JESUS IS THE COMMON LORD OF OUR UNCOMMON LIVES

Equality is such a universally sought-after idea this day and age that it hardly sounds uniquely Christian to say that Jesus came to “break down the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph. 2:14) between peoples. However, Acts 10 tells the story of Peter’s vision and the conversion of Cornelius - a gentile - during a time when only Jews were understood to have the privilege of God’s blessing. So long as equality and unity were on the basis of shared outward characteristics, some would always be excluded - that’s why it’s such a difficult and seemingly impossible thing to achieve today. But the kind of unity Jesus achieved through His blood and the unity that was demonstrated through the conversion of Cornelius is one that is unique. It’s better. There’s nothing like it in the world. Because it’s a unity and equality that transcends our outward characteristics and is found in a common Lord - Jesus Christ. Listen to the sermon to learn more.

Listen to this week’s sermon here.

IT’S NEVER TOO BAD FOR JESUS TO TURN THINGS AROUND

Have you ever reached a point in your life when you became convinced that you were on an irreversible course? That the narrative of the rest of your life has already been written by your sins or your mistakes or your circumstances? Of the many themes in the book of Acts, one of the most prominent is reversal. At the cross, Jesus accomplished the greatest reversal in history, yet after He ascends, Acts tells the story of a risen and reigning Jesus who still turns things around for His glory. Acts 9:32-43 gives two poignant examples of just how true this is as Jesus, through Peter, reverses two otherwise utterly irreversible conditions. Listen to this last Sunday’s sermon and be filled with the hope of a Jesus who can and will turn things around for you.

Listen to this week’s sermon here.

THE MOST FAMOUS CONVERSION IN HISTORY

The conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus - it’s likely the most well known conversion story of any Christian ever. And while it’s accompanied with extraordinary circumstances (blinding light, audible confrontation by Jesus) which shouldn’t be expected as the norm for most Christian conversions, we do nevertheless discover in Saul’s encounter the nuts and bolts of every Christian conversion.

On a Sunday when we transitioned to a new name, how appropriate in God’s providence that the common thread of Saul’s conversion found in all moments of conversion is God’s sovereign grace through His cross of grace. Listen to this Sunday’s sermon to learn more about how God saves sinners and what stands at the core of our name and who we are.

Listen to this week’s sermon here.

GOD, THE TIMELESS PURSUER OF THE LOST

A Hellenistic Jew, a Samaritan and an Ethiopian eunuch walk into a restaurant …

It’s not a setup to a bad joke, but instead what Acts chapter 8 appears to be on the surface - three seemingly unrelated stories about three individuals and groups of people. What ties them together? The principle that God is about the business of saving people - individual people. In Christ, He has created a people (plural) for His own possession, but every single person He has called to Himself, He personally pursues with love and grace. Acts 8 teaches us that neither distance not defiance can stop or hinder God’s gracious pursuit of lost souls.

Listen to this week’s sermon here.

Acts 7 tells the story of Stephen, who when confronted by opponents, refused to recant his beliefs. The result? The cancellation of his life. While our lives may not be similarly threatened, confessing the truth of God’s Word may risk he cancellation of our reputations, jobs or social influence. In the face of such brash reactions and verdicts against what people believe these days, can we have any confidence or security? Yes. In the unchanging verdict of Jesus Christ through His death on a cross. This was the confidence Stephen had even as stones were being hurled at him. Listen to the sermon to learn about the strength of Jesus’ verdict over you even in the midst of today’s cancel culture.

Listen to this week’s sermon here.

DEACONS - SERVANTS FOR GOD’S GLORY

Acts 6:1-7 describes a scenario that might even come off as your average, everyday messy scenario of a local church trying to mercifully meet tangible needs, but running into issues along the way. These are the kinds of things, though, that can derail a church - not to say that administration, mercy ministry and the like are unimportant. However, when pastors, who have been called by God to teach and shepherd the church make these everyday issues a priority over leading and teaching the church, problems can arise. So, how can a church ensure that these important needs are met? Through deacons. Literally translated, “one who serves” a deacon is a servant’ hearted individual who is called and qualified according to 1 Tim. 3:8-13 to serve the church and act as a shock absorber to the church and in particular, its pastors. Want to know more about deacons and what our plans are as a church to install our very first deacons?

Listen to this week’s sermon here.

GOD’S RIGHT AND POWER TO DO HIS WILL

In Acts 5:17-42, Peter and the Apostles are arrested for preaching the name of Jesus for the second time in two chapters. Yet, this time, before they can stand trial before the council, God miraculously intervenes through an angel and busts them out of prison. Yet, the next day, after being found in the Temple preaching once again, they are indeed brought before the council and consequently severely beaten to ensure they stay quiet. As they limp away from the Temple grounds, Luke records that they “rejoice that they were counted worthy to suffer …” Might they have been tempted to be confused at what God was up to in releasing them from prison only to be beaten? Yes. What, then, gave them such a strong confidence and joy no matter what befell them? The same thing that stands as Church’s timeless confidence and your own unshakeable confidence - God’s sovereignty.

Listen to this week’s sermon here.

THE DAY GOD KILLED PEOPLE AT CHURCH

The account of the death of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 is an uncomfortable one to say the least. However, it’s a discomfort that both God and the author of Acts intended us to feel. Why? Because we were intended to understand through it how great of a threat hypocrisy is to the advance of the Gospel and the health of the Church. Listen to this week’s sermon to learn more about the threat of hypocrisy and how you, as a Christian can be confident in Christ despite the existence of your own hypocrisy.

Listen to last Sunday’s sermon here.

WHILE THE WORLD RAGES, GOD REIGNS

In Acts 4, after encountering the first opposition to the New Testament Church as Peter and John are arrested, the members of that church set an example for us when the world similarly rages around us. What do they do? They pray.

“I AM IMMORTAL UNTIL GOD’S WORK FOR ME TO DO IS DONE”

They pray to the One whose plan and hand “had predestined to take place” (Acts 4:28). These first century Christians had a vision for God reigning over and above the raging of the world, so much so that He had ordained the raging and was doing His redemptive work through it. In the midst of a raging 2020, this is a sermon that your soul needs to hear.

Listen to this week’s sermon here.

YOU CAN ARREST ME, BUT YOU CAN’T ARREST MY GOSPEL

How should a Christian respond when he or she encounters opposition from those in government or authority? When their American rights are threatened? When our ability to gather is limited? When it looks like persecution could be down the road? In Acts 4:1-22, Peter and John provide us with a stalwart example which helps us to answer this questions; an example which leads us to the conclusion that because we have everything else firmly secured in Christ, the one thing we should never allow to be wrested from our hands - or mouths - is the message of Jesus Christ.

Listen to this week’s sermon here.