Citylight Church Center City Philadelphia - Sermons

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.

Daniel 5Mike AndersonWhen the authorities over us are wicked, what should we do? Should we give in to them to protect our safety? Or should we try to overthrow them and create a new order? For Christians, knowing that our God judges the proud changes everything. Pastor Mike Anderson shows us from Daniel 5 that the proud mock our God, our God convicts the proud, our God sentences the proud, and finally, our God executes the proud.

Who do you think is the most powerful person in the world today? No matter who appears to be in control, above them, God the Most High rules over the kingdoms of men. We'll see that Earthly kings flourish and fall, His truth is reveals and counsels, the cost of rejection, and that acceptance leads to humble praise to the eternal King.

Mike AndersonThis year marks 1700 years since the Council of Nicaea, at which the foundation for the Nicene Creed was laid. In this seminar Pastor Mike explains why creeds are a wise way for churches to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints, and why the elders of Citylight Center City believe this particular creed would be a wise creed for our church to adopt as one of our official doctrinal standards.

Daniel 3Mike AndersonWho, or what, do you expect will deliver you from life's hardest trials? This week, we'll see that our God is able to deliver us from whatever the world throws at us, and we’ll see that in Daniel 3 by looking first at what the world throws at us, then our faithful response, and then our God’s deliverance.

Daniel 2Mike AndersonSpoiling the end of a book or TV series for someone is a major frustration. But when God tells Daniel what happens next in the story of his people, it gives him not frustration, but wisdom for how to live in the present. Pastor Mike encourages us that our God has revealed the mystery of his plan. First we’ll look more at why we need his revelation, then more at the God who makes the revelation, and then finally at what it is that he reveals.

Daniel 1Mike AndersonThe world puts an overwhelming pressure on believers in Christ to adopt its language, literature, pleasures, and identity. The prophet Daniel has much to teach us today about how to live in a world of pressure, and Pastor Mike shows us in this sermon that our God will exalt those who refuse to be defiled in the world. We'll look at the pressure we face in the world, the purity we must pursue in the world, and the promotion of those who refuse to be defiled in the world.

Deuteronomy 29Gareth WeaklyWhat would it take for you to actually live up to your ideals? In Deuteronomy 29, God reveals his covenant to his people so that they can actually be obedient and live up to their calling. We'll see the reason for obedience, the covenant for obedience, and the warning against disobedience.

Philemon 8-25Mike Anderson

Philemon 1-7Mike Anderson

Acts 4:1-22Brock Garrigan

Joel 2:18-27Vinh Nguyen