Sermons

Kingdom Living

Being blessed is more than subjective happiness that is based on circumstances. For example, in verse 3 of Matthew 5, why is someone who is poverty-stricken described as being blessed? They are in a position where they realize that they contribute nothing to their salvation. Unlike the Laodicean church in Revelation 3, they recognize their spiritual poverty outside of Jesus. The message of a true Gospel church is that we are dead in our sins. We are totally helpless and lost. Without Jesus, all the self-help we do will doom us to hell. He is not our co-pilot because we do not have any control over our salvation. Salvation is 100% God's grace and 0% any effort of ourselves. How then should we think, feel, and live? When we realize that we are spiritually poverty-stricken without Jesus, we will mourn over our sin because it offends our holy God. The way we think affects the way we feel and live. Mourning and repenting over our sins cannot be separated from the Gospel.

Go Home & Tell of God's Mercy

In the beginning of this chapter, there are serious spiritual forces that are in conflict. Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee and meets a man who was possessed by a demon. He was unconquerable and untameable. When this man meets Jesus, he bows down – not because he loved Him, but because he had come in contact with Someone mightier than himself. Jesus commands the legion of demons to cease their torment of the poor demoniac; and they then continue their reign of chaos, terror, and death on the herd of pigs nearby. What a testimony of Jesus' love for this man! He let 2000 pigs die because he valued the life and soul of the one man who was now freed forever from the power of the devil! Of course, the local population was upset about the loss of their pigs and they responded to Jesus with fear. Even though they saw the demoniac now in his right mind, they just wanted Jesus to leave and go away before He cost them any more financial loss. But the man whom Jesus had rescued from the devil wanted to go with Him! However, Jesus told him to go home and tell his friends and family the good news of what He had done for him. Have you come in contact with the One Who can change everything about your life? Don't let the memory fade! Stick close to Jesus, and go and tell others all about what He has done for you!

The God-Man

A mega-storm had come up on the Sea of Galiliee and was swamping the boat that was carrying Jesus and His disciples. The disciples awakened Jesus and asked Him if He didn't care that they were perishing. But Jesus arose; and with a word, He stopped the wind and waves! He speaks, and all of Creation listens. His Word is more powerful than the terrifying waves that we encounter in the storms of life. Jesus is not any mere man. He is the God-Man! Colossians 1 tells us that He is the very image of the invisible God! He created all things by speaking them into existence with a word; and His Creation obeys His Word, because He made it. He is the Sovereign Creator and that is why He can also take our stony hearts and give us hearts of flesh. We all enjoy being a Christian when things are going well, but hardships come up in life. However, Jesus doesn't abandon His people! If He can save our souls, then why do we seem to imagine that He can't also take care of the storms in our physical lives? Do you trust that Jesus actually has a Kingdom in Paradise, that He arose from the dead, that He ascended into heaven, and that He has a place prepared for you there? Do you believe in Him as the God-Man and your Savior?

The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God starts small, but it doesn't stay that way! We may be discouraged by the apparent lack of progress that we sometimes see in the work of the Church, but we may rest assured in knowing that the Kingdom is growing and the day of harvest is coming. When Jesus preached His parables to the crowds that gathered to hear Him, He knew that He was speaking to a mixed crowd. His message was – and still is – veiled to some of His hearers. According to the way people listen to and receive Jesus' words, the Kingdom is revealed to them in the same measure. The time of full revelation has not yet come, but eventually the day will arrive when the Gospel Kingdom will be unveiled for all to see. In His perfect Providence, Jesus knows the right timing to make this revelation full. As laborers in the Lord's work, we are like farmers planting seeds. We can do all the right things in a perfect way; but at the end of the day, it's the Lord of the harvest Who determines the final yield. There is no magic program that we can implement that will grow the Church. But our evangelistic efforts are not failures, even if people persecute us and turn a deaf ear. God's Kingdom will still grow like a tiny mustard seed that takes over and balloons out all over the world! Even now, the Gospel of Jesus is not done working in our lives, our families, and our communities!

The Seed and the Soils

As we look at this parable, Jesus is telling us about the Kingdom of God and the different responses that people give to it. We need to examine the gardens of our own hearts and see what entrance the Word of God has made therein. Jesus spoke about the seed on the dry ground, which was eaten by the birds; the seed on the rocky soil, which was killed by the extreme heat of the sun; the seed in thorny places, which was choked out by the weeds; and the seed on the good soil, which brought forth an abundantly fruitful harvest with exponential growth. As we read and study this parable, let us pray for grace that the seed of God's Word may not be snatched out of our hearts by the devil. We need to ask the Lord to help us respond in a Biblical and Christ-like manner if we are called to endure persecution for His sake. Let us also strive to leave behind a spiritual legacy with deep roots – a legacy of ordinary things that are blessed by God in extraordinary ways. And we must pray for grace to not fall in the snares of the deceitfulness of the riches of this world, and to not worry so much about how much money we have coming in, as on what Jesus has done for us. Let's pray that the Lord's Word may fall on good soil in our hearts, and that the Holy Spirit may work in the garden of our souls, so that we may leave behind the legacy of a faithful saint who has brought forth much fruit – not that their fruit was what saved them, but only as an evidence of the good seed being sown in good ground!

Plundering Satan's Kingdom

Who really is Jesus? Why is He doing all the things that Mark has recorded here in his Gospel? He is the Son of God, and He is plundering the kingdom of Satan! Jesus' fame is spreading like widlfire. The crowds know that He can heal physical ailments and they crowd in around Him, almost crushing Him. But He did not want the cast-out demons drawing attention to the fact that He was the Son of God because that would have short-circuited the Lord's plan and let everyone know that He was the Messiah – thereby launching their expectiations of a political deliverer from Roman rule. The next time Mark uses the phrase, "Son of God," he records it from the lips of the Roman centurion at the cross. Jesus called His twelve disciples and gave them a message to deliver as the heralds of the Lord, as well as power to cast out demons and heal people. Again, He was showing His authority as the Son of God. But not everyone was a fan of what Jesus was doing. His own family members thought He was out of His mind, and the scribes thought He was in league with the devil. To counteract this, Jesus gave three parables that show how foolish it is to imagine that Satan could be fighting himself. You can't plunder a strong man until you've tied him up. Far from being in partnership with Satan, Jesus came to defeat him and plunder his kingdom! As He calls, saves, and redeems people's souls, He is snatching away the riches that the devil has had in his possession wrongfully. Are you one of Jesus' family members? How do you view Jesus? As a crazy man? As being in league with Satan? Or as the King Who has come to plunder Satan and pluck you – one of His rich jewels – out of the devil's hands?

The Son of Man is LORD

Every time a new President is elected, there seems to be a fight as old things are kicked out and new things are brought in. And it is a similar case when Jesus makes His presence known in a heart that has been previously ruled by sin and darkness. Here we find the Pharisees questioning Jesus as to why His disciples refused to fast like they themselves did. Jesus told them that it would not be approprioate for them to do such activities at this time since He – the spiritual Bridegroom and Messiah for Whom they had waited so long – was with them, and this was a time for gladness and rejoicing and feasting! Then the Pharisees took issue with the disciples picking grain to eat, and rubbing it in their hands on the Sabbath Day. Although it was a good thing for them to desire to honor the Sabbath, Jesus made it clear to them that He was the One Who made the Sabbath for us to slow down and enjoy our relationship with Him. The Pharisees twisted the gift of God as a mark of how holy they were, instead of how good our God is. If we want to find rest for our hearts, then we need to spend time with Jesus on the day that He has given us. In the synagogue, the Pharisees were wondering whether or not Jesus would actually help a man and heal him on the Sabbath. He was righteously angry at their self-righteousness, and He healed the man's hand. And this is not a fable – it is real history! Are we rejoicing in Jesus? Our Savior has ushered in a new era of grace – are we rejoicing in how merciful He is? And are we looking for situations of need that we can help in, like Jesus did, even when it's uncomfortable?

Womb to Tomb

Authority to Forgive

In this chapter, we come face to face with Jesus, the Great Physician, Who heals both our bodies and our souls. The account of the paralytic who was lowered through the roof to be healed by Jesus shows us a picture of desperate faith. The man's friends were willing to go to great extremes because they knew that this Teacher would heal him. This was faith in action. All suffering originates from sin against the Lord. But Jesus didn't just come to heal us from the symptoms of our sin. He came to heal us from the real problem. Hence He pronounced the paralytic man's sins forgiven! But the scribes were displeased at this! They declared that no one could forgive sins except God Himself – and theologically, they were correct. Since all sin is ultimately committed against God, only He can forgive sins, technically speaking. Neither forgiveness of sins nor physical healing can be done by a human alone. The difference is that one is verifiable and visible on earth, whereas the other is written in heaven. Be amazed at Jesus! This is not a mere story; this is true history! Are you amazed by your Savior? The rest of this portion of Scripture details how Jesus called Levi – a hated, traitorous tax collector – to follow Him. Remarkably, the Holy Spirit worked in his heart and caused him to make the irreversible decision to leave his career and become Christ's disciple. The scribes and Pharisees were upset when they saw Jesus eating with such sinful people! But again, the Great Physician was getting to the root of their sin problem. No cardiac surgeon on earth can take away a heart of stone and give a heart of flesh. Jesus is the only One Who can heal both body and soul!

A Teacher with Authority

Today we will get a fast-paced glance at what Jesus was doing, and how people responded to Him. He came and preached the good news of the Gospel. He came to show compassion to those who have been wild and disobedient, as well as to those who patiently longed and looked for the coming Messiah. Will those whose lives have been filled with sin turn and repent and receive the Lord Jesus and believe the Gospel? How would you have responded to Jesus? How are you responding to Him now? These are good questions to ask ourselves as we consider the nine responses to Jesus that we find in this chapter – from that of Peter and Andrew who left their jobs to become fishers of men, to that of the leper who proclaimed abroad how Jesus had touched and healed him. Are we willing to leave things and even people behind in order to follow Jesus? Would you follow Him immediately? Do you love Jesus, or do you just love the stuff He gives you? Do you live under His authority? Do you live life for Jesus' mission? Do you learn from Him and listen to Him? Do you follow Him and obey Him? Do you repent of your sins and turn from them? Do you respond to Jesus with faith?

The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus

Today we will be introduced to the most important Person Who has ever lived: the Lord Jesus Himself! Here in this passage, Jesus is presented to us as the Mighty One. When we are baptized, we are united with Him and His perfect obedience. He was One Who came from a place of no important reputation, and He was born to an average working family. He humbled Himself to point of becoming a human being like us, and He was baptized to identify with His people. The Holy Spirit worked through Jesus' life to accomplish the Father's will of reconciling sinners to Himself. At His baptism, the heavens were ripped open and the Father openly declared Him to be His beloved Son. He is the Messianic King (Psalm 2) that the Father had promised for so long. And He is also the victorious One Who was tempted by the devil, battling face to face with our spiritual adversary for 40 days; but He passed the test that Adam and every other human being has failed! Will we receive, rest on, and learn from this Jesus as He offers us salvation and redemption in the good news of His Gospel?

The Last Old Testament Prophet

Mark has two things that he wants us to learn above all else as we read his Gospel. First, he wants us to know that Jesus is the Christ – the Messiah, or Anointed One. And second, he wants us to consider what it means to be a disciple or follower of Him. After 400 years of silence from the Lord, Jesus came to earth in human flesh! Centuries earlier, David had been anointed by the Lord and given a promise that one day, one of his descendants would be born as a King Who would live and reign forever! This came to pass in Jesus, Who was born of the Virgin Mary and was the Son of God – fulfilling the Messianic prophecies of Psalm 2. Mark quotes from Isaiah 40, where the Prophet declared the Lord's promise that Mankind would see His glory revealed – in the face of Jesus! And it is Jesus that Mark wants us to see! He comes with strength and might; yet He treats us gently, just like a shepherd cares for his lambs. If we walk away from the Gospel of Mark with a small view of Christ, we've missed the whole point. John was the last prophet of the Old Covenant. He was a man of the wilderness who preached repentance and baptized. The people came to be baptized by him in the Jordan River, but he was reminding them that One was coming to fulfill the promise of Ezekiel 36 and baptize people with the Holy Spirit. John was fulfilling the role of the Second Elijah – pointing the way to Jesus, Who was far better than himself. He declared that he was not even worthy to untie His sandals. What is Jesus to You? Are you ready to meet the King of the Universe, the Head of the Church, and the Promised Messiah? And what does it mean to follow Him? It's costly – but it's glorious!

Servants of Christ

The key mark of our faith that is visible to others is love. Do we love the Lord, and does that love manifest itself in love for our fellow human beings? This is the essence of the two greatest commandments that Jesus identified. A living faith is a loving faith; the love of God cannot truly be in our heart if it's not being practically displayed to others. In a very real way, each of us is called to be a deacon – that is, a servant – in Christ's Church. Every follower of Jesus is called to serve. Even our Savior Himself served others; He was the Chief Deacon, not a ruler or a tyrant. We must remember that we are not saved because of our "good works." Rather, such works will be a natural fruit that flows out as a beneficial effect of our being saved. When considering the election of a deacon in the Church, we ought to look for someone who whole-heartedly loves the Lord – because then they will also love their neighbor, not love money, hate slander, manage their family well, etc. (1 Tim. 3:8-13). We want to elect someone who has been tested and seen to love God and their neighbor.

God's Word

Is God's Word a delight to you? Do we just "hear" the words of God's Word, or do we actually listen and pay attention? There are two parts in this Psalm. The first speaks of general revelation that we see in nature – as in the starry universe, the treasures of the snow, or the beauty of sunrises and sunsets. Indeed, everything in life is meant to cultivate a spirit of thankfulness. But ultimately, the Creation ought to point us to our Creator. The second part of this Psalm speaks of special revelation – that is, God's Word. We are given several attributes of the Scriptures, such as its purity and its truthfulness; but we are also told some of the positive effects that God's Word has on our lives. The Word of God is to be desired more than honey and valued more than gold. Believers in foreign lands treasure the Scriptures and inscribe them on their hearts; but sadly, our Bibles too often sit on a shelf and collect dust. We need to understand that God's Word actually pays dividends in our lives, instead of regarding it as we would a handful of spare change. When we read and study God's Word, it is like putting cash in a wallet for us to withdraw when we need it. How did you come to know the Savior? If God had not inspired His prophets to write His Words, we would not have a Bible that proclaims the good news of the Gospel of Jesus! A Challenge to Fathers: Teach the Scriptures to your children! A Challenge for Everyone: If you don't like the way the culture is headed, and you want to see reformation, bring the truth of God's Word to the culture. A Challenge to Children: You may hear the Bible at home, but take some time to get to know the Scriptures on your own!

Tour of the Tombs

Today we are going to take a "Tour of the Tombs..." First, we will visit the tomb of Joshua, who left behind a wonderful legacy and bears the honorable title of "the servant of the Lord." Second, we will come to a tomb in Shechem. By faith, when Joseph died in Egypt, he knew that his people would return to Canaan; and he commanded his bones to be carried back and buried there. So as the remains of Joseph were laid to rest in Shechem, we are reminded of how the Lord was faithful to His promise. Then there is the tomb of Eleazar. This was the first high priest's tomb in the Promised Land, and it was a monument of God's faithfulness in giving a high priest to His people. Not far away, there was a tomb that originally made for a rich man – but a poor Man was buried there instead! And that tomb is now empty!! You can go and visit this tomb, but you will not see the earthly remains of a king or a high priest, because our King and High Priest lives and reigns in heaven! This tomb really does not matter, for the One Who was buried there is alive! What will our tombstone say? Will our obituary say that we served the Lord? What is our highest goal in life? What legacy will we leave behind? How can we enter into that heavenly rest which is described in Hebrews 4? By faith in Jesus! And how do we show that faith? By loving and serving Him and others. He is risen; let us pray for grace to follow Him and be His servants!

Covenant Renewal

Weddings are a beautiful picture of Christ's relationship with His Bride, the Church. But when the vows and promises of a marriage covenant are made, they are relating to an exclusive relationsip between husband and wife alone. Before Joshua dies, he leads the people in a renewal of their covenant vows with the Lord. He gives than a history of how the Lord had been faithful to them for centuries – In Egypt, through the wilderness, and in the Promised Land – even though they had not always been faithful to Him. What should their response be? They should serve the Lord! (verse 14) Joshua is calling them to fear the Lord and serve Him with integrity and truth. He will not share His glory with another. So Joshua tells them that they can't have their hearts divided between God and idols. He tells them that this day, they need to decide who they will truly serve. They could not pretend to worship the Lord when they were also serving idols behind closed doors. In heaven, there is only one throne and one King. And Jesus will not share His Bride with any other rival! He is holy, and we must be truly devoted to Him alone. The truth is, however, we mess things up – just as the Israelites did. This is not a passage that calls us to moralism or bootstrap theology. We need a Joshua! Our Savior came to earth and kept the law perfectly for us. Let's pray for grace that our hearts may not be divided and that we may love Jesus Christ alone!

Last Moments with the Risen Jesus

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Peace through the Risen Jesus

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Comfort from the Risen Jesus

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Joy and Hope in the Risen Jesus

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Intro and Overview of the Resurrection

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Hope in Your God!

We live in a fallen world, and even Christians are not exempt from trials. But are we surprised and caught off-guard by the depth of the sorrow and despair to which we may sometimes fall? As believers, we may still sink to the point of feeling forsaken by our God, as David did. But in the midst of our desparation, there is still hope! David felt himself to be in a situation where he was spiritually exhausted, like a deer that is being hunted and is in desparate need of water. Theologically speaking, we know that nothing can separate us from the love of the Lord Jesus. But experiences in our lives often weigh us down and make us feel as if God is not close to us anymore. How do we keep from spiraling downward all the way to the black hole of despair? We need a re-orientation to hope in the Lord! Our only remedy is hope – specifically, hope in God! We need to admit our broken condition and our need for God's grace, and we need to remember that the waterfalls of affliction that we are going through belong to the Lord and He is in control. We must also remind ourselves of God's Covenant love and promises that He has made to us and will never break. Our emotions are instable and are not accurate gauges for truth, so we do well to combat them by filling our minds with those precious promises. Moreover, we need to recognize that the Lord is the God of our life, and that we are His beloved gem and treasure. And lastly, although it may be difficult, we must praise Him still – for He is still worthy! We will not be easily cast down or kept down if our hearts are fixed on Jesus – Who, on the cross, really was forsaken by and separated from the Father so that we may have hope!

Passing the Torch

Joshua was an elderly man now, and he knew that he was on death's doorstep. But he called together all the leaders of the tribes of Israel and reminded them that all the heavy lifiting of the work of conquest was over, and that the victory was certain for them if they continued to obey the Lord. The people of Israel were Jehovah's people – as they were reminded by the frequent reference made here to "Jehovah your God." And Joshua wanted to assure them that Jehovah would not stop fighting for His people just because he himself was passing on. The Lord always remains the same and His promises never die. But if the people turned away from Him, they would be headed for disaster. It would take a lot of courage to obey the Lord's Commandments. There would be a lot of social pressures that would entice the people of Israel to cave in to the culture around them and break the Lord's Covenant. This pressure still exists for God's people today. We must follow the Lord exclusively and cling to Him as tightly as we can – loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we ally ourselves with the heathen, it will end up being a constant pain to us. The Lord will not allow us to give His glory to another rival in our hearts. He wants all or nothing from us. We cannot simply focus on His grace and mercy to the exclusion of His justice and holiness. The truth is, we fall far short of God's standard. So what hope do we have? The only hope for us is in the Lord Jesus! God sent His Covenant-Keeper in human flesh; our King has come and kept the law perfectly and did for us what we could never do for ourselves! Let's pray for grace to cling tightly to Christ alone!

Unity and Faithfulness

Joshua