Sermons from Christ Presbyterian Church in Burke, VA

This past Lord’s Day, on Reformation Sunday, Pastor Harlow preached from Luke 22:7-22, where Jesus gathers with His disciples to celebrate the Passover and institute the Lord’s Supper. At the heart of this moment, we see Jesus’ deep desire for feasting and fellowship with His people, even as betrayal looms. Pastor Harlow explores how the Reformers recovered the biblical vision of the Lord’s Supper as a meal at a table rather than a sacrifice at an altar, restoring both the cup to God’s people and the truth of Christ’s spiritual presence received by faith. The sermon points us forward to the great feast to come in the new creation, where we will enjoy perfect fellowship with our Savior forever.

This past Lord’s Day, Pastor Harlow preached from Luke 22:1-6, examining the tragic moment when Satan entered Judas and he made the fateful decision to betray Jesus. The passage reveals both the religious leaders’ fear of the people and Judas’s shocking willingness to conspire with them for money. Yet even in this dark moment of betrayal, we see God’s sovereign purposes at work as the Passover approaches. Pastor Harlow points us to our hope found in Ephesians 3:14-21, reminding us that God’s love is stronger than our betrayals and His power at work within us is greater than our weakest moments.

This past Lord’s Day, Pastor Hasler preached from Luke 21:5-38, where Jesus addresses the disciples’ urgent question about when Jerusalem’s destruction will occur and what signs will precede it. Rather than satisfying their curiosity about the calendar, Jesus directs their attention toward Himself and calls them to faithful endurance through coming trials. The prophecy encompasses both near events (the fall of Jerusalem) and far events (Christ’s return), yet the point remains consistent: believers must stay faithful, stay on mission, and stay prepared. Christ reminds us that in the midst of wars, persecutions, and cosmic upheaval, our hope rests not in predicting the timeline but in trusting the One who holds all things in His hands.

This week, Pastor Porter examines the stark contrast between religious pretense and genuine faith in Luke 20:41-21:4. Jesus warns His disciples about the scribes who love public recognition and religious status, yet their hearts are far from God, even exploiting the vulnerable for their own gain. He then highlights a poor widow who quietly gives her last two copper coins, demonstrating true devotion. Her humble dependence on God stands as a rebuke to empty religious performance and shows us what sincere faith looks like.

Pastor Porter preached on Christ’s comprehensive reign over all things from Luke 20:19-44. Jesus demonstrates His authority over the state when He calls us to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. He reveals His lordship over the church through His identity as the Son of David and David’s Lord. Finally, Jesus teaches His authority over the resurrection and new creation, showing that God is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.

Pastor Porter Harlow examines Luke 20:1-18, where Jesus responds to questions about His authority by revealing His identity as the cornerstone of God’s kingdom. Through the parable of the vineyard, Jesus shows how God has patiently sent messengers throughout history and ultimately sent His beloved Son. Though rejected by the builders, Christ becomes the foundation of our salvation, offering grace to all who trust in Him rather than their own authority.

This past Lord’s Day, Pastor Porter preached on “A Larger View of Jesus” from Luke 19:41-48, examining three aspects of Christ’s character. First, we see Jesus’ great compassion as He weeps over Jerusalem, mourning their failure to recognize the time of their divine visitation. Second, we witness His great indignation as He cleanses the temple, driving out those who turned God’s house of prayer into a den of robbers. Finally, we observe Jesus faithfully teaching daily in the temple, even as the religious leaders plot His destruction.

Pastor Robert preached on Jesus’ triumphal entry from Luke 19:28-40, examining three movements: Christ’s deliberate preparation, the disciples’ joyful proclamation, and the Pharisees’ protestation. This passage reveals Jesus’ sovereign orchestration of His final approach to Jerusalem and the inevitable responses His kingship provokes in human hearts.

Pastor Tom Mirabella, a missionary serving in Tokyo, Japan, through the PCA’s Mission to the World, examines the account of Israel’s golden calf in Exodus 32:1-6, revealing how quickly God’s people turned to idolatry when faced with uncertainty. While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Law, the Israelites pressured Aaron to create a tangible god they could see and follow. This passage exposes the human heart’s tendency to replace the invisible God with visible substitutes that we can control. Mirabella shows how we must learn to see God as we are made in His image, rather than being reshaped into the image of our idols.

This week’s message examines Christ’s parable of the ten minas in Luke 19:11-27, where Jesus teaches about faithful stewardship during His absence. As the disciples anticipated an immediate earthly kingdom, Jesus redirects their expectations with a story about a nobleman who entrusts his servants with resources before departing to receive his crown. Through the contrasting responses of the servants, Jesus illustrates the eternal consequences of how we handle the gifts, opportunities, and calling He has entrusted to us. This passage challenges us to examine our own stewardship while we await His return.