Midtown Church

When we look at the way that the Church of God suffers for him across the world, and cry out for him to deliver them from evil, what answer should we expect? What has God given us to know, and what has he kept secret about his answer? How should we act in the midst of our waiting? Revelation 10 helps us to know how we should wait, and what we should remember as we do.https://midtownchurch.com/

How does God respond to the violence, injustice, self-centredness, unchecked arrogance and rebellion of fallen humanity? Does he have sovereign control over armed conflicts, economic hardships, natural disasters, famines and diseases that ravage many nations around the world? Where can one find refuge in the midst of violence, carnage and natural disasters?  Revelation chapters 8 & 9 speak directly to these sobering realities.https://midtownchurch.com/

As followers of Christ, we are called to endure numerous trials and hardships. During these struggles, we may sometimes wonder if God's ear is tuned to the prayers of His children. Do our prayers reach His glorious throne? Is He pleased to listen to our requests? Will He answer all our prayers? Answers to these questions are found in the first five verses of Revelation 8, where John sees the prayers of God's people, mingled with incense, presented before God, whose response is decisive! https://midtownchurch.com/

In a world of increasing trial and uncertainty, Revelation 7 answers the all-important question, “Who can stand?” Together we'll see how God's people are sealed by His Spirit to endure the storms of life and are being shepherded toward a glorious and eternal celebration where every tear will be wiped away. Discover how the safe and sealed church finds its ultimate victory, not through personal strength, but through the grace of the Lamb who was slain.https://midtownchurch.com/

War, suffering, sickness, and death are so normal in our world, and yet, in Revelation 4 and 5 John had just been caught up to behold the reality of God immovably seated on His throne. So if God really does reign over all the events of history, why do things seem to get so bad? As the seals of the scroll are broken in Revelation 6, we find an answer. https://midtownchurch.com/

God sits on His throne, not reacting to the events of this world, but sovereignly orchestrating a perfectly organized plan. A plan that requires a uniquely worthy individual—Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God. In Revelation 5, we see heaven and earth longing for God's plans to be fulfilled and praising the Son of God for His unique role in it all. https://midtownchurch.com/

When challenging or chaotic times, people always ask the question, “Where is leadership?” The question indicates our need for competent, capable leadership with the capacity to address the challenges effectively. We live in a broken chaotic world. Amidst the turmoil around us, we often wonder, “Where is God? Is he in control?” Answers to these questions are found in Revelation 4, a chapter that shows us who's unquestionably in charge, what it means and why it matters.https://midtownchurch.com/

Together we explore how renewal begins personally in the heart, expands through renewed leadership, and ultimately leads to corporate renewal within God's people, like ripples spreading across water. We will be using the story of Israel—especially the reforms under King Josiah in 2 Kings 21-23. As we enter a new year, the invitation is to consider what personal, leadership, and communal commitments God may be calling us to make so that His Spirit can bring ongoing, life-giving renewal day by day.https://midtownchurch.com/

In this text we will explore who Jesus Christ is, that he is preeminent over creation, preeminent over his new creation, and that he is the one who reconciled us to God by the blood of his cross. https://midtownchurch.com/

What child is this? How do people respond to the newborn king? When a new monarch ascends to power, some will celebrate, others will remain indifferent, and some will oppose him. The same reactions are seen when reading Matthew's account of the Magi visiting the newborn King in Matthew Chapter 2. The question worth considering this Christmas is, what is my response to the birth of this King? Am I a worshipper? Am I indifferent? Or am I hostile toward him?https://midtownchurch.com/

When the Christmas story is paired with the first carol many children learn, “Away in a Manger,” it can sometimes be reduced to little more than a charming bedtime story. Yet while this beautiful carol captures the warmth and emotion of Christmas, the Christmas story itself is far more than something merely “cute.” It tells, in profound and deliberate detail, how God drew near to humanity to “deliver and redeem a people for His own possession.”https://midtownchurch.com/

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In this four-part Advent series we are looking at four Christmas Carols and the history behind them. But most of all, we will consider the Scripture that motivated being written in the first place. Today we begin with Joy to the World, a song written by Isaac Watts and prompted by his reading of Psalm 98. https://midtownchurch.com/

This passage ends Jesus' letters to each of the seven churches of Revelation. In this letter Jesus writes to the church in Laodicea and calls them lukewarm and says that He wants to spit them out of His mouth! In this message we consider who Jesus is addressing exactly, the relevance to the church today and what the solution to lukewarmness is. https://midtownchurch.com/

All of Jesus' letters to the churches in Revelation are encouraging but Jesus' letter to Philadelphia, like His letter to Smyrna, is encouraging in a different way. In this message we look at four ways Jesus encourages the church so they continue to hold fast to what they have so no one seizes their crown. https://midtownchurch.com/

Our works matter to God, in fact, He prepared in advance the works we would walk in. But more important than the works we do is why we do them. In this letter to Sardis Jesus addresses the deadness of soul and heart that can be masked by good works and how to recover from it. https://midtownchurch.com/

The letter to the church in Thyatira is not only the longest of the 7 letters in Revelation 2 and 3 but the polar opposite of Jesus' letter to Ephesus. The church in Ephesus was faithful to God's Word but growing cold in love. But Thyatira was growing in love but compromising God's Word. What's worse? This message addresses that question and more. https://midtownchurch.com/

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There is a belief by some within Christianity that one's faith in Christ should guarantee health and wealth. But in this week's passage the church in Smyrna was a faithful church, with no rebuke or correction from Jesus, but were experiencing tribulation, poverty, slander and for some, prison and death. It's a text that drives the health and wealth proponents nuts and one important for all of us to learn from. https://midtownchurch.com/

As we thank God for His provisions this Thanksgiving, let's also consider the Lord's Harvest in Matthew 9:35-38. Jesus' compassion for the lost and suffering challenges believers to view their communities with the same compassion. While the world's brokenness reveals a great gospel need, there's also immense potential. However, with few labourers, the church faces a gospel crisis. Jesus' call is clear: to pray for workers to be sent out into His mission field.https://midtownchurch.com/

These days you can go online and find review of almost everything - from hotels and restaurants to barbershops, and even churches. Those types of reviews can be helpful, but they are highly subjective. But, what if there was a definitive review of specific churches given not by religious consumers, but by Jesus Himself? That is, in fact, what we find in the seven letters Jesus wrote to the seven churches of Asia Minor in the First Century. While these letters were written to specific churches in a specific time and place, they have enduring relevance for every church in every time and place. We begin with the church in Ephesus - a church with much to commend…and one glaring weakness.https://midtownchurch.com/

One of the beauties of Revelation is that it paints in pictures what words can't always convey. And that's especially true in today's text where John sees Jesus in His glorified state and writes down the wonderful and colourful ways He is depicted. We end this message by asking what this depiction of Jesus is meant to convey to us.https://midtownchurch.com/

In today's message we look at the greeting of John to the churches mentioned in chapters 2 and 3. It's a greeting of grace and peace from the triune God which breaks out into worship and ends with a joyful and sober reminder that Jesus is coming again. https://midtownchurch.com/

As we launch a new ministry year this Sunday we also begin a news series on Revelation 1-5. In today's message we highlight the unique nature of Revelation, what we need to know about it, and why this book is not only a blessing but so relevant today. https://midtownchurch.com/

Hebrews 12:18-24 presents a contrast of two mountains, Sinai and Zion, which represent the contrast of the old and new covenants. The message focuses on dynamics of new covenant life, including grace, joy, and the presence of God.https://midtownchurch.com/

In this final sermon in this series on Galatians Paul may have saved his best for last when saying in verse 14 that he boasts in nothing except on the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this sermon we consider two all important and urgent questions: what does a cross-centred life look like? And, why would anyone boast in the cross?https://midtownchurch.com/

In last week's text Paul wrote of how Christians are to be people who need to walk by the Spirit to have victory over the flesh. Additionally, he wrote that those who walk by the Spirit will bear the fruit of the Spirit. In this week's text he gets more practical and writes that those who walk by the Spirit will be people of restoration (done in a certain way), holiness and goodness. https://midtownchurch.com/

Too many Christians, it seems, are content to live idle lives. Happy to be forgiven of their sin but little or no movement thereafter. In this text Paul call his readers to be people of movement, ever ready for the battle that is ours, by way of the power of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.https://midtownchurch.com/

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If last week's text was Paul at his most emotional then this week's is Paul at his most confusing - at least on a first read. And yet, this text is beautifully helpful where Paul continues to fight for his theologically kidnapped children. He does this in three ways: he tells them an Old Testament story, he allegorizes it to their day, and leaves them with helpful application. https://midtownchurch.com/

The apostle Paul wrote 13 or perhaps, 14 New Testament letters. But what's contained in this text is Paul at his rawest and most emotional where he moves from theologian to a spiritual father seeking to rescue a wayward child. This text also includes what greatly motivates Paul and what should motivate us too: that Christ be formed in us and those we minister to.  https://midtownchurch.com/

One of the great things about the Christian faith is how deep into the weeds you can get with it. It's so simple that a child can understand it and yet, so complex that libraries can be filled with writing about it. In this message we step back from the beautiful complexities of the Christian faith and focus on the big picture of who we are now by faith in Christ - nothing less than a son of God.  https://midtownchurch.com/

What takes place when we move from being people living under the curse of the law to being people of faith? This message looks at three movements in the life of a believer: a move from the old law to another, a move from one status to another and a move from one future to another. https://midtownchurch.com/

This message revolves around the question, "why then the law?" If the keeping of the law doesn't bring the Holy Spirit, justification and wasn't meant to replace faith why did God give it? This sermon focuses on the law as a revealer of sin, a guardian from sin and makes us captive under sin. And ultimately, moving us to find salvation in the promise of God's seed, Jesus. https://midtownchurch.com/

Most of us know the challenge of navigating the disappointments of life with true faith. Each time things don't turn out the way we hoped, or our prayers seem to go unanswered, our hearts are tempted to become hard or bitter. What we don't always realize is the way God is working in and through those hardships to expose our hearts and draw us to himself in hope. This is what we find in our passage from 2 Kings 4:8-37https://midtownchurch.com/

This passage is one of the most important in all the Bible and includes one of the clearest definitions of the gospel found anywhere. Verse 13: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us." In this message we will consider why we are cursed, what is the curse that Jesus became, and what God in Christ offers in exchange of the curse. https://midtownchurch.com/

The churches in Galatia were buying into a gospel that was no gospel at all, specifically believing that what the Spirit of God begins in the life of Christian is to be completed by the works of the flesh. Paul calls them fools and reminds them that in the same way they were saved was to be the same way they lived. https://midtownchurch.com/

The tower of Babel was humanity coming together to make a name for themselves by trying to reach up to heaven. The result was God confusing their language and scattering them throughout the earth. This Pentecost Sunday we explore how Pentecost is the great Babel reversal.https://midtownchurch.com/

In this passage, Paul talks about how we are justified by faith rather than by works of the law. We explore what going "back to the law" looks like in a modern context.https://midtownchurch.com/

The coming of God's Spirit upon ‘impure' Gentiles, just as at Pentecost, was arguably the most challenging moment in apostolic history. No wonder it required the direct involvement of Peter—always listed first among the Twelve. However, it had such staggering implications for the new identity of God's people that even Peter began to have second thoughts. This week in Galatians we'll look at the extraordinary confrontation between Paul—the former Pharisee and one of the foremost Torah scholars of his day—and Peter. It's outcome determined the future of the church, with seismic implications for the place of the Mosaic Law.https://midtownchurch.com/

Paul has been put on the defense, people are doubting his call and his message. In today's text he defends both but reminding the churches in Galatia who called him, what he called him to, and what he called him for. https://midtownchurch.com/

There is great power in stories and in this week's text Paul tells his story in response to the errors in the thinking of the Galatians. In his story he emphasizes two things primarily - how he was saved and the gospel that saved him. https://midtownchurch.com/

In this passage, Paul expresses his astonishment at how quickly the churches in Galatia were deserting the one who had called them in grace. This message considers what the gospel is, who is the gospel is, and why there is no other.https://midtownchurch.com/

In this kick off message to series on Galatians - No Other Gospel - we look at the greeting of Paul to the churches located in the Roman province of Galatia. What we see from the beginning is Paul's strong defense of the gospel and defense of his own apostolic ministry. https://midtownchurch.com/

In this Resurrection Sunday message on the final week of Jesus we look at the reaction and belief and nonbelief of those who saw the empty tomb. From Mary who saw it and ran wondering where they had taken Jesus. And Peter who saw it marvelled. And John who saw the emptiness and believed. https://midtownchurch.com/

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The footwashing of the disciples by Jesus is one of the most stunning yet misunderstood and misapplied events in the final days of Jesus. In this message we consider what the footwashing displayed, symbolized and calls Jesus' all of Jesus' disciples to. https://midtownchurch.com/

 It can be hard enough to properly assess the truth of something we're looking at in a day and age where AI/"Deep Fake" technology makes it nearly impossible.  But it can be equally hard to assess the truth of something whenever we bring our various biases/preconceived ideas to bear on it.  This Sunday we'll look at the account of Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem from John's Gospel and explore the way the biases of the various players John describes as witnesses of that event skew their interpretation of it. We'll consider as well about how those same biases can skew our vision of Jesus today.https://midtownchurch.com/

We finish our hard sayings of Jesus series with this message and in it we go full circle by going back to John 6 which contains the verse - verse 60 - that serves as the impetus behind this series. In this final message we consider one question: if the hard sayings of Jesus cause so many to stumble and turn back, why are so many of them contained in the gospel accounts?https://midtownchurch.com/

Nobody likes to wait, it seems like such a waste of time. And yet, the Bible has a lot of positive things to say about waiting and the importance of waiting well. In the parable of the ten virgins Jesus reveals how we are to live in readiness of His return but how to wait well if His return is delayed. https://midtownchurch.com/