Christ Church Bentonville

The circumstances remain the same in that Jesus is still entering Jerusalem, but the scene turns on a dime from triumph to tragedy.

John writes of a Victorious King in Revelation 19.  Luke writes of a Humble King in Luke 19.  They are one and the same, our Lord Christ. (The recording begins 3 minutes into the introduction).

The parable’s purpose was and is to correct faulty thinking, wrong perceptions, and even false teaching regarding the already and not yet of the Kingdom as well as to instruct us in how we are to live in the midst of it. (We apologize for the poor quality of the recording. We had technical issues.)

Jesus continues to do what He has always done because His purpose has not changed.  He came to seek and save the lost.

He who calls us to forsake all for Him is not asking us to do something He Himself wasn’t willing to do and hasn’t already done by forsaking all for us. 

May we continually come to Christ as the children of God that we are, and may we not hinder our little ones or anyone else for that matter, from coming to Him as well. 

The Pharisee “. . . was too busy being self-righteous to receive God’s righteousness which comes only as a gift.” - Philip Ryken

Jesus calls us to pray persistently; to persevere and continue to pray in spite of whatever difficulties and challenges that are present.  It’s a call to not give up and lose heart or become discouraged.

The Kingdom it isn’t just something that is in the future, it has already come.  In other words, the kingdom is “already”, but it is also “not yet”.

Now that Christmas is over and we’ve entered 2022, how can we not only eliminate the feeling of “Wanting More” that Christmas leaves us with, but also live throughout the coming year avoiding its re-emergence?

Our ministry intern and new Assistant to the Pastor, Aaron Raines, shares some of the theology behind Christmas from one of the oldest songs written by and sung by the early church.

How do we live as Christians in our culture?  We are to live as the disciples and Kingdom Citizens we are.  That life is really rather simple, but it isn’t easy.  Actually, it is impossible apart from faith, and we can’t do it alone either.  We need each other.

The rich man truly lived his best life now and would pay for it for eternity. 

Jesus came to not only provide the forgiveness we needed but the righteousness God required.  

Good stewardship involves more than just money. (This sermon was given by Aaron Raines, our Ministry Intern, and as of Jan. 1, 2022, our Assistant to the Pastor).

When we hold up this story as the mirror Jesus intends it to be, what will we see and what will we do or how will we respond as a result?  God is obviously the Father, but which son are we? 

We get a glimpse into the heart of our Savior and our God who does not take pleasure in the destruction of the wicked and rejoices when people repent and turn from their sin.

It is only in light of the amazing love of God in Christ that we will remember that our offering of gratitude should be nothing less than a life of seeking to love Him in return with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Jesus wasn’t concerned about keeping the conversations cordial. He wasn’t avoiding particular topics to keep the peace. And that’s because He was dealing with issues that have eternal consequences. 

The exclusivity, inclusivity, and antinomy of salvation work in perfect harmony to provide the foundation and the hope for our ongoing gospel work. 

Interpreting and explaining the purpose behind evil and suffering is not as easy or as simple or as prudent as many believe it to be. 

We must hold fast to the Gospel and continue to proclaim it regardless of the hostility, for it alone is the power of God unto salvation.

“These parables about servants and masters are some of the weightiest parables in the gospels.  They bring us face to face with our destiny and show us that we all need a Savior." - Philip Ryken

Out of the surplus of grace and love and the good gifts that are ours in Christ, we can and should be rich toward God.

Spiritual hypocrisy is a major issue and combating it is not easy.  But it is possible.