ. A follower is one who has counted the cost and picked up their cross and died with their Savior. Christians are described as having crucified the flesh (Galatians 5:24), we have died to our sins (Romans 6:1ff; 1 Corinthians 15:31; 1 Peter 2:24), and are living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).

The only saving Christ is a dying one. The only living Christian is a dead one.

Conclusion

This is why the cross matters. Though more reasons could be given (for example, the relationship between a theology of the cross and a Christian theology of suffering), the above represents the core of Christianity. At the cross we see God. At the cross we see our true selves. At the cross we are regenerated. The cross matters and stands at the center of God's story of redemption and our story as the redeemed. Preachers must, therefore, preach the cross as their only strength. Sinners must embrace the cross as their only hope. And church members must pick up their cross as their only way to live.

Originally published August 6, 2013.

Worship Minimovie: The Kingdom of God

Here is the worship minimovie from Sunday evening.

Worship Minimovie: Running

Here is the minimovie from Sunday morning:

Matthew 13:1-23

Here is the sermon from Sunday evening taken from Matthew 13:1-23.

That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. ² And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.
 
³ And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; ⁴ and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. ⁵ Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. ⁶ But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. ⁷ Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. ⁸ And others fell on the good soil and *yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. ⁹ He who has ears, let him hear.”

¹⁰ And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” ¹¹ Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. ¹² For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. ¹³ Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. ¹⁴ In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand;
You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;
¹⁵ For the heart of this people has become dull,
With their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Otherwise they would see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart and return,
And I would heal them.’

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. ¹⁷ For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

¹⁸ “Hear then the parable of the sower. ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. ²⁰ The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; ²¹ yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. ²² And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ²³ And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

Audio


For more:
April 26, 2015 | Galatians 1:1-5: The Gospel is Freedom
May 3, 2015 | Galatians 1:6-10: The Gospel is Primary
May 17, 2015 | Galatians 1:11-24: The Gospel is Real
May 24, 2015 | Galatians 2:1-10: The Gospel is Apostolic PDF 
May 31, 2015 | Galatians 2:11-16: The Gospel is Alive
June 7, 2015 | Galatians 2:17-21: The Gospel is Authentic
June 14, 2015 | Galatians 3:1: The Gospel is Wise - Part 1
July 5, 2015 | Galatians 3:1-14: The Gospel is Wise - Part 2
July 12, 2015 | Galatians 3:15-29: The Gospel is Promise
July 19, 2015 | Galatians 4:1-11: The Gospel is Adoption
July 26, 2015 | Galatians 4:12-20 - The Gospel is Love 
August 2, 2015 | Galatians 4:21-51 - The Gospel is New Life
August 9, 2015 | Galatians 5:1-12 - The Gospel is Liberty
August 23, 2015 | Galatians 5:16-25 - The Gospel is New Life
August 30, 2015 | Galatians 5:26-6:5 - The Gospel is Restoration
September 6, 2015 | Galatians 6:6-10 - The Gospel is Good 
May 24, 2015 | Some Things Never Change: The Immutability of God & Why That Matters
July 26, 2015 | 1 Kings 19:1-18
August 2, 2015 | John 3:1-21
August 9, 2015 | Romans 12:1-2  
September 6, 2015 | Matthew 13:1-23

September 6, 2015 | Galatians 6:6-10 - The Gospel is Good

Here is the sermon from Sunday morning from Galatians 6:6-10.

⁶ The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. ⁷ Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹ Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. ¹⁰ So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

Audio 
Notes


For more:
April 26, 2015 | Galatians 1:1-5: The Gospel is Freedom
May 3, 2015 | Galatians 1:6-10: The Gospel is Primary
May 17, 2015 | Galatians 1:11-24: The Gospel is Real
May 24, 2015 | Galatians 2:1-10: The Gospel is Apostolic PDF 
May 31, 2015 | Galatians 2:11-16: The Gospel is Alive
June 7, 2015 | Galatians 2:17-21: The Gospel is Authentic
June 14, 2015 | Galatians 3:1: The Gospel is Wise - Part 1
July 5, 2015 | Galatians 3:1-14: The Gospel is Wise - Part 2
July 12, 2015 | Galatians 3:15-29: The Gospel is Promise
July 19, 2015 | Galatians 4:1-11: The Gospel is Adoption
July 26, 2015 | Galatians 4:12-20 - The Gospel is Love 
August 2, 2015 | Galatians 4:21-51 - The Gospel is New Life
August 9, 2015 | Galatians 5:1-12 - The Gospel is Liberty
August 23, 2015 | Galatians 5:16-25 - The Gospel is New Life
August 30, 2015 | Galatians 5:26-6:5 - The Gospel is Restoration
September 6, 2015 | Galatians 6:6-10 - The Gospel is Good 
May 24, 2015 | Some Things Never Change: The Immutability of God & Why That Matters
July 26, 2015 | 1 Kings 19:1-18
August 2, 2015 | John 3:1-21
August 9, 2015 | Romans 12:1-2