Series
Rev. Jerry Hamstra
The Book of Esther
The Book of Esther
Sermons
Rev. Jerry Hamstra
Introduction to Acts
Introduction to Acts

Sermons

The Third Commandment (2) Specifics

“Jesus kept the Third Commandment perfectly. Not only did he not take the name of God in vain, he glorified that name. He did that by accomplishing the work that the Father had given him to do and he did that by making God’s name known to his followers. Jesus is the perfect model for us of what it means to keep the Third Commandment. But he also kept the Third Commandment in our place so that his perfect record of keeping also this commandment is imputed to us when we believe in Jesus.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

The Third Commandment: Reverence for the Name of God

“And so, the third commandment, which requires that we only use God’s name with deep reverence and that every thought of God be a thought of worship and adoration, is rooted in what is truly and objectively the most important value in the world. This is why the world exists. This is why we exist. This is what we are for. Nothing exists for any other reason. And that means that dishonoring God is the essence of evil. The greatest possible evil that we can do is to dishonor God. And every other form of evil is the result of dishonoring God. This is not arbitrary. This is the nature of things. This is the nature of reality because reality is rooted in God himself who is ultimate reality.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

Enjoying Life!

“So, the enjoyment of life that Ecclesiastes is speaking about in these verses is the enjoyment of life with its pleasures as a gift of God. It is the gift of God part that makes the difference between an empty life and a life of profound enjoyment. Then the foundation of the enjoyment is the generosity of God. The enjoyment is in the goodness of God as well as the pleasure in the gift. And because of that there is a contentment with one’s lot. One’s lot in life is a gift of God who distributes his gifts in love and wisdom.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

Problems with Wealth

“It is very difficult for us to resist the temptation to put too much emphasis on money and the things money can buy. This text is telling us that this is not a satisfying way to live. It is telling us that loving money does not bring satisfaction. It is saying that loving money is vanity. It does not bring fulfillment. It is not a worthwhile way to live. This verse is calling us to think about our own lives in the light of this principle. The Lord here is calling us to examine whether we are guilty of loving money and things too much. He is calling us to think about how we are seeking for satisfaction in our lives. He is calling us to think about whether we are living for what is really worthwhile.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

“It is finished.”

Read: John 19:17-30
Text: Verses 28-30

“All of these passages which show the different ways that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures do not only give us insight into the meaning of Jesus and his death, they also give us insight into the meaning of history itself. These connections to the Old Testament all are making the point that history is the unfolding of God’s plan that is centered on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image….” (5) Punishment and Steadfast Love

“This highlights our responsibilities as parents. Because our influence on our children is so great, we carry a huge measure of responsibility not only for our children, but also for our grandchildren and great grandchildren. That is a sobering thing to consider. How we train our children has implications not only for them, but for the generations that follow them! God punishes ungodly children because of their own ungodliness, but the fact that they are ungodly is to a great extent the result of the sins of their fathers.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image…” (4) God’s Jealousy

“And so, we should think of our own idolatries in this light. We have seen that idolatry is loving anyone or anything more than God. The things in our lives that are more important to us than God are our idols. So, think about your life. What do you seek first in your life? What are you most concerned about? What do you mostly think about? Wherever God is not the answer to those questions, you have your idols. Those are your other gods. Those are your other lovers. Those are all adulterous relationships. These are the things that provoke God’s jealousy.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra