Ephesians 2:11-18

My son Abel preached while Susan and I were away for this Lord's Day. He chose his text to coordinate with our study of Romans chapters 9-11, which deal specifically with issues related to Jews and Gentiles within the Church.

Romans 11:1-10

Paul continues to use references and allusions to the Hebrew Scriptures in his explanation of the widespread rejection of the gospel by the Jews of his day. As has been the case throughout this explanation, what he writes concerning the Jews has relevance to us even today. 

Romans 10:14-21

Paul continues to make extensive use of Scriptural quotations, with six citations of the Old Testament in these eight verses. The powerful imagery of these passages serves to reinforce his teaching as he continues to explain the significance of the large scale rejection of the gospel by the Jews. This also gives occasion for thinking about God's way of communicating the good news, not only to Jews, but to all peoples.

Romans 10:5-13

Paul draws from Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, and Joel in the space of these eight verses, which reflects the unity of the Scriptures' teaching concerning salvation. Verses nine and ten are one of the most beautiful and concise statements of the promise of salvation in the gospel.

Romans 9:30-10:4

I record my sermons using my laptop set inside the pulpit, but I cannot monitor the recording while I am preaching, and if, as was the case this Sunday, the recording malfunctions, I do not know until after the worship service. As an experiment in offering an alternative in these cases, I'm offering a link to the notes for this sermon below. A caveat I should add is that I rarely refer to my notes while preaching, so I am essentially preaching extemporaneously. My notes represent a distillation of what I have learned about the text, so perhaps they may be of some use. Let me know what you think!

Hello, World!

Romans 9:24-29

It is remarkable how frequently Paul references the Scriptures in Romans 9, which of course greatly strengthens his exposition of the gospel against the objections that he is answering. Since this is the case, it is helpful to take the time to discover the background and context of the passages from Hosea and Isaiah that he quotes here.

Romans 9:19-23

Paul continues to use the literary device of the diatribe, which furthers an argument through the use of questions and answers that deal with possible objections. The question that Paul poses in verse 19 naturally follows the point he has just made in the previous verses. His response will deal with the implied attitude behind the question as well as the content of the question itself.

Romans 9:14-18

As I have been studying this section of Romans, I have been surprised at how often Paul refers to and quotes from the Scriptures–what we know today as the Old Testament. Our understanding of the New Testament will be greatly helped when we go back to study the Old Testament passages referenced in the New Testament. Frequently, this will take us back to the powerful narratives of the Old Testament that will flesh out the teachings of the New Testament, much as Jesus' parables were narratives that help us to understand his teaching.

Romans 9:6-13

In this passage, Paul draws upon significant Old Testament narratives for the doctrine of God's calling, or election. Genesis 21 is the source for the quote concerning Isaac, the account of God's word to Rebecca is from Genesis 25, and Malachi 1 provides the declaration concerning Jacob and Esau. 

Romans 9:1-5

Paul gives us a glimpse of his heart in this passage, even as he emphasizes important truths that introduce a new section of the epistle. Paul's own people, the Israelite, are the focus of both his thoughts and his feelings in this highly emotional passage.

John 21:24-25

I apologize for the fast pace of my delivery for this message! There were many Scripture references that I wanted to include, probably too many for one sermon. I hope that God's Word will be a blessing despite my mistakes!

John 21:15-23, part two

This sermon continues last Sunday's consideration of the dialogue between Jesus and Simon Peter that completes the last narrative section of the Gospel of John. We can learn much along with Peter from our Lord's words here, which set before us once more the heart of the gospel itself: the call to follow Jesus Christ as Lord.

John 21:15-23, part one

In the second narrative section of the epilogue to the Gospel of John, we read a poignant and thought provoking dialogue between Jesus and Simon Peter. By identifying with this disciple who denied his Lord, we can learn many things about how God views and deals with our own sin and restores us to fellowship with Him and other believers.

John 21:1-14

The Gospel of John ends with a masterful epilogue, or "added words," that enhance the overall message of the book. This section, chapter 21 in our Bibles, adds a wonderfully personal and intimate experience that draws us into the gospel call to follow Jesus as Lord and God.

John 20:30-31

In this text, John states clearly the purpose of his Gospel, and this purpose statement provides an effective conclusion to the book as a whole. (There is another chapter to follow in the form of an epilogue.) This conclusion serves as well to remind us of the centrality of faith and the blessing of eternal life that is ours by faith in Jesus.

John 20:24-29

The narrative of Thomas in this text is used by John to bring to our attention important teaching relative to belief in Jesus, which has been a key theme of the Gospel from its opening. 

John 20:19-23

Continuing the Gospel of John's narrative of the Sunday when Christ arose, the text focuses on what is known as Jesus' Great Commission. The significance of Jesus' commissioning of his disciples to preach the gospel is seen in the fact that all four Gospels and Acts include elements of his teaching concerning this subject.

John 20:1-18

For poignancy and reversal of emotion, this passage is perhaps unmatched in literature, expressing with an amazing brevity of words an incredible range of feeling. What is even more remarkable is that this narrative is meaningful because of its historicity! There is so much to learn here, and this sermon barely touches upon its truth.

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John 19:31-42

"Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Cleanse me from its guilt and power." - Augustus Toplady

John 19:16b-30

This narrative of Jesus’ suffering and death is structured around Jesus’ completion of the work he received from his Father. He had already spoken of that work as accomplished in his prayer prior to his arrest. What was so certain that he could speak of it in the past tense he now fully executes in harmony with the Father’s sovereign will and the empowering of the Spirit. God in three persons acts in Jesus’ suffering and death to save sinners while yet showing himself to be righteous.