Calvary Baltimore Weekly Sermons

1 John 2:12-14 Our country was discovered by Europeans in the name of Christ. Many of our founding documents speak of God as our guide. The idea was to found it under Christian principles.  We're rich in resources, surrounded by allies north and south. We've experienced multiple great awakenings, won two world wars and could have taken over the world, but we didn't, because it wasn't the right thi...

The scene opens at the Sea of Tiberias; the disciples fished all night and caught absolutely nothing. Jesus asks, "Children, do you have any fish?" to demonstrate that our best efforts are totally fruitless without him. We are called to be "fishers of men," pulling people from the violent, dark kingdom of the world (symbolized by the sea) into the kingdom of light. We are the branches and He is th...

A sermon not about how much we love the Trinity... but how the triune God loves us! 1. The Father... "For God so loved the world that he gave" - this is God the Father. Our Father is a loving father! Love is an action, according to God; God's love GAVE us his only son.  Love isn't feeling, but doing! God is a giver.  The Lord's prayer... We ask God for a lot! Because we have a good father who love...

A little context before John 3:16... John 3 starts with Jesus and Nicodemus. v1-8... Jesus explains being "born again." Water birth = physical birth. Spirit birth = born of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual birth is driven completely by the Holy Spirit. Just like we didn't cause our physical birth, we did nothing to cause our spiritual birth. v9-20... In the book of John, the crucifixion is frequently fr...

Mark 12:18-27 - Confrontation passages, Day 3 This is the third day of Jesus's confrontation passages in Mark. First the Sanhedrin challenged him, then the Pharisees, and now it's the Sadducees' turn! The religious leadership is challenging his teaching and authority. They denied the resurrection, didn't believe in an afterlife. They were so conservative they only trusted the first five books of M...

How do we know when our interpretation of the Scripture is correct? Jesus points back to Scripture to answer. Don't let one verse stand on its own authority, but read it in the whole context of the Bible! That's the basis of sound doctrine. v18... Sadducees believed there's no resurrection, no afterlife. They exalted the pentateuch over all else, and it's not resurrection-focused. To their thinkin...

Habakkuk 1... Hab 1:1-4 - Begins with a question: "How long shall I cry for help?" Habakkuk is wrestling with God in prayer. He's confused about God's justice and timing. Judah is sinning, but Babylon is worse. Why is God using Babylon to judge Judah? Word for "violence" here is the same Hebrew word used in Gen 6:11 (Noah's flood) - things are so bad they need a total reset. The Law (Torah) is "pa...

Verse 5... Pride and arrogance are the mark of those outside the faith. Sin is never satisfied; it will progress infinitely if you let it, until it destroys you.  So submit to Jesus. You belong to him, and your soul is satisfied in him! The world is restless, chasing their sin.  V6-8... One day the nations will collect... You reap what you sow.  V9-11... Babylon thinks it's safe. But it's built on...

Habakkuk 1:1... Written around 600 BC.  Habakkuk was the praying prophet. The whole book is one long prayer.  We know God is perfect, but sometimes we feel he's too slow, or forgets about us. The Chaldeans (Babylonians) are so awful they're bringing Habakkuk to his knees. He wants God to get rid of them or change their hearts. Those who know God is good still call out desperately for God to do his...

Three other Gospel accounts of today's text: Matthew 22:15-22... The Pharisees are leading the pack, and only sent their disciples (a cowardly move). Jesus was aware of their malice in asking him the gotcha question!  Luke 20:19-26... Luke says they "sent spies who pretended to be sincere" to get Jesus to say something actionable by Pilate. Mark 12:13-17... the Pharisees and Herodians say four thi...

Mark 11: Triumphal entry, Jesus inspects the temple, turns over money tables. Mark 12:1-12: The Sanhedrin question him and he tells a parable against them. Today's text, Mark 12:13-17... here and for the rest of this chapter, the Sanhedrin are trying to trap him in his words so they can put him to death. v13... "trap" is used here in the sense of capturing an animal. The Pharisees are all about pu...

God purchased humanity with the last drop of His blood, demonstrating the infinite value he places on rebellious dust like us. Jesus experienced complete forsakenness on the cross, crying "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" showing God himself forsaken of God. The eternal Word who spoke light into darkness fell silent in the tomb, only to thunder forth in resurrection! Humanity wants "$3 w...

Parables are to give an image of what Jesus is talking about. However, he normally uses them not to make his message easier to understand, but to communicate judgment. Unbelievers remain in darkness; those hearing and not understanding are about to be judged. The Sanhedrin understood what Jesus meant here; he wanted them to understand judgment was coming! This parable is the conclusion of Mark 11,...

Mark 12:1-12 Irenaeus wrote a book against heresies... He used today's parable to refute bad doctrine, that God's nature changed between the Old and New Testaments. The same Father that sent the prophets in the OT sent the Son in the NT. God doesn't change! Jesus was the plan from the very beginning.  v1... The vineyard owner gave his tenants everything they'd need to be successful. The vineyard i...

Today's text marks the beginning of six conflict stories showing genuine faith vs. false faith. It parallels the triumphal entry: welcoming him as King vs opposing his authority. The spiritual leadership of Israel has missed what the people see clearly. v28... they challenge Jesus' authority. His authority struck people, amazed the crowds. He's not quoting the rabbis; he's speaking as God, with Go...

Mark 11:27-33, 1 Peter 3:13-17 v27... He walks into the temple for the third time, and the high priests, the Sanhedrin, interrogated him. v28-30... He answers with a question, brilliantly designed to give them no answer options they were willing to give. Jesus doesn't talk about his theology or his miracles. He talks about baptism. At his baptism, he was revealed to be the Son of God.  Jesus's aut...

B-Side - Mark 11:20-25 Recap (up to verse 23): - Jesus inspects the temple, and just walks away. - Later he curses the fig tree for appearing to bear fruit but bearing no fruit. - Then back to the temple, he puts an end to the sacrificial system, calling the temple a hideout for robbers. It had become a symbol for their political revolution, rather than a dwelling place of God.  On his way back to...

Mark 11:22-25 Temple should have been a temple of prayer and of faith, but it was a temple of robbers. So Jesus had to tear it down.  Today's message is about faith, prayer and forgiveness... v22... Jesus isn't asking us to have faith-- he's commanding it. Trust in God, even regarding things unseen! Trust Jesus, trust his words, trust his promises. As a Christian, you must be a person of faith! Ha...

B-Side: Mark 11:12-25 (covering through verse 22 today) Matthew, Mark and Luke all draw on Malachi. Malachi 3:1-2... Malachi predicts what Jesus does, refining and purifying the temple. In Mark 11:11, he inspected the temple and left; then, as Malachi prophesied, he returned to cleanse and refine it! v12-13: Jesus was hungry. The fig tree story is intended as a parable, but some literal details: f...

Mark 11:12-25 Jesus used the fig tree as a parable. The temple must be cleansed! V12-13... The fig tree (like the temple) looks from a distance like it's full of good fruit... Up close, it's fruitless. All leaves, no fruit. We must be careful to follow God the way he wants to be followed! To love Christ is to follow him, submit to him and his teachings; faith reveals itself through selfless servic...

Wisdom is justified by her children... wisdom is independent of you, but asks everything of you. 1 Corinthians 1... the wisdom of God is foolishness to those who don't follow Christ. Wisdom demands patience, trust, hope and faith. God's wisdom holds everything together. And he separates us from the rest; we are his! Our soul belongs to God, not to ourselves. After the grave, we start to live! At t...

The cross and the resurrection are inextricably linked. Only those who put their faith in Jesus will have everlasting life! Job 19:19-27... Job was a good man. Satan tested his faithfulness, causing him to lose everything.  His friend Bildad was offended by Job's faith in God, accusing him of hidden sin (which must be there, to his thinking, because of the bad things happening to Job). His friends...

We need to live in the light of the cross. Come under the power of the cross. Follow the cross! We follow the crucified, risen Lord.  Hebrews 2:9-16 God's judgment is a fearful thing. We don't want him to judge us... But he is just, and his judgment is perfect. We deserve to die, but he sent his son to die instead, so we don't have to! Jesus is the only person ever fully human and fully God. He lo...

Mark 11:1-11 2 most important Christian holidays... Christmas and Easter? Hmm... the Christmas story is only recorded in two of the Gospels, while Good Friday and Easter are both recorded in all four. Palm Sunday is important in preparing us for Good Friday. v1-2... On the day of the Lord, Jesus will descend from Heaven and the Mount of Olives will split in two! Jesus gives the Olivet Discourse th...

Palm Sunday has been celebrated for at least 1500 years. Mark's account of holy week is different from the other gospels. Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, goes in the temple, looks around and leaves. This parallels Leviticus 14, regarding what to do with mold in your house... mold was a picture of sin. They'd send for a priest; if he found mold, he'd leave and come back a few days later... If mold was...