Lords Prayer Before we begin today’s sermon would you join me in praying the words our Lord taught us to pray? Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be donein earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: Amen Introduction Please stand for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 22:14-20 ESV  And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him.  (15)  And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.  (16)  For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”  (17)  And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves.  (18)  For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”  (19)  And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”  (20)  And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. You may be seated We now come to the feast of Passover.A feast that the Jewish people had celebrated for centuries.A celebration of God’s miraculous provision for His people as He freed them from slavery in Egypt.Now before we get into the meat of todays sermon I need to briefly tell the Passover story, so that you understand the prophetic nature of the feast, and the magnitude of this supper that Jesus is having with His disciples.If you remember, all the way back in the book of Exodus, God’s people, the Hebrews, where enslaved by the Egyptians.After a few hundred years of slavery, God raised up a young prince named Moses to help free His people.God spoke to Moses through a burning bush that never burnt up, and it was here that God gave Himself the Name “YHVH” or in English “I Am that I Am”Moses spoke to Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, and demanded “Let God’s People Go!”Pharaoh refused and God sent a plague on Egypt.Pharaoh refused again… and God sent another plague.After a few more cycles of Pharaoh refusing and God sending a plague, God prepared one final plague that would finally convince Pharaoh to let His people go.This final plague was the death of the firstborn son.In every house in Egypt one night, God would send His angel of death to kill the first born son of the house, unless the house was marked with the blood of a pure and spotless lamb.So the Hebrew people took pure and spotless lambs and sacrificed them and marked their house with it’s blood. And the angle of death would Passover that house not killing the firstborn.It was through this act of all of Egypt’s firstborns dying that Pharaoh released the Hebrews from Egypt. Exodus 12:12-14 ESV  For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.  (13)  The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.  (14)  “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Someone say “forever”… This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep this feast!”This command was still honored even in the time of Jesus, and it was honored by all Christians until an Anti-Semite named Constantine… to learn more about that go listen to the Return to Ancient Paths series from this fall.But the short of it is, here at CLC we still celebrate Passover, and

Christian Life Church - Cedar Rapids

Perfect Redemption | Luke 22:14-20

Lords Prayer Before we begin today’s sermon would you join me in praying the words our Lord taught us to pray? Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be donein earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: Amen Introduction Please stand for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 22:7-13 ESV  Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.  (8)  So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.”  (9)  They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?”  (10)  He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters  (11)  and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’  (12)  And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.”  (13)  And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. You may be seated I am not going to waffle this morning, instead I am going to get right into it.GOD IS A GOD WHO GIVES PROVISION IN ABUNDENCELet me say it again, because it’s what I want you to start 2021 knowing.God is a God who gives provision in abundance! Show Title Slide As we move into the passion story here in Luke, the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ… we are greeted with this story of miraculous, abundant, faithful provision. So that’s what I want to talk about this morning. Let’s pray. Pray Pray Pray Pray pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Point One – Faith Precedes Provision Luke 22:10-11 ESV  He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters  (11)  and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ What a strange way for Jesus to instruct His disciples…Find a man carrying a jar of water and follow him to his house…That’s kinda sketchy Jesus… dude gets shot for doing that where I grew up!None the less, Jesus says follow this man to his home, then, don’t ask “Can we use the guest room”. Instead ask “Show me the guest room because Jesus is going to use it to eat the Passover.”That’s kind of… audacious isn’t it?I mean, Jesus know exactly what is going to happen. Jesus knows exactly who this man is, He knows how the man will respond… He knows the man has a large furnished upper room.Jesus even knows that the man will respond favorably…So why would Jesus say “Follow the man carrying the water”?Why not “Go and find Johnathan of Aramathia, He lives in the green house down the block on the right with the pink flowers in pots outside. Joseph has a large upper room that is fully furnished, just ask him and He will let you use it.”I mean, that would make much more sense wouldn’t it?But I think God wanted to use this opportunity to teach us to depend on Him and His providence.I like using a GPS as an example of how God gives us instructions.You see some people want God to just tell them their objective, their final destination… JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU HAVE FOR ME GOD!But that’s like asking your GPS to take you to North Liberty and it says “Proceed to North Liberty, then you will arrive at your destination”.Others want General directions, because they think they know how to get places better than the GPS, they just need some basic guidance…That’s like the GPS saying “Go 20 miles south and you will arrive at your destination”.But that’s not how a GPS works…You tell the GPS you want to go to North Liberty and it says “Take a left out of your driveway… take your next right on Sue Ln, in 500 feet turn right on Edgewood Rd.. Continue on Edgewood Rd for one and a

An Abundance of Provision | Luke 22:7-13

A Reason to Rejoice – Luke 2:8-20 Luke 2:8-20 ESV  And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  (9)  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.  (10)  And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  (11)  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  (12)  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  (13)  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,  (14)  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”  (15)  When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”  (16)  And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.  (17)  And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.  (18)  And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.  (19)  But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.  (20)  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. We have been trucking through the book of Luke and are nearly at it’s conclusion.In fact, the past two sermons from Luke have talked about the end of the world as we know it…And the next sermon is going to be talking about the betrayal of Jesus…But seeing on how it is Christmas Sunday I thought we would flip back to the beginning of the story and just take this time this Sunday morning to talk about all the reasons we have to rejoice in the gift of Jesus Christ.To talk about the joy that is accepting Christ as savor.The joy that was brought to the world when Jesus was born, and the Joy that is available to all when we say yes to Jesus and no to the world.The joy that only comes through Jesus Christ… and oh what a joy it is!Today, as we go into Christmas week, let us remember that we have reason to rejoice!*Show Title Slide* PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY Point One – Christ is a reason for ALL people to Rejoice This morning I want to start by pointing out an important truth, that sometimes we miss if we focus to much on God’s justice… Christ is a reason for ALL people to rejoice! Everybody in the world from the holiest of saints to the worst of sinners has reason to rejoice at the birth of Christ: Luke 2:10-11 ESV  And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  (11)  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. You see that, the angle said “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people!The word here for “bring you news of great joy” is the Greek word from which we get the word “Evangelize”.To evangelize is to bring good news! So the angle here says “I evangelize to you great joy for all people!”Y’all to evangelize is to spread the joy of Christ, amen?Now take a moment to see, at this point in history that we are at, the handful of people this great joyful news has been shared to.Because it is only a select few people at this point who know that the Messiah has come… God selectively choose whom to reveal this news to.First, of course, it was revealed to Mary, a poor Jewish girl of royal lineage.Then to her relatives Elizabeth and Zechariah, Levites with a high position in the temple and serving God.And not just them, but it seems apparent that John the Baptist knew too, and he was still in the womb!We know of course, not from this Gospel, but from the gospel of Matthew, that this joyous new

Don’t Be Judas | Luke 22:1-6

A Reason to Rejoice | Luke 2:8-20

Lords Prayer Before we begin today’s sermon would you join me in praying the words our Lord taught us to pray? Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be donein earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: Amen Introduction – What is Ordination We are gathered here today, church, on a special occasion. Not just any Sunday, but a day we have set aside as a church to further the Kingdom of God by ordaining Jared and Elizabeth Leversee as Ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not only as ministers, to be respected by the Church of Christ worldwide, but also to specifically appoint them to the office of Associate Pastors of Christian Life Church. We follow in the steps of Jesus in ordaining servants of God, for it was our Lord who said these words in John 15:16 John 15:16 KJV  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. We also follow in the steps of early church leaders such as Paul and Barnabas who ordained leaders in every church they were over in Acts 14:23. Further New Testament examples of ordination can be found in Acts 6:6, Acts 13:3, 1st Timothy 4:14, and 2nd Timothy 1:6. The Word ordain simply means to “appoint”, but I want to make it very clear church that we are not today ordaining Jared and Elizabeth, but this ordination service is simply us as a church approving and testifying of the Appointment that Jesus has already made for Jared and Elizabeth’s life. Jared and Elizabeth, today we formally declare that it is clear to all in fellowship at Christian Life Church that Christ Jesus has chosen and appointed you to be Pastors in His Kingdom. What we do has no power, but what He has already done has eternal power. Church, please understand that the ordination of Jared and Elizabeth does not put their ministry above yours or anyone else’s. We serve as one body all working toward the same goal. That said, however, this ordination service does symbolize Jared and Elizabeth’s call to ministry, their totally and full commitment to God and His will, the churches approval of Jared and Elizabeth, and Jared and Elizabeth’s willingness to be held to a higher standard before both God and this church. In that sense, we honor and respect Jared and Elizabeth. Charge to the Candidates Invite Jared and Elizabeth Forward. Jared and Elizabeth, do you promise to walk in a way worthy of the ministry to which you are called, seeking always to bring honor to the name of Jesus Christ as your Lord; and do you promise to diligently and faithfully perform the duties of the Gospel with  no thought of personal reward or honor, having as your primary motives the winnings of persons to Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord and the building up of His Church through discipleship, teaching, exhortation, inspiration, and stewardship to the Glory of God. If you so promise, please respond with “We do”. Play Pastor-Dick.MP4 Laying on of Hands Have Jared and Elizabeth stand up front, deacons and leaders stand behind, everyone else raise hand’s toward. Pray a prayer of thanksgiving and acknowledgment of God’s ordination of both Jared and Elizabeth. Charge to the Church Have everyone but Jared and Elizabeth sit down. Charge the church: Do you, the church body, acknowledge and approve of the ordination of Jared and Elizabeth Leversee as pastors and ministers in Christ’s church. And do you commit to pray for them in their ministry and to aid them in whatever way possible in the advancement of God’s kingdom through their ministry. Do you promise to cooperate with them as they serve Christ through the calling and vision of Christian Life Church, giving them all due hono

Impact | Acts 2 | Ordination of Jared and Elizabeth Leversee

Lords Prayer Before we begin today’s sermon would you join me in praying the words our Lord taught us to pray? Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be donein earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: Amen Introduction Please stand for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 21:20-38 ESV  “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.  (21)  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it,  (22)  for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.  (23)  Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people.  (24)  They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.  (25)  “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves,  (26)  people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  (27)  And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  (28)  Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”  (29)  And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  (30)  As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near.  (31)  So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.  (32)  Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place.  (33)  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.  (34)  “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.  (35)  For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  (36)  But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”  (37)  And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet.  (38)  And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him. You may be seated How many of y’all know that God’s Word never fails? Not then, not now, not ever.God’s Word never fails.This is why we can boldly say that Biblical Prophecy is Pre-Written history!Remember the Biblical definition of faith? Hebrews 11:1 ESV  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 KJV  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. This means that anything that gives us assurance or convection about the invisible things of God… any evidence, and substance, that points to God and His promises being true… Those are the things that give us faith.Faith is not “Believe just to believe”Faith is not “Believing in the unknowable”.Faith is substantial and Evidential.Have you ever ridden on an airplane, and right before take off thought to yourself “How can a plan this heavy fly through the air on wings that small?”I know I have.I also know the basic idea of how flight works…But just knowing the basic principles of flight does not give me enough faith to put my life in the hands of a giant aluminum tube hurling through the air at 100 miles per hour…The reason I put my faith in an airplane is not because I can see the forces of lift and drag and a

It’s Time to Talk About the End – Part 2 | Luke 21:20-38

Lords Prayer Before we begin today’s sermon would you join me in praying the words our Lord taught us to pray? Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be donein earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: Amen Introduction Please stand for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 21:5-20 ESV  And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said,  (6)  “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”  (7)  And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?”  (8)  And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them.  (9)  And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”  (10)  Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  (11)  There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.  (12)  But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake.  (13)  This will be your opportunity to bear witness.  (14)  Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer,  (15)  for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.  (16)  You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death.  (17)  You will be hated by all for my name’s sake.  (18)  But not a hair of your head will perish.  (19)  By your endurance you will gain your lives.  (20)  You may be seated What we just read is a perfect example of what I call “Pre-Written History”. Another word for it is “Prophecy”.Prophecy is always 100% accurate, therefore it is simply history that has not yet happened. So we ought to think of Biblical Prophecy as pre-written history.Jesus, here, is not giving some hard to understand, deep and mysterious prophecy that needs to be interpreted by Bible scholars and years of study, metaphor, or symbolism.He is simply giving a History lesson.Listen, how many of you remember September 11th? Or, JFK’s assignation, or the moon landing…When you tell your kids about it you talk about where you were, how it felt, what it was like watching the events unfold…You don’t use mysterious language or hard to understand metaphors… you simply say what happened.Y’all know what I am talking about…As real as 9-11 was for you, all those memories… THAT’S as real as prophecy is for Jesus!It’s not hard for Him to explain it, He simply says what happens, it’s pre-written history.I want you to remember this for this sermon and when we dive into the book of Revelation…If we can demystify what prophecy is, then it is a lot easier for us to consume, and study and understand.Prophecy is simply Pre-Written History.So this morning we are going to talk about this historical outline of what Jesus was telling people was to come… Show Title Slide It’s time to talk about the End.Specifically the end of the world as we know it… and what that means for us here and now. PLEASE TAKE NOTES! PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY Point One – Don’t Listen to End Time Prophecies that Are Not in the Bible Luke 21:5-6 ESV  And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said,  (6)  “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will n

It’s Time to Talk About the End – Part 1 | Luke 21:5-38

Lords Prayer Before we begin today’s sermon would you join me in praying the words our Lord taught us to pray? Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be donein earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: Amen Introduction Please stand for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 20:41-47 ESV  But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son?  (42)  For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,  (43)  until I make your enemies your footstool.”’  (44)  David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”  (45)  And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples,  (46)  “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts,  (47)  who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” Luke 21:1-4 ESV  Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box,  (2)  and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.  (3)  And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them.  (4)  For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” You may be seated This morning I want to ask you a very important question.One that needs to be asked from time to time in every Christians life…It’s a guide post kind of question… one you should ask yourself ever so often to make sure you are on track…On track in your lifeOn track in your day to day businessOn track in your thinkingOn track in your faith.You see the Bible says that the path that we are to walk is narrow, and that many fall away and only few enter into the narrow gates of heaven.Therefore as we walk the straight and narrow it would behoove us to, from time to time, make sure we are still on the right road, going the right way, least we find ourselves as one of the many that have fallen away.The guidepost question that I have for you today is this one: SHOW TITLE SLIDE Do You Serve Jesus, or Does Jesus Serve You?Do You Serve Jesus, or Does Jesus Serve You? Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Do you serve Jesus, or Does Jesus Serve you?It is a question of LORDSHIP!Who is Lord in your life? Are you Lord of your own life, and Jesus is a simple servant? A means of getting what you want? Or is Jesus Lord of your life, and you are the Servant? Do you live your life as a means of Jesus getting what He wants?That’s what we are asking today, and that is what these verses we read all center around.WHO IS LORD?In fact, Jesus starts off this section of scripture with that very subject at hand. Luke 20:41-44 ESV  But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son?  (42)  For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,  (43)  until I make your enemies your footstool.”’  (44)  David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?” Jesus has just finished OWNING the scribes and the Sadducees after they tried to trap Him with what they thought was an impossible question.Not only did Jesus answer it, but He answered it so well that scripture says that they no longer dared to ask Him anything else.Jesus literally shut them up.And now that He has their attention, He decides He is going to teach them about Lordship.Because every Jew in the world was waiting for a Messiah, the Son of David to Come and save them.But they wanted a savior who was on their level… a savior who would serve them.So they were happy to call the Messiah “Son of David”, even the blind man new that much, but they refused to call Him Lord.But Jesus simply quotes Psalm 110 verse 1 Psalms 110:1 ESV 

Do You Serve Jesus or Does Jesus Serve You? | Luke 20:41-21:4

Lords Prayer Before we begin today’s sermon would you join me in praying the words our Lord taught us to pray? Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be donein earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: Amen Introduction Please stand for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 20:27-40 ESV  There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,  (28)  and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.  (29)  Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children.  (30)  And the second  (31)  and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died.  (32)  Afterward the woman also died.  (33)  In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”  (34)  And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage,  (35)  but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage,  (36)  for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.  (37)  But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.  (38)  Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.”  (39)  Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.”  (40)  For they no longer dared to ask him any question. You may be seated Religions is something that has always been hotly debated.In Jesus’ time there were two man groups of people, the Sadducees and the Pharisees.And these two groups of people would argue back and fourth about different theological things.After Jesus there was the Baptists and the Anabaptists.Then came the Catholics and the Protestants.Then the Reformed and the Evangelicals.Then the Liberals and the Conservative Christians.And now we are seeing a divide in the church between the full gospel Christians and the antinomian Christians.That is today, the main divide amongst American Christians today is if we believe in the whole of scripture (That is a full gospel belief) or if we should only believe in the new testament and we should throw out the Old testament… that is antinomianism.And as a side note, I would argue that Antinomianism is the most deadly enemy of the gospel to date… but I digress.But I digress, my point is simply this…People have a tendency of adding difficulty, and complexity to the Word of God.They look for ways to make it say what they want it to say and to mean what they want it to mean.And then when confronted by others who have done the very same thing, but have come to different conclusions, when they meet such people they argue and debate and fight and point fingers and call names.Then, in the midst of all the arguing there are some, lacking either spine or knowledge or both, who in an attempt to be “above those who argue” say things like “God is too great for us to comprehend, so we need not argue about such things…”.So you have these three groups of people… people who argue A, people who argue B, and a third group that argues that no one should be arguing.And all of this leads to a designation of the Gospel and the truth of God.Two those who argue A or B I quote to them: 2 Timothy 2:23-24 ESV  Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.  (24)  And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, To those who say “God is in-comprehendible so we better not try to think to hard about it”I say n

Expect the Greater Reward | Luke 20:27-40

Lords Prayer Before we begin today’s sermon would you join me in praying the words our Lord taught us to pray? Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be donein earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: Amen Introduction Please stand for the reading of God’s Word. Romans 10:13-15 ESV  For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  (14)  How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  (15)  And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” You may be seated This year has been crazy, hasn’t it.This WEEK has been crazy!And I think it is very likely that you, like myself and many others, have spent the last few months, but especially the last week thinking about The United States of America.About our politics, our elections, or sin, or downward spile…Thinking about how we can find a way out of this mess.Wondering if these are all signs of the end time.Clicking the refresh button ever 5 minutes to see if any more votes have been counted in Nevada.And can I tell you the truth guys? Can I keep it real for a moment…I am getting a little bit sick of it…Sick of my own emotional attachments to this country.Sick of people desperately trying to make the gospel fit into a two party political system.Sick of people thinking that all God cares about is The United States…Though I don’t think any Christian would actually say that… their words and actions prove it.LISTEN: Very little to nothing at all that happens in America has anything to do with the end of the World.Our nation… our continent, is never ever mentioned or prophesied about.That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t care about America, not at all, it just means we are not the center of the Universe, we are not the center of Christianity, we are not the center of Prophecy.We are just another nation, like hundreds of others.And if we get wicked enough that does not mean that God is going to end the world…It just means He is going to end us.It happened to Babylon, and Persia, and Rome, it certainly can happen here, and if Jesus tarry’s it likely will happen here.Why do I say all of this?Is it because I hate America?No, I love this nation deeply! And am so grateful to be an American!But I say it, in the midst of political turmoil and unrest, to remind us…It’s Not About America! Bring up Title Slide Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray I am going to spend the next few moments reading some scriptures… I want you to listen carefully and see what they all have in common. Mark 16:15 ESV  And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Psalms 96:3 ESV  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! Acts 13:47 ESV  For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Matthew 24:14 ESV  And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Acts 1:8 ESV  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 1 Chronicles 16:24 ESV  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! Luke 24:46-47 ESV  and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,  (47)  and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. Mark 13:10 ESV  And the g

It’s Not About America | Mission Sunday 2020

Lords Prayer Before we begin today’s sermon would you join me in praying the words our Lord taught us to pray? Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be donein earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: Amen Introduction Please stand for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 20:20-26 ESV  (20)  So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.  (21)  So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God.  (22)  Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”  (23)  But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them,  (24)  “Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.”  (25)  He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”  (26)  And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent. You may be seated Today I want to talk about three things… what belongs to Caesar, that is, what belongs to the government, what belongs to God, and what belongs to the World.Because it is my firm opinion, particularly based on the scripture that we just read, that we as Christians ought to give to the Government that which is the Governments, give to the world that which is the worlds, and give to Christ that which is Christ’s. Show Title Slide Spoiler alert! We are going to spend the majority of this sermon talking about the things that belong to God!Someone say “The Lord has need of it”Y’all remember that sermon, well this sermon is going to add the practical to that spiritual concept, we are going to talk about the specific things that belong to God and why we should be giving them to Him.But first, let’s talk about the things that belong to Caesar… and even before that we are going to pray, amen?! Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Point One – What Belongs to Caesar (The Government) Luke 20:25 ESV  He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Let’s start by talking about what belongs to Caesar… in other words, what belongs to our government…Because that’s what Jesus is talking about when He says “Give to Caesar that which is Ceaser’s”… or maybe you have heard this verse in the KJV, which it is famously quoted in… “Render unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s”.Really what Jesus is talking about, in a very literal sense is “Give to the government that which is the government’s”.Because some think to themselves “This is my money, I am not giving it to the government!”While others think “This is God’s money, I am not giving it to the government!”And the Pharisees, knowing that Christ represented a Kingdom not of Rome, not even of this earth, wanted to catch Jesus in a trap.So when they asked Jesus weather or not to pay taxes they thought that he would either say “No, this is God’s money” and that would give the Romans a reason to arrest Jesus.Or, they reckoned, that He would say “Yes, pay your taxes” which they thought would anger Jesus’ followers or at the very list cause them to question His divinity.Of course Jesus wasn’t tricked, Jesus is a pro… and He said “Who’s face is on this coin?”Of course they answered Caesar’sSo He said, well then give it to Caesar, but the things of God, give to God.So what actually belongs to the government? Your taxes Obviously the first thing that belongs to the government is your taxes.There are some Christian’s who erroneously believe that they do not need to pay taxes, they say “Everything I have is God’s, therefore I can’t giv

The Things That Belong to God | Luke 20:20-26

Lords Prayer Before we begin today’s sermon would you join me in praying the words our Lord taught us to pray? Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be donein earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: Amen Introduction Please stand for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 20:1-19 ESV  One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up  (2)  and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.”  (3)  He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me,  (4)  was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?”  (5)  And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’  (6)  But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”  (7)  So they answered that they did not know where it came from.  (8)  And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”  (9)  And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while.  (10)  When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  (11)  And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.  (12)  And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out.  (13)  Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’  (14)  But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’  (15)  And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?  (16)  He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!”  (17)  But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?  (18)  Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”  (19)  The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. You may be seated How many of y’all know your theology can be perfect, and people will still try to argue with you.You can speak plainly and clearly about scripture, read the verse out loud, in simple English, and people who claim to be Christians will still try to shout you down.You can be spot on, with many supporting verses, and supporting theologians… and people will still try to argue you into circles and catch you in traps…Anyone with Facebook or Twitter probably knows what I am talking about…Just this week Pastor Todd from Faith and victory posted a single theological sentence, straight out of scripture…And it garnered over 100 comments, mostly from one guy who claimed Faith and Victory Church was a false church because this guy slightly disagreed with Pastor Todd’s (and most of Christianity’s) interpretation of this verse…It was disgusting to read this guy talk to another Christian like Pastor Todd was a wolf in sheep’s clothing… but that is exactly what he was doing.I myself was called a false pastor and a false Christian by another pastor once, because of a slight disagreement with how one verse should be interpreted… not a verse about God or salvation mind you, some random verse that this guy was HEATED about.I said, brother, let’s agree to

When Jesus Looks Right At You | Luke 20:1-19

Lords Prayer Before we begin today’s sermon would you join me in praying the words our Lord taught us to pray? Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be donein earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: Amen Introduction Please stand for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 19:41-48 ESV  And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,  (42)  saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.  (43)  For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side  (44)  and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”  (45)  And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold,  (46)  saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”  (47)  And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him,  (48)  but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words. You may be seated You know there are so many sermons I could preach from this passage.I could probably spend a year or so in just these 7 verses, preaching and teaching on them and their implications… But as I sat down to write, and I started to pick them apart, and read line by line, I felt… well I felt like I was missing it.Have you ever heard the phrase “You can’t see the forest for the trees”?… it means you are so focused on the details that you miss the overall meaning…You are so focused on each individual tree that you don’t see the massive beautiful forest….And that is how I was feeling about this section of scripture… I was focusing on each individual detail…Jesus weeps over Jerusalem… that will preach!You don’t know that things that make for peace! Man that will preach.You enemies will surround you, they will destroy you, they won’t leave one stone upon another… boy oh boy could I preach how sin is our enemy and will destroy us in exactly that way!And what about Jesus going into the temple… grabbing a whip and driving the merchants out? That’s got to be a series in and of itself…BUT THEN I SAW THE FOREST… and what a beut she is! BRING UP TITLE SLIDE It’s either Holy, or it Ain’t!It is either holy and perfect and righteousOr it is sinful and flawed and doomedThere is no in-between, there is no such thing as almost holy, there is no kind of holy, there is no mostly holy…It’s either holy or it ain’t!Jeruselam is supposed to be Holy, but it wasn’t…The temple was supposed to be Holy, but it wasn’t…And now the only human on earth who could truly claim to be Holy by His own accord is entering His city, and the temple that was supposed to be His…And there is a meeting of water and oil.Of fire and ice.Of Holy and Sinful.And it wasn’t pretty…. Let’s pray. Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Point One – Holiness and Sinfulness Cannot mix. Luke 19:41-42 ESV  And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,  (42)  saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Oh Jerusalem, if you knew the things that made for peace… Jesus says, weeping over Jerusalem. Matthew 5:9 ESV  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Here Jesus comes into Jerusalem that is supposed to be a holy city filled with a holy people.A people who are supposed to be after God’s own heart…A people who would even call themselves sons and daughters of God.But for them to be called sons and daugh

It’s Holy, or it Ain’t | Luke 19:41-48

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A Good Preacher Preaches the Word

Lords Prayer Before we begin today’s sermon would you join me in praying the words our Lord taught us to pray? Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be donein earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: Amen Introduction Please stand for the reading of God’s Word. Luke 19:37-40 ESV  As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen,  (38)  saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”  (39)  And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”  (40)  He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” You may be seated This passage of scripture is known as “The Triumphal Entry”.In the Gospel of John we get a few extra details including people crying out “Hosana in the Highest” and waving palm branches to celebrate the entry of the coming King.This is why the Sunday before Easter is called Palm Sunday, because it was the day Jesus entered Jerusalem to a crowd of people celebrating Him with cheers, praise, worship, and palm leaves.But today I want to focus on this last verse: Luke 19:40 ESV  He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” Bring up Title Slide If These Be Silent, the Stones Will Cry Out! Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Point One – Christ Will, and Shall, and Must Be Praised Luke 19:37-40 ESV  As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen,  (38)  saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” John 12:12-13 ESV  The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.  (13)  So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” The picture is very clear isn’t it? The crowds line the roads, they worship Jesus as He enters Jerusalem.Our Savior! Our Savior! Our Savior in the Highest!Welcome the King of IsraelIt’s a spectacular parade of worshipers as Jesus marches by, what a sight it most have been… what a sound it must have been!And how BITTER some of those ol’ Pharisees must have been. Luke 19:39 ESV  And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” Now why were they bitter? Why did they tell Jesus to rebuke the crowd of followers?Because the crowd was WORSHIPING and PRAISING Him! And that is something CLEARLY recovered for God!God makes it VERY clear that you don’t bow down and worship anyone but Him.And here the crowds are bowing down and worshiping Jesus… Praising Jesus!And these pharisees didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah… they Didn’t believe that He was God.So they thought all of these people where worshiping a false God… they pleaded with Jesus to ask him to tell his followers to stop… and this is how Jesus replied… Luke 19:40 ESV  He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT! JESUS IS GOD AND JESUS WILL BE PRAISED!Matthew Henry put it this way: “Whether men praise Christ or no(t) he will, and shall, and must be praised: If these should hold their peace, and not speak the praises of the Messiah’s kingdom, the stones would immediately cry out, rather than that Christ should not be praised.” -Matthew Henry Commentary on Luke 19:40 Jesus says “The ROCKS will cry out!” If my creation, man, would be silent

If These Were Silent, The Very Stones Would Cry Out | Luke 19:37-40

Christian Life Church is a non-denomination church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. We believe in loving others as Christ has loved us, growing in Christ, and sound biblical doctrine. Make sure to subscribe so that you can be notified when a new sermon is uploaded!

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Christian Life Church - Cedar Rapids

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