Romans 11:33: The Deep Knowledge of God
Outline God’s knowledge God’s knowledge of sin God’s knowledge of me Introduction A W Pink in his book on the sovereignty of God writes: ‘The god who is talked about in the average pulpit, spoken of in the ordinary Sunday school, mentioned in much of the religious literature of the day, and preached in most of the so-called Bible conferences, is a figment of human imagination, an invention of maudlin sentimentality. The heathen outside the pale of Christendom form gods of wood and stone, while millions of heathen inside Christendom manufacture a god out of their carnal minds. In...
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Romans 11:33: The Deep Riches and Wisdom of God
Outline Riches Wisdom Introduction ‘Sound Biblical exposition is an imperative must in the Church of the Living God. Without it no church can be a New Testament church in any strict meaning of that term. But exposition may be carried on in such way as to leave the hearers devoid of any true spiritual nourishment whatever. For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but...
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1 Samuel 9: The Providence of God
Outline A handsome man A sovereign God Introduction Living by sight and not by faith is the perennial challenge for the Christian. We often live as if God as revealed in the Scriptures is not real. Living by sight will look different depending on when and where you live. If you are a tribal person living in animistic Africa before the age of modern science and medicine, living by sight means looks like forsaking trusting in God for health and fertility and turning to the witch doctor and your ancestors for blessing. You interpret the world not through the...
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1 Samuel 5:1-7:2: ‘Arkeology’ and Theology
Outline The nature of God The sovereignty of God The holiness of God Introduction Man always pretends to be a professional when it comes to the knowledge of God, but in truth this is the area of our greatest blindness and where we need God to give us the greatest help. Whenever the men of the Bible ever encountered God in a vision that revealed something of His true glory we see that they put their hands over their mouths, fell down as dead or declared their utter sinfulness. We instinctively exchange the truth of God for lies. We...
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1 Samuel 2:1-11: Hannah’s Praise
Outline God’s character God’s ways God’s victory Introduction At the happy times of our lives we may write a poem or a song to commemorate the event. This is what Hannah does as she worships God as she gives away her son to fulfil her vow. The song is very significant, not merely from a human standpoint where we would be expecting to hear a dirge from a bereaved mother’s lips but instead she is worshipping. Instead we have a song which serves as a bookend for 1 and 2 Samuel. These books are bracketed with Hannah’s song here,...
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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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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 11:1-36: 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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Revelation 17:7-18: Satan’s Divided House Cannot Stand: Part Two
Outline The mount of the prostitute The downfall of the prostitute Introduction It was Jesus who said that a house divided against itself cannot stand, Matt. 12:25, and then, ‘And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?’ Revelation chapter 17 which records the future fall of Babylon, the city of humanity who revolts against God and follows after Satan’s seductions. This city which is an instrument of Satan will itself be destroyed by Satan, v16, ‘And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute....
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Revelation 17:7-18: Satan’s Divided House Cannot Stand: Part One
Outline The mount of the prostitute The downfall of the prostitute Introduction It was Jesus who said that a house divided against itself cannot stand, Matt. 12:25, and then, ‘And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?’ Revelation chapter 17 which records the future fall of Babylon, the city of humanity who revolts against God and follows after Satan’s seductions. This city which is an instrument of Satan will itself be destroyed by Satan, v16, ‘And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute....
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Judges 6:33-7:25: God’s strength through weakness
Outline God uses reticent doubters God uses tiny armies Introduction Paul was troubled by a thorn in the flesh, a deliberate, providential, God permitted thorn which forced Paul to depend upon God more closely and kept him from pride (2 Cor. 12:1-8). Paul prayed three times that the thorn might be removed, but instead of the modern expectation that God works for our comfort and happiness, God said this, 2 Cor. 12:9. ‘But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly...
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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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Revelation 5: The Reigning Lamb
Introduction: This chapter is a most important chapter to help the Christian who is on earth and who cannot penetrate the events of heaven to know how God runs the universe behind the scenes. We will see that the words spoke at the Great Commission that He has all authority in Matt. 28:18 are true and being acted upon. We will see the exaltation, authority and ongoing working of Christ for the church as Paul describes it in Eph. 1:20-23, ‘that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand...
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Revelation 4:1-11: The Throne that runs the universe
Introduction: Your view of the universe determines your reaction to suffering. If you are an atheist who views the world to be the result of time+chance =everything, then you have no reason to complain about suffering, it just is. If you are a Hindu that believes that this experience of reality is an illusion then suffering is not processed but denied, and it is hoped escaped by how well we do in each life finally reincarnating ourselves by our own efforts out of the cycle of pain. Deism that admits to a creator but that the laws of nature...
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