Épisodes

  • Malachi 2:10-16 - An Unfaithful People, a Faithful God (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    Malachi 2:10-16 - An Unfaithful People, a Faithful God (Rev. Erik Veerman)
    Oct 26 2025
    32 min
  • Malachi 2:1-9 - The Polluted Priests and the Perfect Priest (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    Malachi 2:1-9 - The Polluted Priests and the Perfect Priest (Rev. Erik Veerman)
    Oct 19 2025
    Please turn in your Bibles to Malachi chapter 2. Our sermon text is verses 1-9. That can be found on page 953 in the pew Bible. Last week, we learned that the people had been bringing polluted offerings to the temple. They were supposed to bring unblemished offerings for the sacrifices. Instead, they brought lame and sick and blind animals. By doing so, they were dishonoring the Lord. I usually don’t spend a lot of time on sermon titles. But last week’s title and this week’s title are connected. Last week’s title was The Polluted Offerings and the Pure Offering. This week, it’s The Polluted Priests and the Perfect Priest. That is because last week’s passage and this week’s passage are connected. The problem was not only that the people were bringing impure offerings. The problem was also that the priests were allowing it. And not just allowing it, supporting it and failing to lead the people in God’s way and will. Let’s now come to God’s Word Reading of Malachi 2:1-9 Prayer In 1794, a young man was ordained to pastoral ministry in Berlin. He was brilliant and eloquent. This man had studied theology and philosophy at a Protestant university named after the great Martin Luther. As a young pastor, he witnessed the younger generation in Germany walking away from the church. That greatly grieved him, as it should. But, to win them back, he developed a new kind of theology which he hoped would make Christianity more attractive to modern minds. He began to teach that the essence of faith was not trusting in God’s revealed truth, but feeling God’s presence within. The Bible, he said, was not divine revelation itself, but a record of human experiences with the divine. Repentance gave way to sentiment, and the cross of Christ became a symbol rather than a saving act. His name was Frederich Schliermacher. Sadly, his sermons and teaching spread across Germany. Even worse, after he became a professor at the University of Berlin, his influence spread to all of Europe and into America. In the last two centuries, Schleiermacher’s beliefs have led thousands of churches and millions of Christians astray. Few men in modern history have done more to undermine the Gospel while claiming to defend it. I bring this up as an example of what Malachi 2:1-9 warns against. The priests were supposed to lead the people. They were the ones who were to direct the people to the Lord and were to faithfully teach his truth. But they failed. Look down at verse 7. I know we are jumping ahead. But this is an important verse about the role of priests. It says, “For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.” The priests were not only to oversee the temple and sacrificial system, but they were to faithfully teach God’s truth. By the way, that is different from a prophet. A prophet was given new revelation from God. A priest was to teach what God had already reveled. Does that make sense? Well, as you know, we do not have priests today. No, the priestly function in the Old Testament has been fulfilled in Christ. That is why there are no priests in the New Testament. There are no more animal offerings, because, as a reminder from last week, Jesus offered himself for us as the ultimate offering for sin. However, there are some parallels between priests and pastors… or priests and teachers of God’s Word. Both are to direct people to God, and both are to faithfully teach his Word and live out his ways. So, a big part of the application of these verses today is about preachers and teachers. And as you will see, the stakes are high. Now, you may be tempted at this point to check out. Maybe you are thinking, “I’m not called to teach the Bible, so this doesn’t really apply to me.” Well, I want to say a couple things. · First, one of the passages we read earlier in the service was from 1 Peter 2. In 1 Peter 2:9, God’s people are called a royal priesthood. Maybe you’ve heard the phrase, “priesthood of all believers.” In some ways, we are all to teach and model God’s Word. You may not have a formal teaching role in the church, but you may be called to disciple others at some point in your life. Or if you are married, you have a responsibility to lead or participate in leading your family. · Second, this passage teaches us to know what to look for in a Godly leader in the church. In the Old Testament times, the priests were descendants of Levi, one of Jacob’s 12 sons. However, in the New Testament, elders and pastors in the church are appointed by the church. So, we have a responsibility to seek Godly men to lead. I’m just saying that these verses apply to everyone in the church. Which brings us to Malachi 2. We’re going to look at three things: #1. The Curse. #2. The Corruption. And #3. The Covenant. 1. The Curse So, number 1. The Curse. Briefly look at verse 1. It...
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    30 min
  • Malachi 1:6-14 - The Polluted Offerings and the Pure Offering (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    Malachi 1:6-14 - The Polluted Offerings and the Pure Offering (Rev. Erik Veerman)
    Oct 12 2025
    31 min
  • Malachi 1:1-5 - From Doubting God's Love to Declaring God's Love (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    Malachi 1:1-5 - From Doubting God's Love to Declaring God's Love (Rev. Erik Veerman)
    Oct 5 2025
    Malachi 1:1-5 - From Doubting God’s Love to Declaring God’s Love We’re beginning a new sermon series this morning. We’ll be in the Book of Malachi for the next couple of months. You can find Malachi chapter 1 on page 953 in the Pew Bibles. Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament, so if you can find the book of Matthew, turn left a couple of pages. We’ll begin with verses 1-5. One note before I read. In these verses, you will hear of a reference to Edom. The Edomites were the descendants of Esau. That will be some helpful context. Reading of Malachi 1:1-5 Prayer When I was in high school and college, I spent a few summers working at a Christian camp. Well, one particular summer, one of my fellow counsellors had a very difficult camper. This kid was, I think, only in 1st grade. And he was rambunctious. He was mean to the other campers. He struggled to follow rules. He didn’t want to participate in activities. In those moments, his counsellor would get down on one knee to his level, and try gently instruct him. During dangerous activities, like archery, his counsellor would often have to hold his hand, to keep him safe. Of course, the other boys in his cabin would get angry at him. Their counsellor would always intervene and remind them all to speak kind words to one another. Well, one afternoon, things escalated. The counsellor tried to calm his camper down, but the boy lost it and started screaming. Literally, the whole camp could hear it. They were in the middle of a big group activity, so his counsellor had to gently carry him away. As this young boy was being carried away, he kept screaming over and over, “I hate you.” “I hate you.” To which his counsellor calmly responded over and over, “I love you.” “I love you.” Their back and forth slowly faded as they passed out of sight. The camper, of course, didn’t understand that his counsellor did love him. He didn’t know what love really looked like in that situation. To this boy, it didn’t appear to be love at all. Maybe some of you who are parents have experienced something similar. Well, as we get to Malachi chapter 1, God’s people, likewise, were questioning God’s love. It didn’t feel like God loved them. But he did. And in response, God mercifully reminds them of his love. Most of us here today have at one point or another cried out to God. We’ve questioned whether he was even there or if he was loving. Maybe that is what you are feeling today. My hope and prayer that you will leave here with a renewed or new sense of God’s love for you. Introduction As we get into the book of Malachi, let me first mention some background things. Malachi is one of 12 books called minor prophets. They are called “minor” not because they are less important but because they are shorter. We don’t actually know much about the prophet Malachi other than that his name means “messenger.” He was a messenger from God. As we will find out next week, he lived in Jerusalem. And based on the themes in the book and its position in the Old Testament cannon, Malachi prophesied sometime during the middle of the 400s BC. He very likely overlapped with Ezra and Nehemiah. At that time, some of the exiles had returned from Babylon to Jerusalem, and the temple had been rebuilt. The last thing to point out is the word “oracle” right there in verse 1. It’s used throughout the Old Testament when a prophets were given a particularly burdensome word from God. Oracle, in fact, means burden – you know, like a heavy load that an animal would carry on its back and the weariness or distress that it would bring. When the word “oracle” is used to describe a prophetic utterance, it is conveying the weight of that prophecy. As we work our way through Malachi, we are going to see the weight of this prophecy. Over and over, God very clearly calls for repentance from grievous sin, and God warns them if they do not return to him. However, before all of that, God begins with a reminder of his love. And that is what verses 2-5 are about. If you turn to page 4 of your bulletin, you can see where we are headed. · First, God’s Love Doubted. Verse 2. · Second, God’s Love Defended, the end of verse 2 through verse 4 · And third, God’s Love Declared, 5 So, God’s love doubted, defended, and declared. 1. God’s Love Doubted We see right there in verse 2 that the people doubted God’s love for them. “I have loved you,” says the Lord, but you say, “how have you loved us?” By the way, this is the pattern throughout Malachi. God quotes the people questioning him, and then he answers. It’s the organizing framework for the book. How have you loved us, Lord? It sure doesn’t feel like you do. This was a difficult time in Jerusalem. We don’t often think of it that way because, after all, the people were back in Jerusalem. The temple had been rebuilt. However, socially and economically, ...
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    28 min
  • Discipleship - Growing in Grace and Truth (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    Discipleship - Growing in Grace and Truth (Rev. Erik Veerman)
    Sep 21 2025
    Over the last 6 weeks, we’ve been talking through our vision, mission, and philosophy as a church. We started with 4 sermons on the pillars to our ministry.· First, being a faithful church, which begins with God’s faithfulness to us in the Gospel.· Second, the means through which God applies his grace in us – which are his Word, prayer, and the sacraments.· Third, the overarching theme of the entire Bible, God’s covenant promises and their fulfillment in Christ.· And forth, God’s appointed leaders for his church – elders.And now we are applying those pillars to our worship, our discipleship, and our missions. Last week we focused on worship – that is, corporate worship. This week’s focus is on discipleship, and then next week, we will conclude with missions and outreach.Please turn to Matthew 28 in your Bibles. Our first of two sermon texts is what we call the great commission. Matthew 28:18-20. That is on page 993 in the Pew Bible.You may be wondering why our sermon text is the great commission, yet our focus is on discipleship. Well, that is because this passage is about discipleship. You can’t really separate missions and discipleship. In fact, worship is in the mix as well. Discipleship begins in worship and includes missions. They all overlap.Reading of Matthew 28:18-20Our second sermon text is from 2 Peter chapter 3. That is on page 1209 in the Pew Bible. 2 Peter 3 verses 14-18.This is one of the more traditional passages related to discipleship. The apostle Peter has just written about the second coming of Christ. And then Peter writes these very important words as far as our godliness and our knowledge of Jesus Christ, as we wait for the new heavens and hearth.Reading of 2 Peter 3:14-18PrayerIf you were to survey 1000 pastors and you were to ask each one for a definition of discipleship, you would get 1000 different answers.Some would focus on relationships. Others would focus on Bible study. Some would center their answer on serving. Others would say it’s about being real. Others would make the case that discipleship is all about missions. Some would say that it is about God’s kingdom – kingdom discipleship. For others, it’s life-on-life ministry. Others talk about sonship – being sons of God. Yet others describe it as head, heart, and hands. For some, families are the most important thing. For others, the church is key. Some say discipleship is about self-denial and taking up your cross.And we ask why? Why are there a gazillion definitions of discipleship?Well, I think the main part of the answer is quite simple.The word “discipleship” is not in the Bible. It is therefore difficult to come up with a Biblical definition for that reason. To be sure, the word “disciple” singular and “disciples” plural are in the Bible. It’s just that the word discipleship is not. It’s is a word that we’ve come up with to capture the task of making disciples. The word discipleship seeks to answer the “how” questions. How do we make disciples of Jesus? Discipleship is about implementation. That is why there are so many definitions.And so, I think it’s better not to come up with a single approach to discipleship. Rather, I think it’s best to first understand what a disciple is, then second, consider the foundations to making disciples. And only after we do that, can we evaluate discipleship approaches and start identifying our own principles.Here’s what I am saying… rather than trying to come up with a definition of discipleship, it’s better to consider the broader Biblical framework for the task of making disciples. That framework can then be used to evaluate discipleship approaches.By the way, this is an impossible task. I’m not talking about identifying the Biblical principles for making disciples, I’m talking about trying to preach on it in one sermon. I realized this on Friday afternoon. I thought, what have I got myself into? There is no way to fit this into a 30+ minute sermon. I also thought, I’m looking forward to getting back to our regular expository sermons in a couple of weeks.But we are here now. And many of you have mentioned that this series has been helpful. So, I’m going to press on and try.1. What is a disciple and what is the call?As I mentioned, let’s begin with the question, what is a disciple?Let’s start by looking at Matthew 28. These verses give us a good foundation on what a disciple is and what a disciple should pursue. And we know these verses well. Matthew 28 verse 19 – “Go therefore and make disciples.” By the way, much debate has been had about the underlying Greek words, especially the word “go.” We’re not going to “go” there today. Let me simply say that the imperative here is to “make disciples.”The call is to bring people from not following Jesus to following Jesus. That is what the word disciple means - a follower. Being a follower includes, of course, believing in ...
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    32 min
  • Missions: The Big Picture (Rev. Coleman Erkens)

    Missions: The Big Picture (Rev. Coleman Erkens)
    Sep 28 2025
    36 min
  • Worship According to God's Word (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    Worship According to God's Word (Rev. Erik Veerman)
    Sep 14 2025
    Over the next 3 weeks, we’ll be working through our beliefs and practices in our worship, discipleship, and missions. Really, these are the implications of the last 4 weeks… and how our foundational beliefs apply in those three areas. So, today, we’ll focus on worship. And I do want to remind you that we have a philosophy of worship document. It’s next to the welcome table. That document gives the reasons behind the elements of our corporate worship. We’ll be talking through many of those today. We have two sermon texts listed, Leviticus 10:1-3 and John 4:1-26. We will also be considering the second commandment from Exodus 20. We read earlier in the service. Please turn to Leviticus chapter 10. You can find that on page 104 in the Pew Bible. This is a difficult passage. Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu make an unacceptable offering to the Lord. And they were met with God’s immediate judgment. Reading of Leviticus 10:1-3 Reading of John 4:1-26 – Our second reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter 4. Please turn there. You can find that on page 1056. This is the account of Jesus’ interaction with the woman at the well. Reading of John 4:1-26 Prayer We live in the age of personalization. You can configure your home screen, your playlist, your news feeds, your chicken sandwich. Certain apparel can be tailor-made to your liking. If you buy a new car, you can pick exactly the features and colors you want before it’s even manufactured. A new home can be customized to your desire, including picking a floorplan, your kitchen cabinets, your flooring, the color of your walls, your bathroom tile and vanity, and the exterior look. And those things are kinda nice, because, you know, we have different likes and preferences. Well, Nadab and Abihu learned the hard way that the worship of God is not on the customizable list. That is, how we worship God is not something that we get to decide, but rather has been decided by God himself. Now, I want to acknowledge that Leviticus 10:1-3 is a sensitive text. It’s hard to read and think about because here are two men who were coming before the Lord. Their father, Aaron was the very first High Priest among God’s people. He was Moses’s brother. But in that very moment when Nadab and Abihu came to the Lord, they were consumed by the fire of God’s wrath. They did not die in an accident nor were they killed by another man. No, it was God himself who inflicted his judgment directly on them. And I’m sure you, like me, have many many questions. God, where is your mercy? What did they do to deserve this? Or how about this question, which you may also have: Do I deserve the same judgment? Well, the answer to that last question is “yes.” Yes, I do. Yes, you do. You see, one thing that this passage reveals is why Christ Jesus came and was crucified. Jesus suffered the wrath of God in place of his people for the very reason that Nadab and Abihu were killed. God is a holy and just God. His judgment against sin must be satisfied. Nadab and Abihu experienced what Christ endured for those who turn to him by faith. I wanted to say that up-front to relieve any undue burden for those of you who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior. The holy justice and judgment of God, which Nadab and Abihu suffered, Jesus bore on the cross for you. But that does not mean that Leviticus 10 only speaks about God’s justice and our need for mercy. No, it also shows that God cares about how he is to be worshiped. 1. Worship According to God’s Word Our worship, meaning, what we are doing here and now, our corporate worship, needs to be submitted to God’s Word. That is the foundational thing that I want us to consider this morning. We need to worship according to what God has prescribed for us. I’ll begin by arguing that principle from a couple of passages, and then we’ll apply that to our worship this morning. But first, back to Nadab and Abihu. They had been given the ceremonial requirements that the priests were to follow. In fact, right before they offered their unauthorized fire, Moses had presented all of God’s requirements for the priestly offerings and then their father, Aaron, made the first offerings to God based on those commands. But Nadab and Abihu failed to meet them. They were supposed to consecrate themselves and their incense before coming to the Lord. That consecration involved a ceremonial cleansing which indicated their need to be holy in God’s presence. But they didn’t do that and they therefore suffered the immediate consequences of God’s holiness. As I mentioned earlier, that event reveals the need for cleansing work of Christ, who makes us holy. So, Nadab and Abihu’s lack of obedience to God’s commands for worship… revealed that their hearts didn’t believe in the justice of God nor the Messiah who was to come. Let me put it this way, God prescribes his worship to reveal his character, our need, and his mercy in Christ. The ...
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    34 min
  • Presbuteroi: Shepherd's of God's Flock (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    Presbuteroi: Shepherd's of God's Flock (Rev. Erik Veerman)
    Sep 7 2025
    As many of you know, we just had our church’s 5th anniversary a couple of months ago. Because of that, we have been taking a few weeks to walk through our foundations as a church and how those work out in our ministry. We started 3 weeks ago with our calling to be faithful in three things: faithful in our devotion to God, faithful to Biblical doctrine, and faithful to the great commission. We considered the church in Antioch as an example of a church that was faithful in those ways. Then 2 weeks ago, we talked through the primary means through which God changes us. The Holy Spirit works through God’s Word, Prayer, and the Sacraments. We call those the means of grace. Our worship, our discipleship, and our mission revolve around those means of grace. Then last week, Coleman preached on the central unifying theme of the Bible - God’s Covenant promise to his people which he fulfilled in Jesus. God’s Covenant with us is what ties together the Old and New Testaments including God’s covenant people of old and the church today. That covenant theme affects our teaching and prayer and ministry and really, our lives. That brings us to our focus for today. The question is, why do we call ourselves a Presbyterian church? What does that mean and why is it important for us? We have two sermon texts this morning. The first is from Acts chapter 15. Please turn there. You can find Acts 15 on page 1098 in the pew Bibles. We’ll look at verses 4-21. This passage is about the Jerusalem council. Remember from three weeks ago, the church in Antioch had sent the apostle Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem. They were to work with other elders and apostles concerning an important matter in the church. Our verses this morning are about the council itself. Reading of Acts 15:4-21 Our second reading is from 1 Peter 5:1-5. Please turn there. That is on page 1206. The apostle Peter is writing to the church scattered across Asia minor. In the prior chapters, he has been encouraging them in their persecution, and then Peter turns to address the elders and their role. Reading of 1 Peter 5:1-5 Prayer Every single organization in the entire world shares one thing in common. I’m talking about corporations, non-profits, governmental agencies, countries, states, counties… social clubs, and sports team … Each and every one of those organizations shares one thing in common. They all have leaders. Some leaders are effective, some struggle. Some are inspiring, some lead by example, some you want to follow, others you don’t have a choice. From the world’s perspective, good leaders are often identified as strong and decisive. They are the take-charge kind of people who are willing to take risks and make hard decisions and sometimes whatever it takes to be successful. Well, that leadership model is a far cry from God’s call for leaders in his church. No, rather, the church is called to raise up shepherds of God’s flock. Elders. These men are not to be like army drill sergeants or naval commanders. They are not to be heavy-handed CEOs or brash politicians, or whip-you-into-shape coaches. No, elders in the church are called to care for your soul and to pray for you. They have been entrusted to lead in matters of eternal consequence. They are therefore to be humble like our chief shepherd, Jesus, who humbled himself and laid down his life for us, his sheep. Elders are to serve. They are to pour themselves out for us, as God’s sheep. Now, you may be asking, what does all of that have to do with being a Presbyterian church? Well, actually, it has everything to do with being Presbyterian. The word presbuteros is the Greek word for elder. The plural is the word Presbuteroi, elders. We are a Presbyterian church because we believe that God’s design for leaders in his church centers around elders. Given that, what I want to do this morning is argue for two things related to elders: Number 1, that God has prescribed elders to lead his church. And number 2, the model for elder leadership goes beyond the local congregationals. That is where we are headed. And by the way, this is not the first sermon we have had on elders. We have had a couple of them. It’s usually when we have opened nominations for elders and deacons. In those sermons, we’ve mainly focused on the Godly character qualities of the officers, as both Titus chapter 1 and 1 Timothy chapter 3 reveal. Today, we will not be focusing on the qualifications of elders. But I don’t want you to get the impression that those are not important. No, those qualifications are absolutely critical. Rather, my goal today is to make a Biblical case for the role of elders in God’s church. 1. Elders as God’s Prescribed Leadership Number 1: elders (presbuteroi) are God’s prescribed leaders for his church. And the first thing I want to say is that if we take the New Testament as a whole, we are given two offices for the church – elders and deacons. I’ve already mentioned Titus...
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    34 min