We are made in the image of God. Part of what that means is that we are essentially social beings. We experience what it means to be human in community. Sin disrupts our relationships. The Jesus delivers us from sin also in this area. The gospel empowered community of the body of Christ is intended by God to be an attraction for the world.
A Prayer for Forgiveness
Everyone experiences guilt. The secular approach to dealing with guilt has to do with making amends, trying to do better and not dwelling on what cannot be changed. The biblical approach, as taught in this Psalm, is focused on our relationship with God. It begins with confession of sin and results in forgiveness, cleansing and renewal for Jesus sake.
Read Psalm 51
Community and Mission (1): Introduction
The Bible teaches that there is a relationship between the lives that God’s people live together in community by the power of the gospel and their mission to the world. This sermon introduces this idea which will be explored in depth in the sermons to follow.
Read John 13:34-35; 1 Peter 2:9-12
In the Shelter of the Most High
This Psalm promises that God will protect his people from all harm and danger. The sermon examines what this means in light of the fact that God’s people have always experienced suffering and hardship in their lives.
Read Psalm 91
The Fourth Commandment
This sermon examines the biblical case for the conviction that the fourth commandment is still binding in the New Testament situation. Attention is also given to the question of how the command is to be obeyed.
Read Exodus 20:8-11; Mark 2:23-28
The Weapons of our Warfare
Paul here speaks of his work as an apostle using the imagery of warfare. The weapons he uses are not of the flesh, but spiritual weapons given by God. The greatest of these is the gospel.
Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Spiritual Warfare
This Psalm presents the Messiah as the great warrior King who will triumph over all his enemies. It also teaches that he will be a priest after the order of Melchizedek. It is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Read Psalm 110
Sin, God’s Anger and Grace
This Psalm recounts a portion of Israel’s history focusing on Israel’s sin and God’s punishment of that sin. There is also grace and hope because God never does away with his people completely because of his purpose to save the world through them. This is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Read Psalm 106
Fellowship
The fellowship that believers have with one another is rooted in their common participation in Jesus Christ. This idea is reflected in the Lord’s Supper. One of the many facets of the meaning of the Lord’s Supper is that it is a celebration of the unity of believers by virtue of their common relationship to Jesus Christ.
Rest and an Easy Yoke
In this passage Jesus promises rest to laboring and heavy laden people who come to him. In the context of Matthew labouring and being heavy laden has to do with the burden of the legalistic religion of the Jewish religious leaders. The rest that Jesus promises is both reconciliation with God and the discipleship of those who are right with God in Christ.
Read Matthew 11:28-30