Eastgate Church Sermons - Wilson

Eastgate Church
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Weekly sermons from Gary Combs and the preaching team at Eastgate Church in Wilson & Rocky Mount, NC.

  1. Sep 27

    Our Enlightenment in Christ

    Last week, we looked at Paul’s greeting and his opening praise to God for the blessings believers have in Christ. Now this week, we’ll be looking at Ephesians 1:15-23 and Paul’s prayer that believers would be enlightened to know the reality that these blessings are already theirs in Christ Jesus. Many Christians live as though we are spiritually impoverished because we don't understand the riches that already belong to us in Christ. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he prayed that God would enlighten the eyes of their hearts so that they might know what belonged to them in Christ.

    Our Enlightenment in Christ

  2. Sep 20

    Our Blessings in Christ

    Every one of us has to answer one of the most basic questions of life: “Who am I?” And how we answer that question shapes almost everything else about us. Again and again in these opening verses we encounter the words: “in Christ.” Paul wants believers to understand that our deepest identity is not something we achieve through our performance, inherit from our family, or discover by searching our feelings. Our identity is something we receive by grace because of our union with Jesus Christ. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he opens up his letter by praising God that He has given every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places to believers in Christ. We can praise God for the spiritual blessings He has given us in Christ.

    Our Blessings in Christ

  3. Sep 13

    The Ultimate Kingdom

    For four weeks now we have explored His Kingdom as being one we must be Receptive to, as being a Patient Kingdom, as being Unstoppable, and indeed Priceless. Today, we will see that His Kingdom is Ultimate, bringing every person to an ultimate and final response. It's easy to hear these parables, nod along, and then move on without allowing what we've heard to change how we live. Today, we will see that Jesus asked the disciples, "Have you understood all these things?" and they simply said, "Yes." But understanding these parables and rightly responding to them are two different things. As we conclude our parables series, I pray that you may hear and obey the words of our Lord Jesus today, who calls us to take action with what we’ve received. In the Gospel of Matthew chapter 13, Jesus finished His parables about the Kingdom of Heaven with a conclusion that demanded a response.

    The Ultimate Kingdom

  4. Sep 6

    The Priceless Kingdom

    Many today struggle with the issue of self-worth. On the one side, some value themselves only by what they bring to the table - how much money they make, their job title, their possessions, or their talents and skills. They tend to focus on the external. Others struggle with internal issues - poor body image, depression and anxiety, doubts and insecurities. They may lack confidence, compare themselves to others, or try to please others. Our view of the Kingdom of Heaven can remedy that. In Matthew 13:44-46, Jesus told two parables describing the Kingdom of Heaven as a treasure of priceless value that we are invited to and to which we can belong. We can rightly respond to the priceless Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus described.

  5. Aug 30

    The Unstoppable Kingdom

    Jesus spoke about the kingdom in ways that created a surprising tension. He said the kingdom was “at hand,” or had drawn near. He said it had “come upon” them. He said it was “in their midst.” Yet He also taught His disciples to keep praying, “Your kingdom come.” So the kingdom was near. It was present. It was already breaking into the world through the King. And yet, in another sense, it was still coming. The great surprise was not whether God’s kingdom would come, but how it would come. We tend to trust what is big, visible, immediate, and measurable. So when the gospel seems small in comparison to the powers of this world, when the culture seems increasingly resistant to Christ, or when the work of God appears to be slow and hidden, we can begin to wonder whether His kingdom is really advancing. But Jesus warned us not to worry about small beginnings and little influence. The kingdom may begin like a mustard seed and work like leaven, but what God has purposed through His Son cannot be stopped. In Matthew 13:31–35, Jesus taught two parables revealing the surprising manner in which the kingdom of heaven enters and advances in the world.

    The Unstoppable Kingdom

  6. Aug 23

    The Patient Kingdom

    Wherever Jesus the King is received, His reign begins to transform hearts and lives. That’s why Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come” prayers. The King has come, but His kingdom is an already/not yet kingdom. In today’s parable, Jesus answers the question hanging in the air that is something like: If the Messiah has come and the kingdom has arrived, why are the wicked still here, and why are so many rejecting the King? Or in other words, “If God is good and Christ is King, why does evil remain?” We often feel that same tension today. We look at a world filled with violence, injustice, unbelief, suffering, and open rebellion against God, and we wonder, If Jesus is King, why does evil remain? If we misunderstand the present nature of Christ’s kingdom, we may mistake His patience for weakness, His delay for absence, or the persistence of evil for the defeat of His purposes. We can learn to trust the King while we are still living in a world where wheat and weeds grow together. That is the tension Jesus addresses in the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds. In the Gospel of Matthew 13, Jesus told the parable of the wheat and the weeds to teach His disciples that His kingdom would patiently coexist with evil until the appointed harvest, when He would finally judge the wicked and vindicate the righteous.

    The Patient Kingdom

  7. Aug 16

    The Receptive Kingdom

    A parable is more than an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Jesus’ parables were simple stories drawn from everyday life that revealed the mysteries of the kingdom to receptive hearts. Parables don’t merely illustrate truth. They expose our response to truth. They reveal our spiritual receptivity. And that raises a very personal question for us: How receptive are we to the King and His kingdom? We can sit in church, hear the Word, sing the songs, know the prayers, and still have a heart that is resistant to what God is saying. The problem is not that God is silent. The problem is that sometimes we aren’t really listening. Jesus will describe four people who all hear the same message. The same sower. The same seed. But dramatically different results. The difference is not the seed. The difference is the soil. And the condition of the soil represents the spiritual receptivity of the heart.

    The Receptive Kingdom

  8. Aug 9

    From Texting to Praying

    We know how to communicate a prayer request. We can send a text, post it on social media, or add someone’s name to a prayer list. But communicating a burden is not the same as carrying it together before God. We need people who are more than informed. We need believers who will sit beside us, call upon God with us, remind us of His promises, and believe with us for His strength and help. Some burdens become lighter when others help us carry them. Some fears begin to lose their grip when we hear another believer speak God’s truth over us. Some trials require more than a prayer emoji. They call for the gathered people of God to lift their voices together. In the book of Acts, Luke described how after the Jewish leaders had arrested Peter and John and threatened them not to speak in the name of Jesus, they immediately gathered together with other believers to pray, and received Spirit-given boldness to continue proclaiming His Word. We can face life’s trials and fulfill Christ’s mission more boldly when we gather together in prayer.

    From Texting to Praying
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Weekly sermons from Gary Combs and the preaching team at Eastgate Church in Wilson & Rocky Mount, NC.

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