Crosstown OKC Sermons

Although Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt, his chosen status had not been forfeited. God was with Joseph and would ensure that God's plans for Joseph would succeed. But there would be yet another test that Joseph would need to pass first in order for the blessing of God to flourish through his life.

Judah succeeded in getting rid of his brother, Joseph, by convincing his other brothers to sell Joseph into slavery. But Judah's next plot failed when he broke his promise to his twice-widowed daughter-in-law, Tamar, and she tricked him to get from him the justice she sought. In the providence of God, the wickedness of sinful humanity is not only repaid justly; it also offers redemption to those same wicked sinners whose sins have been found out.

Christians know that the story of Jesus ends with his death and resurrection. But how that story fits into the larger biblical story—even Jesus's disciples had difficulty understanding how it all went together. The burden of the New Testament is to explore this puzzle, giving followers of Jesus the inspiration they need to spread the good news of Jesus to all the world.

Jesus of Nazareth's life was cut short when he was executed by Roman crucifixion. But the Christian faith is built on the claim that the cross of Jesus, far from being a tragic defeat, was a momentous victory. To see this victory of Christ on the cross, we need to see it as the climax to the entire biblical story.

When Jesus began his public ministry, he proclaimed the arrival of the kingdom of God. What then would he say about who could be a citizen of the kingdom? By exposing the heart conditions that contradict kingdom values, Jesus shows that it is impossible to find the life of the kingdom apart from a devoted discipleship to him and his way.

God's plan to save his creation is carried out through a covenant he makes with his chosen people.

The biblical story begins by describing the creation of the world as the formation of a temple in which God would dwell in the midst of his creation. He entered into a covenant with human beings, made in his image, giving them dominion over his kingdom on earth. But when Adam broke the covenant, the effect on all creation was catastrophic. Still, God remained true to the covenant, promising salvation to the world he had made for his glory.

When Jacob left home, he encountered God at Bethel. Now, as he returns home, God urges him to return there and to set up a place for worship. Having arrived at Bethel under divine protection, Jacob is assured of his place in the patriarchal blessing. This assurance sustained him the rest of his life, a life that would continue to be a struggle as his children became responsible for carrying the promise of God forward into the next generation.

After returning home to Canaan, Jacob and his family suffer a great tragedy when his daughter, Dinah, is raped by a young Canaanite man. How they respond to this tragedy takes the story to an even darker level. How will the family of God be a blessing to the world when they are justifiably outraged by the sinfulness of the world around them?

As Jacob returns home, he must face the terrifying prospect of a confrontation with his brother, Esau. Jacob hopes that he can appease his brother with his gifts. But on the eve of the brothers' encounter, Jacob finds himself in a far greater struggle. He emerges with his life, but now walks with a limp, and carries with him a new name which will offer not just to himself but to the whole world the forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace that is desperately needed.