Sermons on The Christian Life
Psalm 2
Psalm 2 predicts the coming of Christ as the one who will rule over all the nations. Though the nations oppose His rule, He will rule over them with a rod of iron. Therefore, God laughs at the attempts of His enemies to oppose Him. Christians, therefore, ought to take comfort knowing that Christ will always conquer all of His enemies.
1 Samuel 18:17-30
In 1 Samuel 18:17-30 Saul attempts to persecute David subtly through his daughters. Like Laban with Jacob, he refuses to honor his promise to give David his daughter in marriage. Ultimately, however, God uses these subtle attempts to persecute David to exalt him further. We learn that God is always able to overturn persecution and to use it to advance His kingdom.
1 Samuel 18:1-16
In 1 Samuel 18:1-16, there are two very different responses to David. On the one hand Jonathan’s soul is knit to David’s in love. On the other, Saul greatly opposes him. Though Jonathan and Saul are from the same family and have so much in common, there is a more fundamental reality that divides them. Jonathan is part of the seed of the woman and naturally loves those who fear God. Saul, on the other hand, is part of the…
Matthew 16:24-28 (Part 2)
In Matthew 16:24-28 Christ calls on His disciples to pick up their crosses and follow Him. This may appear to be a foolish thing to do as it leads to death. Christ, however, shows that it is in fact the only wise thing to do because “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Christ’s sake will find it.”
Matthew 16:24-28 (Part 1)
In Matthew 16:24-28, after shockingly predicting His own death, Christ calls upon His disciples to pick up their own crosses and follow Him to that death. The call to follow Christ is a call to a life of self-sacrifice.
Matthew 16:13-17
In Matthew 16:13-17 Peter makes the climactic confession of the first half of Matthew’s Gospel: You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. As Christ, Jesus is the anointed Prophet, Priest, and King, the promised Savior spoken of by the Prophets. As the Son of God, He is the second person of the Trinity existing forever with the Father and of the same substance as Him. All those who make this confession are blessed.
1 Samuel 17:1-58 (Part 1)
1 Samuel 17:1-58 tells the well-known story of David and Goliath. David’s courageous faith is an example to us in today’s world. In the face of great opposition, David trusts in God and enters the battle with Goliath with the confidence that God is with him. Today, as the church is opposed more and more, there is a great need for such courageous faith.
Matthew 16:1-4
In Matthew 16:1-4 the Saduccees and Pharisees ask for a sign. This is a strange request in light of the many miracles Christ had done to this point. Their goal, like many skeptics today who make similar demands for proofs, is to hide their rebellion against God behind the request for a sign. The reality is Christ had done enough to make himself known such that the request can only be interpreted as disingenuous. Ultimately, Christ tells them that the…
1 Samuel 13:16-14:23
In 1 Samuel 13:16-14:23 God gives deliverance to His people through Jonathan. Jonathan believed in God, and his trust is seen in the fact that he states God can save by many or by few. It is such faith that is needed today.
Matthew 15:21-28
In Matthew 15:21-28 Christ heals a Canaanite woman’s daughter. Before the healing happens Christ implicitly calls her a dog, since she is a Canaanite. Rather than taking offense, she continues to plead with Christ for healing. Her humble faith amazes Christ and is a model for us today.
1 Samuel 10:17-27
In 1 Samuel 10:17-27 Saul is publicly chosen as King. Samuel reiterates the sinfulness of the request and yet God still gives the people what they want. Such is the danger of making sinful requests of God.
Matthew 14:1-12
In Matthew 14:1-12 Matthew recounts John’s arrest and execution. Christ will say in chapter 16 that anyone who follows Him must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Him. The Christian life is one of suffering and it is important to be ready, especially as persecution is likely to increase in our country.