Church of The Word | Sunday Sermons

Every person is only a heartbeat away from standing before the judgment seat of Christ. That is true for believers and unbelievers alike. The question is not whether that day will come, but whether there is readiness to meet the Lord.

For the unbeliever, the issue is plain and urgent: repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Readiness to meet the Lord does not come through morality, religion, sincerity, or effort, but through trusting in Christ alone for salvation. If there has been no repentance from sin and no reliance upon Christ, then there is no readiness to stand before God.

But this question also presses upon believers in another sense. A Christian may be ready to meet the Lord in terms of justification—knowing that sins are forgiven and that salvation rests securely in Christ—while still feeling the weight of unfinished service. The desire should not be merely to arrive in heaven forgiven, but to arrive having lived faithfully, having used time well, and having spent life for the glory of Christ rather than for comfort, ease, or distraction.

That is the burden of this exhortation: not to drift through life, not to settle for a pleasant existence, and not to come before the Lord empty-handed. The wise men brought gifts when they came to Christ, and that image serves as a fitting reminder that a life devoted to Jesus is itself an offering. The longing should be that when the Lord is met, there would be evidence of love, service, obedience, and a life poured out for His name.

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This week shook me. I had a moment where I truly felt how thin the line is between “normal life” and standing before God. I was listening to my daughter describe her symptoms, and the word preeclampsia came up. I’d heard the word before, but I didn’t really know what it meant. Then I started reading: high blood pressure, blurry vision, migraines… and she’d been having migraines for days. The blurry vision hit Wednesday night. And because someone had providentially given them a blood pressure cuff, they checked her pressure “just to see.” It was sky high.

Then I read what can happen if this goes bad—death. And it hit me like a truck: my 20-year-old daughter could die. My granddaughter could die. And for a couple days, I felt those emotional highs and lows that come when you realize you are not in control of anything.

It humbled me. I had to say it out loud before God: Lord, You don’t owe me my daughter. You don’t owe me grandchildren. You don’t owe me another day. He’s not in our debt. Every breath is mercy. And I cried out to Him—not as someone making demands, but as someone pleading for grace. Because it reminded me of something we all avoid thinking about: life is fragile. We are a heartbeat away from the judgment seat of Christ. A heartbeat.

So I want to ask you straight: Are you ready to meet the Lord?

If you’re not a believer, I’m not going to soften this—your main issue is this: have you repented of your sin and put your faith in Jesus Christ? Are you trusting in Him alone to save you? If not, you are not ready. You might be successful, respected, busy, “doing fine”—but you are not ready to stand before God.

But I’m not only talking to unbelievers. I’m talking to Christians too, because there’s a second sense of being “ready.” I can know my sins are forgiven and still feel the weight of this: Have I been living for Jesus? Have I used my life well? Have I done what I’m here to do?

And I’ll be honest with you—I don’t feel ready in that second sense. I’m ready to meet the Lord in the sense that I know my Savior and I know my debt has been paid. But I don’t want to stand before Him empty-handed. Wise men brought gifts when they met the Lord. And when I come before Him, I don’t want my life to be a story of comfort, distraction, and wasted time. I want to have something to lay at His feet. I want to do more for Him than just “have a nice life.”

That’s why Matthew 3 matters so much. John the Baptist shows up preparing people to meet the Messiah. His whole ministry is basically this warning: He’s coming. He could show up any day. Are you ready? And John doesn’t tell people to get ready with vague spirituality. He tells them plainly: repentance, confession of sin, and faith in Christ are essential if you want peace with God.

That’s the point I want to land on with you: peace with God doesn’t come from pretending you’re fine. It comes when you stop making excuses, you come into the light, you confess what’s true, and you throw yourself on Christ. That’s how a person gets ready. And that’s how a believer stays ready—by living honestly before God and living intentionally for Him, because none of us knows how many heartbeats we have left.

Read the blog post here:

https://cotwstl.org/are-you-ready-to-meet-the-lord-matthew-31-17/

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When Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd, He is not inventing new imagery. The shepherd metaphor runs throughout the Old Testament.

Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd.”

David himself was taken “from the sheepfold” to shepherd Israel.

Kings and priests were called shepherds because their responsibility was to lead, feed, and protect the people.

The word “pastor” simply means shepherd. God consistently describes His people as sheep and their leaders as shepherds.

By the time we reach the New Testament, Israel has had many shepherds—but most have failed. The prophets repeatedly rebuked Israel’s leaders for neglecting the flock. Ezekiel 34, in particular, condemns the shepherds of Israel who fed themselves instead of feeding the sheep.

And in that same chapter, God makes a promise:

He Himself will come and shepherd His people.

Read the full post here:

https://cotwstl.org/the-lost-sheep-of-the-house-of-israel-matthew-118-21-23/

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In Acts chapter 20, we find one of the clearest and most personal passages in the New Testament that describes what an elder is and what an elder is called to do.

The reason for this message is practical. In the coming days, we’ll be discussing the possibility of appointing another elder in the church. For some time, we have recognized the need for additional shepherds. The church has grown, responsibilities have increased, and Scripture teaches that a healthy church is led by a plurality of qualified elders.

Two years ago, this same need was brought before the congregation. Nominations were made, conversations were had, but the outcome was that no additional elders were appointed. Some nominees were not members, some did not desire the office, and so we have continued on as we were. But the need has not gone away. If anything, it has grown.

So this morning, we turn to the Word of God and ask a simple question: What is an elder? And just as importantly, what does an elder do?

Why This Matters to Every Christian

Some of you may be thinking, “I have no interest in being an elder. Why is this relevant to me?” That’s a fair question. But the answer is simple: elders were God’s idea for the health of His church.

The structure of church leadership is not a human invention. It’s not something that churches created because it seemed practical or efficient. God, in His wisdom, designed the church to be led by qualified, godly men who shepherd His people.

So even if you never desire the office of an elder, you still need to know:

What God expects from an elder

What you should look for in an elder

What kind of leadership God says is healthy for His church

Many churches have drifted away from these biblical standards. Instead of asking what God wants in a leader, they ask:

Who is entertaining?

Who draws the biggest crowd?

Who is funny or charismatic?

Who looks good on stage?

Who is trendy or culturally appealing?

But none of those things are the biblical qualifications for an elder. The church is not a business, a stage, or a social club. It is the flock of God, and God has very clear instructions about how it is to be shepherded.

Read the full blog post:

https://cotwstl.org/the-biblical-blueprint-for-church-leadership-acts-2017-38/

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Matthew chapter two introduces a theme that runs throughout the entire Bible—the theme of Egypt, exodus, and deliverance. The story of Jesus fleeing to Egypt and later returning is not an isolated historical detail. It is part of a much larger pattern that begins in Genesis and unfolds through the life of Israel, the ministry of Christ, and even the lives of believers today.

Matthew is not simply telling a story; he is showing a pattern. He wants the reader to recognize that Jesus is retracing the steps of Israel, fulfilling what the nation could not accomplish. The movement into Egypt and out again is part of that divine pattern.

The theme of Egypt appears early in Scripture. In Genesis 12, Abraham encounters a famine in the land and travels to Egypt for survival. There he experiences trouble and danger, yet God preserves him and eventually brings him back out.

Later, the patriarchs follow a similar path. Because of famine, Jacob and his sons go down into Egypt, where Joseph provides for them. What begins as refuge eventually becomes bondage. Israel grows into a nation there, but they become enslaved under Pharaoh. In time, God raises up Moses and delivers His people out of Egypt in a mighty exodus.

This pattern becomes central to Israel’s identity. Egypt represents bondage, oppression, and exile. The exodus represents salvation, covenant, and new beginnings with God.

Jesus Follows the Same Path

In Matthew chapter two, the pattern appears again. Herod seeks to destroy the child Jesus, and Joseph is warned in a dream to take Mary and the child and flee to Egypt. There they remain until Herod’s death, and then they return to the land of Israel.

Matthew explains this by quoting Hosea 11:1:

“Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Some critics claim that Matthew is misusing the Old Testament, because Hosea is clearly referring to Israel’s past, not to a future Messiah. But Matthew is not misquoting or distorting Scripture. He is using a literary and theological pattern that his audience would have recognized.

In Hosea, Israel is called God’s son, brought out of Egypt in the exodus. Matthew is showing that Jesus is the true Son who fulfills that history. The pattern is being repeated, but this time perfectly.

The Pattern of the True Son

Matthew presents Jesus as the true and faithful Son of God. The pattern unfolds in a clear sequence:

God’s Son goes into Egypt.

God’s Son is called out of Egypt.

God’s Son passes through baptism.

God’s Son is tested in the wilderness.

God’s Son enters the promised land.

This was the story of Israel. But Israel failed repeatedly. They grumbled, worshiped idols, and broke covenant with God. Jesus, however, walks the same path without failure. Where Israel was unfaithful, Christ is perfectly obedient.

He is not merely another participant in the story—He is the fulfillment of it.

This same pattern also applies to those who belong to Christ. The story of Israel and the story of Jesus become the story of every Christian in a spiritual sense.

All of God’s sons experience an exodus. Every believer begins in a kind of spiritual Egypt—a place of bondage to sin, idolatry, and death. Through repentance and faith in Christ, God delivers His people from that slavery.

After deliverance comes covenant. Just as Israel passed through the Red Sea and entered into covenant with God, and just as Jesus was baptized, believers also enter into the covenant community through baptism.

Then comes testing. The Christian life is not a straight path of ease and comfort. It is a wilderness journey. There are temptations, trials, and struggles with sin. There are moments of grumbling, fear, and doubt. Yet God uses these trials to refine His people and prepare them for what lies ahead.

And ahead lies the promised land—the final rest, the eternal kingdom, the presence of God forever.

The exodus from Egypt was one of the greatest acts of deliverance in the Old Testament. But the exodus accomplished by Christ is greater still. Israel was delivered from physical slavery. Christ delivers His people from sin, death, and the wrath of God.

He leads His people not just to an earthly land, but to a heavenly kingdom.

Matthew wants the reader to see that Jesus is the true Son, the true Israel, and the true Deliverer. The patterns of Scripture all converge in Him.

The Christian life is not random or directionless. It follows a pattern set by God Himself:

Deliverance from bondage

Covenant with God

Testing in the wilderness

Entrance into the promised rest

This pattern is seen in Israel, fulfilled in Christ, and repeated in the lives of believers.

Every follower of Christ is on an exodus journey. The wilderness may be long, and the testing may be hard, but the destination is certain. The God who calls His people out of Egypt is faithful to bring them home.

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Matthew 2 presents a stark contrast that demands decision: Herod the Great, master of worldly power, versus Jesus Christ, the eternal King born in obscurity. Herod possessed everything the world celebrates—political mastery, wealth, influence, and fear-inducing authority. Yet his "greatness" rested on insecurity, cruelty, and bloodshed. When threatened by news of Christ's birth, he responded with violence rather than humility, revealing the hollow foundation of earthly kingdoms.

Christ entered the world with no palace, no army, no fanfare—yet wise men traveled far to worship Him. Unlike Herod who seized power, Jesus received authority from the Father. His kingdom advances not through coercion but through transformed hearts, not by fear but by truth. This is why Christianity has always unsettled tyrants: Christ demands supremacy, not accommodation.

Worship Shapes Identity

The fundamental difference between these kings lies in worship: Herod demands loyalty but cannot inspire true devotion; Jesus receives worship because He alone is worthy. This distinction matters eternally because worship always shapes identity. What we honor, we imitate. Those who revere worldly power will pursue dominance and success. Those who worship Christ will be formed by humility, faithfulness, and hope in His eternal kingdom.

Heroes are never neutral—they direct loyalties and form values. Herod's kingdom rose quickly and vanished completely. Christ's kingdom entered quietly and will never end.

The Unavoidable Question

Even Christians can become impressed by visible success and immediate results, forgetting that Scripture measures greatness by faithfulness to God, not worldly achievement. Christ may not resemble the heroes culture promotes, but He alone reigns forever. His authority is universal and eternal, advancing through grace rather than force, truth rather than spectacle.

Every heart serves a king. Every life is shaped by what it worships. The choice remains: Will we be formed by the kingdoms of this world or by the King of kings? Choose your hero wisely—eternity hangs in the balance.

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There are moments in the life of the church when it is right to step back from the flow of sequential exposition and ask a more foundational question—not what comes next, but why are we here at all? Psalm 50 presses that question upon God’s people with clarity and force. It confronts assumptions about worship, exposes empty religion, and reorients the heart toward what truly glorifies God.

Scripture is not vague about humanity’s purpose. Of all that God created—galaxies, oceans, animals, and angels—only mankind was made in His image. And with that image comes a calling. Humanity is not accidental, aimless, or self-defining. Humanity was created with a chief end: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

That truth immediately raises another question: How is God actually glorified? Psalm 50 answers that question by linking God’s glory not to ritual performance, but to thankful, obedient worship flowing from a redeemed heart.

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Matthew 2 reveals the fundamental divide Christ brings to the world—worship or warfare, submission or resistance. The wise men from the East demonstrate that Gentile inclusion was never God's afterthought but His eternal plan, fulfilling the Abrahamic promise that all nations would be blessed through his seed. These foreigners arrived first, not by accident, but by divine design.

The wise men's worship establishes a crucial truth: Jesus receives what belongs to God alone. No angel accepts worship, no prophet demands it, yet this child in Bethlehem receives it without correction because He is God incarnate. The incarnation makes possible what seemed impossible—fully God, worthy of worship, yet fully man, born in history.

Herod's fear exposes the threat Christ poses to all earthly authority. True kingship cannot coexist with rival claims to ultimate authority. Christ demands comprehensive allegiance, not compartmentalized devotion. This explains why tyrants throughout history have opposed Christianity—not merely because it offers private comfort, but because it proclaims a King whose authority supersedes all human power structures.

The response to Christ's birth creates a pattern that persists today. Those far from religious privilege often recognize His worth first, while those closest to religious systems frequently resist His claims. Wisdom seeks Christ; pride fears Him. The wise men understood what Jerusalem's leaders missed—this King came not merely to reform existing structures but to establish His own eternal kingdom.

Every generation faces the same choice Matthew presents: bow in worship before the rightful King, or join the futile resistance of earthly powers destined for judgment.

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Christmas brings us again to Matthew chapter 1, a passage familiar to many, yet endlessly rich. The title Emmanuel—God With Us captures the heart of this text and the heart of the gospel itself. The birth of Christ is not merely a sentimental moment in history; it is God’s decisive answer to humanity’s deepest problem. The point of this passage is clear: human rebellion separated us from God, and Christ came to save us from our sins and restore peace with Him.

The Problem: Rebellion, Not a Mistake

The story begins long before Bethlehem. Adam and Eve did not merely break a rule; they declared war. Their sin was not an accident or a minor lapse—it was an act of rebellion against God’s authority. When Satan promised, “You will be like God,” the temptation was autonomy. Humanity wanted the right to define good and evil apart from God.

That same impulse remains today. People may want God’s blessings, protection, and kindness, but they resist His rule. At its core, sin is not ignorance—it is defiance. Scripture describes fallen humanity not as neutral toward God, but as hostile to Him. Where rebellion exists, fellowship cannot.

Every relationship illustrates this reality. Fellowship cannot flourish where there is ongoing defiance. Love may remain, but intimacy does not. This is the condition into which Christ was born.

The Debt: What We Owe and Cannot Pay

Rebellion always creates debt. Humanity owed God loving, loyal obedience. Instead, what accumulated was guilt, disobedience, and moral bankruptcy. Sin is not merely something done to ourselves or others—it is something done against God. Justice demands payment.

This is why forgiveness is never cheap. God does not simply ignore sin or sweep it aside. The debt must be satisfied. Left to ourselves, there is no means to pay it.

The Name Jesus: Salvation Accomplished

Matthew tells us the child would be named Jesus, meaning the Lord saves. The explanation is explicit: “He shall save His people from their sins.” Not from discomfort, inconvenience, or political oppression—but from sin itself.

This salvation is not theoretical. It is substitutionary. Christ came to pay the debt humanity could not. His life of perfect obedience and His death on the cross are the means by which justice is satisfied and forgiveness is secured.

The Name Emmanuel: God Draws Near

The second name given is Emmanuel, meaning God with us. This name explains how salvation is possible. Jesus is not merely a moral teacher or a prophet. He is God Himself, taking on true humanity.

The incarnation is the great wonder of Christmas: the Creator entering His creation. God the Son willingly assumes human nature, lives under the law, faces real temptation, and yet remains without sin. Only one who is fully God and fully man could reconcile God and humanity—representing humanity before God while possessing the infinite worth necessary to pay the debt of sin.

Though Emmanuel was not commonly used as a personal name during Jesus’ earthly ministry, it perfectly describes who He is. In Christ, God does not remain distant. He comes near.

Peace Restored Through the God-Man

Christ came not only to end rebellion, but to restore fellowship. Peace with God is not achieved by human effort, moral reform, or religious ritual. It is achieved through reconciliation. That reconciliation required a mediator who could stand between God and humanity without compromise.

In Jesus, rebellion ends, debt is paid, and peace is restored. God is no longer merely for His people—He is with them.

The Meaning of Christmas

Christmas is not ultimately about atmosphere or tradition. It is about reconciliation. It proclaims that God has not abandoned a rebellious world. He entered it. The incarnation declares that sin does not have the final word and separation is not permanent.

In Christ, God comes near—not to condemn, but to save. Emmanuel means the war is over for all who are united to Him by faith. God is with us, and because of that, peace with God is possible again.

That is the glory of Christmas.

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A New Beginning Written Into History

Matthew 1 and the Meaning of Fourteen

Matthew opens his Gospel with a genealogy that is anything but accidental. At first glance, it appears to be a straightforward family record tracing Jesus from Abraham to David, from David to the exile, and from the exile to Christ. But Matthew pauses to highlight something unusual: fourteen generations, three times over.

That detail raises an obvious question. Why fourteen? And why does Matthew deliberately shape the genealogy to make it work?

The answer is not sloppiness or ignorance. Matthew knows the Old Testament well. He intentionally omits certain names that appear in Chronicles, something Jewish readers would immediately recognize. Commentators across the board agree: Matthew is making a theological and literary point. The genealogy is not merely historical; it is interpretive. It preaches before the sermon even begins.

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Fourteen as Structure, Not Trivia

Matthew divides Israel’s history into three movements of fourteen generations:

From Abraham to David

From David to the Babylonian exile

From the exile to Christ

This is not numerology for curiosity’s sake. It is storytelling with purpose. Matthew is showing that history is not random. It moves forward under the providence of God, according to promise, pattern, and fulfillment.

Something decisive happens at the end of each set.

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From Promise to Pinnacle: Abraham to David

The first fourteen generations build steadily from Abraham to David. God makes a promise to Abraham: a seed will come through whom all nations will be blessed. Generation after generation passes, and the promise seems delayed but never abandoned.

Then, at the fourteenth generation, David arrives.

This is the high point. The kingdom is established. A throne is secured. God adds a new promise on top of the old one: David will have a son who will reign forever. Matthew is saying, we were right on schedule. God did exactly what He said He would do.

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From Glory to Disappointment: David to Exile

The second set of fourteen tells a very different story. Instead of ascent, there is decline. King after king fails to be the promised ruler. Covenant breaking, idolatry, bloodshed, and injustice dominate the narrative.

This section is marked not by fulfillment, but by disappointment.

The throne that once represented hope becomes a symbol of failure. Eventually, God brings judgment. Jerusalem falls. The people are carried away to Babylon. The throne of David sits empty.

Fourteen generations end not in triumph, but in exile.

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Silence, Waiting, and an Empty Throne

The final fourteen generations unfold under a shadow. There is no king. No prophet announces deliverance. The promises remain, but they seem suspended. The people return from exile, but the glory does not return with them.

This is the long silence of Israel’s history. The throne remains vacant. The debt of covenant breaking remains unpaid.

And then—at the precise moment Matthew has been building toward—Christ is born.

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Christ as the True New Beginning

Regardless of how one interprets the symbolism of fourteen—whether through David’s name value, covenantal rhythm, or literary symmetry—the point is unmistakable: the birth of Christ marks a decisive new beginning.

Where kings failed, Christ succeeds.

Where the covenant was broken, Christ fulfills it.

Where exile brought judgment, Christ brings forgiveness.

Jesus does not merely resume the story; He restarts it. He comes not to extend a failing system, but to accomplish what it could never achieve. He comes to forgive sins, cancel debts, and restore what was lost.

The empty throne is filled.

The silence is broken.

The promises are kept.

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From Israel’s Story to Ours

Matthew’s genealogy is not just Israel’s history—it is a mirror of human experience. Long stretches of waiting. Cycles of hope and disappointment. The burden of failure and guilt that no human ruler can resolve.

Into that mess, Christ comes.

For Israel, His birth meant freedom from exile and sin. For all who are united to Him by faith, it means the same. What generations of effort could not accomplish, Christ completes in full.

Matthew’s message is clear: history has a direction, and it leads to Jesus. The genealogy does not end in chaos or despair. It ends in Christ—because in Him, every true new beginning begins.

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