bpchurch Sermons

I pray that you have had a blessed Advent and Christmas season, remembering and celebrating our Lord's coming. One of my favorite parts of the Advent season is remembering that there is a second Advent! We put a lot of energy into remembering His nativity, but the New Testament actually gives far more attention to Jesus' return. This Sunday, in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24, we are going to see how the hope of His coming mattered to early Christians and the difference that hope makes for us.

In the Gospel nativity stories, there are many who tell us something about this child, miraculously born: we hear from angels, Mary, shepherds, even the Magi and their gifts. This Sunday we'll hear from an elderly man who appears only briefly on the Gospel stage and then departs. But in his brief appearance, he tells us more about Jesus and he speaks more directly to the heart, then perhaps any of the others. We all need to hear what Simeon has to say. And we might even wonder if God could use us in a similar way?

This Sunday we will be blessed to see our Children's Choir, God's Glory Gang, perform the The Journey of the Magi. When they are finished we will be continuing on that theme and digging into Matthew 2 for ourselves. The main focus of the story of the Wisemen is that they come to worship Jesus. That is the main point of this passage and really it speaks to the main point of Christmas as well. What is Christmas about other than worshipping the King?

Two ladies getting together, both excited about their pregnancies and their babies, who are soon to be born (Luke 1:39-56). The same thing happens regularly in life today. But, what can we learn from that as followers of Jesus, and what difference could it make if we brought that lesson into life today?

As the Apostle said, "I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 1:4)," and in the next few days I pray that you have an opportunity to tell and give thanks for His grace to others. On Sunday we move from fall into Advent season. In these four Sundays before Christmas, we will remember Jesus' coming and anticipate His soon return. This Sunday we will look to the announcement of Jesus' incarnation to Mary in Luke 1:26-38. Mary has something important to show us about how to respond when what God sets before us seems impossible to us.

Acts 4:32-37 is an idyllic little section where everything seems wonderful in the church, except it sounds just a little like socialism. What's really going on? But then, the scene is shaken by a shocking story of pretense and judgement, where we might find ourselves too easily on the side of Ananias and Sapphira rather than God. Once again we wonder, "what is going on here?" Actually the two stories are related and give us a couple of principles that are essential in our walk and worship.

Last week, in the first half of Acts chapter 4, we learned some principles for sharing the good news of Jesus in a hostile environment. But what do we do when crisis comes? How can we be bold when the threats really are serious? We pray and trust God, you say. Well yes, but how should we pray? For what, exactly, should we trust God to do? Whatever threats you face, Acts 4:23-31 gives us some practical reminders for trusting our Lord for "whatever your hand and your plan had predestined."

Many of us are familiar with the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den. Because Daniel obeys God rather than men, he ends up in the lion's den. God meets him there, and because Daniel remained faithful to God in the face of opposition, everyone has heard his story. We too have a story to tell; God has made us His witnesses. But at times our testimony might get us in trouble. This Sunday we'll talk about some principles to follow in Acts 4:1-22, when we feel like disciples in the lion's den.

Who would you say the book of Acts is all about? It would be easy to point to Peter for the first several chapters and then Paul for the rest of the book, but others might argue that really the Church, or even the Holy Spirit is the main focus of the book. But what if I told you that Acts is really all about Jesus? It's easy to say that about the Gospels - of course Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are all about Jesus. But even in Acts, when Jesus has ascended bodily into Heaven, He is still the focus of all that is happening in this book. And we see that on clear display in Acts chapter three this week. There is a miraculous healing that leads to a convicting sermon, but in the end as Peter shows, it all points toward Jesus. Is your life all about Jesus? Or does He just play a supporting role in the drama of your existence?

It's fall: there's a crispness in the air and political ads on the airwaves, and in the mail box, and online, and ... it's exhausting. When will it end?! On November 6th? No, that will just be the start of the next round of politicking and power-wrangling. When it will finally end is the point of the second half of Acts chapter 3. We are jumping a little out of order this Sunday, but I wanted us to be reminded, that while we prayerfully vote, seeking the good of the community in which we now live (Jer 29:7), what we really need is a good King, and Peter in Acts 3:17-26 reminds us that the King will come.