May 13, 2012 | Matthew
Have you ever been accused of breaking the law? I know for a fact that you have. When that accusation comes from the lips of men, it may sting like a gun-shot wound. When it comes from a police detective, a district attorney or a judge, it may feel like a ton of...
May 12, 2012 | Matthew
Let me reiterate what I said when we began to look at this Sermon on the Mount – I am approaching it with fear and trepidation – that is – with fear and trembling. And a glimpse of the reason is seen in these verses – in two different ways. First, the Lord apparently...
May 11, 2012 | Matthew
So the Lord has his initial disciples sitting in front of Him. I can’t be dogmatic, but it appears to me that these men were the people whom Jesus called into the assembly that we call “the church.” They were the special disciples who had stepped beyond mere...
May 10, 2012 | Matthew
In the past forty years or so, I have pieced together several thousand sermons. They haven’t all had the same general form, but most of them have. They begin with an introduction and then they have two, three or four main points. Any more than four primary divisions,...
May 9, 2012 | Matthew
One of the problems that the average preacher has is knowing exactly who will be in any given service. As he sits in his study meditating on the scripture that the Lord has put before him, he has a number of ways to develop that sermon – perhaps depending on the...
May 7, 2012 | Matthew
As much as I appreciate and quote Charles Haddon Spurgeon, I must say from time to time that he and I do not agree on every point. He was indefinite and confusing when it came to some points of eschatology – the future and prophesy. And he was clearly wrong in many...
May 7, 2012 | Matthew
Two evangelists are working opposite sides of the same street. One is confident that the sovereign God has one of His elect living there on that street. In prayer he approaches the last house, and he is invited in. Carefully, he explains to the man living there that...
May 6, 2012 | Matthew
I think that we can safely look at two of the beatitudes this evening. For those who have ears to hear, I think that these are easy to understand. But that doesn’t mean that they are easy to put into practice. The application of any scripture may be something that we...
May 6, 2012 | Matthew
Despite the fact that the beatitudes are not a presentation of the gospel – like a great many other non-gospel scriptures, they can still be taught in such a way that the way of salvation can be made clear. They are a description of the heart of those who have been...
May 4, 2012 | Matthew
As I was reviewing my notes for last week, I was struck with the shallowness of my message. Looking at two beatitudes in one message forced a diluting of thought and substance. I hope that no one was hurt in my mistake. In contrast to that message, and even though...
