Sojourning Under the Sun: Exile (Genesis 3)

Adam is in the garden of Eden, called to honor the Lord, and love the Lord.  There is a tree that God placed in Eden which will confer upon him the knowledge of Good and Evil.  Is it wrong to eat of this tree just because the Lord says so?  Is the Lord holding something back from Adam that would be good for him?  How bad would it be for Adam to eat of the tree?  What would ultimately happen to the human race and this world?  This chapter in Genesis truly is a history changing moment.

Sojourning Under the Sun: Perfection (Genesis 2)

The Lord has created and placed Adam in a wonderful garden sanctuary where Adam has a taste of heaven.  This is a place where man communes with the Lord and fellowships with the living God.  However, in the midst of this Garden there are two trees that will testify to man’s allegiance to the living God.  What is the significance of this garden?  Why does the Lord place these trees in the midst of the garden?  Why does the Lord enter his Sabbath rest after revealing the generations of the heavens and the earth?

Diaspora People (James 1:1)

We might think that we cannot relate to what it must have been like for Israel to be in exile.  The reality is that James greets the church as a group of people who are in exile.  We might think that this life is a waste because it does not measure up to what we want.  We need to listen to James who is laying out for us that this life probably will not meet our expectations because it is not supposed to meet our expectations.  So, why follow our God then if this life will not give us all that we think it should?

Easter’s Champion Servant Warrior (Isa. 52:13-53:12)

On Good Friday we considered this servant song from the perspective of the suffering servant.  We saw that the sermon was clearly presenting a suffering warrior.  This is not a song that we normally associate with resurrection.  Is there a message of resurrection in this song?  Or is the resurrection something that is only taught in the New Testament?

Suffering Servant:Suffering Warrior (Isa. 52:13-53:12)

When Isaiah speaks of the suffering servant we think that this is a champion who will prevail and will not falter.  You would hope that a warrior would be one who would show up with armor, and adorned in such a way that the nations would tremble to be in his midst.  However, this is not how the Lord conducts this war.  What does this servant look like?  What kind of servant and warrior do we see?

Lead in Christ (John 15; LD 52

The Lord’s prayer has a strange request that we ask the Lord not to lead us into temptation.  If the Lord desires us to dwell with Him forever in heaven, then why would the Lord tempt us?  What does this request mean for our Christian life?  Can we trust our Lord if He is tempting us?  So, what does this request mean?

Grace to Survive (1 Timothy 6:17-21)

We conclude our study of Timothy.  This is Paul reminding Timothy about the significance of the Christian life.  Paul has warned of the seduction of riches, but is it wrong to be blessed by the Lord?  How do we manage the wealth that God has given to us?  What is the concern that Timothy is to ultimately have regarding his ministry?

God's Prodigal Family: Father (Luke 15:11-32 (LD 51)

It is easy to judge the younger brother and to let him live with the consequences of his actions.  It might be touching to think that the father still hosts the banquet for the younger brother.  You can almost have a sentimental feeling that the father is a really good father.  The parable hits home when the father explains to the older brother why this banquet is so significant.  It also hits home when the father has to pursue the lost son.  Which son is really the lost son in this parable?  What is the significance of the father going out to meet with each of the sons?

The Epiphany of Fighting (1 Timothy 6:11-16)

Paul has exhorted Timothy and the church to live a peaceful and quiet life before the Lord in this letter to Timothy.  This would seem to imply that we do not fight, but seek peace at all costs.  However, Paul exhorts Timothy now to fight.  How can Timothy seek peace and fight at the same time?  What is the point of this fighting?  Or is this fight something else and we are just imposing our view on the fighting?

God's Prodigal Family: Old Brother (Luke 15:11-32 (LD 51)

When we ask our heavenly father to forgive us our debts we are also asking that we forgive our debtors meaning those who sin against us.  The reality is that there is a cost involved with forgiveness and we might not always be willing to bear the cost of it.  What is more, the bigger problem is that we might not think that we ourselves need that much forgiveness.  So, what does the older brother or the older son tell us about forgiveness in the kingdom?  Why does Christ tell us that this man had two sons?

Serenity Now! (1 Timothy 6:1-10)

This life can overwhelm us at times.  If we are honest, many of the things which overwhelm us are self inflicted.  We want the perfect job, house, marriage, or whatever it might be for us.  The reality is that we can quickly become a dog chasing its own tail while believing our own tale.  So, where do we find peace right now?  Where do we find a happy place where we can retreat?  How can we have a true peace right now even in a fallen world?

Our Only Comfort (John 11:17-27)

Please enjoy this message on Lazarus from Mr. Austin Reed while Pastor Paul Lindemulder enjoys a break from the pulpit. . 

By Grace Through Faith (Romans 4)

Please enjoy this exhortation from Mr. Austin Reed on Romans 4 while Pastor Paul enjoys a Sunday off. 

God's Prodigal Family: Younger Brother (Luke 15:11-32 (LD 51)

When Christ walked this earth there were two kinds of people with whom he interacted.  There were the sinners who knew that they were sinners.  These are the people who liked Christ’s message because it was clear their sins would be taken away in Him.  Christ also dealt with the pharisees.  These were the people who were righteous and in a position to judge Christ’s work.  When Christ speaks of the prodigal son who recklessly spent his father’s inheritance, how does this son show the folly of sin and the folly of righteousness?

Glory to God Alone (1 Timothy 5:17-25)

As we walk through this world as human beings there is no doubt that we are tempted to live our lives to please man.  This is a real and honest temptation that we face, but why is that so wrong?  Why do we live our lives before the face of God?  Why is it so essential to live our lives before the face of God as His redeemed people?

Reprioritizing Our Position (LD 50; Matthew 6:25-34)

Asking the Lord to give us our daily bread could be another way of asking the Lord to make me more successful.  In other words it is the desire that we want to be successful.  The problem that we have as humans is looking beyond this world and believing that our Heavenly Father is more than looking down upon us, but is actually caring for us.  So, when we ask the Lord for our daily bread what are we exactly asking the Lord to provide?

Sharing our Sojourn (2) (1 Timothy 5:9-16)

Paul continues with the reminder of what it means to care for the widows.  There are the young widows who might need assistance and there are the older widows who need assistance.  How is the church supposed to know who receives the assistance and who does not?  What is a way of doing this that honors the Lord?

Wanting God’s Will (Ephesians 6:5-9; LD 49)

This is one of the requests of the Lord’s prayer that we can rattle off without really considering the implications of it.  What does it mean that we really want the Lord’s will?  This is basically saying that we no longer desire to live by our will, but by the will of our father in heaven.  So, how do we live by the will of the Lord seeking to honor the Lord?

Sharing our Sojourn (1 Timothy 5:1-8)

The Apostle Paul lays out how the church is to function as a family.  First, there is the reminder that Paul has for Timothy that we view the members of the church as family members.  However, this has implications for how we widows who are part of the church.  How are we to treat widows?  Do all widows receive the same amount of funds from the church?  Is there a provision for widows not to receive any funds?  How do we know who is to receive and who is not as we are all one family?

Wanting the Lord’s Kingdom (Psalm 122; LD 48)

When we talk about the Kingdom of God we normally associate the Kingdom of God as being something that is present here and now.  So, if the Kingdom is present here and now then why would we ask the Lord for the Kingdom to come?  The Lord will establish His kingdom despite any forces that may stand against it.  So, what does it mean that we ask for the Lord’s kingdom to come?