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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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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Revelation 21:5-8: Promises
Outline Promises of life Promises of death Introduction When you want something in writing you are asking for assurances that something will come to pass. God puts in writing His promise to make all things new. We are in Revelation 21 which has already shown us a future vision of the new creation where the deepest desires of our hearts, God Himself will be fulfilled. A time when all the things that make our life hard now will be removed. 21:1-10 can be structured around the two pronouncements of v3 and v5. We have looked at the first announcement...
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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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Romans 11:1-36: Overview of Romans 11
Outline Overview of Romans Overview of chapter 11 Overview of views and goals Introduction As I have come to preach on Romans 11 I have come with two competing emotions. The first is fear. If you want to get Christians to be at each other’s throats get them to say disagreeing things about the nation of Israel. If you want to kick a hornet’s nest say, ‘I don’t think that Israel has a right to demand that the Palestinians leave the land.’ The second emotion I am feeling is excitement because this chapter has new wonders for us with...
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Colossians 1:28: Healthy Churches Have Gospel-Grounded Identity: Part Two
Outline Faith Sanctification Church Glorification Introduction Healthy Churches have a Gospel-grounded identity. What we are hoping to show today is that in order for a church to be healthy, it must be grounded in the gospel, and in particular to see its identity grounded in the gospel. To try and get at this topic I would like us to read Colossians 1:28-29 together, ‘Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.’
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Ephesians 6:17: The Helmet of Salvation
Outline The certainty of hope The fight for hope The effect of hope Introduction The typical picture of hopelessness is one taken from WWII. In the concentration camps the soldiers would give the prisoners menial tasks. In one camp the prisoners were told to move a huge pile of dirt from one side of the prison camp to the other. Once this was completed they were then commanded to move it back again. This endless cycle of meaninglessness with no light at the end of the tunnel caused many to deliberately throw themselves upon the electric fences to end...
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Luke 2:11: Jesus our Saviour
Outline Saviour from sin Introduction In Luke 2:11, Jesus is called ‘Saviour.’ Luke 2:10-12, ‘And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”’ I would like to share with you just one thought as we draw near to Christmas. Jesus...
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Romans 10:14: What about the unevangelised? Part One
Introduction: Where do those who have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ go when they die? This is the question that is forced upon us this morning as we continue with Romans 10:14. Paul is talking about Jewish unbelief in 9-11. He has spoken about Gentiles being included in the people of God by faith but the large part of the Jews not being saved because they were trying to manufacture a righteousness by law keeping instead of accepting the free gift of Christ’s righteousness by faith. Paul has spent some time proving that the universal way of...
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James 2:14-16: Faith without works is dead: Reconciling James and Paul
Introduction: ‘The Bible is full of contradictions’ is one of the many things that unbelievers throw in our faces. My standard response is, ‘Show me one.’ This usually calls their bluff and reveals that they are only repeating things they have heard and using them conveniently as arguments but have no proof. It reveals an unwillingness to believe the truth and a willingness to believe anything against Christianity. And it also reveals a basic faith commitment to believing things without proof, which contradicts the naturalistic approach they supposedly disprove Christianity with. However, one of the things that some have...
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Ephesians 2:1-10: What does it mean to be born again?
No manuscript is available for this sermon.
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Church Membership 2: Regenerate Church Membership
Introduction: What are the most important distinctives that make a Baptist Church a Baptist Church? You might think that believer’s baptism would be the first thing offered. This is not true! Baptists believe in the direct unmediated Lordship of Jesus Christ through His word in the local church. We do not need Popes or Presbyteries to know His will for our church. Baptists believe in the priesthood of all believers recognising that the Spirit has gifted every Christian for service in the church, and an ability to know God’s will through the word and Spirit and be responsible for...
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Romans 10:10-13: The Universal Results of Faith
Introduction: What is faith? One of my favourite ways to define faith is to look at faith’s opposites, what is the opposite of faith? Firstly, the opposite of faith is unbelief. When Christ was walking on this earth proclaiming who He was and attesting these declarations with miracles, there were those who did not believe what He said. Secondly, the opposite of faith is fear. Hebrews talks about faith being the assurance of things hoped for, faith does not doubt whether this promise is true but finds God trustworthy and is full of confidence not fear and doubt. The...
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Hebrews 2:14-15: Why Jesus was born
Introduction: People love Christmas for different reasons. For many it is all about having that long holiday and going to far off places. For others it is all about family traditions and getting together after another year of busy separation. For many it is all about the shopping and the gifts. For Christians Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus Christ. But not just about baby Jesus. After the gospels we have no further mention of the nativity scene. We are not concerned so much with Jesus as a baby but that He was born in order to...
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