The King and His Kingdom
The King Who Calls Us to Go—Matthew 28:16-20—April 28, 2019
Imagine if mail delivery men and women across America quit delivering packages. It would be pandemonium. Each of us has a message to deliver from the King of heaven and earth that is of the utmost urgency and we must take it seriously. Join us as we look at the Great Commission to answer why we should go, where we should go, and how we should go with this message.
The King's Last Week: Sunday—The King Who Rose from the Dead—Matthew 28:1-15—April 21, 2019
The last place one would expect to find hope and joy and peace and life is in a tomb. Yet this is what our Savior does. Here we see the crazy news that King Jesus came back from the dead, the differing responses to the news from the women and the guards, and the challenge before us. Will we respond as the women or as the guards? Will we joyfully and reverently proclaim this good news with our lips and lives, or will we suppress the truth of the resurrection and live like nothing important has happened?
The King's Last Week: Friday/Saturday—The King Who Was Crucified—Matthew 26:57-27:66—April 19, 2019
At this Good Friday service, we reflected on why we call it "Good" Friday. What could possibly be good on this most tragic of all days? It was good because Christ traded places with us (27:15-23), granted access to us (27:50-51), and tasted death for us (27:57-66). This means we have been given Christ's righteousness, can now draw near to God with confidence, and our future death has been translated into the doorways to eternal life in Christ's presence.
The King's Last Week: Thursday—The King Who Was Betrayed—Matthew 26:17-56—April 14, 2019
Many have known the pain of loneliness, despair, betrayal, and desertion. But none except Jesus knew the true depths of this despair. The fact that Jesus endured all this and yet said it was to fulfill Scripture, should encourage us. If the most horrific and worst 24 hours possible was a part of God's good plan, then the seemingly random and tragic events of our lives do not take God by surprise.
The King's Last Week: Tuesday/Wednesday—The King Who Will Return—Matthew 21:18-26:16—April 7, 2019
Nobody likes those dreams where they find themselves at work or in school and realize they have no clothes on. The feeling of being exposed before the eyes of others is not a good one. Yet Jesus warned that we will all be exposed one day before God on Judgment Day. We must turn from covering ourselves with the fig leaves of self-made religion and instead clothe ourselves in the righteousness of Christ by faith. The religious leaders bore no spiritual fruit, but had a lot of religious fig leaves on them. Jesus warns us against playing religion and calls us to faith alone in Him alone. He will one day examine fruitfulness and reward faithfulness for those who have been good stewards of what God entrusted.
The King's Last Week: Monday—The King Who Cleaned House—Matthew 21:12-17 —March 31, 2019
Spring cleaning is something we all do. The dirt and dust pile up over winter and during Spring, we can finally air things out and get out the cleaning supplies. When Jesus came into the Temple, he discovered that the religious leaders had let impurity into the people's worship. They were allowing people to sell and trade in the Temple precinct, and were turning this place of worship into a cave for stashing stolen goods. This teaches us that Jesus demands purity in our worship.
The King's Last Week: Sunday—The King Who Rode A Donkey—Matthew 21:1-11—March 24, 2019
What if you knew this were the last week of your life? How would you live differently? You probably wouldn't waste a minute of time, but with live with great intention and purpose. Jesus' last week was spent with great purpose and focus, yet also with great sacrificial love. Join us as we consider the first of the last week of Jesus' earthly life.
"THE KING & HIS KINGDOM: THE KING'S COMING DEATH"—MATTHEW 16:13-20:34—MARCH 17, 2019
It is not easy receiving bad news. Sometimes it confuses us, distresses us, or we simply choose to ignore it. Either way, we learn from today's message that we can trust Christ in troubling times because He endured a cross for us. The Son chose to suffer so that we might be eternally comforted. The Exalted One chose to be humiliated so that we might be exalted. The King of Heaven chose to drink the cup of suffering so that we might drink the cup of God's blessing. This helps us to endure troubling times as we look to the cross our King bore for us.
"THE KING & HIS KINGDOM: A CLASH OF KINGDOMS"—MATTHEW 13:53-16:12—MARCH 10, 2019
Everywhere the mission of Jesus advances in the world, it will face opposition. Nobody likes friction, but its simply part of being a Christian in a sin-cursed world and we must embrace the suffering Christ has called us to. Since Jesus endured suffering on our behalf and kept moving forward in love for sinners, we can suffer for Christ with that same love for sinners propelling us.
"THE KING & HIS KINGDOM: PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM"—MATTHEW 13:1-52—MARCH 3, 2019
We all have a tendency to judge things by appearances. Yet in Matthew 13, Jesus says we shouldn't judge the growth of God's kingdom merely by appearances. God's kingdom will grow in ways many of us may not see from the outside, and yet we must be faithful to plant the Gospel seed far and wide, pray for God to grow the seed, and await the final results on Judgment Day.
"THE KING & HIS KINGDOM: THE KING'S GROWING MINISTRY"—MATTHEW 8-12—FEB. 10, 2019
In this message we pick back up in the Gospel according to Matthew. We left off with Jesus' powerful teaching, but now we see that He is not all talk. In chapters 8-12, Jesus displays His power and issues all-embracing commands to His disciples. Join us as we study the power of the King, the identity of the King, and the demands of the King.
"TIME TO RESPOND"- MATTHEW 7:13-29- JULY 21, 2018
In this last sermon in our series on the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus refuses to let us walk out of church without responding. He won't let this sermon go in one ear and out the other. In this message, we take a look at the two paths, the two trees, and the two builders and are challenged to a personal, saving relationship with Christ the is lived out on a daily basis.
"THE GOLDEN RULE"- MATTHEW 7:12- JULY 15, 2018
Practically everyone knows what the golden rule is, but it is rare to see it lived out. Due to our fallen condition, we have more self love than anything else. In this short verse, Jesus shows us that this selfless love is at the heart of God's Law and yet only He demonstrated it at the cross. Those of us who are now born again by His Spirit and have been united to Christ by faith can display this other-worldly love each day. We must love others as those who have been so deeply loved in Christ.
"GOD'S BIG INVITATION"- MATTHEW 7:7-11- JULY 8, 2018
In our passage today, Jesus gives us an offer we can't refuse: God will provide for His children if they will only learn to ask. But how can Jesus make such a promise? Haven't we all prayed for things and them not come true? Join us as we see how God is still faithful to His promise to give His children "good things," even though from our perspective it doesn't appear to be the case.
"JUDGING OTHERS"- MATTHEW 7:1-6- JULY 1, 2018
Referees and judges have a lot of responsibility because justice and fairness are part of their jobs. Nobody likes an unjust judge or a partial referee, yet this is precisely our problem when we judge others. Whenever we take the law into our own hands and criticize and speak evil of one another, we are trying to take God's place. Jesus teaches us here the danger of harsh judging and the importance of righteous judgment in our relationships.
"REASONS NOT TO WORRY"- MATTHEW 6:25-34- JUNE 24, 2018
We all have things we worry about, but Jesus here shows us how absurd it is for us to worry about anything. Jesus gives us five reasons why we shouldn't worry and concludes by calling us to make it a priority to know God and make Him known. We learn here the importance of trusting our Father's provision and living for His praise.
"OUR GREATEST TREASURE"- MATTHEW 6:19-24- JUNE 3, 2018
It is so easy to treasure things inappropriately and not treasure God as He fully deserves. In our passage this morning, Jesus teaches us the importance of keeping God on the throne of our affections. We learn not to waste our lives collecting "monopoly" money, but rather to spend our lives building eternal riches, and all of this stemming from a proper valuing of God over self.
"WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO"- MATTHEW 6:1-18- MAY 27, 2018
With all the news of mass shootings these days, everyone is curious to discover the motive behind them. But in our passage today, Jesus warns us to beware of our motives even when we do righteous things. In all the righteous deeds we do, we must beware of man-centered religion, strive for God-centered worship, and trust that God sees in secret.
"LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS"- MATTHEW 5:17-48- APRIL 29, 2018
Do Christians need to worry about following the Law of God in the Old Testament, or is it just important to follow Jesus? In today's message, we'll see that Christ came to fulfill the Law in us by giving us the Spirit so that we could keep it. We'll also see that the Christian's obedience is from the heart and goes to the motives and thoughts, whereas hypocritical law-keeping only checks off boxes and doesn't love God or neighbor at all.
"SALT & LIGHT"- MATTHEW 5:13-16- APRIL 22, 2018
Join us as we study what Jesus meant when he called us the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world." We'll discover that the only way we can expect to make an impact on this world is by our being different from it.
"THE MARKS OF CHRIST'S CHURCH"- MATTHEW 5:1-12- APRIL 8, 2018
What distinguishes the church from the world? This is what Jesus identifies in the Beatitudes. We'll discover that Jesus calls blessed those whose lives have been changed by his grace and who stand out in this world. We'll also see what that means for our future hope.
"The King's Gospel"- Matthew 4:12-25- February 4, 2018
In this study, we discover what it means to be a part of Christ's kingdom. Only those who turn from their sins to Christ, leave all other commitments behind, and follow Christ can be in God's kingdom. Those of us who have joined God's kingdom must remember that God's kingdom has not yet come in its complete fullness, so we must long for our reward in heaven.
"The King's Test"- Matthew 4:1-11- January 28, 2018
Not many of us would choose to march right into the heart of darkness, but that is exactly what Jesus does. Jesus allowed himself to be tempted by the Devil so that he could prove he was the sinless Son of God. Jesus not only defeated Satan for us, but he also teaches us how to overcome similar temptations we all face.
"The King's Baptism"- Matthew 3:1-17- January 14, 2018
What does it mean to repent? Contrary to popular belief, true repentance is not sorrow over sin. Rather repentance is a change of mind that results in a total change of lifestyle. We see from John the Baptist's preaching that to repent means to turn not only from sin, but also to Christ. Jesus has the power to change us on the inside, because He alone is God's Son who came to live the righteous life we never could. He freely gives His righteousness to us when we turn in faith to Him.
"The King's Safety"- Matthew 2:13-23- January 7, 2018
Abortion is truly an ugly enterprise, yet thank the Lord we were not aborted and we can also praise the Lord that Jesus' life wasn't taken at the age of two by Herod. We learn from this text that God spared his Son from Herod so that he could deliver his Son to Pilate. Why did Jesus need to live another 30 years on earth? Because he needed to live out the righteous life we couldn't and prove himself to be our perfect and sinless Substitute. Today we learn that no force of evil can stop God's plan, no amount of pain can tear us from God's love, and no change of conditions can alter God's faithfulness.
"The King's Visit"- Matthew 2:1-12- December 24, 2017
News has a way of exposing what we value. Sports news will excite some, anger others, and bore others. When news of Jesus' birth came, the wise men traveled far to worship him, Herod became infuriated and plotted to kill him, while all Jerusalem grew troubled over what might happen. It is important for us to consider how we respond to Christmas: either we will bow in worship to Jesus or worship our own selfish desires.
"The King's Birth"- Matthew 1:18-25- December 17, 2017
Naming a child is one of the most meaningful things a new parent has the honor of doing, but when it came to Jesus, God the Father came up with His name. Joseph was still asked to take part by naming him Jesus at his birth, for this may have been the only way he was truly the Son of David through Joseph's line. We'll see the birth of Christ from Mary's perspective, Joseph's, and Isaiah's, and we'll be drawn to worship Jesus rightly only once we understand his purpose in coming.
"The King's Ancestry"- Matthew 1:1-17- December 10, 2017
Researching one's family tree often reveals a few unsavory characters. Jesus' family tree is no different. From names like Abraham and David, we learn that Jesus is Israel's long-awaited Messiah and King. Other names in Jesus' family tree include Tamar and Rahab and the wife of Uriah, which remind us that no sinner is too broken for Christ to save. Join us as we see what it means that Jesus is the son of Abraham, the son of David, and the son of Mary.
Imagine if mail delivery men and women across America quit delivering packages. It would be pandemonium. Each of us has a message to deliver from the King of heaven and earth that is of the utmost urgency and we must take it seriously. Join us as we look at the Great Commission to answer why we should go, where we should go, and how we should go with this message.
The King's Last Week: Sunday—The King Who Rose from the Dead—Matthew 28:1-15—April 21, 2019
The last place one would expect to find hope and joy and peace and life is in a tomb. Yet this is what our Savior does. Here we see the crazy news that King Jesus came back from the dead, the differing responses to the news from the women and the guards, and the challenge before us. Will we respond as the women or as the guards? Will we joyfully and reverently proclaim this good news with our lips and lives, or will we suppress the truth of the resurrection and live like nothing important has happened?
The King's Last Week: Friday/Saturday—The King Who Was Crucified—Matthew 26:57-27:66—April 19, 2019
At this Good Friday service, we reflected on why we call it "Good" Friday. What could possibly be good on this most tragic of all days? It was good because Christ traded places with us (27:15-23), granted access to us (27:50-51), and tasted death for us (27:57-66). This means we have been given Christ's righteousness, can now draw near to God with confidence, and our future death has been translated into the doorways to eternal life in Christ's presence.
The King's Last Week: Thursday—The King Who Was Betrayed—Matthew 26:17-56—April 14, 2019
Many have known the pain of loneliness, despair, betrayal, and desertion. But none except Jesus knew the true depths of this despair. The fact that Jesus endured all this and yet said it was to fulfill Scripture, should encourage us. If the most horrific and worst 24 hours possible was a part of God's good plan, then the seemingly random and tragic events of our lives do not take God by surprise.
The King's Last Week: Tuesday/Wednesday—The King Who Will Return—Matthew 21:18-26:16—April 7, 2019
Nobody likes those dreams where they find themselves at work or in school and realize they have no clothes on. The feeling of being exposed before the eyes of others is not a good one. Yet Jesus warned that we will all be exposed one day before God on Judgment Day. We must turn from covering ourselves with the fig leaves of self-made religion and instead clothe ourselves in the righteousness of Christ by faith. The religious leaders bore no spiritual fruit, but had a lot of religious fig leaves on them. Jesus warns us against playing religion and calls us to faith alone in Him alone. He will one day examine fruitfulness and reward faithfulness for those who have been good stewards of what God entrusted.
The King's Last Week: Monday—The King Who Cleaned House—Matthew 21:12-17 —March 31, 2019
Spring cleaning is something we all do. The dirt and dust pile up over winter and during Spring, we can finally air things out and get out the cleaning supplies. When Jesus came into the Temple, he discovered that the religious leaders had let impurity into the people's worship. They were allowing people to sell and trade in the Temple precinct, and were turning this place of worship into a cave for stashing stolen goods. This teaches us that Jesus demands purity in our worship.
The King's Last Week: Sunday—The King Who Rode A Donkey—Matthew 21:1-11—March 24, 2019
What if you knew this were the last week of your life? How would you live differently? You probably wouldn't waste a minute of time, but with live with great intention and purpose. Jesus' last week was spent with great purpose and focus, yet also with great sacrificial love. Join us as we consider the first of the last week of Jesus' earthly life.
"THE KING & HIS KINGDOM: THE KING'S COMING DEATH"—MATTHEW 16:13-20:34—MARCH 17, 2019
It is not easy receiving bad news. Sometimes it confuses us, distresses us, or we simply choose to ignore it. Either way, we learn from today's message that we can trust Christ in troubling times because He endured a cross for us. The Son chose to suffer so that we might be eternally comforted. The Exalted One chose to be humiliated so that we might be exalted. The King of Heaven chose to drink the cup of suffering so that we might drink the cup of God's blessing. This helps us to endure troubling times as we look to the cross our King bore for us.
"THE KING & HIS KINGDOM: A CLASH OF KINGDOMS"—MATTHEW 13:53-16:12—MARCH 10, 2019
Everywhere the mission of Jesus advances in the world, it will face opposition. Nobody likes friction, but its simply part of being a Christian in a sin-cursed world and we must embrace the suffering Christ has called us to. Since Jesus endured suffering on our behalf and kept moving forward in love for sinners, we can suffer for Christ with that same love for sinners propelling us.
"THE KING & HIS KINGDOM: PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM"—MATTHEW 13:1-52—MARCH 3, 2019
We all have a tendency to judge things by appearances. Yet in Matthew 13, Jesus says we shouldn't judge the growth of God's kingdom merely by appearances. God's kingdom will grow in ways many of us may not see from the outside, and yet we must be faithful to plant the Gospel seed far and wide, pray for God to grow the seed, and await the final results on Judgment Day.
"THE KING & HIS KINGDOM: THE KING'S GROWING MINISTRY"—MATTHEW 8-12—FEB. 10, 2019
In this message we pick back up in the Gospel according to Matthew. We left off with Jesus' powerful teaching, but now we see that He is not all talk. In chapters 8-12, Jesus displays His power and issues all-embracing commands to His disciples. Join us as we study the power of the King, the identity of the King, and the demands of the King.
"TIME TO RESPOND"- MATTHEW 7:13-29- JULY 21, 2018
In this last sermon in our series on the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus refuses to let us walk out of church without responding. He won't let this sermon go in one ear and out the other. In this message, we take a look at the two paths, the two trees, and the two builders and are challenged to a personal, saving relationship with Christ the is lived out on a daily basis.
"THE GOLDEN RULE"- MATTHEW 7:12- JULY 15, 2018
Practically everyone knows what the golden rule is, but it is rare to see it lived out. Due to our fallen condition, we have more self love than anything else. In this short verse, Jesus shows us that this selfless love is at the heart of God's Law and yet only He demonstrated it at the cross. Those of us who are now born again by His Spirit and have been united to Christ by faith can display this other-worldly love each day. We must love others as those who have been so deeply loved in Christ.
"GOD'S BIG INVITATION"- MATTHEW 7:7-11- JULY 8, 2018
In our passage today, Jesus gives us an offer we can't refuse: God will provide for His children if they will only learn to ask. But how can Jesus make such a promise? Haven't we all prayed for things and them not come true? Join us as we see how God is still faithful to His promise to give His children "good things," even though from our perspective it doesn't appear to be the case.
"JUDGING OTHERS"- MATTHEW 7:1-6- JULY 1, 2018
Referees and judges have a lot of responsibility because justice and fairness are part of their jobs. Nobody likes an unjust judge or a partial referee, yet this is precisely our problem when we judge others. Whenever we take the law into our own hands and criticize and speak evil of one another, we are trying to take God's place. Jesus teaches us here the danger of harsh judging and the importance of righteous judgment in our relationships.
"REASONS NOT TO WORRY"- MATTHEW 6:25-34- JUNE 24, 2018
We all have things we worry about, but Jesus here shows us how absurd it is for us to worry about anything. Jesus gives us five reasons why we shouldn't worry and concludes by calling us to make it a priority to know God and make Him known. We learn here the importance of trusting our Father's provision and living for His praise.
"OUR GREATEST TREASURE"- MATTHEW 6:19-24- JUNE 3, 2018
It is so easy to treasure things inappropriately and not treasure God as He fully deserves. In our passage this morning, Jesus teaches us the importance of keeping God on the throne of our affections. We learn not to waste our lives collecting "monopoly" money, but rather to spend our lives building eternal riches, and all of this stemming from a proper valuing of God over self.
"WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO"- MATTHEW 6:1-18- MAY 27, 2018
With all the news of mass shootings these days, everyone is curious to discover the motive behind them. But in our passage today, Jesus warns us to beware of our motives even when we do righteous things. In all the righteous deeds we do, we must beware of man-centered religion, strive for God-centered worship, and trust that God sees in secret.
"LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS"- MATTHEW 5:17-48- APRIL 29, 2018
Do Christians need to worry about following the Law of God in the Old Testament, or is it just important to follow Jesus? In today's message, we'll see that Christ came to fulfill the Law in us by giving us the Spirit so that we could keep it. We'll also see that the Christian's obedience is from the heart and goes to the motives and thoughts, whereas hypocritical law-keeping only checks off boxes and doesn't love God or neighbor at all.
"SALT & LIGHT"- MATTHEW 5:13-16- APRIL 22, 2018
Join us as we study what Jesus meant when he called us the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world." We'll discover that the only way we can expect to make an impact on this world is by our being different from it.
"THE MARKS OF CHRIST'S CHURCH"- MATTHEW 5:1-12- APRIL 8, 2018
What distinguishes the church from the world? This is what Jesus identifies in the Beatitudes. We'll discover that Jesus calls blessed those whose lives have been changed by his grace and who stand out in this world. We'll also see what that means for our future hope.
"The King's Gospel"- Matthew 4:12-25- February 4, 2018
In this study, we discover what it means to be a part of Christ's kingdom. Only those who turn from their sins to Christ, leave all other commitments behind, and follow Christ can be in God's kingdom. Those of us who have joined God's kingdom must remember that God's kingdom has not yet come in its complete fullness, so we must long for our reward in heaven.
"The King's Test"- Matthew 4:1-11- January 28, 2018
Not many of us would choose to march right into the heart of darkness, but that is exactly what Jesus does. Jesus allowed himself to be tempted by the Devil so that he could prove he was the sinless Son of God. Jesus not only defeated Satan for us, but he also teaches us how to overcome similar temptations we all face.
"The King's Baptism"- Matthew 3:1-17- January 14, 2018
What does it mean to repent? Contrary to popular belief, true repentance is not sorrow over sin. Rather repentance is a change of mind that results in a total change of lifestyle. We see from John the Baptist's preaching that to repent means to turn not only from sin, but also to Christ. Jesus has the power to change us on the inside, because He alone is God's Son who came to live the righteous life we never could. He freely gives His righteousness to us when we turn in faith to Him.
"The King's Safety"- Matthew 2:13-23- January 7, 2018
Abortion is truly an ugly enterprise, yet thank the Lord we were not aborted and we can also praise the Lord that Jesus' life wasn't taken at the age of two by Herod. We learn from this text that God spared his Son from Herod so that he could deliver his Son to Pilate. Why did Jesus need to live another 30 years on earth? Because he needed to live out the righteous life we couldn't and prove himself to be our perfect and sinless Substitute. Today we learn that no force of evil can stop God's plan, no amount of pain can tear us from God's love, and no change of conditions can alter God's faithfulness.
"The King's Visit"- Matthew 2:1-12- December 24, 2017
News has a way of exposing what we value. Sports news will excite some, anger others, and bore others. When news of Jesus' birth came, the wise men traveled far to worship him, Herod became infuriated and plotted to kill him, while all Jerusalem grew troubled over what might happen. It is important for us to consider how we respond to Christmas: either we will bow in worship to Jesus or worship our own selfish desires.
"The King's Birth"- Matthew 1:18-25- December 17, 2017
Naming a child is one of the most meaningful things a new parent has the honor of doing, but when it came to Jesus, God the Father came up with His name. Joseph was still asked to take part by naming him Jesus at his birth, for this may have been the only way he was truly the Son of David through Joseph's line. We'll see the birth of Christ from Mary's perspective, Joseph's, and Isaiah's, and we'll be drawn to worship Jesus rightly only once we understand his purpose in coming.
"The King's Ancestry"- Matthew 1:1-17- December 10, 2017
Researching one's family tree often reveals a few unsavory characters. Jesus' family tree is no different. From names like Abraham and David, we learn that Jesus is Israel's long-awaited Messiah and King. Other names in Jesus' family tree include Tamar and Rahab and the wife of Uriah, which remind us that no sinner is too broken for Christ to save. Join us as we see what it means that Jesus is the son of Abraham, the son of David, and the son of Mary.