With the return of the LORD’s temple and presence to Jerusalem, God makes it clear that sinfulness and idolatry must not remain among his people. God promises that there will be a new King to build his temple. And as we ourselves consider what it means to be followers of Christ, we see that we, too, need to abandon sin and idolatry in our own lives. We should not be building a house of sin, but rather, we have a Priest-King who calls us to build his house, the Church. Listen as Pastor Morgan Renew preaches “Building God’s House” from Zechariah 5:1—6:15.

In a day of small things, when it seems like life is filled with disappointment, it’s easy to become discouraged and to lose sight of the bigger picture. But in Zechariah 3:1—4:14, we see the Spirit of God is moving among his people, preparing them for something great. Just as he cleanses and restores Joshua the priest and commissions Zerubbabel the governor, so has he cleansed, restored, and commissioned his people through the priestly kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen as Pastor Morgan Renew preaches “Cleansed and Commissioned.”

When the Israelites returned to Jerusalem after the exile, they found the Holy City in shambles and the temple, the physical symbol of God’s presence, destroyed. Despite their faithlessness, God proves to be merciful, calling them to repent and promising that he will return to dwell among them. He points to a glorious future when he will judge their enemies and draw the nations to himself. Listen as Pastor Morgan Renew preaches “Repentance and Restoration” from Zechariah 1:1—2:13.

In the midst of sin and suffering, how can we still find hope and joy in this present age? The answer can be found in Romans 8:28–32. Listen as pastoral assistant preaches “Eternity in Christ.”

The prophet Isaiah spoke and foretold that one day a virgin would bear a son and he would be called Immanuel, “God with us.” That prophecy was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus. God came near to dwell with his people and not only that, but to restore them, give them life, and to pay the penalty for their sins. This week, we conclude our Christmas series and see that Jesus is the Promised Servant, Christ, and Savior. Pastor Dave Furman preaches “The Promised Savior” from Matthew 1:18–25.

The Old Testament prophets foretold that God would one day send his chosen one — the anointed King who would come from the line of King David and would rule forevermore with all authority, executing justice and righteousness throughout the land. This week as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we turn to the genealogy that opens Matthew’s Gospel and trace Jesus’s lineage to see that he is indeed “The Promised Christ.” Listen as Pastor Dave Furman preaches from Matthew 1:1–17.

In this Christmas series we are celebrating the birth of Jesus by reflecting on what it means that Jesus is the Servant, Christ, and Savior who was promised by God and foretold in the Bible. In his sermon “The Promised Servant” drawn from Isaiah 42:1–4, Pastor Dave Furman preaches on Isaiah’s prophecy that God would one day send his chosen servant to open the eyes of the blind, set captives free, and establish justice throughout the earth.

David penned the poignant Psalm 23, opening with these words: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” David knew that by giving his life to God, he would be cared for and blessed by this tender Shepherd — and ultimately his reward would be to live in the house of the LORD forever. Listen as pastoral assistant Samuel Iwuchukwu preaches “The Lord Is My Shepherd” from Psalm 23.

A disciple of Christ, Stephen stood before the Jewish Court of Justice falsely accused of blasphemy against God. In his defense, he recounted to them God’s faithfulness to Israel — and demonstrated that they were the blasphemous people who had a history of rejecting God’s chosen, from Joseph to Moses and ultimately through the betrayal and murder of God’s Righteous One, Jesus. After hearing these words, they rejected Stephen as well, but his death would not be in vain as we shall see in this sermon as Ken Mbugua, senior pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Nairobi, Kenya, preaches “Stephen’s Martyrdom” from Acts 7:1—8:3.

Saul was a man known for his opposition to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He hated Christians and was happy to have them put to death. But then, he met the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus and it changed his entire life. He went from persecuting Christians to being someone who proclaimed that Jesus was the “Son of Man” (a Messianic title) and was persecuted himself as a result. When we meet Jesus, we are entirely transformed, and we walk in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Listen as Brian Parks, former Redeemer elder and current pastor of Covenant Hope, preaches “Saul’s Conversion” from Acts 9:1–31.