Sermons from 2025

VII. It has become fashionable in modern Christianity to assume that a bonafide translation is impossible and the truth of God (Scripture) is confined to “original” languages. Consider: A. When someone is desperate to cling to an error which is refuted in the KJV, there is a tendency to appeal to the “original” Greek as found in an ancient manuscript. 1. Which Greek? There are two lines of Greek texts. a. One comes from...

VI. HAG 2:10-19. A. The twenty-fourth day of the month is significant throughout the remainder of the chapter. vs. 10, 18, 20. 1. Haggai delivers two messages: one to the priests and the people to snap them to attention for their good, the other to the governor to encourage and bless him with promises for he had been good. 2. Christian experience is marked by significant days also: not by high days which ...

Rationalizing I. rationalize: trans. To render conformable to reason; to explain on a rational basis. b. To clear away by reasoning. c. Psychol. To give plausible reasons for (one's behaviour) that ignore, conceal, or gloss its real motive. A. The truth of God is in accord with sound reasoning. We subscribe to a rational faith that can be declared. ACT 17:1-3; 1PE 3:15. B. Sinfulness, though, reaso...

IX. Consider the path of the true Old Testament scriptures. A. Recall that Jesus Christ authenticated the true O.T. as consisting of the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms written in Hebrew, excluding the books of the Apocrypha. MAT 5:18; LUK 24:44. B. apocrypha: A writing or statement of doubtful authorship or authenticity; spec. those books included in the Septuagint and Vulgate versions of the Old Testament, which were not originally wr...

The Primacy of Peter? (An Overview) A. Roman Catholicism holds that the Apostle Peter was given primacy (first in order, rank, chief place) by Jesus Christ in the visible church. 1. The church is supposed to be built upon Peter, the vicar of Christ. 2. Peter is supposed to have been the first Pope and the succession of popes flow from him in perpetuity of headship. 3. If t...

Psalm 130 I. This psalm directs us towards the true hope of God's Israel which is redemption from ALL iniquities. vs. 7-8. A. This Israel can only be spiritual Israel: the elect of God out of all nations who are the children of promise. ROM 9:6-8, 22-24. 1. Natural Israel is not universally redeemed from all iniquities. ROM 9:27-29. 2. Unless David was a false prophet...

Death I. die: intr. To lose life, cease to live, suffer death; to expire. II. Scripture identifies six types of death: A. Spiritual death in trespasses and sin. GEN 2:17; EPH 2:1. B. Separation from fellowship and accord with God. JAM 5:19-20; EPH 5:14; 1TI 5:6. C. Physical death. JAM 2:26. D. Reproductive death. ROM 4:19. E. Death unto sin (repentance, sanctification). ROM 6...

God’s Appointments I. Definitions. A. appoint: To determine authoritatively, prescribe, decree, ordain. trans. To determine authoritatively, prescribe, fix (a time, later a place) for any act. B. ordain: To appoint, decree, destine, order. trans. To appoint (a person, etc.) to a charge, duty, or office. Of the Deity, fate, or supernatural power: To appoint as part of the order of the universe or...

VI. The entire person of the elect, including his body, is the purchased possession of God. 1CO 6:20; JOB 14:12-15; 19:25-27. A. The inward part of man lives on after the body dies. LUK 16:22-24; REV 6:9-10. B. Cultures and religions worldwide have believed in life after death of the body. 1. “O happy day, (says he), when I shall quit this impure and corrupt multitude, and join myself to that divine company and council of souls who have q...

X. This section addresses the afterlife experienced between the death of the body and its resurrection. A. In PHIL 1:20-26 Paul expounds what life and death were for him. 1. For Paul, to live was Christ. a. Paul's life was given and sustained by Christ (GAL 2:20), was directed by Christ (1CO 9:21), was an instrument of Christ (ROM 15:18-19), and aimed at Christ in all things. PHIL 3:8. ...

Saul, Samuel and the Witch (1 Samuel 28) A. Samuel was a great prophet and well-noted in Scripture. PSA 99:6; JER 15:1. 1. He was the last of the judges of Israel before they had a king. 1SAM 7:15; ACT 13:20. 2. He anointed Israel’s first two kings, Saul and David. 1SAM 15:1; 16:13. 3. His ministry was a hinge of national and spiritual history. ACT 3:24. 4. This chapter shows that he even pro...

Distinctions Between Sexes I. This message is a summarized review of previous detailed messages preached on the topics. II. A major area where necessary distinctions are challenged is that of the sexes. A. sex: Either of the two divisions of organic beings distinguished as male and female respectively; the males or the females (of a species, etc., esp. of the human race) viewed collectively. B. God made two sexes at the...

Life From The Dead I. The theme of salvation is God’s will and power to miraculously make alive that which has not life. A. God made man out of non-living dust and breathed life into him. GEN 2:7. 1. Because God in power made Adam from that which had no power to do so of its own accord, Adam was the son of God. LUK 3:38. 2. Because God in power acted in the virgin Mary who had no power of ...

The Harmless Lord Jesus Christ I. Definitions. A. harm: Evil (physical or otherwise) as done to or suffered by some person or thing; hurt, injury, damage, mischief. Often in the set phrase ‘to do more harm than good’. B. harmlessness: The state or quality of being harmless; inoffensiveness. C. harmless: Free from harm or injury; unhurt, uninjured, unharmed. Now rare. 4. Doing or causing no harm; not inju...

2 Timothy 2:14-19 A. Paul here warns against unprofitable words and their effects which undo men but not God. B. “These things” (v. 14) could include all things which Paul had taught Timothy (v. 2) and specifically the faithful saying of the faithful God in vs. 11-13. 1. These include certain promises of God to the elect for whom Paul labored. v. 10. 2. They are certainties in spite of man’s unbelief. v. 13 c/w ROM 3:3-4. 3. ...

The Unpardonable Sin (Blasphemy Against the Holy Ghost) I. There are three portions of Scripture where this subject is related. MAT 12:31-32; MAR 3:28-30; LUK 11:14-12:10. II. Seldom is all the information on any given topic in one place in the Scripture. A. Topics should be considered cumulatively by gathering the relevant information on that topic from the various places it appears in Scri...

The Gospel Not Involved In Regeneration (Ten Reasons Why) I. The CONDITION OF MAN precludes it. The gospel cannot help: A. those who are dead. GEN 2:17; EPH 2:1-3; COL 2:13. B. those who cannot see it. JOH 3:3. C. those who cannot hear it. JOH 8:43. D. those who cannot understand it. JOH 8:43; ROM 3:11. E. those who will not seek God. PSA 14:2-3; ROM 3:11. F. those who cann...

Soberness, Moderation, Temperance sober: Moderate, temperate, avoiding excess, in respect of the use of food and drink; not given to the indulgence of appetite. Of demeanor, speech, etc.: Grave, serious, solemn, indicating or implying a serious mind or purpose. moderation: Limitation, restriction; a fixed limit; a restricting provision or clause. Control, rule, governance. temperance: The practice or habit of restraining oneself in provocation, passion, desire, etc.;...

Double Minded I. Definitions. A. double-minded: Having two 'minds'; undecided or wavering in mind. B. waver: Of persons, their sentiments, etc.: To exhibit doubt or indecision; to change or vary; to fluctuate or vacillate (between); to falter in resolution or allegiance; to show signs of giving way. C. establish: To render stable or firm. a) To strengthen by material support. b) To...

Anger And Its Management I. Definitions. A. anger: The active feeling provoked against the agent; passion, rage; wrath, ire, hot displeasure. B. angry: Of persons: actively affected against the agent or cause of trouble; feeling or showing resentment; enraged, wrathful, irate. C. rage: Madness; insanity; a fit or access of mania. Obs. exc. poet. 2. Violent anger, furious passion, usually ...

Four Generations (Proverbs 30:11-14) A. generation: That which is generated. 5. The whole body of individuals born about the same period; also, the time covered by the lives of these. 6. Family, breed, race; class, kind, or ‘set’ of persons. Obs. 1. Jesus described Israel of His day (especially its leaders) as being a childish, implacable generation. MAT 11:16-17. 2. Jesus ca...

V. “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment...” (MAT 5:22). This issue alone deserves attention. A. The Jews stressed the judgment of outward actions only, such as unlawful killing (v. 21) which was to be adjudicated and punished by sentence of death in wilful cases. NUM 35:31. 1. They knew the Law differentiated between premeditated or active killing and one ...

Our Manner of Prayer A. Our Lord Jesus Christ recommended a manner of prayer for disciples. MAT 6:9-13. B. manner: The way in which something is done or takes place; method of action; mode of procedure. 1. Christ is not teaching that this is a formula (A set form of words in which something is defined, stated, or declared, or which is prescribed by authority or custom to be used on some ceremonial occasion) of prayer. ...

Ebal and Gerizim A. Definitions. 1. Ebal = stone or bald/bare mountain. 2. Gerizim = cut up/off, rocky. 3. bless: To declare to be supernaturally favoured; to pronounce or make happy. To pronounce words that confer (or are held to confer) supernatural favour and well-being. To confer well-being upon; ‘to make happy; to prosper, make successful.’ 4. curse: trans. To utter against (persons or things) wo...

The Holy Spirit I. The Holy Spirit (or Spirit of God) is also called the Holy Ghost. MAT 3:16 c/w LUK 3:22. II. The Spirit has personality. He is not just a force. 1CO 2:10-11; ROM 8:26-27; 1TI 4:1; JOH 14:16-17. III. The Holy Spirit is declared Deity. ACT 5:3-4; ISA 6:5, 8-10 c/w ACT 28:25-27. IV. Consider the diverse operations and provinces of the Spirit. 1CO 12:4-6; REV 1:4 c/w ISA 11:2. A. The Spirit takes part in creatio...

6. Consider the Spirit's ministry of empowering. a. The goal of the gospel is obedience. ROM 15:18; 16:25-26. b. The Holy Spirit empowers to obey. EZE 11:19-20; ROM 8:13-14. (1) This power must be sought through believing prayer. EPH 3:16-17; MAT 6:13; ROM 5:2 c/w HEB 4:16; 11:6. (2) This power is experienced in faithful obedience to the word...

The Evening Sacrifice A. In his journey to the cross, Jesus Christ was led as a lamb to the slaughter. ISA 53:7 c/w ACT 8:32 c/w MAT 26:57; 27:2, 31. B. There was a particular hour to which He was appointed. JOH 12:27; 13:1. C. Jesus died shortly after the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.). MAT 27:45-50. 1. This was the time of the appointed daily evening sacrifice in Moses' Law. EXO 29:38-39. 2. It was at the time of the evening sacrifice w...

Christ’s Letter to Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) A. Preliminary thoughts. 1. This letter may be the most critical of the seven letters to the churches. There is no commendation for them. ct/w REV 3:1-4. 2. For them is reserved a rarely seen attribute of God: disgust. 3. They were fat, satisfied, indifferent fence-straddlers lacking zeal and who were ignorant of their poor...

Qualifications For Baptism I. Sometimes the question arises as to why a minister of Jesus Christ does not automatically baptize a petitioner. This study addresses that issue. II. To be qualified for baptism according to Scripture, there are some absolute requirements to be met. A. One must be a penitent believer who confesses sin and confesses Christ. MAT 3:6-11; MAR 16:15-16; ACT 2:38-41; 8:12, 36-37; 16:14-15, 31-34; 18:8;...

Believe Me Not I. Men are to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. ACT 16:31. A. There are “...lords many...” (1CO 8:5). B. There is “...another Jesus...” (2CO 11:4). C. There are “...false Christs...” (MAT 24:24). D. It is therefore necessary to qualify which lord, which Jesus, which Christ is to be the object of true faith and worship. II. The Lord Jesus Christ of the Scriptures is the One Who does th...

Vestiges, Double-Hearts and Drawbacks I. The heart’s devotion to God is vital to our unimpeded success in following Christ. There is a place for godly emotion of the heart in Christian duty. A. Conversion is largely a matter of full submission from within to the will of God: making Him one’s first love. MAT 22:36-37; REV 2:4. 1. Belief should be from the heart, fully. ROM 8:8-10; ACT 8:37; PRO 3:5. 2. Jesu...

Humble Thyself And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself... (Philippians 2:8) I. Definitions. A. humility: The quality of being humble or having a lowly opinion of oneself; meekness, lowliness, humbleness: the opposite of pride or haughtiness. B. humble: trans. To render humble or meek in spirit; to cause to think more lowly of oneself. C. humble: (adj.) Having a low es...

Governing The Tongue I. Man's tongue is his glory. PSA 30:12; 16:8-9 c/w ACT 2:25-26. A. Man is distinguished from the brute creation by his power of diverse, complex oral communication in both concrete and abstract ideas. B. Man was made after the similitude of God (JAM 3:9) Who communicated to man His will by His mouth in intelligent speech. GEN 1:27-31; 2:16-17. 1. Man accordingly commu...

Judges I. This study is meant to be a light treatment of the Book of Judges. II. Preliminary observations. A. This book deals with a 450 year period after the conquest of Canaan. ACT 13:17-20. 1. An addition of the years of the different judges’ seasons does come to 450 years. 2. The KJV is accurate in its historical analysis in ACT 13:19-20. 3. Some modern versions corrupt the actual hi...

John the Baptist I. (JOH 1:6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. A. His name was by divine order, the first so named in that family line. LUK 1:13, 59-63. B. His name in Greek was Ioannes (SRN G2491), which, according to Thayer, means, “Jehovah is a gracious giver.” 1. That Greek word, according to Brown-Driver-Biggs Hebrew Dictionary, is from the Hebrew Yochanan (SRN H3110), which mea...