Category: Subject Index
Study Material Categorized by Subject
Sermon: The Day of Atonement
A discussion of the Day of Atonement mentioned in Luke 16, with applications to our atonement as Christians under the New Covenant.
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Sermon: Forgive the Offender
The apostle reveals the primary purpose of church discipline (to save the soul) in 2 Corinthians 2:3-11).
Sermon Minute: Protecting Children From An Immoral World
As parents and a society, do we protect our children from evil, or do we instead let them wallow and be harmed by immorality?
Sermon: Secret Sins
The text of Psalm 19 notes the frustration of the Psalmist who is concerned with falling into secret sins. Such sins are discussed, with ways to avoid them.
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“For I Am Ready”
The text of Acts 21:13 shows Paul expressing his willingness, no matter the consequence to obey God and travel to Jerusalem. His example is for us to emulate.
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Sermon Minute: Drowning in the Sea of Sin
The gospel does not condemn us. We are drowning in a sea of sin, and the gospel is a life preserver that when heard can be grasped or refused.
They Are Just Like Us!
One of the best aspects of God’s word is the willingness of the Holy Spirit to reveal the faults of His people as well as their positive attributes. This helps us greatly, as we do not improperly elevate the efforts of men, knowing they are subject to frailties and sin as are we.
Because of this, the emphasis of salvation by grace has value for us as does the realization that the imperfection of all men preclude salvation by merit. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
These things are born out by the imperfections of Adam, Isaac, Jacob, Jacob’s children, Moses, Samson, Saul, David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Jeroboam, and a host of others throughout the Old Testament. They were all great men, to be honored and respected, but that is all they were — men. Subject to the same failures and mistakes that trouble us all. Continue reading “They Are Just Like Us!”
It Takes All Kinds
This important lesson is illustrated in 1 Kings 18. The prophet Elijah was in conflict with King Ahab. The conflict had led Elijah to proclaim a drought in the land which lasted for several years. “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1). This was in response to Ahab’s sin.
During the drought (just before Elijah’s prayer brought it to an end, and before Ahab knew it was about to end), the Lord told Elijah to go and present himself to Ahab. Continue reading “It Takes All Kinds”
Mining the Scriptures: 2 Timothy 2:3-7
Our text gives three illustrations to examine truths that come with discipleship.
First is the necessity of enduring hardship. We are described as soldiers, and our discipleship should mirror that. Just as a soldier suffers loss and sacrifice as he gives himself over totally to serving his country, the Christian must do the same to be a faithful disciple (cf. Luke 14:26).
Second, you must carefully follow Christ’s “rules” or requirements to win your crown. An athlete who competes only wins his reward if he is not disqualified by cheating. A violation of the rules is equally problematic to a disciple of Christ (cf. Matthew 7:21-23).
Finally, developing skills to help others will first benefit you! Just as a farmer who plants crops to sell to and feed others, first feeds himself with his produce, the Christian is the first to benefit from his efforts to bring others to Christ! (cf. James 1:25).
Important truths to consider, and to understand! (cf. 7)
Wait Quietly
As Jeremiah lamented the rebellion of Judah, and the chastisement of his God, he nevertheless acknowledged God’s judgement was righteous and that His nature was merciful and good. And so he wrote, “The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth” (Lamentations 3:25-27).
There are a couple of truths in this passage that are worthy of examination. Taking the last words first, we should acknowledge that it “is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth.” While burdens, chastisements and distress are never easy, they do build character. The prophet knew that the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians and God’s judgment of the people was, though harsh, very much deserved. To live through this would help the young know of the consequences of rebellion, and cause a turn to righteousness and steadfastness as the lesson was learned.
The second truth is that God does His own will in His own time. It is not appropriate for us to complain about these things. Job did , and even to the degree of his suffering, the answer of God was basically, “How dare you?” So, when things are going bad with us, little or big, and we chafe at trouble, let us not murmur and complain. Instead, let us “wait quietly for the LORD.” He is the preeminent Creator. As His people, let us not be presumptuous!
Sermon: The Voice of the Lord
Psalm 29 describes the glory and power of God by the use of a storm metaphor. This interesting Psalm declares to us God’s worthiness for worship, and His character and power.
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The Light of the World
In our recent lesson on handling the gospel of Christ, we noted the need to live worthy of that will revealed to us by our God — a perfect and complete will that elevates those who obey. A worthy life takes knowledge and diligence on our part. Such a life lived is exemplary, and obviously so, not only to brethren, but also to the world. A Christian who seeks to live worthy of the gospel will serve as a wonderful influence to others.
This truth was in mind when I recently came across a sermon outline prepared by Joe Price a couple of years ago. Roughly following that outline, I want to share with you some thoughts about how we as Christians can be good influences to others. Continue reading “The Light of the World”
Nevertheless
In reading 2 Chronicles 12, we note a particular response of God to the unfaithfulness of King Rehoboam. The chronicler wrote that it happened in the fifth year of the king (2). Shishak, the king of Egypt waged war against Rehoboam at Jerusalem. The scripture states clearly that such a challenge came “because they had transgressed against the Lord.”
The challenge was great: 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen, and “people without number who came with him out of Egypt” (3). The challenge was succeeding as the fortified cities of Judah were taken and Jerusalem was threatened. Shemaiah, a prophet of God, told Rehoboam the reason for the threat. “Thus says the Lord: ‘You have forsaken Me, and therefore I also have left you in the hand of Shishak’” (5).
This declaration brought repentance. “So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, ‘The LORD is righteous’” (6). One might think that this repentance (which of course led to the return of God’s favor), was enough to change the course of events. And it did. When God witnessed the repentance of Rehoboam and the leaders of Israel, He granted deliverance. But, the deliverance on this occasion was not total. Consider the words of verses 7-8: “Now when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, ‘They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance. My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.’” Continue reading “Nevertheless”
