Épisodes

  • Worship According to God's Word (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    Worship According to God's Word (Rev. Erik Veerman)
    Sep 14 2025
    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
    34 min
  • Covenant: One People, One Promise (Rev. Coleman Erkens)

    Covenant: One People, One Promise (Rev. Coleman Erkens)
    Aug 31 2025
    34 min
  • Extraordinary Grace through Ordinary Means (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    Extraordinary Grace through Ordinary Means (Rev. Erik Veerman)
    Aug 27 2025
    31 min
  • Antioch, a Faithful Church (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    Antioch, a Faithful Church (Rev. Erik Veerman)
    Aug 17 2025
    Antioch – A Faithful Church A couple of you have asked what are studying next. Well, I have answers. The next few weeks will be a little out of the ordinary. Since we just celebrated the 5th anniversary of our launch, we’re going to take some time to focus on who we are. We’ll cover the foundations of what we believe as well as how we work that out in ministry. This morning is kind of like our ministry heart. So that will take us through September. Then after that, we’re going to go back to the Old Testament. We do a short series through Malachi. Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament. And we’re going to do that as a lead in to the Gospel of John. We haven’t gone chapter by chapter through a Gospel yet, so we are going to tackle John. So, that is the plan. Tucker Pres, Malachi, and John’s Gospel. As you know, sometimes plans change. I don’t anticipate that they will, but will let you know. As far as who we are as a church, we’ll be basing each of these sermons on a Scripture text or two or three. This morning, we’re going to be looking at the church in Antioch as a case study. If you look in your bulletin, you will see that we are covering selections from the book of Acts – several passages from Acts 11-15. We’re going to begin with chapter 11 verses 19-26, then as we go, I will direct you to the next passage. Acts 11 is found on page 1093 Stand. Reading of Acts 11:19-26; 13:1-3; 14:24-28; 15:1-2, 22, 30-35 Prayer Let me ask, what would you say if someone asked you about Tucker Pres? What are the things that define who we are at Tucker Pres? Would you say that we are a church that loves one another? Would you say that we are a church that loves God and the Gospel? Would you say that our primary thing is pursuing the truth of God’s Word? Or are we a church that emphasizes mercy and outreach? Or is the most important thing for us knowing God intimately and praying? Is our number 1 thing Gospel centered worship? I could ask more, but I simply want to stir your minds with those questions. The reason I ask is because every church has an identity. Every church has things that are important to them. Churches have vibes and churches emphasize different things. Well, what defines us Tucker Pres? There is a word that comes to my mind. It’s a word that I believe defines us well. It’s also a word that is aspirational. So what is it? Well, the word that comes to my mind is the word “faithful.” I believe we are stiving to be faithful. Now, I know what some of you are thinking. The word faithful is not that helpful because what church doesn’t want to be faithful. And that’s true. What I mean by faithful is faithful to God’s mission for his church. Faithful to what God has called his church to be and to do. Faithful in our worship. Faithful in our ministry and our mission. Faithful to be a light of the Gospel. Faithful to care for one another. Faithful to grow in our faith. Faithful to the Gospel and to God’s Word. Faithful. This morning, I want us to consider what it means for a church to be faithful. A church that has a heart to be faithful. There’s a reason I picked Antioch as an example. I think of all the churches mentioned in the New Testament, Antioch stands out as a model of a faithful church. The other day, I was driving home from a day trip out to the Covington area – taking the back roads. And I passed by a church named Corinth. It kind of made me laugh. Given all the internal struggles that the church in Corith had, some of what we just studied, I’m not sure why a church would want that name. But nonetheless there are churches named Corinth. On the other hand, there are hundreds of churches in the United States named Antioch. There are many many Antioch Baptist churches. There are several named Antioch Methodist. A few named Antioch Christian Church, and even a couple of them are named Antioch Presbyterian. I think it’s a good name because Antioch modelled what it means to be a faithful church. By the way, the city of Antioch was located on the Mediterranean Sea about 200 miles north of Israel. It was right in the corner of the Mediterranean where the coast of modern-day Turkey turns south and Syria begins. As we read, the church was started when the Christians were scattered because of the persecution and martyrdom of Stephen. In Acts 7, Stephen, one of the early church leaders was preaching and he was stoned to death by the Jews. Well, several Christians ended up in Antioch and they formed a church, there. Flip back to Acts 11. Look down at verse 23. Barnabas was sent from Jerusalem to survey the situation. And look what he found. Verse 23 says, “When he [Barnabas] came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.” And that is exactly what Antioch did. They remained faithful! …faithful to the Lord with the purpose to which God had called them. They modelled ...
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    32 min
  • 2 Corinthians 13:11-14 - Rejoice, Live in Peace, and Receive God's Grace (Rev. Erik Veerman

    2 Corinthians 13:11-14 - Rejoice, Live in Peace, and Receive God's Grace (Rev. Erik Veerman
    Aug 3 2025
    2 Corinthians 13:11-14 - Rejoice, Live in Peace, and Receive God’s Grace Please turn to 2 Corinthians 13 verses 11-14. That is on page 1153 in the pew Bibles. It’s always bittersweet to finish a sermon series. On the one hand, I wish it wasn’t coming to an end because 2 Corinthians has been such a blessing. On the other hand, it’s good to move on to other books of the Bible and be blessed and challenged in different ways. So, this will be our last sermon in this series. Next week, we are going to have a missions focused Sunday. And then after that, stay tuned. Let’s now come to these concluding words of 2 Corinthians. This is inspired, inerrant God’s Word, given through the apostle Paul. Reading of 2 Corinthians 13:11-14 Prayer Every book of the Bible, in different ways, relates to our culture and the church, today. Sometimes, the connection is more direct. Other times it is more indirect. Well, in 2 Corinthians we’ve seen many direct parallels. I think the reason is that the city of Corinth is like our culture today. It was a confluence of many backgrounds, beliefs, and idols. If you remember, it was a Roman city in Greece. The city had been resettled about 100 years earlier by Julius Ceasar. It therefore boasted of Roman authority and power but being on the Achaia peninsula in Greece, it was still influence by Greek philosophy and gods. The temple of Aphrodite – the goddess of love – overlooked the city. That unholy influence increased the city’s sexual promiscuity and prostitution. Furthermore, it was also a major port city. People and goods travelling east and west would travel through Corinth. That made it a desirable place to live for many people from many cultures. You had sea merchants and other traders capitalizing on its primary industry. Other entrepreneurs set up shop to profit off of the all travelers. Since it was a rather new city, Roman and Greek nobles came to fill in the vacuums of political power. Put this all together, Corinth was very cosmopolitan. It was a melting pot of people groups with diverse religious, political, and commercial interests and backgrounds. Sound familiar? I don’t think there’s any major international city today that doesn’t share some of the same characteristics, at least to one extent or another… the Atlanta area included. Think about the effect on the church. The world’s philosophies and priorities were pressing in on the church in Corinth. And it wasn’t just a single cultural influence; it was a combination of all those influences. That made it even more difficult for the church to filter out truth from error and righteousness from sinfulness. And it’s the same thing today. Yes, there are different influences, but they are surprisingly similar. And like every generation in the past, those influences affect the church. Someone asked me the other day whether there was a particular teaching in the church today that 2 Corinthians directly confronts. And the answer is yes. 2 Corinthians directly confronts the Prosperity Gospel. As you know, the prosperity gospel has come up several times over these last few months. It teaches a false theology of suffering, an idolatrous view of money, and a perverted Gospel – a gospel not based on faith in what Christ has done on the cross and in his resurrection, but a false gospel that is socially conceived; focusing on earthly health and wealth and not faith in Christ alone. And, of course, it lines the pockets of the prosperity preachers. So, the false apostles in Corinth, which Paul called “super apostles” are in many ways analogous to prosperity Gospel preachers today. They not only perverted the truth, but arrogantly exalted themselves, their social status, and their worldly credentials. Now, to be sure, it’s not a perfect parallel. The church in Corinth had its unique challenges, but the parallels to Prosperity preaching are there. And you can see some of those parallels in the various things that Paul has been addressing in the book. We’ve come across several of them. In summary, there have been five streams of teaching that have dealt with the issues in Corinth. They include: 1. Number 1, Authentic ministry. Not only has the apostle Paul over and over defended his apostleship, but in doing so, he has laid the foundation to true and authentic ministry. A faithful church and a faithful minister is humble and seeks to reflect Christ. Faithful churches and pastors pursue integrity and sincerity and point to Christ, not themselves. As Paul put it just a couple verses earlier, they build up and don’t tear down. Those are the signs of faithful ministries. 2. A second stream that has come up multiple times is strength through weakness. That is, the strength of Christ in the weakness of our human flesh. 2 Corinthians has given us rich truths that we can hold on to in our weaknesses and suffering. Rather than try to summarize it here, let me just remind you of those verses. ·...
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    29 min
  • 2 Corinthians 13:1-10 - A Loving Model of Church Discipline (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    2 Corinthians 13:1-10 - A Loving Model of Church Discipline (Rev. Erik Veerman)
    Jul 27 2025
    Please turn to the last chapter of 2 Corinthians. Chapter 13. Our sermon text is verses 1-10. You can find that on page 1153. Last week, the apostle Paul reminded the church of his fatherly love for them. Paul was their earthly spiritual father. And as their spiritual father, he warned them about their sin. Those who had wandered from the truth and godly living needed to return to the Lord. And they needed to do that before Paul’s third visit. In the last paragraph in chapter 12, Paul expressed his fear that the Corinthians would not repent. That brings us to chapter 13. In our verses this morning, Paul warns them about what will happen if his fears come true. He will need to discipline them. Reading of 2 Corinthians 13:1-10. Prayer Just last month, Lifeway research published a study on church discipline. They found that many churches have discipline policies but rarely are their policies put into practice. Four out of five churches have discipline policies, but only one in seven have recently put those policies into practice. It’s not surprising. Discipline is not fun. Parents know that. Children know that. And when something difficult happens in the church as a result of someone’s behavior or belief our natural tendency is to avoid the issue, or we hope that the person who committed the offense will move on. Hard conversation and actions are difficult. However, those difficult church discipline conversations and actions are the most loving thing that can be done. It’s loving for the sake of their souls, for the sake of any victim of their sin, and for the peace and purity of the church. In short, church discipline matters. Now you may have two questions in your mind. #1 – what exactly is church discipline. And #2 – how does it relate to this text in 2 Corinthians 13. Those are excellent questions. My goal today is to answer them. In fact, the sermon outline lists several questions. Not just the what, but also the why and the how and the who. We’ll spend our time going through them, and I hope by the end you will not only have a picture of church discipline’s importance, but will also see its loving purpose in your life and our church. 1: What is church discipline and what is it not? Question #1: What is church discipline and what is it not? That’s a great place to start and I found a good definition from another pastor. He put it this way: “Church discipline is the process by which the church confronts sin in the life of a believer and seeks to bring about repentance, restoration, and reconciliation.” Let me say that again. “Church discipline is the process by which the church confronts sin in the life of a believer and seeks to bring about repentance, restoration, and reconciliation.” We’re going to see that worked out in these verses. In fact, I believe, these verses, 2 Corinthians 13:1-10 are the most helpful passage in the Bible on church discipline. That’s a bold statement. We read another helpful passage earlier from Matthew 18. It’s considered by most to be the foremost directive for church discipline. In that passages, Jesus talks about when a brother in Christ sins against you, that you should first go to him. If he doesn’t listen, bring someone with you. And if he still doesn’t listen, Jesus says, bring the matter to the church. It’s very helpful. We’re told how to deal with sin when we are sinned against. And the church has some level of responsibility to adjudicate. But the question is this, what does it look like for the church to handle such situations? And this is where 2 Corinthians 13 helps. It gives us an example which includes the warning of discipline, the lead up to discipline, the basis of discipline, and its purpose. The reason that this text is about church discipline is found right there in the middle of verse 1. Take a look at it. Paul writes, “Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.” Remember again from last week, Paul had just warned them about the consequences of unrepentance, and here he used the language of judgment. That requirement of 2-3 witnesses goes back to the Old Testament laws regarding crimes and offenses. So, in other words, the warning in chapter 12 could lead to the legal action described in chapter 13, depending on whether the sin is proven. So, even though the word “discipline” is not used, these are matters involving the judgement of sin. And that is the heart of church discipline. It’s judging and confronting serious sin in a believer’s life in order to bring peace and purity to the church. Alright, let’s consider some examples. That’s always helpful. First, let’s go to Corinth. As you know, we’ve spent the last 7 months working through this letter. And one of the things we’ve seen over and over is how the false apostles taught a false Gospel and were making false accusations against Paul. Those were serious matters. And add to that, at the end of ...
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    33 min
  • 2 Corinthians 12:14-21 - Love that Longs For Repentance (Rev. Erik Veerman)

    2 Corinthians 12:14-21 - Love that Longs For Repentance (Rev. Erik Veerman)
    Jul 20 2025
    2 Corinthians 12:14-21 Love that Longs for Repentance Our sermon text this morning is 2 Corinthians 12:14-21. That is on page 1152 in the provided Bibles. The apostle Paul is wrapping up his defense of his apostleship. And in these verses, he lets the Corinthians know that he will be visiting them again, soon. This will be his third visit. Paul’s first visit was when he established the church in Corinth. He was there for 18 months. Paul’s second visit was the painful visit he made a few months prior to writing this letter. And this third trip would be to check in on them and if necessary, deal firmly with their ongoing sin. As you will hear, Paul hopes they will repent, but fears they won’t. Reading of 2 Corinthians 12:14-21 Prayer In 1962, Dick and Judy Hoyt gave birth to a son, Rick. Rick was born with a severe case of Cerebral Palsey. He was unable to move his legs, had limited use of his arms, and he was unable to speak. The Hoyts loved their son. They worked with him, and he learned to communicate through gestures and a rudimentary keyboard and screen. When Rick was 15, he communicated to his dad he wanted to race in a 5 mile road race. It was to raise money for a high schooler who had become paralyzed in an accident. So, they did it! Rick’s dad pushed Rick in his wheelchair for 5 miles, and Rick loved it. It made him feel like he could walk and run. Dick Hoyt would end up not only pushing his son in road races, but he made a special seat to carry him on a bicycle. He would also row a boat and tow Rick behind him, as if he were swimming. They competed in over 1,100 races including triathlons and marathons. In fact, both Rick and his dad are in the Ironman hall of fame. They have inspired many many others. Rick’s dad would do anything for his son. In the same way, the apostle Paul would do anything for the church in Corinth. He considered himself their spiritual father. Not their Heavenly Father, but their spiritual father on earth. And it’s true. Paul brought the Gospel to Corinth. He labored for months and months to teach them about Jesus and God’s promises fulfilled in him. Paul discipled them in their daily walk with Christ. He organized the church in Corinth. He brought the new believers together and taught them how to worship the Lord well. He modelled for them how to witness. He, in a sense, carried them. He loved them like a father would love a child. And that is why he wrote multiple letters. It’s why he visited them twice up to this point. And it’s why he sent Titus and Timothy, to minister on his behalf when he couldn’t be there. Paul loved them. Let me ask, what would a loving father do in such a situation? Some of his spiritual children were not living the life that he taught them. Some of them had been believing in false doctrine – worldly philosophy. Others were even questioning his motives. What would a loving father do? Even if you never knew your father, or even if your father was abusive or overbearing or didn’t seem to care or was mostly absent, even if one of those things, I think you can still probably imagine what a loving father would do. Maybe you saw it in someone else. Here’s what I think. A loving father would #1 express his unconditional love to them in no uncertain terms. #2 a loving father would need to correct them. If people had been accusing him of things that were not true (like what was happening in Corinth) a loving father would make it clear what was true and why. If they believed in something that was not true, he would seek to instruct them in what is right. So, love and correction. Then 3rd. A loving father would be firm. A loving father disciplines his children. That discipline may include warnings of consequences if their behavior persists. And lastly, and not least, #4 a loving father would grieve. All these things would weigh heavily on him. These verses display all of those things. Paul was acting as a loving father for his spiritual children in Corinth. There are three progressions in his fatherly communication. You’ll see them in the outline. 1. Seeking and sacrificing (12:14-15) – Paul displays a fatherly love that pursues no matter the cost 2. Dispelling deceit (12:16-19) – He speaks the truth in love to build them up 3. Fearing the fallout (12:20-21) – Paul warns them and grieves the devastation of unrepentant sin. 1. Seeking and sacrificing So, let’s work through those. Number 1, seeking and sacrificing. That’s what the apostle was doing. He was pursuing them no matter the cost. We see that right there in verse 14. He was saying to them, I’m ready to come to you a third time and there’s nothing about my visit that will materially burden you. You don’t need to financially support me. No, rather, I’m coming soon to help you. And then, he makes this beautiful declaration to them. “I seek not what is yours, but you.” I want you. I love you. I care about you. Isn’t that what we all want to hear...
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    30 min