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

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

Government Corruption and Poverty

“Ecclesiastes is saying that it is gain for the land when you have a ruler who is committed to everyone flourishing as much as possible. “But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.” Within the context of Ecclesiastes, corrupt governments are one of the things about life under the sun that is vanity and problematic, while good and just governments are a real gain under the sun. Good governments can be a great means to promote human flourishing.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

“Therefore let your words be few.”

“It is actually dangerous for sinful human beings to be in the presence of God. This idea was at the heart of the worship of the temple in the Old Testament. The temple was the dwelling place of God and the only way that God could continue to dwell in the midst of his sinful people was through the offering of sacrifices that provisionally atoned for the people’s sin until the final sacrifice offered by Jesus Christ on the cross.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra