Sermons by Pastor Matt Erickson (Page 5)
The One Who Brings Justice
Jesus the Messiah is the One who brings justice to the nations. “Here is my servant…I will put my Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations.” (Isaiah 42:1-9) Sermon Outline “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations.” (Isaiah 42:1) The Servant of the LORD (Isaiah 42:1) The chosen people as a servant who falters…
The One Who Comforts
Jesus is the Messiah sent to bring comfort to a world that is hurting. “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” (ISAIAH 40:1-5, MATTHEW 3:1-3, MARK 1:1-3, LUKE 3:4-6) Sermon Outline “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” (Isaiah 40:1) God’s Comfort Spoken (Isaiah 40:1-2a) The God who speaks The God who speaks tenderly to His people in exile God’s Comfort in Difficulty’s Resolution and Restoration (Isaiah 40:2) The difficulty of the exile will reach conclusion The future hope brought…
Resurrection Matters, Part 1
Chapter 15 explores the resurrection of Jesus. This first part of that chapter focuses on the Jesus’ resurrection and the possibility of resurrection from death. (1 Corinthians 15:1-34) Sermon Outline “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins accord- ing to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) The Gospel of the Resurrection (1 Corinthians…
Worship that Makes Sense
Paul spends a lot of time bringing together threads from chapter 12 and chapter 13 to explore how we worship in a way that glorifies God and also makes sense. (1 Corinthians 14:1-39) Sermon Outline “What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.” (1 Corinthians 14:26)…
The Way of Love
The most beloved chapter in 1 Corinthians applies to more than weddings. How do we learn to love together? (1 Corinthians 13:1-13) Sermon Outline “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13) Spirit-Gifts and the Greater Way of Love (13:1-3) The value of Spirit-gifts: tongues, prophecy, knowledge, faith, service The value of Spirit-gifts becomes valueless without love The Corinthian confusion about what it means to be ‘spiritual’ and Paul’s…
The Church as Body: Unity and Diversity
Building from his exploration of spiritual gifts and God’s role in shaping and assembling the body of Christ (the church), Paul talks about how we live into that unity within diversity together. (1 Corinthians 12:12-31) Sermon Outline “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” (1 Corinthians 12:12) The Metaphor of the Body of Christ and Spirit-Gifts (12:12-14) Paul’s purpose with this metaphor Baptism and the…
Spiritual Gifts and the Church
Paul talks about the significance of spiritual gifts and God’s role in shaping and assembling the body of Christ (the church). (1 Corinthians 12:1-11) Sermon Outline “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6) What Does It Mean to Be Spiritual? (12:1-3)…
Worship That Centers in the Lord
Paul explores the nature of true worship, giving attention to the celebration of communion as well. (1 Corinthians 11:1-34) Sermon Outline “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you…” (1 Corinthians 11:23) Basics of Interpreting the Bible Exegesis — what did the biblical text mean ‘then and there’? Three areas to explore: history, literary genre, and biblical context/canon Hermeneutics — what does the biblical text mean ‘here and now’? Paul, Creation, Culture, the Gospel, and…
Living Free, Living Bound
Paul has utter freedom as a disciple of Christ, but he uses that freedom in ways that helps others encounter Jesus and grow with Jesus. (1 Corinthians 9:1-23) Sermon Outline “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” (1 Corinthians 9:22b-23) Paul and the Rights of the Apostles What it means to be…
Marriage, Divorce, and Singleness (Part 1)
Paul explores how our relationships are part of our discipleship by exploring marriage and divorce. (1 Corinthians 7:1-16) Sermon Outline “Each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.” (1 Corinthians 7:17) When we have our eyes on Jesus’ self-giving love, it shapes our discipleship in our interpersonal relationships, right down into marriage. The Gospel and…
Living Alive and Free in Christ
Using the startling example of sexual incest occurring within the Corinthian church, Paul calls the believing community into discernment about what holiness means in our sexuality, as well as how to live holy as God’s chosen people in every area of our lives. Sermon Outline “Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:8) Living as a Community of Christ’s Life…
Fools for Christ
The Apostle Paul unpacks what it means to be an apostle for Jesus and why servant leadership is what is most needed in the church and beyond. (1 Corinthians 4:1-21) Sermon Outline “We are fools for Christ.” (1 Corinthians 4:10) Living with God and Entrusting Ourselves to God (1 Corinthians 4:1-5) The calling and identity of Paul and the apostles Not being controlled by others’ opinions But not thinking too highly of oneself The opinion, and judgment, of God Living…