Grace Dover Messages

Sermon by Joshua Suh, Senior Pastor, from Isaiah 60:1-6 & Matthew 2:1-12. We begin a 5-week sermon series on generosity based off of the devotional, “Gifts For A King.” We will examine what it means to live generously in our lives for God’s kingdom and glory by looking at five instances in the Bible where gifts were given to Jesus. This week, we begin by examining the gifts that were given by the Magi to Jesus.

Sermon by Kenny Foster, Associate Pastor, from Isaiah 53:4-12 & Mark 10:35-45. Ambitions are always angling for ascendency. Ambitions are not bad, but their motivations are sometimes suspect. We are naturally suspicious of people who desire the seats of power. In a political season, such as the one we are in, it is not abnormal behavior to have suspicions about those who are running for public office. And candidates are quick to present themselves as "servants" of the public's good. So, it is not an unwise practice to ask candidates, "Why do you want this position? What are the motivations behind your ambitions?" These are good questions since their ambitions are always angling for ascendency. But how does one train ambition's angling? The Scriptures upon which this sermon is based deal with the ambitions of two of Jesus' disciples, James and John. Their ambition led the disciples to a query, a quandary, and developing a quality. The gospel answers the query, untangles the quandary, and develops the essential quality we desire. But only as we see the Son of Man [Jesus] as our Suffering Servant.

Sermon by Kenny Foster, Associate Pastor, from Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 & Mark 10:17-31. We are living in a time where we are being indoctrinated about serving. And certainly as Christians we are to be the best at serving, because we have a different motivation. The Christian is motivated by the grace and generosity of God in Christ. The gospel shows us what real justice and true righteousness looks like. Furthermore, if the gospel of Jesus Christ brought the righteousness of God into our lives, by justifying us before God, then our hearts ought to be bent in pursuing serving one another. But not for selfish reasons, but for the good of our neighbor.

Many have read the book, "When Helping Hurts", but this sermon addresses, "When Not Helping Hurts." When we serve without taking in the grace that comes from the gospel, we have the wrong image of ourselves, the wrong idea about our things, and we misunderstand the impact of our priority in serving.

Sermon by Rob Wolfe, Assistant Pastor, from Psalm 8 and Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12. The Father's glory is displayed in all of creation and most notably in us as human beings. We are crowned with glory and honor, yet as we know, we chose to throw our royal status to the side. Jesus by his incarnation redeems us and all of creation to be in splendid fellowship with God. He did this through his suffering, making him worthy of our praise and glory.

Sermon by Kenny Foster, Associate Pastor, from Jeremiah 29:4-11 and Romans 14:10-5:3. We are looking at the vision the Bible sets before us of being one body with multiple ethnicities, classes, languages, and preferences...including political ones. We have sought to answer the question, "What does it mean to be a gospel community?" Each week we have addressed how the gospel enables us to go beyond the barriers that the culture places before us. In this sermon we take a look at the barrier of politics.

Politics in our culture is divisive and polarizing. Yet the two dominant parties, Republicans and Democrats, each claim they know the path to peace and unity. Neither are able to agree upon who's plan is right. Both are out for dominance over the other. Many believers are just as divided over politics as the partisans of both parties. If unity of the Church is what Jesus says will cause the world to know that the Father sent him, then the Church can't be divided by the political ideologies of the culture. If the culture is divided, what does the Church do to maintain its unity? The Scripture says, "So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding." (Romans 14:19) Unlike the world, the gospel gives the Church something more than the interests of self and party to hold us together. It offers a powerful motivation through Jesus Christ who enables us to thrive the gift of unity in a world that is bitterly divided. The Communion most vividly demonstrates how this is possible.

Sermon by Joshua Suh, Senior Pastor, from Genesis 11:1-9 & Acts 2:1-11. A common relational barrier that we encounter in our lives is the barrier of language. Not being able to clearly communicate with others creates misunderstandings, division, and strife. Yet at Pentecost, God brought together all of the languages of the people and used them to proclaim his mighty work of salvation. He did not unify the language, but unified the people despite their different languages. Thus, God is able to reconcile us to himself and to each other by redeeming the languages that once separated us.

Sermon by Joshua Suh, Senior Pastor, from Psalm 78:1-8 & Ephesians 6:1-4. We continue our series on what it means to live as a gospel community by examining the barriers we have between generations. Each generation loves to call itself the best generation and typically has the mantra of “that’s not how it was back in my day.” We even put labels on each generation: Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, Gen Alpha. Although there are differences in each generation, it is also easy to become segregated by age because of those differences. Scripture teaches us that we are to care for each generation, so that each generation glorifies God. And our model, like with all things, is the gospel reconciliation of Jesus Christ.

Sermon by Kenny Foster, Associate Pastor, Deuteronomy 10:12-19 & James 2:1-9. In this second sermon in the series on the multiethnic vision of the gospel, we are continuing to answer the question, "What does it mean to be a gospel community?" Last Sunday, we heard that it means we go beyond the barriers of race. This week we will hear how the vision of the gospel also goes beyond the barriers of class. The message of the gospel and the salvation that Christ has brought to all who believe is one that is without favoritism or, to say it in the language of our New Testament reading, "partiality." This literally means to not have regard for one's outward circumstances or their intrinsic merits so as to prefer them as more worthy than another. But what if you do show partiality? What is the harm? From the text we will see the harm is damaging to the faith, and dishonoring to our fellow humans, by not discharging a debt owed. In answering this question of harm, we will be challenged to consider the cost of our salvation, the beauty of the gospel, and our duty to respond to the great salvation that Christ provided with impartial love toward others beyond the socio-economic barriers that the culture has set.

Sermon by Joshua Suh, Senior Pastor, from Isaiah 49:6-13 & Galatians 2:7-16. We will be spending the month of September in a 5 part sermon series on the our church’s multi-ethnic vision. We will be examining what it means to live as a gospel community. We will especially address 5 barriers that we allow to separate us as Christians: Race, class, generation, language, and politics. This week we will examine how Christ’s salvation to us breaks down the barrier of race and ethnicities, and unites us together as one “chosen race."

Sermon by Kenny Foster, Associate Pastor, Joshua 24:14-18 & John 6:56-69. Offenses are a serious matter. When people take offense at a matter it turns off the affections and stifles the relationship. So, for Jesus to ask us "Do you take offense at this?", we must give the matter some serious thought. In our New Testament reading, Jesus is talking to us about what it means to abide with him, to have eternal life, and to have the Father's life and love be with us. What could possibly be the offense in this matter? What could be more important? Jesus makes an invitation then an inquiry that leads to an interrogative that calls for a response. And like our Old Testament reading, the choice before us is whether to obey the Lord or not. The heart that is offended by the invitation doesn't take serious the inquiry and misses the blessing of the interrogative. But for all who receive the invitation, answer the inquiry, and respond to the interrogative by coming to eat the Lord's flesh and drink his blood. Thus we are acknowledging his presence is continually with us and our affections are stirred as the relationship with our Father and Lord blossoms forever. The central question of this sermon asks, Do you take offense at the food the Lord has provided at the Table of our Lord?