Sermons by Matt Heerema (Page 3)

Sermons by Matt Heerema (Page 3)

Matt serves as lead pastor, and focuses on teaching, leadership, and theological development. He and his wife Nancy have four daughters. He is a musician and led in Stonebrook’s music ministry for 15 years before putting the guitar down. Matt is an avid reader and massive sci-fi geek.

Luke 11:37-54 – Woe to the Pharisees and Lawyers

In this week’s sermon, we look at a scene in which a question about washing up before a meal provokes a seemingly very harsh response from Jesus. But you stack up everything Luke has recorded the Pharisees and Lawyers saying so far in the gospel account, the response makes much more sense. Why does Jesus respond this way to the Pharisees? Because of the way they have been responding to the Messiah, and treating God’s children. We’ll look at ways we can be just like the Pharisees and Lawyers, and more importantly, we’ll look at our great savior who offers mercy, healing, forgiveness, and love.

Luke 9:51-10:16 – What it’s like to follow Jesus

A life of following Jesus is a life on an exciting but difficult mission. This week we will see Jesus setting the example for us in proclaiming the good news about the kingdom. He sets the expectation for us that we will not only get to see God working powerfully, miraculous providence, and lives healed and changed, but we will also suffer rejection, loneliness, separation from the rest of the world, hardship, and danger. Following Jesus is a serious and weighty task. But when he calls us, and we follow, we will get to see the kingdom of God come near, and what could be better than that?

Luke 9:37-50 – Afraid to Ask

Having our ideas challenged is hard. Studies show that when an idea is presented to us that goes against our current understanding, our brains treat the situation same way we treat a physical or emotional threat. We feel like we’re in danger! This week, we’ll read about three times the disciples had their understanding corrected by Jesus, but they are unable to “get it.” Their unwillingness to change, and their fear to ask, will show us things about ourselves, and what it takes to learn and grow in our walk with Jesus.

Luke 2:39-52 – Jesus Grows Up

This week we will examine the one glimpse the Bible gives us of Jesus’s childhood. That he sought to learn in the temple. That he “grew” in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man, has spoiled many formulas of theologians throughout the ages. God, incarnate, had to learn and grow! As we explore this mystery, we learn some encouraging things about our faith.

Luke 2:21-38 – Waiting Patiently

In this week’s passage, we are introduced to two faithful Israelites: Simeon and Anna, both of whom had spent their life waiting for the promised redeemer, God’s Messiah. Unlike the Pharisees who were trying to bring about the Messiah’s arrival through their good works, the Sanhedrin who had capitulated to Roman politics, the zealots who were trying to liberate Israel by force, or the Essenes who withdrew from engaging the world at all, these two faithful believers trusted God’s promises in his timing, and so found themselves in a position to meet and receive the Messiah at his arrival. The parallels for us today are obvious.

Deferred Hopes, Fulfilled. An advent reflection on Luke 1:5-25

The wise King Solomon, having understood and experienced many things, and blessed by God with great wisdom, makes a simple observation that we can all resonate with: “A deferred hope makes the heart sick.” – In our passage this week, we will watch a faithful Israelite couple have two of their deepest, deferred hopes suddenly fulfilled. Their reaction can give us great insight about ourselves, and point us to an unshakeable hope that will never fail us.

Advent: The Long-Awaited Messiah

For us today, we say, “Jesus the Messiah has already come.” But for centuries prior to that history-making day, the people were in high anticipation. This Sunday three of our pastors will have a panel discussion examining many of the remarkable Old Testament prophecies of the advent– the coming– of Jesus.

Luke 8:1-18 – The parable of the soils

Facing increasing rejection and opposition from the religious leaders of the day, Jesus begins “hiding” his teachings in parables, so that only those who really desire to follow and learn from Jesus are able to know his meaning. This week we will focus on the parable of the sower – or, better, the parable of the soils. The parable asks us to examine our attitude toward Jesus – are we believing? connected? rejecting worldly pleasure? holding fast to his word? This parable warns us, corrects us, and shows us the way to a fruitful life of faith.

Luke 7:18-35 – The One Who is and is to Come

While in prison, John the Baptist hears reports of Jesus’s ministry. Many things line up with his expectation of the Messiah, but many things do not. He sends his followers to ask Jesus directly “are you indeed the Messiah, or are we waiting for someone else?” Jesus’s unusual response inspires trust in God for those who believe and repent, but for those who are righteous in their own mind, no response he could give would be sufficient.

Luke 5:1-26 – We Have Seen Extraordinary Things Today!

In this week’s passage, we are introduced to four sets of people: the first disciples, a leper, a paralytic and his friends, and the pharisees. Through his interactions with these four very diverse people, Jesus shows us that he has the power, willingness, and authority to heal and forgive sin for anyone who comes to him in faith.

Luke 4:16-30 – Bring Your Nothing

In this week’s passage, Jesus proclaims that the long awaited “year of the Lord’s favor”, is here! In his very brief sermon he tells his hometown, the people he grew up with, that he is, in fact, the Messiah. In two strange analogies to Old Testament stories, he tells them the surprising nature of his ministry: God’s grace is free, is open to the gentiles, and we should receive it as humbly as a widow and a leper. This shocking claim enrages the town. And we should ask ourselves, how do we respond?

Luke 3:23-4:15 – The Last Adam

In this week’s passage, we will Jesus, the descendant of King David, and of all our “father” Adam, and also, most importantly, the Son of God, face temptation from our adversary, the devil himself. We will be encouraged as Jesus faces temptation, just as Adam did, and just as we do: as a human. Using the same resources we have available to us, the leading and empowering of the Holy Spirit, and reliance on God’s promises and commands in his word.

First of all, Pray. The Effect of the Gospel on the Gathered Church

First I’ll set the stage, the context of the letter. The Apostle Paul had an interesting problem on his hands.  He had spent three years with the church he started in Ephesus, living with them and instructing them night and day, imparting to them the whole counsel of God.   After this he wrote them a definitive letter reminding them of The Gospel and instructing them in how they were to conduct themselves.   Now, just a few short years…

Zechariah 3 – The High Priest’s Dirty Robes

We are continuing our series through the minor prophets this morning in Zechariah. Please turn there with me. Zechariah is the longest of the minor prophets. Same chapter count as Hosea, but more words. It has been called “little Isaiah” – because it picks up on many of the same themes and uses similar imagery.  The book is very complex and as far as an efficient summary and outline of the book as a whole, I don’t think I can…

Zephaniah – The Day of the Lord

1 The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. Zephaniah 1:1 (ESV) We know a lot about Zephaniah from this one verse! Zephaniah has the most complete genealogical listing of any of the prophets, and it’s here for a reason. He was the great, great, grandson of one of the few faithful kings of…

Let Justice Roll – Amos

This week we will look at the book of Amos, the first prophet to the Northern Kingdom. The nation of Israel hid immorality, greed, oppression of the poor and weak, and many other sins behind a veneer if religious performance. The prophet calls them (and so, us) back to worship of the true God from the heart, evidenced by love for their neighbor and a passion for justice and righteousness.

Unity in disagreement for mission.

The mission of Jesus’s church is to bring glory to God by making disciples. Jesus taught us that unity is a cornerstone of this mission. Three enemies of unity are inaction, improper handling of disagreement, and false doctrine. This week we will examine the scriptures to find out how we can navigate disagreement well in the pursuit of unity and sound doctrine. And in so doing we will learn how to advance the mission: bringing God glory and helping people come to know him.

2 Peter 3 – Judgement Day

Do you ever think about why Jesus is taking so long to return?  Has that question ever caused you to doubt the truth and reality of the Christian faith?  Has that doubt ever led you to excuse your sin, because “maybe this all isn’t real anyway?” Have you ever had a hard time knowing how to answer a friend or acquaintance who brought up these questions?  In the final chapter of his second letter, Peter tackles this question as the…

2 Peter, part 1 – A Fruitful and Effective Life

For the next several weeks, rather than a long walk through a single book of the Bible, or a thematic series, we’re going to take time to preach through some of the shorter books of the new testament. Two years ago we hit some of the shortest letters, 1, 2, 3 John – for the next five weeks we are going to cover 2 Peter, Jude, and Philemon. We’re starting with 2 Peter this AM and doing about a chapter…

The Final Rescue

This Sunday is the second Christmas Sunday! We have four days left! Hooray! 🙂 Christmas is the time of year when we, in a special way, remember and celebrate the birth of Christ, and the beginning of his rescue mission to find and save God’s lost sheep.  We carried our Advent series topic, Rescues, on into Christmas as well, because what bigger Rescue is there than Christ’s rescue of us?  Last week we talked about Christ’s rescue mission in offering…