Church of The Redeemer - Sermons

The New Year brings a lot of excitement for some, but weariness to others. No matter where we find ourselves, we have to admit that there are things we are pursuing to find meaning, purpose, and satisfaction that have let us down. This is where Isaiah 55 comes and offers us a beautiful solution: Come and find everything you need in God.

We all chase satisfaction, whether through a job, a career, or a relationship; we are all seeking satisfaction. But in Psalm 90, we find the satisfaction our hearts truly long for in the steadfast love of God. Because unless God satisfies us with his steadfast love, we will spend our days wandering, comparing, grasping, and wasting the brief lives we’ve been given.

"Home" is an idea that has captivated the popular imagination. We all long for home, even if we find it hard to describe. In Isaiah 35, we see a restored vision of God, our home, and our very lives through the long-awaited King.

There are many bitter things we see in our world and in our lives. These things produce a longing in our hearts for something more, something better, and something that lasts longer than our lifetimes. This is where Isaiah's prophetic vision of the shoot and root of Jesse in Isaiah 11:1-10 plays a key role in our expectations of the long-awaited King. Jesus is the righteous king we need, who invit...

When we think about Jesus and Christmas, we normally think about the baby in the manger. But the image the Bible gives us is one of a conquering king. Jesus came to conquer our enemy, Satan, but he came to conquer our deepest problem: the darkness in our hearts, sin. We once lived in darkness, oppression, and rebellion, but Isaiah 9:1-7 gets us ready for the Triumphant King who has come to conquer...

We like to plan. But, oftentimes, our planning reflects a desire to be in control of our lives rather than giving control to God. This is the exact spot King Ahaz finds himself in Isaiah 7. Israel and Aram have come against him, and rather than asking the Lord for his help, he has already made plans to go to Assyria for help. It's in Ahaz's example and Isaiah's prophetic sign that we see our sinfu...

Paul's admonition in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 still remains today: Give thanks in every circumstance. But the question before us is how? In Psalm 107, we see the answer is the corporate recognition of God's faithful acts throughout the lives of his people in every circumstance. No matter our circumstances, we must give thanks because God satisfies us with his acts of faithful love, seen preeminently i...

We live in a world filled with injustice. From small slights against our character to systems of injustice, our fallen world is filled with brokenness. But as we see in the example of David in Psalm 7, amid injustice, chaos, and persecution, we should give thanks and sing to God.

How do we give thanks when things go wrong? More than that, how do we give thanks when things go wrong because of our sin? Psalm 79 addresses these very issues. With Jerusalem in ruins and the people lamenting their sin, we see that thankful hearts are born in disastrous times when we seek the glory of God.

Uncertainty is a common problem for mankind. Whether we are waiting for a medical test to come back or we are in a situation outside of our control, uncertainty stirs up fear and grief, causing us to draw away from God, not near to him. Whether we are in uncertain circumstances or not, the call is still the same: give thanks to the Lord. Psalm 56 offers a stunning vision of how uncertainty must dr...

Nobody expected a resurrection. At least, that's what the women didn't expect as they went to anoint Jesus' body in the tomb. But what they found when they arrived changed everything. Jesus kept every promise. The resurrection proved that the ransom for many was accepted. And now, the resurrection dispels doubt, disbelief, and denial that Jesus is Lord.

Sometimes it can be easy for us to overlook the severity of punishments. But in Mark 15:21-47, one cannot overlook the severity of the punishment Jesus took on our behalf. All of Mark has been building to this moment where the Son of God will give his life as a ransom for many. It's in the punishment, death, and burial of Jesus that our freedom, life, and reward are secured.

Many people assume they can sit on the fence when it comes to Jesus. But Mark 15:1-20 shows us that there is no such thing as a fence-sitter. You either embrace or reject Jesus as King. In the final prelude to the cross, Jesus must be rejected by four different groups in our place so we can be reconciled to God.

Jesus stands on the precipice of his crucifixion, but he must first endure the denial from his closest disciple: Peter. Denial of Jesus is often masqueraded as deconstruction in our culture, but its end is the way of sorrow. Thankfully, Peter's denial was carried by Jesus on the cross. Because of this, we can boldly proclaim Jesus as the Messiah because he is the undeniable Messiah.

As the life of Jesus draws to a close, we see his humanity wrestle deeply with the realities of the cross. It's in the garden of Gethsemane that we see Jesus' faithfulness in Peter's abjuration, his endurance amid agony, and his courage to face our abandonment and fear.

The final hours of Jesus are upon us. Jesus prepares to celebrate the Passover meal with his disciples, but tells them that one of them will betray him. He then declares that he is the Passover’s ultimate fulfillment and his body and blood would soon be poured out for them. It is through this meal that we see Jesus, the Lamb of God, prepared and provided for us as a ransom for many. Throughout the...

The time for Jesus' crucifixion is nigh. Mere days away from completing the task he was sent to accomplish, Jesus is met by an unnamed woman who reveals her devotion to Jesus. Mark highlights that the revelation of the Son of Man requires a response. How will we respond to this depiction of devotion? Will we respond by laying everything down at the feet of Jesus? Or will we respond like the religi...

We look at the world around us and can only come to one conclusion: things aren't what they are supposed to be. But even if we try to improve them, our efforts don't last. As Jesus concludes his Olivet discourse in Mark 13, we see astounding realities announced: we see the end of the world, the Son of Man coming in glory and power, and the ultimate restoration of all things. These are not just dec...

When you bring up the words "end times," people have a lot of different opinions about what this means. Though the end times are important for Christians to consider, many have taken this idea to create false Messiahs and damaging theologies. The aim of Jesus' Olivet teachings in Mark 13 is not to create speculation for tomorrow, but to fuel faithful obedience today. The overarching idea is that J...

What are the things we are leaving behind? Some of us remember leaving stuffed animals behind when we were younger. Maybe we desire to leave a good first impression on people. But have we considered what it means to leave behind a legacy? In Paul's final address to Timothy, he gives him a charge to preach the word and uses his life as an example of enduring faithfulness. For our church, this means...

People have a lot of opinions about Jesus. But what does Jesus say about himself? In the final question he poses to the religious leaders, Jesus makes clear that he is not just the Messiah, but he is Lord. Submitting to Jesus’ Lordship now will be our commendation, but our rejection of it will be our condemnation later.

One of the most well-known and often misunderstood Bible passages is Jesus' teaching on the greatest commandment. It's well-known for its brevity, but often misunderstood in its meaning and application. So what does Jesus mean by this teaching? Authentic love for God and neighbor only exists through the transforming power of the gospel.

What are the biggest questions facing your life? They could be mundane or deeply serious. One of the biggest questions many people have is what happens after they die. The Sadducees have their opportunity to trap Jesus on a question of the resurrection, but Jesus will reveal it's a question rooted in ignorance and pride. Pride in thinking they know better than God, and ignorance about what God has...

In 1789, Benjamin Franklin popularized the phrase: In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. But in Mark 12:13-17, we see a third reality: God's ownership. In debates about politics, government, and taxes, we forget the powerful truth Jesus drives home: God owns everything; therefore, we owe him everything.

In the gospels, Jesus loves to tell stories. Stories draw us in and seek to expose what otherwise would remain hidden. In the parable Jesus tells in Mark 12:1-12, Jesus is seeking to show four realities of God's Story of Redemption and what it can tell us about the coming judgment.