From the Pulpit

The Bible teaches us to obey authorities and governments. The Bible also teaches us that God is in control of any earthly government. In the book of Daniel we see Kingdoms rise and fall, on God’s authority. And it’s that same authority that will one day bring in a final and eternal kingdom, when God reigns.

Disunity, complacency, apathy, immorality, immaturity, lethargy, idolatry, insecurity, adversity, and apostasy. There are so many spiritual diseases that can plague God’s people, sin-wrought infections that hinder us from growing and serving and enjoying and worshipping and witnessing as we ought to do. And yet, as various as these sicknesses present, as contagious as these infections can be, and as dangerous as these ailments are, they all share a treatment and have a common remedy: a clearer, fuller, grander view of Jesus Christ.

Whatever hardships, disappointments, failures, and discouragements face the people of God, the prescription always includes “more Jesus.” The clearer our view of Jesus, the fuller our understanding of Jesus, the grander our conception of Jesus, the more equipped we are to faithfully endure whatever spiritual diseases come our way.

While all Scripture is equally inspired and equally authoritative, we can admit that not all Scripture is equally urgent. Not every passage of the Bible uniformly challenges its hearers and readers with a sin-confronting, reality-defining, life-shaping, soul-saving, and response-demanding set of truths. Ephesians 2:1–10, however, certainly does.

Sometimes considered a condensation of Paul’s explanation of redemption in the book of Romans, this single paragraph declares the glorious truth that, while we were once dead in sin, we’ve been made alive by grace, and have now been sent to work. Whether one is unacquainted with Christ, has rejected Christ, fallen away from Christ, grown apathetic to Christ, is struggling to follow Christ, or is walking faithfully with Christ, Paul’s words in this text call for action, convicting us, inviting us, reminding us, reassuring us, and motivating us.

This message focuses on the fact that human beings have a deep sense that things could be a

whole lot better than what they are. They know that because as Solomon says – we have eternity

written in our hearts. It is part of our spiritual DNA. And, in a very real sense we are on a journey – an

Exodus. Moses was on an Exodus. Jesus too was on an Exodus. We as believer’s are on an Exodus.

The first couple of chapter in 1 st Peter tell us how the Believer should behave on this journey.

1] They should live as if this world is not his home.

2] They should live ready for action.

3] They should live under God’s authority.

4] They should live as Priests bringing sacrifices of praise.

The present conditions of our world lead many Christians to believe that the Lord might
come and come very soon. For sure, throughout history there have many predictions of the
return of Jesus. But in reality – our focus should not be “when” Christ is coming. The real
question is will we be ready when Jesus returns? Jesus himself emphasizes this when he says
numerous times “no one knows the day or the hour”.
But while we many not know the day or the hour – we can be ready. In Matt. 25 Jesus
tells us how through 3 parables.
1] The parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins shows us that it is key to have oil. We
need the Spirit of God in our lives.
2] The parable of the Talents shows us that we must use the gift that God has given us.
3] The parable of the Sheep and the Goats shows us that we must care for God’s
creation – human kind who were created in God’s image.
Jesus will be looking for these things when he returns.

In the Psalms we find a reflection of life in a fallen world—years stippled with uncontainable joy and unspeakable sorrow, seasons of holistic prosperity and times of total poverty. In this collection of inspired poetry we hear the ancient but relatable cries of God’s people as they too sought to obey the Lord faithfully, avoid sin desperately, live life wisely, endure the world victoriously, and wait for deliverance hopefully. But as this book of the Bible nears its conclusion it announces with increasing clarity and rapidity what our response should always be: worship.

Whether we’re lamenting or celebrating, singing or groaning, gathered or scattered, God’s people are to “Praise the Lord!” And though there are many reasons to do that, Psalm 146 highlights his trustworthiness as fodder for his exaltation. Our God (unlike the people around us) is perfectly, lavishly, and eternally reliable, ever helping and protecting his own.

This sermon is to show the importance of evangelism and Jesus shows us 5 things he left us in order to do that task, that mission.

1. He left us an unfinished mission - we can see this in the world around us, that we are not doing our job the way we should be.

2. He left us an unchallenged message - Acts 1:3

3. He left us the power to accomplish the Mission and share the message - the Holy Spirit will give us power of confrontation as our authority comes from God

4. He left us an unshakable testimony - people are coming to the Lord in the thousands daily

5. He left us an unchanging promise - Acts 1:11 - Jesus will return.

There are many reasons to love the Psalms. They are beautiful, expressing eternal truth in elegant language. They are rich, offering more and more treasure the deeper one mines. And, perhaps most basically, they are emotional, showcasing that what we feel in this life the psalmists felt in theirs—lament and grief, fear and vulnerability, thanksgiving and anticipation, celebration and praise, wonder and humility, regret and restoration, empowerment and peace.

But no tour of human emotion is complete without an acknowledgement of anger, without a consideration of fury fuelled by injustice, without a study of exasperation sparked by the sin in this world and in our own lives. There are times when God’s people should be filled with a righteous indignation for the evil we see, the wickedness we experience, and the sin with which we wrestle. Psalm 137 exemplifies such rage and the battle to keep it sinless.

Sometimes it’s hard to say “thank you.” Perhaps it’s because we’re embarrassed to admit our dependance and neediness. Maybe we simply get distracted and forget to express the appropriate appreciation. It could be that we don’t say “thank you” because we fail to understand the effort that was involved in the care we received. Maybe we assume that saying it too much dampens the authenticity of our thanks. Or perhaps it’s because we have bitterness in our hearts toward the person that served us.

Interestingly, those same reasons can also create barriers to expressing our gratitude to God—we don’t want to admit we need him as much as we do, we get preoccupied with life, we don’t comprehend the extent of his care, we want to avoid mindless repetition, or we are angry because we think he has failed us in the past.

Sometimes it’s hard to say “thank you” to God but Psalm 136 is going to make it easier.

Our world is not at peace. Over one hundred wars are currently being fought around the globe with thousands of casualties in dozens of countries. There is tension within our own country around immigration and taxation, ideology and poverty, politics and economics. Many homes are battlefields characterized by abuse, neglect, betrayal, debt, selfishness, and neediness. And then there are personal fights with addiction, loneliness, guilt, shame, sadness, failure, illness, aging, self-loathing, and self-doubt. Christians knowingly add the reality of spiritual warfare to the mix, the invisible struggle that ceaselessly rages around us and in us. Our world is not at peace … but we can be. Like a boat with a strong anchor, a tree with deep roots, or a house with a sure foundation, God’s people can have rock-solid peace in an otherwise peaceless world. And Psalm 122 is going to show us how.