Christ the King Newton Sermons

“It is love who mixed the mortar And it’s love who stacked these stones And it’s love who made the stage here Although it looks like we’re alone In this scene, set in shadows, Like the night is here to stay There is evil cast around us But it’s love that wrote the play For in this darkness love can show the way” —David Wilcox, “Love Will Show the Way” The Enduring Reality of Love (1 Corinthians 13...

“The blood, the soil, the faith These words you can’t forget Your vow, your holy place O love, aren’t you tired yet?” — Leonard Cohen The Character of Love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a) Rev. Nathan Barczi 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

“Love is not an idea for Paul, not even a ‘motivating factor’ for behavior. It is behavior. To love is to act; anything short of action is not love at all.” — Gordon Fee, Commentary on 1 Corinthians The Necessity of Love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) Rev. Bradley Barnes 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

“When God sets out to embrace the enemy, the result is the cross. On the cross the dancing circle of self-giving and mutually indwelling divine persons opens up for the enemy; in the agony of the passion the movement stops for a brief moment and a fissure appears so that sinful humanity can join in. We, the others—we, the enemies—are embraced by the divine persons who love us with the same love wi...

“Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song, The joy of my heart, and the boast of my tongue. Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last Has won my affections and bound my soul fast.” — John Stocker, 1776 Merciful Fruit Comes from Treasuring Mercy (Luke 6:43-45) Rev. Bradley Barnes Luke 6:43-45

“What riches of kindness he lavished on us. His blood was the payment, his life was the cost. We stood ‘neath a debt we could never afford. Our sins, they are many, his mercy is more.” — “His Mercy Is More,” Matt Papa and Matt Boswell Mercy in Practice (Luke 6:37-42) Rev. Bradley Barnes Luke 6:37-42

“Malice will never drive out malice. But if someone does evil to you, you should do good to him, so that by your good work you will destroy his malice.” — The Wisdom of the Desert , Thomas Merton “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” — Romans 12:21 God's Mercy Changes Us (Luke 6:27-36) Rev. Nathan Barczi Luke 6:27-36

“Because Jesus was the king who became a servant, we see a reversal of values in his kingdom administration (Luke 6:20–26). In Jesus’ kingdom, the poor, sorrowful, and persecuted are above the rich, recognized, and satisfied. The first shall be last (Matt 19:30). Why would this be? This reversal is a way of imitating the pattern of Christ’s salvation (Phil 2:1–11). Though Jesus was rich, he became...

“I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.” — Nicene Creed, 381 AD Jesus: The First Apostle (Luke 6:12-19) Rev. Bradley Barnes Luke 6:12-19

“Six days shall you labor The seventh is the Lord’s In six He made the earth and all the heavens But He rested on the seventh God rested He said that it was finished In the seventh day, He blessed it God rested” — Andrew Peterson, “God Rested” Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:1-11) Rev. Nathan Barczi Luke 6:1-11

“We must… give up any thought that we have any claims upon God… But Jesus Christ has great claims on God, and we should go to God in our prayers not on the ground of any goodness in ourselves, but on the ground of Jesus Christ’s claims.” — R.A. Torrey Jesus Is Better (Luke 5:27-39) Rev. Nathan Barczi Luke 5:27-39

“With that Gandalf stood before him, robed in white, his beard now gleaming, like pure snow in the twinkling of the leafy sunlight. ‘Well, Master Samwise, how do you feel?’ he said. But Sam lay back, and stared with open mouth, and for a moment, between bewilderment and great joy, he could not answer. At last he gasped: ‘Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. Is ev...

“Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh. Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear. Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer. Spirit, help my unbelief.” — Isaac Wardell, “Lord, I Believe” Jesus Wills Our Cleansing (Luke 5:12-16) Rev. Bradley Barnes Luke 5:12-16

“The experience of ‘being in error’ so inevitably accompanies the perception of beauty that it begins to seem one of its abiding structural features. … Something beautiful fills the mind yet invites the search for something beyond itself…” — Elaine Scarry Jesus Calls Peter (Luke 5:1-11) Rev. Nathan Barczi Luke 5:1-11

“He breaks the power of canceled sin, he sets the prisoner free; His blood can make the foulest clean; his blood availed for me.” — Charles Wesley, “O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing” Jesus Restores His Image Bearers with Power and Authority (Luke 4:31-44) Rev. Bradley Barnes Luke 4:31-44

“There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” —The Apostle Paul to the Christians in Ephesus What God Intends to Do With Us in Each Others Lives (Colossians 3:12-17) Rev. Bradley Barnes Colossians 3:12-17

“Lord, while we see whole nations die,  Our flesh and sense repine and cry,  Must death for ever rage and reign?  Or hast thou made mankind in vain?  Where is thy promise to the just?  Are not thy servants turned to dust?  But faith forbids these mournful sighs, And sees the sleeping dust arise.” —Isaac Watts Jesus Rules Over the World, the Flesh, and the Devil (Luke...

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” — Psalm 119:11 (NIV) Jesus: Faithful Humanity, Faithful Servant, Faithful Son (Luke 4:1-15) Rev. Bradley Barnes Luke 4:1-15

“When He took the three disciples to the mountainside to pray His countenance was modified, His clothing was aflame Two men appeared, Moses and Elijah came They were at his side The prophecy, the legislation spoke of whenever he would die” — Sufjan Stevens, “The Transfiguration” Jesus: Son of God (Luke 3:21-28) Rev. Nathan Barczi Luke 3:21-28

“Repentance exhorts people to be fair with others and meet basic needs with fundamental aid. This is what God desires of those who know he is present and coming: a concern for him is expressed through concern for others.” — Darrell L. Bock, A Commentary on Luke The Fruit of Repentance (Luke 3:1-22) Rev. Bradley Barnes Luke 3:1-22

“Crown Him with many crowns,   The Lamb upon His throne; Hark! how the heav’nly anthem drowns   All music but its own!   Awake, my soul, and sing   Of Him who died for thee, And hail Him as thy matchless King   Through all eternity.” — “Crown Him with Many Crowns” The Certainty of Jesus (Luke 2:41-52) Rev. Bradley Barnes Luke 2:41-52

“All human wisdom is contained in these two words — Wait and Hope.” — Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo Wait and Hope (Luke 2:22-40) Rev. Nathan Barczi Luke 2:22-40

“ Christian humanism is not based on the presumption that our humanity is self-justifying. Rather Christians are humanists because God showed up in Mary’s belly. ” —Stanley Hauerwas The Good News (Luke 2:1-21) Rev. Nathan Barczi Luke 2:1-21

“Memory is power. The person who says that history is bunk, or that the past is gone and all that matters is today, just doesn’t know much about real life. In real life memory has tremendous power to inspire and guide.” —John Piper, Pastor & Author God Is a Promise-Making and a Promise-Keeping God (Luke 1:57-80) Rev. Bradley Barnes Luke 1:57-80

“Mary’s submission is a very lovely thing. ‘Whatever God says, I accept.’ Mary had learned to forget the world’s commonest prayer — ‘Your will be changed’ — and to pray the world’s greatest prayer — ‘Your will be done.’” — William Barclay The Gift of Grace (Luke 1:26-45) Rev. Nathan Barczi Luke 1:26-45