The Darrell Johnson Podcast

Following Jesus Into His Sermon On The Mount | Week 14 | In Matthew 7:1-12, Jesus sums up the whole of the Sermon on the Mount in one sentence. This one sentence has become widely known as the golden rule: “in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” In this sermon, Darrell suggests that in this clear, succinct, and brilliant little sentence, Jesus is identifying 3 ways that all of us wish to be treated and calling us to do the same in our relating to others. Then, by following this one little command, we become a new people.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | April 29, 2012 | Matthew 7:1-12

Following Jesus Into His Sermon On The Mount | Week 13 | Continuing from last week, in this sermon Darrel calls us to follow Jesus’ command to stop worrying and being anxious. This is not simply a suggestion, but a command. He explains that freedom from anxiety will only come from making wise decisions out of the three major movements of the heart that Jesus highlights within the text. The message is an exhortation that amid the chaos in the world around us, God cares for us more than all the birds and flowers–therefore we can trust him, and be at peace.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | April 22, 2012 | Matthew 6:19-34

Following Jesus Into His Sermon On The Mount | Week 12 | Join Darrell as he preaches one of his favorite texts—a favorite, he says, because it is a text he most needs to hear. And so do we. Anxiety is an epidemic in our time. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 that worry is the dominant symptom of making unwise choices relative to three movements of the human heart: what we treasure, how we see life, and who or what our true Master is. Thankfully, Jesus the Preacher on the Mount, wades into our anxious thoughts and can answer our prayers.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | April 15, 2012 | Matthew 6:1-18

Following Jesus Into His Sermon On The Mount | Week 7 | In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses obviously critical issues like murder, anger, adultery, lust, marriage and remarriage. But what about when Jesus addresses his people about making oaths? How is this as big of an issue as murder or adultery? In this sermon, Darrell unpacks the problem of making oaths and why words matter to Jesus, especially words of promise.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | February 26, 2012 | Matthew 5:33-37

Following Jesus Into His Sermon On The Mount | Week 6 | This sermon is a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5. Focusing on verses 27 to 30, Darrell gives insight into the call for us to follow Jesus’ radical approach in crucifying the flesh which results in a better relationship with Him and with those around us.  Darrell reveals how lust relates to our deeper, more holy longings. And how in this teaching, Jesus is showing himself to be a protector of those very longings and the souls of the ones he loves.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | February 12, 2012 | Matthew 5:27-30

Following Jesus Into His Sermon On The Mount | Week 5 | In this message, Darrell unpacks Matthew 5:21-26 and Jesus’ teaching on anger. In it, he follows the thread from the Old Testament command of “you shall not murder,” all the way to the deep reservoir of anger within the human heart. Showing that just as murder is displeasing to God, damaging to relationships, and deserving of judgment, so too is the nursing of anger within our heart. The title of this message is “As Quickly As Possible” as Jesus exhorts his disciples to deal with anger in a speedy manner, revealing how our relationship with God is deeply intertwined with our relationships to one another.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | February 5, 2012 | Matthew 5:21-26

Following Jesus Into His Sermon On The Mount | Week 4 | At the heart of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is His bold Messianic claim that He has come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. In this message, Darrell walks us through the ways in which Jesus fulfills this ancient Law with all its rules and requirements for righteousness, and illuminates how Jesus–as the perfect embodiment of this Law–reveals the intention and heart of God. Darrell also explores what it means for us to be invited to follow Christ into a new way of living, a way that restores our right-relatedness to God and to each other, a life for which we were created.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | January 29, 2012 | Matthew 5:17-20

Following Jesus Into His Sermon On The Mount | Week 3 | In this sermon, Darrell invites us to consider Jesus’ teaching on his beatitude people being the salt and light of the Earth. By using the two metaphors of salt and light, Jesus is revealing three things: his understanding of the world’s condition when left to itself, the role that His people are to play in the world, and the way His people are to fulfill this role. In a world that is filled with death and darkness, Jesus points to his followers in this sermon and in essence says “there is nothing more useful than you.”

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | January 22, 2012 | Matthew 5:1-16

Following Jesus Into His Sermon On The Mount | Week 2 | We want to be the kind of humans who Jesus calls “blessed.” In the introduction to this series, Darrell explained that we cannot separate The Sermon on the Mount from the Preacher on the Mount. As we look to and know the Preacher on the Mount, we better understand how to live out the Sermon on the Mount. We are called to be a part of the new humanity that images itself after Jesus, joining Him in the restoration of this Earth. The beatitudes point us to Jesus and to the promises that this new humanity will be worked into us and out of us - we need only follow Him.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | January 15, 2012 | Matthew 4:12-5:12

Following Jesus Into His Sermon On The Mount | Week 1 | This message is the start of a new series on the Sermon on the Mount, with the message Darrell fittingly named “The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached.” The Greatest Preacher who ever lived amazed the first hearers. He spoke with an authority never before demonstrated by even the most educated or articulate religious elite of that time. Before diving into the series, we are reminded that the Sermon on the Mount is powerless, unattainable, and merely a frustrating set of ideals if we separate it from The Preacher on the Mount - Jesus Christ. Who is He? Let us lean in and listen as Matthew paints a picture of our Lord and Saviour, leaving us forever changed as He draws us closer to Himself.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | January 8, 2012 | Matthew 5-7

This week, through looking at Jesus’ responses to those who wished to follow Him in Luke 9:57-62, Darrell shows us the true cost of making Jesus our Lord. He becomes the utmost authority over our lives, and His will precedes both our own desires and the demands our society and even our families place on us. We will be called to live by the standards of a heavenly kingdom and hold loose what we have on this earth, ready to follow Jesus no matter what. He becomes our true home, our ultimate source of security. How will we respond?

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | March 11, 2018 | Luke 9:57- 62

It was on a mountain, a high mountain, Jesus helps three disciples Peter, James and John discover the reason for living way down in the valley. In this sermon on the Transfiguration event in Matthew 17, Darrell works through three aspects of this mountain-top event, so that we too can discover the reasons for living down in the valley. As Jesus, the Son of Man, chooses the cross, takes the path of a Suffering Servant, we are called to take this paradoxical way of life and follow him. Knowing that Jesus alone is the healer, the redeemer, the revealer and the bringer of the kingdom, we must remain intimately attached to and deeply rooted in Jesus.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | February 11, 2018 | Matthew 17:1-8

Darrell’s opening question underlies this entire exposition of John 6:22-42 - why did Jesus come? Layer by layer the message reveals the transformative answer - Jesus came to invite us into eternal life. Eternal life that is more than a dimension beyond the grave, it is creative life, inexhaustible life, abundant life, radiant life, pure and purifying, love and joy that we enter into in Jesus right now - and for all eternity. This is why Jesus came.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | January 14, 2018 | John 6:22-42

Making Maturing Disciples of Christ | Week 9 | Darrell finishes this series in John 10, using the imagery of the shepherd and his intimate relationship with his sheep. He then invites us to see that although Jesus is not physically present, He is still with us and continues to speak to us and encourages his audience that it is possible to hear Jesus’ voice. Darrell concludes his message by identifying the means Jesus uses to communicate to His people and providing guidance on how to confidently discern Jesus’ voice amid all the lies, noise, and misleading voices vying for our attention and affection.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | June 30, 2013 | John 10: 1-30

Making Maturing Disciples of Christ | Week 8 | This week, Darrell dives deep into Apostle Paul’s exhortation in Galatians 5:16-18 to walk by the Spirit and how doing so means you won’t carry out the desires of the flesh. Walking by the Spirit means putting Jesus at the center of our lives and living our lives for Him and with Him. It is only through walking by the Spirit that we develop the fruits of Spirit and become more like Jesus. This act does not come naturally to us, so we must learn to be ruthless towards our sinful desires and work together with the Holy Spirit to put it to death. This is done through developing a rhythm of abstinence from the things of this world and taking time to engage with the Holy Spirit through spiritual practices.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | June 23, 2013 | Galatians 5:13-25

Making Maturing Disciples of Christ | Week 7 | This week, Darrell dives deep into Apostle Paul’s exhortation in Galatians 5:16-18 to walk by the Spirit and how doing so means you won’t carry out the desires of the flesh. Walking by the Spirit means putting Jesus at the center of our lives and living our lives for Him and with Him. It is only through walking by the Spirit that we develop the fruits of Spirit and become more like Jesus. This act does not come naturally to us, so we must learn to be ruthless towards our sinful desires and work together with the Holy Spirit to put it to death. This is done through developing a rhythm of abstinence from the things of this world and taking time to engage with the Holy Spirit through spiritual practices.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | June 16, 2013 | Galatians 3:1-3, 5:16-25; 6:7-8

Making Maturing Disciples of Christ | Week 6 | “Walk by the Spirit,” writes the apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians, urging followers of Jesus to surrender to the new way of Christ so that the old way– the way of the flesh– is put to death. In this message, Darrell explores this text that gets at the heart of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Our flesh, with all its warped desires, self-centredness, and earthly drives, resists the Spirit, but the Spirit has power to overcome the flesh and to form in us the very character traits of Christ. As we continue to walk by the Spirit, the Spirit bears fruit in our lives, displaying the life of Jesus in us, showing us to be His disciples. 

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | June 9, 2013 | Galatians 5:16

This message is from the Christmas Eve of 2016, and here Darrell preaches from Luke 2:10-12. The big idea Darrell drives home is the Christmas story is about more than a baby being born, but a new leader being born. Jesus Christ, the one who would form a new government that will truly administer justice, make peace and heal the hearts of people. And the big question we all have to answer in response to this great birth is “Where is this baby, this new leader, wanting to lead me?”

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | December 24, 2016 | Luke 2:10-12

Making Maturing Disciples of Christ | Week 5 | This week, Darrell speaks on Paul's letter to the Romans and how we are meant to be a living sacrifice to God. Jesus’ disciples didn't choose him, he was the one who chose the disciples, it was him who initiated and anointed them. Because Jesus chooses us, we must be a living sacrifice to the living God since the only thing we have to offer is our life to God. When we encounter this calling, it often comes with six factors that inform us on God's calling for us and how to best serve the Lord as a living sacrifice. Darrell breaks down these factors and what they might look like so that when they happen, we are encouraged to respond in obedience.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | May 26, 2013 | Romans 12:1-8

Making Maturing Disciples of Christ | Week 4 | It is a privilege to be a follower of Jesus, but the real question is, what does it take to grow up as a follower of Jesus? In Acts 2:37-47 Luke shows us the fellowship that developed amongst the crowd after the day of Pentecost and what they devoted themselves to. In this message, Darrell takes it a step further by breaking down the importance of their devotion and how it correlates to a fellowship with the triune God. A spirit-animated community that spends time in the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | May 12, 2013 | Acts 2:37-47

Making Maturing Disciples of Christ | Week 3 | Darrell invites us to do an exercise of renewing the mind by putting on three different lenses — western, eastern, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. We see different realities through these three sets of lenses. As Jesus called us to come, and follow him, we are invited to put on the gospel glasses every day, in every situation. Through this set of glasses, we see a Person in the center of reality. A living Person — Crucified and Risen, offering us Himself, making all things new. Through the gospel glasses, the rest of reality also comes into focus. We see that our lives have meaning - that each one of us has been uniquely gifted to participate in the life of God and His mission in the world.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | May 5, 2013 | Romans 12:1-8

Making Maturing Disciples of Christ | Week 2 | As we listen to the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:1-8, we hear about the unspeakable privilege that Jesus is giving us, to come, participate in serving the world through his Body. Darrell Johnson uses the term “hard-wired” to express and live-out a participation in the life of the Triune God. Each of us has been graced to participate in a unique way. We in the Body of Christ cannot operate alone, we must work together. Darrell unpacks the seven gifts or “wirings” in a practical, helpful way, encouraging us to exercise our gifts as an expression of one of the key functions of a maturing  disciple of Jesus Christ.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | April 28, 2013 | Romans 12:1-8

Making Maturing Disciples of Christ | Week 1 | In this introductory message to a series on discipleship, Darrell cracks open the question of how a follower of Jesus Christ is meant to function in the real world. At the heart of this ‘real world’ is the audacious truth that “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to [Jesus].” To truly live in this Real World as His disciple is an ongoing, intentional formation process by which we learn to know as Jesus knows, believe as Jesus believes, and trust as Jesus trusts. As we stay connected to Jesus through His Word, through prayer, community, service, and other practices that help us spiritually grow, we mature as His disciples and become more and more like the One we follow.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | April 14, 2013 | Matthew 28:16; Ephesians 4:11; Colossians 1:28

The Bible Course by the Canadian Bible Society | www.biblesociety.ca/thebiblecourse/ 

Before we begin a new series next week, here's a few updates from our team at the Canadian Church Leaders Network. 

Ephesians | Week 27 | In this sermon, Darrell wraps up the 3 part message on standing firm against the powers and principalities, and finishes his time preaching from the book of Ephesians. Here Darrell describes how standing firm is not simply a defensive posture. He shares how disciples can move off of our heels and into front-foot offence by wielding both the sword of the Spirit and prayer in the Spirit.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | November 20, 2011 | Ephesians 6:10-20

Ephesians | Week 26 | In part 2 of exploring how disciples can stand firm against principalities and powers, Darrell delves deeper into defining the five pieces that make up the whole armour of God. While we await the day where evil is done away with for good, referencing Ephesians 6, Darrell also outlines four compelling principles to help us live out Paul’s instructions. The prevailing thread throughout all of this being that Jesus has won, and we need only hold the ground.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | November 13, 2011 | Ephesians 6:10-20

Ephesians | Week 25 | Closing this series in Ephesians, Darrell preaches a 3 part message on standing firm against principalities and powers. In part 1, Darrell explains how we can step into the enemy-defeating-reality of the cross, showing us the importance of wearing the armour of God - our only true defense against an enemy who is hell-bent on turning us away from the Lord.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | October 30, 2011 | Ephesians 6:10-20

Ephesians | Week 24 | In the 3rd and final part of Darrell’s preaching on Ephesians 5:15-6:9, he continues to explore how the Spirit impacts all types of relationships. Here Darrell shows how the Apostle Paul first of all dignifies women, children and slaves, addressing them as peers and fellow citizens in God’s Kingdom. He then references the everyday relationships at the time, like that between a servant and a master or a child and a parent. We see how mutual submission is a key component of these spirit filled relationships, and how Jesus empowers us to live into that kind of posture.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | October 23, 2011 | Ephesians 5:15 - 6:9

Ephesians | Week 23 | In part 2 of Darrell’s preaching on a revolutionary text, Ephesians 5:15-6:9, Darrell seeks to explore a theme that no culture in history has ever got right. Darrell explains how the command to “be filled with the Spirit” works itself out in all of our human relationships. Referencing different relational models - husbands and wives, Christ and the Church - Darrell shows how the text invites us into the high calling of standing under and serving all people with whom we have relationship.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | October 16, 2011 | Ephesians 5:15-6:9

Ephesians | Week 22 | Darrell expands on the commands laid out in Ephesians 5:15-6:9. These verses give us a more rounded understanding of how God entering our lives changes not only us, but also our relationship dynamics. Darrell explains what it means for us to become subject to one another out of a deep reverence for Christ - moving from an un-kingdomized, un-spirit-filled humanity, to one that is filled with God and His presence.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | October 2, 2011 | Ephesians 5:15 - 6:9

Ephesians | Week 21 | At the heart of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus is a bold directive to “be filled”-- not with what the world can offer with its pleasures and temptations, but to “be filled with the Spirit.” In this sermon, Darrell illuminates that life-giving command and explores how its lived-out obedience is essential for anyone who desires to follow Christ. Though God is the only One who can fill us with His Spirit, we play an active role in asking to be filled and in opening ourselves up this dynamic, ongoing reality by which we are marked by Jesus and empowered to live lives worthy of our Divine calling.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | September 25, 2011 | Ephesians 5:15-21

Ephesians | Week 20 | Despite what seem to be challenging verses to accept, Darrell shows us in this message that this text is in fact very liberating. In this section of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he is showing us what happens when Jesus Christ, the light of the world, shines on us. If we are to be “children of the light”, that means we will walk in dark places where Jesus wants to expose deeds, attitudes, and schemes that are not of His kingdom. We won’t participate, but we will be present in the darkness as followers of Jesus.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | September 18, 2011 | Ephesians 5:3-14

Ephesians | Week 19 | Darrell picks up again from Ephesians 5:1-2, on Paul’s command to imitate God; a command that seems impossible! Through this sermon, Darrell asks not just “What Would Jesus Do?” but, “What Is Jesus Doing?” From there we are invited to see all the ways Jesus is at work today, and to participate with him as his beloved children.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | September 11, 2011 | Ephesians 5:1-2

Ephesians | Week 18 | In this section, Paul is shifting gears and brings “the airplane out of the clouds and lands it where we live 24/7”. In Ephesians chapters 1-3, Paul is calling us to this live we have been called. He explains that this new life comes because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. However in chapters 4-6, he challenges us to walk in a matter WORTHY of this new life. He gives us a list of things we shouldn’t do, to help us know how best to live this new life. Through it all, he instructs us to not grieve the Holy Spirit. And do not give the devil a foothold. Get in step with the spirit.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | June 26, 2011 | Ephesians 4:25-32

Ephesians | Week 17 | Darrell takes us deeper into Paul's instructions for Christian living in chapter 4. Paul instructs believers to renew their minds and put on their new selves, something that has happen from outside ourselves. That is why Jesus came in to the world to be the renewer of our brains, rewiring them so we can think clearly as redeemed people. 

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | June 19, 2011 | Ephesians 4:17-24

Ephesians | Week 15 | After the first three chapters of Ephesians outline the good news of the gospel, we now move into the next section of the letter where Paul exhorts us how we should therefore live. A central calling for all Christians, is to unity within the body, but how can we create that? Well, in fact, we can’t. Rather, the Spirit has already created it, we all simply called to be diligent in maintaining it! The new reality the gospel brings we are now called to walk in with maturity and a manner worthy of our calling.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | June 5, 2011 | Ephesians 4:1-16

Ephesians | Week 14 | What are you facing today? In today’s message, we hear Darrell preach from Ephesians 3, learning that Paul, who is in prison, is down on his knees praying what some have called the boldest prayer ever prayed. As you listen, pray God gives you a receptive heart to hear and understand the breadth, and length, and height and depth of the love of Christ, and may you be filled today with the fullness of God.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | May 22, 2011 | Ephesians 3:14-22

Ephesians | Week 13 | In this message, Darrell invites us to Paul’s prison cell, where Paul has gone from preaching the gospel in Ephesians 2, to praying the gospel in this letter to the Ephesians. On his knees, a posture of reverence to God, Paul is praying that the Christians would allow the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit who hovered over the earth to create the world and the same Spirit who hovered over the Virgin to bring the Messiah, to indwell us. The Holy Spirit is the same One who in this moment in history hovers over our lives bringing resurrection life to our inner person even as our outer person decays. Will you invite the Holy Spirit to take residence as Master of your heart?

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | May 15, 2011 | Ephesians 3:14-21

Ephesians | Week 12 | When grace grabs hold of us, as seen in the life of the Apostle Paul, it radically changes our lives. As we surrender to Jesus, we become stewards of the mystery of the gospel, ministers in the kingdom, and we find our true identity and place in the family of God. Drawing from the unique call of Jesus upon the life of Paul, Darrell shows who we can become when grace grabs hold of us. We are instructed and reminded that God’s grace saves us and is meant to be passed on to others. “Oh to grace, how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be.”

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | May 1, 2011 | Ephesians 3:1-13

Ephesians | Week 11 | In this message, Darrel looks at Ephesians 1:15-23, and describes how the same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead, is the same power that created the world out of nothing. The amazing news of Easter is that that power is now available to those who believe. And more than just that, this power is now at work IN those who believe.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | April 24, 2011 | Ephesians 1:15-23

Ephesians | Week 10 | In today’s message, from Ephesians 2:11-22, Darrell explains that because of what Jesus did on the cross, Jesus broke down all walls and now, as followers of Jesus, we are granted direct access to the holy God. Jesus is building a new human race through his followers, a new temple, where the creator of ALL things will dwell with us.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | April 10, 2011 | Ephesians 2:11-22

Ephesians | Week 9 | Paul’s letter to the Ephesians articulates the gospel of Jesus as a gift received by grace through faith. In everyone who receives this gift of salvation, God is at work, transforming each life into a new creation, a holy poem, a masterpiece crafted by the Maker. Focusing on Ephesians 2:8-10, Darrell explores the core tenets of what it means to become a vibrant new creation in Christ, and urges us on to walk out the good works uniquely prepared in advance for us to do, joining with God as He builds His kingdom here on earth.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | March 27, 2011 | Ephesians 2:8-10

Ephesians | Week 8 | In this message, Darrell focuses on three verbs in Ephesians 2:4-7. Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension has changed the structure of the universe.  In God’s rich mercy and grace, He made us alive, raised us up, and seated us with Christ. Christ is on the throne, so too are all who belong to Christ! As we are on the throne, we live in His kingdom, a very different kind of dominion. In this dominion, God invites us to be a part of his work of extending the riches of His mercy and grace to the world.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | March 20, 2011 | Ephesians 2:4-7

Ephesians | Week 7 | In this sermon, Darrell takes us into the deep pit of our sin and separation from God as the apostle Paul describes it in Ephesians 2:1-10. This is a very difficult text both to preach and to hear. We want to jump to the really good news of verse 4 -  “but God” - and the gospel takes us there - but it is only really, really good news, once we have spent time acknowledging the really bad news. But God in his mercy rescues us out of the pit.

First Baptist Church, Vancouver, BC | March 13, 2011 | Ephesians 2:1-10