Crosstown OKC Sermons

Just as Jesus appears to have reached the climactic moment of his life, he tells his disciples that he is going to leave. Where could he possibly be going at such a crucial moment? Jesus explains that he is going to the true temple of God where he will make preparations for them to join him when he later returns for them.

God will never give up on his creation. He promises to renew it in such a way that all of its past glories as well as its past pains will be forgotten. And God has begun that work of new creation with the incarnation of Jesus who has overcome all that threatens the world from reaching its intended goal.

Jesus entered Jerusalem with all the fanfare of the one who expected to establish the long-awaited kingdom of God. But then he cursed a fig tree and caused a scene in the temple courts. His strange behavior is explained by his prophetic ministry, pointing forward to the kind of temple that would be necessary for an everlasting kingdom of peace to be established.

God is not distant from us. He desires to dwell with us here on earth. And when we are with God, all is well. That’s why the psalmist declares that the one thing he asks of the Lord is to always be in God’s house. And because God is completely trustworthy, the psalmist is confident that his prayer will be granted.

With church growth come increased ministry needs. The ministry of prayer and preaching is paramount to a church’s life. It does not detract from the need to minister to physical needs, nor vice versa. In fact, diaconal ministry is essential to maintain church unity, and to support the pastoral ministry of word and prayer.

As the apostles gave evidence of the resurrection of Jesus, the world began to take notice. The general public thought highly of them, but Israel’s elite became jealous and wanted to have them eliminated. Yet they could only wait to see if the apostle’s power and plan would last or eventually run out of steam.

The early church was beginning to earn respect. The apostles were giving powerful witness to the resurrection of Jesus, and God’s grace was evident in the way the members took care of each other like family. But when Ananias and Sapphira attempted to undermine the sacredness of the church, they paid for it with their lives.

Sufferers need the sovereignty of God. He does wonders. His hand worked out salvation through the evil works of sinful men. His people can come to him with praise and petitions to proclaim his name with all boldness. And God answers!

After healing a disabled man, Peter and John used the opportunity to proclaim Jesus and his resurrection. The Jewish authorities were greatly annoyed at this and took them into custody. Followers of Jesus today are inspired by the boldness of Peter and John, who, in the face of hostile threats, speak truth to power and summon everyone to trust in the only one who has the authority to save the worl...

When Peter and John brought healing to a disabled man who was begging for money at the gate of the temple, the crowd was astonished. Peter was eager to explain that this had become possible because God had glorified his servant Jesus. Peter then urged his audience to believe in Jesus themselves and so to become participants in the blessings of the future age that had already broken in on the prese...

Peter’s proclamation of Jesus at Pentecost resulted in many people becoming convicted of their rejection of him. Peter urged them to repent and to be baptized in his name and about three thousand people did so. The church of Jesus was born and brought hope day by day to everyone around them.

After claiming that what was happening at Pentecost was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, Peter began to show how Jesus of Nazareth was the Lord who would save all who called upon his name. Peter spoke of how Jesus was rejected and crucified but argued that this was all part of the divine plan. By raising Jesus from the dead, Jesus offers the hope of life to everyone whose destiny could otherwis...

When God’s Spirit came upon the followers of Jesus on the day of Pentecost, they began to speak in the languages of the people who were gathered in Jerusalem for the annual festival. It was an astonishing moment. Some of the people wondered what it could mean while others mockingly dismissed it. Peter pointed to an ancient prophecy from Joel to explain that God’s great promise to Israel was now be...

The first order of business that followed Jesus’s ascension was the selection of someone to replace Judas Iscariot in the original twelve disciples. In replacing Judas, Judas’s infamous betrayal of Jesus and tragic end became a warning to the early Christians of the temptations of apostasy and where that path inevitably leads. But replacing Judas also brought hope that God’s kingdom which had begu...

The book of Acts really gets going after the disciples of Jesus witness his ascension to heaven. This was a critical event since Jesus’s presence in heaven meant that he was now the Lord of heaven and earth. Assured of Jesus’s command of everything, the disciples and first believers in Jesus rejoiced at what this would mean for them as they waited for the arrival of the Holy Spirit to empower them...

After Jesus had been raised from the dead, his disciples were given all the proof they needed that the kingdom of God had arrived. They were now to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit who would empower them to give evidence to the world that Jesus was Lord. Then they would be sent into all the world to proclaim this good news and to implement the reality of Christ’s reign.

The book of Acts is Luke's sequel to his Gospel. It reports some of the history of the first Christians and the early church. Having been given the gift of God's Holy Spirit, these disciples of Jesus began to leave their mark on the world, and to leave us today with hope for how we might do the same.

The achievement of Isaiah's Suffering Servant is good news for everyone to hear. Everyone is invited to follow his lead and share in his victory. Those who do so will be plunged into the wonders of God's new creation which can never be stopped and will forever bear witness to the greatness of God's name.

The shocking achievement of the suffering servant results in the fulfillment of God's long-awaited promise to his people. The chosen family now begins to spread throughout the whole earth because of the covenant relationship the family enjoys with the Creator God. Nothing can prevent God's people from the privileges of their inheritance since they are being shaped into the image of the victorious...

God's grace does not call us into a religion of perfection; God's grace calls us into a relationship of faithful obedience.

Lasting Transformation is found in the gospel, lived out in community and while being on mission.