Sermons

The gospel and truth is under continual attack by Satan who sends out false teachers, false shepherds, false apostles and false prophets to wage war against the church, God’s people. There is a battle for truth and much is at stake – God’s glory and the eternal destiny for all. Join us as we are encouraged by Paul (1 Timothy 6.3-21) to fight the good fight of faith. We will also speak to the essentials of the church. These are the things that we will have a close hand on as we have an open hand to the culture around us.

The gospel and truth is under continual attack by Satan who sends out false teachers, false shepherds, false apostles and false prophets to wage war against the church, God’s people. There is a battle for truth and much is at stake – God’s glory and the eternal destiny for all. Join us as we are encouraged by Jude (vv. 3-25) today to contend earnestly for the faith. We will also speak to the essentials of the church. These are the things that we will have a close hand on as we have an open hand to the culture around us.

Have you ever wondered about these questions: What the church lives for, why it exists or what its focus is? What is essential to the church? What philosophy does the church have when it comes to ministry? What is the mission of the church? Through the month of April we will look at our church's focus, essentials, philosophy and mission. We pray during these messages you would join us in committing to the mission, recommit to the mission or watch and learn what the mission means. Today we look at God's focus and how he wants us to align our lives with that focus.

We believe by the revelation of God’s Word through the Holy Spirit that God in the person of Jesus descended, He was crucified, He has risen, ascended, was exalted, and will descend again. We talk about His first descension often or what is referred to as the first advent of Jesus, and which we should. It is what is called the incarnation, where God took on human flesh. Without this you have no opportunity to have a personal relationship with God. As John 1 says, In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and all things came into being through Him…the Word became flesh. It even has its own holiday – Christmas. We talk a lot about the crucifixion of Jesus often, as well as the resurrection of Jesus, which we should. This is how sin, death, Satan, and demons have been conquered. Without this there is no salvation. This is even celebrated with specific days called Good Friday and Easter, which we celebrated the week before last. We talk and refer to Jesus descending again, referring to His second coming. We do not talk about this as often as we should, but we do talk about it. But we rarely talk about the ascension and exaltation of Jesus. This is very important to us, for the church is found on the death, resurrection and ascension of its exalted head, Jesus, which sits at the right hand of the Father. So, I want to briefly spend some time on that this morning and then my great friend Jee-Young will come give some application to this.

Thank God for Easter. It is on this day we remember the resurrection of Jesus. He suffered and died on the cross on Friday and was in the grave for three days. On the third day He raised from the grave. Today we thank for God for the resurrection. We are all in need of resurrection. To be resurrected is to be raised up. It is to be taken from one reality to a new reality. It is to be changed from the earthly to the heavenly. It is to be raised from life to death. We are all in need of this. Do you believe this?

What if you had been a long way from home for awhile? How would you feel if nobody missed you? If nobody was concerned waiting for you at home? How would you feel if you knocked on the door and nobody answered at home? On this Good Friday we see the Father's love for those who are a long way from home.

Last week we saw the loose living of the younger son. This week we see the condemnation of the older son toward his younger brother. Just as the younger son broke his father's heart the older son will do the same by his duty bound relationship. May the church not be like this. May we sit with sinners at the table, so that we are invited one day to the wedding feast.

This week we look at the last of three parables. It is traditionally referred to as the parable of the prodigal son. If we are honest with ourselves we are all the prodigal. We all have eyes for the distant land. The question for us all is do we ever come home? The prodigal chose the distant land and therefore chose slavery. He gave up sonship. He finally wakes up to his situation and condition. He begins to realize what he has done. Thought he begins to change his change is simply to survive. He does not fully realize the nature of his sin. He has broken the heart of his father and denied sonship. He must be willing to receive his father's love and forgiveness. We must do the same.

Today we begin to look at three parables found in Luke 15. During this talk we examine the first two parables that Jesus addresses to the Pharisees. We see the heart of Jesus in these stories. He desires for all to be restored to a relationship with God. Jesus is willing to bear the burden of restoration. He is on a mission to restore that which is lost, that it would found!

Here from our team that recently went to Guatemala.