Tikvat Israel Sermons

The Jewish Gospel of Matthew presents Yeshua as a Powerful Servant that came to operate in authority. While others sought titles and positions, Yeshua brought the Kingdom of God with power and simplicity. In the historic scene of expectation for the Messiah, the Jewish people waited for a political liberator, but God sent a spiritual King that would set the human heart free before setting the nation free. Join us as we dive deeper into the three fundamentals of Messiah’s ministry from Mark 1:14-28 with our special speaker - Pastor Ossimar.

Before Yeshua healed a single person, before He preached a single sermon, and before He called a single disciple—He waited. Thirty silent years. And when the heavens finally opened over Him, the very first thing the Spirit did was not send Him into ministry… but into the desert.

 

Why?

 

Because the wilderness reveals our hunger and because Yeshua is walking out another story.  

 

In Matthew 4, the Adversary whispers to Yeshua, “Turn these stones into bread.” But Yeshua answers with the lesson Israel forgot, the lesson Adam and Eve rushed past, the lesson Esau traded away, the lesson Saul failed—and the lesson we still struggle with:

“Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

 

We avoid waiting. We fill the silence. We numb the hunger. But in the desert seasons—ankles breaking, plans collapsing, blessings disguised as disasters and vice versa—God does His deepest work.

 

Gam Zu L’Tovah. This too is for the good.

You may have heard of John the Baptizer, but have you heard of “The Little Dipper”?  This week in Matthew 3, John the Baptizer shows up calling Israel to repent — turn around, prepare, get ready for the King.

 

But then we meet his opposite: the Little Dipper — a made-up “prophet” who says, “Relax… a little sin is fine. The kingdom’s far away.”

 

John prepares the way.

The Little Dipper prepares excuses.

 

Join us as we explore real repentance — turning, immersing, confessing — and why John is the coach we need even right now.

 

The Kingdom of Heaven is upon you!

As a first grader once said, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him tap dance.” The way that Yeshua fulfills the expectations and prophecies in the Hebrew Bible is both expected and unexpected.  This whole year we are learning about the Gospel of Matthew.  We dove into Matthew Chapter 2 this week; let’s see how this very Jewish story fulfills the Israel story, shows the divinity of Yeshua, and transforms our lives.

Ever had your plans blown up — not by failure, but by Heaven?
This is what happened to Joseph, the adoptive father of Yeshua.
One divine interruption turned scandal into salvation.
“Doubt can’t achieve what the Spirit can conceive.”

Even Moses had his doubts: “What if they don’t believe me?” “Who am I?” “But I have a stutter!” “Isn’t there anyone else you could send to Pharaoh?” 

The One who formed the mouth and who led us in the desert is with us.  Will you go in faith?

We’ve all got surprising sides — collectors of pottery and hanukkiahs, rock painters, pageant queens, airplane-card archivists, even someone who can blow a shofar with their hands. If we’re full of surprises, Kal Vachomer, how much more does Yeshua have surprising facets? This Shabbat we’ll open the first words of John, Mark, and Matthew’s Gospels and uncover the hidden connections to the Jewish people and to the Creator in the Beginning. “The Word was with God and the Word was God.”  In the beginning… there’s more than you think.

We woke up.
We got washed.
We got dressed.
Now it’s time to go outside.
🌿 Invite. Include. Rejoice.

How can you ask God to do anything if you are not tithing?  “The silver is mine and the gold is mine,” says Adonai Tz’va’ot  “The glory of this new house will surpass that of the old,” says Adonai Tz’va’ot, “and in this place I will grant shalom,” says Adonai Tz’va’ot.

Two men went up to pray—one proud of his record, the other pleading for mercy.
Two kinds of fasting—one to be seen, the other to set free.
One counts his good deeds; the other counts on God’s grace.

Yom Kippur asks:
Are we afflicting ourselves… or awakening compassion?
Are we tallying what we’ve done for God… or remembering what He’s done for us?

This year, it’s time to get dressed—
not in sackcloth and ashes,
but in compassion, humility, and love.