To close Paul’s letter to Philemon, Paul demonstrates the love of Christ by asking Philemon to put Onesimus’ wrongs on his own account. In this sermon, Pastor Keith walks through the text from verses 17-25, showing us the Apostle Paul’s gospel-shaped steps of reconciliation: paying for the other, assuming the best of the other, and […]
In the introduction of Paul’s letter to Philemon, Paul began by acknowledging Philemon’s character and affirmed the demonstration of his faith in his love toward all the saints. He drew a picture of the family of God. And now in the main body of his letter, he shows us how to conduct ourselves in the […]
As we began to look at Romans 14 we saw that there were certain opinions dividing the church at Rome along ethnic lines. Both Jewish and Gentile believers were quarrelling over disputable matters, such as food and observing special days. The strong-in-faith were tempted to look down on the weak for their apparent “legalism;” and […]
In Romans 14-15, Paul addresses the non-essential issues that were causing strife in the church at Rome. And the principles laid out here continue to teach us how to handle matters of conscience while preserving gospel fellowship. In this sermon, pastor Matt begins to show us that Christians are to love and accept all those […]
Since Romans 12 we have been looking at the various relationships the church has in light of the gospel and our new identity as citizens of God’s kingdom. We considered the church’s relationship to God, to each other, to the world, and to the state. In this sermon, pastor Keith looks at our relationship to […]
After all that Paul has said about the Christian’s relationship to the church, we come to what is arguably the most radical command in all Scripture. We saw it briefly in verse 14, but in verses 17-21 Paul now focuses on our relationship to the world, and the Christian’s display of non-retaliating love. In this […]
Having just taught that Christians are members of Christ’s body, and encouraging the church to use their grace-gifts in humble service, Paul shows them “a still more excellent way” (1 Cor. 12:31). In this sermon, Pastor Matt shows how love is the indispensable mark of the new humanity created in Christ Jesus. For the love […]
In the second half of the crescendo that concludes Romans 8, the Apostle Paul focuses on the love of God in Christ that not only secures our vindication on the last day but also our glorious victory now and every day in between. And in this sermon, pastor Matt again shows how God’s everlasting love […]
“What then shall we say to these things?” With this question at the end of chapter 8, Paul famously brings the second major section of his letter to the Romans to a close. These verses are a glorious crescendo that celebrates the unrelenting, unchanging, and unending love of God in Christ. In this sermon, pastor […]