Sermons by Pastor Matt Erickson (Page 16)
The Kingdom of God and the Kingdoms of this World
When Jesus proclaimed that “the kingdom of God has come near” (Mark 1:15), He declared the radical in-breaking of God’s rule and reign. Based on exploration of the nature of the kingdom of God, we now explore how God’s kingdom relates to the kingdoms of this world? We will explore some basic approaches to “Christ and Culture” over the history of the church. We will also consider what it means that Jesus is King in relation to our earthly citizenship.…
The Holy Spirit in Us: Living in the Kingdom of God
The basic declaration of faith for the Christian is “Jesus is Lord” (Romans 10:9). This flies in the face of the declaration that “Caesar is Lord” at the heart of the Roman Empire during the time of the New Testament. What did it mean to live in God’s kingdom then and what does it mean now? We will look at Philippians as a kingdom citizenship guide and also explore guidance from Colossians on seeing the Church as a replacement of…
Jesus is Lord: Tracing the Kingdom of God in the New Testament
Jesus the Messiah and the kingdom of God/heaven. We will explore Jesus’ description of the kingdom, the nature of the gospel, kingdom parables, kingdom ethics, as well as conflict between Jesus and other kingdoms. We will touch on living in the “now” and “not yet” of the kingdom, with attention to the fullness of the kingdom in the New Testament as described in Hebrews and Revelation. Mark 1:15; Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 5-7; John 18:33-36; Hebrews 11:10, 13, 14; Revelation 7:9-10;…
God is King: Tracing the Kingdom of God through the Old Testament
The fundamental reality of Scripture is that God is king of the world. We will trace the theme of the kingdom of God throughout the Old Testament, with examples from Adam and Eve, Samuel and the judges, King Saul and King David, the prophets and exile, Daniel’s apocalyptic, and Messianic expectations. Genesis 1-2; 1 Samuel 8:1-9; Psalm 24; Daniel 2:29-49; 7:1-28 SERMON OUTLINE “Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty.” (Psalm 24:8) God is King over…
Worship and the Final Word
A series of final exhortations – or words – mark the conclusion of the letter that began with attention to the Final Word that is Jesus. Hebrews 13:1-22 SERMON OUTLINE “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) Worship that Responds to God (Hebrews 12:28-29) gratitude awe Worship and Right Love (Hebrews 13:1-6) love of others love in marriage love of money Worship and Right Doctrine (Hebrews 13:7-9) the foundational leaders and doctrine not deviating into…
Make Every Effort
The calling of God is to unshakable realities and so we make every effort to live in God’s ways. Hebrews 12:12-29 SERMON OUTLINE “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14-29) Make Every Effort and See To It (Hebrews 12:14-17) to live at peace to cultivate holiness that no one falls short of God’s grace that no one falls into sexual immorality or godlessness The…
Run
The life of faith is like a foot race of endurance that, although we wear down sometimes, brings the greatest joy of living with God. Hebrews 12:1-11 SERMON OUTLINE “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2) Run with the crowd (Hebrews 12:1a) Hebrews 11 Surrounded Run without hindrances (Hebrews 12:1b) throw off everything that hinders get rid of the sin that entangles or distracts Run after the One (Hebrews…
Consider Jesus
Jesus is not only the High Priest that brings us to God, but is also our example for faith-filled discipleship. Hebrews 12:1-3 SERMON OUTLINE “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:3) Fix our eyes on Jesus to fix our eyes Peter and the water The pioneer and perfecter of faith pioneer – originator – initiator perfecter – best expression – one who brings to completeness The Suffering…
Sufficient
Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient once for all, and we are free from the requirements of sacrifices and the law. Hebrews 10:1-18 SERMON OUTLINE “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (Hebrews 10:14) Insufficiency and the Reminder of Sin (vv.1-4) Sacrifices repeated endlessly (v.1) Blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins (v.4) Day of atonement as an annual reminder of sins and insufficiency (v.3) The Sufficiency of Christ’s Bodily Sacrifice (vv.…
New Promise
Jesus’ high priesthood supersedes any other high priesthood, making His new promises greater than any other covenant before. Hebrews 7:26-8:13 SERMON OUTLINE “But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.” (Hebrews 8:6) Who Is Jesus? (Hebrews 7:26-28) Jesus is the High Priest who meets our needs (7:26a) He is holy, blameless, and…
Unlike Any Other
Jesus is a priest like Melchizedek because of His perfection and transcendence. Jesus “is able to save completely those who come to God through him” (7:25). Hebrews 7:1-25 SERMON OUTLINE “Because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:24-25) Who is Melchizedek? (Hebrews 7:1-10) Biblical background on Melchizedek (Genesis 14) Melchizedek in Hebrews 7: King of…
Anchored in Hope
When God promises and Christ fulfills, nothing can take the blessings of God away from us. Hebrews 6:13-20 SERMON OUTLINE “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.” (Hebrews 6:19-20) Hope in God’s Promise and God’s Oath God’s promise and oath to Abraham (6:13-15) God’s promise and oath to us (6:16-18) Hope that Anchors the Soul in Jesus…