“Introducing the Kingdom of God” (Mark 1:1-15)

↓ Below is the sermon’s audio recording from Sunday morning service. In my last sermon, I talked about how the opening verse of Mark’s gospel helps us see Jesus as not just a savior but a King. Today we’ll dive into more of Mark chapter 1. [Read Mark 1:1-15] John, the forerunner How interesting that this story is supposed to be about Jesus, and yet, after the opening sentence, Mark talks about John first. A cousin of Jesus, John was a popular preacher. Yet John said, “If you think I’m so great… hah, you should listen to Jesus!” When Jesus was baptized by John, a voice from heaven confirmed Jesus’

Messiah, Son of the Blessed One

↓Audio link to the sermon: Today’s message is from Mark 14:62, “I am [the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One].” Facing the cross, Jesus was about to have a brief trial.  It was written that there were many people who gave false testimony against Jesus, but their statements did not agree. The high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus’ answer is the title of today’s message.  Through this message, we will make the decision whether to believe in Jesus as Christ or to see Jesus as a liar. We hope that together we will believe in Jesus as the Savior and

Take this cup from me

↓Audio link to the sermon: Today’s message is from Mark 14:36, “Take this cup from me.” Following this prayer, Jesus said, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Please read Mark 14:26-42. Jesus told his disciples, “You will all fall away, for it is written:  ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’” This is a quote from Zechariah 13:7. It is amazing that the events of the Cross and the betrayal of the disciples were prophesied in the Old Testament.  The disciples, of course, could not believe that they were about to be traitors at this point. Peter declared with confidence, “Even if all

Knowing God: Why and How?

Good morning brothers and sisters in Christ. One of my English students has been grieving the death of her husband. She said, “When my husband was alive, I didn’t appreciate him. But now that he’s gone, I don’t really have a reason to live. Now I know the meaning of life: the purpose of life is relationships.” I absolutely agree with her: the purpose of life is to be in relationships, especially with the God who created us. Recently, a well-known Christian writer named J.I. Packer passed away. Over the years, people have recommended his books to me. I want to read a quote from one of his classics, called

2 Kings 12 sermon, “Do not forget King Joash”

From a sermon series on 2 Kings by See Huang Lim, a missionary at IBF. Last month, we covered 2 Kings 11. We read about how Joash’s grandmother Athaliah tried to murder all of her own grandsons. Jehosheba, Joash’s aunt and the wife of Jehoiada the priest hid Joash from Athaliah, preserving the royal line of King David. When he was 7 years old, Joash was anointed king of Judah, and Athaliah was executed. Today, we will read about the rest of Joash’s life in 2 Kings 12. I would like for us to look at the character of King Joash today and focus on 2 of his weaknesses: his

2 Kings 11 sermon, “God’s Sovereignty, Silence, and Servant”

From a sermon series on 2 Kings by See Huang Lim, a missionary at IBF. Just last month, Tetsu Nakamura, a Christian doctor who dedicated more than 20 years of his life to the aid of the people of Afghanistan died after he was shot by presumably Islamist militants. We wonder, why do such things happen? This is one of the few questions we ask ourselves when we read 2 Kings 11. From this chapter, I would like to draw 3 points: 1) the sovereignty of God, 2) the silence of God, and 3) the servant of God. Before we read the text, let’s pray. [Read 2 Kings 11] Background