Genesis Church: Sermon Audio

Today we will look at two questions from the book Confronting Christianity that address similar issues. Doesn’t Christianity hinder morality? And, doesn’t Christianity and religion cause violence? Be careful not to answer these questions to hastily. The truth is that religion is the cause of much suffering, injustice, hate, and evil around the world. Furthermore, religion has pushed agendas and morals that have deeply hurt people. And yes, at some times and places, institutional Christianity is equally guilty. The Gospel, on the other hand, is something different. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches His disciples about the quality and ethic of life that His followers should have. The truth is that the influence and impact of those who have lived as salt and light around the world has been monumentally positive. Today we will examine some of the entrenched benefits the Gospel has had on our culture and in other places around the world. Furthermore, we hope to show that those who reject reli

Our guest speaker today is Ramon Rivera. Ramon’s wife, Diamond, and their two children, Scarlett and Levi, are joining us as special guests today. The Riveras live in Chicago where Ramon serves as a Pastoral Resident at Renewal Church. The Riveras are considering planting a church out of Renewal in the Humboldt Park area. Ramon is a recent graduate of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. On a personal note (from our Pastor, Mike Hubbard), we got to know Ramon and his family when he officiated the wedding of our daughter, Alex, and son-in-law Cameron, who also attend and serve at Renewal. It will be a joy to hear Ramon preach Christ from James 1:9-18 this morning.

This morning we continue our Confronting Christianity series, wrestling with the questions our culture is asking about the Christian faith, as discussed in Rebecca McLaughlin’s book. We will wade into a difficult cultural question this morning—one that has led to many leaving the church. Doesn’t Christianity denigrate women? We do need to acknowledge that Christianity has often misused Scripture to support a male-dominated society and has participated in the denigration of women. But if we look intently in the Scriptures, we actually find a different story. The Bible reveals the glorious truth that men and women are equal as God’s image bearers, and all people are infinitely valuable and gifted. Yet it also affirms the beauty of the differences between men and women and defines certain roles in marriage and in the church. This is purposeful in God’s design, as our masculinity and femininity actually point to truths greater than ourselves. Understanding this, we will see the

Take a look around at the folks attending this morning. Notice anything unusual? Probably not. The vast majority of us are Caucasian. Most of the churches in Eureka and the surrounding area are majority Caucasian. Does that indicate that Christianity is primarily a “white man’s” religion? Or, instead, maybe that indicates that we’re not seeing the bigger picture. Today we’re going to look back at the birth of Christianity and also look forward to the culmination of the Church and see how that compares to the argument that Christianity is a “white man’s” religion. We’ll dig into why there are valid reasons to ask our question this morning. We’ll also see how the Gospel not only answers the question but also directs and drives us towards a different and glorious outcome.

In a recent opinion article in our local newspaper, the writer shared from her experience reasons for leaving the church and pursuing a different path for feeling close to God or the universe. She is not alone in her sentiments, as millions of people are leaving Christianity, deconstructing their faith, and abandoning religion. A common thread in many of these stories are experiences of church hurt and interactions with hateful religious people. In reality, aren’t we better off without religion? Wouldn’t the world be a better place if people rejected any true beliefs and learned to get along? The truth is that worldview matters, and ultimately the trajectory of our lives follows the object of our worship. In today’s sermon we will look at a few core ideas that will help us hold on to the Gospel and the Biblical worldview. First, the Gospel gives us the best framework to see the world as it really exists, explaining our existence, our pain and struggle, and our longings. Second, only the Gos

We live in a pluralistic society, where people believe that the greatest doctrine is that there is no real truth or no exclusive path to God. People are fine with the idea of Jesus, but when Christians make the claim that Jesus is the only way, the culture says Christians are intolerant. Should we back off of the exclusivity claims of Christ? Well, if what we are saying is that Christianity is the best possible religion, then yes, we need to be careful. But Gospel Christianity is not a system of belief and activity that will get us to God. Rather, the center of our faith is a person who came in history and accomplished something that no other religion offers. So, we must believe that Jesus is the only way, only truth, only life. Yet, in other ways Gospel Christianity is the most inclusive worldview in the world, declaring clearly that God loves the world and that all are welcome in Christ’s Kingdom—no matter their background, failures, or culture. Therefore, the inclusivity and exclusivity of Jes

The story of Jesus is not over. In one of his final prophetic discourses, Jesus promised that one day He would return and every eye will see Him. In His first appearance, Jesus came to earth as a simple Galilean peasant who lived the perfect life, died on the cross for us, and rose again. But the promise of the Second Coming guarantees His final victory over all enemies and the gathering of the elect— His people from every tribe, nation, and people. So, we believe in the visible return of Christ that will end history. We live between these two appearances of Christ; yet, as a church, the hope in the Second Coming is the cause for endurance and hope, and is a promise that will purify our lives.

What significance could the death of a man 2000 years ago possibly hold for me? Why does the empty tomb even matter? Even if I do trust in Jesus and believe He did rise - what does that mean for me when I die? The resurrection of Jesus Christ is essential to Christianity. The apostle Paul tells us if Jesus did not rise from the dead, there is no point in believing in Him because there is no hope to be found in Christianity. The death of Christ only matters if He rose from the dead and is alive today, reigning in Heaven. And His resurrection means that we have hope and God has a plan for all of creation.

Nobody’s perfect, right? We often use this sentiment to justify our failings to ourselves, those around us, and ultimately to God. And, of course, it is true—with one exception. As we continue our sermon series on the core Christian beliefs about Jesus, today we will see that Jesus is perfect. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life. The serpent tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden, and they quickly gave in to his seduction and every person after them fell in the same trap. When Satan came at Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus stood true to God’s Law and purpose, rejecting the temptation for a greater purpose. Therefore, Jesus is our perfect Law keeper, making Him True Israel. And His perfect life also makes Him the unblemished Lamb of God who can take away our sin.

The prophets in the Old Testament are an interesting group of characters. They tended to be eccentric people who were generally disliked by kings and the people. This was primarily because their messages warned of judgment to a nation who turned from their God. Yet, what binds these people together is the reality that God literally put His very Words in their mouths and on their pens. The role of the prophet was to speak for God to the nation. Central to this claim is the glorious truth that the God who is speaks and makes Himself known. Moses was a significant prophet because He saw God face to face. And God makes an amazing promise to Moses, that one day He would raise up another prophet like Moses, whose message would come from the very face of God. While other prophets came and went, the people spent centuries looking for The Prophet. In the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus prophetically exposes her brokenness and need, and she recognizes that He is this promise

Today we will study from the book of Hebrews in order to gain better understanding of the significant role of the high priests for the Jewish people in the Old Testament and marvel at the way that Jesus has transformed that role by becoming the Great High Priest. Since Jesus has defeated death and ascended into the heavenlies, He now holds the position forever and ever. We can take great encouragement from the implications that were outlined to the recipients of the letter to the Hebrews.

The central declaration of faith among early Christians was that, “Jesus is Lord.” In saying these words, followers of Jesus were being revolutionary—declaring faith in and allegiance to Jesus as the ultimate ruler and authority on earth and in their lives. Rome demanded people to see Caesar as their lord, and in response, Christians declared that Jesus alone is their Lord, their King. As we consider the person and work of Jesus, we need to examine three key offices held by Jesus Christ. This week we will consider Christ the King. The whole story of the Bible is about the existence and rule of the Kingdom of God. As the Kingdom of Israel failed, the Scriptures began the promise of and hope for the entrance of a King who would rule and usher in God’s Kingdom. Russell Moore wrote, “The mission of Christ starts and ends not just in the announcement of forgiveness of sins or in the removal of condemnation—although both of those things are true and essential. The mission of Chr