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Weekly sermons from Grace Fellowship Church of West Toronto
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Weekly sermons from Grace Fellowship Church of West Toronto
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Solomon started his reign amazingly well. He truly loved God and the Lord was pleased with him. Sadly, it didn’t stay this way. Things took a turn for the worse when Solomon allowed his heart to be captivated by something other than the Lord. As we study the downfall of this man, we'll find that his life provides this warning for every Christian: Believer, You must guard your heart.
Christian Clement-Schlimm. Christians are called to thank and praise God in all things and circumstances. On the face of it, this might sound like an exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, command. Thankfully, God does not leave Christians guessing on how to do this. Through David's example in Psalm 138, believers are reminded why God is always worthy of thanks and how they can thank Him, even in the midst of suffering and hardship.
It should be no surprise that a book that is all about the Gospel would include a section that speaks to the responsibilities of the local church in selecting, sending and supporting those who would take that Gospel to places where it has never been heard. Paul makes it clear every church needs to be a missionary-sending church. And in the process he helps each one of us understand our specific role in the grand scheme of worldwide Gospel proclamation.
Death is an inescapable reality all humans face. While some people live in fear of it, others choose to ignore it, and still others work to fight against it. Yet, no matter who we are or what we do, death will come for us all. Yet, for the Christian, death is not something to be feared. Through two stories from the life of Jesus, Luke shows his readers that for those who humble themselves and hope in Jesus, death is not the end. In Jesus' healing of the centurion's servant and his raising of the widow's son, we receive the teaching that Jesus is, without a doubt, the Lord of Life. Those who hu
Christians, as citizens of the Kingdom of God, have a King: Jesus Christ. But what does it mean and what does it look like to follow this King? Through Luke's account of Jesus' Sermon on the Plain, we are given clear instructions from Jesus himself that following him means seeking ultimate satisfaction in God, loving radically, and rejecting hypocrisy. He also explains how and why following him, despite the cost, is entirely worth it.
Whether we acknowledge it or not, sin is a fatal sickness we all have to deal with. What Jesus' debates with the self-righteous Pharisees helpfully make clear is that God will not be impressed by pious reputations, tricked by disciplines, or satisfied by rule-keeping. Our only hope to be free from sin and saved from God's just judgment is to look to, trust in, and rest upon Jesus, the great physician of souls.
Due to our sin and its stain, we must grapple with the reality of being unholy creatures facing the justice of holy God. Thankfully, in Jesus, we have a source of hope. Through two amazing stories of Jesus healing the physically sick, Luke teaches us that Jesus has the power and desire to heal and cleanse us of the much greater problem of sin. Therefore, we can confidently go to Jesus in faith and expect and trust that he will forgive us our sins.
Many aspects of the Kingdom of God seem counterintuitive, and that's true from the very beginning, starting with Jesus' call to join His kingdom. Yet, in this passage, we see that the seemingly counterintuitive nature of Jesus' call is wonderfully intentional. As His inconvenient calls to Simon and the first disciples demonstrate, Jesus helpfully directs his followers to embrace Him as the Lord of Creation who offers new life.
Is it possible to be confident that God will deliver you? Is your future secure or up in the air? Is there any hope at all as you suffer today? In Psalm 18 the righteous king leads every believer in a song of praise to God for his great faithfulness. And what it makes clear to believers is this: you can be confident in God, and God has secured your future in Christ. So yes, you can be confident of future deliverance, and by God’s grace, you can love and praise him even now.
Once you understand who is the Author of salvation, you begin to gain clarity on the way we all lived before God called us to Himself. In this sense, the Nation of Israel in Paul’s day (and ours) serves as a picture of how people attempt to appease God by their religious efforts. It never works. Which only highlights our great need for a real Saviour!
Paul continues to prove how it is we can be sure that God keeps all of His promises when it appears to us like He might have broken a few to Israel.
There are some parts of the Bible that are hard to understand (See 2 Peter 3:16!). There are other parts we may just find, well, kind of offensive. We don’t like what they say. Romans 9 has come across that way to lots of people over the years, but often that is because they do not take the time to follow the line of Paul’s logic throughout. In this sermon we will start to make our way toward solving the problem of Israel, which ends up being a problem for God. Does He keep His promises?
Theological convictions cannot and should not be held in isolation. What Christians believe about church governance ties directly to what they believe about Scripture's authority and the gospel itself. Through a comparison between Eastern Orthodoxy and Biblical Christianity, this sermon explores how theological truth is a package deal, and what a person believes about the Church, Scripture, and the gospel will spill over into every aspect of their spiritual life.
Every once in a while it is good to pause and take stock of the health of your relationship to God. Having carefully looked at the first 8 chapters of Romans, now seems like a good time to do just that. Taking all of that text into consideration, what behaviours or values should be marking all of our lives now?
Biblical Christianity and Roman Catholicism have numerous important differences. Yet, at the heart of all those differences is the question of authority: Is Scripture or the Church the ultimate authority? By walking through the book of Hebrews and other biblical texts, we will see that Christians must reject the temptation to build our faith on human authorities. Rather, our faith must be built directly on Christ, guided by Scripture as the sufficient, infallible, and final rule of faith.
In this evil age every Christian will need to endure unjust suffering. Psalm 7 helps prepare you to endure it and to endure it well. In this psalm you will see two big action steps to get to work at when this kind of suffering comes your way; and the good news is this: you’re not the first to encounter this kind of suffering. Your king has already gone before you, and he will carry you through.
There are so many ways the world tries to creep into the church, but when the people of God begin to think more like their God, their display of God looks more like God. God is not afraid of disability, brokenness or old age. He takes pleasure in using the weakest among us to magnify His power and grace. A wise church will jump on the escalator and live according to God’s values so they can see the glory of God in real time, in real ways, in their very real church.
The world is a harsh place and we easily slip into its way of thinking. We value people based on their supposed contributions to us or society, and often avoid the ones we do not understand or find difficult to be around. Is this the way Christians should live? How can we correct it if not?
While Roman Catholicism often uses the same words and refers to the same events as biblical Christianity, in actuality, it teaches a totally different understanding of the cross and therefore promotes a very different gospel. In this sermon, we see how seemingly small deviations from the Bible's teaching on Christ's sacrifice lead to several anti-biblical Roman Catholic beliefs: the sacrifice of the Mass, the Sacrament of Penance, and the doctrine of Purgatory.
Christian pessimism does not exist. At least, it should not. Of all the humans dwelling on earth, none have more to look forward to in this life and the next than believers in the resurrected Jesus Christ. In fact, it is His being raised from the dead that secures such hope. Just as He endured the cross “for the joy set before Him,” we gladly sail through life with a firm confidence that all shall be well.
Throughout history, monarchs have usually fit a certain mould: Dignified, regal, and moving about with pomp and circumstance. In contrast, Jesus is a king of a different sort. Unlike every other monarch, he possesses unrivalled authority, and unlike any other ruler, he uses his power in the most humbling of ways. Jesus is a king like no other.
We live in a world full of counterfeit gospels. One such false gospel gaining increased attention recently is that of Roman Catholicism. In this sermon, we cut to the heart of the issue and see how Scripture corrects the Roman Catholic view of justification and presents a gospel message of total rest in Christ's finished work.
In this life we will experience suffering, and our circumstances in this fallen world certainly won’t always be the circumstances we would choose for ourselves. But even though this is the case, there is a way to joyfully worship God at all times. How, you ask? By seeking the King who perfectly sought God on your behalf.
