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Fear Not, Only Believe (Mark 5:21-43) This sermon explores the nature of genuine faith through the biblical account of Jairus and the woman with an issue of blood. It argues that true faith is not confidence in specific outcomes but a steadfast trust in Jesus Christ even when circumstances contradict our expectations. The preacher emphasizes that divine delays are purposeful, serving to deepen reliance on God rather than human resources or timelines. By examining how Jesus responds to both urgent need and apparent impossibility, the message highlights His sovereignty over life, death, and suffering. Ultimately, believers are called to reject fear and anchor their hope in the character of Christ, who remains trustworthy regardless of external conditions.

The sermon explores the Apostle Paul's instruction to Timothy to suffer for the gospel with unwavering confidence rather than fear. It identifies the basis of this courage not in human strength but in the power of God and the eternal grace granted to believers before creation. The central message emphasizes that looking to the cross of Christ reveals God's favor and provides the spiritual resources needed for endurance during persecution. By focusing on the revealed gospel, believers gain certainty that their salvation is secure and that they possess divine life even in the face of death. This perspective transforms suffering from a source of shame into an opportunity to display God's power and share eternal life with others.

Luke 8:49-56. While Jesus is still speaking to the woman healed of her twelve-year issue of blood, word comes from Jairus's house: "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher anymore." The messenger is not cruel, only reasonable; everyone assumes death is a boundary past which a healer is useless. Jesus answers before Jairus can speak: "Do not fear, only believe, and she will be made well." That is not a command to manufacture enough faith to power a miracle, a works-righteousness of the emotions that crushes grieving people; it is a command to keep walking beside Him to the house. Faith here is not a feeling but a direction. At the house Jesus clears the room, keeping only Peter, James, John, and the parents, refusing to build a following on spectacle. The mourners' derisive laughter is not an embarrassment to the account but its evidence: Luke, the careful physician, insists everyone knew the child was dead, and records that her spirit returned, which presupposes it had departed. So when Jesus calls her sleeping, He is not correcting a misdiagnosis; He is reaching for Scripture's own idiom for death, from "slept with his fathers" through Daniel 12:2 and Lazarus, and announcing what He means to do about it, because sleepers wake. Where Elijah and Elisha stretched themselves out and prayed, Jesus simply says, "Child, arise," the voice of Genesis 1, and then asks that she be fed, because resurrection restores an ordinary, hungry body. Two guardrails: sleep is a word about the body, not the soul, so soul sleep fails; and sleep does not make death small, it makes it temporary. Jairus asked Jesus to beat death to his house; he received far more.

Psalm 19:7–11 sets forth the perfections and benefits of special revelation — God's word — as the counterpart to the general revelation explored in verses 1–6. This exposition works through the six descriptive titles David assigns to Scripture (law, testimony, statutes, commandment, fear, judgments), the corresponding attributes attached to each, and the practical effects they produce in the soul of the one who meditates on them. Main points: - the perfections of the word of God as set forth in the six titles and their attributes - the benefits of the word — its effects on the soul, the heart, and the eyes - the response the word calls forth — desire for it above gold, warning heeded, and prayerful dependence on God Scripture references: - Psalms 19:1-14; 29; 119 - Romans 10:4; 10:18 Free Grace Baptist Church — https://www.freegrace.ca Full transcript & sermon notes: https://sermons.freegrace.ca/sermons/sermon-psalm-19-the-psalmists-contemplation-on-the-revelation-2 Description generated by Tyrannus.ai: https://www.tyrannus.ai

In this sermon from Psalm 34, Pastor Rockhill draws the congregation to the goodness of the Lord as experienced by David when he fled from Saul and feigned madness before the Philistine king. Though God's people today do not face David's exact trials, Pastor Rockhill reminds them that every believer wages spiritual warfare against sin, Satan, and temptation, and so may still identify with the psalmist's fears and troubles. The central burden is a summons to taste and see that the Lord is good. Pastor Rockhill divides the psalm into the singing (verses 1-10), where David praises God at all times and invites others to magnify the Lord with him, and the sermon (verses 11-22), where practical instruction follows for those who have tasted the Lord's kindness. He stresses that deliverance came not by David's scheming but by the angel of the Lord who encamps around those who fear Him. Key doctrine is set forth in the character of God: He is near, righteous, faithful, compassionate, and sovereign over the many afflictions of the righteous, from which He delivers them all. Pastor Rockhill points to the unbroken bones of Christ as the fulfillment of this preserving grace. By way of application, he calls hearers to guard their tongues, depart from evil, do good, and pursue peace as the fruit of salvation rather than its cause. All rests on Christ, who bore God's wrath so that none who trust in Him shall be condemned. He urges every listener to lay down doubt and fear and taste the gospel's goodness by faith.

This sermon examines the first Roman trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate, highlighting the irony of religious leaders who feared ceremonial defilement while plotting murder. Pastor Bob contrasts the Jews' legalistic obsession with outward purity against their inner hypocrisy, using this historical event to warn against modern reliance on rules rather than faith. Central to the narrative is Jesus' declaration that His kingdom is not of this world, establishing His identity as a king who testifies to the truth. The transcript emphasizes that these events were sovereignly planned by God before creation to fulfill prophecy regarding Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. Ultimately, the message calls believers to stand firm for the truth of Christ despite worldly opposition, trusting in the completed work of salvation. Scripture References: John 18:28-38 Isaiah 53:1-7 Matthew 23:23-26 John 12:32 Mark 10:33-34 Matthew 26:67 Benediction May Jesus Christ, our living Lord and Savior, guide each of us, and provide for each of us, through the grace of the Holy Spirit. May He grant us wisdom and humility, and the boldness to speak His truth at every opportunity this week. Amen!

This sermon explores how Christians can endure suffering without fear by anchoring their lives in the right fear of God, a firm hope in resurrection, and a gentle witness. Drawing from 1 Peter 3, the preacher explains that believers should expect hardship but remain unafraid because Christ has already faced the ultimate trial. The message emphasizes that honoring Christ in the heart produces a hope that sustains believers through loss and persecution. It further argues that apologetics is less about philosophical debate and more about living with a clear conscience and godly character. Ultimately, the sermon encourages the congregation to follow Jesus' example of self-sacrifice, finding courage in the assurance of eternal life.

This sermon explores the paradoxical nature of Jesus' impending departure, framing it as a 'sweet sorrow' that balances grief with hope. The preacher analyzes John 14:28-31 to demonstrate that true love for Christ involves rejoicing in His exaltation and return to the Father, rather than merely mourning His absence. By addressing theological controversies such as Arianism, the text affirms Jesus' equality with God while explaining His temporary subordination during His earthly ministry. The message emphasizes that Satan has no claim on Christ due to His sinless nature, allowing Him to fulfill the redemptive task of atonement. Ultimately, believers are encouraged to trust in God's sovereign plan and goodness, even when circumstances cause fear or confusion.