Sermons

Heaven is the ultimate realization of God's promises to mankind. It is a place, a destination and beyond our imagination. And yet, the Bible tells us much about what God has in store for His people and their eternal life.

Jesus' teachings about hell are some of the most divisive and controversial words of the Savior. It is hard for is to understand how a loving God could punish sin for eternity. This is mostly due to us thinking of our sin as less deserving of punishment than it actually is. Sin against and eternal God is deserving of eternal punishment. Jesus' teaching on hell should compel the Christian to find assurance in the work and love of Christ, compel them to share Jesus with the world and give thanks for God's eternal grace and offer of eternal life through faith in Jesus.

The defining characteristics of the church are what theologians call the marks of the church and they identify the true church of Jesus. Jesus has instructed the church to disciple members through discipline, to preach the Gospel to believers and nonbelievers and to celebrate the sacraments of baptism and Communion. Each of these marks play a vital role in the individual and collective life of believers.

The church is not an organized religion or simply a non-profit volunteer organization. It is the only institution that Jesus died for. The church is an assembly all over the world of those who have come to faith in Jesus Christ - they are the people that belong to God has his children. The Scriptures paint a picture of how God's people are the church.

God has predestined his children, called them with the Gospel, implanted to new life by His Holy Spirit and has given them the gifts of saving faith and repentance unto life - but what happens next? A whole new standing before God. God in his loving kindness changes treasonous and treacherous people into dearly loved sons and daughters. By faith we are united to the work of Christ and declared righteous by God and before God. We are adopted into his family receiving all the benefits and privileges of the children of God. And we are changed as the Holy Spirit empowers us to become more like Jesus every single day. We are no longer enemies but dearly loved children of the God of the universe.

The only possible of outcome of really hearing the Gospel and believing the Gospel is repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ. In this sermon Pastor Dan takes a look at what the Scriptures say about saving faith and repentance unto life. Both faith and repentance are gifts of God's grace. Though salvation belongs to the Lord from beginning to end, it is at this point in the process of salvation that those God saves react to the Gospel, turning from sin, turning from our own work, and turning toward Jesus in faith and repentance. The Christian hates their rebellion and sin and looks to kill it every day. But at the same time, the Christian has real joy in knowing that Jesus has done all that needs to be done to save us from our sin.

Few Christians terms are well-known to the world more than "born again". And yet so many misunderstand what it actually means to be born again. There is a point where we hear the Gospel and God implants new life into us so that we can and will believe on Jesus Christ as Savior. To be born again means to have new life implanted in us. It is something that God does to us because of love, mercy and grace. The big question we all have to answer is whether or not we have been born again.

God has accomplished redemption, but how does He apply it to mankind? The act of redemption applied is miraculous. The Bible gives us a lot of information about how God actually saves us. Even the act of calling a person to believe the Gospel is a miraculous work.

The doctrines of grace teach that salvation belongs to the Lord. Every person ever born into this world is incapable of doing what is right or pleasing God. This is a central teaching of the Bible. But God, rich and mercy, has graciously chosen to save His people from their sin and radical danger. Even though we are radically corrupt, God has not only provided a way for salvation but has provided all that is necessary to save His people. In grace, God chose His people. In grace, God died for His people. In grace, God has revealed the truth of the Gospel to His people. In grace, God will keep his people until the day He returns.

In the church there are certain teachings that are debatable and there are others that are absolutely crucial to the Christian faith. We differentiate between these teachings as "open handed" and "close handed" doctrines. In this sermon, Pastor Dan outlines one of the close handed doctrines - that concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man. His extraordinary person and work make mean an extraordinary lordship over every human life. Jesus' claims about himself set him in a category different from all other religions in the world. Whether you are a skeptic or a believer you must consider the claims of Jesus - after all no other man or woman has been able to change the course of history in the way that Jesus has.