Sermons

God will do even greater works through his church when they continue to hold on to the same old thing. The same old thing is the greatest news the world has ever heard - the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus tells the church in Pergamum that he knows they are in the thick of a heated battle. The only way to conquer was to withstand the pressure to compromise. The church today is called to the same uncompromising faith that Jesus called the early church to in Revelation. What does an uncompromising but loving church look like?

In Revelation 3:14-22 Jesus rebukes the church at Laodicea for resting in their material wealth and neglecting to provide spiritual care for the community around them. He then counsels them to come to faith in him knowing that good works can only come from true faith. In this sermon we challenge the church in America today with one question. Are we doing all we can to reach the spiritually sick, dead, and weary with the healing, life-giving, and refreshing Gospel of Jesus Christ or are we standing-by self-satisfied with our lukewarm attempts at effective outreach?

Jesus writes to a lively, active church. But he gives them some unexpected news: they're dead. Not closed. They're spiritually dead because they've severed themselves from their source of life: Christ and his Gospel of grace. We ought to learn from their negative example and guard the Gospel message which has been entrusted to us!

The calling to follow the Lord Jesus Christ requires all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind (Luke 10:27), and we see in the church at Smyrna saints who are willing to do this. The physical capacity of those crushed by the systems of the devil bear no weight on their spiritual capacity. God delights in using all faithful and courageous people as his mouthpieces of grace and truth, and his reward is everlasting life. The church needs to always consider the cost of our faith; to discern that suffering for Christ is viewed by our Heavenly Father as deposits into a precious treasury that will garner for us an imperishable crown of glory in the life to come. It is no less true for us today than it was for the Christians at Smyrna.

Imagine a church full of hard-working Christians who battle against heresy and fight for doctrinal truth. They know what they believe and why they believe it. They have spent years making sure that what they teach is sound. But as the church fell under cultural attack, they began to retreat into the walls of their community. They began to keep what they knew to themselves. That is until the King arrived and found his church a loveless but doctrinally sound community. Jesus sends word to the church in Ephesus that it is time to wake up and to remember the love they had for others. Sound doctrine will propel a church into urgent mission for her King.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ can be one of the most confusing New Testament letters to understand in our current context. And yet, the blessing of the book comes to those who hear the words and understand them. Revelation is not meant to confuse us but rather encourage us in trials, engage is in urgent mission and enrapture us with the coming King.

The marriage union is a blessing given by God from the very beginning of creation, and it has also taken on important redemptive elements in light of the fall of humanity. It should not be missed that our marriages are meant to be mirrors reflecting something much more than simply living out our lives with another person. The Church is the Bride of Christ, and our marriages should make a declaration about our union with him. And in the marriage analogy, we also catch a glimpse of the ultimate marriage to come: when Christ's preparations are complete, his Bride is made perfect, and all the saints celebrate together at the wedding supper of the Lamb.

We spend so much time, money and effort on the first day of our marriage. But what about the last day? What will your marriage become and how will you impact one another. The last day is not a promise of a once and for all, one time victory. It is a race in which we must continually strive and pres on toward the goal. Our priority must be the priorities of God. Our Goal must be the goals God has for us. Our vision for the last day, with Jesus at the center will help us to press on toward that day.

God loves sex and wants you to enjoy sexual intimacy. Sex is something many Christians do not talk about in their churches. But it is a revelatory gift that God wants us to talk about. It is not something to be hidden away. Sex is either ruling us, repulsing us or reminding us of the greatness of a loving and gracious God who wants us to know and be known. When sex is ruling us or we are repulsed by the thought of it, it will become a war in our love life. But when we understand that God loves sex and wants us to enjoy sexual intimacy in the context of marriage we learn how to make love not a war.