Over the last few weeks, we’ve been preaching through chapters 13-20 from the book of Isaiah. In this message, Pastor Matt reviews the oracles to the nations that we’ve seen so far and encourages us to trust in and fear the Lord. Note: This sermon was delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic, when our Lord’s Day […]
As history has shown, there is nothing mankind can do to bring about world peace. Why? Because this world is full of proud and selfish people with sinful hearts! As the Apostle Paul writes: “In their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of […]
The kingdom of God has never been just about one nation but a people from every nation. The promise to Abraham was about blessing the nations. Daniel saw the kingdom of God as a mountain filling the whole world. Isaiah saw the nations streaming into that kingdom as part of God’s people. And when Jesus […]
Like all the prophets before him, Malachi proclaimed the glories of Jesus Christ, but he does so in a way that is easy to miss. This is not only because he is one of the prophets (who can be difficult to interpret at times) but because he goes about speaking of the advent of Christ […]
Acts 8:14-17 has been at the center of all kinds of controversy regarding the book of Acts and its interpretation. The doctrine of a “second blessing” taught in many churches is based partly on these verses. But why exactly did the risen Lord Jesus wait to send his Holy Spirit on the Samaritan Christians? If […]
The first twelve chapters of Isaiah—with its message of righteous judgment and gracious salvation—are bound together by a common theme: the King and his kingdom. In chapter 11, we see a further vision of the Messiah, Immanuel, ruling in righteousness over the restored creation. This passage aims to lift our eyes to the day that […]
Isaiah proclaimed a message not only of judgment against those who persisted in their rebellion against God, but of hope to the faithful remnant living in deep darkness. He delivered the God-given promise of a coming great light that would dawn on the world. Now while the hope of this world is only preferred possibility, […]
While the prophets are often characterized by their messages of judgment and woe, there are few places in Scripture where the light of salvation and hope shines so brightly. When the world speaks of ‘hope,’ it usually means nothing more than wishful thinking. But for the believer, our hope is a confident expectation in the […]
Though the name ‘Zion’ is often used in Scripture to refer to the capital city of Jerusalem and the mount where the temple was located, it becomes a rich symbol for the dwelling place of God and his holy people from every nation. Ultimately, it refers to the new Jerusalem—God’s glorious temple-city that will fill […]
Peter began his sermon on Pentecost by quoting the prophet Joel, explaining that God had finally poured out his promised Holy Spirit on all flesh. In these last days, whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But having mentioned “the name of the Lord,” he draws the attention of the Jews […]
Over the course of redemptive history, there have been several pivotal moments that revealed who our God is and what his saving purposes are for the world. For instance, the giving of the Law at Sinai, the building of the temple, and the ascension of the risen Lord Jesus. However, before the final moment in […]
The ascension of the risen Lord Jesus and the sending of the Spirit are the two primary events in redemptive history that explain the incredible growth of the Christian church in Acts. However, between them, Luke includes the brief story of how another disciple was chosen to replace Judas as one of the twelve Apostles. While […]
Today, we live in a secular age, where belief in God is simply one of many options available to us to improve our quality of life. We live in a distracted age, where we think and live only in materialistic terms, concerned with our immediate comfort and personal fulfillment, viewing this present life as all […]
Acts is the second volume of the orderly account written by Luke (Luke 1:1-4). The first volume was his Gospel account, in which he “dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up” (Acts 1:1-2). This implies that Luke’s purpose in Acts is to continue the […]
In Psalm 2:6, God declares that he has set his King on Mt. Zion despite the raging of the nations, and the Scriptures are clear that this anointed King is his only-begotten Son, Jesus. Therefore, whether our response to him is one of indifference like Pilate, contempt like Herod, or hatred like the Jews, we […]
