Apologia Church

(Apologies for the poor audio quality of the original recording) John the Baptist plays a significant role in the New Testament record. Many will be interested to know that John the Baptist was a well-known figure in the 1st-century outside of even the New Testament record. Flavius Josephus (a Pharisee and participant in the Roman vs. Jewish war) writes about John the Baptist's death at the hands of Herod. He says: “Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and was a very just punishment for what he did against John called the baptist [the dipper]. For Herod had him killed, although he was a good man and had urged the Jews to exert themselves to virtue, both as to justice toward one another and reverence towards God, and having done so join together in washing-” Antiquities 18.5.2 116-119 What is the significance of the John the Baptist figure in God's story? Why is it compelling that John the Baptist came preaching repentance and that he was the forerunner of Messiah? Why is it doubly significant that John the Baptist preached about the "Kingdom of Heaven" being "at hand". I think the answer will anchor your heart to Jesus and might just transform your life and the world around you. No King but Christ! Jeff Durbin Lead Pastor/Elder Sunday, June 8, 2014

May 25, 2014 • Jeff Durbin • The Kingdom of God Share Download John the Baptist plays a significant role in the New Testament record. Many will be interested to know that John the Baptist was a well-known figure in the 1st-century outside of even the New Testament record. Flavius Josephus (a Pharisee and participant in the Roman vs. Jewish war) writes about John the Baptist's death at the hands of Herod. He says: “Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and was a very just punishment for what he did against John called the baptist [the dipper]. For Herod had him killed, although he was a good man and had urged the Jews to exert themselves to virtue, both as to justice toward one another and reverence towards God, and having done so join together in washing-” Antiquities 18.5.2 116-119 What is the significance of the John the Baptist figure in God's story? Why is it compelling that John the Baptist came preaching repentance and that he was the forerunner of Messiah? Why is it doubly significant that John the Baptist preached about the "Kingdom of Heaven" being "at hand". I think the answer will anchor your heart to Jesus and might just transform your life and the world around you. No King but Christ! Jeff Durbin Lead Pastor/Elder Sunday, May 25, 2014

Matthew has prepared the ground. He has given us the marvelous announcement that the Davidic King had arrived. He had the right to the Messianic throne. He is the substance that all the prophecies were pointing to. The time had come. God was and is faithful. As we open Matthew chapter 2, I want to dwell on and think through the powerful promise that is quoted by Matthew from Micah. We often miss the beauty of what Matthew is thinking about because we don't go and put our eyes on the actual text that is being quoted. Look at the rest of Micah's text: And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. When the Assyrian comes into our land and treads in our palaces, then we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men; Micah 5:4-5 And, this morning, we will celebrate this promise fulfilled. This morning we will talk about how God will use us in its continued fulfillment. Soli Deo Gloria! Jeff Durbin Lead Pastor/Elder Sunday, April 13, 2014

The Bible isn't a Hodge-podge of disconnected parts and pieces thrown together willy-nilly. The Bible is God's Revelation to the very image-bearers He placed in the world. The Bible is God's story. It is not only the very voice of God to mankind, it is the demonstration of His power in history, His immeasurable love and kindness, His mercy for sinners, and the unfathomable extent of His sovereign plan. That sovereign plan is over the macro and micro issues. It includes the whole story and the little bits in between. Part of that story is the story of Israel: a people chosen for God's own possession. And in Matthew chapter 2, we begin to see that Israel's story is actually the story of Jesus. Only, in Jesus, we have the fulfillment of what Israel (God's son) was supposed to be all along. In Jesus, we have the perfection of the image and light of God that humanity was expected to broadcast out into the world. Jesus' story is perfect. Jesus is the summary of what Israel was supposed to be. Matthew wants us to know. God kept His promises. He is in control. History is going where He wants it to go. Soli Deo Gloria! Jeff Durbin Lead Pastor/Elder Sunday, April 6, 2014

Tonight, we are going to witness the record of the covenant and promise keeping nature of our great and awesome God! Let's dig-in: 1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,[a] 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,[b] 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos,[c] and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,[d] and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations. Matthew 1:1-17 Jeff Durbin Lead Pastor/Elder Sunday, February 23, 2014

I am humbled and honored to begin our newest series at Apologia Church: The Kingdom of God: An Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew God's people have been savoring the divine truths preserved for us in this book for 2,000-years. Think about that for a moment. We have the privilege of opening this treasure chest containing the story of the promised Messiah that our brothers and sisters drank deeply from long before us. Many of those in our spiritual lineage sealed their love for this book and their desire for you to know it with their own blood (in one way or another). That kind of thought causes me to pause and take a deep breath only to stare back at the page again in wonder. Sometimes I wonder how many sets of eyes scanned the text of Matthew. I sometimes wonder how many times certain passages were covered in tears. How many were tears of joy? How many tears dropped because despair was being lifted? How many tears dropped because someone approached the book and fell in love with Jesus for the first time and they painted these pages with salt? Only God knows how this book has been used. Only He knows what He intends to put into you as a result of committing yourself to owning the truths contained within its pages. There is so much to say. There is so much to learn. I can only begin this series thanking God. Thanking Him for using someone like me to even speak from it. Thanking Him for the gift of its preservation. And thanking Him for what He is doing in our lives through this book to bring about the exaltation of the Messiah throughout the whole world. No King but Christ! Jeff Durbin Lead Pastor/Elder Sunday, February 16, 2014