IBCD Sermon Weekly

We are soon going to have a sermon series on the life of Mary. Today we are going to look into a story which is only found in Luke which concerns a cousin of Mary’s, and that is Elizabeth and her husband Zachariah.

The book of Joel ends with God’s judgment. In the ‘valley of decision’, God will pay back each person what they deserve based on their life. The only way that we can protect ourselves from that is to seek refuge in God’s stronghold through trusting in Jesus Christ.

Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

Last week we looked at the fact God will do what it takes to get our attention when sin is in our lives.

Today we are going to look at what God wants us to do – repent.

Joel 2:13 13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

Do you think it is outside the loving, parental, character of God to inflict pain on a “child” who is being disobedient? How you answer this question will say a lot about being able to see affliction as judgement and God trying to get your attention when there is unrepentant sin in your life. What does the Bible say?

Joel 1:13 13 Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.

Sunday Sermon by Gary Arnold

Mark 4:1-9 1 And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 2 Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” 9 And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Today we are finishing up our journey through the book of Hebrews. It is an appropriate passage for today which is our “Cultural Sunday”, where we celebrate the way God has built IBCD over the last several years with people from many different countries, traditions, and backgrounds into one family in Christ. The words which wrap up this theologically complex letter are more than just a “goodbye” but it is also an encouragement to hold fast to a relationship which allows for speaking into each other’s lives, to fellowship, and a reminder that the family of faith goes beyond the walls of any specific church building, but around the world wherever Christ is declared King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Hebrews 13:22–25 “Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly. I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. Greet all your leaders and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings. Grace be with you all.”

One of the words we use, which is fairly unique to Christianity and Judaism, is the word “covenant”.

We are going to be looking at this very deep word found in our faith today.

We have been going through the last chapter of Hebrews calling it “Living the Way” and today we are calling this sermon “Living the Way of Covenant”.

Hebrews 13:20-21 20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The passage today is one where I am going to be a little self-indulgent. I am going to talk openly about what it is like to be a pastor, my point of view is on leadership, and how we walk this out together.

Now, to be clear, this is my point of view, and you might not think my point of view is correct, but it is what it is.

Hebrews 13:17-19 17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account.

Baptism is like a cake with many layers. There is a lot going on in an event which looks pretty simple and ends rather quickly. Today, I want to approach baptism from the angle we receive from Jesus at the end of Matthew’s Gospel when he says:

Matthew 28:18-20 18 "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The Bible reminds us often that we should do good deeds. However, there are some pitfalls that Christians tend to fall into regarding that subject. Also, the Bible makes it clear that doing good and sharing with others should be more than just a transactional giving. Instead, we are called to sacrificially give ourselves.

Hebrews 13:16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.