Sermons on Lordship
Good Tidings of Great Joy
Sermon text: Luke 2:10-14 Most people, even those who only have a passing knowledge of Scripture, know Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus. It’s a moving and powerful recounting of our Savior’s entry into this world as a baby. Within this passage, we see the announcement of the birth to shepherds abiding in the fields. The proclamation made to them by the angel and then the angelic host is worthy of a deeper reflection.
Qualities of the King
Sermon text: Isaiah 9:6-7 Over seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah prophesied about Him coming to earth. In the midst of his prophetic announcement, Isaiah gives three descriptions and four titles for the coming Messiah. The descriptions tell us about His humanity and His servanthood. The titles give us a picture of His divinity. Together they speak of the One who is fully God and fully man, who came to save the world from sin.
Just Love Jesus
Sermon text: Philippians 1:21 We love Jesus because He first loved us. But does that love inform all that we do in serving Him? It’s easy to get caught up in doing kingdom work in our own power. While that doesn’t seem so bad at first blush, it’s not what Jesus wants. The church at Ephesus was guilty of this and Jesus told them they needed to repent. He doesn’t want people driven by duty and religion. He wants followers…
Follow Jesus on Purpose
Sermon text: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 The apostle Paul was asked about eating meat offered to pagan idols. A key to his response was to not allow our rights to hurt others. As Paul unpacked this concept, he talked about the Christian life as a race. He explained that every follower of Christ needs to follow Him on purpose. Aimlessness and imprecision will not get the job done. Instead, the follower of Jesus must willingly discipline the flesh in order to…
Completion Guaranteed
Sermon text: Philippians 1:6 Contrary to what many believe, none of us can merit God’s forgiveness. Our salvation is entirely through His grace. Once a person repents and asks Jesus to be their Savior and Lord, the process of Christian maturity begins. This is also referred to in Scripture as completing and perfecting. But we’re not left to do this on our own. God, who started the good work of salvation, is faithful to carry us to maturity. The challenge…
Faith
Sermon text: Hebrews 11:1-6 Faith is one of the most prevalent themes in Scripture. The “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews brings much of this together in one chapter. The writer of Hebrews begins this famous roll call with a short explanation of biblical faith. While not an exhaustive treatment of what faith means, it captures its essence. These few verses also challenge the Christian to draw closer to God and His Word.
Follow
Sermon text: Luke 9:57-62 Following Jesus is not about staying in your comfort zone. It’s not supposed to be convenient. It’s not about just fitting Jesus into your already crowded schedule. Following Jesus means putting His priorities above your own. It means counting the cost and then serving Him with gusto. To truly follow Jesus means doing whatever it takes to bring Him glory.
The Good Kid
Sermon text: 1 Peter 1:13-16 All who call on Christ as their Lord have hope for their future. Scripture has many verses that assure us of this fact. But often that hope can be clouded by the cares and distractions of this world. Early in his first epistle Peter warns his readers to avoid this pitfall. Using the example of an obedient child he tells us to live holy lives. We need to not conform to the world in which…
Think Like Jesus
Sermon text: Philippians 2:5-13 Jesus was the greatest servant who ever walked the earth. In fact, His very mission was to come here to serve the most people. He accomplished that task perfectly, in that He took our sin upon Himself on the cross. The apostle Paul makes it very clear in the focal verse for this sermon that Jesus is the very embodiment of how we should live our lives. But not just in how we act. We should…
Things We (Should) Know
Sermon text: 1 John 5:18-20 At the very end of his first epistle, the aged apostle John lists some basic truths. He prefaces each with the phrase “we know.” These facts relate to how sin affects believers, the difference between those how follow Christ and those who don’t, and how we have been given spiritual understanding. Internalizing these can help us to better deal with the world around us and put our reliance on Jesus.