Feb 22, 2015 | Matthew, Sunday Morning
This chapter is much like gold-bearing ore. Quite often where there is gold, there is also silver – a valuable mineral, but not as valuable as gold. When the two are found together, steps have to be taken to separate them for commercial purposes. In the ancient world...
Feb 15, 2015 | Matthew, Sunday Evening
From time to time, you and I need to remind ourselves that we are very blest people. Amen? That statement could take us in many directions, but I have a special one in mind this afternoon. We were never directly a part – or else we were rescued from – the religious...
Feb 15, 2015 | Matthew, Sunday Morning
I hope that you aren’t here today with plans to listen to something new. My commission is not to entertain you, and I am not some sort of cult leader with new revelation from God. My job is to teach you what the Lord has already revealed in His Word, and a part of...
Feb 9, 2015 | Matthew, Sunday Evening
As I have said many times, I don’t like to speculate on prophecy. There are churches whose evangelism is built solely on wild, speculative eschatology. They seem to be trying to frighten people into Heaven; not a bad thing in itself – but certainly not enough. Some of...
Feb 8, 2015 | Matthew, Sunday Morning
The Lord Jesus and His disciples were exiting Herod’s Temple for the last time. As He was leaving, He said to the Pharisees, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” Then at some point, while looking back “one of this disciples saith unto him,...
Feb 1, 2015 | Matthew, Sunday Evening
Once again, we come to a scripture from which I have never preached a full message. And I can’t believe it after 45 years in the ministry. Thankfully, I have referred to these verses and quoted them many, many times. But I’ve never invited your extended attention to...
Feb 1, 2015 | Matthew, Sunday Morning
This is the seventh time that we have read Jesus’ words “woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites.” There are other denunciations in this chapter, but this is the seventh time for this particular turn-of-phrase. “Woe unto you, scribes and...
Jan 26, 2015 | Matthew, Sunday Evening
When I was first saved and hearing my first Christian sermons – first at my home church, then while away at University and finally at Bible school – it appeared that my pastors believed that there was only one use for this scripture. They dogmatically declared that...
Jan 25, 2015 | Matthew, Sunday Morning
Using the words of the Lord Jesus, we have been berating the Pharisees for the last several weeks. Our focus has been narrowed to one group of people, and since that was the focus of Christ, we have not done anything amiss. “Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees,...
Jan 18, 2015 | Matthew, Sunday Evening
This is a complicated paragraph. I don’t think that I understand it very well, partially because of my limited knowledge of those customs. The subject is further complicated by the mixed definitions of some of the related words. Take the word “swear” for...
Jan 18, 2015 | Matthew, Sunday Morning
I haven’t mentioned it recently, but you should know that “hypocrite” is a transliteration, not a translation. In the Greek Bible, Matthew 23 is filled with the word “hupokrites” (hoop-ok-ree-tace’). For whatever reason, our translators just...
Jan 12, 2015 | Matthew, Sunday Evening
The word “woe” is used in thirty-three verses of the New Testament. It is one rendition of the Greek word “ouai” (oo-ah’-ee). I mention this because “ouai” is also translated as “alas” in three verses in the Book of...
Jan 12, 2015 | Matthew, Sunday Morning
There are Bible subjects which cannot be preached too often. For example, a proper presentation of the Gospel cannot be preached too much, although the approach ought to be changed as often as possible. And, of course, the Lord Jesus Himself cannot be studied too...
Jan 7, 2015 | Matthew, Sunday Morning
The Lord Jesus was in one of the courtyards of the temple in Jerusalem. This was one of the last days of His life and ministry before His crucifixion coming up on Wednesday. After verbally sparing & defeating the Sadducees, He had just done the same again with...
Dec 29, 2014 | Matthew, Sunday Morning
Let’s say that you were raised by non-religious parents in a thoroughly secular home. You have been taught the principles of evolution; you believe that life began with a big bang or something. Saturated with a non-Christian world-view, you have grown up anticipating...
