Sermon Archive


Luke 20v9-18 The Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Or the Parable of the Murder of the Owner’s Son)

OUTLINE A history of past hard-heartedness A revealing of present priorities A prophecy of future judgement INTRODUCTION We come to the last full parable in Luke’s gospel. There are other parables that are told between now and the crucifixion that the other gospels record like the parable of the virgins and the sheep and the goats. But this is the last parable that Luke tells, and this is for a reason. This parable will be known to us as the parable of the wicked tenants, but I love what one of the commentators calls it: The Parable of the...


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Luke 14:1-14: Jesus Confronts False Religion

We all know that false religion exists. What are some of the facets of false religion?  True religion is revealed by God, false religion comes from anywhere else, either from man or worse some demonic source.  False religion because of it false view of God comes up with things that they think God will approve like suicide bombing; or because of their false view of salvation come up with strange ways of gaining forgiveness like self-flagellation.  Since these false religions are not built on the correctly interpreted truth of God’s word they are full of grand gestures of devotion that...


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Luke 13:1-9: Suffering and Repentance

We come now to what is probably the most important portion in the Bible on people suffering and our response to it. We are all familiar with the classic problem, something bad happens and the questions begin to flow, why did a loving God allow this? Why did the innocent suffer with the guilty? Was it God; or satan; or man; or nature that caused this? This is a very large intellectual problem. The dilemma of a good God and evil existing has a long history. Epicurus a Greek philosopher born in in Greece in 341 BC put the...


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1 Kings 2:1-11: David’s Final Advice To Solomon

Introduction: Archibald Alexander in his classic, Thoughts on Religious Experience, gives this advice to the elderly who are approaching their deaths: ‘Let not the infirm and the aged say that they can now do nothing for God.  They can do much; and for ought they can tell, more than they ever did in the days of their vigour.  It is a beautiful sight to see men laden with fruit, even in old age. Such fruits are generally more mature than those of earlier days; and the aged saint often enjoys a tranquillity and repose of spirit, which is...


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Romans 11:28-32: God’s Gifts: Part Three

Outline NT interpreting the OT Eschatology interpreting protology Fulfilment interpreting prophecy Introduction Is Israel the Holy Land today? Is there an unconditional promise to Abraham that must see its fulfilment in blood descendants of Abraham, living in the literal land of Israel and enjoying political, agricultural and social blessings under a revived worship system? Can we justify any atrocities committed by the Israeli armed forces as part and parcel of holy war and justified as Joshua and Caleb were in the OT? The land of Israel has a special place in the heart of every Christian because it is...


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Romans 11:28-32: God’s gifts: Part Two

Outline Christ and the priesthood Introduction We are talking about what many people think will happen to Israel in the future. There are many who think that there will be a literal temple with literal priests and literal sacrifices. We have begun to show that this is impossible. Using our key for interpretation that all the promises are yes in Christ, and a view of God’s promises that sees their fulfilment as larger than anticipated we have shown that the church is the foretold temple of Ezekiel. Today we continue to address these matters and will be looking at...


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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 11:17-24: One Olive Tree

Outline Visible vs. invisible O.T. vs. N.T. Introduction ‘We believe in one holy; catholic and apostolic church.’ This is a confession from the first council of Constantinople, one of the universal creeds of the Christian church. This statement says four things about the church that it is one, that it is holy, that it is universal/catholic and that it is apostolic. Today as we continue to reflect on Romans eleven we want to think with Paul about the oneness of the church. As Paul has been talking about the place of Jews and Gentiles in God’s plan of salvation...


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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 11:5: 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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Revelation 21:9-27: The New Jerusalem

Outline The city’s appearance The city’s life Introduction We are well familiar to the rags to riches story, but the story of the church is a story of riches to rags to riches. God’s people in Eden were perfect in the image of God, Adam and Eve would have been perfect in beauty. I do believe that our obsession with beauty in appearance is due to the loss we suffered when we fell into sin. With the fall humanity lost all its beauty and riches and we became slaves. But God came and redeemed us in Christ so as...


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Romans 11:2-4: Learning with Elijah

Outline Elijah’s context Elijah’s contest Elijah’s complaint Introduction Believing that the grace of God abounds to the chief of sinners is a view we all hold in theory but soon lose hold of when it is tested. Technically we can all confess that God is a God of grace and that there is no sin bigger than the effectiveness of Christ’s atoning death. However, how many times have we thought to ourselves, ‘I have done it this time, God won’t take me back.’ I wanted to show you how bad you are at believing God’s grace for yourselves as...


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Romans 11:1: Paul, an instructive conversion

Outline His Jewishness His stubbornness Introduction We all love to hear stories of radical conversions. I think we are addicted to radical conversions because we forget that every conversion is radical, because to raise the spiritually dead is something no one but God can do, no matter what sort of sins you were involved in. Our faith is small and hearing of the conversion of those more sinful than us encourages us and reminds us that God can save even us, as well as loved ones and friends who appear so hardened. We love to hear of atheists who...


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