Month: May 2023

The sermon is from Matthew 10:5-15 – “Come On-a My House”. ““And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” – Matthew 10:7

Jesus Christ preached with urgency. You may ask, why? The answer is rather simple – “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” To preach with urgency means to proclaim a message of importance that requires swift action. Do we truly realize that the kingdom of God is in our midst and this reality requires swift action (See Luke 17:20-21)? Jesus currently rules and reigns over his eternal kingdom. He is raised from the dead and seated at God’s right hand on the promised Davidic throne (See 2 Samuel 7:12-13, 16; Acts 2:24-36). It is little wonder, then, that we find in the Bible the following proclamation (2 Corinthians 6:2) – “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” And, it is little wonder we find the following summons (Hebrews 3:15) – “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts ….”

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon is from Luke 9:57-62– “Following Jesus Wherever, Whenever”. “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” – Luke 9:62

Have you ever plowed farmland on a tractor or behind a mule? Most of us are unfamiliar with this agricultural practice and therefore clueless as to what it means to plow a straight furrow. Plowing requires focus and attention and singleness of purpose. It requires one to look ahead, pick a landmark at the end of the field, and plow without deviation. If the farmer looks back, he will veer off his straight course, and plow a crooked furrow. Likewise, Christ teaches that Christian discipleship is very similar. It requires focus and singleness of purpose. The Apostle Paul understood this. He states in Philippians 3:14, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon is from Luke 9:23-27– “Count the Cost; Take Up the Cross; Follow Christ”.  “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” – Luke 9:25

All three synoptic gospels contain this question (See – Matthew 16:26; Mark 8:36). The Spirit of God intends for us to answer it. Suppose you opened a small business that became a large business. And suppose further that the large business grew and grew. It became a large corporate empire. Then, you were able over time to purchase other businesses like Amazon and Federal Express and others until you ran a world-wide monopoly. Then, you began to purchase land until you owned every square inch of the earth – even the depths of the sea. You, as Christ states, “… gained the whole world ….” What good would all your riches be if you lost your soul and perished eternally? Jesus probes and he probes us deeply with this question.

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA

The sermon is from Luke 8:26-39 – “The Plight of Man; the Power of God”.  “… they … found the man … sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind …” – Luke 8:35

The Bible records several dramatic conversion experiences. One may think of Manasseh in the Old Testament (2 Chronicles 33:1-13) or Saul of Tarsus in the New (Acts 9:1-22). Now, the deliverance and transformation of the demon-possessed man in Luke 8 should certainly capture our attention and cause us to include him in a list of dramatic conversions in the Bible. The story begins with a description of his plight (8:27-30); the story ends with the man totally transformed and in his right mind (8:34-39). The story begins with the plight of man; the story ends with the power of God.

Sunday Service Streamed Live at 11:00 AM – YouTube.com – Hickory Withe PCA