Sermons on Matthew

Sermons on Matthew

Commands of Jesus: “Baptize them.”

Please open your Bibles to Matthew, chapter 28.  Baptism is one of the most important events and concepts in the Christian faith. Christians have understood baptism in several different ways throughout the centuries. At Stonebrook, we practice “believer’s baptism” as an expression and testimony of our salvation through faith in Christ.   We would say that baptism is a command from Jesus, to be done by all who believe, as soon as possible after they believe. One key scripture on…

Commands of Jesus: “Follow Me”

I grew up going to church.  If you had asked me what is a Christian and if I am a Christian, I would have had a puzzled look. I might have said, “What kind of question is that?  Isn’t it obvious?  Of course I’m a Christian.  I go to church.  A Christian church.  And I’m not a Buddhist or Muslim or something else.  So what else would I be besides a Christian?”  But I couldn’t give you any specifics on that. …

Exodus: Immanuel, God With Us

Please find a Bible and open with me to Matthew chapter 1. Today is the last day of Advent, and the hinge point between Advent and Christmas. So I thought we’d base this morning’s sermon on the first Christmas passage. Let’s read the great story. 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy…

What Does Jesus Say About Human Sexuality?

Please turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 19. When I talk with my non-Christian friends about my job as a Bible teacher, I often describe my task as something like that of a historian. My job is to understand and to teach what the church has taught about this book since the beginning of the church and for the last 2000 years. My job is not to find some exciting new understanding that has been hidden throughout the ages,…

Colorblind: Our Struggle to See the Multicolor Image of God

This past Tuesday morning, after I had spent several days preparing to handle  the tricky subjects of the fire, eternal damnation, and tribulation described in 2 Thessalonians 1, the elders decided we needed tackle something actually controversial today: Racial harmony and social justice.  In case you’ve been hiding in a cave somewhere for the past few months, recently George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a police officer in Minnesota were captured in a gruesome 9 minute video, sparking protesting…

Go and Be Reconciled

(Download this manuscript and discussion questions (PDF format, Word format) Today we are going to talk about forgiveness. Probably one of the most central concepts to the entire Christian faith. The very core of the message of Christianity is a restored relationship between the creator God and the capstone of his creation: mankind. The key to that restored relationship, restored fellowship, is the act of divine forgiveness of our sin and rebellion. That forgiveness was costly. God, the Father, gave…

God’s Work and Ours

Matthew 25:14–30 (ESV) – Jesus Describes the coming Kingdom of God 14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the…

God's Work and Ours

Matthew 25:14–30 (ESV) – Jesus Describes the coming Kingdom of God 14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the…