Covenant Fellowship Church

The sermon explores the enduring significance of life and its preservation, drawing from Genesis 9 and Exodus 21 to examine the concept of retribution and the sanctity of human life. It emphasizes God's recreation mandate to be fruitful and multiply, highlighting the distinction between moral and civil law, and the importance of guarding one's heart against hatred while actively participating in the Great Commission to share the gospel. Ultimately, the message underscores the fulfillment of God's law through Christ's sacrifice, offering grace and redemption while calling believers to live with Christian liberty and a commitment to preserving life in all its forms.

The sermon explores the significance of worship, drawing from Genesis 8-9 to illustrate the proper response to God's saving work. It contrasts Noah's act of building an altar and offering sacrifice as a godly example, highlighting the importance of prioritizing worship over personal preferences, similar to how a spouse should be loved according to their needs rather than one's own. The message emphasizes that true worship reflects a disposition towards God, acknowledging His sovereignty and grace, and calls for a commitment to offering one's life as a living sacrifice, prioritizing time for prayer and devotion, and ultimately seeking to emulate Christ's example of selfless worship.

Die Predigt analysiert die Geschichte von Jona, um die Herausforderung der geistlichen Schizophrenie anzusprechen, bei der intellektuelles Wissen über Gott nicht mit dem praktischen Leben übereinstimmt. Sie betont, dass Gott die mangelnde Gottesfurcht erkennt und demütigt, oft durch Krisen und Stürme, um eine tiefere Beziehung zu ihm zu ermöglichen. Die Geschichte von Jona dient als Spiegel, der die Notwendigkeit aufzeigt, die intellektuelle Erkenntnis Gottes in das Herz zu lassen und eine echte Gottesfurcht zu entwickeln, die das Denken, die Gefühle und das Handeln prägt, und letztlich durch die Erkenntnis der Opferbereitschaft Gottes in Jesus Christus.

The sermon explores the narrative of Noah's Ark and its significance as a testament to God's restorative power following judgment. Drawing from Genesis chapter eight, the message highlights God's remembrance of Noah and his family, the calming of the floodwaters through the Spirit, and the eventual emergence of new life, alluding to the concept of new creation. The speaker connects these events to Christ's role as the ultimate Exodus, emphasizing the promise of rest and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in conforming believers to the image of Christ, ultimately pointing to God the Father as the sovereign source of salvation and restoration.

The sermon explores the concept of Christian usefulness, drawing from John 3:22-30 and Philemon 10-11 to illustrate that true service to God involves a deliberate decrease of self and an increase in Christ. Examining the context of John the Baptist's ministry and his joyful relinquishment of the spotlight, the message emphasizes Christian humility, urging listeners to embrace attitudes of envy, joy, and ultimately, a willingness to prioritize God's glory above personal recognition, mirroring Christ's own self-emptying for the sake of redemption.

The sermon centers on the global flood as a divine judgment that underscores God's sovereignty, justice, and redemptive provision, drawing from Genesis 7:17–24 to illustrate how God's judgment, though overwhelming and total, simultaneously preserves a remnant through faith. It emphasizes that the flood was not merely a local catastrophe but a cosmic event reflecting the formless and void state of creation, prefiguring a new creation in Christ, with the ark symbolizing salvation through faith alone. The text reveals Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of the ark—He is the one who walks on the waters of judgment, bearing the wrath of God on the cross, and offering salvation to those who trust in Him, as seen in the parallels between Noah's deliverance, Peter's walk on water, and the spiritual reality of baptism as an appeal to God's promise. The sermon calls believers to rejoice in their deliverance from judgment, remain steadfast in faith amid spiritual chaos, and remember that Christ, as the good shepherd, is sovereign over all darkness, leading, restoring, and sustaining His people through every trial, ensuring that nothing can separate them from His love.

This sermon, drawn from John 3:19–21, centers on the profound contrast between the unbelief of humanity and the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in the believer, rooted in the light of Christ's redemptive mission. It unfolds with a sobering diagnosis of the unbeliever's nature—marked by a willful preference for darkness over light due to inherent sinfulness and a hatred of exposure, as their evil deeds cannot withstand the illumination of truth. The sermon then examines the unbeliever's actions, revealing how moral wickedness, rooted in rebellion against God, drives people to avoid the light out of fear of exposure, echoing biblical patterns from Job and the rejection of Christ by His own people. In stark contrast, the believer's life is characterized by the Spirit's ongoing work, drawing the faithful into the light not to hide, but to live in transparency, with deeds that are authentically carried out by God, reflecting a life of continual obedience and sanctification. The application calls the church to detest wickedness, expose the deeds of darkness in both unbelief and hidden sin, and live as children of light, allowing Christ's glory to shine through daily obedience, sustained by the Spirit's power and aimed at the glory of God.

The sermon explores the narrative of Noah and the flood as a precursor to the final judgment, emphasizing the importance of faith and righteous living. Drawing parallels between Noah's obedience and Christ's ministry, it highlights God's covenant promises and the necessity of entering through the door of salvation. The message underscores the significance of covenant community and the church as vital means of grace, urging listeners to recognize the importance of faith, righteous living, and active participation in the body of Christ to secure eternal redemption from God's judgment.

The sermon emphasizes the importance of allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture as the infallible rule for understanding the Bible, rather than relying on external sources like tradition or reason. It explores this principle through examining how the New Testament authors utilize the Old Testament, highlighting the concepts of promise, principle, and pattern, and encouraging readers to actively engage with the text through prayer, cross-referencing, and recognizing the transformative power of God's word in their lives, ultimately leading to a deeper understanding and faithful application of biblical teachings.

The sermon explores the structure of the Bible, arguing that its organization—from the Law, Prophets, and Writings of the Old Testament to the Gospels, Acts, and Epistles of the New—is intentionally designed to point towards Jesus Christ. It emphasizes that understanding this structure, particularly the shift from the old covenant to the new, illuminates the Bible's overarching narrative of redemption, demonstrating how each section ultimately serves to reveal and fulfill God's promises through Jesus, culminating in the hope of a new creation and eternal union with Christ.

The sermon explores the historical and theological process of how the Bible was compiled, addressing common myths surrounding its formation, particularly the role of the Council of Nicaea and the existence of early Christian writings. It traces the organic recognition of canonical books through the work of early church fathers and emphasizes that the process was guided by the Holy Spirit, resulting in a collection of writings that Christians have consistently recognized as authoritative. Ultimately, the presentation underscores the importance of trusting in God's providence and the enduring nature of his word, rather than relying on artificial declarations or human authority.

The sermon explores the nature of belief, drawing from John 3:16-18 and Nicodemus's story to distinguish between mere knowledge, mental assent, and genuine trust in Christ. It emphasizes that true belief is a continued state, not a one-time event, and is a gift from God, ensuring that believers will not perish. The message underscores Christ's mission, not to condemn, but to offer salvation through faith, and encourages listeners to persevere in their faith through engagement with Scripture, worship, and prayer, while also boldly proclaiming the gospel to those who are perishing.

The sermon explores the pervasive wickedness of humanity, as depicted in Genesis 6, and examines how God, despite this pervasive sin, extends grace, exemplified by Noah's favor. It highlights the doctrine of total depravity, emphasizing that human thoughts and intentions are inherently evil, yet God's loving-kindness and covenant faithfulness remain constant. Ultimately, the message underscores the importance of holding fast to God's sovereignty, character, and the gift of grace, finding comfort and assurance in Christ's sacrifice and the promise of redemption from sin and judgment.

The sermon explores the consequences of intermingling faith and ungodliness, drawing from the narrative of Noah and the Nephilim to caution against blurring the lines between believers and the world. It highlights the importance of covenant fidelity, emphasizing the need for discerning relationships, diligent parenting rooted in scripture, and a steadfast devotion to God's word, ultimately pointing to Christ as the ultimate source of rest and redemption, contrasting with the fleeting nature of earthly life and the judgment that followed the wickedness of mankind.

The sermon explores the significance of Enoch's life as an example of walking with God, emphasizing that this relationship is not merely a matter of outward action but a continuous, reciprocal communion initiated by God. Drawing parallels to the roles of shepherd and flock, it highlights faith, justification, and sanctification as interconnected elements of a Christian life, ultimately pointing towards a supernatural hope—a life free from the curse of death—mirrored in Enoch's ascension and anticipating the resurrection of believers through Christ, encouraging a steadfast pursuit of righteousness and joyful anticipation of eternal glory.

The sermon explores the continuation of God's redemptive plan through generations following Adam, emphasizing the importance of praise, reflection, and progression within the context of a world increasingly marked by spiritual darkness. Drawing from Genesis 4 and 5, the message highlights the significance of calling upon the name of the Lord, pondering the loss of original innocence, and actively participating in the advancement of God's kingdom through faith, discipleship, and the nurturing of covenant children, ultimately pointing towards the enduring hope and promise found in Christ.

The sermon explores the necessity of spiritual rebirth, emphasizing that human intellect and education are insufficient for understanding divine truths. Drawing from Old Testament parallels, it highlights the importance of faith, the revelation of Christ as the Son of Man, and the believer's benefit from Christ's sacrifice and exaltation. Ultimately, it calls for a lively faith rooted in a grateful heart, a reliance on the Spirit's witness, and a confident embrace of Christ's promises and ongoing intercession, encouraging a life reflecting God's grace and anticipating His return.

The sermon explores the lineage of Cain and Lamech, contrasting their actions with the promise of Christ, highlighting themes of mercy, multitude, and malice. Drawing from Augustine's concept of two cities, it examines how Cain's pursuit of self-protection and Lamech's self-exaltation represent a hardening against God, while Christ embodies forgiveness and reconciliation. The message emphasizes the importance of recognizing sin, seeking forgiveness, and extending grace to others, ultimately grounding these actions in the transformative power of Christ's redemptive work and the assurance of His unwavering promises.

The sermon examines the story of Cain and Abel to illustrate the pervasive nature of sin and the necessity of God's grace. It highlights Cain's failure to respond with repentance after committing murder, contrasting his actions with Abel's offering and emphasizing the importance of recognizing one's own iniquity as greater than one can bear. The message underscores God's sovereignty, the need for continual cleansing of sin through discipline and discipleship, and ultimately, cherishing Christ's gift of salvation as the only means of reconciliation and enduring grace, demonstrating that even in the face of profound failure, God provides a path to redemption and a renewed relationship.

The sermon explores the story of Cain and Abel to illustrate the necessity of atonement and the difference between works-based righteousness and faith-based worship. Drawing parallels to Jesus' parables and the Heidelberg Catechism, it emphasizes that human efforts alone are insufficient to earn God's favor, highlighting Abel's sacrifice as rooted in faith and atonement, contrasting with Cain's offering which lacked this essential element. Ultimately, the message calls for attentive self-reflection on sin, faithful adherence to God's word, and a complete offering of one's life as a living sacrifice, recognizing God's grace and seeking to glorify Him in all aspects of life.

Pastor Dylan Halter continues his series on Genesis

Pastor Dylan Halter preaches about the Sabbath and how we should keep it holy!