Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners by His life, death, and resurrection. We often think of the importance of His substitutionary death, but why is it such a big deal that Jesus also rose from the dead? In this sermon Pastor David explains the significance of the resurrection of Christ and how it affects our faith, our forgiveness and our future.

1 Corinthians 15:12–23 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a Man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at His coming those who belong to Christ.

On this Palm Sunday, as on all of them, we see the great paradox of Christ's first Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. He entered as both a Conquering King who is praised, and a Humble Servant about to suffer. In Matthew 21:1-17 we see this humble servant and we look forward to His not so humble return at the end of the age.

9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” Jesus Cleanses the Temple 12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”

What is the New Covenant and how is it different from the Old Covenant? The New Covenant that Christ brings is far superior to the Old Covenant. In this sermon, Pastor David examines, both the Old and the New to explain why the New Covenant is so much better. In the New Covenant, God promises to transforms sinners from the inside out, to bring them into a personal relationship with Him and to forgive all their sin. Hebrews 8:6–13 Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant He mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. 8 For He finds fault with them when He says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in My covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. 10 For this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” 13 In speaking of a New Covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

There is a proper place for Christian assurance, for confidence in your salvation. But there is also such a thing as false assurance, misplaced confidence, self deception. In this sermon, Pastor David examines Jesus serious warning about meeting Him on Judgment Day and hearing the words "Depart from Me, I never knew you."

Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven. 22 On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Further Study: Isa 33:22; Matt 25:31-46; Heb 12:14; Rom10:9; 2 Pet 1:5-10; 1 John 1:5-10; 2:4-6; 5:13; John 10:14, 27-28; 2 Tim 2:19. Books: The Gospel According to Jesus by John MacArthur, Assured by Greg Gilbert

While Pastor David was away we were pleased to have Pastor Daniel McCroskey come and preach to us about false prophets and how to spot them. Matthew 7: 15-20 was the text, and Pastor Daniel highlighted four main types of false teachers: Those who Pervert, Prostitute, Protest, and prevent the Gospel.

Matthew 7:15-20

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Jesus says that there are two gates: one broad, one narrow; two ways: one easy, one hard; ending in two destinations: death or life. And there are two groups of travelers: one large, one small. Which group are you in?

In this sermon Pastor David examines part one of the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. After calling His followers to live by the highest of all moral standards, Jesus finishes His sermon by calling for a response.

Matthew 7:13–14 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

The wide gate opens to an easy road that leads to certain destruction, but the narrow gate opens to a hard road that leads to eternal life with God. Which gate will you enter through? Which road will you travel on? Where will you end up?

The Golden Rule is the main point of everything Jesus has been teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. It's a summary of what life in the Kingdom should look like. It is the sermon in a sentence. The Golden Rule is a restating of the command to love your neighbor as yourself, but it goes even farther, in that it shows us what that love for neighbor looks like.

Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

What do you expect when you pray? How do you think God will respond to your prayers? In this sermon Pastor David explains that God always answers our prayer and He only gives good gifts, therefore we should be be persistent in prayer.

Matthew 7:7–11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"