The Son Revealed!

Message by Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25

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In the opening verses of Matthew’s Gospel we find a genealogy that begins with the patriarch Abraham and runs through King David down to Joseph the legal father of Jesus. Matthew intends to show his Jewish readers that Jesus is indeed the royal heir to the throne of David. He is true pedigree. from the royal blood line. So humanly speaking, Jesus is clearly the Son of David. However, Matthew ls more concerned to show that Jesus is also the Son of God, the rightful heir to the throne over all things. It the genealogy were all that could he said about Christ then He may have had the legal right to be the King of Israel, but He could have never redeemed men. Notice how Matthew reveals Jesus. not just as David’s son, but as He truly is God’s Son.

Jesus is revealed the Son of God by the names given to Him! 

Jesus – Joshua, “Jehovah is Salvation” (Matthew 1:1, Matthew 1:21)
Christ – “The anointed Messiah” (Matthew 1:1, Matthew 1:16)
Immanuel – “God with us!” (Matthew 1:23)

Jesus ls revealed the Son of God by the sign that accompanied Him, He ls born of a virgin!Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18 NKJV)

By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. (1 John 4:2-3a  NKJV)

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14 NKJV)And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel. (Genesis 3:15b NKJV)

Jesus ls revealed by those who obey God and step out of the shadows Into His purpose!

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20 NKJV)

How can we reveal the Son of God?

1. Hearing God’s voice and trusting His presence.
2. Putting our faith in God’s plan, not our plan.
3. Relying on His strength (Isaiah 40:31)

The Gracious King

Message by Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

Scripture: Matthew 1

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The gospel of Matthew begins in a very unique way. Matthew doesn’t begin with narrative like the gospel of Luke and he doesn’t begin with high theology like John’s gospel. Matthew begins with a genealogy of Christ. And for this reason Matthew’s account becomes a very important bridge linking the Old and New Testament. The main purpose that Matthew writes is to demonstrate the fact that Jesus is the Christ, the predicted Messiah, the King of the Jews. Matthew is the story of the King revealed; a King rejected and a King who will return.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1)

Jewish heredity was always important
Numbers 26
Ruth 3-4
Ezra 2:62
Luke 4:1-2

Jewish heredity must be proved
Matthew’s genealogy is in descending order.
Luke’s genealogy is in ascending order.
Matthew traces the royal line through Joseph.
Luke traces the priestly (blood) line through Mary.

Jesus is a King like none other!

Jesus is God’s Son!
Jesus – Joshua, “Jehovah is Salvation” (Matthew 1:1, Matthew 1:21)
Christ – “The anointed Messiah” (Matthew 1:1, Matthew 1:16)
Immanuel – “God with us!” (Matthew 1:23)

He is a gracious King!
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld  glory, the glory as of the may begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

He IS the Savior King from a long list of sinners!
Tamar (Genesis 38)
Rahab (Joshua 2, Hebrews 11:31)
Ruth (Genesis 19, Ruth)
Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11)

“For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Matthew 9:13b)

Old and New Wineskins

Message by Christoph Zurcher

Scripture: Luke 5:33-39

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A service designed to engage children and adults alike.

He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

The Forgiven Should Always Forgive!

Message by Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

Third of a series: “Jesus, on Relationships”

Scripture: Luke 6:36-37 and Matthew 18:23-35

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Jesus is warning us about our tendency to make critical judgments against people, which involves looking for faults and failures in others. He is calling us to judge with “charitable judgment.” Which means when it is necessary to judge, we should judge other Christians charitably. Our judgment should never lead to condemnation, but to forgiveness.

Why should we forgive?

• Because we have been forgiven!
• Forgiveness is at the heart of our identity in Christ.
• Unforgiveness is a symptom of gospel amnesia.

The Story of the Unjust Servant (Matthew 18:23-35)

• Peter’s question: How often are we required to forgive?
• Jesus’ answer: 7 x 70 = 77 or “unlimited”

Jesus conveys two great truths in the story.

1. How great God’s forgiveness is for us!
2. And how God’s forgiveness for us is connected to our forgiveness of others.

God’s great forgiveness toward us.

• Seeing ourselves accountable to God
• Considering the enormous debt
• The debt of money represents our sin debt
• The servant represents us

We know these things theologically, but over time and the amount of
service and sacrifice we offer to God causes us to loose the reality of
someone who has been forgiven an enormous debt.

Psalm 130:3 – If you Oh Lord could mark iniquities, O Lord who could stand?

God’s forgiveness toward us is connected to how we forgive others.

• What happens when we don’t get grace!
• If our sin is a small thing, God’s forgiveness is a small thing!
• We see ourselves on probation with God and put others there as well!
• We approach Christianity as if we can repay our debt!
• We demand payment from others!
• We fail to see ourselves like the wicked servant!

A Follower of Christ

Message by our own Christoph Zurcher

Scripture: Luke 9:57-62

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In these three verses we find three illustraitons of the main hindrances to following Jesus whole-heartedly:

A service designed to engage children and adults alike.

1. Material comforts
2. A job, occupation or education
3. Our relationships with family and friends

Luke 9:23 – And He said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

What would that involve?

• Forsaking the comforts of this life
• Complete dependency on God
• Obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit
• Pouring out one’s life for others
• Suffering for righteousness sake, loneliness and persecution

The cost of following Jesus – Salvation did not cost us anything but it cost God everything.

Count the cost (Luke 14:28) – Do we really mean to abandon our lives, plans, comfort to follow him whole-heartedly?

Recognize we don’t have the strength (Matthew 11:28-30) – If we try to be a true follower of Christ in our own strength we won’t get very far.

If we choose to put Jesus first and follow him, God will give our life direction, meaning and purpose.

The Proverbs On Our Speech

Message by Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

Fifth in a 10-part series on Proverbs

Scripture: Proverbs 18:21

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The Bible has a lot to say about our words. Jesus in particular warned us how important this issue of our speech is even from an eternal perspective (Matthew 12:34-37). When you come to the Book of Proverbs, Solomon addresses the subject of our words often. In fact it is the one issue he addresses most with over 130 references having to do with our words and speech.

1. Wisdom is a verbal virtue

Proverbs comes to us in the form of a personal conversation, not a sermon or a even a book. Wisdom is constantly taught to us through personal conversations of…

• a loving parent
• a faithful friend
• a wise counselor
• a Godly leader
• sometime, through the words of a fool

2. Jesus conversed the Gospel in honest, wise conversations so He could speak to the issues of the heart. (Mark 7-11)

3. Our ability to talk and listen to one another biblically greatly affects how we grow as Christians and as a church. (Ephesians 4:11-29)

4. Proverbs on our speech

A. The power of words (Proverbs 18:21)

1. They penetrate for good and for bad (Proverbs 12:18)
2. They spread for good and for evil (Proverbs 17:14)

B. The weakness of meaningless words

1. They are no substitute for deeds (Proverbs 14:23)
2. They don’t change the facts (Proverbs 26:23-28)
3. They cannot compel a response (Proverbs 29:19)

C. Words at their best

1. They are honest! (Proverbs 16:13)
2. They are few (Proverbs 17:28)
3. They are calm (Proverbs 17:27; James 3:17)
4. They are apt (Proverbs 15:23)

Proverbs 15:28 –”The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.”

Jesus Loves The Little Children

Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

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Scripture: Matthew 19:13-15

Message from First Morning focus on Children’s Ministry at GracePoint of Webster.

Hell’s Memory Verse

Guest Speaker Chris Briles

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Scripture: Matthew 24:14

The Briles Family http://brilesfamily.blogspot.com/

“We are a family of 5: Chris 46 years young, Vonda 43, Aaron 17, Jessica 15, and Carmen 7. We are a missionary family that spent 9 years in Altotonga, Veracruz, Mexico. We have recently moved to New Braunfels, TX so Chris can assume the responsibilities of Director of Operations for World Indigenous Missions. Our passion is reaching the lost and discipling the found.”

God’s Plan In The Midst Of Economic Crisis

Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

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Listeners Note: There was a power failure due to a passing storm a few minutes into the recording.  The audio degrades for a minute or two but returned to normal when power was restored.

1. God wants to heal our nation by exposing hidden sin and bringing us to repentance.

2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

2. God wants to fill us with compassion for a world that in many places only knows recession of the worst kind.

Matthew 9:36 – “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.”

3. God desires that we make Him our joy and treasure rather than trying to find it in our goods, money and wealth.

1 John 2:15 – “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

4. God intends to accomplish His mission in the world even at a time when human resources might seem low.

2 Corinthians 8:2 – “That in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.”

5. God calls the church to care for those in need especially its hurting members.

Galatians 6:9 – “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Why Should We Worship Jesus?

Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

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Matthew 2:11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

What is worship?

Worship is not a style of music. Worship is not something that is connected to time and space. Worship is not something that starts or stops. Worship is not confined to Christians.

If you do not worship God seven days a week, then you do not worship Him one day a week. (A.W. Tozer)

Worship then is living our life individually and corporately as continuous living sacrifices to the glory of a person or thing.

There is a close connection between glory and worship. Romans 11:36-12:1 Glory means weightiness, importance, value preeminence, priority, or that which is our greatest treasure, deepest longing, and fountain of hope. Glory is simply the biblical word for value.

We worship God through Jesus. Ephesians 2:18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

We worship God like Jesus John 17:24  “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”

We worship God in Jesus John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

(Isaiah 6:1-2; Revelation 1:13-30)

Why Did Jesus Come To Earth?

Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

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Matthew 1:1-25

Jesus repeatedly said that He was sent from heaven to earth on a mission by God the Father. Scripture describes His mission in the several ways; a humble servant (Mark 10:45), a Savior to the lost (Luke 19:10), a destroyer of the enemy (1 John 3:8).

One of the most important statements that Jesus made in speaking of His mission on earth is found in Matthew 5:17-18 where Jesus said; “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ”For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

1. He came to be our Prophet Matthew 1:22-23 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, “God with us.”

2. He came to be our Priest Matthew 1:21 “And she (Mary) will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

3. He came to be our King! Matthew 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.

“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry ‘Mine.’” (Abraham Kuyper)

1st Morning: The Beatitudes (Part 3)

Pastor Dru Johnson

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Matthew 5:8-10

The Three P’s:

1. Pure in heart
2. Peacemakers
3. Persecution

Faith or Fear for the Future?

Guest Speaker, Dale Pugh

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Scripture Reference: Matthew 6:24-34

Dale & his wife, Kathy

1st Morning: The Beatitudes (Part 1)

Pastor Dru Johnson

Matthew 5:1-10

“God’s looking for some really, really sorry people.”

Learning to Pray Like Jesus (Part 1)

Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

Matthew 6:8-13, Luke 11:1-13, and John 17:1-5

Are You Mission Focused?

Guest Speaker: Chris Briiles

Matthew 28:19

brilesfamily.blogspot.com