Redeemer Presbyterian Church

This sermon deconstructs the common misinterpretation of "Judge not, that you be not judged," showing that Jesus wasn't forbidding all forms of judgment. When read in its proper biblical context, Matthew 7:1 prohibits hypocritical and self-righteous judgment, but not righteous assessments. Church elders righteously judge the members of their congregation in matters of life, faith, and doctrine. This is how Jesus watches over the souls of His people.

Jesus knows that we have a strong desire for praise and approval from our fellow man, so He commands us to watch out that we don't do public religious acts to be seen by men. Jesus teaches that to act pious to be seen my men is the sin of hypocrisy.

A healthy and robust theology of God's character and sovereignty helps us embrace the unexpected circumstances that develop in our lives.

John provides marks of genuine faith that Christians can use to know they have eternal life: (1) love for the brethren, (2) keeping the Lord's commands, (3) personal sanctification, (4) and having the Holy Spirit dwelling within.

The perfection Jesus demands in Matthew 5:48 is not according to our own righteousness, but it's His righteousness which is imputed to believers by faith. This passage challenges us to love our "enemies"—an expanded definition of "neighbor" that includes people who are difficult to love—as a mark of genuine faith.

The "eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth" principle has always been intended for civil judges to administer just, proportionate punishments, not for private individuals to seek personal vengeance. Jesus teaches private individuals to respond to evil and mistreatment with the type of kindness and generosity that heaps coals of fire on the evildoers' heads.

This sermon explores the nature of oaths, particularly in light of Jesus' teachings in Matthew 5 and 23. Jesus exposes the sinful and deceptive oath-making practices of the Pharisees, but He doesn't forbid all oaths. Several examples of mandatory and voluntary oaths are cited from the Old and New Testaments, including God's own oaths, showing that swearing an oath in God's name is morally permissible.

This sermon defines and interacts with four different views of divorce and remarriage: (1) the permanence view, (2) the semi-permanence view, (3) the traditional view, and (4) the liberal view.

This sermon is the first of two parts, laying the groundwork for a biblical understanding of divorce and remarriage.

Jesus teaches that lusting in one's heart violates the spirit of the seventh commandment. He prescribes severe measures for dealing with this stubborn sin

Jesus shows that the moral law of God must be understood both in the "letter" and "spirit" of the commandments. Focusing only on one or the other leads to errors and legalism.

The fifth commandment includes a promise of long life in the land. This isn't just about individual longevity, but societal prosperity rooted in healthy families. Honoring parents, even as adults, reflects our obedience to God and contributes to a stable and prosperous society.

The book of Obadiah contains a surprising communication of hope amidst judgment. Despite Judah's sin and lack of repentance, God promises her restoration based on His sovereign election and mercy. This is not the case with Edom's, however, who receives a declaration of destruction from the Lord. Romans 9:13 helps us understand the mercy God showed to Judah (Jacob) and the severe judgment He showed to Edom (Esau).

Being salt and light is rooted in keeping and teaching God's moral law.

As the "firstfruits," Jesus' glorious bodily resurrection guarantees believers that we will enjoy a glorious bodily resurrection, as well. This knowledge motivates us to persevere in hope through the everyday affairs of our lives.

In cleansing the temple, Jesus is setting true worship apart from hypocritical worship. True worship is conducted in spirit and truth, where God is graciously gathering outcasts from all nations into His house of worship. Hypocritical worship is founded on the lie that a sinner can escape the wages of his sin simply by going through the external motions of worship.

"Persecution" not only includes severe forms, like torture and martyrdom, but also milder forms, like reviling and slander. Genuine Christians will experience persecution because of our commitment to Jesus Christ and righteousness. The temptation is to deny Christ in order to escape persecution. While this is a serious sin, Peter's denial and restoration shows that God's grace abounds even above such sin.

When we distinguish between natural, preternatural, and supernatural, we understand how demons, like Python in Acts 16:16, can manipulate and deceive through diviners and fortunetellers.