Crossway Christian Church

Advent season is fully upon us. It is in this season that we remember the coming of God for our salvation. Jesus is nothing less than Emmanuel – God with us! But how precious is that truth to us? Amidst all of the pageantry and hoopla of the Christmas season, how important is God’s nearness to us? Our text today starts with Joseph as a slave, and then as a prisoner, before becoming second only to Pharaoh in all of Egypt. Yet for all that, the greatest gift he has, and we have, is the very presence of God. 1. Pursue the presence of God 2. Rest on the remembrance of God 3. Trumpet the truth of God

Generally, Christians view selfish motivation as a fountainhead of what is wrong in this world. And, for the most part, they are right. Jesus and the NT holds out that we can be rightly selfish; doing what will gain and profit us and acting in our best interest. But we rarely act that way. More often than not, we act sinfully and selfishly. Our text today highlights three men and their selfish actions. Why is selfishness so bad for us? 1. The folly of selfishness will hurt 2. A façade of selfishness will fall 3. A foundation of selfishness will blind

We take directions for granted now. Cell phones have made finding your way around, even in a foreign place, easy. It was not always so; there was a time when physical maps and hand-written directions were the best you could do. Good directions are good things; they save time and energy and point us toward our goal. Our text today features directions, not as commands, but as symbols of how to get to the blessing of God. 1. Down and up 2. Backwards and forwards 3. Out and in

We are well acquainted with the saying “vengeance is a dish best served cold.” It is a well-known proverb, not even English in its origin. It has lasted because it tells us something that we think is true: the best way to get revenge is through patient logic; and what’s more: revenge is good. But Scripture tells us otherwise, for vengeance is solely the property of the Lord. The evil of the text before us helps us to see why this morning. 1. God’s vengeance is good 2. Our vengeance is emotional 3. Our vengeance is ungodly 4. Our vengeance is overpaid 5. Our vengeance is cyclical 6. Our vengeance is unfaithful

A man, who spent much time in Milan and other European cities, was once known for his great intellect and ability to persuade. He was by his own measure, a liar, a cheat, and smarter than all around him. But he was also in turmoil; then God came to him through a child’s voice and forever changed Augustine. Many conversion stories are like that – all, in fact, though many less dramatic. Jacob’s is as well. A scoundrel, a cheat, a liar; but by the grace of God, now a new man. What is his conversion like? What are signs of it? In our passage this morning, Jacob shows us: 1. Repentance 2. Penitence 3. Deference 4. Persistence 5. Prudence

Family strife is nothing new in this world. The Greeks had a number of horrible stories about fighting families: from Oedipus killing his father so he could marry his mother, to the Atreus family, who routinely served their children to the gods (much to their chagrin). The Bible has much of this as well: the first four people mentioned all had their issues with one another, ending in a story of murder. Our story today continues the thread of family problems. Conflicts over our sin arise, and there is one clear solution: loving the Lord. 1. The conflict of coveting 2. The conflict of cash 3. The conflict of conceit

"Stairway to Heaven" may be Led Zeppelin’s best-known song; released in 1971, it has been played hundreds of millions of times on the radio and online. The best version, however, is almost always the original. Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28 contains a promise of God’s protection and care. What transpires afterward, however, seems to challenge that. Yet, God’s kindness is seen in both the good and the difficult; his discipline is not to be regarded lightly, and his grace works in mysterious ways. 1. Jacob’s reward 2. Jacob’s response 3. Jacob’s rebuke

As we look back at the actions of the patriarchs, we often see behaviors and attitudes that do not seem to match the holiness of God. Abraham often failed, and yet he was counted faithful, included in the kingdom of God. Today we see the actions and failures of four different people, and through this we see God's grace and faithfulness despite their sin. The blessing of being in God's family only comes by the grace of God. 1. Jacob deceives 2. Jacob departs

On Wednesday nights in the summer, Bay City brings in artists to play in the bandshell. These are often tribute artists; they don’t play their own music, but better known music produced by better-known musicians, often of years past. Like these, Isaac is replaying his father’s own path and doing many of his own works. He is, in a sense, a tribute band to his father, covering many of his old hits. We are not much different; like Isaac, we are products of those who came before us. 1. We are following in another’s footsteps 2. We are vexed by another’s vanity 3. We are blessed by another’s belief

Through the ages of the church, many have struggled to piece together the relationship between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of humans. If God is in control of all things, as the Bible says, then how can we be responsible for our actions? How can he hold us accountable if we are not fully free to choose as we wish? Perhaps our text today, which Paul uses to clearly speak of God’s purpose in election and sovereign choice, might help bring light to that subject, and remind us of the good of God’s control, and the truth of our responsibility before him. 1. God’s sovereignty 2. Our responsibility

Introduction We in the west, and likely all people everywhere, have a fondness for love stories. They are some of our best-known and most cherished works; from Shakespeare to Jane Austin, they mark out some of our best literature. But love is not just for high-literature, it is the stuff of comedy and dime-store novels. We have a love story in our text today; not first and foremost of Rebekah and Isaac, although present, but of God and his people. His faithfulness lasts from generation to generation, as we see today. 1. We see God’s faithfulness in Abraham’s growth 2. We see God’s faithfulness in the servant’s reliance 3. We see God’s faithfulness in Rebekah’s importance

On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass was called on to speak about the meaning of the 4th of July to the Ladies Anti-Slavery Union of Rochester, New York. He began innocuously, noting the ingenious and goodness of the Founders’ vision for the country. But when he began to note how that vision had not made it into reality, he became scathing of the nation. Her deeds did not match her doctrine. Abraham will be tested in this very manner – will his deeds match his doctrine? Will his works match his faith? Does ours? 1. What precisely is this test? 2. What was Abraham thinking? 3. Why does God test Abraham this way? 4. Isn’t this just child sacrifice? 5. Our work proves what we really believe 6. God’s work pictures what we ought to believe

Most ancient writers used very discernable structures in their writings. This allowed them to clue their readers in on central points and highlight similarities. One of the most basic of these is chiasm, where a central text has mirroring parts as you move away from it. Our text today has that same structure, and it helps to point us to the central idea: we are to trust our God in all things. 1. Trust the protection of God 2. Trust the promise of God 3. Trust the priorities of God

As Allied troops surrounded and pressured the city of Berlin, WWII was all but over. Cowardly, Hitler took his life in his protected bunker. In shooting that bullet in his brain, he escaped the justice the world was due. There would be no trial, no answers, no humbling for the great boasts he has made. The rest of the world was denied a true sense of justice. We thirst for justice. But it is not all we need; a fact the gospel reminds us of continually. Today, as we look at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, let us hear the truth about the nature of God’s true and lasting justice. 1. True justice punishes sin 2. True justice pursues sin 3. True justice cannot placate sin 4. True justice cannot prevent sin

Often, in traditional story-telling, there are clear, sharp lines that divide good and evil, good guys and bad guys, heroes and villains. Often the characters in the stories are flat or one-dimensional. They are either good or bad, right or wrong. There is very little nuance. In real life, things often are not as clear and not as concise. If we compare ourselves to others, this may be true. But what does God have to say about this? When we hold up God’s standard, who God is and what he is like, we see a clear and concise contrast. 1. The Wicked are Extensively Evil 2. The Lord is Overwhelmingly Good

John Newton was a scoundrel before he ever saw a slave ship. He was kicked out of the navy and worked hard to do so. He was disliked on the ships on which he worked. Not only was he sold into slavery, but even being a slave did not get him to stop slave trading when he was freed. Yet, the Lord loved him and called him and saved him out of his misery. The Lord loves saving sinners. Like John Newton. Like Abraham and Sarah. Like us. 1. The shamefulness of sin 2. The confirmation of circumcision 3. The greatness of the gift

Many people have heard the story about the genie in the lamp, one who grants three wishes to the lucky person who happens to rub up against it. It is a good little experiment for people: what do you really desire in this world? We can answer, with little effort, what Abram would ask from that genie: A child, an heir, a son. God is no genie, but he affirms Abram’s desire and reaffirms his promise. Yet, God also gets back from Abram what he wants and desires, namely Abram’s trust and faith. That, in the end, is what God truly wants from us all; that we trust him and believe his word. 1. God desires you to believe him 2. God helps you to believe him

The Khwarazmian empire was a strong and important empire in the 11th-13th centuries. Located in the middle of the trade route between Asia and Europe, it was strategically placed in the world. Genghis Khan realized that, and sought to make a trade agreement. He was rebuffed, and with fervor. This was a mistake, as Khan did what he normally did – ruthlessly destroyed them. Our text this morning sounds much like that bit of history, but why tell it. But why digress this way, and spend so much time on a bit of history that seems unattached to the main part of Abram’s life? There is a point, and a surprise ending to all of this however. To let us see this, we should consider: 1. The focus of the text 2. A feature of the text 3. The future of the text

In ancient Greek myths, the gods proved themselves both fickle and pliable. They demanded sacrifices to appease them, and men offered them. These bought the favor of some gods and helped the wrath and anger of others to be avoided. Scripture does not picture God that way. While sacrifice is indeed central to our faith, it is not the way that we enter into God’s blessing. How can we, then, enter into God’s blessing? What must we do? As we turn to Genesis 13, and inspect Lot’s relationship to Abram, let us consider: 1. The reason for the blessing 2. The rejection of the blessing 3. The richness of the blessing

Dogs are wonderful creatures. Silly, funny, loyal, and kind, they are truly man’s best friend. Some people, however, do not see them in that light, and neglect and abuse them. When rescued, they fear humans, for all they have received from them is harm. We are similar; the lies we are fed in this world about God make us distrust his word and aims in our lives. But through patient love and care, and continual faithfulness to us, God overcomes these lies. We, like Abram, need to learn to trust God in every circumstance.