Redeemer Presbyterian Church

Jesus gave a blind and mute man his sight and voice. What do you say? Did he do it by Satan, or by the Holy Spirit? And if by the Spirit, shall we not trust in him and follow him? 

A sermon by ruling elder Aaron Raines, assistant to the pastor at Christ Church, Bentonville, ministerial intern for Hills & Plains Presbytery, and seminary student. 

I. The Call to Maturity. II. The Characteristics of Maturity. III. The Power of Maturity. IV. The Joy and Reward of Maturity. 

I. How usual and unusual this servant is, vv1-3 II. The despondence and confidence of the servant, v4. III. The world-wide mission of the servant, vv5-6. IV. The God-assured success of the servant, vv7-12. V. What should we do? Sing for Joy!

I. We need preaching that consoles us with the comfort of God's forgiveness, vv1-2. II. We need preaching that consoles us the coming of God's glory, vv3-5. III. We need preaching that consoles us with the constancy of God's Word, vv6-8. IV. We need preaching that consoles us with the care of God's Shepherd, vv9-11.  I'm indebted to my Old Testament professor Dr. Ralph Dav...

The prophet Isaiah's kingdom of the Messiah hope: The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them... They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.  I. His ancestry, v...

I. Our hope is a hero. II. He brings light into darkness, vv1-2; liberty to the oppressed, vv3-5, and leadership to the kingdom, vv6-7. III. Because he's the Wonderful Counselor, the Might God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. 

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench. I. See how judicious he is, vv15-16. II. See how necessary he is, v18b. III. See how delightful he is, v18a. IV. See how quiet he is, v19 V. See how gentle he is, v20. VI. See how successful he is, v21. 

I. The corporate public worship participation of Jesus is a pattern for us, v9. II. The legalistic hard heartedness of the Pharisees is a warning to us, v10.  III. The mercy of Jesus to people is our example, vv11-12.  IV. The spiritual blindness and hatred of the Pharisees, vv13-14.

I. Jesus debates the Pharisees because the Sabbath matters as a day of rest for his disciples. II. Jesus rebukes the Pharisees because they laid heavy burdens on people by man-made legalistic and corrupt Sabbath demands. III. Jesus teaches us the true principles that will bless our own observance of the fourth commandment. 

Jesus says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." What an invitation! I. You are invited to come to a Jesus, v28. II. You are invited to receive rest from Jesus, v28b. III. You are invited to be a disciple of Jesus, vv29-30. 

I. Jesus thanked God the Father because he hides and reveals the truth about Jesus, v25.  II. Jesus attributes the Father’s revealing to the Father’s will, v26. III. Jesus claims sovereignty in deciding who to reveal the Father to, v27. 

I. Warning. II. Repentance. III. Hell.

Jesus asks, "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’" I. Jesus poses a question. II. Tells a parable. III. Provides an explanation. IV. And concludes with a proverb. 

Who is John the Baptist, why did he come, and how does he help us understand Jesus? I. John is the prophet whom Jesus defends, vv7-9. II. John is the forerunner who prepares us for Jesus, vv9-10. III. John is ranked greatest but we’re greater than him, v11. IV. John is the End of the Prophets and Law, vv12-13 . V. John is the Elijah who is to come, vv14-15

John the Baptist sent word to Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” I. Who is it that’s doubting?, vv2-3.  II. Why does he have these doubts?, vv1-3. III. How does Jesus answer his doubts and strengthen his faith?, vv4-6

Peter warns us of our adversary the devil, but he reassures us of the care of the God of all grace.  I. Spiritual warfare and the devil, vv8-9a.. II. Suffering and the reassurance of the God of grace, vv9b-11. III. Solidarity in the body of Christ, vv12-14

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." How might that promise affect our relationship to church elders, to one another, and to our own circumstances and anxieties? I. Humility toward church elders, v5a. II. Humility toward one another, v5b. III. Humility toward God, vv6-7.

What are elders and why should we care about that, and what do they do, and how should they do it, and why? I. The elder's office, v1. II. The elder's responsibility, v2. III. The elder's attitude, vv2-3. IV. The elder's reward, v4. 

I. Don’t let your suffering shake your confidence in the Lord’s love for you, v12a. II. Don’t let your suffering surprise you, v12. III. Instead, rejoice in sharing in Christ’s suffering and glory, v13. IV. And recognize you’re blessed, v14. V.  So don’t suffer for doing shameful things, nor be ashamed of suffering for Christ, vv15-16. VI. But keep trusting the Lord amidst his purifying judgment,...

I. Arm yourself with an attitude, v1. II. Walk in the will of God, v2. III. Leave your old lifestyle, v3. IV. Refrain from retaliation, vv4-5. V. Remember it’s the gospel that gets us glorified, v6

I. What shall I do to inherit eternal life? II. What is written in the Law? III. Who is my neighbor? IV. Which of these... do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?

I. A Kingdom mindset, v7. II. A loving mindset, v8. III. A serving mindset, vv9-11a. IV. A kingdom mindset, v11b. 

How can we know that it is better to suffer for doing good, than for doing evil? I. The death of Christ, v18. II. The proclamation of Christ, vv19-20. III. The resurrection of Christ, v21. IV. The ascension and rule of Christ, v22