Sermons on Discipleship (Page 5)

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…

Living Faith

Examples of faith scattered through the Scriptures and through our experience encourage us to continue in our own life of faith. Hebrews 11:4-40 SERMON OUTLINE “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) True Christian faith is taking God at His word and building your life on it. Four aspects of the life of Faith that are exemplified by these stories: The life of faith serves as encouragement for…

Faith

The nature of faith shapes the life of faith. Hebrews 11:1-3 SERMON OUTLINE “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) Faith and the future – “what we hope for” (Hebrews 11:1a) Faith and the present – “what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1b) The ancients’ faith (Hebrews 11:2) Faith and the past – creation (Hebrews 11:3) Key things to remember about increasing our faith Some faith is better…

Let Us Draw Near and Persevere

In light of the cost of Jesus’ sacrifice, we must step forward with perseverance in our life of faith. Hebrews 10:19-39 SERMON OUTLINE Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings. A Look Back at Hebrews so Far Hebrews 10 is the Book’s Pivot Point towards Application What is the “therefore” there for? The Source: Drawing Near to God (Hebrews 10:19-23) Our approach vs God’s approach Religion vs Gospel The…

Restoration and Embodied Sexuality

This message explores the fourth and final chapter of this series with restoration in Jesus Christ. Jesus the Messiah has brought redemption to us through His death, and now His resurrected body is ushering in a new “Now But Not-Yet” kingdom. Pastor Matt discusses how Christ’s resurrection has raised us with new resurrection bodies. In these bodies, we will see the ultimate restoration of all things by God at the end of human history, including in our love, sexuality, and…

Redemption and Embodied Sexuality

This message explores the third chapter with redemption in Jesus Christ. Jesus the eternal Son enters into the fallen cosmos in a real body as Messiah to redeem us, including our love, sexuality, and bodies. Encountering true love of God through Christ helps us find God’s presence, provision, truth, grace, acceptance, and freedom. When we see Jesus’ encounter with people throughout His ministry we see the dignity of redemption for real people with real challenges in real bodies.  This redemption…

Fall and Embodied Sexuality

This message explores the ways in which all of creation has been impacted by the Fall into sin, including our bodies, love, the chance for a more-thoughtful engagement with the questions of singleness and what it means to live for God’s glory in the body as a single Christian. This message will address topics such as: do you need to be married to be fulfilled or ‘complete’?, how do you deal with singleness after divorce or the death of a…

Creation and Embodied Sexuality

The series continues by looking at the first chapter: Creation. We are made in the image of God. Our bodies are part of our resemblance of God and they are good. Our sexuality reflects God in nature and is intended for God’s glory being seen upon earth, both in our being made for ‘the other’ (relational) and relating to others (intimacy). This leads us into an engagement with the very nature of God as relational and intimate within the Trinity.…

An Introduction to Embodied Sexuality

This message will introduce the entire series, engaging with cultural discussion, questions within the church, and the need for an overarching (not simplistic) biblical framework for love, sexuality, and the body. The starting point will be God’s Triune identity and the starting point of God’s definition of love, sexuality, and the body. The roadmap for the series will be shared, providing some insights into the ways in which this is an example of approaching any variety of issues biblically. Text:…

Worship in the Beauty of Holiness

The church exists to worship God “in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 96:9). The early church of Jerusalem gathered daily in the Temple courts for worship and prayer. They took it for granted that the church lives to bring praise to the Living God. The end of all human history reveals heavenly scenes of worship toward which we are moving. The church on earth lives to God’s glory and gathers as a community in worship to lift up the majesty…

Sacrificial Generosity

The New Testament church was sacrificially generous to the point that some sold their property to give to those in need. They were watchful of the needs of others, and it was astounding to all who saw them. They suffered with those who suffered, and were encouraged by those who were full of joy. From our early days, Eastbrook has been a sacrificially generous church in terms of hospitality, service, and giving. We want to continue in these ways. Key…

Growing Disciples

We were made to grow with God. Jesus’ call to discipleship is a calling to enter a new life of perpetual growth and development in the image of Christ. We need a single-minded focus. We need to take up the calling of discipleship. We need to have our minds set on this goal and walk with God daily toward growth. Key Texts: Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:42-47; Ephesians 2:1-10; 4:11-16; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalm 1; Jeremiah 17:5-8; Galatians 2:20-21; Philippians 1:6; 3:10…