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

Obedience

The Fifth Commandment (1) The Basic Thrust of the Command

“Now I want to remind you of the biblical context. God did not give his people the Ten Commandments as the way of salvation. He gave them to his people after he had already delivered them from Egypt. In our context, we must understand that keeping the commands is not the way of salvation; it is the way that saved people are called to live for the glory of God and for their true well-being. We should never think of God’s laws as the way to be saved.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

Genesis 17

Read: Genesis 17

“Remembering and forgetting are spiritually significant in Scripture – at least when it comes to remembering or forgetting that we are in a relationship with God – that God is our God and that we are his people. We are to live consciously in the light of God’s promises and of his requirements for us. We are not to forget that we belong to God with all that that means for our lives. One of the purposes for the sign of the covenant is to keep our covenant relationship with God top-of-mind.
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— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

A Natural Question Profoundly Answered

Read: Romans 6

“The good news is not only that we are forgiven and accepted as righteous by God through faith in Jesus Christ. The good news is just as much that the power of sin over us is broken. A huge part of what is good about the good news is that we are set free from the power of sin in our lives when we believe in Jesus. The problem with sin is not just that it makes us liable to God’s punishment. The problem with sin is also that sin is destructive and dehumanizing and devastating. Sin takes away from our joy and our happiness and our quality of life in the deepest sense. And so, it is a huge part of the good news that believers are released from the slavery to sin and to Satan.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

The Ten Commandments (3) Introduction (3) The Law and New Testament

“So, we saw in the first sermon that God gave the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel after he had saved them from slavery in Egypt. He introduces the Ten Commandments by saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” First God saved them. Then he gave them his law. The order is very important. It means that the law is not intended to function as the way to a relationship with God. The relationship came first. Then came the law.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

Truths of the Reformation (6) Justification By Faith Alone

“It is important that we see that this is a legal declaration. We have not become righteous in ourselves. We are still sinful. We have not lived a perfect life. We have lived a sinful life. But we are declared righteous. As far as our standing before God the judge is concerned we are righteous. We are counted as righteous.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra

Truths of the Reformation (3) Glory to God Alone

Read: Psalm 96

“Our greatest good and joy and satisfaction is experienced in glorifying God while the greatest harm for us is not to glorify God. We were made to find our greatest good in seeing and appreciating and worshipping and adoring God. The greatest blessing that we can know is to be filled with love and adoration for God. And the greatest curse that we can know is to be without love and adoration for God.”
— Rev. Jerry Hamstra