ARCC Sermons

In the story of John the Baptist's death, we get a very unique view on the nature and the effects of sin. So often we see people living in sin and from the outside perspective all seems well as though they were "getting away with it". However, what we are able to learn from this story is that no matter what things look like on the outside, there are always consequences to sin. We can also see that there is no such thing as "sin management". You are either seeking to destroy it or it is destroying you.

Additional Scripture References:

Proverbs 25:4; Proverbs 21:9; 1 Corinthians 9:18-22; 1 Corinthians 10:6-13

There is no middle ground with Jesus. You are either following Him or you are rejecting Him. If you are a follower of Christ then scripture gives great pictures as to what that looks like both for our instruction and for our confidence. The fact is, WE WILL BE CALLED by God for His purposes to bring glory to Him and joy to all men. What we see is that the size or the significance of "the call" is not ultimate. It is the heart that lays itself down for the call no matter what "it" is that authenticates to the world the One who called.

Additional Scripture References:

Matthew 11:25-30; 1 Cor. 3:18; Deut. 19:15

After performing many miracles in the region of Galilee, Jesus returned to Nazareth with his disciples to continue his ministry. As he taught in the synagogue, the crowd turned from being amazed to being offended in a matter of minutes. What was it that Jesus said that offended them? Would we have been offended had we been there that day? As followers of Christ, our acceptance of Him and the things He taught often times means laying to rest things we have always believed. We must always be asking ourselves, "What does Scripture teach and example," rather than, "What do I want to believe?" Often times, this can only be done through faith.

Additional Scripture References:

Matthew 19:25; Matthew 2:33; Matthew 7:28; Acts 13:12; Mark 3:21; Matthew 13:53-58; Luke 4:16-30; 1 Kings 17:8-16; 2 Kings 5:1-14

Are your relationships, your opportunities, your fulfillments, your ministries, your job, your physical location, etc...(and the list could go on and on) due to your pursuit of Christ? OR, is your pursuit of Christ dependent upon your relationships, your opportunities, your fulfillments, your ministries, your job, your physical location, etc...? This makes all the difference in the world as to the way you view your approach to ALL OF LIFE. Do you view “it” as a means to an end or do you view “it” as a mission?

Additional Scripture References:

John 17; James 4:17; Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 1:6 2 Cor. 9:8; 1 Peter 5:10

So what could possibly cause Jesus to stop on the way to heal a dying little girl? The answer: A woman who had a sad misunderstanding of the point of Jesus. This woman who had suffered for so many years was understandably content with sneaking up on Jesus, touching Him, and slipping off into the crowd. The greatness of the reality of Jesus is that He would do far more than just heal her body, but He would require much more from her than she originally intended.

Additional Scripture References:

John 17; James 4:17; Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 1:6

So what happens when a man who is confined by time, consumed by time, or the lack of it, who is very aware that it is NOT his ally comes in contact with a man who has existed outside of time for eternity? Jesus transcends time. For Jesus, time is only relevant in that it gives a marker for when He decides to sovereignly carry out His purpose, desire, and will. Jesus is about to give Jairus a taste of eternity, a perspective that gives great hope in the face of death and a great new vision for the life we have on this earth.

Additional Scripture References:

Ephesians 5:15-17; Hebrews 11:6; Philippians 1:23-24; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Luke 23:43; Hebrews 12:23; 1 Corinthians 15:53-57; Isaiah 25:8

James tells us that even the demons believe in God...and shudder! So what is the difference between them and us? For a lot of professing followers of Christ in America there isn't much difference at all. In this story in Mark 5 we have a huge wake up call to those more concerned with posing as a disciple of Christ and actually being a disciple or follower of Christ. There IS a difference.

Additional Scripture References:

James 2:14-19; Matthew 8:29; Revelation 20:10; James 1:12-15; John 4:21-24

What do you do when faced with a God more terrifying than anything we could possibly be confronted by on this earth? What do we do when we realize we are in the presence of the God who owns it all and needs absolutely nothing from us? We worship and adore him because the God who does whatever He pleases is please to love us with an everlasting love that brings salvation and joy and hope and peace.

Additional Scripture References:

2 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 10:31; John 10:18; Romans 8:28; Romans 8:37

What we learn from these last two parables of Jesus about the Kingdom of God brings a great sense of reality to what is going on in most of our lives right here and now. We get the sense that the kingdom is going to grow from something very small and insignificant to something huge and very influential. The part that we don't want to miss is the part where Jesus says that he will accomplish it through NORMAL people living NORMAL lives of faithful obedience to Him.

Additional Scripture References:

1 Corinthians 3:6; Habakkus 2:14; Numbers 14:21; Isaiah 42:8; 1 Corinthians 1:20-21, 26-29, 31; jeremiah 9:23-24; Ezekiel 17:23, 31:6; Daniel 4:12,21

"What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight, what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs." We were created to proclaim. We are a people dying to say something and we just want someone, anyone to listen. We were wired this way and now Jesus is telling us that hearing and proclaiming is of eternal importance in the Kingdom of God. To have a relationship with Christ is to have something to proclaim to the nations!

Additional Scripture References:

Matthew 5:14-16; Luke 8:16; Luke 11 :33-36; Luke 11 :27-28; Matthew 10:27; Ephesians 2:10; 2 Cor. 9:8-12; John 3:19-21; John 14:12-14