Christmas Sermons Archives - Covenant United Reformed Church

It is tempting to think of the story of Adam as something that is merely pretend, nice, or maybe a neat sentimental story. If we make this concession we can please a lot of people who pride themselves on being advanced in terms of today's standards. However, what happens if we deny that there was a real man named Adam? What happens if we deny that his sin actually plunged the human race into sin? How can that event that seems so small radically impact the gospel message? If you are curious about these questions please stay tuned to our sermon titled, "The Benefits of Our Last Adam: Born to Die."

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If you want people to take you serious when you speak you need to be articulate. If you make blunders, trip over words, and worst of all make a series of promises that appear more like bloopers than blockbusters people are not going to take you serious. So, we would expect the red carpet and a sensational stage performance when Christ enters history. Yet, this is not the case. Is the Lord weak? Is the Lord failing to measure up to the hype? What is the Lord expecting to accomplish with a rejected peasant king? If you are curious about these questions please stay tuned to our sermon titled, "God's Blunder or Blockbuster?: Born to Die"

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There is no doubt that there are benefits to knowing that the Lord is the one who is mighty. He is a God who can slaughter anyone who dares to challenge Him. In fact, there is not one worthy opponent who can stand in the way the Lord. So, are we called to be terrified of God? I mean, if he is so powerful and strong why not just live in utter terror of HIs name? Clearly, God is serious about His justice. How do we know that He is also a God who is just as serious about His mercy and grace? If you are curious about these questions please stay tuned to our sermon titled, "The Suffering Servant: Born to Die."

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I still cannot imagine the relief that Adam must have experienced when he realized that God was not going to give him what he deserved. Adam must have had a great does of relief, and assurance of knowing that another would receive what he deserved. So, we would expect the Lord to make this happen quickly, but yet we see a scene where the high priest is accused by Satan because the priest is not pure enough. Satan is concerned about the purity of God's people. Yet, the Lord rebukes Satan. Why is Satan so out of line? What is at the heart of Satan's accusation of Joshua? How is this accusation answered in a way that shows the significance of Christmas? If you are curious about these questions please stay tuned to our sermon titled, "The Building Branch: Born to Die."

The post The Building Branch: Born to Die (Zech. 3; 6:9-15) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

In our last sermon the Lord made the remarkable promise that He was going to divide two seeds, and He was going to triumph over the seed of the serpent. It is great to know that there is the promised victory that will come in history. So, is the warrior who faces off with the serpent going to be strong? Is he going to have a mighty army? Will he be one who is so powerful that no one would dare to come against him? What does Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac have to do with this promised victory? What does a sacrifice have to do with the victory of this war? If you are curious about these questions please stay tuned to our sermon titled, "The Champion Sacrificed: Born to Die."

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We associate Christmas with the birth of Christ. This is not something that is bad because that is what we say is the point of Christmas. However, why did Christ enter into history? Why is it that Christ took on the flesh to redeem us? Does the Lord do this merely because He is a God of drama or is there a far bigger picture than merely Christ being a cute baby? If you are curious about these questions please stay tuned to our sermon titled, "The First Gospel: Born to Die."

The post The First Gospel: Born to Die (Genesis 3:15) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

We have been consider the theme of God as Shepherd in scripture for this Christmas season. The Lord has revealed himself as a shepherd of His people, but does this concept of shepherd still mean anything for us today? In other words what benefit is it to know that God is a shepherd? Does Christ ever see himself as such a shepherd? Does Christ ever see us as part of His sheepfold when he walks this earth? If you are curious about these questions please stay tuned to our sermon titled, "Our Good Shepherd."

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In America we know that if you want the word to get out you release a sound bite to newspapers like the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. You see these are organizations that have credibility, as opposed to tabloids. People will doubt the reported news in a tabloid or see it as mere entertainment. So, why does the Lord use men who would be on the fringe of society rather than the elite? In other words why does the Lord broadcast the birth of his child in the tabloids and not a credible source? Please stay tuned to our sermon titled, "The Scandalous Witnesses."

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The prophet Isaiah says, "Comfort, Comfort my people." These are very encouraging words to hear, but how do we know that there is substance behind these words? In other words it is nice when people tell us to be comforted, but we need to have some real assurance behind the comfort. What is the comfort that is given? What is the comfort given to John the Baptist when John asks about Christ’s credentials? How is that comfort that Christ gives the same comfort that is given to us? If your are curious about these questions please stay tuned to our sermon titled, "The Gentle Warrior Shepherd."

The post The Gentle Warrior Shepherd (Isaiah 40:1-11) appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

We are approaching Christmas Sunday. We can think about Mary being the woman in covenant history who fulfills the promise made in Genesis 3:15. We can think of the angels who sing praises to the Lord regarding the birth of Christ. Do we think about the implications of the shepherds who also receive the news of Christ’s birth? Certainly, they testify to Christ redeeming the outcasts, but do they show also a picture of how God reveals Himself? In other words what does the birth of Christ have to do with God’s Shepherding? If you are curious about these questions please stay tuned to our sermon titled, "The True Shepherding King."

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