IBCD Sermon Weekly

One of the big questions of life is “Why do bad things happen to good people?” This is a more complex question than people generally think. We are going to look at the answers to this question using Job’s story for context.

Today is our final sermon on the life of Jacob. We are going to be looking at how this man who craved the blessing of others then blessed his family at the end of his life. Blessing in the Bible is more than just saying nice words about a person. It was a combination of prophecy, destiny, and evaluation of character. Genesis 49:28 28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.

When we read about lives like Jacob, we have a tendency to think that we will never have any kind of part in the purpose and plan of God. But the truth is that, through Christ, the promise to Abraham, Issac and Jacob to be a blessing to all nations has found its fulfillment in you. You have been included, chosen, to be part of a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 1:20 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

Jacob wrestled with God. We are called to do the same. Not physically, but spiritually and emotionally. We are called to bring our questions, doubts and frustrations to God instead of keeping them to ourselves. If we work them out together with Him our faith will be strengthened instead of weakened. Genesis 32:28 Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed."

I think one of the things we tenuously grasp as Christians is how different life is intended to be for those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Christ is not just an event meant to impress, but it is intended to change everything about the human experience. It transforms the expectations of life lived now and our expectations of what it is to come.

Today is Palm Sunday where we celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. It is a homecoming of a sort. Many of us have experienced “homecomings” and it can sometimes be great, but sometimes bittersweet. Today we will look at Jacob’s homecoming and Jesus’ homecoming. Genesis 33:4 4 But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. Matthew 21:9 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!"

Today we continue the life of Jacob. So far, he has not been a model of good behavior! Today we look at a famous story of a dream he had of angels ascending and descending and what this means to us today. Genesis 28:16-17 16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." 17 He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven."

Today we are looking at how Jacob stole the blessing of the firstborn from his brother Esau. Again, we are reminded that God works through sin and imperfection to bring about redemption and holiness. The blessing stolen from Esau eventually led to the blessing of Christ in our lives. Genesis 27:36 36 Esau said, "Isn't he rightly named Jacob? He has deceived me these two times: He took my birthright, and now he's taken my blessing!"

Today we are beginning a sermon series on the life of Jacob. Jacob, like many of the “heroes” of the Bible is a very flawed character. However, God uses him and, in the process, transforms his life and makes him the leader of the family from which the Savior of the world would come. Genesis 25:25-26 25 The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. 26 After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob.

One of the things I have struggled with in my life of being a follower of Christ is being able to communicate to people the importance of the gospel message in a way which they could hear and really understand. The reason for this difficulty is not that I do not know what to say, but rather I find people are very guarded when the topic of faith comes up. So how can we effectively communicate about Christ?

Today we are looking at the place of Baptism in one’s obedience to following Christ. I want those of you who are part of the family of IBCD who have not taken this step, often because of your church background in state churches which teach the practice of infant baptism, that I love you and am not attacking you. However, it is both my duty and privilege to share with you why I think it is an important aspect of one’s obedience to following Jesus as Lord.

Today we are looking at "Care". In doing this we are going to ask a few questions. One is, "Who is supposed to do the "caring" within the church body?" and "How is this supposed to take place?" “Care” is one of the areas which is easy to talk about but hard to do. To say we should care for others is simple. To care for others effectively is very difficult. The main reason is because we are all different and when it comes to "caring" there is no "one size fits all" approach.

When Jesus was on the cross, He had many concerns. But His concerns were not about His own pain and suffering; instead, He was focused on others. One of them was Mary, His mother. This reveals a lot about His character. Ruth 1:16 16 For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.

Today we are continuing our journey through the 5 C’s with Connect. We are called to be in fellowship with Christ and one another. Through this we have the power to overcome the enemy, rejoice in community and live lives which give God glory. Romans 12:4-5 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Today we are beginning our journey for the 5 C’s which are the purposes of the church. The C for today is “Celebrate” which is describing our purpose to worship God.

As we kick off the new year, we are going to be taking a walk through the “5 C’s” which make up the purposes of the church. But before we get there, this week we are looking at our Mission and Vision as a church. Matthew 28:18-20 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

As we come out of the Christmas season, we are going to look at what it is God gives us and how we are to respond. John 3:16 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Today we are finishing our series on the life of Mary. At the end we are going to be looking back at the beginning, but with a little different perspective than we normally consider when looking at the birth story of Jesus the Christ. Luke 2:19-20 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

When Jesus was on the cross, He had many concerns. But His concerns were not about His own pain and suffering; instead, He was focused on others. One of them was Mary, His mother. This reveals a lot about His character. John 19:26–27 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Mary learned that even though she had a unique and special relationship with Jesus, her place in his kingdom was made possible in the same way it was going to be made possible for everyone else. Mary teaches us that while we might all have a uniquely defined relationship with Jesus, what he expects from all of us is the same. Mark 3:35 35 Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Like most mothers, Mary undoubtedly loved her son passionately and without condition. However, as we read about Mary and her relationship with Jesus, we see that she, at times, struggled with separating the boy she raised and nurtured from the man who was her Savior. What we see in the scripture is an unfolding of who Jesus really is, a revealing of his true nature, as Mary walked the journey of faith God had placed her on. Luke 2:49-50 49 "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

Without Mary the depth and context of much of Jesus’ ministry, especially in relationship to the temple, is lost. In a way, Mary does what every disciple should, she points us to Jesus and has us go on an unexpectedly deep journey with him. A journey where, in the end, we come into the presence of our Lord. Luke 2:48-49 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." 49 "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"

Today we are going to be looking at what the Gospel of Matthew has to say about Mary. Most of what we know about Joseph is from Matthew’s Gospel. Let’s look! Matthew 1:20 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

In Luke, Mary is portrayed as a kind of proto disciple. She displays the characteristics of someone who will be given the title of “disciple” before any of “the twelve” were ever chosen. So, what can we learn about discipleship from Mary? Luke 2:34-35 "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

Today we are looking at the life of Mary. We are only looking at what is said about her in the Bible, which is plenty. Mary is often thought of as passive but the way she is presented in the Bible is not as a passive person, but rather an obedient person. This obedience required Mary to be brave, to have faith, and be willing to walk a difficult road for the sake of God’s kingdom. Luke 1:38 38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said."

We are soon going to have a sermon series on the life of Mary. Today we are going to look into a story which is only found in Luke which concerns a cousin of Mary’s, and that is Elizabeth and her husband Zachariah.

The book of Joel ends with God’s judgment. In the ‘valley of decision’, God will pay back each person what they deserve based on their life. The only way that we can protect ourselves from that is to seek refuge in God’s stronghold through trusting in Jesus Christ. Joel 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

Last week we looked at the fact God will do what it takes to get our attention when sin is in our lives. Today we are going to look at what God wants us to do – repent. Joel 2:13 13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

Do you think it is outside the loving, parental, character of God to inflict pain on a “child” who is being disobedient? How you answer this question will say a lot about being able to see affliction as judgement and God trying to get your attention when there is unrepentant sin in your life. What does the Bible say? Joel 1:13 13 Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.

Sunday Sermon by Gary Arnold Mark 4:1-9 1 And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 2 Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” 9 And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Today we are finishing up our journey through the book of Hebrews. It is an appropriate passage for today which is our “Cultural Sunday”, where we celebrate the way God has built IBCD over the last several years with people from many different countries, traditions, and backgrounds into one family in Christ. The words which wrap up this theologically complex letter are more than just a “goodbye” but it is also an encouragement to hold fast to a relationship which allows for speaking into each other’s lives, to fellowship, and a reminder that the family of faith goes beyond the walls of any specific church building, but around the world wherever Christ is declared King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Hebrews 13:22–25 “Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly. I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. Greet all your leaders and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings. Grace be with you all.”

One of the words we use, which is fairly unique to Christianity and Judaism, is the word “covenant”. We are going to be looking at this very deep word found in our faith today. We have been going through the last chapter of Hebrews calling it “Living the Way” and today we are calling this sermon “Living the Way of Covenant”. Hebrews 13:20-21 20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The passage today is one where I am going to be a little self-indulgent. I am going to talk openly about what it is like to be a pastor, my point of view is on leadership, and how we walk this out together. Now, to be clear, this is my point of view, and you might not think my point of view is correct, but it is what it is. Hebrews 13:17-19 17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account.

Baptism is like a cake with many layers. There is a lot going on in an event which looks pretty simple and ends rather quickly. Today, I want to approach baptism from the angle we receive from Jesus at the end of Matthew’s Gospel when he says: Matthew 28:18-20 18 "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The Bible reminds us often that we should do good deeds. However, there are some pitfalls that Christians tend to fall into regarding that subject. Also, the Bible makes it clear that doing good and sharing with others should be more than just a transactional giving. Instead, we are called to sacrificially give ourselves. Hebrews 13:16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

All praise is rooted in Christ’s finished work. We tend to base whether or not God is “worthy” of our praise based on what is happening in our lives right at the moment, or what is happening in the world around us, but this is not the basis of praise. The basis of praise is on his completed work in which he has, and forever will, meet our need for intersession, to stand in for us, at the throne of God. Hebrews 13:15 “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.”

The idea of trying to live within this temporary world with eternal values is a very strong theme in Christianity. Jesus spoke about it very directly when he said: Matthew 6:19-33 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Hebrews 13:14 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

Today’s passage, in spite of how it begins, is complicated. This passage is a calling away from the human desire to make our “religion” look pretty, look dignified, and tells us to look at Jesus and the ugliness of sin. It is not what we move away from which is important, but who we move toward. Hebrews 13:13 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.

All of us have been influenced by spiritual leaders. Today’s passage calls us to remember, consider, and imitate them. There is much we can learn from their ways of following Jesus. Hebrews 13:7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

Money is an inescapable part of our lives. So think about the role of money in your life. Pray about it. When you financially plan, do so with more than just financial returns in mind. You have only this one life to live so consider carefully who and what you want to live it for. Hebrews 13:5-6 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." 6 So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

Today’s verse is very straightforward and can seem almost harsh and judgmental. Personally, I think there were many marriage issues in the early church. So, maybe as a remedy to all the ambiguity around marriage and problems this was causing, the author of Hebrews here breaks down a very straightforward approach to marriage. He has no fluff or compromise around it. He says: Marriage is honorable. Purity in marriage is essential. God will judge those who defile it. Hebrews 13:4 4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Empathy is a very big part of Christianity. Our faith is not supposed to be one of coldly following rules for the sake of order and the benefits of order. Christianity is a faith based upon the heart of God. Hebrews 13:3 3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Hospitality in the Bible is deeply rooted in the idea of love, charity, and unity within the community and toward outsiders. In both the Old and New Testaments, hospitality is portrayed as an act of kindness and righteousness, reflecting God's love and care for all people. So today we will be looking at living in the Way of Hospitality. Hebrews 13:2. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

As we come to the last chapter of Hebrews, we are going to use the series of short, almost proverb-like statements in chapter 13 to look at the question of how to live “The Way”. Today we are looking at “The Way of Love”. Hebrews 13:1 Keep on loving each other as brothers.

Cities offer great opportunities for the gospel and great exposure to sin. In Acts, we encounter both sides of the city. In today’s passage, Paul proclaims God in Athens, where people worshipped what they didn’t know. Acts 17:16 & 23 16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. [...] 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, “To the unknown god.” What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

God cares about each individual person, and that’s also how He reaches out to us. If we follow Him, that means putting ourselves in situations where we can share the gospel one at a time. Acts 8:29–31 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

As we start to look at the book of Acts, one thing becomes clear from the beginning on: God did not create us for individual faith. He wants us to be in community, and He uses this community to reach the people with His love and truth. Acts 2:46–47 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

As we look at the passage in Hebrews today, the author talks about two mountains. Mount Sinia and Mount Zion. Mount Sinia is the mountain upon which God gave Moses the law, which becomes known as the Law of Moses. Mount Zion is, in this passage, a metaphor of grace and future hope for those who place their trust in Christ. One says “stay away!”, the other says “come near”. Hebrews 12:18, 22 18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm… 22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God.

Peter is the disciple we have the most information about from the Gospels and book of Acts. He goes through a long character arc and, as a result, is a person many people feel they can identify with as he traverses the ups and downs of faith. John 21:2-3 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Today is Palm Sunday. It is the time when Jesus enters Jerusalem as the “king” prophesied in scriptures. However, he is not the king people were expecting, and this enthusiastic greeting did not lead to a throne, but rather to a Cross. A Cross which looked like complete failure and defeat, but in hindsight was the victory we needed from the king we needed.