New Eden Sermons

From the early pages of Scripture, the idea of covenants between God and humanity is prevalent. In fact, the old Mosaic Covenant is one of the main foundational concepts that is drawn upon by the pastor of Hebrews. But there was something wrong with this old covenant. What is it? And what is the new thing that Jesus institutes with His life, death, burial, and resurrection?

While Jesus was on earth, He never performed the work of an earthly priest. Because He was here to inaugurate something greater, as a minister of the true tabernacle not made with hands. And the good news is, we're invited to join Him into the presence of God.

The preacher of Hebrews makes it clear - the law was weak, unprofitable, and incomplete. But this truth does not leave us without hope. Because the law has been superseded by something greater that will never fade - Jesus. He is what the law was always destined to point us to, and this is evidenced by the power of His indestructible life.

Feel the ground shake as morning breaks // On that third day, stone rolls away // Up from the grave, Jesus has raised // Loosed the chains, death is now slain // Let all the earth proclaim, “King Jesus reigns!”

Jesus rides into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, but it's not how anyone would have imagined. Instead of riding on a warhorse, He's mounted on a donkey. Instead of celebrating with His friends, He's weeping for His enemies. But this is the path to peace, fulfilling promises made long ago of the One who would come and save the world.

Melchizedek is a mysterious priest-king only mentioned in the Scriptures twice. Yet, he points us to an even greater mystery - that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

"It is impossible for God to lie. So, we who have fled for refuge can have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner."

The preacher warns his listeners of becoming bored of Jesus, which will lead to spiritual immaturity. To spur the church on, he encourages them to dive deep and remain steadfast in the gospel, which will guide them to maturity and a patient faith in Christ's return.

Before God, all hearts are exposed and naked. But the preacher of Hebrews reminds us that this is not cause for us to cower in fear. Rather, because of Christ's finished work, we are exhorted to run boldly to the throne of grace, where the true and faithful High Priest ever intercedes for us. 

The warning from Hebrew's preacher continues, exhorting his listeners to make every effort to enter God's rest. But how do we work to stop striving? And what do we do when we find ourselves restless?

Watch out. Pay attention. Take notice. The warning is given, exhorting the church to beware of sin's deception leading to a rejection of Christ's work. But what is the root cause behind that rejection and disobedience? And how do we respond when we find ourselves staring it in the face?

The preacher of Hebrews continues his exposition by pointing our focus on Jesus as better than Moses. Moses served as one of the members of God's household, but Jesus is the architect, the planner, the builder, and the completer of the entire thing. 

Death is undefeated. And because of sin, every human is impacted by death and is powerless to stop it. But Jesus did not leave us alone in our battle against death and sin. In fact, He came to do the entire work of destroying death and sending it back to the grave where it belongs. 

Through His suffering, Jesus is creating a new family as He brings many sons and daughters to glory. Through His life, death, burial, and resurrection, we are invited into this family and receive all the privileges of God as our Father. Jesus is our better older brother who brings us home with shouts of joy and celebration.

Humans were created to bring about flourishing in the world by reflecting the image of God. As it is, we don't see humans living up to their purpose. But we do see Jesus, the true human, who by God's grace, tasted death for everyone, so that all might feast on life and be created into a new humanity.

The preacher of Hebrews begins to make the case for the superiority of Jesus by making his first comparison - Jesus is better than the angels. For all hearers of this book, there is danger of drifting away from the only thing that ultimately matters - Christ and Him crucified. 

In the opening lines of Hebrews, the author sets the stage for the focal point of the entire book - the supremacy of Jesus. In all things and in all ways, Jesus is better. Period.

As a part of our 2023 Vision Sunday, our Pastor for Preaching shared a recap of 2022. He then interviewed Alyssa Hickinbotham, who recently joined New Eden as an Intern for Global Church Planting.

The mission of New Eden church is to make disciples who worship, abide in, and reflect King Jesus in all of life. But who is a disciple, what is their purpose, and how do they grow? In this Vision Sermon, we seek to define what we mean by discipleship.

Simeon and Anna had waited for years to see the promised Messiah. How would he come? And what will He do when He arrives? With the advent of Jesus, every question will be answered, and every longing fulfilled. The Savior is finally here.

Zechariah prophesies with boldness and joy when his son, John the Baptist, is born. However, his path to this prophetic song of praise began with nine months of silence. And in the silence, he learned what really mattered - God speaks the loudest with the birth of His Son.

The virgin Mary sings a song of prophetic hope about the birth of Jesus. God has looked on her with favor, and for all in Christ, we can join her in song.

Paul closes this epistle by calling the church to good works as a witness to the transforming power of the gospel. But these good works do not come from our own strength. They only come by the renewing power of the Holy Spirit that is poured out on us through the work of Christ.

In the midst of a letter filled with practical encouragement, the apostle Paul gives Titus a flood of gospel hope for the church. The work of Christ is what has saved us from our sin in the past, it is what transforms us in the present, and it is the future hope we hold on to.  *The speaker is one of our global church planting partners. His name is withheld for security purposes.

Joel McCarty • Paul gives Titus a snapshot of what a healthy church community would look like in the midst of a rebellious Cretan culture. The way we display the message of Jesus matters, because it offers the world an attractive picture of love, faith, and endurance.