Sermons from Sweet Home

Science has made us arrogant. We think we know exactly what happened in the past, what is possible and what is not. Often people think the Bible is nonsense, mythical, and anti-scientific and therefore not true. We think our knowledge trumps what the Bible says. Well, can we test that? Ofcourse we can. Select a story in the Bible that people think are a myth, and let's see if we can scientifically discover its truth.
In this lesson one such example is unpacked. For many years people have though the story of Sodom is a myth. But in the early 2000's a mound in the Jordan Valley, on the East side of the Jordan River in Jordan were discovered that has since thrown the whole myth theory into disrepute. It has now been scientifically proven that Sodom indeed was destroyed by fire from heaven, tune in to listen to the facts.
This truth is significant especially in a time when homosexual behavior is being normalized and celebrated. Perhaps God has a serious message for us.

Modern science has managed to do incredible things with life. From invitro fertilization in humans to the cloning of mammals. But the one thing science cannot do is to create life. Science can take what is already and manipulate it or direct it, but science cannot create something out of nothing. That is something only God can do!
The Apostle Paul correctly called Jesus the "author of life" (Acts 3:15). Paul also said that everything was created by Him, through Him and for Him (Col. 1:16-17). Jesus is the author of physical life, but we must never forget that He is also the author of spiritual life. Without Him we could be physically alive, but spiritually dead. 

God gave Jeremiah the most difficult job imaginable. He was to preach to people who wouldn't listen. He was to prophecy the destruction of Godless people and see how God brings about this destruction. He preached for 40 years and nobody repented. He walked through the streets of Jerusalem and didn't find anyone who lives in righteousness and integrity.
He had no life, but he kept on preaching. Why? The word of God was burning inside his bones. He didn't know how to keep quiet. In many ways Christians live in a similar world that Jeremiah lived in. The Word goes out, but people don't want to listen. 

From the earliest times, throughout different cultures across the world, and right up to our present time people have believed in life after death. Even atheists who say they don't believe in life after death are often caught at the funerals of loved ones speaking about the deceased as if they are still in existence. 
We hate death. We want our loved ones to stay and never die. Some have tried to create a resurrection opportunity through technology: Cryogenics. Once again we see how humans are trying to play gods by exploring the option of freezing dead humans with the hope of resurrecting them someday when the technology allows. 
Why do we have this desire for immortality? Why don't animals have the same desire? There is a simple explanation in the words of the wisest king that has ever lived. 

In this text we see the establishment of the church in Antioch. Antioch is the place where Christ-followers were first called Christians. Paul and Barnabas end up here to preach to this city and experience great kingdom success. The church in this city became the mission hub for future mission trips into the Gentile world. It is therefore important to Luke to tell us how it came on the Biblical map. 

Acts 10 records the conversion and inclusion of Gentiles into the Christian faith. Peter plays the central role in the story. After the Gentile conversion he returns to Jerusalem only to be faced with stiff opposition from the Jews. They did not accept pagan Gentiles and could not believe that Peter would even eat with them or enter their houses. The section of text under consideration here is Peter's explanation to them of what happened and why they were wrong!

In this text we see Peter preach to Gentile people. The Holy Spirit falls upon them in a powerful way signaling that God accepted them apart from the Law. Immediately they got baptized.

In this text we see how God is starting to infiltrate the greatest kingdom on Earth, the Roman Empire. 

In this section of text the Apostle Peter passes through territory where Philip the Evangelist has already preached. But as he passes through these towns he performs extraordinary miracles that strengthen the disciples there, but also opens the eyes of many to the Gospel of Christ. 

This new sermon series explores the areas in which the human race is trying to do things that only God can do! In this first lesson the topic is "justice". People have become "sue-happy". And in America it seems to have started with Miss Liebeck who sued McDonalds for selling her coffee that was too hot. And now we live in a world where insurance companies and attorneys run society.
At the heart of this society lies the idea that "if I get hurt someone must pay". The goal is justice. On a larger scale, "colonialists must pay for the poverty amidst indigenous people", "white people must pay for the slavery of black people"...the list can go on. We want justice. But the truth is that we will never get true justice or give true justice in this world. No judge, no lawyer, no person, no department of Justice can do what only God can do: Deliver ultimate objective justice!
There is a day coming where justice will be perfectly served. Those who get away now with injustice will be sorted out. And those who have been harmed, take note, the righteous judge of all the Earth is on His way. Trust Him and wait for Him. He will deliver justice!