19 Sermons Tagged "Kingdom"

The young man asked: "What must I do?" The disciples asked: "Who can be saved?" Jesus answered: "All things are possible."

Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a mountain, where they saw Elijah and Moses, and then God the Father spoke to them. Afterwards, Jesus told them not to tell anyone until after he had risen. This encounter may seem strange to us, and probably raises some questions, but in this sermon Pastor Schurman explains the context and points out that, while it may not be the glory we want, the glory we need is Christ on the cross.

This is the first sermon from the 2023 Lent series "Why Must the Servant of the LORD Suffer?" Using just one verse of Isaiah's prophecy about the LORD's servant, Pastor Schurman provides an overview of Jesus' life, suffering, death, and resurrection, and how it was all for us.

Jesus tells the parable of the ten minas to tell the people about his kingdom and explain how it grows. However, this parable can be confusing and misunderstood, so in this sermon Pastor Schurman walks us through all of the details and shows us how it applies to us and the world around us today.

Jesus used parables of scattering seeds, plants growing, and harvesting crops to describe the kingdom of God. From those parables we understand that Christ's kingdom, which is God's rule in our hearts, and the invisible church, which is made up of all believers, grow through people proclaiming the Word of God. When everyone has come to faith according to God's plan, Christ will return to "harvest" the souls of all believers. We also see that the entire world, including unbelievers, benefit from the works of the invisible church.

Living the life of a Christian is not always joyous. In fact for some, like most of the disciples, there are times when it can be miserable. Yet in his "High Priestly Prayer" before his arrest, Jesus prayed for God the Father to give us his joy.

When we spread the good news of free salvation in Jesus Christ to our friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers, we are fishers of men and women. However, just like with regular fishing, we must understand there is an investment required, and we must understand how to use the tools we have been given.

Even though we are still facing the COVID-19 pandemic and all of the hardships it has brought, we can always give thanks to the LORD our God because he is our refuge, our strength, and our help in distress.