Sermons

Jesus came explaining and making known the Father and His glory. The church is called to do the same. Even though we are in the world we are called to be distinctive and holy in how we live our life. This includes how we respond when someone injures us or offends us. The Christian is to respond much different than the world even to their enemies. Today we are called by Christ to trade in the desire to fight back and retaliate for compassion and humility. May we by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit have such self-control.

As we celebrate on this Christmas Eve we culminate our celebration of the Advent season by looking at Jesus as the great Trader of Heaven. Jesus trades the glory of heaven for the lowliness of this earth. He takes on flesh to dwell among sinners revealing to them the glory of the Father. Tonight we gather to see and savor the advent of Christ, His death, His burial, resurrection, ascension and His second advent.

Is your eye clear? How is your vision? Not physically, but spiritually. What are your eyes focused on? We are not to be crossed-eyed. We are to trade in double vision for a single vision without confusion or duplicity. We are to have a singleness of heart and purpose, seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Today we are encouraged by Christ to trade in mere religion or churchianity for true and genuine devotion. Jesus wants us to trade in something false for something that is real. The Kingdom of God is what is real and lasting. God has granted to His church practices to help form Christ in us, so that we would seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Two of those forms which we look at today are prayer and fasting. This world and its masking of religion is false and passing. May we lean into something real and lasting today, the Kingdom of God.

Today we continue our Advent celebration. Christ has come and is coming again. We have been saved for eternity and now Christ through His Spirit is preparing us for eternity. We are called to trust God and break our attachment to possessions. We have been called to trade our pursuit of earthly treasures for heavenly ones. This also means that we are to identify ourselves with the poor and the afflicted in their distress. This is what Jesus did. May we follow Him and in doing so minister to Christ Himself.

We are called to be different than the world and unbelievers. We are not to worry or be anxious about food, drink and clothes. We are to trust that God will provide and care for us just as He does the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. Instead of being worried about what we are going to eat, drink or wear make it your pursuit to feed and clothe the hungry (Matthew 25). We have been blessed from above with every spiritual blessing, so that we can be a blessing to other (Genesis 12.2-3). So, may we trade in our Gentile ways for the pursuit of God’s Kingdom and Righteousness.

Today we hear the ever so gentle words of Christ say, Come to Me. I love saying that to my children when they are hurt or upset. I want to pick them up in my arms and tell them everything is going to be okay. I love even more than that hearing my Savior say, Come to Me, when things are tough and I am hurt. In life, there are many burdens we will be faced with. We will want to get out from under the weight of them and run somewhere to find rest from them. So, what do we do with the burdens of life? How do we navigate through this coming holiday season that also brings with it burdens? We will look into this today with the gentle invitation of Christ in view to come to Him.

Prayer is not man’s attempt to change the will of God. It is God’s method of changing our will to bring it into conformity with His will. More than changing things, prayer changes people and even more a people, His church. Today we look at the model Jesus gave His disciples when it came to prayer. May we be men and women of prayer, who are continually being changed.

The goal tonight is to raise high the banner for the sanctity and sacredness of marriage in a world that has been frivolous and flippant with it.

We continue today in our journey through Matthew’s Gospel (5.33-37). Jesus continues to address misunderstandings in His day. Today He addresses the issues of oaths or vows. Instead of oaths or vows, Jesus longs for truthfulness alone. Those of the kingdom of God are to be people of truth and honesty. As Bonhoeffer says, We cannot follow Christ unless we live in revealed truth before God and man. May it be so with us.