Solid Rock Church Sermons

In the sermon this past Sunday, Hebrews 10 draws our attention to the truth that the God of the Bible is one who desires to be near His people. By fully trusting in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, God has invited us to draw near to Him in full assurance that He will take hold of our lives and lead us towards maturity in Christ. Through the work that Jesus has done on our behalf, we can now walk in an intimate relationship with God. Our relationship with God is based upon the truth of the Bible and dependent on walking in fellowship with other believers in worship, community and mission. 

In the sermon his past Sunday, we looked at how Jesus’s performance on our behalf transcends into every area of our lives. Through his perfectly righteous life, we are made righteous in every area of our lives.  Despite the performance-based trap of our culture, in Christ we have been set free from having to offer repeated sacrifices to make up for our inadequacies and shortcomings.   Because Jesus has offered once and for all a better sacrifice than we could offer, we don’t have to perform to get God to notice us or earn His favor.  Because we are already in Christ, we pursue his character in our lives.   Despite this truth, why do we continue to seek identity and security in our own performance?  Why are we more prone to seek our approval in the small voices of our culture instead of the God of the universe who declares that we are loved and accepted already? 

In the sermon this past Sunday we looked at Hebrews 9:1-14 to see how Jesus provides a better way for God’s people to enter into worship.  We looked at how Jesus has replaced all of the items of Old Testament temple that were used to worship God.  Jesus has become the light we need, replacing the lampstand; Jesus has become the bread of life for us, providing an unending invitation to fellowship with God at the table of his goodness by faith;  Through Jesus’s sacrifice the temple curtain that inhibited the worshippers from entering into the Holy of Holies, has been torn open from top to bottom, allowing sinful believer’s unfettered access into His holy presence.  “19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God” Hebre

As we continued the Hebrews sermon series this past Sunday, we looked at the fleeting things in our lives that we look to as anchors. Even though we find identity, joy, purpose and security in our spouses, our children and even in our careers, these things hold no guarantee for tomorrow. In the second half of Hebrews 6, God reveals that the true anchor for our lives is the promise that He makes to us in Jesus. Just as Abraham anchored himself in faith to the promise that God made, we too have been called to anchor our lives in faith to God’s promise. When we trust Jesus, we find that the unchangeable character of God gives us security we need to weather the storms of life. What are the anchors in your life? Have you come to the place where you truly trust in Jesus and Jesus alone for your identity, purpose, joy and security?

In the final sermon in the Family Matters series this past Sunday, we looked at the biblical mandate for family discipleship. In Deuteronomy 6, Moses challenges the leaders of the home to take responsibility for teaching their children and their children’s children to love the Lord with everything they have. We began by looking at the goal of discipleship: to love God with everything you are. Distinct from religious activity, true discipleship leads to a deep and abiding relationship with God. If this is the goal of discipleship, then Moses lays out an important prerequisite. Parents must first have the Truth of the Bible written on their hearts. How can parents lead children to a place that they don’t know how to get to themselves?  It is the responsibility of the church to teach children about how much Jesus loves them, how God has a purpose and a plan for their lives and He is calling them to live their lives according to the unwavering Truth of the Bible. However, as soon as they leave th

In the second sermon in the Family Matter sermon series this past Sunday, we looked at how God created the heart of the woman to be a detail-oriented nurturer.  It’s the woman who pays attention to the details of life, keeping her husband’s feet anchored to the ground and nurturing spiritual growth in her children.  We also looked at how the fall has distorted the beautiful heart of the woman, causing her to be anxious and troubled about things that are less important, things that can’t be changed or sometimes aren’t even a reality.  In the story of Mary and Martha from Luke 10, Jesus rebuked Martha for channeling her concerned heart towards the mundane duties of life at the expense of neglecting the spiritual priorities of the moment.  Rather than putting off spiritual nurturing for a more convenient time, Jesus encourages women put off the to-do list of the day in order to make sure that pursuing Jesus is the main priority of the family.    In what ways

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the author of Hebrews presents Jesus as a better priest in Hebrews 4:14-5:10.  In contrast to earthy priests, Jesus is able to enter into the presence of God on our behalf without hesitation or the burden of his own sins.  Jesus is the perfect priest because He is always qualified to mediate between us and God.  And at the same time, He is also able to completely relate to our struggles and understand our temptations and suffering.  When compared to human priests, Jesus is far more superior in every way.  Do you ever struggle with feeling unworthy to talk to God or to be in His presence?  When you approach God in prayer, do you acknowledge the role of Jesus as your mediator who continually offers you access to enter into God’s presence with confident assurance? 

As we continued the Hebrew sermon series this past Sunday, we looked at what it truly means to rest in Jesus. From Hebrews 3 and 4, we learned that our need for rest has less to do with our physical condition and more to do with the eternal condition of our souls.  Our invitation to rest in Jesus is the hope of the Gospel. Those who believe the Gospel share in Christ's performance on their behalf. His faithfulness and worthiness become ours by faith. Because we believe, we are considered faithful and worthy, giving us a permanent rest from trying to earn God's favor by works. As we rest physically, we are reflecting the greater reality that we have come to rest eternally in Jesus.     Do you see your personal rest as a testimony to the greater reality that you have been invited to rest eternally in Christ? Have you come to the place in your life where you truly rest in Jesus's performance on your behalf?

In the second sermon in the Hebrews series we looked at the significance of the words of Jesus.  Since He is more superior than the angels (Hebrews 1), we should pay close attention to His message.  Hebrews 2 reminds us that everything is subject to Jesus's authority, including death itself.  Because of His great victory over death and the great salvation that He offers us in love, we should pay attention to the Gospel.  Rather than seeing the Gospel as a means to salvation only, we should behold the Gospel in increasing measure as the message that God uses to save us and transform us into the glorious image of His Son. 

In the opening sermon in the Hebrews series, we looked at how Jesus is better.  In the opening chapter of Hebrews, the author sets Jesus apart from creation and the angels. We see that Jesus is more glorious, powerful, and satisfying than anyone and anything else that’s in Heaven or on Earth.  Despite this truth, as part of creation, we tend to find our fulfillment in much smaller things.  We find satisfaction and worth in our careers and our families. We turn to the ideas of man to heal the brokenness of our souls.  We exhaust our resources and find glory in things that pale in comparison to the glory of the Son of God, failing to see that Jesus is better.

In the Mother’s Day sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the heart behind the mother’s prayer for her children.  With good motives, mothers can still miss the will of God for their children.  We looked at two examples of mothers praying for their children and the contrast between Hannah's request for a son (1 Samuel 1) and the request of the mother of James and John for her sons (Matthew 20:20-28).  From Hannah’s example, we were challenged to see our children as His children, laying our desires before the Lord in submission to His will and trading what we want for our children for what God wants, trusting that his plans are better.     Do you ever find yourself insisting on what you want rather than submitting your desires to God? Have you ever had to let go of “good” desires in order to embrace God’s desires for you or for a situation? 

In the final sermon in the sermon series, A Church United, we looked at the call from Jesus for His followers to live on mission in their every day lives. As Jesus invites us to follow Him, his invitation includes giving our lives as a living sacrifice for the mission. Every believer has been called to lead the nations to trust Jesus as the Lord of their life and join His mission.     Do you have a mission for your life? In what ways do you feel like God is challenging you to be more intentional about living your life on His mission? 

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the biblical description of the Christian community and what it means to be the church. We learned that the nearness of our relationships with one another should reflect the intimate relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  We also learned that when individual believers fully engage in serving the local church through their individual spiritual gifts, the church is built up and grows toward spiritual maturity.    How does knowing Jesus empower you to have deep and transparent relationships with other Christians?  How does your role in serving help build the church toward maturity? Are you fully engaged in serving the church according to your spiritual gifts?  

In the second sermon in the series, A Church United, we looked at the key elements of corporate worship and how it miraculously affects the lives of believers. We learned that corporate worship is much bigger than simply singing songs about Jesus.  Corporate worship includes biblical teaching, the ordinances of baptism and communion, fellowship and prayer.  When believers gather together in true worship, God miraculously works to draw saved into community and the lost into salvation.   

We launched a new series this past Sunday on the unity of the church entitled, “A Church United”.  In the first sermon of the series, we looked at why unity matters.  In Ephesians 4:1-6, the Apostle Paul urges the church to walk in unity and describes our bond as more than simply being nice to each other or singing songs in the same building.  As a church, we are called to walk in deep and enduring unity displayed in humility, gentleness and patience towards one another because Jesus died for it, commands it and His mission for the church depends on it.  

In the Easter sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the resurrection of Jesus and its impact on our lives today. In order to understand the fullness of the resurrection, we must understand it within the context of the whole story of the Bible.  The resurrection was a real moment in time that dramatically impacted all other moments in time.  Reaching backwards to the beginning of human history and reaching forward to the end of human history, the resurrection of Jesus is God’s glorious victory over death, fulfilling our deepest need by defeating our greatest enemy. By faith, Jesus’s victory over death becomes our victory, impacting every area of our lives that has been affected by the curse of sin and death. 

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the details surrounding the return of Jesus.  There are few topics more debated in Christianity than the timing and series of events surrounding His return.  Our focus in this sermon was less on the areas of debate and more centralized on the indisputable biblical Truths concerning the return of our Savior.   The Bible paints a clear picture about the nature of His return: there will be subtle and clear hints in the world, it will be impossible to miss, everyone will be caught off guard on some level and He will return victoriously.  At His return, Jesus will accomplish several keys tasks according to the will of God.  The climax of these events is when Jesus will strike the final blow to Satan, binding him and permanently removing his influence over humanity, bringing to an end the reign of sin and death.  Until He comes, the Bible calls us to wait patiently and eagerly, directing our hope to the return of our victorious King.