After demonstrating Christ’s superiority to God’s human messengers (the prophets), the writer of Hebrews now turns to God’s heavenly messengers (the angels). Using seven quotations from the Old Testament, he proves that Jesus is the greatest Word from God. In doing so, the writer also demonstrates how Jesus is the point of the Bible.

God has revealed himself to his people in many different ways throughout history. This revelation is treasured and studied. But each of these different ways of speaking to his people is superseded by his final word: Jesus. In fact, the writer teaches us that all that God said beforehand pointed toward its fulfillment in his Son, who is the greatest treasure. What can we learn about God through his Son? And what are the implications of hearing God speak?

In Hebrews, we read about a church that faced many difficulties. They suffered persecution from those outside the church. And they dealt with spiritual weariness, unbelief, and spiritual immaturity within their own community. The writer of the letter addresses each of these problems with one resounding message: Jesus. He sought to strengthen their souls by reminding them over and again of what God has accomplished through his Son. We begin this study of the letter to the Hebrews by surveying the overall message.

Love is central to the Christian life. But what is love? The word itself is one of the most overused and ill-defined words in the English language. In this passage, John explains what love is by tracing it to its source, namely God. Then he gives us a very uncomfortable command: “If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

The gospel of Christ includes not only his death and resurrection, but also his return to heaven, where he is seated in power. While Luke describes the day of his return to heaven by saying, “he was taken up,” it is not his main point of emphasis. Instead, Luke wants to describe an important transition between the earthly ministry of Jesus and the earthly ministry of the Holy Spirit. In this sermon, we’ll see why the ministry of the Spirit is important, and what it means for the church that remains here on earth.

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning and saw a few remarkable things, but she didn’t understand what had happened. Even though she was the first person to see the risen Christ, she only recognized him when he revealed himself to her. It wasn’t until the Good Shepherd called his sheep by name that she was able to hear and follow.

After driving home his point about the temporary nature of life, the writer of Ecclesiastes turns his attention to the subject of joy. How can we be joyous when there is futility? Does God want us to be joyous? This final sermon on Ecclesiastes explores the pursuit of joy. God gives us good gifts to enjoy, but they’re not to be the ultimate source of joy. They point us to that source in God alone.

We see injustice all the time. It is a part of the human experience. It is so prevalent in our world that we might ask, “Why, O LORD, do you stand far away” (Psalm 10:1)? Is it right to conclude that God doesn’t care about justice? Does justice really matter at all in this world? The writer of Ecclesiastes recognizes the presence of injustice and forces us to ask tough questions like these. As we study through these passages, we’ll find the answers to difficult questions concerning justice.

What makes you happy? What makes you feel secure? What are you afraid of? Your answers to these questions may tell you where you have placed your trust. From Psalm 46, we see that God is our refuge and that He is the one we can trust in the midst of the storms that life throws at us.

We will spend much of our adult lives working to earn money, but one day we’ll have to leave all our money and possessions behind. Moreover, while we struggle to earn money, it brings problems of its own. Ecclesiastes forces us to stop our lives for a moment and ask the question, “If life on earth is temporary, and money is fraught with problems, does money really matter?” How do we escape the problems that money brings with it? Is there an answer to the vanity of money?

The observable facts about the world, and our desires concerning it, open up questions about the meaning of life – is there meaning? Why is there pain? Why can we not make pleasure and goodness last? What, ultimately, is the point of it all? While many schools of thought have arisen to attempt to address it, the outlook of Ecclesiastes (and, ultimately of all of God’s word) stands uniquely in the face of evil, the attractiveness of good, and the ultimate futility of it all. The outlook given here points past the futility to the very purpose it serves in the awesome, gracious plans of God for our good and His glory.

We spend most of our adult life at work–9 to 5, punching in and punching out, behind a computer, meeting deadlines. For some of us, work is enjoyable; for others, work is drudgery. Ecclesiastes forces us to ask the question, “if life is temporary, does my job really matter?”

If life is temporary, then why not indulge in it? Ecclesiastes helps us to answer this question. The writer gives a personal testimony of how he indulged himself in wine, projects, people and money–all in search for lasting satisfaction and joy. In the end, he is unsatisfied, but why?

Wisdom is defined as skill in living or navigating through life. Proverbs heartily affirms our need for it, but the writer of Ecclesiastes forces us to ask, “If both wise and foolish die, does it really matter whether we live wisely?” He readily points out both the benefits and the limitations of wisdom as he questions the necessity of wisdom.

Does life apart from God have lasting value? Too many of us go through our lives without ever asking questions like this one. Yet it is one of the most important questions anyone can answer. We begin a study of the book of Ecclesiastes, where we’re forced to examine our lives from this perspective: why does anything matter?

We hear words every day. The power of spoken words is undeniably powerful. God’s Word possesses unique and unmatched power to feed souls. In this passage, Paul explains how God works through his Word to build his church. He describes the ministry each believer has to speak God’s Word to one another.

The word is spread when a baby is born. Phone calls are made, pictures are posted, texts are sent, and cards are sent out. In this passage, we see the most important birth announcement of all. This birth announcement proclaimed “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” What made Jesus’ birth so important that a multitude of angels declared, “Glory to God in the Highest?”

After traveling through the first chapter of Luke, we now come to the main event in his birth narrative. Jesus is born. But few things about his birth are what we would have expected. He was born to a peasant couple, in an animal shelter, laid in a filthy manger. To top it all off, his first visitors were lowly shepherds. What did all of this mean? Why was the Savior of the world born under such humble circumstances?

The people asked, “What then shall this child be?” He would be a prophet in the spirit and power of Elijah. Not only did he look like the great prophet, but his voice thundered like him as he proclaimed repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Who was this man John? And what was his message? This sermon explains the mission and message of John.

Mary and Elizabeth had both received divine revelation about their respective miraculous pregnancies.  When Mary went to visit Elizabeth, we see how God acted in them to further strengthen each other’s faith, and, by extension, ours today.

After appearing to Zechariah in the temple. God spoke again six months later. This time it was far away from Israel’s religious and cultural center. He spoke to a simple girl named Mary in a small, rural town called Nazareth. His message was the most incredible of all, “the child to be born to you will be called holy–the Son of God.”

In the second half of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus turns our attention from God (how he makes himself known, his moral rule, and his purposes) to our own needs, material, moral, and spiritual.  This continuing pattern for our own prayer remind us regularly of the extent to which we depend upon the Lord for every aspect of our life, and the extent of his grace in those whom he holds as his children

Prayer can be hypocritical, faithless, and even un-Christian. But Jesus teaches us a better way to pray. In the first three petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, he focuses our priorities upon God’s name, kingdom, and will.

God expects his children to pray to him. Most of us, however, are like the disciples who said, “Lord, teach us to pray.” There is honesty in the disciples’ request; they wanted to know how to do something they had already been doing for quite a while. Didn’t they already know how to pray? This admission reminds us, if we’re honest, that prayer isn’t as simple as it sounds. We struggle with self-discipline, with focusing our thoughts, and with knowing what to say. Have I prayed long enough? Is God disappointed in my frail prayer life? Jesus’ response is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer.  A close study of this model prayer will answer a lot of our own questions about prayer. So today we begin a four-part series on the Lord’s Prayer.

The whirlwind has quieted, and God has stopped speaking. Job has been humbled by the LORD’s appearance. In this remaining chapter of Job, God both humbles his servant and vindicates him. Job now knows that the LORD is wise and powerful to manage the world he has created. Even though he cannot comprehend the purposes of God, Job’s faith has been strengthened to trust in him.

Throughout much of the book, Job has demanded a hearing from God. He desired to present his case before the LORD and declare his innocence. Now God comes to speak for himself. What he says is surprising to most of us, but what he says is enough for Job.

How do we respond when suffering comes? Moreover, how do we think about a God who is powerful enough to prevent our suffering, but does not? These are questions that Job wrestled with. A survey of his struggle reveals five responses to his suffering. His emotional responses range from hope to doubt to stepping over the line between God and man. Through Job’s struggle, we can see our own.

The Bible makes is clear that baptism is important, and a right view on baptism is also important.  This raises, therefore several pertinent questions.  Why do Christians baptize?  Why do Christians get baptized?  And why baptism specifically?  Why, of all things, did the Lord mandate this particular activity as his chosen way for Christians to welcome new Christians into the church?  In this sermon, given for a baptismal service, we examine the answers to these questions, and draw out the impact and implications of this basic practice of Christ’s people.

A conversation between Job and his friends comprises the largest portion of the book. In this sermon we’ll focus upon the friends. When we first meet them, they appear as comforters. As the story progresses, however, they move from comforting Job to making accusations and casting judgment. Such “comfort” prompts Job to call them “worthless physicians.” God tells them, “you have not spoken of me what is right.” Where did they go wrong? How did they fail to comfort Job? We’ll try to unpack this large portion of Scripture and find some answers to these questions.

One scholar has said “God is not tame, like we like to think. He is a not a kitten; he is a lion. And he does as he chooses, but it’s not without concern for those who love him.” This point is well proven in the book of Job. How can God allow such suffering into his servant’s life? Must genuine faith be tested? These are but a few questions that are raised in the first two chapters of Job.

In the face of difficult circumstances, Paul exhorts us to rejoice that the gospel is being proclaimed. As we send a dear family out from us, we are reminded by this text that the gospel is most important because Christ is most valuable. Even though we’ll miss these relationships, we too can rejoice that the gospel is being proclaimed. And in this, we’ll rejoice!

Relationships in which people meet together and talk face to face are becoming outdated. The rise of social media renders such fellowship less important. While there is nothing wrong with social media, the church is called to establish relationships that go deeper than casual encounters. John reminds us that such communication is very limited. He kindles a desire in us to meet “face to face.”

Saying goodbye is a sad and painful part of life for everyone.  In fact, the only way to avoid having to say goodbye to anyone is to die very young yourself.  Looking at Paul’s third and final goodbye to the believers in Ephesus, we see how, while believers are not exempt from the same sorrows of saying goodbye as everyone else, nevertheless the Gospel radically changes even this aspect of life, reflecting the glory of the gospel of God’s grace.

One of the most basic communication maxims is, “It’s impossible not to communicate.” We’re always communicating something to people around us, whether intentional or not. Communication is vital to the gospel. After all, Paul wrote “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard” (Rom.10:14)? The question is, “Are we communicating the gospel?” In this passage we’ll see how Paul went above and beyond to ensure that what he was communicating was actually the gospel.

The gospel of Christ is the core of the church. It is the reason we exist and worship. It is the message we proclaim. We look at Psalm 96 to understand how central the gospel is to what we as a church are and do.

In the parables of Luke 15, Jesus asked “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it” (Lk.15:4)? Now in the story of Zacchaeus Jesus literally goes in search of his sheep. By observing Jesus’ search for the lost, we can learn a lot about personal evangelism.

Continuing our series in personal evangelism, we turn to a passage of Paul’s that brings to light three common elements in life that work against God’s people sharing the good news of Christ.  We not only recognize these impediments, but also look at what means God has ordained to combat them, and how all these things fit into the fact of God’s plans and purposes for His people.

Scripture teaches us that the church has an enemy. Though he is hidden and subtle, he is still destructive. In fact, our enemy is the very personification of evil. Evangelism requires that Christians recognize our enemy and be acquainted with his tactics. In this sermon, we’ll study one of the clearest texts on the topic of spiritual war.

When you lose something, what determines how long you search for it? It all depends on how much you value what you’ve lost. Jesus told three stories to illustrate this point in Luke 15. We’ll see how Jesus both searches lost people and rejoices when they are found, while the Pharisees do neither. Are you more like Jesus who searched or the Pharisees who did not?

Jesus invested a lot of time with sinners, and the religious leaders didn’t like it. He told three of his most famous parables in response to their complaints. Why did he risk his reputation eating and drinking with such undesirable persons? Why didn’t the Pharisees agree with his methods? This simple introduction to chapter fifteen reveals deep insights about both Jesus’ and the Pharisees’ attitudes toward the lost.

Paul continues the exhortation to share in suffering for the gospel. He provides three metaphors that explain how to endure suffering: a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. Through these images he he reminds us to focus on the goal and persevere for the gospel.

In his final letter, Paul is most concerned that Timothy take the gospel-baton being handed to him. Along with the gospel, though, comes suffering. In this opening chapter we’ll explore the theme of the unique suffering that Christians must share in.

Isaiah had one of the most famous visions of God in all the Bible.  He was cleansed by God, and called to ministry by God in God’s very presence.  Yet, he was called to what would seem to be a failing ministry.  Why?  Paul was called to be the apostle to the Gentiles, and he died a Roman prisoner, abandoned by nearly everyone.  Why?

Through these men’s ministries and preaching, we see something important and foundational to God’s purposes in calling us today, even when He calls us to suffer and to seem to fail.

In the third installment of this series, we’ll see how the Incarnation was necessary so that God could deliver us from the devil and adopt us as his children. Our great enemy has been defeated and death, his greatest weapon, has been turned on its end.

Suffering is not something typically associated with Christmas. In part two of this series, however, we’ll see how the birth of Jesus is necessarily tied to his suffering–and ours.

This is a clip from Pastor Mitch’s sermon on June 7, 2009.

Our lives promote the gospel. The way we live before the world is intended to commend and publicize the gospel of God’s saving grace through Christ. The gospel doesn’t depend upon us; we are not a prop or support for its effectiveness. But the simple truth remains that we are the aroma of Christ to the world around us; therefore, Scripture commands every believer to live in such a way that our lives affirm—indeed, promote and commend—the truths of the gospel to one another and the world around us.

We investigate even further what the New Testament has to say about church discipline. You might be surprised about the motivation for church discipline–love.

Church discipline is mocked and misunderstood in our day. We look to Paul and Jesus for guidance on when church discipline is necessary and how it should be carried out.

The final three verses of the first chapter of Paul’s first letter to Timothy reveal three important ways in which the church of Ephesus is commanded, through a personal address to Timothy, to uphold the gospel. This provides for us a clear view of what makes a church healthy.

The Gospel concretely transforms Christians in at least four ways. Paul explains what happens to evey Christian in conversion by way of his own conversion.

The false teachers in Ephesus made a critical error in misunderstanding the law. Paul corrects them here by demonstrating the proper use of God’s law. He shows us that the law was given not to empower, but to reveal our weakness and drive us to seek mercy at the cross.

Love is the product of the Gospel. Sound doctrine cultivates sacrificial love.

In an age of information overload, how can we determine truth from error?

Spiritual discernment is necessary within the church.

Who is involved in the biblical mission?

How are we to accomplish the biblical mission?

What is the biblical mission and why is it necessary?

What is the biblical mission and why is it necessary?

Jacob and Jospeh endured trials and suffering which strengthened their faith and enabled to them to finish the race of faith.

Even though Jacob was not going to see the earthly fulfillment of the covenant, he had developed an unshakeable trust in the certainty of the God who is immovable, immortal, and steadfast in His love toward him.

Even though Jacob was not going to see the earthly fulfillment of the covenant, he had developed an unshakeable trust in the certainty of the God who is immovable, immortal, and steadfast in His love toward him.

God sovereignly lifted Israel up while keeping Egypt down. He blessed Israel, while Egypt suffered. Should we expect God to provide for His children, protect them, and care for them in the same way?

God worked out His great plan of redemption through the life of Israel by an incredible demonstration of His sovereign will. Not only did He make evil serve Him, but also worked through mortal man. How does God work through people in order to accomplish His will?

Joseph desired reconciliation with his brothers, but first he wanted to know if they were truly repentant. He tested them in order to see fruit in keeping with true repentance.

Joseph desired reconciliation with his brothers, but first he wanted to know if they were truly repentant. He tested them in order to see fruit in keeping with true repentance.

As Joseph welcomes his brothers he possesses an incredible amount of power. He can pronounce judgment or innocence. The guilty brothers stand before him, knowing that in their hearts they are guilty. When Joseph demonstrates mercy rather than judgment, we gain an incredible picture of the gospel.

God addresses personal sin in our lives by confronting us with His truth. This is commonly what we mean by “conviction.” We can observe how God accomplishes this in the hearts of Joseph’s brothers.

The rise of Joseph from being chained in prison to the right hand of the king of Egypt is really a remarkable story—a rags-to-riches story in the truest sense. But there is no way to account for Joseph’s ascension to the right hand of Pharaoh other than the sovereignty of God.

An imprisoned Joseph must wait for God to deliver him. His humble attitude during this time of imprisonment is instructive for all who serve, but especially for mothers on this Mother’s Day.

Joseph was a slave in a foreign land, who battled daily temptation, was eventually tricked and wrongly accused, and finally thrown into prison. But through it all, God blessed him greatly. Oftentimes His blessings occur in the midst of suffering, rather than in its absence.

All around us we see people who have fallen in the battle against temptation. That serves us a warning, but it offers little hope. Our present text, however, does offer hope because Joseph did resist temptation.

All around us we see people who have fallen in the battle against temptation. That serves us a warning, but it offers little hope. Our present text, however, does offer hope because Joseph did resist temptation.

We learn about the nature of sin and temptation from the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife.

Unchecked sin multiplies in descending fashion. We all know that sin is usually appealing, so we may find ourselves considering sin at times. We ask, “What will happen if I do this?” Then we weigh the pros and cons, performing a mental cost analysis. While sinning may look pretty good on the front end, Scripture does us a great service by showing us the other side of sin. We can see the ugly results of sin through this dark story of Judah.

Joseph’s brothers persecuted the very one who would deliver them in the end. They rejected—in a sense—their savior, their deliverer.

We live in a culture that worships instant gratification. It is readily observable at work, in our homes, in sports, and even in the church. There are grave dangers in pursuing instant gratification. Esau is one biblical example of these dangers, and we can learn a lot from studying him.

Jacob’s life has been marked by sin and strife. However, life’s hardship must be placed within a greater context. This passage demonstrates how the proper context for the pain of life is our hope in the goodness of God.

Jacob found himself in a situation that is common to us all. God had commanded him to worship, but he knew that there was sin in his household. He asked himself the question, “How can I worship God with sin in my heart?”

What happens when we bring trouble upon ourselves? Does God wash His hands and say, “This is all your fault. You are getting what you deserved”? This is the situation in which Jacob found himself after his sons destroyed the city of Shechem. It is truly a “day of distress.”

This passage teaches us four truths to think about before you trust your own impulse, instinct, or even “the desire of your heart.”

Christ’s expectation for His Bride is for her to grow into spiritual maturity.