Sacred Mission Sermon Audio

<p>One of the most cherished verses of the Bible might just be the most terrifying in all of scripture! Join us as we look at John 3:16-21 and discover how the words of John bring both terror and beauty.</p>

<p>What does it take to enter the kingdom of God? Does it take living a good life, or believing the right things, or some combination of the two? What if it took something completely separate from us? Separate from all of our own actions or beliefs.</p>

<p>Taking whip in hand, Jesus famously ‘cleansed the temple’ in Jerusalem. But more than simply driving out animals and profiteers, Jesus was purging his Father’s house as a preview of both coming judgment and also salvation through his own body, the true Temple.</p>

<p>The first miracle Jesus performed, turning water into wine, is one of the most well known miracles Jesus performed. The gospel writer John calls this miracle a sign. We need to pause and ask, “Why did John include this miracle and what did he intend to. communicate with this sign?”</p>

<p><br></p>

<p><br></p>

<p>To be found means that someone was looking, seeking... The scriptures tell us that Jesus came "to seek and save the lost" and we see this happen in the story of a man named Nathanael.</p>

<p><br></p>

<p><br></p>

<p>Join us as we dive into the actual narrative of the gospel of John where we are brought into the life and ministry of the "other" John, John the Baptist.</p>

<p>At the end of his prologue, John wants to recapitulate and solidify our Christology. Who IS Jesus? What we come to understand about Him, will be a matter of life and death.</p>

<p>The eternal Son of God entered the world he had made, but most rejected him. By God's grace, all who welcomed Jesus were welcomed into God’s family.</p>

<p>John the Baptist was one of the greatest witnesses to the light sent by God. In the same way, we have been sent by God to be witnesses to the truth of the gospel in our everyday lives.</p>

<p>John's gospel sets forth with the task of fully answering the question posed by Jesus to Peter, "Who do you say that I am?". This is the most important question that, not simply Jesus' disciples, but all of human history would endeavor to answer.</p>

<p>The Apostle Paul is the most infamous missionary in history. While our lives will look radically different than his, we are able to observe what a life on mission looks like in our everyday rhythms.</p>

<p><br></p>

<p><br></p>

<p>The gospel is the power to save and it is the means by which God establishes a peculiar people for His glory. A people who are taken out of the world and brought into a community of doing life with one another as disciples of Jesus.</p>

<p><br></p>

<p>Joy is the fulfillment of something longed for. Christmas is often called "The Season of Joy" because of the fulfillment of God's promises longed for in Jesus.</p>

<p>Who is my neighbor? That is, whom am I obligated to love? In answer to this question, Jesus told the parable of the “Good Samaritan,” possibly the best known and least understood story Jesus ever told.</p>

<p>In today's culture children are often seen as a burden instead of a blessing. The Bible says that we are blessed when our homes are full, not when our social media reels are. In this sermon, we work to reclaim the truth of God's word and the joyous blessing of children.</p>

<p>What does it mean to love unity more? Is our goal to focus on unity? Does God want us to love unity or is unity the fruit of something else? Psalm 133 tells us how good unity is but what does that mean for us today.<br><br>Join us this Sunday as we look to understand how to love unity more.</p>

<p>Psalm 84 is a song of deep longing and appetite for God's presence. Composed by men who had at one time dwelled with God in the temple, now in captivity and cut off, this Psalm brings to light the power and beauty of the Gospel.</p>

<p>What does God require of his people? What does he want from us? Throughout the Bible the answer is to follow God's ways in how we love and promote justice for others. How do we do this in light of God's Word?<br><br>Join us as we answer the question: "how do we love the sojourner?"</p>

<p>To be able to love God would mean that we are able to know him. To know him would mean that he would have to reveal himself to us. How might we know him, and how has he revealed himself?<br><br>Join us as we answer the question of "how can we know God to love him?".</p>

<p>To begin working toward loving God more, we must first assess the authenticity of the love we claim to have for God already. The Apostle John works to help us do just that through a spiritual litmus test he gives to the church.</p>

<p>Our heart's affections are more often stirred by the things of this world than by the things of our Father. We have to train and discipline our hearts to foster a love for the things God's word tells us we should love; things like Him, our neighbors, unity, generosity, and our city.</p>

<p>As Paul closes his letter to the Philippians he instructs them to "greet" all those in Christ. A task only able to be accomplished by both being known and knowing others.</p>

<p>It is so difficult to be satisfied in our lives. Whether it be in our jobs, relationships, health, etc. our propensity is to have hearts that are dissatisfied... absent of contentment. In this, we trick ourselves to believe that contentment is just another decision, action, or plan away, but then we arrive and are quickly as dissatisfied if not more than we were before.</p>

<p>In a world brimming with fear, anxiety, and division is it possible for God's people to live in Peace? Who are we called to peace with, and just what is peace in the first place? In this sermon, we unpack Paul's reminder that as the people of God, it is our privilege to live out the Gospel in true peace.</p>

<p>With the single-minded focus of an olympic sprinter, the Apostle Paul pressed towards the finish line in his race of faith in Jesus Christ.</p>

<p>Our whole lives we work toward building substance into our personhood. A substance filled with accomplishments and accolades that point to some semblance that we have earned a right standing in this universe. But when do we know we've truly earned enough or how do we know we are earning the right things?</p>

<p>There is a common belief in the church that the world is getting darker. While potentially not a false assessment, it shouldn't foster the fear and anxiousness that we see in so many who confess belief in the gospel. We should be a people who walk confidently in this world with courage and strength, because we have been made to be lights that the darkness cannot overcome.</p>

<p>If Paul's writing is true and it has been "granted to us" to suffer and face persecution as citizens of heaven, then what might be the secret to standing strong and persevering through it? How do we come out on the other side reflecting the reality of our citizenship even greater?</p>

<p>An often asked question in Christianity is, "What is the point of living if you will die and go to heaven anyway?". That question only seems probable from a perspective of selfish ambition. The gospel gives us a reason that is beyond our own personal gain.</p>

<p>Advancement takes place when our focus is in the right place. In Philippians 1:12-18, we look at the advancement of the gospel and how our focus on the gospel helps us accomplish the task.</p>

<p>Celebrate Father's Day with us this Sunday! We will work through the story of the Prodigal Son as we are reminded of how God our Father takes deep delight in transforming wayward sinners into beloved children that bear His name.</p>

<p>In the opening lines of his letter to the Philippians, Paul concerned himself with a two-fold vulnerability of the young church: callused hearts, on one hand, and naiveté, on the other. So he penned a prayer that they would grow in gospel-informed, discerning love.</p>

<p>Quite often we believe that we can only have joy when life is going well, but is that true? Can we have joy even when life goes differently than we hoped or planned? The question we must answer is where do we look for joy in our lives?<br><br>...<br><br>We had some technical difficulties while recording this sermon, so you may notice a few portions where the audio skips.</p>

<p>Semper Reformanda is a Latin term the Reformers used meaning "Always Reforming". In essence, since we have a church reformed in the externals of doctrine, worship, and government, let us always be working to ensure that our hearts and lives are being reformed by the Word and Spirit of God.</p>

<p>At the dedication of the wall in Nehemiah 12 it says: "And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.". What was the source of this joy, and how did they discover it?</p>