In Sermons: showing 16-30 of 158

Receiving Treasure In Heaven

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Apr 5, 2022

Our treasure on earth eclipses our desire for "treasure in heaven." Only God can give us a desire for "treasure in heaven." Therefore, we must forsake our treasure on earth and follow Jesus to receive "treasure in heaven."

You will notice how this passage begins. We are told that Jesus ‘was setting out on his journey’ (v. 17). And we know where that journey will lead. It will take Jesus to Jerusalem, where a cross awaits Him. He has already foretold His death twice in recent days, and He will speak of it again—in ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:17-31

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Most Important Thing Of All

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Apr 5, 2022

We look everywhere else rather than to Jesus for the answers to life's problems. But Jesus has--and IS!--the answer to our most important questions. Therefore, we must find our answers in Jesus.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING OF ALL Mark 10:17-31 What is wrong?—Looking elsewhere—rather than to Jesus—for answers. What is true?—Jesus has—and IS!—the answer to our most important questions. What to do—We must find our answers in Jesus. How?—By coming to understand three things: I The Most ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:17-31

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Unrestrained Word

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Apr 5, 2022

Speaking God's Word is fraught with risk, yet God accomplishes His purpose through His Word. Therefore, we must speak God's Word despite the risks.

Why do you think Jeremiah was so ‘afraid’? It’s not really hard to figure out, is it? God had a message He wanted delivered, and He wanted Jeremiah to deliver it. But here’s the thing about God’s message: Not everyone wants to hear it. Why not? Because it exposes sin and calls for repentance. It ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-12

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Change Jesus Makes

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Apr 2, 2022

Jesus is in the business of change.

Jesus is in the business of change. No one ever left an encounter with Jesus unchanged. They either loved Him more or loved Him less—and perhaps even hated Him—but they were never indifferent to Him. And the same is true for you and me. We cannot be indifferent to Him either. So, it is my prayer ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:27-32

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Embracing Grace

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Apr 2, 2022

The vast majority of people do not "accept" Christ (Luke 4:24) but refuse the "favor" (grace) He offers (v. 19). God has sent Christ to offer His grace. We must embrace the grace offered in Christ. Luke shows us how.

There’s a key word in this passage that I would like to point out. It is not obvious in the English, so it’s a bit tricky. But the word ‘favor’ in verse 19 and the word ‘acceptable’ in verse 24 render the same Greek word, which is dektos. In fact, in the King James Version it is translated ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:14-30

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Stages On The Journey

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Apr 2, 2022

On the journey of faith, our spiritual vision is often clouded. As we continue on the journey, Jesus corrects our spiritual vision. We are to remain on the journey of faith, looking to Jesus for improved vision. Luke gives us three reasons.

I am looking at this passage as a portrayal of the Christian journey of faith. Like all journeys, the Christian pilgrimage through life has a point of departure, a destination, and a route through which we travel from one to the other. Verse 39 shows us a pilgrim who has just begun the journey. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:39-45

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Filling The Longing Heart

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Apr 2, 2022

People carry deep longings in their hearts. Only Jesus can fill those longings. We must tell longing people about Jesus.

Here is this woman. She shows up at the village well at the sixth hour. That’s noon, the hottest part of the day. The other women came that morning, when it was cooler. But she couldn’t come then. She didn’t want to see them. Really, she didn’t want them to see her. It would be too painful. Why? ...read more

Scripture: John 4:5-42

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Last Word

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Apr 2, 2022

Skeptics claim that death has the final word. God claims that life has the final word. Should we abandon the skeptics’ claim for God’s. Should we? John says “yes,” and he gives us three reasons that we should.

It was Sunday morning. The pastor was planning to preach on the Resurrection of the Lord. And he wanted his sermon to make an impression on the congregation. So he proceeded to shave in front of them. He lathered up, ran his razor over his face, first one side, then the other, then the chin, and ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-10

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Wise And Foolish Builders

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Aug 19, 2018

Simply hearing Jesus is not enough; we have to put into practice what we have heard.

MOST PEOPLE BUILD THEIR houses on the sand; I’m sure of it. Not their houses, of course. Not really. But their lives. By which I mean, most people don’t listen to Jesus when they think about what goes into living, or what ought to. When I was a kid, my dad would tell me to do something. It ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-29, James 1:22-25

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Is The Lord Delayed In His Coming?

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Aug 6, 2018

There is a wrong way and a right way to look at the Lord’s apparent delay in coming again.

Introduction Peter most likely wrote this, his second letter (2 Pet. 3:1 ) to the churches of Asia Minor (1 Pet. 1:1 ), from a Roman jail a short time before his martyrdom (some time during the period AD 64-67). If 1 Peter has as its main focus a defense against threats from outside the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:1-13

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

John's Vision Of Jesus

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Aug 6, 2018

Jesus displays His presence and power so that we may be accountable to Him when temptations beset us and assured by Him when trials besiege us.

The Book of Revelation was given by the Father to Jesus, who presented it through the Apostle John “to show to his servants the things that must soon take place” (Rev. 1:1). The prophecy was written in the mid-90s by John on the island of Patmos, where he was in exile “on account of the word of God ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 1:9-20, Daniel 7:9-14

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Pharisee And The Tax Collector

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Jul 29, 2018

Some people soak in their own righteousness; others seek a righteousness not their own. It is the latter who are in a right standing with God.

HOW DO YOU KNOW that you’re right with God? Can you know such a thing? When I was in the eleventh grade, one of my friends took his own life. Some of you have heard me tell that story. I don’t want to get into the details now, but I do want to talk about the effect my friend’s death had on me. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Postscript: Thine Is The Kingdom

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Jul 7, 2018

The Lord’s Prayer is not just something you say to God. When you pray it, it says something about you.

We come at last to the postscript of the Lord’s Prayer. And while these words do not appear in the best manuscripts of the New Testament, they surely belong in the prayer. They are in any case biblical. I hope you noticed that as we read the Old Testament lesson from 1 Chronicles 29. How can you ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13, Romans 11:33-36, 1 Chronicles 29:10-13

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

God's Covenant With Abraham

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Jun 9, 2018

God's promises don’t rest on your faith. They rest on his faithfulness. But how can you not have faith in One so faithful?

TODAY I WANT TO TALK WITH YOU about faithfulness—not yours, but God’s God is a promise-making God, but he is also a promise-keeping God. He is faithful in keeping his Word. Now, admittedly, it is sometimes hard to believe that. Our faith falters when it looks like God has forgotten what he ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 15:1-18

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Whose Story Is It?

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Jun 9, 2018

Are the star of your own story with God playing a supporting role, or are you in a story that’s bigger than you, with God in the lead and you in the supporting role?

Bill Clem opens his book, Disciple, with two scenarios. One has to do with a couple of guys who are theater majors in college, and they grow impatient with all the hoops they have to jump through to finish their degree. They just want to be producing plays and directing and acting in them. So, one ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed