If you pay attention to the media, you might think that there is no grace in the Bible. Pastor R. Bret Walker examines the scriptures for God\'s grace and shares it with his congregation.
August 18, 2024 Old Testament: 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 Psalter: Psalm 111 Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 5:15-20 Gospel Lesson: John 6:51-58 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
Sermon #7 Well this week we have a bonus sermon, one that I gave a couple years ago when I was a layperson. From the Gospel of John, this message centers on Peter's declaration to Jesus, "You have the words of eternal life." We sometimes forget that we can only be satisfied in Christ. We try to fill our lives with things that the world tells us to value. In this message, from the Summer of 2012, we look at what the world has to offer, and how it pales in comparison to God's abundant grace. So grab your Bible, turn it to John chapter 6, and join us as we look at Christ's words of eternal life. John 6:53-69 Recorded at Pitman Grove Tabernacle on August 26, 2012 (originally published November 14, 2014) S.D.G.
Sermon #294 What we find in the words "I Believe in... the holy catholic church, the communion of saints..." can be troublesome to some. How can we profess belief in one church when there are so many denominations? Often it is used against us as Christians to say that we can't even agree with each other. And yet, there is undeniably something universal about the body of Christ, and what we affirm in this section of the Creed is not antidenominational, but rather that it is the Holy Spirit acting in all believers, no matter what church or denomination they may belong to, that makes us one. Text: Matthew 16:13-20 Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 12, 2018 (Originally published October 3, 2018) S.D.G.
Sermon #616 A priest is one who intercedes on behalf of the people to God, to make sacrifices to atone for sin. The high priest is one who makes atonement for the sins of all the people, in this case, the people of Israel. But the high priest is himself a sinful person and so he must first make atonement for his own sins before making atonement for the people. This is not the case for Jesus Christ, who was tempted in every way that we are, yet without sin. Having no sin to atone for in himself, he was able to be our sacrifice and atone for the sins of the world. And like the scapegoat described in Leviticus, he was able to take our sin far away from us. Hebrews 4:14-5:10 Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 21, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
Sermon #457 The episode of David's sin does not simply end with his repentance. As is often the case, the wreckage of this single momentary lapse in judgment follows not only David but also his immediate and extended family for many years, and even affects the nation of Israel as it descends into civil war, led by David's third son Absalom. We often do not think about the consequences of our sin. Forgiveness may be available through Jesus Christ and the grace of God, but ultimately our sin still has real world consequences that can follow us for years, and may even be generational, as we see in this incident. Though the sin may look appealing in that moment of temptation, and though we may think if anything we are only hurting ourselves, it is rarely the case that the consequences of our sin ends with us. 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 Recorded at Hudson UMC on August 8, 2021 (Previously unpublished) Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
August 11, 2024 Old Testament: 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 Psalter: Psalm 130 Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 4:25-5:2 Gospel Lesson: John 6:35, 41-51 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
Sermon #293 We turn our attention in the Apostles' Creed to the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. There is much misinformation regarding the Holy Spirit given in the last hundred years or so, and so we take a look at some of the myths about the Holy Spirit and debunk them, then examine how the Holy Spirit works in the life of the baptized christian to bring about the purposes of God here on earth. Text: John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 5, 2018 (Originally published October 1, 2018) S.D.G.
Sermon #615 God promises a rest for those who follow him in faith. To the Israelites, he promised they would enter into his rest in the land that he promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet they refused and instead feared the people of the land, and God made them wander in the wilderness for forty years. The rest that he promises to believers today is an eternal Sabbath rest, purchased by the blood of his own son, Jesus Christ. So what is keeping us from entering into that rest? What doubts and disbeliefs do we cling to as we resist the calling of the Holy Spirit to enter into his rest? Hebrews 4:1-13 Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on July 14, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
Sermon #456 This dark chapter in David's life brings in a new person to the story, Nathan the prophet. Although David had hidden his sin from others, he had not hidden the sin from himself, and he certainly did not hide it from God. When Nathan confronts David with the made-up story of a rich man who stole a poor man's lamb, David was enraged. Yet when Nathan confronted David with his own sin, David repented of his sin and confessed all. The statement, "I have sinned against the Lord," seems small compared to the mountain of sin David had mounted up. But we see the fullness of his confession and repentance in Psalm 51. Our sin separates us from God, but God in his mercy forgives our sin and allows us to reconcile to him. Even so, the wreckage that is created by our sin still exists. We still have very real consequences. Though we often see the sin in ourselves as so much more insignificant than the sin of others, God sees our sin for what it is: a rebellion against his promises and sustaining providence. 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on August 1, 2021 (Previously unpublished) Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
August 4, 2024 Old Testament: 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a Psalter: Psalm 51:1-12 Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 4:1-16 Gospel Lesson: John 6:24-35 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
Sermon #614 After having asserted that Jesus, as Son of God, is greater than Moses (considered by the Jews to be the greatest prophet), the writer of Hebrews now looks at a particular event in the history of Israel, saying that even though God brought all of Israel out of Egypt, not all of them entered the promised land, but most perished in the wilderness due to their unbelief. And so the writer of Hebrews is exhorting his readers not to harden our hearts against the voice of God, but to believe. Remember that this letter was written to Jewish Christians in Rome under intense persecution by Nero. It would have been easy enough for them to forsake their belief in Jesus Christ and return to Judaism, where they would no longer be persecuted. But the writer is telling them, if they disbelieve the promise now, they are no better than those who perished in the wilderness, and they will likewise not enter the rest of God. Hebrews 3:7-19 Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 7, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
Sermon #455 [This sermon was recorded in 2021 but was never released. In an effort to complete the Prophets & Kings series from that Summer, we are going back and releasing these sermons in 2024.] In our series so far, we've only seen the good in David. He is faithful to God, he is faithful to Saul even when Saul wants to kill him, and he is faithful to the people of Israel. But something changes here in chapter 11 of 2 Samuel. He changes his routine, and suddenly temptation hits him and he gives into it in a disastrous way. He even tries to cover up his sin and becomes even more entangled. What we can learn from David is that we can resist temptation, but when we are weak there comes a certain point where we are powerless and sin is inevitable. Therefore we must be diligent in our relationship with God and intentional in our study of His word and our worship of Him. David's sin was avoidable. The consequences of that sin were not. 2 Samuel 11:1-15 Recorded at Hudson UMC on July 25, 2021 (Previously unpublished) Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
July 28, 2024 Old Testament: 2 Samuel 11:1-15 Psalter: Psalm 14 Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 3:14-21 Gospel Lesson: John 6:1-21 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
Sermon #613 Without a doubt, the greatest figure in the history of Israel was Moses. He was the one who led the people out of slavery. He was the one to whom God gave the law. He was the leader of the Hebrews in the wilderness for 40 years. And yet, the writer of Hebrews insists that we ought to consider Jesus as greater than Moses. After all, Moses delivered the law to Israel, but Jesus brought grace and truth to all the world. And so the writer is challenging contemporary Jewish thought that exalts Moses and says, consider Jesus, who was sent by God to be our high priest, to offer one sacrifice for sin for all time. Hebrews 3:1-6 Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 30, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
July 21, 2024 Old Testament: 2 Samuel 7:1-14a Psalter: Psalm 89:20-37 Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 2:11-22 Gospel Lesson: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
Sermon #612 One of the primary motivating factors in life is, ironically, death, or rather the fear of death. The evolutionist would tell us that the two things that drive every species on the planet is the desire to survive and the desire to reproduce. In reality, God made us without death in the world, yet we brought death into the world when we separated ourselves from the Source of Life through sin. And so Jesus died our death for us, that we would live forever, and in dying, he put to death death itself. And since the sting of death has been removed from us, we can live our lives in peace knowing that God invites us to live with him for all eternity. Hebrews 2:10-18 Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 23, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
Sermon #611 As the writer of Hebrews begins to unpack the Psalms to identify the extraordinary nature of the Son of God (who has not yet been named in the epistle), he reminds us that we ought to pay attention to what is said, lest we drift away in our faith. The language used suggests mooring a ship to a dock lest it slide past the safety of the harbor. In reality, we can rely upon what scripture says about Jesus, because God's word is sure and foundational. Though the writer of Hebrews is pointing to the Old Testament, these are glimpses of things that have not been obvious, until the complete message is revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 2:1-9 Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 16, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
July 14, 2024 Old Testament: 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 Psalter: Psalm 24 Epistle Lesson: Ephesians 1:3-14 Gospel Lesson: Mark 6:14-29 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
Sermon #610 Having laid down some extraordinary claims about the Son of God, through whom God has spoken in these last days, the writer of Hebrews now turns to the Hebrew Scriptures - specifically the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament rendered in the Third Century B.C. - to make his case that Jesus (who thus far is unnamed in the epistle) is no ordinary man but the divine Son. He is superior to the prophets in that he is the Son of God himself, and he is superior to the angels who are ministering spirits and created beings. Through the Psalms and the words of Moses, the writer of Hebrews presents the case that this is the begotten Son of God and not a created being. In fact, the angels themselves are commanded to bow down to Him. Hence, there is something extra special in the message that He brings. Hebrews 1:5-14 Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 9, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
July 7, 2024 Old Testament: 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 Psalter: Psalm 48 Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 Gospel Lesson: Mark 6:1-13 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
Sermon #609 Welcome to the 12th season of Guerrilla Christianity! In this introductory sermon to the expositional series on Hebrews, we look at several things about this epistle in general, and then the opening four verses. First, we look at some of the theories surrounding authorship, concluding that we do not know conclusively who the author of Hebrews is, but that the ultimate author is undoubtedly the Holy Spirit. Second, we establish the timeline for when the letter was written and the circumstances surrounding its writing. Thirdly, we look at the major themes of the letter - the superiority of Christ; his three offices of prophet, priest, and king; the regulative principle of worship; and perseverance in the face of persecution. Then we look at the opening lines that describe this Son of God who is superior to the angels, through whom God has spoken to us in these last days. This series will carry us through the majority of the Season after Pentecost, and it promises to be enlightening and insightful. Hebrews 1:1-4 Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 2, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
Sermon #451 The death of Saul and Jonathan is one that affected David deeply. On the one hand, Saul had been trying for several years to kill David, seeing him as a threat to his own rule over Israel. On the other hand, David was very close friends with Saul's son, Jonathan, and certainly his death would have devastated David. Yet even though Saul was paranoid, murderous, and pagan in his religious practices, David still considered him to be the Lord's anointed king, and throughout his flight from Saul he refused to raise a hand against him, even when he was in a position to kill Saul. And so we see David's heartfelt lamentation for both Saul and Jonathan, coming at a time when there should be joy over the gaining of the kingdom. David was a servant, and he also realized that there is a time for joy and a time to weep. 2 Samuel 1:1,17-27 Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 27, 2021 (Originally published on September 6, 2021) Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
June 30, 2024 Old Testament: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 Psalter: Psalm 130 Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 Gospel Lesson: Mark 5:21-43 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
S11E47: The Trinity in the Cross (Trinity Sunday 2024) Sermon #608 On this Trinity Sunday (the first Sunday after Pentecost) we look at the work of all three persons of the Godhead in salvation at the cross of Jesus Christ. At the heart of the doctrine of the Trinity is the relationship between the three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is eternal and uncreated. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father and is likewise uncreated. The Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from both the Father and the Son, is personal and not ephemeral, and each person is glorified and magnified equally. Yet there are not three gods but one God. It is an eternal mystery that Christian theologians have struggled to understand for centuries, and yet in this passage from John's gospel, we see the effortless way Jesus explains the work of the Father, Son, and Spirit in the salvation of the cross to an earnest Pharisee named Nicodemus. John 3:1-17 Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 26, 2024 Who Is God in Three Persons? Paperback by John R. Tyson (Amazon) Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
Sermon #450 The story of David and Goliath is a very familiar story to anyone who was raised in the church. It is one of the first stories we learn in Sunday school. And because of its familiarity, as adults sometimes we can gloss over the greater meaning of the story. David was a shepherd, not particularly exceptional and decidedly not a battle-hardened warrior like Goliath. Yet David had something that Goliath did not, and that is faith in God. He saw Goliath as a little problem because he knew that his God is a big God who spoke and the worlds were formed. And he also knew that victory would not come because of his ability but rather because of his lack of it, for, as he said, the battle is the Lord's. God uses the weak to confound the strong, and ultimately He gets the glory for it. 1 Samuel 17 Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on June 20, 2021 (Originally published August 16, 2021) Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
Sermon #449 How do we judge people? I know, we're not supposed to judge people but we do, don't we? And how do we do it? Most of the time we judge by sight, by what a person looks like, by the things that they do outwardly. That's not how God judges. What we think of as wonderful, often God sees as corrupt. What we think of as worthless, often God sees as valuable. We as human beings are limited in our senses, but God knows all and sees all, and so when God judges, he judges by the content of our hearts. He knows our motivations. He knows our desires, even better than we do. And this is why God can reject a tall and handsome warrior king like Saul, and anoint a lowly shepherd boy like David. God looks on the heart. 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 Recorded at Hudson UMC on June 13, 2021 (Originally published August 5, 2021) Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
June 16, 2024 Old Testament: 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 Psalter: Psalm 20 Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 5:6-17 Gospel Lesson: Mark 4:26-34 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
Sermon #607 At Pentecost, Christian churches around the world celebrate the birth of the Church and the giving of the Holy Spirit as related in the Book of Acts, chapter 2. There were 120 disciples in the upper room when the Holy Spirit came upon them and they ran out into the streets proclaiming the gospel in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. We are told that three thousand were added to their ranks that day. Two thousand years later there are two ends of the spectrum when it comes to how churches approach the work of the Holy Spirit among us. Some would diminish the importance of the work of the Spirit. Some would over-emphasize it to the point of making the Holy Spirit the central object of their worship. But as we see in today's lesson from the Farewell Discourse of Jesus, recorded in John's Gospel, the role of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, is to point us to the Second Person of the Trinity, that is, Jesus Christ, and to glorify him. We can neither ignore the work of the Spirit in the church, nor can we make it the only thing we focus on, but Pentecost shows us that the Spirit is living and active among us and points us to the saving work of the Father in Jesus Christ our Lord. John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 19, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
June 9, 2024 Old Testament: 1 Samuel 8:4-20; 11:14-15 Psalter: Psalm 138 Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 Gospel Lesson: Mark 3:20-35 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
May 12, 2024 Recently (a few days before I delivered this sermon) I had been to the Billy Graham library in Charlotte, NC. The tour that they give illustrates the progression of how God used this man to proclaim the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. But more importantly, the tour was presenting the gospel itself as well. We preach the good news because we want others to know that God has loved them by sending his Son to be the propitiation for their sins, that they can have eternal life through Him. I've heard it said that gospel preaching is just telling people how you want them to be. In my case, I preach the gospel because of how God has transformed me, and how I know God can transform others. In today's closing passage in John's first epistle, we see four things that John wants his readers in the church to know with assurance: that we may have eternal life, that we may have deliverance from sin, that we have been regenerated (born again), and that Jesus Christ is God. 1 John 5:13-21 Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on May 12, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
June 2, 2024 Old Testament: 1 Samuel 3:1-20 Psalter: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 Epistle Lesson: 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 Gospel Lesson: Mark 2:23-3:6 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
Sermon #605 What does it mean to be born again? We know what it means to be born. I recently celebrated a birthday, and it's an annual reminder of an event that is momentous in my life, and yet I don't remember it actually happening. Modern day evangelists often accuse Christians of not being born again because they don't remember the exact day, hour, and minute that it happened. Surely something as momentous as an encounter with God would be worth remembering! Yet what we see in today's lesson is that we have as much to do with being born again as we have to do with being born at all, which is to say, not at all. We don't decide when to be born, and we don't demand of God to be born again. Jesus said that unless we are born again we cannot even see the kingdom of God. Why ask for something you cannot see, do not know exists? No, the act of regeneration is entirely a work of God, but the response afterward is faith based on sight - being able to see the kingdom and trusting in Christ alone for our salvation. 1 John 5:1-12 Recorded at Hudson UMC on May 5, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
May 19, 2024 First Lesson: Acts 2:1-21 Psalter: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b Epistle Lesson: Romans 8:22-27 Gospel Lesson: John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
May 12, 2024 First Lesson: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 Psalter: Psalm 1 Epistle Lesson: 1 John 5:9-13 Gospel Lesson: John 17:6-19 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
Sermon #604 We've been learning about agape which is a transcendent and perfect Godly love. While 1 Corinthians 13 may be known as the "Love Chapter" of the Bible, this chapter before us uses the word "agape" in some form 29 times. That's over 1/5 of all the uses in the entire New Testament. And if John is using the word so frequently, we ought to look to see what John is saying. In this 15-verse passage, John shows us how agape comes from God, how we can know God through agape, and how we can know we are saved because of God's agape love in us. Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 28, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
May 5, 2024 First Lesson: Acts 10:44-48 Psalter: Psalm 98 Epistle Lesson: 1 John 5:1-6 Gospel Lesson: John 15:9-17 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
Sermon #603 I saw a meme on Facebook this week that put forth the notion that religion is defined by what we hate. Yet if we learn anything from John's first epistle, it is that the central theme of Christianity is love, and not just any kind of love, but agape love. The word "agape" means a higher form of love, a godly love, a transcendent love that is sacrificial and puts others before us. And so Jesus commands us to love God, to love one another, to love our neighbor, even to love our enemies. But do we see that in the world? Is the aforementioned meme that far off from what is portrayed in the media concerning Christianity? If we are to truly be followers of Christ we need to let our love be on full display both by what we do and by what we say - in other words, in our deeds and in the truth. Recorded at Hudson UMC on April 21, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
Sermon #602 It's often been said that we are all children of God, every one of us in humanity's fold. But this simply isn't true. John's gospel tells us that to those who receive Jesus, who believe on his name, God gave the right to become sons and daughters. So how can we know if we are truly regenerated, reborn into the family of God, adopted as sons and daughters of God? It is through our association with God's attributes, especially his righteousness. Apart from Christ we cannot practice righteousness, but only practice sin. But once we are adopted, we practice righteousness, though we may still fall to sin. We wonder if we have lost our salvation because we dip our toes into the pool of unrighteousness, but God's word assures us that it's those who practice lawlessness as a general rule that are lost. 1 John 2:28-3:10 Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 14, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
April 21, 2024 First Lesson: Acts 4:5-12 Psalter: Psalm 23 Epistle Lesson: 1 John 3:16-24 Gospel Lesson: John 10:11-18 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
Sermon #601 We're beginning a new series for the season of Easter based in the first general epistle of John. The purpose of John's letter was to dispute the twin heresies of Docetism and Gnosticism that was rising in the First Century church. Using statements that contrast dark and light, righteousness and sin, John systematically presents a case that shows that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all (1:5). He also addresses the Gnostic assertion that some secret knowledge is required for salvation, saying that all that is necessary is repentance and faith. He assures his readers that when we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sin and to cleanse us from all iniquity (1:8). All this is made manifest in the work and person of Jesus Christ, the personification of God's love to the world. And the word that we use to describe this perfect love is the Greek word Agape. This will be the focus of our series and it is the message that we receive this day. 1 John 1:1-2:2 Recorded at Hudson UMC on April 7, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
April 14, 2024 First Lesson: Acts 3:12-19 Psalter: Psalm 4 Epistle Lesson: 1 John 3:1-7 Gospel Lesson: Luke 24:36b-48 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
Sermon #600 Why were Jesus' followers so willing to die for the truth of the resurrection? Why was the Christian Sabbath shifted from the seventh day to the first day of the week? Why did Paul insist that believing in the resurrection was of utmost importance? On this Easter Sunday (2024) we take a look at a letter that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth in 54 AD, and he stresses that the knowledge of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the good news of the gospel, and by it we who are believers are being saved. It's not some throwaway doctrine that is unnecessary on this side of the Enlightenment, when many religious leaders are embarassed by the miracles of Jesus. The resurrection is THE paramount miracle of Jesus, that he died and rose again according to the scriptures, and in fact everything we believe about Jesus Christ depends on the truth of the resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 31, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
Each year on Good Friday, the churches of the Ministerium of Penns Grove, Carneys Point, and Pedricktown hold a joint worship service from Noon until 3 PM. The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross are presented, with worship music and sermon messages for each word. Each year for the last six years I have participated in this service, and each year I have preached on a different word. This year (2020) was to be my seventh year, but because of the Coronavirus, the service was cancelled. And so, because I had already written the sermon, I recorded it... But I also decided to compile all seven of the messages into one podcast for Good Friday. And so, in the order below, we present to you the Seven Last Words of Christ from the Cross. 1. “Father, forgive them…” Sermon #387 Luke 23:34 April 10, 2020 – Ebenezer UMC 2. “Today, you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43 “The Tale of the Thief” Sermon #51 April 18, 2014 – St. Paul's UMC 3. “Behold your son…Behold your mother” John 19:26-27 “The Heart of the Master” Sermon #161 March 25, 2016 – St. Paul's UMC 4. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46 “Forsaken” Sermon #219 April 14, 2017 – St. Paul's UMC 5. “I Thirst.” Sermon #107 John 19:28 April 13, 2015 – St. Paul's UMC 6. “It is finished.” Sermon #332 John 19:30 April 19, 2019 – New Hope UMC 7. “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit” Sermon #273 Luke 23:46 March 30, 2018 – New Hope UMC Compiled on April 5, 2020 (originally published April 10, 2020) S.D.G.
View Full Service on YouTube Tenebrae is a Latin word that means "Darkness." The Tenebrae service is a reading of the Passion account from John's Gospel, broken down into 16 readings, and after each of the first fourteen readings a candle is extinguished until the entire sanctuary is clothed in darkness. This represents the light of Christ being extinguised on the cross, and it also represents the three hours of darkness that the people experienced as He hung on the cross. After the 15th reading, a loud noise is made, symbolizing the earthquake that occurred at the death of Jesus. It is a somber and solemn service of contemplation. We have attempted to recreate the service in its entirety here, and hope that you will be blessed in its re-enactment. Entrance - Gathering The Call to Worship: God is light, in whom there is no darkness at all. Jesus Christ is the light of the world. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and we loved darkness rather than light. Hymn: Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed (UMH #294) Opening prayer: Maundy Thursday (UMH #283) The Passion of Jesus Christ Sixteen readings, after each is extinguised one candle until the sanctuary is in "Darkness" (Latin: Tenebrae) Sending Forth Hymn: Were You There (UMH #288) Dismissal with Blessing All depart in silence. Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on April 4, 2020 (Originally published April 9, 2020) S.D.G.
March 27, 2024 Old Testament: Isaiah 40:4-9a Psalter: Psalm 70 Epistle Lesson: Hebrews 12:1-3 Gospel Lesson: John 13:21-32 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
Sermon #598 When we look at the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, we find a story that we know very well. After all, we celebrate Palm Sunday every year; ever since we were kids in Sunday School we learned about how Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and the people threw their cloaks and palm branches at his feet, crying "Hosanna!" But it's that word, Hosanna, which always confused me as a child. I thought it was a cry of praise for Jesus the conquering king. But it is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew words "yosa 'ana" which means "Save now, we beseech you!" The people were crying out to be saved, and Jesus came to do just that... But not how the people expected. Psalm 118 Recorded at Hudson UMC on March 24, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
March 26, 2024 Old Testament: Isaiah 49:1-7 Psalter: Psalm 71:1-14 Epistle Lesson: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Gospel Lesson: John 12:20-36 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
March 25, 2024 Old Testament: Isaiah 42:1-9 Psalter: Psalm 36:5-11 Epistle Lesson: Hebrews 9:11-15 Gospel Lesson: John 12:1-11 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
March 24, 2024 Liturgy of the Palms: Gospel Lesson: Mark 11:1-11 Psalter: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 Liturgy of the Passion: Old Testament: Isaiah 50:4-9a Psalter: Psalm 31:9-16 Epistle Lesson: Philippians 2:5-11 Gospel Lesson: Mark 14:1-15:47 Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. S.D.G.
Sermon #597 People often say it is impossible to know if there is a God, and if there is one, it is impossible to know anything about Him. Two weeks ago we looked at the difference between General Revelation - the existence of God revealed in creation - and Special Revelation - God's specific attributes revealed in the inspired word of God, the Bible. This week we dive deeper into how we can know God by reading His word. God's word reveals to us as much about ourselves as it does about Him, and if we truly love God we will desire to know Him more, and we can know Him more by reading about Him in the Bible. The question and challenge for us today is, how much time are you spending in God's word, and what is keeping you from reading the Bible, when it is God's revelation to us about Himself? Psalm 119:9-16 Recorded at Ebenezer UMC on March 17, 2024 Watch on YouTube S.D.G.
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