Wilmington Reformed

Restoring the Tabernacle to David

Acts 15 recounts the Council of Jerusalem where the early church confronts whether Gentile believers must follow Jewish law. Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and James reveal that God has opened the covenant to Gentiles through Christ, fulfilling prophecy from Amos and restoring the promise of David’s kingdom. The decision emphasizes salvation by grace, the replacement of circumcision with baptism, and the church’s unity across Jew and Gentile.

The Council of Jerusalem

This episode reads Acts 15 and examines the Council of Jerusalem, where the early church debated whether Gentile believers must be circumcised to be saved. Paul, Barnabas, Peter, and James address the controversy and affirm salvation by grace through faith rather than by the law.The sermon also draws out the church’s authority and structure, showing how the gathered people of God, under King Jesus, pronounce liberty from legal burdens and call believers into a communal, apostolic faith.

Persecution and Resurrection

This episode walks through Acts 14, recounting Paul and Barnabas’s missionary work: the healing of a man who had been crippled from birth, the crowd’s mistaken worship, and the violent opposition that led to Paul being stoned and assumed dead.The sermon emphasizes the paradox of the Christian life—suffering and persecution paired with resurrection hope—how the apostles planted and strengthened churches, and how believers are called to bear the marks of Christ while trusting in the risen Lord.

The Light of the World

This episode walks through Acts 13:13–52, where Paul recounts Israel’s story, proclaims Jesus as the promised Savior, and explains how forgiveness and resurrection fulfill God’s promises.When Jewish leaders reject the message, Paul turns to the Gentiles, declaring the church the new light to the nations. The sermon emphasizes the metaphor of light—Jesus and his church as lampstands called to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth.

The Promise Made to Our Fathers

Paul stands in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch and traces Israel's story from the Exodus through David to show that the Old Testament promises find their fulfillment in Jesus. He proclaims that through Jesus forgiveness of sins and justification are now offered to all who believe.The sermon calls for faith and warns scoffers, sparks both eager response and opposition, and marks the turning of the gospel outward to the Gentiles as the message begins to spread across the region.

Prophets, Prophesies, and the Sufficiency of Scripture

This episode unpacks Acts 13:1–12 and explains that prophets, miracles, and prophecies marked the inaugural period of the early church. It argues the apostolic era culminated in the completed canon, so Christians today are called to rely on Scripture as the sufficient and final authority.
The preacher contrasts foundation-era signs with the present building stage, urging believers to embrace the Bible’s clarity, sufficiency, and liberating power for faith and life.

The Power of Prayer

In this sermon on Acts 12 the preacher examines how the church’s earnest prayer brought about Peter’s miraculous rescue from Herod’s prison and the judgment on the king. The passage shows prayer as the primary weapon in the spiritual warfare between God’s kingdom and Satan’s kingdom.The message calls the church to persistent, faith-filled prayer, reminding believers that God answers and that our prayers engage heavenly power for deliverance, mission, and protection.

The Folly of Fighting God

Acts 12 recounts Peter’s miraculous escape from prison, Herod’s violent persecution and sudden judgment, and the church’s fervent prayer. The sermon warns against opposing God, reflects on divine justice and hell, and points to Christ’s mercy as the hope that transforms fear into reverent awe.

Oh for a Thousand Tongues

This episode reads Acts 10:44–48 and explores the Holy Spirit falling on Gentiles, their speaking in tongues, and subsequent baptism. Pastor Jackson distinguishes between historia salutis and ordo salutis, and reviews Acts 2 and Pentecost to explain why tongues were foreign languages that signified both judgment on Israel and blessing for the nations.
The sermon argues tongues functioned as a revelatory sign of the unveiled mystery of the gospel—a reversal of Babel and the start of a new age of unity in diversity—and calls listeners to value preaching, means of grace, and pray for the unity of all peoples in Christ.

The Hope of the Resurrection

This sermon on 1 Corinthians 15 proclaims the historical resurrection of Jesus as the foundation of Christian faith and salvation, showing Paul’s argument that without the resurrection the gospel is meaningless.It explains how Christ’s rising brings new life now, empowers holy living, comforts in suffering, and promises final victory over death, offering hope amid cultural cynicism and personal trials.