Justified by Faith-Pt. 1 (Galatians 2:15-21)
This passage is the transition point in Galatians. Paul began this letter quickly, skipping his usual section of thanksgiving and opening with a sharp rebuke. After more than a chapter of Paul defending his apostolic authority, and after taking a moment to explain the episode where he stood opposed to Peter, he now transitions to describing the central doctrine of Christianity. In Galatians 2:15-3:14 Paul defends the doctrine of justification by faith. We are only looking at the first part…
The Birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:57-66)
Introduction Luke has set out to provide his readers with a certainty concerning the things they had been taught about Jesus. He is detailed and organized in his presentation. He is historically accurate as well as pastorally sensitive. He has been building this chapter by jumping back and forth between the foretelling of the birth of John the Baptist to the foretelling of the birth of Jesus. He provides details about Mary’s visit to Elizabeth and the song of praise…
Better Off Dead (Ecclesiastes 4:1-6)
Ecclesiastes is a book about searching for meaning in life. It’s about finding purpose. The Preacher assumes the position of King Solomon, one who had great wisdom and great wealth, yet he is unable to find rest in either. Wisdom and wealth cannot provide rest. He considers the endless cycles of nature and concludes that everything is vanity, emptiness. Searching for meaning in life “under the sun” is like chasing after the wind. You won’t find your contentment in work…
Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:39-56)
Introduction Let’s remember Mary’s age. Last week I mentioned that she was most likely between the ages of 12-15 years old. It is remarkable how she responded to Gabriel’s announcement with humility and trust. But how she responds to Elizabeth speaks volumes about her spiritual knowledge and character. Because of the way the Roman Catholic Church has exalted Mary to near divine status, Protestant Christians (the rest of the Christian Church) have sometimes denigrated Mary. Rather than “blessed”, the Roman…
Working Among the Wicked (Ecclesiastes 3:16-22)
Introduction In the first two chapters, the Preacher was searching for purpose in wisdom, pleasure, and possessions. He concluded with a call for man to enjoy life. In chapter three, the Preacher has described the various seasons of life, highlighting that God is sovereign over all. After acknowledging God’s superiority to man in the previous passage (3:14-15), the Preacher begins comparing man with the beasts, finding a very important similarity. But, once again, we will see that he comes to…
You Shall Call His Name Jesus (Luke 1:26-38)
Introduction As Christianity has expanded—Luke provides an “orderly account” of the life and death of Christ. His expressed purpose is to provide Theophilus, and those like him, with “certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (1:4). He seeks to inform those interested in understanding more about Jesus. In the previous section, the birth of John the Baptist was foretold. The promise was that he would be “filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” (v.15). At this…
A Reason for Everything (Ecclesiastes 3:9-15)
Humans have an innate tendency to search for a reason for everything that happens in life. The Preacher began with a search for meaning in wisdom, pleasure, and possessions. In the end he discovered that we should enjoy the life that God has given us. In chapter three, the Preacher began describing various seasons of life. The title of the sermon was “A Season For Everything.” Now, we will see there is “A Reason For Everything” as he begins to…
The Gift of Joy (Ecclesiastes 2:12-26)
The Preacher is exploring the meaning of life. He has already experimented with two avenues of discovery: wisdom (Ecc. 1:12-18) and pleasure (Ecc. 2:1-11). After coming to the conclusion that neither offered him a deep fulfilling sense of purpose and satisfaction, the Preacher returns to wisdom for a comparison between wisdom and folly. From there, he will consider the vanity of toil. Then, finally, he will come to the solution at the end of the argument (Ecc. 2:24-26). Ecclesiastes…