Citylight Church Center City Philadelphia - Sermons

Luke 12:1-12 Mike Anderson Last week, we heard Jesus' strong words against hypocritical religious leaders. But hypocrisy is also a danger for those professing to follow Jesus. We can be tempted to claim him privately but deny him publicly. In Luke 1:12, we're encouraged to speak of Jesus as those who will be judged by Jesus, and the passage gives us three reasons to do so: Your words will be judged, your fears can be defeated, and your profession will be reciprocated.

Luke 11:37-54 Mike Anderson Court judges have power to make decisions that affect the course of people's lives, yet they can only make their judgments based on limited and observable evidence. Not to mention, courts are composed of fallible human beings. With so much opportunity for error, who judges the judges? In Luke 11:37-54, we see that man looks on the outward appearance, but Jesus judges the heart. To understand that we’ll look at the contrast between outward and inward righteousness, then at the characteristics of outward righteousness, and finally at the comeback of the outwardly righteous.

Luke 11:14-36 Mike Anderson Be careful how you respond to Jesus. Luke 11:14-36 gives us 5 reasons why: If you’re not for him, you’re against him; if you don’t have him, evil will have you; if you’re only near him, you haven’t received him; if he doesn’t seem like enough, God won’t send you anything more; and if you would see him rightly, you need open eyes.

Luke 11:1-13 Mike Anderson There are many different answers today to the question, "how can I connect with God?". Does it come through nature, through meditation, or maybe through tradition? Jesus' answer in Luke 11:1-13 is to pray boldly for the things Jesus taught us to pray for. So we’ll look first at the things Jesus taught us to pray for, and then we’ll talk about praying boldly.

Luke 10:38-42 Mike Anderson Life is full of important things that can keep us from the words of Jesus. Not to mention our devices that are literally designed to hold our attention! But we read in Luke 10:38-42 that only one thing is necessary, so don’t let anything distract you from the words of Jesus. We'll see that distractions are many, but only one thing is necessary.

Philippians 1:18-26 Wouter Harryvan How can we have joy today knowing for sure that some day we're going to die? Pastor Wouter Harryvan from Risen Christ Fellowship joins us to preach from Philippians 1:18-26 that great joy in this life comes from laying ourselves down for others in service and sacrifice as a response to Christ having laid himself down for us. We'll see the Christian’s great joy in this life and the Christian’s far greater joy in death.

Malachi 1:6-2:9 Gareth Weakly What kind of gift is service is good enough for God? Will he accept the best we can do right now, the leftovers, and the "just-good-enough"? Malachi 1:6-2:9 shows us that half-hearted service of God is worse than nothing. We'll look at half-hearted worship of God and then at half-hearted service to God's people.

Colossians 1:9-14 Vinh Nguyen It was so important to Paul that the Colossians "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord" that he says that he prayed for them without ceasing since the day he heard they had received the gospel message. So, how can we live in manner worthy of the Lord? Pastor Vinh gives us three ways to do that from Colossians 1:9-14: ask God, please God, and thank God.

Philippians 2:1-11 Dave Hackley How should reflecting on Jesus' life affect the way that we live our lives together? This week, Dave Hackley shows us that savoring the Savior’s sacrifice should stir selfless service amongst the saints. We'll look at an exhortation to selflessness, the Savior’s example, and the Savior’s exaltation.

Luke 10:25-37 Mike Anderson You likely already know that the expression "good Samaritan" refers to someone who helps a stranger in a time of distress, and you may also know that it comes from a story Jesus tells in the Bible. But did you know that Jesus tells that story in response to a question: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" In this sermon, Pastor Mike shows us that to inherit eternal life, you must live a life of love. First we’ll talk about how you already know this, and then we’ll talk about how it’s more demanding than you might think.

Malachi 1:1-5 Gareth Weakly Does God really love us? How do we know? This is the first question posed by the people of Israel in the book of Malachi, and God's answer is an emphatic, "yes!". God has loved you more than you deserve, and you know that more clearly when you see the judgment you deserve. And when you see that, you can begin to give God the glory he deserves.

Galatians 1:1-10 Brock Garrigan Have you ever wondered what Paul would say to your church if he were around today? This week, Brock Garrigan visits us from Tenth Presbyterian Church to show us what Paul wanted for the church in Galatia, and what is most important for every church; he wanted them to prioritize the gospel, protect the gospel, and persevere in the gospel.

Luke 10:1-24 Mike Anderson Does your joy depend on your acceptance or rejection by others? Pastor Mike shows us from Luke 10:1-24 that on Jesus’ mission, you can rejoice through both acceptance and rejection. How? Prepare for both, rejoice in your salvation more than your success, rejoice in God’s plan, and remember your privileges.

Luke 9:51-62 Mike Anderson The first 9 chapters of Luke answer the question, "who is Jesus?": the Christ of God. Now, the focus shifts to the question, "what does it mean to follow him?". Jesus said that anyone who would come after him, then, must deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow him. But what does that mean on the ground level? Pastor Mike shows us from Luke 9:51-62 that following Jesus means rejection without retaliation, and renunciation without regret. So first we’ll talk about rejection without retaliation, then renunciation without regret.

Luke 9:37-50 Mike Anderson Often, seeing a great business leader or athlete makes us want to pursue our own greatness the same way they did, by following their example. But seeing Jesus is different. Pastor Mike teaches from Luke 9:37-50 that the more clearly you see the greatness of Jesus, the more humbly you’ll pursue your own.

Luke 9:28-36Mike AndersonUp to this point in Jesus' ministry, we've seen his power and authority in his preaching and miracles. But this Sunday, we'll look at the transfiguration as a few of his disciples see a glimpse of the transformation of Jesus' body to match his glory. Pastor Mike shows us that the more clearly you see the glory of Jesus, the better you will listen to him. So we’ll talk about seeing the glory of Jesus clearly, and then we’ll talk about listening to him.

Luke 9:18-27 Mike Anderson. We've been building up over the last few weeks to one big question: who is Jesus? This week, we'll look at Peter's answer to that question and Jesus' teaching about his own death and resurrection. Pastor Mike shows that Jesus is the unparalleled king on an unexpected path, and we’ll see that from this passage by looking first at the question we all must answer, then at what the answer meant for Jesus, and finally what the answer means for us.

Luke 9:1-17 .Mike Anderson .Have you ever had a boss that gave you work to do, but not the resources you would need to do the job right? Do you maybe even feel that Jesus is a master like that? Today, Pastor Mike shows us from Luke 9:1-17 that Jesus is not like that. Jesus richly provides for people through his people. He’s provided for the gospel to get to us, and he provides above and beyond our deepest needs.

Luke 8:22-56Gareth WeaklyIn recent weeks we've been looking at the question presented by Luke: "Who is Jesus?". This week, we'll keep exploring that question, but also look at a question that Jesus asks his disciples: "Where is your faith?". From Luke 8:22-56, we'll see that because Jesus has power over the creation, over the demons, and over sickness and death, our faith should be in him. We can believe without fear, because Jesus has all power and authority.

Luke 8:1-21.Mike Anderson.Hearing God's Word is not enough - we must respond to it. That's Jesus' teaching in Luke 8:1-21: When you hear the word of Christ, make sure you receive it with a sincere heart. We'll look first at the spread of that word, then at the responses to that word, then at the weight of that word, and finally we’ll see the family formed by that word.

Luke 7:36-50 .Wayne Lee .This week, Pastor Wayne Lee from Chinese Christian Church joins us to preach on Luke 7:36-50. We'll see that much forgiveness leads to much love, our biggest need is the forgiveness of sins, and that the opposite of sin is not virtue, the opposite of sin is faith.

Luke 7:1-35Mike AndersonIn Jesus' time on earth, even his cousin John asked, "are you really the one that we were promised?" From Luke 7:1-35, we'll see that there is never a need to move on from Jesus and there is no one greater than him coming because no one greater than him exists. Jesus is the one who was to come. So we’ll see in this passage what it looks like to recognize him, then how to recognize him, then the privilege of those who do recognize him, and finally why some don’t, and others do, recognize him.

Luke 6:46-49Mike AndersonEven though they are "just words", there are real consequences to ignoring things like stop signs and weather forecasts. So, as we conclude the Sermon on the Plain, what are the consequences of ignoring Jesus' words? In Luke 6:46-49, we'll see that the one who hears the words of Jesus and does not do them will come to ruin. We'll look at the problem of hearing without doing, the alternative to hearing without doing, and then finally at the outcome of hearing without doing.

Revelation 1:9-20Mike AndersonOn Friday, we reflected especially on the death of Jesus. Now, on Easter, we see that Jesus is the exalted ruler over all his churches. We’ll look at how we encounter him, what he looks like, and who he says he is.

Revelation 1:5b-6Mike AndersonJoin us as we see this Good Friday why Jesus is worthy of eternal worship and submission: he loves us, he freed us from our sins, and he made us a kingdom.

Luke 6:37-45Mike AndersonTherapists know that "cognitive distortions", like discounting positives and thinking in all-or-nothing terms, can affect your relationships. In Luke 6:37-45, Jesus teaches about an ever more serious "cognitive distortion": the sin that causes us to harshly judge others. Jesus teaches his disciples to treat others with the mercy you need from God. First he tells us why to do so, and then he tells us how to do so: Why? Because God will treat you the way you treat others. How? By repenting of the sins for which you need mercy.

Luke 6:27-36Gareth WeaklyYou might already know that Jesus says, "love your enemies"? But, why would anyone possibly want to do that? We'll see that God promises a better reward, and that loving your enemies makes you like your heavenly Father. Finally, we'll see how to love your enemies like God loves his enemies.

Luke 6:12-26Mike AndersonBeing a citizen of a country is a big deal: it can determine where you're allowed to live, where you pay your taxes, and which laws you have to follow. But being a citizen of Jesus' kingdom is an even bigger deal. Pastor Mike teaches, "Blessed are the people of Jesus’ kingdom". To see that in this text we’ll look at the leaders in his kingdom, the power of his kingdom, the people of his kingdom, and then finally at the people outside of his kingdom.

Luke 5:33-6:11Mike AndersonOnce in a while, something new comes along that changes everything. Pastor Mike shows us from Luke 5:33-6:11 that Jesus has brought a new age with a new way of life. Jesus brings about this new age because he’s the greatest joy, he’s the highest lord, and he’s the lawful savior.

Luke 5:12-32Mike AndersonLast week, we heard that Jesus saves people through his people. This week, we'll look to answer the question, "what kind of people will Jesus save?". It may not be who you think! Pastor Mike preaches from Luke 5:12-32 that Jesus is willing and able to bring the outcasts back to God. He is willing and able to cleanse the unclean, he is willing and able to forgive sin, and he is willing and able to call the sinners.

Luke 5:1-11Mike AndersonIn this sermon, we'll see not just that Jesus will save people, but that Jesus will save people through his people. To see that, Pastor Mike walks through Luke 5:11 in four parts: His power, his peoples’ response, the mission he gives his people, and then once again his peoples’ response.

Mike Anderson, Gareth WeaklyIn this seminar, we examine what it means to be a Baptist church. We'll look at Baptist distinctives through the lenses of history (including major events in Baptist history that happened right here in Philadelphia), the storyline of scripture, and the New Hampshire Confession of Faith.

Luke 4:14-44Mike AndersonEvery good organization has a mission statement. So, does Jesus have one? Today, we'll learn about Jesus' mission statement: Jesus went public to preach the good news of the kingdom of God. We’ll see in this passage the good news announced, the good news rejected, the good news displayed, and finally, the good news exported.

Luke 3:21-38Mike AndersonA book we like to give away at our church is titled, Who is Jesus?. Our answer to that question will determine what we do with the rest of our lives. If Jesus wasn't who he said he was, he can be relegated to the realm of history. But if he really is who he says he is, it changes everything. Pastor Mike argues from Luke 3:21-38 that Jesus is the ultimate Son of God. He was anointed with God’s Spirit, he was declared to be God’s Son, and he was like God’s first son.

Luke 4:1-13Harry FujiwaraThis week, Pastor Harry Fujiwara joins us from The First Baptist Church in the City of New York to preach God's Word. From Luke 4:1-13, we'll see that Jesus is the true, perfect, obedient Son of God.

Luke 3:1-20Mike AndersonTerminology, accents, sports teams—these things characterize true Philadelphians. What characterizes true Christians, though? Who are God’s people, really? We'll see from Luke 3:1-20 that God’s people are repentant people. God’s people are not characterized by terminology, accents, or sports teams. God’s people are characterized by repentance. And we’ll see that in this passage as we see that repentant people are ready, repentant people are fruitful, Jesus will only save repentant people, and unrepentance only gets worse.

Luke 2:41-52Mike AndersonWhere does your ultimate allegiance lie? We'll see from Luke 2:41-52 that Jesus' ultimate allegiance is to his Father. In fact, Jesus has a relationship with his Father like no other. It gives him a wisdom like no other, it gives him a mission like no other, and it doesn't exempt him from the humanity common to others.

Luke 2:22-40Mike AndersonThe Gospel of Luke does not end with the Christmas story! Even as the cold, dark, post-holiday period of winter sets in for us, the joy of the coming of Jesus remains. In fact, we'll see from Luke 2:22-40 that Jesus is the joy of every longing heart. He consoles the longing heart, he reveals the longings of the heart, and he redeems the longing heart.

Nehemiah 8:1-12Matt BellHow does God turn mourning into joy? In Nehemiah, the surprising answer is that the understanding of God's Word turns mourning into joy. We'll look at the desire to understand God's Word, responding to God's Word by mourning, and responding to God's Word with joy.

Luke 2:1-21Mike AndersonWhy do Christians celebrate with such joy at Christmas time? Because God has sent us the savior we need.

Luke 1:57-80Gareth WeaklyThe classic Christmas carol "What Child is This?" is about the birth of Jesus. But this week, we'll see that many Israelites in Luke ask "what then will this child be?" of another miraculous child, John, and see how his birth is related to the coming of Jesus. With John's birth, the time of mercy has come. We'll see that God's promise to John's parents has come, God's covenant fulfillment has come, and God's preparing prophet has come.

Luke 1:26-56Mike AndersonWhat does it look like to be "great"? How does someone get to be "great"? Is it even something that we should want? This week, Pastor Mike teaches us that God has made his people great through the greatness of Jesus. We'll see that Jesus is great, Jesus is the greatest, and Jesus has made the lowly great.

Luke 1:5-25Mike AndersonMany times, we feel hopeless about the things we wait for the most: children, good health, a job, deep friendship. Luke 1:5-25 is good news to those who wait for God: God gives real hope to his people when things look hopeless. To see that we’ll talk about when things look hopeless, how to live anyway, the hope God promises, how not to respond to it, and then finally at the hope God provides.

Luke 1:1-4Gareth WeaklyHave you ever decided on something, only to later question your life choices when someone asked, "Are you sure?". Luke's Gospel was written to remind you that you can be sure of the message about Jesus. We'll see in Luke 1:1-4 that it's a message that's already been fulfilled, it's a reliable message, and it's an orderly message.

1 Corinthians 11:17-34Mike AndersonWhat is the Lord\'s Supper, and what is its relationship to church membership? Pastor Mike will examine that question in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 and encourage us to take the Lord’s Supper like it’s the Lord’s supper. How do you do that? Take it when you come together as a church, take it while remembering and proclaiming the Lord’s death, and take it with self-examination.

Mike AndersonWhat makes a church a Protestant, as opposed to a Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox, church? That's the topic of this Sunday Seminar, which builds off the last seminar on the Nicene Creed, where we looked at what it means to be a "mere Christian".

Galatians 3:26-29Mike AndersonWhat in the world does baptism have to do with church membership? Should churches baptize believers who don't intend to be members of their church? Should churches admit members they don't believe have been baptized? Pastor Mike addresses these questions, and others, in Galatians 3:26-29. We'll see that faith, baptism, and church membership belong together because all church members are treated as sons of God through faith, as baptized, as unified, and as children of Abraham.

Daniel 10-12Mike AndersonA common observation of those who have lived a long time is that many things are cyclical: one generation dies and another takes their place, one leader steps down and another steps up. Will these same patterns, and the patterns that we’ve seen repeating in the book of Daniel, continue forever? In Daniel 10-12, we’ll see that they will not: though wars will come, our God will deliver us. Therefore, be strengthened in his love, stand firm and act, and wait for the final deliverance

Daniel 9Mike AndersonDaniel grew up during a time when God's people were together in the land God had given to them, but we've seen that the book of Daniel begins when he is being forcibly removed from the promised land and God's people are scattered from their land, their friends, and in some sense, even from God. Christians today, too, live in this world as sojourners and exiles. We'll see from Daniel 9 that our God will restore his people to his place…but not yet. We’ll look first at how God’s people pray for restoration, and then at how our God will restore his people.

Daniel 8Mike AndersonDo you believe there is real evil? If evil is real, how can we have real hope for the future that isn't just wishful thinking? Daniel shows us that our God will end whatever evil he allows against his people. To see that we’ll look first at evil’s prosperity, and then at evil’s end.