Sermons From Grace Baptist Church of Richmond Hill

Self-help books line the bestseller lists, promising personal growth to all who follow their seven easy steps. But the testimony of the Bible is that even the greatest list of rules was unsuccessful in changing people. What’s wrong with the lists? Why don’t we do what we want to do? And how can we really change? This message looks at what went wrong under Old Covenant, so we don’t make the same mistakes under the New Covenant.

People see the commands of God and feel their condemnation. Shame leads to defeat which leads to sin and more shame. The gospel breaks this cycle. We now live under the principle of double jeopardy. This message looks at how our death to sin’s penalty enables us to walk free of its condemnation and serve God in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Never before have we pursued freedom as a society like we do today. We hold it up as our highest good, but we seldom define it, and when we do, there’s usually not an accompanying discussion of consequences. This message looks at a biblical definition of freedom and how we can grow in it.

People assume that Christianity is either a straitjacket of morality or a licence to sin. When they discover that it is neither, they can be confused as to what the believer’s motivation is in avoiding temptation. This message looks at how reckoning with our union with Christ declaws temptation’s hold on us.

Sometimes, especially recently, we all feel like we are in a dark tunnel, just waiting for the light to come at the end. In Psalm 57 we find David literally stuck in a cave and afraid for his life, but still praising God. This message looks at the prayer that God gives him, and how we too can find our refuge in God and realize that He is our light, even while still in the dark times.

Stress, isolation and uncertainty have led many Christians to pull back from Christian fellowship during the pandemic. In the first century, Jewish Christians faced the temptation because of persecution. This message looks at the reasons they were given to persevere and how they can help us finish the race in our day.

With so much uncertainty in our lives, we long for rest from our cares and anxieties. This message looks at some of the things we worry about too much, some we worry about too little and the Saviour who promises us peace.

Different people look to different things to reassure them and give them hope. Some look to a spouse or a parent or grandparent for confidence and strength. Others find hope in their goals and dreams. But what do you do when your symbol of hope dies? This short Christmas Eve message looks at a period in Israel’s history when that happened and helps us find our way forward when we don’t feel like we can go on.

As we prepare for our first Christmas in lockdown, most of us have put our hope in a vaccine or a better year or at least the end of the rising case counts and restrictions we’re facing now. Jerusalem faced a lockdown in its history as the Assyrian army besieged the city. God gave them a Christmas promise that pointed to a greater hope than the end of their isolation. This promise can give us hope, too.

Christmas can be a hard time for many people. It’s hard to be alone when we’re told we’re supposed to be together. It’s hard to face the holidays when there are loved ones we’re still grieving. Expectations, stress and conflict can all hit us at this time of year. But joy can be a reality when we hold the Christmas promises. This message looks at a dark period in Israel’s past where they were given promises of the arrival of Jesus, intended to stir their joy. Those same promises can stir up ours today.