Gateway Community Church Sermons

When the rich young man came asking, "Good teacher . . . what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17), Jesus' response pointed him in a new direction. Instead of moral uprightness and religious observance, Jesus invited the man to submit his whole heart and his whole life to God.

Jesus' famous words in the Great Commission, "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) stand as the church's ongoing mandate. How should we do this? Is "making disciples" a calling for church leaders only, or is it for everyone that makes up the church?

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? Why do so many Christians get bored with their faith? Have we settled for mere belief in Jesus rather than walking with Him? As we begin the "All In" series, we will start to see that Jesus calls us not simply to believe, but to follow.

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though he die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die." (John 11:25-26, NIV)

Though he was loved by the Lord and a man after God's own heart, we see that David is not the king we need. His sacrifice moved the Lord to relent from punishing the people further, yet the cost was significant. In the end, we see God's sovereign justice and grace at work, and a shadow of Jesus, the Son of David, who is the true King and the atoning sacrifice we need.

David's song of praise from 2 Samuel 22 (which also mirrors Psalm 18), tells the story of the Lord at work in His people Israel, and in David's life. Looking back over his accomplishments and failures, David sees with clarity that God is great, that God is trustworthy and that God is worthy of praise.

God said that He had taken David's sin away, and the king would not die for his sins. But because of them, the son born to him would die (2 Samuel 12:14). The fallout from his sin was significant, yet this word pointed toward a greater Son, and a greater fulfilment. This is the gospel: that a Son from David's line would die for the sins of the father, and the world.

As Nathan confronts David for killing Uriah and taking Bathsheba for his own, we discover an important lesson for believers today — God uses His people and His Word to confront sin in our lives. That confrontation opens the way for grace to work in our hearts and lives. What should our response be? How can we move forward in faith?

When faced with trials, David was not afraid to cry out to the Lord in his distress, in fear, even in anger. David's angst is richly displayed in Psalm 22, which Jesus famously quoted from the cross: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46). David and Jesus' example show us how to bring our cares before the almighty God, in authentic and humble faith.

As we come to 2 Samuel 11, we see David growing apathetic about his calling and about his fellow man. These compromises lead him into committing deeply serious sins, including covetousness, deception, adultery, and even murder. What does David's failure teach us about the pitfalls of ethical and moral compromise? How can we avoid making the same mistakes?