FBC Benbrook Sermons

Meet My Friend Isaiah

The prophet Isaiah speaks with the conviction that God is present and active in this world, both as a Loving Father and as a Righteous Judge. Not only was this message confronting to the people of Isaiah’s day, but it remains so today for most Americans have no room for the present and active wrath of God in their conception of God. But the wrath of God, rightly understood, does not drive us away from the Righteous Judge. In fact, it draws us deep into the fellowship with a Loving Father. What assumptions about the wrath of God need to change for us to be able to see this? (Isaiah 1.1-9) August 22, 2021

The Assignment: Be Disciples Who Make Disciples

Jesus commissioned His disciples with the assignment to go to all the nations to preach the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. But the gospel of Matthew ends with the unique commission to go and make disciples of all nations. For the last 100 years, the church in America has put much effort into the “go” of this commission, and all over the world the gospel is growing and bearing fruit. However, in that same time period, the American church has lost focus of the “make disciples” element of the Great Commission. As a result, the global gospel map has shifted. We must rediscover what it means to both “be a disciple” and to be a “disciple who makes disciples.” (Matthew 28.16-20) August 15, 2021

The Exalted Jesus

Why did Jesus invite the disciples to watch Him ascend into heaven? One of the reasons is that they needed to see Jesus as no longer the “humbled, obedient to the point of death” Jesus but the “exalted at the right hand of God with authority over all things” Jesus. Seeing the exalted Jesus was and is essential to the church fulfilling the Great Commission. In addition to the many things the exalted Jesus is doing right now, He is sending the Spirit and exercising authority over all powers. (Acts 1.1-11) August 8, 2021

Is There Room for Doubt in Faith?

We have forever defined one follower of Jesus by his weakest moment. We even call him by that name, “Doubting Thomas.” But instead of being critical of Thomas, perhaps he is a good example of how to journey through our doubts and into faith. The truth is that doubts and questions are part of the journey towards genuine faith, but there are forks in the road where we must choose to view God through the lens of our doubts or view our doubts through the lens of our God. This is why we must deal honestly with our doubts, but also expand our understanding of the beauty and greatness of God. (John 20.24-29) July 25, 2021.

The Journey to Faith

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared in many ways and to many people demonstrating the proof of His resurrection. In one of these post resurrection appearances, Jesus walked with two disciples as they were returning to the little village of Emmaus. And in that conversation, we see some of the common elements that God uses to help us make sense of the Jesus story. God uses the miracles and teachings of Jesus, our hope for deliverance, the meaning of the crucifixion and resurrection, the Scriptures, the communion of the saints, and even the work of the Spirit in our journey towards saving faith. (Luke 24.13-35) July 11, 2021.

The Good News of Being Buried With Him

The fact that Jesus was buried after He was crucified was an essential element to the early gospel story. But what is the significance of that fact for believers today? In Romans 6, the Bible tells us that we were buried with Him by baptism into death. This means that when we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we were immersed in Him, an immersion that produced an irreversible change. Unfortunately, the good news of being buried with Him is often hidden by gospel imitations. (Matthew 27.57-61) July 4, 2021

When the Saints...Came Walking Out...

According to the gospel of Matthew, at the death of Jesus, the earth shook, the rocks split, and the tombs opened. And after His resurrection, many of the saints who had died were raised and appeared to many in Jerusalem. While we have many questions surrounding this event, one major question is “why?” Why would the Father raise many saints after the resurrection of Jesus and have them appear to many in Jerusalem? A few of the answers to that question include: (1) to call many to saving faith and to birth the church, (2) to demonstrate that God alone is the Giver of Life and has authority over death, and (3) to demonstrate the hope of the resurrection to come. (Matthew 27.50-56) June 27, 2021.

By His Stripes

Before Jesus was crucified, He endured the horror of a scourging. While the gospels don’t give much detail to it, it was important enough for the prophet Isaiah to foretell it hundreds of years before it happened. The gospels don’t reflect on the pain of the scourging, and Peter helps us understand how we should react to this horrible event in the life of our Savior. It is by His scourging that we are healed, so that we can return to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. (Matthew 27.26-31) May 30, 2021

Did It Really Happen That Way?

Some Bible scholars want to dismiss events during the trial of Jesus as swarming with impossibilities, improbabilities, and inconsistencies, suggesting these events should be nicely ignored. But the witness of Matthew and the other gospel writers are historically dependable. And despite the critic’s efforts to dismiss the reality of the passion of Jesus, it cannot dismiss the beautiful gospel picture of the guilt of Barabbas being transferred to the innocent Jesus. God made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us. (Matthew 27.15-23) May 23, 2021.

Not of This World

When Pilate confronted Jesus with the question, “Are you the King of Jews,” the answer Jesus gave continues to challenge His followers today. Indeed, Jesus is the King of a Kingdom, but His Kingdom is not of this world nor from this world. How do we know when we have crossed that line from being “in the world” to becoming “of the world”? It comes down to Jesus being the way, the truth, and the life. (John 18.33-38) May 16, 2021