Matt 27 is the climax of the clash between the Pharisees and Sadducees, on the one hand, and Jesus on the other. This climax includes the death and burial of Christ, but today we stressed the rest of the story. They are still eager to accuse Jesus (cf. v.12-14), they have envy coming out of their evil hearts (v.18) as even Pilate can see, and they view Jesus as the antichrist before and after His death (v.42-43 and 63-64). They need Jesus and so do you. He saw to the work of covering sins with His death. And His Spirit can transform you from envying others to having good intentions and a good will toward others, and from eagerness to accuse others to a deep self-examination, and to see Jesus as the Christ.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: envy, heart, Matthew, Pharisees, Pilate, Sadducees

Matt 27 is the climax of the clash between the Pharisees and Sadducees, on the one hand, and Jesus on the other. This climax includes the death and burial of Christ, but today we stressed the rest of the story. They are still eager to accuse Jesus (cf. v.12-14), they have envy coming out of their evil hearts (v.18) as even Pilate can see, and they view Jesus as the antichrist before and after His death (v.42-43 and 63-64). They need Jesus and so do you. He saw to the work of covering sins with His death. And His Spirit can transform you from envying others to having good intentions and a good will toward others, and from eagerness to accuse others to a deep self-examination, and to see Jesus as the Christ.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: antichrist, death, envy, heart, Matthew, Pharisees, Pilate, Sadducees

Matthew 22:15-46 is a war of words over the Word of God. We all have questions about the Word of God that we would like Jesus to answer but the Pharisees and Sadducees had much more sinister intentions. Ultimately the Scriptures are about the person and work of Jesus Christ. Thus in answer to the controversy over paying the tax of the denarius the point is that Jesus is the very image of the invisible God and His work is one of renewing His people in the image of God. And in the encounter with the Sadducees, the point is that Jesus is the bride-groom of the church and His work is one of purifying her to be His virgin bride. And in the final contest with the Pharisees, Jesus is the Lord of David because Jesus is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings and if David was the man after God's own heart how much more so was this the case for Jesus who died for His neighbors' sins. Jesus is the King who conquers hearts. These three themes are all connected because they are all about total devotion to God. Rendering ourselves to God because we are being renewed in His image. Loving Jesus as our only husband. And loving the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind and your neighbor as yourself. TOTAL devotion.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: bride, christ, David, heart, image of God, marriage, Matthew, Pharisees, Sadducees, shema

Matthew 22:15-46 is a war of words over the Word of God. We all have questions about the Word of God that we would like Jesus to answer but the Pharisees and Sadducees had much more sinister intentions. Ultimately the Scriptures are about the person and work of Jesus Christ. Thus in answer to the controversy over paying the tax of the denarius the point is that Jesus is the very image of the invisible God and His work is one of renewing His people in the image of God. And in the encounter with the Sadducees, the point is that Jesus is the bride-groom of the church and His work is one of purifying her to be His virgin bride. And in the final contest with the Pharisees, Jesus is the Lord of David because Jesus is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings and if David was the man after God's own heart how much more so was this the case for Jesus who died for His neighbors' sins. Jesus is the King who conquers hearts. These three themes are all connected because they are all about total devotion to God. Rendering ourselves to God because we are being renewed in His image. Loving Jesus as our only husband. And loving the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind and your neighbor as yourself. TOTAL devotion.


Click title or here to listen.

Labels: bride, christ, David, heart, image of God, Matthew, Pharisees, Sadducees, shema

Matthew 15:1-16:12 shows us how Jesus' teaching is the exact opposite of the Pharisees' teaching. Jesus fulfills the word/law of God. The Pharisees make void the word of God because they have elevated the tradition of the elders to the same level as the word of God. Jesus seeks change from the inside out -- from the heart to the mouth. The Pharisees are concerned with outward conformity -- ceremonial washings. Jesus can interpret the signs of the times (his miracles). The Pharisees can interpret the signs of the sky for the weather. The danger is that the Pharisees' teachings if they get a foothold in the church would spread to the whole like leaven works in dough. And this is easy to fall into since we often respond to Pharisees by becoming Pharisees.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: heart, Matthew, Pharisees, signs, tradition

Matthew 15:1-16:12 shows us how Jesus' teaching is the exact opposite of the Pharisees' teaching. Jesus fulfills the word/law of God. The Pharisees make void the word of God because they have elevated the tradition of the elders to the same level as the word of God. Jesus seeks change from the inside out -- from the heart to the mouth. The Pharisees are concerned with outward conformity -- ceremonial washings. Jesus can interpret the signs of the times (his miracles). The Pharisees can interpret the signs of the sky for the weather. The danger is that the Pharisees' teachings if they get a foothold in the church would spread to the whole like leaven works in dough. And this is easy to fall into since we often respond to Pharisees by becoming Pharisees.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: heart, Matthew, Pharisees, signs, tradition

In our first of several sermons on the clash between the Pharisees and Jesus, Matthew 12 shows us the god and idol of the religious, the heart of the religious, and the attitudes and actions of the religious. Religion here means the opposite of grace -- salvation through works. The religious, from evil hearts, worship Satan as their god using the idol of rules. As a result it is no surprise that their actions (especially their words) and attitudes are evil. They look for a way to accuse Jesus, they are judgmental, compare themselves to others defensively, and defensively assert their own righteousness instead of resting in Christ's righteousness. The religious way to avoid Jesus is to attempt to avoid sin. But the only way of salvation is Jesus Christ.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: christ, grace, heart, idolatry, idols, judge, Matthew, Pharisees, sacrifices, satan, worship

In our first of several sermons on the clash between the Pharisees and Jesus, Matthew 12 shows us the god and idol of the religious, the heart of the religious, and the attitudes and actions of the religious. Religion here means the opposite of grace -- salvation through works. The religious, from evil hearts, worship Satan as their god using the idol of rules. As a result it is no surprise that their actions (especially their words) and attitudes are evil. They look for a way to accuse Jesus, they are judgmental, compare themselves to others defensively, and defensively assert their own righteousness instead of resting in Christ's righteousness. The religious way to avoid Jesus is to attempt to avoid sin. But the only way of salvation is Jesus Christ.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: christ, grace, heart, idolatry, idols, judge, Matthew, Pharisees, righteousness, salvation, satan

Joshua 24:1-28 again challenges and encourages the people of God to follow the LORD God in wholeness (with all of your heart and soul, or in spirit, or in Spirit) and in truth. The most quoted passage in Joshua, "Choose this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (24:15) is not directed to people out there (evangelism) but to the people of God. The passage reminds us on this side of the cross of God's story that is our story in Christ and that we are able to serve the LORD wholeheartedly because we have the Holy Spirit He poured out on Pentecost. Able to choose not to sin because of the Spirit, Christians live a lifestyle of putting off idols of the heart. The challenge of the message is to identify and attack your idols one by one. May you grow in grace as you hear the proclamation of the word. Amen.

Click the title or here to listen.

Labels: christ, evangelism, heart, idolatry, idols, joshua, serve, soul, spirit, worship

Joshua 24:1-28 again challenges and encourages the people of God to follow the LORD God in wholeness (with all of your heart and soul, or in spirit, or in Spirit) and in truth. The most quoted passage in Joshua, "Choose this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (24:15) is not directed to people out there (evangelism) but to the people of God. The passage reminds us on this side of the cross of God's story that is our story in Christ and that we are able to serve the LORD wholeheartedly because we have the Holy Spirit He poured out on Pentecost. Able to choose not to sin because of the Spirit, Christians live a lifestyle of putting off idols of the heart. The challenge of the message is to identify and attack your idols one by one. May you grow in grace as you hear the proclamation of the word. Amen.

Click the title or here to listen.

Labels: christ, evangelism, heart, idolatry, idols, joshua, serve, soul, spirit, worship

Joshua 23 repeats the same lesson as the rest of the book with a twist: instead of stressing serving the Lord your God with all of your heart and soul it stresses NOT serving other gods. We approached the book looking to be encouraged to evangelize others, but the book tells us to start with our own hearts and souls and walk. Regarding that walk the emphasis of Joshua 23 is on not mixing with the nations so that you cannot tell them apart. This is a lesson that still very much applies to you through the cross. The reasons the text gives to encourage you to avoid getting caught up in the ways of the world are that the LORD fights for you and that not one word of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you have failed.

Click the title or here to listen. Please pray for my bronchitis to go away.

Labels: cross, evangelism, heart, joshua, promises, serve, soul, walk, worship

Joshua 23 repeats the same lesson as the rest of the book with a twist: instead of stressing serving the Lord your God with all of your heart and soul it stresses NOT serving other gods. We approached the book looking to be encouraged to evangelize others, but the book tells us to start with our own hearts and souls and walk. Regarding that walk the emphasis of Joshua 23 is on not mixing with the nations so that you cannot tell them apart. This is a lesson that still very much applies to you through the cross. The reasons the text gives to encourage you to avoid getting caught up in the ways of the world are that the LORD fights for you and that not one word of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you have failed.

Click the title or here to listen.

Labels: cross, evangelism, heart, joshua, promises, serve, soul, walk

See previous description.

Click here to listen to the sermon at Shepard Memorial.

Labels: burnt offerings, grain offerings, heart, joshua, peace offerings, sacrifices, serve, shema, soul, witness, worship

Joshua 22 reminds the people of Israel that no matter where they go they need to return to the place God has chosen and serve Him. How? First, they were to observe all that Moses commanded with all their heart and soul. Second, in particular this means they were to serve at Shiloh. Thus the theme is that they are to offer their burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings in loving service of the LORD their God with all their heart and soul at Shiloh. Applying this text to the generations after AD 70 (the destruction of Jerusalem prophesied by Jesus) takes some study. For Judaism this study is Torah and Talmud study, and especially reading the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4 especially). This application of the text is appropriate because of many points of contact between Deuteronomy 6:4ff and Joshua 22. But the verse has a different meaning for Christians. The difference is Jesus Christ. Jesus is LORD. And His work of death on the cross, resurrection to glory, and sending the Spirit on Pentecost changes the purpose of this text for us to observing all that the LORD Jesus Christ commanded and serving sacrifices of praise in the congregation, which is the tabernacle of God. May we all testify and witness to our faith in Him in the congregation. Amen.

Click here or title in order to listen to the sermon at Peter Creek.

Labels: burnt offerings, grain offerings, heart, joshua, peace offerings, sacrifices, serve, shema, soul, witness, worship