Christ Church of Mt Airy Sermons

What does God do with stiff-necked people? He Keeps His Promises, Reveals Possible Consequences, Calls them to Repentance, and Invites Them to Seek Him.

As Exodus 32 unfolds, we hear 4 perspectives of what took place. God records this story so we can see how our perspective of God and sin lines up and/or does not line up with each of these perspectives. Ultimately, this story is brimming with elements that Jesus fulfills and accomplishes.

God not only calls us into His mission, but provides the gifts, abilities, resources, and power of His Spirit needed to accomplish it. He delights in willing hearts that are stirred to do His work with gladness and generosity, embracing the process He has given us to serve others and build His kingdom.

God desires to meet with, speak to, and dwell among His people. Yet because of our sin, no one can draw near to a holy God—not even the priests with their high calling and importance. The continual blood sacrifices of Exodus 29 point forward to Jesus, who laid down his life as the once-for-all sacrifice. His blood atoned for our sins, making all who trust in Him forever holy before God.

The high priest’s garments were designed to display the glory and beauty of God while foreshadowing Jesus, the greater and perfect High Priest. He bears our guilt on His heart, continually intercedes for us before the Father, and fully accomplished the redeeming work that the earthly priests could only symbolize.

Which priest are you choosing as the basis of your peace with God? If it is your morality, intellect, or experiences—those things are temporary and ultimately insufficient. Only Jesus is eternal, pure, and fully able to save, and our true hope and peace with God rest completely in Him.

God’s “great reveal” unfolds throughout the Old Testament, showing how His holy presence could dwell with sinful people without compromising His justice. Every detail of the tabernacle—how it was built and furnished—pointed forward to Jesus, who perfectly fulfilled the law and became the spotless Lamb of God sacrificed for our sins. Through Him, a holy God made a way to dwell among His people.

Today we welcomed Jim and Kalen as pastors. We are reminded that the church exists because Jesus purchased it with His own blood — and therefore everything about the church is ultimately for Him. And we at Christ Church are meant to function as a true family — pastors and congregation walking together with Jesus at the center of it all.

The covenant between God and the Israelites reveals both His holiness and His deep desire to dwell with His people. As His commands are received and the people are cleansed through sacrifice, we see the beginning of a restored relationship. It ultimately points to Jesus, whose sacrifice removes our sin and makes us fully acceptable to God forever.

Sabbath rest is far greater than a day off from our busyness. It is a deep, internal rest found in Jesus that transforms our hearts, redirects our identity away from work and striving, and invites us to experience the ongoing rest He offers every day.

Sabbath rest carries four key truths: God’s warnings against a hardened heart and drifting into unbelief, the consequences of rebellion against His rest, the open invitation to enter it today, and, to respond with persevering faith. When we take this step of obedience to rest, God will rejuvenate and refresh our health and spirit.

Saving faith in Jesus’ resurrection is belief treasured in our hearts, openly confessed, and transformative in our lives. We are freed from sin, shame, and condemnation as we are justified and clothed in His righteousness. All who believe and declare Jesus as Lord receive mercy, grace, and salvation.

Even amongst the rejection Jesus experienced as he hung on the cross he was exalted in all that he did and experienced.

In Matthew 12, Jesus challenges the Pharisees’ rule-centered view of the Sabbath, pointing beyond outward behavior to the condition of the human heart. As Lord of the Sabbath, He shows that love, mercy, compassion, healing and doing good always take priority and supersede a rigid list of dos and do nots.

Breaking God’s law—including the Sabbath—reveals how deeply our sin dishonors God’s glory and brings the curse of death. But Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of the law, transforming the Sabbath into a gift of grace upon grace—a time to rest in Him, be refreshed by His presence, and reflect His glory to the world.

Even after God rescued the Israelites from slavery, they grumbled and forgot His goodness. Yet God responded with grace, providing food and Sabbath rest. We also grumble, grow anxious, and forget God’s goodness. The sabbath was a shadow pointing to Jesus! He invites all who are weary in body and soul to be joined to Him and find true rest.

Examining the commandment to keep the Sabbath reveals that it is a way by which we can image God not only on Sunday but with each act we finish. Jesus fulfilled this commandment with his completion of our salvation on the cross.

God gave Israel feasts to set the rhythm of their year—times for gathering, resting, celebrating , and remembering that He rescued and provided for them. These feasts were shadows pointing us to Jesus: our perfect Passover lamb who saves, our First-fruits who guarantees more to come, and our final Harvest who fully satisfies every longing.

In Exodus 22, God reveals His fierce wrath and His tender compassion. He judges evil, defends the vulnerable, and promises to hear their cries. In Jesus, we see these perfectly come together at the cross—God’s wrath poured out against sin and mercy extended to sinners.

From Exodus 21, God builds on the Ten Commandments with real-life laws that protect the vulnerable, showing His heart to value life, responsibility, and justice for slaves, children, women, and the injured.

n Luke 15, we see God’s heart for the one—the lost, the wandering, and even the self-righteous. Jesus loves us, pursues us, and rejoices when we return, and through the Holy Spirit calls us to love and pursue the individual people He places right in front of us.

Every commandment reveals our sin and our need for God’s grace, and then points us straight to the awe and glory of Jesus, our Savior, who fulfills them all. As our Mediator, He changes our hearts from the inside out, took the curse for us through His atoning blood, and invites us to draw near to God without fear. Exalt Him!

Jesus exposes the idols of our hearts that lead us to covet, want, and compare. As we grow rich toward God, our grip on what others have loosens, and true freedom and contentment are found in Him.