The Tabernacle Sermons

God resurrects our marriage. The word submission is not popular in our culture, but when we look at Christ as our example, it is a beautiful process.

Without Christ we walk life's journey as dead men, seeking only to fulfill our flesh. But the Gospel resurrects our walk, unleashing us to live differently as we believe and follow Jesus.

Before receiving Christ we walk in the old way that leads to death. But the truth of the Gospel resurrects our minds, as we learn to “put on” Jesus and walk like him in the new way.

God’s blessing, grace and power towards us demands a response. Christ took responsibility for our sin on the cross, and we are responsible to grow up in faith, and live worthy lives in response. Chapter 4 turns the corner from doctrine to application.

God has no limits, and is able to do more than limited humans could ever ask or imagine. We tend to limit God with shallow prayers because we don't grasp who God is and what He wants to do in us. In Christ, our limits are resurrected.

God has the power to resurrect any story, even the story of COVID-19. Suffering is given meaning and purpose when we work with God and give Him control of our stories, so He can resurrect them for His glory.

A sense of belonging is a primary human need and Jesus doesn't leave us alone and isolated. Being "in Christ" means we are part of something greater than ourselves. Because of Jesus we now belong to a tribe called the Church.

God has a purpose for every person. The astounding grace of God resurrects dead lives for good works, and makes Christianity unique and superior among all other religions. Sadly, many Christians don't understand grace, and waste time trying to earn God's favor, instead of freely responding to what He's freely given.

A resurrected perspective comes from God-given wisdom, revelation in knowledge, and having the eyes of our hearts enlightened. It is also transformative as we believe with certainty in the hope, riches, and power of God towards us (v17-19). This new perspective is only made possible because of Christ's physical resurrection, and by knowing God personally and intimately. Knowing God that way only c...

In Christ, God has resurrected our identity and given us a new way to live. We no longer live with guilt, shame, fear, purposeless, hopeless and desperate for love and acceptance. Our identity is now His identity, because we have been chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgive, and lavished with love - with a future inheritance that is sealed.

Raster marks the date that Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus, the most important event in History. If the Resurrection was a lie then Christianity is dead and a colossal waste of time. If the Resurrection is true, then Jesus is God, the Gospel is true, and there is hope for our future and our lives right now.

God invites people into relationship and transforms them with his love. Transformed people invite others to meet God, and when these people band together they form a church - and that’s when real momentum is developed. When everyone takes responsibility for that kind of culture, we build momentum and reach more and more people for Christ.

God invites all of us into relationship because He loves us. Last week we looked at the wheel of discipleship: Seekers - Believers - Followers - Laborers. Part of God’s invitation is to become his invitation. 2nd Corinthians 5 gives us a picture of what a laborer looks like. Laborers are courageous from an eternal perspective, actively seek to persuade others, are motivated by love, believe in cha...

The great story of the Gospel is that God invites all people into relationship with Him through faith, and deeper in relationship through obedience. The main point of the message is for people to see clearly where they are on the path, and to accept God's invitation to make the next move.

The nation of Israel has committed genocide against the tribe of Benjamin, leaving only 600 men alive. This chapter closes out the dark book of Judges, giving us a sobering picture of what happens when there is no King, and we all do what is right in our own eyes.

This passage covers the retaliation of Israel against the Benjaminites as they seek vengeance for the death of the concubine. When we become hardened with being right, we miss out on Jesus. We don't need another judge, we need a King.

This story serves as a stark reminder that God has no grandchildren, only sons and daughters. Each must individually choose a relationship with God, and whether or not to conform to His will of God.

Today we fall into the traps of worshipping God on our own terms, with images that we fashion, when it's convenient, and never really giving God control. The bottom line for us is to worship God as he is, not as we want him to be.

Samson is regarded in the Hebrews 11 hall of faith. This can only be a testament to salvation by grace alone through faith alone. It is staggering to consider what Samson could have been and done for God. Built before being too hard on Samson, we can also see ourselves in his journey and learn what not to do.

In chapters 14 and 15 we see the weakness of Samson the strongman. The saga of Samson makes him out to be a superhero on the surface, but also reveals deep flaws in his character. Though Samson did great things for God, it is staggering to consider what he might have done and been for God.

We see the prequel to Samson being born in Chapter 13. Our call is the same as the Nazirite call. To be set apart.

The saga of Jephthah concludes in Judges 12 with a brutal civil war. Pride ruins relationships and is death for churches. The way of Christians is to be humble like Jesus, described in Philippians 2:1-8. Unity is only possible with humility, and that starts by identifying prideful shibboleths.

It is important to understand that we can trust God to love and bless us based on his nature and not our works. This was embodied in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

"We live in the beginning of the end of the story we are still in the middle of." Glimpses of the garden aren't to be worshipped, but to serve as reminders and markers along our journey, so we can keep believing, hoping, and trusting the way back through the Snake-Crusher.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...