Catechism Sermons 2012 – Covenant United Reformed Church

Easter is a time when we reflect on the resurrection of Christ. This is a good thing for us to do, but do we really grasp the radical nature of the resurrection? I mean the disciples were with Christ and never seemed to have much confidence that the kingdom would be established after Christ died. […] The post Saying AMEN to a Complete Kingdom (LD 52; Luke 24:36-49) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

There is no question that our God is a perfect and complete God. He is not one who is going to do something in a half hearted way. It would seem that as Christ enters Jerusalem that there is the assurance that Christ has actually won the favor the crowds. You would think that this […] The post Saying Amen to a Half Kingdom? (LD 52; Luke 19:28-40) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

The Lord’s prayer is something that assures us that God is personal. He is not a God who redeems, and then He leaves us without being able to know HIm. So, we think that this prayer is encouraging because it proves that we can communicate with a gracious God. Then we see that we are […] The post Lead Us Not into Temptation (LD 52; Luke 11:3) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

One of the pillars of our faith is that we believe in Grace alone. This means that we receive grace without doing anything to deserve this grace. So, why does Matthew make it sound like our forgiveness is conditional? Matthew tells us that if we do not forgive then the Lord will not forgive us. […] The post Forgive in Order to be Forgiven? (LD 51; Matthew 6:14,15) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

When we think of prayer we think of prayer as being something that is reserved for spiritual struggles. We know that God is a spirit and so what can God know about bodies? So, it would seem logical that we would not bother God for our daily physical needs. However, is this thinking consistent with […] The post Give Us Our Daily Bread (LD 50; Luke 11:3) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Normally as people we do not want someone else to impose their will on us. If we allow someone else to impose their will this is a sign of weakness or failure on our part. Yet, in the Lord’s prayer we willingly request that the Lord’s will be done. Why would we want His will […] The post Your Will Be Done (LD 49; Matthew 6:10) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

When we survey Covenant History we can see that the kingdom has been long time coming, but supposedly has arrived at this point. Yet, when we get to the Lord’s prayer there is the request that we make that the Lord’s kingdom will come. When is this kingdom coming? Why would we want to pray […] The post Your Kingdom Come (LD 48; Matthew 6:5-15) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

When we memorize the Lord’s prayer we use this strange language for the Lord to hallow His name. What does this mean that the Lord has to hallow His name? This word hallow means sanctify. If God is holy then why does He need to be sanctified? Are we cheering on an incomplete God? Are […] The post Hallowed be YOUR Name (LD 47; Luke 11:2) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

When Christ walked upon this earth Christ taught us how to pray. We open this prayer by praying to our Father in heaven. This is strange that we would pray to our Father in heaven because this makes Him sound so distant, distracted, and disconnected from us. Yet, this is how we are commanded to […] The post Why We Want Our Father in Heaven (LD 46; Matt. 6:1-15) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

As Christians we believe that God knows all things. If it is true that God knows all things then why do we have to pray? Why do the disciples want Christ to teach them how to pray? I mean we can see many prayers in the Psalms so the disciples should know how to pray. […] The post Why Do Christians Pray? (LD 45; Luke 11:1-13) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

I think that many times when we live the Christian life we are surprised by how hard the life is to actually live. There are so many things out there that are so alluring. There are times when we might think that God loves us because we are very lovable. There might be times when […] The post Coveting the Goal (LD 44; Philippians 3:12-4:1) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

If you spread lies about someone in the world they can sue you for libel. This means that you have done damage to their reputation. Certainly, a lawsuit is something that deters us from spreading gossip. However, what is the motivation for a Christian not to spread lies about people? If we are forgiven anyway […] The post The Radical Truth About Slander (LD 43; Luke 6:37-42) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

There is a segment in our economy that makes a living by securing homes, workplaces, and even individuals. This is a necessary evil in this age because man is sinful and steals from fellow man. We can hide in our homes and look down on the common thief, but in what ways do we also […] The post Stealing from God (1 Corinthians 6:1-11; LD 42) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

There is a temptation to pick through the commandments as if they are merely a checklist. For instance if someone is single they might look at a commandment that forbids adultery and say that it does not matter. How can they commit adultery if they are single? They can fornicate, but adultery is something between […] The post Living a Pure Life (LD 41; Ephesians 5:5) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

We have been told to respect people. We are reminded again and again to be considerate of other people around us. Why should we care about those around us? Really, is there any Biblical basis to care about people who are not in the Christian community? We can see why would care about Christians, but […] The post Why Should We Respect Humanity? (LD 40; Genesis 8:20-9:17) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

It seems that today many people are suspicious of individuals in authority. It seems that the expectation is that one has to question authority and rebel against authority to show that they are not going to be one of the herd. Ironically, this is something that is not that new, but is intrinsic to fallen […] The post Why Honor Authority? (LD 39; Ephesians 6:1-9) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Many times we do not associate Reformed Worship with something that we would call fun. In fact, some might say that it is downright boring compared to some other expressions of worship. Do we worship the way that we do because we are boring or is there actually a reason for it? Is there a […] The post Are We Just Boring? (LD 38: 1 Corinthians 14:13-40) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

I remember being a kid and asking my parents why people swore on the Bible. It seems so strange to hold your hand on a book and swear that you will tell the truth. Why do we do that? Where do we see a precedent or an example of people doing this in the Bible? […] The post Swearing in the Lord's Name (LD 37; Genesis 31:36-55) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

We most certainly believe that the name of God should not be mocked. He is the Lord who has created all things. We also know that people who make idols make a mockery of God’s name. How does the Lord deal with them? How is the Lord’s name tied to His actions? You would think […] The post No Other Name Can Stand (LD 36; Isaiah 45:14-25) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

So often we can think that false worship is something that is an old problem. We can think that only the people who were simple wanted to make their idols. We are those who are more advanced than the people of old so this problem is not really our problem anymore. We can think this […] The post Why Worship One God? (LD 35; Isaiah 40:12-31) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

When we hear that the Lord does not want us to have any other gods this sounds rather strange. I mean if God is really god why should He be threatened by other gods? Besides what is the harm in trusting in things other than the Lord? If we are really honest, why would we […] The post Why Not Commit Idolatry (LD 34; Psalm 111) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

There are several places in the New Testament where the saints are called to conform to Christ. Why are we reminded of this if we are secured by grace? Did God create us in such a way that we lack something? Did we lose something? What is so rich about Paul stating that we are […] The post Redeemed in God's Image (Gen. 1:26; Eph. 4:24) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

The catechism asks a very important question, if we are delivered from our misery, merely of grace, through Christ, without any merit of ours, why must we still do good works? This is a very good question because there are exhortations in the New Testament calling us to conform to the Lord. There are commands […] The post Striving for Perfection (LD 32; Eph. 5:1-14) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Normally when we want to find some encouraging words from Christ we turn to the Gospels. I mean this is the place where Christ speaks, and where we can find warm words from our Savior. Who does not like that? Yet, we can find that the prophets also speak rather encouraging words. Where can we […] The post Opening the Kingdom (LD 31; Isaiah 52:3-12) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

When we consider the Lord’s supper in some ways we can see this meal as a rather exclusive meal. I mean the only people who can eat of this meal are those who can examine themselves in light of Christ’s work. Is this meal only for believers something that is just NT elitism? Can we […] The post Who is Worthy to Eat? (LD 30; Lev. 6:24; 1 Cor. 11:27-33) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Can you imagine your relatives being held captive by another nation for 400 years, and then all of a sudden you are promised to be free? Would you slaughter a lamb and make the meal as prescribed or would you be a cynic? We are talking about passover when Israel was lead out of Egypt […] The post What Did Corinth Miss about Communion (LD 29; Ex. 12:1-15; 1 Cor. 11:17-33) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

As Christians I hope we can see the Sacraments as being visible pictures of the gospel. At what point can the sacraments become idolatry? If there is a potential of them being idolatry do we put them out of the church for our protection or do we look for a better solution? What is the […] The post Participating in the Sacrifice (LD 28; Lev. 7, 1 Cor. 10) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

So, we know that Noah’s flood must have been quit an event for someone to endure in the ark. One would think that after experiencing the flood waters pour down that one would have an absolute reverence for the Lord. Yet, we find that not too long after the flood that the serpent seed still […] The post Flooded By Grace (3) (LD 27) (Gen. 9:18-28; 2 Peter 3:1-13) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

I wonder what people thought about Noah’s flood a week into the flood. Imagine mocking Noah all those years while he built the ark only to find out that Noah was showing God’s long suffering toward sinful man. We can look at this and be proud that we would probably be in Noah’s ark, but […] The post Flooded By Grace (LD 25; Genesis 6:1-8; I Peter 3:8-22) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

I do not know if you have ever explained the gospel to someone and then had them look you square in the eye and ask, “But if I am forgiven then why not just sin more?” This is the very thing that the Apostle Paul address in Romans 6, but how can we even see […] The post Are We Happily Sinning? (Psalm 143) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

There is no doubt that all Christians cherish the promises of the Gospel. Yet, when we have our times of trouble the last place we turn to find our joy is the gospel. We turn to our jobs, our backup plans, or our strategies to put off our sin. What does the Psalmist do that […] The post Oh, the Iniquity! (Psalm 130) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

The story of Jonah being in the fish is a common story for anyone who has grown up in church or Sunday school. The prophet Jonah is not one that we would say is the most successful of the prophets. So, why would Christ choose Jonah to be a sign when the leaders of Israel […] The post Resurrected to Eternal Life (LD 22; Jonah 1:17-2:10) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

If you know anything about church history you know that the church has endured some horrible persecutions in her day. Yet, the church continues to exist and weather these storms. Is this something that is accidental or coincidental? Are there any guarantees in scripture that the church will endure through the end of time? Are […] The post Will the Church Prevail? (LD 21; Psalm 129) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Isaiah 48 ends with the assurance that there is no peace for the wicked. I am sure that this is something that is hopeful for Israel in the time of her exile, but what about us today? It seems that the wicked have plenty of peace and joy. How do we understand this promise that […] The post Living as Spiritual Christians (LD 20; Isaiah 48:12-22) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

We do not need to read much of the news to grow discouraged about this life. There are many tragic things that happen each day. These tragic things range from plots of war to horrible accidents that have transpired. It is always tempting to ask, “Where is the Lord in these times?” In these trying […] The post Has God Won? (LD 19; Psalm 2) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

I know that when I summarize the work of Christ I speak of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. I guess that I have indoctrinated myself into think that those three things are the most essential things for the gospel of Christ to be true. So, I wonder why I and many other Christians […] The post Ascending Beyond Canaan (LD 18; Psalm 68) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Christ’s resurrection from the dead is probably one of the biggest stumbling blocks of Christianity. You see if we do not talk about the dead being raised then Christianity is more believable. Why is the bodily resurrection of Christ so essential for our faith? Is the bodily resurrection of Christ only significant for our faith […] The post Why Does the Resurrection Matter? (Psalm 16, LD 17) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

The words, “And He descended into hell” are some of the words that have had way too much ink spilled on their meaning. The Heidelberg Catechism does a wonderful job of summing up the significance of these words by saying, “That in my greatest temptations, I may be assured [that Christ] has delivered me from […] The post Why Christ's Suffering Matters (LD 16; Psalm 18) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

It is tempting to think that the application of baptism is only for the people who have claimed Christ. If we baptize infants we are saying that they claim Christ or maybe that they are starting the road to justification. However, our church does baptize infants, and so why would we baptize infants? What basis […] The post Having Been Buried with Him (LD 27; Col. 2:11-12) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

When we think about the work of Christ it is almost cliche among Christians to say that Christ has suffered. He has suffered, but why is that important? This is a question that I think we take for granted because if we are honest we expect life to go well for us as we faithfully […] The post God's Forsaken Son (LD 15; Psalm 22) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

I hope that we would all agree that God is Almighty. If you think about what it means to come before an Almighty God this is something that could be terrifying. This is the God who wiped out nations, and made a little nomadic people great. So, since this is true, can we come boldly […] The post David's Son (LD 14; Psalm 132) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

One of the great blessings of Christianity that we downplay is the blessing of being called one of the sons of God. This is the blessing of adoption where we are called one of God’s children because of the work of the only true faithful Son of God. Is this declaration of our adoption only […] The post Bethel's Children (Genesis 28:10-17; Romans 8;12-17; LD 13) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

We can talk about Christ being the priest associated with a line that is superior to Aaron’s. A key passage for this is Hebrews 7, but what about Psalm 110? Psalm 110 is a passage that Hebrews cites to make the case that Christ is superior to Levi’s line. So, if this is true what […] The post The Christian Priest (LD 12; Psalm 110) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Many times when we present the gospel to people who are curious about the church we turn to the New Testament. For instance one place we are tempted to turn is John 3 with Jesus talking to Nicodemus about Jesus’ ministry. This is a good thing to do, but are there any passages in the […] The post Is Jesus Only a New Testament Savior? (Zechariah 3; LD 11) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

The prophet Isaiah gives the assurance that Jacob will not be ashamed. This must have sounded nice for Israel, but how is this hope for us? How does this help us today? We are not literal heirs of Abraham nor can many of us trace our lineage back to Jacob or Abraham for that matter. […] The post The Deaf Shall Hear (Isaiah 29:11-24; LD 10) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

As Christians we believe that God created the heavens and the earth. We believe that God also sustains the heavens and the earth. We believe that God is one God and three persons. These are nice things to know, but why do they even remotely matter for our Christian life? In other words how does […] The post Foolishly Independant (LD 9; Psalm 33) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

Luke recounts Christ entering the synagogue and reading from the prophet Isaiah. We would be honored to experience such a thing, but why are some people in the synagogue so offended? What did Christ say in his sermon that was so controversial? Why is it so significant that Christ reads from Isaiah 61:1,2 when he […] The post Christ Equipped and Commissioned (LD 8; Isaiah 61:1,2; Luke 4:16-19) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

There are people in the history of the church who have put forth an idea that there is a god of the Old Testament and a god of the New Testament. The reason being is that the god of the Old Testament seems so mean and vindictive. Is this really true? If we really believe […] The post Sharing the Faith (LD 7; Gen. 17:1-8; Romans 4:13-25) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

If we face a mighty enemy we want a strong warrior to defend us. If we are discouraged in life that mighty warrior defended us probably would not be the one to whom we turn for our encouragement. Sure, he was good at fighting, but will this same person be able to give compassionate advice […] The post Almighty Counselor (LD 6; Isaiah 9:6) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.

There are two trees in the midst of the garden of Eden. The one tree is off limits because this is the tree that is the knowledge of good and evil. This tree will change the course of human history. However, what is the significance of the other tree, namely, the tree of life? Why […] The post To Him Who Conquers (Genesis 3; Revelation 2:7; 22:2) | 2012 Catechism Sermons appeared first on Covenant United Reformed Church.