Sermon Archive


Malachi 4:1-6: The Great and Awesome Day of the LORD

OUTLINE The end of all things Living in light of the end The prelude to the end INTRODUCTION If you were writing the Bible, how would you end the OT? What would you want to say right here? The OT ends the same way the NT does looking ahead to the great and awesome day of the Lord. Last week we looked at the faithless accusations of those who expected blessings upon their heartless religion, and who accused God of injustice because the evil prospered while the heartless religious languished. Chapter 3 ended with a promise, v18, ‘Then once...


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Luke 10:17-24: Reasons for Rejoicing

The Christian life can be depressing at times. Ecclesiastes 1:18 gives us a reason why, ‘ For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.’ The more truth you have, the more you realize how bad things are, and that can be depressing. We can get depressed because of the internal love that we still have for sin and the way we continue to sin. We get depressed because we see so much suffering so much of it self-inflicted as people live without God. We are sad because the God we love is not...


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The Doctrines of Grace: Perseverance of the Saints

We come now to the teaching known as the perseverance of the saints. It has been known by other names, the preservation of the saints, once saved always saved, or eternal security. Some of these forms of teaching are associated with teachings we would disagree with, and others depending on how they are defined we would count as biblical. We are happy with perseverance of the saints because it best describes the NT teaching that all those who God elects and draws to Himself are saved, and because the work of grace within them is real they will persevere....


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The Doctrines of Grace: Irresistible Grace

Imagine with me a set of twins, they have both grown up in a good home where parents have loved them, they have both grown up with Christian parents who have instructed them in God’s word and taken them to church every Sunday. They are of equal sporting ability and both of average intelligence. However, when the Gospel is preached to them, one of them believes and the other does not, why? What has caused these two brothers to differ? The typical answers to this question would be, ‘it was their upbringing’, but they have both come from good...


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The Doctrines of Grace: Limited Atonement

Limited atonement, as has been pointed out by many is an unfortunate name for this point. The name is certainly misleading in terms of what is meant by it. It in no way means that the power of Christ’s sacrifice is limited in its power to forgive sins. Christ’s sacrifice is certainly sufficient for all of our sins, and we reject the notion that we need to add anything to His atonement. What is meant by this phrase is that God was particular in who this redemption was accomplished for. And so it has also been called particular atonement....


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The Doctrines of Grace: Unconditional Election: Part 3

The main reason why people reject the teaching of God’s free sovereign and gracious election, is not so much because God is sovereign in showing mercy, but that He is sovereign not only in election but reprobation as well. Many can see the logic of God’s sovereign mercy for the elect, but the other side of election, the dark side, the side of reprobation, this is the main reason why people reject the teaching altogether. Some will accept single predestination, that God elects to have mercy on some; but will not accept what is known as double predestination, that...


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The Doctrines of Grace: Unconditional Election: Part 2

Most people do not realize this but the doctrine of God’s sovereign grace in election is brought up by Paul in Romans 8-9 to give assurance of salvation. Paul wants to ground the faith of suffering Christians whose lives feel like they are spiralling out of control and implying God does not love them or is too weak. He grounds their assurance by showing how all things including suffering are working together for the good of those God is calling according to His purpose. Paul then reveals that God has a plan that began in eternity past as He...


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Ephesians 1:1-14: Our Eternal Salvation

Ephesus, the 5th largest town in the world when Paul wrote this letter. A town that would have been a difficult place to be a Christian, and so the church there was in need of encouragement. Ephesus, was the capital of the Roman province of Asia and a bastion of the Emperor Cult, where deifying the Roman Caesar was a badge of patriotism. A clash between those who thought the Caesar was Lord and Jesus is Lord is inevitable. It was also the centre for Diana/Artemis worship, the temple of this goddess of fertility was one of the seven...


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Luke 5:1-11: The Miracle of the Big Catch

Luke 5:1-11 is known best for the miracle of the big catch of fish, but I do not think that this is the central point of the text, rather it is the miracle of catching the big fish, namely Peter. It is not merely given to demonstrate the power of Jesus, but rather a demonstration of power that leads to Peter following Christ. Luke 4 has introduced Jesus as our Second Adam and the one who has authority over sickness and demons. Having established Jesus identity Luke now turns his attention to Jesus gathering His disciples, various callings and...


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Romans 11:28-31: God’s gifts Part One

Outline Christ and the temple Christ’s and the priesthood Introduction The Third Temple is the name given to the Temple which certain eschatological views hope to see rebuilt in the Millennium. Presently on the temple mount in Jerusalem where Solomon’s temple once stood now sit two Muslim structures preventing the rebuilding of any temple. Orthodox Jews are not allowed to pray on the Temple mount and so pray at what is called the Wailing Wall. But everyday they pray for the rebuilding of Ezekiel’s temple. Orthodox Jews are divided as to whether any sacrifices need to be offered in...


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Romans 11:25-27: ‘…in this way all Israel will be saved.’

Outline Mystery explained Mystery applied Introduction Matthew 24:32-35, ‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.’ This is one of the more abused texts when it comes to talking about Israel....


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Romans 11:16-24: Haughty-cultural Christianity

Outline Arrogant branches Humble branches Introduction Christians often act like children. I don’t mean in the good and childlike-faith way Jesus encouraged in the gospels but in the sinful and immature way of the playground. Think back to your youth and the laws of the jungle that we lived by. There were the cliques, the in crowd and then those who were out. We remember being on the outside of some group we desired to be a part of and remembered the mortifying humiliation of not being included because we took our sense of value and identity not from...


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Romans 11:11-15: God’s Mysterious Ways

Outline Salvation in justice Sovereignty over sin Introduction God works in mysterious ways, or God’s ways are not our ways are familiar statements that help us to remember that there are mysteries bigger than our ability to understand. This section of Romans 9-11 is full of the complexities of these mysteries, God’s distinguishing love, God’s unconditional election, God’s sovereignty over unbelief in the hardening of unbelievers. Well today we continue to be faced with profound mysteries. We have two mysteries facing us from these verses; that God brings salvation from justice, and that is sovereign over and uses sin...


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Romans 11:7-10: Sovereign Hardening

Outline An explanation of the hardening A description of the hardened Introduction No sober-minded Christian would deny that God is sovereign. Every Christian would affirm that God is sovereign, all powerful and actively in control in the world today. But there are three areas where there are differences of opinion between believers. Christians differ over what extent God controls nature; the extent of God’s control over evil, and the extent of God’s control in salvation and damnation. The verses we are presently studying are driving us into the heart of the differences about who is in control when it...


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Romans 11:6: Unconditional election

Outline Not works By grace Introduction The verse that casts its shadow over the whole of Romans 9-11 is 11:36, ‘For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.’ This is Paul’s grand conclusion and to conclude anything different is to have misunderstood his argument. Every part of our salvation is from God, ‘Salvation belongs to the LORD,’ Jonah 2:9. It comes from Him, is done through Him and all runs to Him so that He is the only one who can be thanked for every part of our salvation....


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Romans 11:5: God’s Remnant

Outline A key for interpretation A philosophy of history A defence of grace Introduction Today we are going to study one of the most important theological topics in the bible, the remnant. This little word with its pedestrian meaning of ‘leftovers’; residue; a surviving group; a part, trace or member remaining; remains; the leavings, etc. is a vital teaching in the bible. A word that usually has negative connotations has some wonderful light to share with us today. Paul brings in this word in 11:5 to help us understand God’s dealings with Israel, ‘So too at the present time...


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