Pastor Matt Tyson's sermon series, "Monsters," at 3:18 Church

Good morning and happy Sunday! July 6, 2025

"Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing." (Psalm 100:1-2)

 Pastor Matt Tyson's sermon series, "Monsters," at 3:18 Church delves into the concept that the most dangerous monsters we face are not external threats, but the internal struggles that challenge our faith. The series aims to unmask these spiritual "enemies," such as pride, hypocrisy, and apathy.

Each sermon focuses on a different "monster," using a key biblical passage to explore how it threatens our relationship with God and how we can fight back. So far, the series has tackled the monster of pride using the story of Ananias and Sapphira from Acts, and the monster of inaction based on the parable of the Sheep and the Goats from the Gospel of Matthew, challenging the congregation to live a faith that is active, devoted, and prepared for Christ's return.

Monsters Within: A Two-Week Recap on Pride and Inaction

Hello everyone, apologies for missing last week's post. To catch up, I’m combining the powerful messages from the last two sermons in Pastor Matt Tyson’s "Monsters" series at 3:18 Church. The series has been a profound exploration of the idea that our biggest spiritual battles are not against external forces, but against the monsters lurking within our own hearts.

The Monster of Pride (Acts 4:32-5:11)

The first message, "Fighting Enemies of the Faith," confronted the monster of pride. Pastor Matt drew a sharp contrast between the thriving, humble community of early believers and the tragic story of Ananias and Sapphira. The early church was a place of radical generosity, where people shared what they had out of genuine love. But Ananias and Sapphira, driven by pride, wanted the reputation for generosity without the actual sacrifice. They lied to the Holy Spirit and their community, and this deceit led to their immediate downfall. The key takeaway was a stark warning: Pride will be your undoing.

The Monster of Inaction (Matthew 25:31-46)

This week’s sermon, "Are you ready against in action," tackled another insidious monster: inaction. Pastor Matt walked us through Jesus's teaching on the separation of the sheep and the goats at the final judgment. The separation isn't based on heinous crimes, but on simple acts of service—or the lack thereof. The goats are condemned not for what they did, but for what they didn't do. They "missed" Jesus by ignoring the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, and the imprisoned.

The sermon presented a powerful challenge: Inaction is an action against others. Our devotion to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is measured by our willingness to serve the people He places in our path. The sermon concluded with an urgent call for self-reflection: "Am I prepared to face God and ready to meet my maker?" We are called to be sheep, actively following the Shepherd, not goats destined for separation because we chose to do nothing.

These two sermons powerfully remind us that our faith must be both humble and active. We must guard our hearts against the pride that leads to deceit and rouse ourselves from the apathy that leads to inaction.

I will post the full, detailed breakdowns of each sermon separately laters...........

Yours for now, Captain Hedges