Bart Byl Sermons

Bart Byl on Ecclesiastes 1:1-3, 2:4-11, 17-23 . “What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?”, laments the Teacher in Ecclesiastes laments. Death is coming, and it will wipe away any impact our work has. Work after the Fall, East of Eden, is afflicted with pain, sweat, and frustration. But Christ has come, the last Adam, to remove the curse, conquer death, and fill...

Bart Byl on 2 Corinthians 13:14 Series: Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians) A very brief meditation on enjoying “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bart Byl on Ephesians 5:1-10 . True imitation of God arises out of the assurance that we are his dearly loved children. Because we possess the new status, new nature, and new Spirit of adoption, we can walk in the new way of life. Since God is light and God is love, we his children begin to bear that family resemblance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bart Byl on 2 Peter 1:1-4 . We already possess all we need for a life that pleases God. Every treasure of the gospel, including the power for a transformed life, is stored up in Christ. When we first put our faith in Christ, we possess him entirely, because we are united to him as one person.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bart Byl on 2 Corinthians 13:14 . Series: Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians) Trying to living the Christian life without the assurance of God's love is a pretty grim business. That's why Satan relentlessly tries to undermine our confidence in God's love for us. "Keep yourselves in the love of God," the Book of Jude instructs us. Imagine if we made sure to begin every day by consciously resting in o...

Bart Byl on 2 Corinthians 13:14. Series: Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians) Paul concludes his letter by pronouncing a Trinitarian blessing on the church in Corinth. The first word of blessing is “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ” — because the free favour of God in Christ is what meets us at the very beginning of the Christian life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bart Byl on 2 Corinthians 13:11 . Series: Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians) Restoration, encouragement, unity, and peace are all God's gifts. But we can't receive those without effort, without striving, without faith-filled, Spirit-empowered determination to build each other up in Christ. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bart Byl on 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 . Series: Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians) Paul had been granted a mystical journey to heaven, but he wasn’t even allowed to talk about. The real revelation the Corinthians needed to hear about was Christ’s response to Paul’s prayer for the thorn in the flesh to be removed: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” We assume our...

Bart Byl on 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 . Series: Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians) A disturbingly high percentage of pastors are clinical narcissists. But why do churches enable leaders who abuse us? Perhaps its because we too are worshipping the god of worldly power instead of following Jesus in the way of the cross. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bart Byl on 2 Corinthians 11:1-15 . Series: Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians) The ‘super-apostles’ showed up in Corinth and offered a different Jesus, a different Spirit, and a different gospel—all design to serve cultural idols. Paul appeals to the Corinthians—and to us—to stay close to Christ, and not be lured from his side to be destroyed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

Bart Byl on 2 Corinthians 10 . Series: Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians) A head of the Church, Jesus is the source, model and standard of authority. True authority encourages obedience to Christ and participation in the mission of his Gospel. And ultimately, all authority aims at his approval. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bart Byl on Matthew 28:16-20 . After his resurrection, Jesus commanded his disciples to go into all the world making disciples, “baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Thus we meet the Trinity at the very commencement of the Christian life, where we are plunged into the Triune Name—more precisely, immersed into the Son’s own relationship with the Father...

Bart Byl on Acts 11:19-30; 13:1-3 . The church Luke describes in Antioch was an international church in a multicultural city made up of diplomats, business people, migrant workers, and slaves from all over the Roman empire. This new community was the fruit of Pentecost—only the Holy Spirit could have formed this family of God out of such diversity. As an international church in Tbilisi, what speci...

Bart Byl on Daniel 7:9-14 . Every Ascension Day, we rejoice that our crucified and risen Saviour ascended to the right hand of God, to take his rightful place as King of King and Lord of Lords. In Daniel’s vision, he saw Jesus entering the throne room of heaven to receive universal, eternal, unconquerable authority. Jesus exercises this for our benefit! The Son of Man is on the throne, and all is...

Bart Byl on 2 Corinthians 8 . Series: Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians) People who've received God's lavish grace can't help it overflowing in practical generosity. Christ's self-giving love for us is the prototype of Christian giving! We are all receivers of grace, and as we receive he transforms us into sharers of that grace as well. It’s all part of our common participation in God’s economy of...

Bart Byl on 2 Corinthians 7:2-16 . Series: Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians) Paul shares his joy at hearing Titus's report that the Corinthians had responded in true repentance to Paul's tearful letter. But this chapter is really about friendship. Paul show us what it means to be a true friend who shares hard truths with an eye to restoration and with confidence in God's work. The Corinthian churc...

Bart Byl on 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 . Series: Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians) Paul appeals to the Corinthians to separate themselves from ‘unbelievers’ in their midst: the false apostles. God has called us to be a temple of his presence! Our holiness is the believing response to that promise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bart Byl on 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 . Series: Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians) Paul urges the Corinthians to respond to God's grace and be reconciled to their apostle, who has fought for their spiritual lives. The gift of God’s Son summons us to respond (now!) in faith, obedience, and expansive love for the new family God has created. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bart Byl on John 19:41-20:18 . The first person the resurrected Christ chooses to appear to is Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he cast out seven demons. The moment he speaks her name (“Mariam.”) the joy of recognition fills her heart. She had mistaken him for the gardener, but perhaps she spoke better than she knew, for Jesus came to restore us to the tranquility, abundance, and flourishing Ed...

Bart Byl on Luke 18:9-14 . Of all Jesus’ parables, the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector may be the most disturbing and outrageous. There must have been a shocked silence when Jesus finished. As far as the crowd pressing around Jesus was concerned, the Rabbi had made a terrible mistake—he had sent the wrong man home with God’s approval. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...

Bart Byl on 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 . Series: Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians) God has reconciled us to himself in Christ, through the marvellous interchange between the sinless redeemer and our sinful selves. Now that we are in Christ, we participate in the new creation, and controlled by his love, we share the good news with the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bart Byl on 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:10 . Series: Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians) Paul knew pain, frustration, and the touch of death. What gave him hope was God's promise to raise him bodily from the dead. His eyes were fixed on the resurrection, but his feet were firmly planted on earth. His aim: to please Christ here and now, so he could stand before him on the day of judgment and hear the words:...

Bart Byl on 2 Corinthians 4:1-15 . Series: Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians) Ministry is hard, as Paul knew very well. Why didn't he lose heart and drop out? Paul realized he bore the gospel in human frailty so that it's very clear that the power could only come from God. Our weakness is God's opportunity to display the glory of Christ's death and resurrection. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

Bart Byl on 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 . Series: Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians) God created human beings in his image, and our original purpose was to behold, participate in and reflect his glory. Now we're a race of fallen kings. But Christ has come to transform us into his own image, and to make us as God-like as it is possible for creatures to be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

Bart Byl on 2 Corinthians 2:12-3:6 . Series: Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians) Paul's weakness are the victory of God at work in his ministry, and the proof of that is the Spirit's transformation of the believers in Corinth. Instead of being discouraged by weakness and suffering, look for God to display his power there. Seek the transformation of the Spirit so that your life will glorify Jesus and...