Mercy Seat Christian Church

"Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword." -Acts 12:1-2 Continuing on verse by verse through the Book of Acts. This sermon covers all of chapter 12. Lots of important history and insight. 38 min. MercySeat.net

Continuing verse by verse, this sermon covers Saul's conversion to Christ and Christianity. It also looks into the suffering the Lord declares he will endure as His chosen vessel. 49 min. MercySeat.net

Continuing verse by verse, this sermon covers the expansion of the Gospel into non-Jewish areas as we see the conversion of the Samaritans and an Ethiopian eunuch. The early Jewish believers were beginning to realize what Jesus said in Acts 1-8 was true - that they would be His witnesses in Samaria and to the ends of the earth- The sermon also covers whether Simon's conversion was genuine or not. 39 min. MercySeat.net

In Christian history, apart from Jerusalem, no other city of the Roman Empire played as large a part in the life of the early church as Antioch of Syria. It was the home base of Paul's outreach to the eastern half of the empire. It was the place believers were first named "Christians." It was the place where the dispute about whether the Gentile converts had to be circumcised or not and other Jewish customs arose. It was the birthplace of foreign missions (13:2). And it had among its teachers – Barnabas, Paul, and Peter in the first century; Ignatius and Theophilis in the 2nd century; and Lucian, Theodore, and Chrysostum at the end of the third century. Continuing verse by verse. 40 min. MercySeat.net "For there is no spirit of liberty of independence in them to lift up their voices against the powers of the world. No valor to protect the truth in time of danger. So long as they prosper in their own concerns, so long as they realize the objects of their ambition or avarice, they hold in small account the loss of the things of Jesus Christ." -John of Salisbury, Policraticus 1159 AD, speaking of the churchmen of his day - which is strikingly similar to the churchmen of our day.

The Jewish mind had a hard time accepting the idea that the Gospel was for any others but the Jews. The Jewish mind had a difficult time accepting the idea that Gentiles could be part of the Lord's people. So difficult – that the Lord had to give Peter this dramatic vision in order to make it thinkable and accepted by the early Jewish believers. The primary point of this passage regarding this vision was not about whether you can eat unclean animals or not per Leviticus 11, rather, the primary point of this passage and vision is that the Gentiles – whom the Jews considered unclean – were able to be part of the people of God also. The Gospel was not just for the Jew – but also for the Gentile. For all men. This sermon covers all of chapter 10 verse by verse. May Christ be praised! 47 min. Mercy Seat.net

Continuing verse by verse, this sermon first addresses persecution and suffering. Then it spends from about the 21-00 minute mark on addressing the iconoclastic nature of the Gospel. Christianity destroys idols. 40 min. MercySeat.net

Continuing verse by verse, this sermon first addresses persecution and suffering. Then it spends from about the 21:00 minute mark on addressing the iconoclastic nature of the Gospel. Christianity destroys idols. 40 min. MercySeat.net

Continuing verse by verse, this sermon looks at Stephen's defense and martyrdom. Attention is paid to Moses and the law, as well as to the temple - the two big accusations made against Stephen. Some important distinctions between the temple and the tabernacle are made. 47 min. MercySeat.net

This sermon covers the purpose for miracles. Do miracles convert people to Christ? It also looks at the matter of kneeling. 34 min. MercySeat.net

This sermon covers the beginning of Stephen's defense in front of the Sanhedrin. He begins at the beginning of Israel's history and moves quickly into Joseph's life. This sermon takes time to dwell upon Joseph's troubles that the Lord delivered him out of - as we all end up in the troubles at some point in our lives. What is the Lord's purpose in allowing the troubles in our lives- And how are we to respond to such troubles- 45 min. MercySeat.net