Suffering for God’s Word (1 Thessalonians): It was tough being a Christian in Thessalonica. But this was nothing new. Jesus faced persecution, just like the prophets before him, the apostles after, and many Christians down through the years. Nevertheless, it can still be startling to realize that following Jesus doesn’t automatically make life easier. However, the truth of God’s word and the company of God’s people help us stay faithful — even in severe suffering. Recorded on May 18, 2025, on 1 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5 by Pastor Nate Huber.
This sermon is part of our series on 1 Thessalonians called Faithful to the End. Being a Christian in the Greek, first-century city of Thessalonica was tough. Thessalonica was a big and prosperous city, but it was full of idols. The Apostle Paul and the first Christians there faced fierce religious persecution and tremendous political pressure to conform. But despite their suffering, they remained faithful. Our culture is different today, but following Jesus can still be very costly. Will we be faithful to the end?
Paul’s Loving Care (1 Thessalonians): When the Apostle Paul brought the gospel to Thessalonica, he was very careful to model a life aligned with his message. He demonstrated the kind of loving care found in a healthy family. This helped those early believers learn what it meant to be part of the church, and it helped sustain them, especially when times were tough. In life and ministry, the “how” matters. Recorded on May 11, 2025, on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 by Pastor David Parks.
This sermon is part of our series on 1 Thessalonians called Faithful to the End. Being a Christian in the Greek, first-century city of Thessalonica was tough. Thessalonica was a big and prosperous city, but it was full of idols. The Apostle Paul and the first Christians there faced fierce religious persecution and tremendous political pressure to conform. But despite their suffering, they remained faithful. Our culture is different today, but following Jesus can still be very costly. Will we be faithful to the end?
Sermon Transcript
Well, today, we’re continuing a sermon series called Faithful to the End from 1 Thessalonians in the Bible. And we’ve said that being a Christian in the Greek, first-century city of Thessalonica was tough. Thessalonica was a big city full of idols; there was fierce religious persecution, and tremendous political pressure to conform. But thankfully, despite all this, the Thessalonians remained faithful. Last week, we saw that one thing that helped them stay faithful was their commitment to Christ alone. They not only turned to Jesus in faith, but they turned away from idols. Everyone heard how they turned away from putting anything or anyone else in the place of God. This helped them, and this will help us as well. Today, we’re going to consider how the Apostle Paul ministered while he was among them. And we’ll see that the kind of loving care, the kind of care you would receive in a healthy family, is not only nice to have, but it’s vital, it’s especially necessary, when times are hard, when we are suffering, and when it becomes costly to be a Christian. If you have your Bible/app, please open it to 1Th 2:1. We’ll unpack it as we work through it.
1 Thessalonians 2:1–2 (NIV), “1 You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. 2 We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.” Two weeks ago, when we started this series, we looked at the story in Acts 17 of when the Apostle Paul and his coworkers, Silas and Timothy, arrived in Thessalonica. It was a wild story! But the drama didn’t start in Thessalonica; it followed Paul almost everywhere he went. In Acts 16, before Thessalonica, Paul and his friends were in the Greek city of Philippi, about a 4-day hike up the Via Egnatia. What happened in Philippi is about the same story as Thessalonica. Some people heard the gospel, believed, and became Christians, while others didn’t. However, Paul had the audacity to heal a slave girl who had a demonic spirit. This angered her slave masters, who made money off her supernatural ability to predict the future. These slave masters whipped up a mob, accused Paul and Silas of teaching unlawful practices, had them arrested and severely flogged, and threw them into prison. As Paul says, they were treated outrageously in Philippi. Thankfully, the Lord intervened and freed them from prison. Of course, he did so in such a way that the Philippian jailer and his whole family had an opportunity to hear the gospel and believe. He and his whole household got baptized. God is good, right? Even though Paul and his friends were asked to leave the city and were escorted out, God was still at work there and bearing the fruit of faith and of the Spirit. In the same way, he reminds the Thessalonians that his “visit to [them] was not without results” either. But it wasn’t through Paul’s towering intellect, it wasn’t because Paul had the power/approval of the Roman Empire, it wasn’t because Christianity was so cool, it was “with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.” The gospel is God’s story. Paul had been called into God’s mission. And he was empowered and sustained through it all by God. This would be an important reminder for the Thessalonians as they considered their own severe suffering, their own times when they were being treated outrageously. If the mighty Apostle wasn’t immune, they wouldn’t be either. We’ll talk more about this theme of suffering for God’s word next week. There are many lessons to learn about that. For now, let’s continue.
1 Thessalonians 2:3-6 (NIV), “3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority.” Paul reminds his friends that his motives for ministry were not selfish or for self-gain. This wasn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. The gospel isn’t some sort of trick. And Paul wasn’t there because he just couldn’t say no to people. He wasn’t a people pleaser. He was there to please God, who had rescued him, called him to be his child, given him spiritual gifts for ministry, and sent him out as a missionary and apostle to the Gentiles. Paul was approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. This was a divine calling; he wasn’t doing this apostolic ministry to get rich or to get the praises of the masses. He admits he could’ve asserted authority over them to provide for his needs, but he didn’t. As a good pastor, Paul knew that how he did his ministry among them would impact their faith long after he left. As we said last week, Paul knew the Thessalonians needed more than just words. They certainly needed words. You can’t preach the gospel without words. But they needed to hear the gospel, and they needed to see someone who was genuinely trying to live it out. They needed a teacher and they needed an example, a coach or mentor to show them the way. So, how did Paul treat them when he was among them? How did he demonstrate the gospel in his life and the way he interacted with them in the church? And how does this relate to their ability to stay faithful?
1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 (NIV), “7 Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. 9 Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. ” This is God’s word. So, instead of preaching for his gain, instead of flexing his authority as an apostle, instead of needing to be praised, Paul says that they were like “young children among” them. Throughout this section, Paul uses family language, right? And let’s think about what this language brings to our minds and imaginations. What do you picture when you picture a young child? Moms? Do you picture a cute little sleeping baby? Maybe Paul meant he cried a lot when he was in Thessalonica. Babies do cry a lot. No, I don’t think so. I think Paul meant that he was not throwing his weight around when he was there. He was gentle. He didn’t beat people up with the gospel. He was humble, not expecting the world from people, or even that everyone would believe his message. Jesus taught, “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Lk 18:17). There’s a beauty and simplicity in the faith of a child. There’s a humble dependence. Paul wanted to model this kind of child-like faith for them. But then, Paul moves from the image of a young child to that of a nursing mother. How does a nursing mother care for her children? With a great deal of love, concern, attention, and affection. A good mom is tender and sweet with her children, but she’s not afraid to speak the truth in love. She can correct/teach/guide as well as encourage/support/comfort. The Thessalonians needed this kind of spiritual leader, in the home and in the church, who could speak the truth in love. They needed people who could use the whole counsel of God’s word “for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” (2 Ti 3:16), but they needed someone who could do so with the gentleness of a nursing mom. Paul says, “…we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” Isn’t this encouraging? Paul isn’t ashamed to express some pretty strong emotions here. He really cared for them. We see this encouragement throughout this letter, but it flows out of his sincere love for them. “Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.” Again, they could’ve asked for financial support as an apostle. We know they were staying at Jason’s house in Thessalonica. But from this, it sounds as if Paul, who worked as a tent maker when he didn’t have outside financial support, earned his own money there. It wouldn’t surprise me if Paul insisted on paying rent for food and housing. Who knows. But Paul did not want money to get in the way of his message. He would accept the financial gifts of Christians who wanted him to continue and supported his mission. But he wanted the motives for his gospel ministry to be clear. “You are witnesses, [v. 10] and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.” This isn’t Paul being prideful. (“You remember how awesome we were among you, right?”) No. This is Paul reminding them of their conduct there, of how they lived their lives. They were extremely careful that their lives lined up with their Lord’s, that their talk matched their walk, that their way of life was aligned with the gospel. Integrity mattered. Honesty mattered. Just because we’re saved by faith and not by works, and just because God forgives sins through faith in Jesus, and just because “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love (Ps 103:8) does not mean we can be careless of how we live once we believe. It does not mean we can share the gospel in word only and expect other people to believe it and understand how to live it out. Then, to finish the family image, in v, 11, Paul says, “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.” Despite the drama of their arrival and despite the relatively short time they were able to be together, the Apostle Paul worked to form this brand-new church into a family formed by faith in Jesus Christ. Of course, there are other images too, that the church is the body of Christ, of which he is the head. Or that the church is the bride of Christ, of which he is the groom. But the family is one of the most common images for the church in the NT. This goes all the way back to the covenant that God made with the family of Abraham and Sarah. That they would be his people and he would be their God. Israel grew into a whole nation and a kingdom, but it started as a family. However, Jesus, in his ministry, taught that your biological family, as important and good as those relationships are, is not as important as the spiritual family formed by faith and obedience to him. Jesus said, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, Jesus said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mt 12:48-50). So, whether you’re talking about 2000 years ago in Thessalonica, or in Appleton today, when you believe in Jesus, the church isn’t an optional accessory. When you believe in Jesus, you become a member of the body, you become the bride, and you are adopted into the family of God. Whether you were raised by your biological family in the church or not, whether you had a healthy family growing up or not, in Christ, you are part of a new family. You have a new Father in heaven who loves you and cares for you. You have a new heart and a new Spirit within you that is bearing all kinds of fruit, like joy and peace that passes all understanding. And you are a beloved child of God. This is why Paul uses this family language for how he ministered among the Thessalonians. They had become a family because of Jesus. It’s helpful to understand that this image runs both ways. A healthy, loving family is a great picture of how the church is supposed to work. But a healthy, loving church is a great picture of how a family is supposed to work, too. However, this is a broken world. Now, sometimes, sadly, the abuse or the evil of the world is found in the family of the church. Certain pastors or ministry leaders or church members might commit all kinds of evil deeds or have truly terrible motives for doing ministry. Churches can become toxic. Whole denominations can turn away from God. As a result, people can be deeply wounded in the name of Jesus. And some of you have experienced this kind of hurt. But friends, this should not be. Kingdom work must be done according to kingdom values. We cannot have the attitude that we must “win the lost at any cost,” for our deeds will quickly undermine and discredit our words. Now, the gospel says the power of sin and death can easily be found in the church. We are not united as a church by our own holiness, goodness, or moral perfection. We’re united as a church by our need for a savior. We need for Jesus. But still, again, we must watch our lives and our doctrine closely, both matters. And here’s the big idea for today: The “how” matters. How Paul lived there in Thessalonica mattered, how he did his ministry mattered. How he thought and felt and spoke and acted toward these people mattered. How we do ministry matters. How we follow Jesus matters. It matters because Jesus doesn’t make suggestions for us. He is the Lord of our lives. He makes commands, and we must obey him. But secondly, it also matters because others are watching. Our kids and grandkids are watching. But it doesn’t stop with our families. Our neighbors and coworkers are watching. Our friends and family members are watching. Will those Christians actually live out what they believe? Will we actually live out what we say we believe? Will our words match our deeds? Because honesty still matters and integrity still matters. How we approach people matters. How we make them feel when we’re around them matters. Today, may we be people who are sensitive and humble, thinking about our impact on the people around us. Are we committed to doing what we say and say what we do, and live lives of integrity that reflect Jesus out into the world around us? This all matters because these are the things that will sustain us, strengthen and support us, even through times of severe suffering. How can we remain faithful? We need to look to each other and learn to follow Jesus. But we also need to live those lives of integrity so others can do that as well. Will our lives strengthen them? Let’s pray.
Turning to God from Idols (1 Thessalonians): When the Thessalonians became Christians, Paul says everyone heard how they turned to the true and living God from idols. But idolatry wasn’t only an issue back then. Human beings continue to put things (even good things!) in the place of God. We must choose for ourselves this day whom we will serve. Recorded on May 4, 2025, on 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b-10 by Pastor David Parks.
This sermon is part of our series on 1 Thessalonians called Faithful to the End. Being a Christian in the Greek, first-century city of Thessalonica was tough. Thessalonica was a big and prosperous city, but it was full of idols. The Apostle Paul and the first Christians there faced fierce religious persecution and tremendous political pressure to conform. But despite their suffering, they remained faithful. Our culture is different today, but following Jesus can still be very costly. Will we be faithful to the end?
Sermon Transcript
Well, today, we’re continuing a 10-part sermon series we started last week called Faithful to the End from 1 Thessalonians in the Bible. If you missed the series introduction last week, you can always go back and watch or listen to the podcast online. But, we said that 1 Thessalonians is the earliest letter from the Apostle Paul that we have in the NT of the Bible, written not even 20 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul was writing from Athens back to his friends in Thessalonica in the church he helped plant. Being a Christian in the Greek, first-century city of Thessalonica was tough. Thessalonica was a big and prosperous city, but it was full of idols; there was fierce religious persecution, and tremendous political pressure to conform. But thankfully, despite their difficulty, these early Christian brothers and sisters remained faithful. Paul heard this from his apprentice, Timothy, and was overjoyed. This is one of the reasons his letter is so encouraging. Paul wanted to continue to water the seeds he planted so that they would grow and flourish, bearing much fruit of the gospel. Today, we’re going to see that part of the story of the Thessalonians’ faith is that they not only believed in Jesus, but they turned away from idols (false gods) and turned to serve the one true and living God. This is our first major lesson in how to stay faithful to the end. Human beings were made to worship. We don’t become worshipers when we become Christians, or even when we get serious about our faith. All sorts of things can become the treasure of our hearts. And all sorts of things can master us in life. But if we fail to understand our heart of worship and the need for this turning, our faith will be very fragile. When trouble or persecution comes, will we remain faithful, or will we quickly fall away? If you have your Bible/app, please open it to 1Th 1:5. This passage is fairly brief, so I’ll read through the whole thing, and then we’ll go back and work our way through it.
1 Thessalonians 1:5b–10 (NIV), “You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” This is God’s word. Last week, we worked through Acts 17, which is the story of how the gospel came to Thessalonica. And how the Apostle Paul and his coworkers, Silas and Timothy, arrived, traveling down the famous Via Egnatia, had success in helping a number of people (Jews and Gentiles) come to faith in Jesus, and the church was born. But they also ran into severe opposition; a mob was formed, their host, Jason, and some others were arrested, and Paul ended up making a run for it. Paul starts this section with a reminder of their brief but meaningful time together.
1 Thessalonians 1:5b (NIV), “You know how we lived among you for your sake.” Paul’s going to come back to this theme in the passage we’ll look at next week in chapter 2, but for now, we’ll just say that as a good pastor, Paul knew that the Thessalonians needed more than just words. They needed more than an expertly preached sermon or Bible study, as important as those things are. They needed to see an example of a real person following Jesus. They needed to see what a gospel-shaped life looked like as much as they needed to hear the gospel. Paul points back to this example, but he goes on to celebrate how they responded to it.
1 Thessalonians 1:6 (NIV), “6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” This is a remarkable statement. Not only did they look to Paul’s example, but they also became imitators of him and of the Lord Jesus. But in what way? How were they like Paul? How were they like Jesus? Paul says that it was in the way they responded to severe suffering. They welcomed the gospel in the midst of severe suffering. The gospel was good news for them, despite the fact that their lives became harder, not easier. In fact, they responded to this hardship with joy given by the Holy Spirit. Isn’t that incredible? Joy! How often do we think that if only our lives could become easier, then we would be happier? But Paul says their lives got much more difficult, but they had real joy. This joy was evidence that the Holy Spirit was at work within those believers, because how else would you account for it? In his letter to the Philippians, Paul says there’s a peace that passes all understanding (Php 4:7), but here, it seems that there is a joy that passes all understanding as well. Love, joy, peace…joy is part of the fruit the Spirit produces in your life. The church in Thessalonica wasn’t only faithful; they were joyful. But what effect would this spiritual joy have?
1 Thessalonians 1:7 (NIV), “7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.” This is exactly how the gospel would continue to spread around the Roman Empire for the first few hundred years after Jesus’ death and resurrection (not that it works any differently today). Paul learned how to follow Jesus from others. And then he taught/modeled it for the Thessalonians, and then they taught/modeled it for others. If we look at a map, we’re reminded that Thessalonica was the capital city of the proud Roman province of Macedonia. This would’ve included the city of Berea, where Paul and his coworkers went after fleeing Thessalonica. The southern peninsula was the region known as Achaia, which included the cities of Athens and Corinth. And Paul says these suffering, yet joyful Thessalonians influenced all the other Christians throughout these regions.
1 Thessalonians 1:8-9a (NIV), “8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us.” Paul goes beyond their region of Macedonia and the region next door of Achaia and says that the Thessalonians are famous. Their faith in God has become known everywhere. What an encouraging thing to hear! Everyone has heard how they received this apostolic team, how they responded to the gospel, and how they remained faithful despite great religious, political, and (no doubt) social pressure to the contrary. One of the things that helps people stay faithful in the face of trials and tribulations is encouragement. Encouragement is like a drenching rain after a drought. It brings life. It sustains life. Paul isn’t trying to flatter these people; he’s trying to help them remain faithful. He’s pointing out the fruit he sees as proof of their faith. Do you know the power of encouragement in your life? When was the last time you pointed out someone’s strengths or the good spiritual fruit you’ve seen? Your friends need this kind of encouragement. Your spouse and kids need it. Your coworkers or classmates need it too. Not to get something from them, but to give something to them. To give them life. But for Paul, this fruit of faith naturally (actually supernaturally) flows out of the gospel.
1 Thessalonians 1:9b-10 (NIV), “9 They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” The Thessalonians weren’t just extra positive, joyful, or faithful people. They were actually following Jesus. But they didn’t add Jesus to a pantheon of other gods. They turned to Jesus from the other gods, and there were many gods in their day. The Roman Empire was full of gods and goddesses who were thought to govern every aspect of life and death. The basic arrangement was that if you offered the right sacrifices and offerings to them, if you worshipped and served them, they would ensure you would provide identity, security/peace, health/wealth, and hope for the future. Basically, honor them and you’d have a good life. But according to the God of the Bible, these other gods were no gods at all. They were man-made; they were made-up idols without the power to say anything or do anything real. But what happens when you give your life to something that isn’t real? It’s not good. It’s not peace or joy that passes understanding. It’s not a path that leads to life. You need to turn and find a new path. This is the basic gospel message. There is a way that leads to life. It’s a way that is made possible through the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God sent from heaven. He lived the perfect life. He died on the cross to atone for the sins of the world. But on the third day he was raised from the dead. And anyone that calls on the name of Jesus, anyone who believes in him and in his death and resurrection, will be saved. Saved from what? From the wrath of God against all the wicked evil, the abuse, the injustice, the oppression of this broken world. One day Christ will return, the dead will be raised, and all will give an account of their lives to him. Those who trust him as Lord and Savior will live forever with him in the new heaven and earth. Those who reject him will be forever separated from the only source of life, light, and love. This is what hell is. So the way of Jesus is the way that leads to life here and now, but also and much more importantly, on into eternity. Jesus isn’t just one option among many. He’s the only way and the only truth and the only life. This is why the Thessalonians had to turn from idols and turn to Jesus. But this wasn’t easy then, and it’s certainly not any easier today. It’s not easy for multiple reasons. We’ll talk more about the external pressure of persecution in two weeks, which was really tough for the Thessalonians. But for the remainder of our time, we’ll consider the internal pressure of idolatry, which can still be difficult for us to overcome. You see, from the beginning, human beings were made to worship and serve God in all of life. We don’t become worshipers when we become Christians. But here’s the problem: All sorts of things can become the treasure of our hearts. All sorts of things can master us in life, including God-substitutes. About five hundred years ago, the Protestant Reformer, John Calvin, famously wrote, “the human mind is, so to speak, a perpetual forge of idols.” (Calvin, John. The Institutes of the Christian Religion (p. 51). (Function). Kindle Edition.) This is explained in the Scriptures by the fact that from creation, human beings were made in the image and likeness of God. We were made to reflect the glory of God back to God in worship and out into the world as his beloved children. Of course, since the fall to sin, sometimes this image is grossly distorted. Sometimes people hate God or do great evil, reflecting the opposite of the glory of God into the world and bringing the kingdom of hell instead of the kingdom of heaven. But even when people consciously reject the one true and living God, they cannot undo how they were made. People cannot stop worshiping because we were made to worship. When people reject the one true and living God, they do not stop worshipping; they simply choose someone or something (or, perhaps, several things) to worship in the place of God. A modern person might think, “Well, sure, people used to invent things to worship and maybe still do sometimes, but that’s just old code left in our brains from the olden, more superstitious days when we didn’t have such advanced science and technology to understand ourselves and the world around us. When people finally realize this, then religion is done.” Now, this faith (do you see the irony?), not in some silly ancient god but in almighty science and technology, is what led philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche to declare, “God is dead!” (Nietzsche, Friedrich. Thus Spake Zarathustra [with Biographical Introduction] (p. 12). (Function). Kindle Edition.) But is God dead? Or did we just give up the old gods for new ones? That’s exactly what many secular people have done today. How many people hang on every word of our scientific prophets who preach a message of judgment, but offer a form of salvation, if only we would obey their infallible word. How many people sacrifice time/attention, money/data — their very lives — to our technological priests who serve as the mediators between people and the transcendent and omniscient being that lives in the heavens (cloud). And for what? What is the hope offered if you give your lives to worship and serve these idols? For the hope of a life of love, joy, and peace, so long as you subscribe to their platform? So long as you consume their ads? But have these modern prophets and priests ushered in a new golden age? Have they brought us utopia? Have they brought heaven down to earth? Have they made us happier and more fulfilled? Have they delivered on their promises, or have they just done what people have always done and put something (even good things like science and tech) in the place of God? And didn’t this abandonment of the Christian religion result in the deaths of hundreds of millions of people in the last century and the two World Wars? It’s no different when politics or wealth or family is your chosen religion. A president, a billionaire, or even your kids make terrible gods. But we’re so much more advanced than those superstitious people who lived so long ago, right? Not really. People are people. And people today have the same need to turn “to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven.” So today, whom do you serve? Do you get your identity from Jesus or from something else? Do you get your security/peace from Jesus? How about your hope for the future? Even good things like health/wealth or marriage/family can become idols if they take the place of God in your life. When Jesus proclaimed the gospel, he said the right response would be to repent and believe. Repent means to turn. To turn from your old way and your old gods. And believe. Turn to God in faith. Follow Jesus by faith. Long before the gospel arrived in Thessalonica, during the time of Joshua, the people of God faced the same temptation and the same choice. In Joshua 24, before his death, Joshua made sure to warn the people about this. He assembled all the people and said this, “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14–15, NIV). Friends, you have two paths before you today. One path that leads to life. And one that leads away from life. Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. But if you choose Jesus, he will sustain you no matter what. He will love you. He will walk with you. He will give you joy and peace that passes all understanding. His Spirit will sustain you, even in the midst of great hardship and difficulty. Praise God. Let us pray.
Welcome to Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians): Being a Christian in the Greek, first-century city of Thessalonica was tough. Thessalonica was a big and prosperous city, but it was full of idols. The Apostle Paul and the first Christians there faced fierce religious persecution and tremendous political pressure to conform. But despite their suffering, they remained faithful. Our culture is different today, but following Jesus can still be very costly. Will we be faithful to the end? Recorded on Apr 27, 2025, on 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5a and Acts 17:1-15 by Pastor David Parks.
This sermon is part of our series on 1 Thessalonians called Faithful to the End.
Sermon Transcript
Well, today, we’re starting a brand new 10-part sermon series called Faithful to the End from 1 Thessalonians in the Bible. 1 Thessalonians is a letter from the Apostle Paul to the Christians in the Greek city of Thessalonica in the early 50s of the first century AD. It’s an interesting window into early Christianity because it’s the first book written that would eventually be included in what we know as the NT of the Bible. Being a Christian in the Greek, first-century city of Thessalonica was tough. Thessalonica was a big and prosperous city, but it was full of idols. The Apostle Paul and the first Christians there faced fierce religious persecution. Also, there was tremendous political pressure to conform. But thankfully, despite their suffering, despite the opposition against the way of Jesus, God was faithful to them, and these early Christian brothers and sisters remained faithful to him. Our culture is different today, but following Jesus can still be very costly. How can we stand firm regardless of the cost? There are many lessons for us in 1 Thessalonians. So, if you have your Bible/app, please open it to 1Th 1. It’s a short little letter, so if you aren’t sure where it is, you can always look it up in the table of contents. But today, we’ll start the letter of 1Th, but then we’ll jump back to the story of the Apostle Paul first arriving in Thessalonica in Acts 17.
1 Thessalonians 1:1–5a (NIV), “1 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. 2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.” So, as in other letters of Paul in the Bible, he starts with a typical greeting. And Paul mentions a few other people who send their regards to the Thessalonians, including Silas and Timothy. Both of these men were with Paul when they brought the gospel to Thessalonica during Paul’s second missionary journey. After the brief greeting, Paul mentions how thankful he is for them and how often he prays for them. Like a proud dad, Paul is thankful because of the good spiritual fruit he saw in them after they gave their lives to Christ. He mentions their work produced by their faith, their “labor prompted by love.” This is a good reminder that we’re saved by faith, not by works. But saving faith always produces good works. I like to say it this way: The way of salvation is by faith in the person and work of Christ alone. But the way of the Christian life is all about doing the good works God has prepared in advance for us to do. As a pastor, I wish I could see something change when someone believes in Jesus, but only God can see and know the human heart. But what I can see (and what I’m thankful for about you all as well) is the good spiritual fruit that true faith produces—the fruit of the Spirit—when the gospel comes not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction. I’m so thankful when I see you love one another and serve one another. I’m so thankful when I see repentance and forgiveness. I love to see people who no longer conform to the pattern of this world but are transformed by the renewing of their minds so they experience more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and so on. As a good pastor, Paul knew what to look for that would be evidence of saving faith and how important it was to celebrate the fruit when he saw it. He calls out their loving works and their endurance, inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Both of these themes will be developed more as we continue in our series, but when he mentions their endurance, he’s referring to their endurance, their faithfulness, in the face of opposition and persecution for their newfound faith. As we start this series, let’s turn back to Acts 17 to consider the story of when Paul initially brought the gospel to Thessalonica. This will help us with the context of the rest of this letter. Acts 17:1.
Acts 17:1–4 (NIV), “1 When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.” So, just a reminder that Luke, a physician by trade who became a Christian through the ministry of the Apostle Paul, wrote two books of the Bible. The first is called Luke and is focused on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The second is called Acts and is about what happened next — what happened after the death and resurrection of Jesus, the spread of the gospel, the work of the Apostles, and the start of the early church. Here, we’re on Paul’s second missionary journey, when he made his way into Europe. And Luke writes that Paul and his companions, including Silas and Timothy, had come from Philippi. There, they had kind of the typical experience for Paul in that a number of people believed the gospel and became Christians. But others rejected the gospel and had Paul and Silas thrown into prison. When they were freed, they left Philippi, passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia as they traveled down the famous Via Egnatia, the main east-west road the Romans had built for war and trade. When they arrived at Thessalonica, the bustling and prosperous capital of the Roman province of Macedonia, a major place of trade since it was a port city on the Via Egnatia, Paul did what Paul always did: they stopped by the local Jewish synagogue. Paul was a Roman citizen, but he was ethnically Jewish. And his missionary strategy was to start in the synagogue to announce that Jesus of Nazareth, the one who died and rose again from the dead, was the Messiah, the anointed one that God had sent to save and rule his people. For three weeks, when the Jewish people gathered at the synagogue on the Sabbath (Saturday) for worship, he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, that is, from the OT in our Bibles, explaining and proving, Luke says, that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. And that this messiah was Jesus. Probably no one was better for this job than Paul. He had been trained as a pharisee, or religious leader, by one of the best, most respected rabbis who was part of the Sanhedrin, or the Jewish ruling council in Jerusalem. He knew the Hebrew Bible inside and out. But Paul had initially rejected Jesus as the messiah. He hated Christians and worked hard to try to stop their movement, overseeing the arrest and even execution of Christians. That is, until Paul met Jesus, and it changed everything for him. He had a vision of the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus and gave his life to Christ. After a number of years of study and ministry, Paul was sent out as a missionary from the church at Antioch. Really, no one was more qualified to do this messianic bible study in Thessalonica. But the result was also typical of Paul’s ministry. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women. Some people heard the gospel and believed! Some people in Thessalonica went from death to life in Jesus’ name. And the church was born. But not everyone believed.
Acts 17:5-9 (NIV), “5 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.” So some believed, but some rejected the good news of Jesus. This is almost always the case. Jesus taught that this was normal in the parable of the sower in Mark 4. The farmer scatters the seed of God’s word, and some soils are ready for the seed to take root and grow into a great harvest, but other soils are not ready. That doesn’t mean they’ll never be open to the gospel, but not everyone is open all the time. But these unbelieving Jews didn’t just agree to disagree. Out of their jealousy, they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace (you know the type), formed a mob, and started a riot in the city. Not good. This would put tremendous pressure on Paul and his coworkers to leave and would intimidate the young believers to keep their faith private. And these enemies of the church were smart. They accused the Christians of treason. “They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” This meant that the Christians weren’t just part of a new religion; the Roman Empire would’ve been fine with that. Rome didn’t care who you worshiped so long as you recognized that Caesar was lord and you paid your taxes. But Christians believed that Jesus was Lord, Jesus was the ultimate King, not Caesar. Christians may not like paying their taxes, but they could not worship Caesar or give him their allegiance above their allegiance to Christ. So this accusation was very effective, and it certainly would’ve thrown the city into turmoil. Thessalonica was not a Roman colony, but it was a free city at this time. That meant they didn’t have to pay as much in taxes as other cities around the empire. This Christian movement didn’t just split the Jewish synagogue as a religious dispute; it could’ve jeopardized their status in the Roman Empire and could possibly have caused Caesar to deploy the army if he thought they were rebelling against him! We don’t know where Paul and Silas were when the mob showed up, but they arrested a man named Jason and some other believers, who had been hosting the Apostle and the others while they were in Thessalonica. Now, we don’t know for sure how much time had passed. Luke says that Paul preached in the synagogue for three weeks, but given how much Paul clearly loved the Christians in Thessalonica (as we’ll see in the weeks to come from his letter), I would guess he stayed with them for at least several months to be able to get to know them so well and teach them the basics of the Christian faith. Thankfully, Jason and the others were able to post bond and didn’t have to stay in prison. But what would come of all this chaos and opposition?
Acts 17:10–15 (NIV), “10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. 13 But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. 14 The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.” This is God’s word. So, with that level of persecution and political pressure, Paul and Silas made the wise decision to continue their missionary journey. In the dark of night, they left Thessalonica for the city of Berea. There, they found people who had the good soil of faith and were receptive to the gospel message. They took it seriously. They examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true, and many people believed. But then, when their enemies in Thessalonica heard that Paul was in Berea, they chased him down there and stirred up the city against them again. Paul had to leave immediately, sailing for Athens. It was there in Athens that Paul, worried sick about his friends in Thessalonica, sent Timothy back to them (after Timothy and Silas joined him there in Athens), to see how they were doing and try to encourage their faith in the face of such strong opposition. When Timothy came back to Paul in Athens, he brought great news. The believers have been suffering a great deal for their faith, but they still believe. They are still faithful. Paul was overjoyed and wrote the letter that we know of as 1 Thessalonians back to them. He wanted to encourage them as well — to stay faithful, to keep following Jesus, to follow the way and the truth and the life, even when it’s costly. Even when they might be kicked out of the synagogue. Even when they might lose their jobs. Even when they might lose friends or family members who do not believe. Even if the whole Roman army showed up on their doorstep. Now, again, we live in a very different time and place. We don’t have the same pressures or opposition. But we are still trying to follow Jesus. And one of the big ideas of the book of 1 Thessalonians is this: Even in the face of great suffering and hardship for the faith, God was faithful to them, and they were faithful to him. Praise God. Over the course of this series, we will consider the many lessons from 1 Thessalonians about how to do this. We’ll see the value in Christian relationships, we’ll see how Paul did his ministry there, we’ll see how to live a holy and generous life, and we’ll be reminded of the hope we have, even in the face of death. We will learn to be faithful to the end. It’s still possible. God is still faithful to us. Will we be faithful to him, even if it costs us? Let us pray.
Resurrection Life – Easter Sunday (Values of the Cross): It is not hyperbole to say that the Easter story forever changed the course of human history. If false, then Christianity is meaningless. But if it is true — if the tomb is still empty, and if Jesus is risen and alive today — then it changes everything! This is our great gospel hope. Recorded on Apr 20, 2025, on Matthew 28:1-20 by Pastor David Parks.
This message is part of our Lenten sermon series, Values of the Cross. Christians are called to follow Jesus, but the way of Jesus is often completely upside down and backward compared to the ways of this world. Why is the way of Jesus so different? Join us during Lent for our sermon series, Values of the Cross, as we consider some of the unique values of the cross-shaped way of Jesus and how they transform every part of life. The cross changes everything!
Sermon Transcript
Well, today, we’re finishing our sermon series for Lent called Values of the Cross from the gospel according to Matthew. We’ve said that Christians are called to follow Jesus, but the way of Jesus is often completely upside down and backward compared to the ways of this world. But why is the way of Jesus so different? Well, we’ve seen that the unique story of the cross of Christ produces unique values that lead to a totally unique way of life. We’ve seen that the cross changes our focus, conflicts, purpose, expectations, and allegiance. If you missed any of those sermons, you can always go back and watch or listen to the podcast online. But today, as we finish this series, and we tell the Easter story, we’ll see that the story of the cross is only good news if Easter is true, if the tomb is still empty, and if Jesus is risen and alive today as the King of Heaven and Earth. But if it is true, then it changes everything. Then there is the forgiveness of sins. There is reconciliation and a relationship with God. There is even resurrection life after death. This is our great gospel hope. And this is what we celebrate today. If you have your Bible/app, please open it to Mt 28:1. We’ll read through Matthew’s account of the first Easter morning in three parts, and unpack it as we go. And we’ll put the Scripture up on the screens for you as well. Part one: the culmination.
Matthew 28:1–10 (NIV), “1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” So this account of the resurrection comes to us from Matthew, and Matthew was a Jewish man who was a friend and follower of Jesus. Before becoming a Christian, he was a tax collector, but he gave up his career when Jesus called Matthew to follow him. If we started at the beginning, instead of the final chapter, we would see that everything in Matthew’s gospel led up to this point. The birth and life and ministry of Jesus, including his teaching, healing, and other miracles, all culminate with his death and resurrection from the dead. On Good Friday, we read through Matthew 26-27 and saw how Jesus was betrayed, abandoned, condemned, and abused, how he was crucified, died, and was buried. It was brutal. It was unjust. It was shocking and disorienting for his friends and followers. But then…something unexpected happened that would forever change the course of human history. Chapter 28 starts with a very early morning on the first day of the week, which, for the Jewish people, was a Sunday. And just like in many Catholic families today, Mary was a common name for women back in first century Judea. So Mary and her friend, Mary, went to the tomb to dress the body of Jesus with spices and anointments that were used in that day as a way to honor their friend in his death. But notice that they still expected him to be in the tomb. Even though they didn’t have iPhones back then, people weren’t dumb. Even 2,000 years ago, people knew that the dead didn’t typically come back to life. The stone at the entrance to the tomb was to keep people out, not to keep them in. We read on Friday how the Jewish religious authorities who rejected Jesus as the Messiah were worried the body would be stolen to fake a resurrection because Jesus had said he would rise from the dead. So they convinced the Roman authorities to post a guard. But when these faithful women arrived, they were surprised and afraid at what they saw. Roman soldiers shaking with fear, an angel whose appearance was like lightning, and the body of Jesus was missing. None of this was what they expected. In that glorious/hopeful/triumphant moment, they didn’t yet understand what God was doing. But the angel told them not to be afraid because Jesus had risen from the dead, just as he said he would do. Multiple times, Jesus had told his disciples that he would be delivered over to the religious and political leaders in Jerusalem, that he would suffer and die, but on the third day, he would rise again. But his disciples just couldn’t understand that he was speaking literally. In fact, until Jesus actually rose from the dead, no one expected him to rise from the dead! But here they were at the empty tomb, afraid, yet filled with joy. So the women ran to tell the others what they had seen, when, who should they meet, but Jesus himself. Their friend, their leader, their Messiah, King, and God was alive. Jesus was alive. And they worshipped him. This is a key fact that speaks to what these first followers thought of who Jesus was. What is the first commandment of the Ten Commandments? “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” (Ex 20:2-3). Jewish people were forbidden to worship anyone/anything other than the one true God. For these women, and many others, to worship Jesus was a declaration of faith that Jesus was God. They weren’t guilty of breaking the first command; they were being faithful to worship the one true God! So, first, we see the culmination of the work of Jesus in his death and resurrection. Second, we see a conspiracy to try and stop this movement. Part two: the conspiracy.
Matthew 28:11–15 (NIV), “11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.” The plot thickens. We saw that the disciples of Jesus weren’t expecting a literal resurrection. And if this had only been a made-up claim, the religious leaders who had Jesus crucified could’ve simply produced his body as evidence that the claims of a resurrection were false. But there was no body. The tomb was empty. And no one was more surprised than the disciples. The soldiers gave their testimony to the religious leaders, but they refused to believe it. Like the Apostle Paul before he became a Christian, they didn’t understand that Jesus was the fulfillment of everything they supposedly held dear. He was the fulfillment of all the promises of God in their Scriptures. He was the Messiah they were supposed to be waiting for. But instead, they hated Jesus. They had him killed, and here, they paid off the Roman soldiers and spread the rumor that this was all a plot of the disciples to fake a resurrection. But Jesus was alive. In Acts 1:3, Luke the historian records that, “After his suffering, he [Jesus] presented himself to them [the disciples] and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes that after the resurrection, “…he [Jesus] appeared to Cephas [Peter], and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.” Despite the false rumors, there were hundreds of eyewitnesses to the resurrection of Jesus. And if you wanted to at the time, you could go talk to them. And this is an important point: Christianity didn’t start as a new way to be a good person. Or even as the way to go to heaven when you die. Christianity started as an announcement, as the good news of something that God had done through the person and work of Jesus. Historically, it’s really difficult to explain how Christianity could have started, much less spread, if Jesus hadn’t appeared after his death. It would’ve been just another failed movement that ended when the leader was killed, which has happened many times throughout history. But the message of Jesus only continued to spread, even as many of the first followers gave their lives for their faith. None of the Apostles got rich or famous for being leaders of this cool new religion. They all, with the exception of the Apostle John, were killed for the gospel. Christianity didn’t spread because it was cool or because there was some material benefit; it spread because it was credible, it was believable, it was true. So first, the culmination, second, the conspiracy, and third, we see the commission.
Matthew 28:16–20 (NIV), “16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This is God’s word. So this final passage is called the Great Commission. When Jesus commissioned or sent his disciples out to make disciples of all nations. The two activities of this commission describe the whole of the Christian life. Baptism represents the start of hearing and believing the gospel and entering into a new and everlasting relationship with God. Baptism signifies our union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection (going down into the water and coming back up again) as well as our cleansing from sin. The second activity, learning to obey everything Jesus commanded, represents the whole rest of the journey of the Christian life. I can speak from experience that it takes a very long time to learn how to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and how to love your neighbor as yourself. I can speak from experience that it takes a very long time to submit every aspect of heart, mind, and life in obedience to Christ; in fact, I have not yet fully attained these things. I still fail. I still have fears and doubts at times, even as a pastor, even though I’ve seen God at work. It takes the whole rest of our lives to learn and grow and be transformed into the men and women that God created us to be. But by God’s grace, we can make great progress, by the truth of his word, the power of His Spirit, and with the loving support of the church. But don’t you see? If Jesus is alive, as Christians believe that he is, with all the authority in heaven and earth, then it changes everything. For the one who believes in Jesus, it changes your spiritual condition, from death to life. It changes your identity from a spiritual orphan to a beloved child of God. It changes your value and worth. If God was willing to give up his one and only Son for you, and if Jesus was willing to lay down his life for you, then no matter what anyone else has told you, no matter what you’ve believed about yourself, you are of infinite worth! It changes your mission and purpose in life. You, too, have been commissioned/sent out by Jesus to join the work that he is doing in the world. If Jesus is alive, then it changes your past, present, and future. Every sin, great and small, is forgiven by God because the price was paid by Jesus Christ on the cross. Every challenge, every hardship, every difficulty of your present is faced with the presence of Christ himself. For he said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Every fear, every potential threat of your future, is nothing compared to the plans of God for you, plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. If Jesus is alive, then it changes everything! But maybe you’re thinking, you just don’t know me. You don’t know my life. So much would need to change. I’d need a hundred lifetimes for God to make something good out of my life. But this is just not how God works. Let me give you an example. The Wright brothers made their historic first flight in a manned aircraft on Dec 17, 1903. No one had ever flown a plane like this before. The plane was called the Wright Flyer and had a whopping 12 hp twin prop engine. During his famous first flight, Orville flew only 120 feet at just under 10 MPH. Doesn’t sound very impressive by today’s standards, does it? If you had to guess, how quickly would this technology change after this first flight? Well, on July 20, 1969, not even 66 years later, about the span of one lifetime, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins of the Apollo 11 mission flew almost 240,000 miles (a little longer than 120 feet) to land and walk on the moon before returning safely to Earth. Here’s the point: If human beings, through our creativity and ingenuity, can effect that much change, if we can make that much progress in one lifetime, how much do you think God can change in the course of your life? He can change everything! Everyone has things in their life they wish they could change. Everyone wrestles with fears and doubts, guilt and shame. But the claim of Christians from the very beginning is this: Jesus Christ is alive. And that changes everything. The story of the cross changes everything. Easter changes everything. So today, would you believe in Jesus? Would you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead? If so, then you will be saved. And you will be made new. You will change by the grace of God. And your story will become a story of redemption, forgiveness, hope, and resurrection life. But if you do, then “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ro 8:38-39) Is there anything more hopeful than that? Is there anything better than that? Let us pray.
Joyful Worship – Palm Sunday (Values of the Cross): Palm Sunday is when Jesus entered Jerusalem as the King. He was humble, riding on the foal of a donkey. He restored prayer and worship in the temple, making it a place of healing. He will do the same for you if he becomes your Lord. All we can do is respond in joyful worship. “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Recorded on Apr 13, 2025, on Matthew 21:1-17 by Pastor David Parks.
This message is part of our Lenten sermon series, Values of the Cross. Christians are called to follow Jesus, but the way of Jesus is often completely upside down and backward compared to the ways of this world. Why is the way of Jesus so different? Join us during Lent for our sermon series, Values of the Cross, as we consider some of the unique values of the cross-shaped way of Jesus and how they transform every part of life. The cross changes everything!
Sermon Transcript
Today, we’re continuing our sermon series for Lent called Values of the Cross from the gospel according to Matthew. We’ve said that Christians are called to follow Jesus, but the way of Jesus is often completely upside down and backward compared to the ways of this world. But why? Why is the way of Jesus so different? Well, in our series, Values of the Cross, we’ve seen that the unique story of the cross of Christ produces unique values that lead to a totally unique way of life — the cross changes everything. So far, we’ve seen that the cross changes our focus, conflicts, purpose, and our expectations. Last week, we were down in that deep, dark valley of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, thinking about the need for the total surrender of our will and our lives to our good and faithful Father. This is always true, but it is especially needed when we face times of difficulty and suffering. Now, true confession: we messed with the timeline of the story a bit. The time in the Garden technically would happen on Thursday night of Holy Week. So, today, we’ll back up a bit to Sunday, when Jesus entered Jerusalem as a king. Now, in many ways, we’re going from the dark valley of last week in the Garden of Gethsemane to the bright mountaintop of Palm Sunday today. This story is known as the Triumphal Entry of Jesus and centers on how the people responded to King Jesus with joyful worship. But, as with so many other things, the story of the cross changes our worship. It certainly changes our view of what kind of King Jesus was and is. But if it is true, then it changes how we respond to Jesus as the Lord of our lives, along with the rest of the heavens and the earth. So, if you have your Bible/app, please open it to Mt 21:1.
Matthew 21:1–5 (NIV), “1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” I wouldn’t do it, but I’d be curious to know if this would still work. “Go to Bergstrom in Neenah and get me a car. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs it.” I’d probably be arrested. But Jesus had likely already made an arrangement for the use of this animal. This wasn’t his first time in Jerusalem. Also, this was the week leading up to the Passover celebration in Jerusalem, one of the biggest national festivals required by God for his people. And the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread was an opportunity to remember and celebrate the saving work of God during the Exodus, a story we just spent many months preaching through. But this means that Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel, and the location of the Temple (the central place of worship for the people of Israel), would’ve been packed with people coming from all over for the festival. It’s not hard to imagine that travel arrangements were made by all sorts of people to move goods or people, but Jesus had something a little unusual in mind. From v. 5, as well as the next section, we see that Jesus definitely entered Jerusalem as the King. But instead of riding a mighty warhorse or a golden chariot, he wanted a donkey and her little colt — not the most intimidating choice. In fact, it was an almost insultingly humble choice. But the Apostle Matthew says this was to fulfill an OT prophecy from the book of Zechariah. “Say to Daughter Zion, [that is, the people of the city of Jerusalem, also known as Zion] ’See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” From this, we’re reminded that the OT has many messianic prophecies. They all describe an anointed King, the Messiah, who would be sent by God to save his people once again. Most of these prophecies tell of the victory this King would bring to Israel. But they also tell of the unique character of this chosen King. From this passage in Zechariah (and others), we discover that the King who would come would be gentle and humble of heart, not above riding on a humble animal like the foal of a donkey. We already saw in our series this upending of the norm for someone such as a king when Jesus taught, Matthew 20:25–28 (NIV), “25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Greatness, status, pride, leadership, and authority all work differently in the kingdom where Jesus is king because Jesus is a different kind of king. He doesn’t worry about his rights or being given special treatment. He didn’t come to be served but to serve and give his life on the cross to rescue us from sin and death. Jesus was different. But this fulfilled what God had said through the prophets about the king he would send. But how would he be received? How would Daughter Zion respond?
Matthew 21:6-11 (NIV), “6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” So, Daughter Zion responded pretty well! The disciples placed their cloaks for Jesus to ride on, and the crowds spread their cloaks and branches on the road to pave the way for Jesus to enter Jerusalem on his humble donkey. Now, not every story of Jesus is in all four gospel accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus, but the triumphal entry is in all four. We know from John’s gospel that it was palm branches that the crowd spread before Jesus (which is where we get the name Palm Sunday). This was the ancient equivalent of rolling out the red carpet. But they went further, shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Luke reports some were explicit about their belief, shouting, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Lk 19:38). Son of David meant the same thing, but you need to know more of your OT to get that reference. The people were also shouting Hosanna, which comes from a Hebrew phrase from the Psalms meaning “Lord save us!” By this time, the phrase Hosanna had become similar to the word Hallelujah, which simply means, “Praise the Lord!” People were thanking and praising God in worship for the coming of Jesus. “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” The people seemed to think that salvation was at hand and that Jesus was the chosen king who would bring it. But what kind of salvation did they expect? Most likely, it was a political salvation from the oppression of the Roman Empire. You see, before Jesus, from time to time, a mighty leader would claim to be the Messiah, raise up an army, and try to overthrow whoever was the evil empire at the time. And it’s not hard to understand why the people thought this way. The history of Israel was full of times when God raised up someone (prophet, judge, or king) to liberate his people, whether it be Moses against Egypt, Gideon against the Midianites, David against the Philistines, and so on. But was this what God was doing through the person and work of Jesus? We’ll see. But at this point, with crowds of people shouting about Jesus and praising God for Jesus as this liberating king, the one the prophets had foretold and the faithful ones in Israel had been waiting for. Matthew says the whole city was stirred up. But why were some people asking, “Who is this?” Well, no doubt most people would’ve at least heard about Jesus by this time. He had been wildly popular in his teaching and healing ministry, having many thousands of people coming to him at a time. And he had no shortage of controversy in his confrontations with the religious authorities. Even if people didn’t believe in him, they still would’ve most likely heard about him. But we must remember, there were no newspapers or social media, so unless you went to see Jesus, you wouldn’t have known what he looked like. So, as the crowds stirred up the city, people were buzzing about Jesus, the mighty prophet from Nazareth (of all places) in the northern region of Galilee. But what would Jesus do? I’ve never been part of a political campaign, but this moment feels like it would’ve been a great time for Jesus to formally announce that he was the Messiah and King, use the momentum of the crowds and the story of the Passover to raise an army, and kick Rome out of Israel once and for all.
Matthew 21:12–17 (NIV), “12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” 14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. 16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” 17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.” This is God’s word. So, instead of declaring himself king and waging a military battle to achieve political victory, King Jesus unexpectedly restores prayer and worship as the primary business of the Temple. In doing so, Jesus made the Temple a place of healing. This was always how it was meant to be. Now, this isn’t to say that business is evil and ministry work is righteous. The true bad guys in this story are the chief priests and teachers of the law, the religious leaders, who tried to get the kids to stop worshipping because of Jesus. However, Jesus had two problems with their business. First, their location. They could’ve set up a marketplace just outside the temple. That would’ve been fine! But the business of the temple was not supposed to be business at all. Second, the way they handled their business was wrong. Jesus said they were making the temple a den of robbers, quoting from the prophet Jeremiah. This likely meant they were taking advantage of the faithful pilgrims who had come from out of town for the festival. They knew these people couldn’t easily go other places to buy what they needed to offer their sacrifices and likely let greed guide their business practices. Fortunately, this never happens today. (Ha!) But nowhere in the Bible does God have a problem with marketplaces unless they are treating people unjustly. God hates that. At any rate, this was happening when Jesus arrived at his house. (Did you notice that?) Jesus calls the Temple in Jerusalem “My house.” Granted, he’s quoting from Isaiah, but still. With his triumphal entry, Jesus seems to be claiming that he was the rightful owner of the Temple. If this is what he meant, this would be a clear claim to divinity. Because God was the one who ordered the building of the Tabernacle and then, later, the temple as the place for worship for his people. But in response to the wonderful things Jesus was doing, the religious leaders chose to ignore those things and take issue with what the kids were shouting. Granted, many religious leaders probably wouldn’t welcome kids shouting in church (I guess I don’t mind too much), but still! Talk about missing the forest for the trees. But I love what Jesus says to them when they complain to him about this. Oh! “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” Jesus gives them a Bible slam. He quotes Psalm 8 to them, and they are speechless. This is what God the Father wanted. He wanted people (including kids!) to see his Son and recognize him as the Messiah and King who was promised to come. He wanted people to praise him and listen to him and respond in obedience and worship. He was a different kind of king, for sure. But they should’ve known he would be. If we go back to the Zechariah quote that Matthew referenced here, we can see this even more clearly. Zechariah 9:9–10 (NIV), “9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly [humbly in the ESV] and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.” Jesus was the King. He was the one God promised would come. But he was a different king. He was a king who would be lowly and humble. He would be gentle. He would not be a king who would wage war against Rome. He would bring and proclaim peace to all the nations because his enemies were greater than any one kingdom. The enemies Jesus would defeat are the enemies of every kingdom on earth — the enemies of sin and death. And it was no different in that day, two thousand years ago, than it is today. No matter how wealthy we might be or how many other nations we might defeat either militarily or economically, we would still be bound by sin and destined for death. But the cross changes everything. Jesus, the humble/good King riding on a donkey, would, just a few days after this story, give his life on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. But on the third day, Jesus would rise again from the dead, breaking forever our destiny of death for those who love him and believe in him. To receive Jesus means to receive him as your savior. To cry out, “Hosanna! Lord save us!” and see that God’s answer to our cries has been fulfilled in Jesus. But to receive Jesus also means to receive him as your Lord/King. In this way, the cross changes our allegiance. No matter who is our mayor, governor, or president, Jesus is Lord. He is the risen and victorious King of the heavens and the earth. And when he has the allegiance of our hearts and lives, he just might come in and clean house. There might be a few tables that need to be turned over for us today. But then our hearts and lives become a place of healing as well. So, the only proper response is to join the crowds, to join the kids, and shout and sing and pray our praises and our gratitude to our God and King, the Lord Jesus Christ. To him be all glory, honor, and praise, both now and forevermore. Amen. Let us pray.
Total Surrender (Values of the Cross): How can we endure the difficult times when the light seems to have gone out of our lives? The cross changes our expectations, especially regarding suffering. But the cross also shows us that the path of suffering leads to glory when we totally surrender to our good and faithful Father. Recorded on Apr 6, 2025, on Matthew 26:36-46 by Pastor David Parks.
This message is part of our Lenten sermon series, Values of the Cross. Christians are called to follow Jesus, but the way of Jesus is often completely upside down and backward compared to the ways of this world. Why is the way of Jesus so different? Join us during Lent for our sermon series, Values of the Cross, as we consider some of the unique values of the cross-shaped way of Jesus and how they transform every part of life. The cross changes everything!
Sermon Transcript
Today, we’re continuing a six-week series for Lent called Values of the Cross from the gospel according to Matthew. And here’s the big idea for this series: Christians are called to follow Jesus, but the way of Jesus is often completely upside down and backward compared to the ways of this world. You might wonder, “Why is the way of Jesus so different?” Well, in our series, Values of the Cross, we’ll see that the unique story of the cross and the empty tomb produces unique values that lead to a totally unique way of life. So far, we’ve seen that the cross changes our focus back to see our true spiritual dependence on God. Then, Nate preached on how the cross changes our conflicts through the priority of seeking peace and our purpose in humbly serving the needs of others. Today, we’ll consider how the cross changes our expectations, especially when facing suffering. As a pastor, one of the things I know to be true is that suffering can sometimes crush us. However, suffering can often be the catalyst for incredible spiritual growth and maturity, too. I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had over the years with people (many of you) who have endured really terribly difficult things but who were later thankful — not because of the pain and suffering, but because of what it produced in their lives as they learned to not only endure it but to live and to love and to grow through it all. I don’t know how you’re doing today, if you feel like things are fairly easy and going well, or if you’re feeling burdened by the weight of the whole world. But I recently read of a day of particular difficulty in history. It was on Valentine’s Day in 1884, two days after giving birth to their daughter, when Teddy Roosevelt’s wife, Alice, died from kidney failure. She had an unknown illness and passed away unexpectedly. Incredibly, on the same day and in the same house, Teddy Roosevelt’s mother, Martha, died from Typhoid Fever. Can you imagine? Only 25 years old at the time, Teddy marked that dark day with a large black X in his diary, and he wrote, “The light has gone out of my life.” Now, most of us will never have to walk through this particularly dark valley, but every one of us will face trials, difficulties, and pain as we live life in this broken world. How will we do it? How can we endure these difficult times when the light seems to have gone out of our lives? Today, we’ll see that the cross has a lot to say about this. So, if you have your Bible/app, please open it to Mt 26:36.
Matthew 26:36–39 (NIV), “36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” So, we’re jumping ahead here to the night before the cross. We’ll jump back in time next Sunday for Palm Sunday and the triumphal entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem. So we’ll be time-traveling here in the next week. But last week, Nate did a great job preaching on the cross-shaped value of humble service. And in that passage, back in Mt 20, when the mother of James and John asked Jesus if they could have a place of greatness in his kingdom, Jesus asked them if they could drink the cup he had to drink. They said they could. But did they really know what they were saying? No. They had no idea. You see, in the OT prophets, the cup represented the wrath of God poured out in judgment against sin. But still, why was Jesus so overwhelmed here? Commentator Leon Morris writes, “Jesus was a brave man, and lesser people by far, including many who have owed their inspiration to him, have faced death calmly. It is impossible to hold that it was the fact of death that moved Jesus so deeply. Rather, it was the kind of death that he would die that brought the anguish.” (The Gospel according to Matthew, PNTC, p. 667) In the past, certain people or nations were said to be given the cup to drink for certain sins, but never one person for all of the sin for all of the people for all of time. Here, Jesus is staring at the cup he was about to drink, and his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. I can’t imagine the anguish he must’ve felt when he thought about the cross. S,o how did Jesus respond to this crushing anxiety? What did Jesus do when he had the weight of the world on his shoulders? First, he wanted his closest friends with him. He asked Peter, James, and John, his closest disciples and apostles, to stay up with him and keep watch with him. Even though he alone would die on the cross, he didn’t want to be alone. Godly friends are so important. Second, he prayed. Jesus prayed and he prayed and he prayed — for hours. He cast all his anxiety on his Father, for he knew he cared for him. Third, he humbled himself under his Father’s mighty hand. Falling face-down is the most humble posture you can adopt. You can’t get any lower. He didn’t pump himself up. He wasn’t entitled, even as the Son of God. He humbly brought his burden to his Father in heaven. Fourth, and finally, he fully and completely submitted his will/request/life to his Father. “My Father (This is an intimate prayer. Jesus fully trusted in his relationship to God the Father. Here in the middle of the night, he knew he could interrupt his father because he knew he cared for him.), if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. (Here, he presents his request. “If it is possible.” He is respectful and humble. He doesn’t make demands or accuse God of wrongdoing. He recognizes it may not be possible.) Yet not as I will, but as you will.” This is straight from the Lord’s Prayer! “…your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Mt 6:10) This is a sobering prayer. My will may not be done. But your will be done, Father. This is a prayer of faith. This is a prayer of submission. This is a beautiful prayer of trust that God is good and he is faithful. If it is his will that I should drink the cup of wrath against sin, even for the sins of the world, then I trust you, my Father, that this is right and good and will result in your glory, my joy, and good for many, many others. Jesus models for us an attitude of total surrender even in the darkest valley anyone has ever had to face or ever will face. Wouldn’t it have been incredible to have been Peter, James, or John at this point? To see Jesus carrying such a heavy burden, but still humbly and totally surrendering his will to his Father? Let’s see how they respond.
Matthew 26:40-41 (NIV), “40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” This is one of the saddest moments in the whole long series of injustices and wrongs that Jesus endured for us through the cross. This is maybe not the most painful moment, but when Jesus needed his friends the most, when he specifically asked them to be with him and to stay awake and keep watch with him, they gave in to the weakness of their flesh. Jesus was upset, but he still was kind when he acknowledged that their spirits were willing, even though their flesh was weak. But in moments like these, they needed more than a willing spirit. They needed to pray and pray and pray. This failure of friendship is especially ironic because in the passage immediately before this in Matthew, when Jesus told Peter that before the rooster crowed, he would disown him three times, in v. 35, Peter responded, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.” In the light of the upper room at the Last Supper, the disciples were strong (at least in their own minds). But they didn’t last through even that night. But Jesus wasn’t fully alone. Even with his closest friends falling asleep, Jesus knew his Father was there for him. So he returned once again to prayer.
Matthew 26:42–46 (NIV), “42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done. 43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. 45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” This is God’s word. After this solemn time of prayer and anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane, the events would start to happen quickly. He would be betrayed by Judas, delivered over to the authorities, falsely tried, condemned, and sentenced to death. By the late afternoon of the next day, Jesus would be crucified, die, and be buried. We’ll walk through those chapters of his story during our Good Friday service. But for now, how might we apply this passage to our lives today? Well, first, it must be said that none of us will face the full weight of the burden of Jesus in the pain and hardship we might face in life. But still, there are many lessons to be learned here, because, as we said, each one of us will have times of suffering. And I don’t know who coined this term, but we can either allow these dark seasons to make us bitter or make us better. But what do we do when we face difficult circumstances? How might we respond when it seems as if all the light has gone out of our lives? Lent is supposed to be a time of preparation. Maybe this Lenten season, you need to learn the freedom of total surrender, regardless of your circumstances, to your good and faithful Father. Can you pray Jesus’ prayer? Not my will but yours be done. Now, one thing that makes this kind of surrender especially difficult is the fact that most people do not expect to suffer very much. Most people have an unquestioned belief that if they work hard and are decent to others, things will generally go well for them. As a result, when trials or difficulties arise, I’ve observed that it is often not only hard or painful for them, but suffering itself is somewhat shocking. They didn’t expect those hardships that happen every day in this broken world to happen to them. Even people who might work in healthcare or other fields that come in regular contact with people who are sick or dying can still be surprised when an illness or death happens to someone close to them. Even people who work in teaching or counseling and come into contact with marriages and families that have conflict or abuse or mental illness or other dysfunction can still be surprised when they have problems at home. But the cross changes our expectations for suffering. Because after all, Jesus was perfect; he was perfectly obedient to the Father; he was the best man who ever lived. If only good things come to good people, Jesus should’ve had the easiest life of anyone who ever lived. But Jesus was “despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain” (Is 53:3). He faced tremendous suffering, betrayal, injustice, abuse, and the hell of God’s wrath against the sins of the whole world on the cross. For us who follow Jesus, what do you expect for your life? We follow the one whose path ran right through the cross. If he suffered and died, do you think we might have to suffer at some point? Probably. The cross kills the idea of karma. The cross doesn’t fit in the (false) prosperity gospel, which says that health and wealth come automatically from our faith. The cross changes our expectations. We must expect times of hardship. We must expect times when our souls might be overwhelmed to the point of death. We must expect times of disappointment and difficulty. Now, thankfully, it’s not that every minute of the Christian life is defined by suffering. There are also times in the Christian life of great joy, celebration, love, and peace. But for the truly hard times, we don’t have to stoically soldier on, resigned to endure in a world of pain. We can trust that in Christ, we, too, have a Father in heaven who is good and faithful. He isn’t just smart and strong; he is infinitely wise and powerful. Even though Jesus was a man of sorrows, there was a greater and much more glorious purpose behind it. Isaiah 53:10–11 (NIV), “…it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer…[but, and here’s the good news] After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.” Jesus wouldn’t stay dead and buried. He wouldn’t stay in the tomb. He would be raised again from the dead, he would be resurrected and exalted to the highest place! To the place where every knee would bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that he is Lord. Will we go through times of suffering? Yes. The cross changes our expectations about this. But the cross also shows us that the path of suffering leads to glory. When the light dims around us, we can pull our friends close, we can pray and pray and pray, we can trust our good and faithful Father, but one day, we too will see the good purposes of God through it all. Through the ups and the downs. Through even the darkest valley. And we too will see the light of life and be satisfied. In fact, I believe we’ll cry tears of joy. Tears that one day Jesus Christ himself will wipe away. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Let us pray.
Humble Service (Values of the Cross): When a mother sought honor for her sons, Jesus taught that greatness comes through serving others, not ruling over them. He came to serve and give His life on the cross as a ransom for many. Are we chasing worldly greatness, or are we following Jesus’ example of servant-hearted love? Recorded on Mar 30, 2025, on Matthew 20:17-28 by Nate Huber.
This message is part of our Lenten sermon series, Values of the Cross. Christians are called to follow Jesus, but the way of Jesus is often completely upside down and backward compared to the ways of this world. Why is the way of Jesus so different? Join us during Lent for our sermon series, Values of the Cross, as we consider some of the unique values of the cross-shaped way of Jesus and how they transform every part of life. The cross changes everything!
Seeking Peace (Values of the Cross): How often should I forgive someone who has sinned against me? Forgiveness can be very costly if you’ve really been hurt. But the forgiveness of sins is the purpose behind the cross and, therefore, is a primary value of the Christian life. Lent is a time to seek peace through the regular practice of repentance and forgiveness. Recorded on Mar 23, 2025, on Matthew 18:21-35 by Nate Huber.
This message is part of our Lenten sermon series, Values of the Cross. Christians are called to follow Jesus, but the way of Jesus is often completely upside down and backward compared to the ways of this world. Why is the way of Jesus so different? Join us during Lent for our sermon series, Values of the Cross, as we consider some of the unique values of the cross-shaped way of Jesus and how they transform every part of life. The cross changes everything!
Spiritual Dependence (Values of the Cross): The way of Jesus is fundamentally different from the ways of the world. Why? Because the story of the cross produces unique values that transform our focus, conflicts, purpose, allegiance — everything! Lent is a season to reflect on these unique values. And prayer and fasting, two traditional practices of Lent, can be great tools to help us refocus on our spiritual dependence on God. Recorded on Mar 16, 2025, on Matthew 6:5-18 by Pastor David Parks.
This message is part of our Lenten sermon series, Values of the Cross. Christians are called to follow Jesus, but the way of Jesus is often completely upside down and backward compared to the ways of this world. Why is the way of Jesus so different? Join us during Lent for our sermon series, Values of the Cross, as we consider some of the unique values of the cross-shaped way of Jesus and how they transform every part of life. The cross changes everything!
Sermon Transcript
If you’ve been with us, you’ll know that last week, we finished a long series on Exodus in the Bible. And I just want to say thank you for your endurance. As always, if you missed any of those sermons, you can always go back and watch or listen online. But today, we get to start a six-week series for Lent called Values of the Cross from the gospel according to Matthew. And here’s the big idea for this series: Christians are called to follow Jesus, but the way of Jesus is often completely upside down and backward compared to the ways of this world. You might wonder, “Why is the way of Jesus so different?” Well, in our series, Values of the Cross, we’ll see that the unique story of the cross and the empty tomb produces unique values that lead to a totally unique way of life. So, as we learn to follow Jesus and his uniquely cross-shaped way, it can transform every part of life, including our focus, conflicts, purpose, expectations, allegiance, and our record. The cross changes everything! Today, we’ll consider how some of the classic practices of Lent, that of fasting and prayer, can help us change our focus. Sometimes, it feels like I’m a little pebble in a rushing river. The force of our culture in this broken world and its values/desires constantly rushes past and presses against me while I try to follow Jesus. Sometimes, even mature believers can get swept up in or pushed off course by the ways of the world. We can lose our focus. We can forget our complete and utter dependence on God. But Lent is a time to refocus, and prayer/fasting can be a way to remember our true spiritual dependence on God, to remember our values/way. If you have your Bible/app, please open it to Mt 6:5.
Matthew 6:5–8 (NIV), “5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”This passage is found in the middle of Jesus’s famous Sermon on the Mount, where he lays out a vision for the kingdom of heaven and what life looks like for anyone who would follow after him. Matthew chapter 6 is all about traditional religious works such as almsgiving (giving to the poor), prayer, and fasting. We didn’t read it, but v. 1 is really the thesis statement for this section of teaching. There, Jesus said, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.” Be careful. Ok, so this is a warning for us. About what? It’s a warning not to do good works, religious works even, to be seen by others. If you do these things to be known as a good person, to virtue-signal, then you shouldn’t expect any additional reward from God because they were never for God; they were for yourself. Don’t pray on the street corners to be seen by others. Now, Jesus isn’t saying we should never pray publicly. And he isn’t saying never to spend long hours, at times, in prayer, which would presumably use many words. Jesus prayed both publicly and often at great length. Rather, this is just another example of doing religious works for self-serving, self-glorifying reasons — praying to be seen by others or to be impressive to others. It’s far better to pray a secret prayer with a few simple words than to pray publicly or impressively when God isn’t even involved. Before we go any further, let’s ask a big question: What is prayer? According to the Bible, prayer is simply talking with God. God is personal and relational, and communication is vital to having a relationship with God. But more than that, prayer is an opportunity to spend precious time in communion with God and experience God’s presence. Prayer opens your awareness that God is with you, is near, and is involved in your life. To pray is to talk with God, which includes both speaking and listening, and to be with God. Jesus prayed (publicly, I might add) before the miracle of feeding the five thousand in Mt 14. But he often went off by himself to a solitary place to pray. Prayer was not a performance to Jesus, but a regular practice of spending time with his heavenly Father. After feeding the five thousand, Jesus went up on a mountainside by himself to pray, and he prayed for hours. In Lk 6, before choosing the twelve apostles, Jesus spent all night praying about that decision. The night before his crucifixion, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed and prayed, asking his closest friends to stay up with him because he was so overwhelmed by the hell he was about to endure. As a preacher, it’s interesting to me that in the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry, the disciples never asked Jesus to teach them how to preach. But they did ask Jesus to teach them how to pray. Do you want to be able to pray like Jesus? Do you want to have that kind of vibrant, ongoing communion with and awareness of the presence of God in your life?
Matthew 6:9-15 (NIV), “9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ [Some manuscripts add, “for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.”] 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Let’s consider each line of this model prayer, often called The Lord’s Prayer (disciples’ prayer?).
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name: When you pray, start by recognizing your relationship with God. By faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, his Father becomes our Father. God is not a divine spark, or a force, or even first an Almighty King (although he is that, as well). He is first: our Father. God is our protector and provider. He knows your name because you are his child, and he loves you. He doesn’t mind being interrupted by you. He doesn’t see you as an inconvenience but as a joy. Now, maybe your biological father wasn’t a good father. Maybe you were an inconvenience to him, or you were abandoned by him. But this is not how your Father in heaven sees you or will treat you. The whole record of Scripture shows time and again that our Father in heaven is good and faithful. So who are you talking to in prayer? Our Father in heaven. Second, when you pray, remember that you are praying to our Father. When Christians pray, we pray as a son or daughter in a great family, the family of God, that is, the church. No matter what your ethnicity/income/gender/age, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, united in our relationship with God our Father. The Lord’s Prayer isn’t a lonely prayer; it’s the prayer of the community of the saints. Whenever you feel alone, you should pray like this, remembering your relationship with God and with the whole family of God. You are never alone. Why? For God is our Father. But third, God is not a human being, he is not stuck in this broken world or bound by space and time, he does not face all the real and perceived threats that we face here and now. He is above all, he is over all, he is transcendent and sovereign. This is what we must remember when we pray to our Father in heaven. We are not talking with a person with our own limitations or capacities. God is not our peer or therapist. He is the creator of the heavens and the earth. For this reason, fourth, his name should be seen as holy. “Hallowed be your name.” This is a prayer that changes our focus. This is a reminder that God is God, and we are not. A name in ancient times represented more than just what people called you. It represented all of your being, all of who you are and what you have done. For God’s name to be hallowed, which means holy or set apart, it means he has the primary place in our hearts/minds. When I start praying, I often need to be reminded of this perspective.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven: What does it look like for God’s kingdom to come here on earth as it is in heaven? It looks like God’s will being done. It looks like men and women who wholeheartedly love God and love people. It looks like men and women who joyfully submit to the commands of Christ both privately and publicly as salt and light in the world. It looks like men and women who learn to follow the way of Jesus in every area of their lives, experiencing more freedom/love/joy/peace as they do so. For disciples of Jesus, this is what we long to see happen here on earth. But we must also renew our commitment to do this on a daily basis. Every day, I need to make the kingdom of God my first priority in prayer. Every day, I must die to myself and my agenda, pick up my cross, and follow him. As we saw in the Exodus series, this is our journey to freedom. This is our journey through the wilderness of this broken world as we make our way to the promised land and the full experience of the kingdom of God in the new heavens and the new earth. But for now, “on earth as it is in heaven.”
Give us today our daily bread: Jesus already taught that our Father knows what you need before you ask him. So many people wonder, “Why then should we pray?” And yet, Jesus also teaches that we are to pray and ask for God to provide for our physical needs, such as the need for daily bread, for food/shelter/job/friends/family, and so on. If God were an impersonal force, this wouldn’t make any sense. But if God is our heavenly Father, who desires a loving relationship with us, then this makes a lot of sense. I’m a father, and I know what my kids need. But what kind of relationship would I have with them if I met all their needs and never talked with them? Or what kind of people would they be if they never realized I was providing for them? I guarantee they wouldn’t be as thankful for what they were given. I’d guess they wouldn’t be very generous, either, since they never understood the generosity they had received in life. If that’s true for a far-from-perfect dad like myself, how much more true must that be for our heavenly Father? God knows what we need far better than we do. But he wants a relationship with us and wants us to grow and mature. Is there something you think you need in life? Pray about it. Bring your request to the Lord. You might find the wisdom and mercy of God in not fulfilling a request because later, when you are more mature, you might see that though you thought you needed something at the time, whatever it was, it really would’ve been harmful for you. Or you might find that God does provide what you ask for, and then you’ll feel blessed/thankful, not entitled. In my experience, some of my most desperate prayers have been for things I needed or my family needed or the church needed. And sometimes, God delayed answering those prayers so I would learn to trust him to provide. Because it was far more valuable for me to learn to trust him than to have my problems immediately solved. Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors: Jesus isn’t talking about financial debt. He’s talking about the spiritual debt that sin creates between people and also between people and God. As we’ll see next week, Jesus often used the concept of debt to illustrate the forgiveness of sins. Jesus ends his teaching on prayer here by saying, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Commentator Leon Morris writes, “It is not that the act of forgiving merits an eternal reward, but rather it is evidence that the grace of God is at work in the forgiving person and that that same grace will bring him forgiveness in due course.” (Matthew, PNTC, p.149). In other words, our commitment to be people who forgive others is rooted in the perfect and complete forgiveness we have first received in Christ. However, if you’ve ever had to forgive someone who really hurt you, you know that forgiveness is costly. This is why it must be part of our daily prayers. Part of our prayers ought to be an opportunity for confession. Sometimes, we may not be fully aware of our sins, so providing time, in the loving presence of God, for the Holy Spirit to bring things to mind that might be offensive to God is very helpful. But then, in the freedom of the forgiveness that we are promised in Christ, we are to commit ourselves to forgiving those who have sinned against us, as well. This is not easy, but this is good. Over time, daily, forgiving prayer can be a healing balm for the wounds that others have given us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one: There is some question as to whether we’re to pray for deliverance from evil in general or from the evil one, meaning the devil, but either way works. Evil, in general, can be found both out there in the world and in here (within me in the disordered desires of the flesh). May God deliver us from both. But also, we’re taught that spiritual forces of evil influence the world. Modern people might think this is silly, but then there are all sorts of silly things modern people think are very serious. In any case, we need deliverance. The forces of evil, within and without, are not things we’re expected to deal with by our power/strength/will alone. So, how are we to pray? According to Jesus, we pray by daily remembering who God is, refocusing our hearts/priorities on him and his kingdom, praying for our needs, praying for forgiveness, and praying for guidance and deliverance from evil. But one thing that God’s people have often combined with prayer is fasting. To give up something (food, typically, although there isn’t a rule about what you can or can’t fast from) temporarily in order to loosen our addiction to worldly desires and strengthen our spiritual dependence on God.
Matthew 6:16–18 (NIV), “16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” So again, you can fast for attention just as you can pray or give to the poor for attention.
There is a famous picture of Astronaut Bruce McCandless when he did the first untethered spacewalk on February 7, 1984. Bruce was testing the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), which allowed him to fly out into space from the relative safety of the space shuttle without any lifeline. After just a few missions, NASA decided not to keep using the MMU, and the unit Bruce used is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum. Now, we’ve been talking about our spiritual dependence on God, but the truth is, as human creatures, we are entirely/holistically dependent on our creator God. He’s the one who made us, and he’s the one who sustains us by a word of his power. I think this picture is a great illustration of that dependence. If the MMU had malfunctioned, pretty much in any way, Bruce would’ve been lost. He would’ve been dead. There was no plan B. He was completely dependent on it. And while we may feel pretty strong on our own, we might feel pretty safe with our feet planted on the ground; we are just as dependent on God.
