Church of The Redeemer - Sermons

No word has caused more strife than the word "divorce." It is a word that has been misunderstood, proliferated in our culture through things like "no-fault divorce," and soured many people's outlook on an institution created by God. Amid all the questions people have about divorce, one needs to be central: What does Jesus say about divorce? In this short but powerful text, Mark reveals Jesus' heart for marriage, which should be our hearts, too, and provides us with a picture of what marriage should look like and be focused on.

What story has shaped your life the most? All of us have those stories, whether they make us smile or reveal scars. But for Christians, the story that should shape us the most is the death and resurrection of Jesus. As Mark 9 closes, Jesus has to teach his disciples not only that he will die and rise again, but also how his dying and rising again will shape their daily lives.

Dependence is often looked down on in our culture, but the Bible has a different approach. In it we clearly see that we are dependent creatures, relying on God for everything. But our unbelieving hearts keep us from depending fully on Jesus. This is a battle we face every day. We see in Mark 9:14-29, our daily battles of unbelief will require daily dependence upon the Savior in prayer. 

We've all seen beautiful things that sometimes take our breath away. A glorious sunset, a freshly mown lawn, and many more small and big wonders of the world. But Jesus tells his disciples in Mark 9:1 that his kingdom will come in power. This power would arrive in his resurrection, but the rest of Mark 9 shows us just a brief foretaste of the fullness of the kingdom power to come in the transfiguration. It shows us that in Christ alone we see, live, and hope in the glory of God.

In Mark 8, Jesus asks his disciples who they say he is. This is one of the most important questions anyone will ever answer. Our world has many responses to this question, but Peter makes a true profession of Jesus' anointed kingship. But, he's later rebuked for not fully believing in Jesus' identity. Jesus intends to teach his disciples, and subsequently us, that he is the suffering savior we need and is worth following.

Oftentimes, we go through life with blurry vision. We think if we can find the right thing to satisfy our restless hearts, our lives will come into focus. But it's only when we take up a gospel perspective that things come into focus. We are sadly mistaken if we think we can go through life with Jesus plus something else. When we see Jesus clearly though, we can know that he is more than enough.

The final chapter of Ruth is where everything comes together. The widow who went away empty has had fullness returned to her, the nation without a king will have one raised up, and the foreigner will be welcomed as a wife and daughter. In all of this, Ruth is all about how God's redeeming love in Jesus transforms our darkest moments into a hope-filled future.

Oftentimes, our hearts are burdened with lies, half-truths, and the general weariness of life. Because of this, we are prone to seek comfort and security in things other than God, who can give us ultimate rest and redemption for our hearts. Ruth and Naomi are distinctly aware of their condition and thus their need for a redeemer. This drives them to Boaz, who models for us our redemption in Jesus. In Ruth 3, we see that Jesus secures and guarantees our rest and redemption so we can wait with hope.

Ruth 2 picks up immediately after Ruth and Naomi arrive in Bethlehem. Destitute, they seek the favor of a landowner so they may gather food from the edges of the field. But what happens is a description of God's divine, providential hand, giving these two widows protection and provision not just in the short term, but in the long term. The call of Ruth 2 is to come and find refuge in God and discover the riches of his kindness to empower faithful obedience.

The book of Ruth is a beautiful story that shows the wonderful and varied ways God's grace reaches into our lives to transform us. It's a book that contains overwhelming joy and celebration alongside deep despair and sadness. Ultimately, Ruth is a story about how God's redeeming love through Jesus transforms our darkest moments into a hope-filled future. What we find in chapter one is that amid desperate circumstances, God's sovereign hand will lead us to genuine faith and abundant grace.

Having just rebuked the Pharisees and their hypocrisy over declaring things clean vs unclean, Jesus travels to the "unclean" Gentile regions where he encounters a woman with a demon-possessed daughter and a deaf man who couldn't speak. These stories in MArk 7:24-37 have odd and strange elements in them but help form a picture of what it looks like to draw near to Jesus. In these accounts, we see that drawing near to Jesus will give us a persevering faith and a praiseworthy message.

What keeps us from following Jesus? For the religious leaders in Mark 7, it was their self-righteousness based on their own traditions. But Jesus came to expose, reveal, define, and cleanse our hypocrisy so that we can look to him, not ourselves, for salvation.

The disciples find themselves yet again in another storm on the sea. But this time, they don't have Jesus with them. Even when they see Jesus miraculously walk on water, they still don't recognize him. Their circumstances kept them from seeing Jesus clearly. Their example is instructive for us: we cannot allow our hard circumstances to keep us from seeing Jesus. Why? Because the power and presence of Jesus are enough for us to face every hardship.

In Jesus's time, many believed he was a revolutionary, one who would rule by force. This is exactly what we see at the end of Mark's retelling of the feeding of the five thousand in Mark 6:30-44. But Jesus is not who the people desire him to be. Because Jesus is our Good Shepherd, not our radical revolutionist, we can live sacrificially, compassionately, and restfully.

Fascination is not enough to be right with God. The story of Herod in Mark 6:14-29 shows us the story of a man who is overwhelmingly fascinated with the things of God, but his story ends in tragedy. On the other hand, the story of John the Baptist shows us what it looks like to triumph through our confidence in Christ and our conviction about our mission.

Having been rejected by those closest to him (Mark 6:1-6), Jesus sends out the disciples to proclaim the good news of the kingdom (6:7-13). Even in the face of rejection, we are called to faithfully proclaim Jesus.

In the entire New Testament, Jesus was amazed only twice. The first time was with the centurion and his remarkable faith. The second time was in Mark 6 when Jesus returned to his hometown only to find their unbelief so powerful he couldn't perform a miracle there. Unbelief is a powerful force that, if we're not careful, will shipwreck our lives. This is why we must be on guard against the danger of unbelief.

In a Fallen world, sickness and death surround us. Jesus wasn't immune to seeing this as he walked the earth. Yet in this conclusion to the four miraculous stories that began when Jesus calmed the storm, Mark 5:21-43 helps us see a powerful truth: When we face a crisis, it's the direction of our faith, not the depth of our faith, that determines the outcome.

Scary stories have a unique way of drawing people in. They tell of things beyond our understanding and the best stories have evil being overcome. This is the kind of story we find in Mark 5, which is a continuation of Mark 4:35-41. Mark 5:1-20 shows us that Jesus delivers us from the power of evil so we can tell others about what he has done. 

Everyone has to face their fears at one point or another. In Mark 4:35-41, the disciples face their fear of nature when a storm overtakes their ship. But when we face moments of fear, we find transformation in Jesus' presence, power, and purpose.

Jesus came to proclaim the good news of the kingdom (Mark 1:15). This kingdom is the good news of God's rule and reign through the King, Jesus Christ. But after explaining the posture of people's hearts as they receive or reject the kingdom in Mark 4:1-20, Jesus uses multiple parables to explain the importance of paying attention to the kingdom in Mark 4:21-34.

Jesus is controversial. More and more we forget the exclusivity of Jesus. But, he is the only way to God and as we see in Romans 5:1-2, he is the only way we can have peace with God, access to grace, and hope for the future.

Gates are often the first thing you see when you approach a castle or a well-guarded facility. Psalm 118, specifically verses 19-24 tells us that only the righteous will enter the Lord's gate. This gate will be rejected, but will ultimately be rejoiced in (pointing us to Jesus as the true gate). As Advent closes, we'll explore five reasons we can rejoice in the King this Christmas season.

How can we know if someone is trustworthy? Better yet, how can we know if God is trustworthy? This is what Psalm 89 wrestles and worships with for over fifty verses. Ultimately, Jesus' kingship proves we can trust the Lord.

We were designed to desire. Desires are not bad, but our problem lies in desiring the wrong things. If we are not desiring God, we will desire something else. In Psalm 45, the sons of Korah draw attention to the beauty, majesty, and power of the king while admonishing the bride to make herself ready to meet him. In understanding the Psalms as anticipating the arrival of the true King in Jesus, we too must ready our hearts to desire the King in all his beauty. 

The Psalms are the hymnbook of God's people. They sang of their longing, questions, laments, and hope as they looked to God for their comfort and deliverance. It was also the hymnbook for Jesus, representing not only his earthly experience but that he was the fulfillment of every anticipation and promise they spoke about. Therefore, the Psalms prepare our hearts in anticipation of the coming King. As Psalms 1-2 open the psalter with the word "happy," can anyone truly be happy? These psalms remind us that even amid hard circumstances it is possible to be happy. Blessing, or happiness, comes from confessing and conforming to the King.

Jesus drew large crowds to himself, but the parable of the sower in Mark 4:1-20 asks an important question: who are the true followers of Jesus? If Christ's followers are committed to his words, then it leads us to listen and respond in faith.

Our culture loves the idea of family. From major holidays to brand slogans, people want to experience family yet they shun the traditional, God-ordained structures of family. In this remarkable text, Jesus uplifts loyalty to God's will over his own natural family, thus forming a new spiritual family for those who follow him. Rather than doing away with the family, Jesus upholds it as a model for God's household while instructing the crowds that following him means putting him first above all their priorities.

Many years ago, C.S. Lewis argued that Jesus could only be one of four things: legend, lunatic, liar, or Lord. If he is a legend, we can't know him personally. If he is a lunatic, we can't look to him for wisdom. If he is a liar, we can't find truth in him. But if he is Lord (which he is), we can trust him for salvation.

Names have meaning. Think of our own names or how celebrities change theirs. In Mark 3:7-19, the crowd begins to press against Jesus, the demons recognize him as the Son of God, and we see the names of the apostles and their commission. And like the apostles, when we embrace the identity of Jesus, we are given our own calling and commission.

The Sabbath is an important theme throughout the Bible. God declared a day of rest after he created the world (Gen. 2:2-3), Israel rested from collecting manna in the wilderness (Ex. 16:23), the Sabbath was instituted both in the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:8-11) and the laws of Israel to point to a greater rest (Ex 23:10-12; Lev. 25), a rest only found in God. While rest has been significantly misunderstood in our culture, as we see in Mark 2:23-3:6, true rest comes when Jesus is Lord over our lives.

It's no secret that every election cycle brings a contentious and tumultuous time. Yet, Christians are called to live and think differently about politics and government than the rest of the world.

The disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees enter into a third confrontation with Jesus, why do they fast but not his disciples? To them, fasting had become nothing more than a ritualistic habit that was more about performance than intimacy with God. Jesus redirects their question with three parables that illustrate one overarching idea: You cannot follow Jesus and expect your life to remain the same.

Are we considered sinners or righteous? This has been a historic conflict in the life of a Christian. But until we understand that we are as sinful as Scripture tells us, we will become self-righteous and remain far from the grace of Jesus. Following Jesus requires us to humble ourselves before him because he came to call sinners, not the righteous.

When we hear that Jesus is God and able to forgive sins, what is our reaction? In Mark 2:1-12, a paralytic man has his sins forgiven but the scribes question Jesus' actions in their hearts. They had forgotten that God is compassionate, gracious, sovereign, and all-powerful. But Jesus shows us that the God who forgives sins is worthy of praise and worship.

In two back-to-back stories, Mark shows us a stunning reality. We were made for communion with the Triune God, but sin, like the condition of the leprous man, separates us from this fellowship. Jesus is the only one who can heal this fracture; all it takes is a sinner's humble cry to move the Savior's heart to heal and restore us.

In this short, but powerful passage from Mark's gospel account, Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law and does a mighty work in their entire town because of his authority over healing and the demons. Mark 1:29-34 shows us that Jesus came to transform our homes and communities when we rely on him for all our needs.

As we encounter stories of Jesus exorcising demons, we must frame them within the context of that power being the fruit of his authority. Jesus' authority means that he is the only one who wields the right and power to all of what he pleases. This means we can follow Jesus because he has authority over everyone and everything. While authority may scare us, Jesus is a king who wields this authority for our good.

Everyone is looking for meaning and purpose in their lives. We want to know why we're here and what life is all about. Thankfully, we have been given a purpose by our Creator himself. As we see in Mark 1:14-20, our greatest purpose is surrendering everything to follow Jesus.

Everyone is looking for meaning and purpose in their lives. We all ask questions like, "What am I here for?" "What is the purpose for my life?" "Does my life have any meaning?" Mark 1:9-13 addresses these questions by reminding us that the essence of the meaning of life is found in the Triune God.

No one likes waiting. But for four hundred years God's people had to wait for him to speak. From Malachi, the last Old Testament prophet, to the announcement from John the Baptist, Israel was waiting for God to fulfill his promises. Mark's gospel account opens with the good news that God has fulfilled every one of his promises in Jesus Christ and he calls on us to respond. Will we receive the King or reject him?

The false stories of this world will never satisfy us. They will never be enough. That's why God tells a better story, one where the hero is both like and unlike us. It's a story where the Author enters the story himself and makes a way for rebels to become like him. It's a story that ends with the Author making all things new. This is God's Story of Redemption.

Why do we love stories? From pop culture to the Olympics, we love to tell and be a part of stories. The reason might not seem obvious initially, but it's because we are in a Story ourselves written by a divine Author. God has been writing a better Story since the foundation of the world. This is the Story that he is calling us to participate in. We must learn to live in God's better story rather than our own. This is part one of a two-part series exploring how God's Story is divided into six parts. Part one explores Creation, Rebellion, and Promise.

In these final words from Paul to Titus, we hear again the refrain to devote ourselves to good works. This devotion is not just for the sake of doing good things, but it comes from a heart that has been radically transformed. Because of this, a transformed people devote themselves to gospel living and leave no room for divisiveness.

Motivation is a powerful force, whether it is a walk-up song during sports or someone giving a moving speech, we all desire to be motivated. For Christians, motivation helps us stay committed to doing good works. This happens through remembering our former selves and just how much God has saved us. As we engage our community with the gospel, we must remember our salvation and commit ourselves to good works.

Highway billboards can be a humorous way to highlight or point to a product or service. They act as a public witness to every traveler. Just like the billboards we pass daily on the highway, Christians are called to act as public witnesses to the transforming grace of the gospel. Will our lives testify to God's grace or will our sin act as a hindrance to others?

Everyone loves a good transformation story. Whether someone is flipping houses or losing lots of weight, transformation is a story that draws people in. In God's story, transformation only happens through grace. Grace is God's unmerited favor, compassion, and faithful love shown to undeserving sinners. While we are prone to deformation through sin, God calls us into deeper transformation through grace. This grace transforms us into the people of God who are zealous for good works.

When approaching Biblical passages on slavery, we must make distinctions between Roman and chattel slavery. As a massive part of Roman culture, slavery (bondservants/servants) is more akin to the employee/employer relationships we have in our modern culture. As the testimony of Scripture declares, work is good. But, sin makes us selfish workers, bringing disdain to the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why Jesus came: to redeem and transform a community that is zealous for good works. Our faithful work, then, is a testimony to our faithful God.

Like a potter carefully making a clay vessel, God is not arbitrary in his design. He has fearfully and wonderfully made men and women to live out their intended design in this world. He has an important role for women to play in the church and Paul seeks to draw this out in Titus 2. Sin may have complicated women's desires and made them unable to embrace this calling, but those who the grace of Jesus has transformed have had their womanhood redeemed.

Our culture is facing a crisis of masculinity. It's a crisis brought upon by cultural confusion and forces seeking to make Biblical manhood a negative term. But Paul gives Titus specific instructions for older and younger men about living sound doctrine in their everyday lives and how to live as a transformed community. In Titus 2:1-2 and verses 6-8, we see true manhood is reattained through God's transforming grace.

False teachers were a pernicious issue on Crete. They were the main reason Paul sent Titus to the small island because they were dividing the church in half. After commending faithful elders to teach sound doctrine and rebuke those who contradict it, he sets the church up to faithfully confront false teachers through sound doctrine.