Sermons on 1 Peter
As we continue our series today—Behold the Lamb of God—we’re going to be looking at one section of prophecy in the Book of Isaiah concerning the coming king of Israel. But this king that Isaiah prophesied about was not a king “full of power with a sword in his fist,” he was a king that…
The sermon series that we are starting today is a four-part series called “Anticipating Advent.” Today, we will be looking at the concept of HOPE as it relates to the prophesied arrival of the Christ child. Over the next three weeks, we will look at PEACE, JOY, and LOVE respectively. The Bible reading plan that I am inviting you to join will follow along with these same concepts.
In this final, synoptic study of Romans 12, we will reflect on some of the major themes from this chapter over the past ten weeks in an effort to see clearly what the Scripture means when it tells us to not be conformed to this world, but be transformed—be different! Transformation is a process! It starts with a decision to offer our lives to the Lord. Then the Lord works in us—humbling us and teaching us how to serve others within our giftedness. As we serve Him by serving others, it is His desire that our lives display the marks of a true Christian—genuine love for one another, diligent service to the Lord, patience in tribulation, persistence in prayer, and generosity in everything. Exhibiting these characteristics of a true believer is essential in our quest for overcoming the evil that persists in our lives. And we must never forget that the only way to gain victory over evil is with the righteousness of God.
In this morning’s study, we are concluding this section of Romans 12 that is focused on genuine, authentic love. In today’s text, we learn that to genuinely love means to be generous with what God has blessed you and be gracious when others try to bless you. It also means that we should be generous in opening our lives and our homes to others and be gracious to accept invitations from others.
Anger is an emotion that can be used for great harm or great good! In itself, anger is neither positive or negative—neither productive or destructive. It all depends on how somebody uses it. In this study, we will examine the source of anger and what anger is designed to stimulate to bring about a better end. We’ll also take some time to think about the dangerous side of anger and why it can be so destructive.
Memoirs provide a historical account of a person’s life. They are written from personal perspective—first-hand knowledge—and are often autobiographical. This last half of 2 Corinthians 11 definitely feels like Paul’s personal memoirs—from his pedigree, to his agony, from his exploits, to his anxieties—Paul gives us a window into his life in these verses. It is my goal this morning to become more deeply aware of who Paul was, what he went through for the cause of Christ, and how he viewed himself throughout all of it. Hopefully, we will be able to identify with some of these things and be able to see how that God wants to use our story, our background, our struggles and our fears for His honor and His glory!
In the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, the author writes, “When we are preoccupied with our own concerns, much of the world is simply invisible to us. Service is rooted in seeing—in seeing others as God does. God cares about productive and nonproductive people, poor people and rich people, educated and non-educated people. God cares about everybody.” God wants us to see people as He sees them. He wants us to have the same mindset as Christ—in humility He put the needs of others before His own. As Foster explained, “More than any other single way, the grace of humility is worked into our lives through the Discipline of service. Humility, as we all know, is one of those virtues that is never gained by seeking it. The more we pursue it the more distant it becomes. To think we have it is evidence that we don’t… Of all the classical Spiritual Disciplines, service is the most conducive to the growth of humility… a deep change occurs in our spirits” as a result of true service.
One of the effects of not meeting inside our facilities is that underutilized buildings tend to fall into disrepair. This past week, I was walking through the auditorium and actually walked through a cobweb! As I thought about the significance of that, I realized that just like our underutilized facility, the spiritual life of a believer who is not spending time in the Word and in prayer daily has the propensity to become stagnant and corroded. In other words, your daily spiritual walk has an effect on your spiritual well-being. That’s a pretty obvious statement, but one that we don’t seem to remember on a day-to-day basis. As we continue our journey through the second half of the book of First John, I want us to remember that the second half of this book is all about God’s love. I firmly believe that anyone who is encountering God’s love on a regular basis will not emerge unchanged. So this morning, we will be considering the effects of an encounter with the love of God.
Apologetics seeks to pave the way for that gospel presentation by first answering any questions or objections a person my have about Christianity. To apologize means to make a defense for something. So as we think about “Apologizing Christianity,” we are NOT apologizing FOR Christianity, but explaining the reasons behind our beliefs in Jesus Christ and the Bible.
Here in the story of Ruth, we find a faithful woman and generous man who God—in His sovereignty—brought together for His purposes. But this story would have ended very differently if Ruth had displayed an attitude of self-sufficiency. Imagine what her…