Christ Church Bentonville

Walking as Beloved Children (Ephesians 5:1-14)

Paul calls us, as beloved children of God, to love and give of ourselves to the point of sacrifice for the benefit of others and to reject sexual sin which is the epitome of taking for ourselves to the point of self-indulgence at the expense of others. 

The New Self (Ephesians 4:25-32)

Paul reminds the Ephesians and us of how we are to treat one another, live among one another, love one another, and extend grace to one another because we are family.   

Off with the Old, On with the New (Ephesians 4:17-24)

Obedience to the Lord is not oppressive or optional.  Our obedience to the Lord is for His glory, for our good, and the good of our neighbor.

Immanuel, God With Us (Isaiah 7:1-17; Matthew 1:18-25)

Ahaz was called to trust in a promise.  We have been called to trust in a promise fulfilled.  Ahaz's sign was a child that would be called Immanuel because God was going to be with the remnant. Our sign is a child that WAS Immanuel, because He WAS God with us.

Christ Our Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12)

Behold our Promised, Rejected, Suffering, Obedient and Successful Servant.  Merry Christmas!

Christ Our King (Psalm 110)

Our Ministry Intern, Aaron Raines, preaches from Psalm 110.  As the Old Testament passage most often quoted in the New Testament, the significance of Psalm 110 cannot be overstated.  In this messianic Psalm, David points to a King who is God, who rules and reigns, who is a priest, and who is a warrior.  That King is Jesus Christ.

Christ Our Priest (Psalm 110, Hebrews 7)

The insufficiency of the Levitical Priesthood, the Ceremonial Law, and its sacrifices were always meant to point to the sufficiency of the better, perfect, and permanent Priest and sacrifice in the Lord Jesus Christ.  He has come!  He is coming again!

Christ Our Prophet (Deut. 18:15-18, et al)

The prophet God had promised came as promised and will come again.  But until then, He continues to speak.  Therefore, we should listen.

Growing Up Into Christ (Ephesians 4:14-16)

Paul lays out 3 distinguishing marks of a church that is Growing Up Into Christ.  There is a growing stability in the truth, speaking of the truth, and serving out of the truth.  (Side note: the two links below are for book reviews that provide rationale for the specific naming of certain books within the sermon.)
https://www.challies.com/articles/my-top-book-reviews-of-all-time/
https://www.challies.com/articles/the-bestsellers-your-best-life-now/

Equipped for Ministry by Christ (Ephesians 4:7-13)

Paul says Christ's gifts are extended to us, exercised by us, and are explicitly for us. 

Maintaining Unity (Ephesians 4:1-6)

Paul calls us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling and to maintain unity in the process.  That isn't achieved by becoming unity-conscious or unity-driven but by focusing on what unites us, Christ.

A Prayer for the Ages (Ephesians 3:14-21)

Paul is about to stress the fact that who they were in Christ was to have a profound impact on how they lived (Ch. 4).  So, Paul prays so that their sin and failures don’t drive them to despair but rather drive them to the cross.