Sermons on The Urgency of the Gospel
Isaiah 28:1–6
In Isaiah 28:1–6, the prophet Isaiah warns Ephraim—and through Ephraim, all of God’s people—that pride always leads to destruction. The “glorious beauty” of the proud fades like a dying flower, and those intoxicated with the glory of this world will eventually be brought low under the judgment of God. Yet woven into this warning is a glorious promise of salvation. While the proud fall, God preserves a righteous remnant for whom the Lord himself becomes “a crown of glory and…
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
In this sermon, we examine Solomon’s sobering reflections on his pursuit of pleasure. With more power, wealth, and wisdom than any before him, Solomon conducted a thorough and honest experiment: Can meaning be found in laughter, luxury, wealth, work, or worldly delights? His conclusion is striking and clear—all is vanity and a striving after the wind. Solomon’s wisdom is not theoretical. He pursued every pleasure under the sun and found it all empty. This is a message deeply relevant to…
Ecclesiastes 1:1
What are we to make of a book that opens with the bold claim, “All is vanity”? In this sermon, we begin our journey through the book of Ecclesiastes by considering its opening words and the man who spoke them: Solomon, son of David, king in Jerusalem. Though often misunderstood as a work of pessimism or contradiction, Ecclesiastes is a deeply theological reflection on life “under the sun”—a life disconnected from God. Historically attributed to Solomon, this book represents the…
Revelation 18:1-8
In Revelation 18:1-8 we read of the fall of Babylon. The message for the people of God is clear: come out of her. This is the call that always goes out in the gospel: Babylon, associated with all kinds of worldliness, will be destroyed. Those who are wise will flee to Christ for refuge.
Genesis 19:30-38
In Genesis 19:30-38 is a strange passage for several reasons. First, the passage is about things which naturally make us uncomfortable: Lot has an incestuous relationship with his daughters that causes the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites to be born. Second, this is the last time we see Lot in Genesis. Why leave us on such a negative note? Ultimately, we are to recognize that Lot’s salvation, like Noah’s, points to another which is greater. Lot did not receive…
Genesis 19:23-29
In Genesis 19:23-29 Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed. Just as God destroyed the world with water in the flood, so too he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah by fire. Though this was a unique event, it foreshadows the future judgment to come on the last day and is a warning to repent before the day comes. The passage teaches that what is needed is an intercessor like Abraham. This is what we have in Christ.
Isaiah 65:1-7
In Isaiah 65:1-7 Isaiah speaks about two different kinds of people: those who receive God’s grace and those who don’t. Surprisingly, it is the Gentiles who will receive the gospel, whereas those closest to God will not due to apostasy. We learn from this passage not to presume upon the grace of God but to cast ourselves upon Him.
Matthew 11:7-15
In Matthew 11:7-15 Christ explains the greatest of John. His greatness comes from his place in redemptive history as the forerunner of the Messiah. His coming means that the end-time kingdom of God has been established. Christ says that those who understand this are desperately seeking to enter the kingdom of God. As great as John is, all of those who enter this kingdom after him, who live after the resurrection of Christ, are even greater than he is. Every…