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 […]
The Scriptures say that “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13; Joel 2:32). But what must happen for sinners to actually do this? Since salvation is ultimately based on the sovereign mercy of God, what part do we play in bringing about the obedience of faith among all […]
After unpacking the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel (chs. 1-4) and the blessings of salvation provided by the gospel (chs. 5-8) Paul begins to explain the plan of God vindicated in the gospel in chapters 9-11. Here he aims to show how God’s plan for Israel and the nations reveals his saving righteousness, […]
Luke concludes the book of Acts with Paul a prisoner in Rome, yet still “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:31). Though he was held captive by Rome, and many of his hearers were held captive by unbelief, he knew that God’s […]
In Acts 25-26, the story of Paul as witness on trial for the gospel comes to an epic conclusion before he reaches Rome. Everything has been building up to this moment where, in the providence of God, he gives the reason for his hope before the rulers of all Judea. Paul bears witness that King […]
In the last major section of the book of Acts, from chapters 21-28, Luke devotes a significant amount of space to the imprisonment, court appearances, and defense speeches of the Apostle Paul. Why? Because Scripture is not only concerned with showing us Paul as missionary, church planter, and encourager of the saints, but also as […]
In America today, the temptation is to think that if we can just get the right candidate elected, the right justices appointed, and prayer back in school, then we would be “one nation under God.” But how is the church to make a difference in the world for God’s glory? What do we find in […]
While it is clear that we are living in an increasingly secular age, it is actually quite religious. More and more people desire a spiritual identity that gives them purpose and meaning in this life, and seek to fill the void left by religion with a host of idols such as entertainment, self-expression, romance, wellness, […]
Christians are those who believe that Jesus is the risen King. He was enthroned on a cross through the suffering of death yet was raised in victory three days later. Now, exalted as Lord and Savior, he grants forgiveness and eternal life to all who call on his name in faith; by grace, he welcomes […]
The kingdom of God, under the saving rule of Jesus Christ, is the reality to which all history is headed—a new heaven and earth, and a redeemed humanity experiencing the blessing of fellowship with God and one another forever. But this kingdom is also a present reality. The saving rule of Jesus is experienced today […]
Toward the end of the apostle Paul’s life, as he wrote to encourage his son in the faith, Timothy, he recalls the challenges he faced on his various missionary journeys. In particular, he mentions the sufferings he endured at Iconium and Lystra, which are described by Luke in Acts 14. This leads him to make […]
The book of Acts is the story of all that the risen Lord Jesus continued to do and teach through the witness of his church in the power of his Spirit. In chapters 1-12, Luke focuses on the growing church in Jerusalem and the spread of the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. In chapters 13-28, […]
Having received a vision from God in which all food was declared “clean,” Peter’s eyes were opened to see the ever-expanding redemption story of God’s love for a people from every nation. Just like all food was pronounced by Christ to be clean for eating, so Peter is to no longer refuse to be among […]
By God’s sovereign grace, Saul—who was a self-righteous Pharisee and a violent opponent of the Christian church—came to believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. He called upon his name, he was baptized, and he joined the disciples in Damascus (the very people he came to imprison). But this story shows us […]
Under the old covenant, the ceremonial laws communicated the truth that God is holy, and that he is totally separate from all that is not holy. This is why people with diseases or deformities were considered unclean and separated from the assembly of Israel. It wasn’t that these things made people evil; they symbolized the […]
