One of the greatest and most comforting themes of Israel’s history is that the Lord fights for his people. The good news is that God does for them what they cannot do for themselves. And this is what Isaiah 59 is all about. In the first half of the chapter we have Israel’s lament over […]
Since we started the final section of Isaiah (56-66) we have seen Israel’s failure and inability to produce the righteousness which God requires. After highlighting Israel’s irresponsible and corrupt leaders; their idolatry, and their hypocrisy. we now have a summary of Israel’s sinful condition seen in their social injustice. The fact that God confronts Israel […]
In the four “servant songs” Isaiah is painting a picture of who Jesus is, what characterized his life, and what he came to do as God’s servant. In the first song, the servant is the Spirit-filled ruler who brings justice to the nations. In the second song, he is the prophet who restores Israel and […]
Scripture shows us that God is not only good, wise, sovereign, but also surprsing. He does new things which are often unexpected and astonishing but full of wisdom far beyond what we could ever imagine. This new and surprising way of working is what God’s word of comfort to his people through Isaiah was all […]
In chapter 40, Isaiah established the fundamental principles about God to assure Israel of God’s power and eagerness to save them. Now in chapter 41, Isaiah brings these principles into clearer focus. This section begins and ends with God addressing the nations, but in between is a lengthy section of comfort and reassurance given to […]
Before he concludes his greetings, Paul changes course to give a few final words of exhortation to the saints in Rome. His love for the church leads to a desire to protect the church from threats that could undermine their unity. Like the Lord Jesus in his high priestly prayer, he wants to see the […]
Since Romans 12, Paul has been giving the church general instructions for a whole new way of life “in view of God’s mercies.” Now in Romans 13:11-14, he brings this section to close. But instead of telling the church to look at the present in light of the past (what God has done in Christ), […]
After being spit back out onto the land by the fish, Jonah is recommissioned and sent to Nineveh. When he arrives in Nineveh, he delivers God’s message, and the Ninevites, led by their king, respond with repentance and God spares them from judgment. In this sermon, pastor Mitch reminds us of the profound truth this […]
In Romans 11 Paul is ramping up to the climax of his discussion of Israel and the gospel. He lays out the future salvation of Israel and how God is even using their unbelief to accomplish his plans for the world. In this sermon, pastor Mitch reminds us that Israel’s hardening and rejection is neither […]
Since chapter 9, Paul has been considering the unbelief of Israel and their rejection of the Gospel. As Paul concludes his second survey of this question in chapter 10, he gives two possible explanations for why Israel hasn’t called on the name of the Lord before providing us with the answer. By the end of […]
In our sermon series through Romans, we have been learning about our new life in the Spirit made possible by the gospel of Jesus Christ. While the rest of the NT has much to say about our lives as citizens in the kingdom of heaven, the book of Proverbs is an excellent place to see […]
One of the places in Scripture where the Holy Spirit’s work is seen most clearly is in Romans 8. In fact, 20 of the 30 mentions of the Spirit in Romans occur in this chapter alone. And this brings us to vv. 26-27, which are a beautiful summary of the Spirit’s work in our lives […]
In this sermon, pastor Mitch shows us those who are justified by faith can rejoice in their sufferings because their sufferings are never wasted, and they because they have the guarantee of God’s love.
After describing our need for justification and the way of justification in chapters 1-4, Paul now, begins to explore the results, or implications, of justification in chapters 5-8. These chapters are all about living in the light of what God has already accomplished for us in Christ while we wait for the consummation of his […]
When we face the inevitable suffering that the righteous will face (Ps. 34:19), when sorrows like sea billows roll, when it seems like all we know is the frowning and bitter providence of God, how should we respond? In this sermon, pastor Mitch looks at the responses of Naomi and Ruth to the devastating crisis […]
