Tuesday, February 28, 2012

February 26, 2013 | Matthew 15:21-28 - Desperado, Don't Come to Your Senses

21 Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.” 23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 But she said, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.


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For more:
Sermon - January 1, 2012 | Matthew 13:1-23 - Like Soil: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You
Sermon - January 8, 2012 | Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 - Like Wheat & Weeds: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You
Sermon - January 15, 2012 | Matthew 13:31-35 - Like Mustard Seeds & Leaven: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You  
Sermon - January 22, 2012 | Matthew 13:44-46 - Like Treasure: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You
Sermon - January 29, 2012 | Matthew 13:47-58 - Like a Net: The Kingdom, The Gospel, the Church, & You
Sermon - February 5, 2012 | Matthew 14:1-12 - Off With His Head: When the Gospel Infiltrates the Kingdom of Man
Sermon - February 12, 2012 | Matthew 14:13-36 - More Than a Hint: Jesus is the Son of God & Why That Matters
GBC - This is Who We Are: What a Baptist Is and Believes - The Kingdom  
GBC - Matthew Thus Far:  Matthew 1-5
GBC - The Sermon on the Mount Series
GBC - Matthew 8-12 - The King Has Come: The Gospel According to Matthew Series
GBC - The Last Week of Jesus: From Triumphal Entry to Triumphal Grave Series

February 19, 2012 | Matthew 15:1-20 - Jesus Confronts Religion . . . Again

1 Then some Pharisees and scribes *came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3 And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,’ and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” 6 he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:
   8 ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,
BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
9 ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’”

 10 After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand. 11 It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”
 12 Then the disciples *came and *said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?” 13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
 15 Peter said to Him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 Jesus said, “Are you still lacking in understanding also? 17 Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? 18 But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. 20 These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”


Audio
Notes





For more:
Sermon - January 1, 2012 | Matthew 13:1-23 - Like Soil: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You
Sermon - January 8, 2012 | Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 - Like Wheat & Weeds: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You
Sermon - January 15, 2012 | Matthew 13:31-35 - Like Mustard Seeds & Leaven: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You  
Sermon - January 22, 2012 | Matthew 13:44-46 - Like Treasure: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You
Sermon - January 29, 2012 | Matthew 13:47-58 - Like a Net: The Kingdom, The Gospel, the Church, & You
Sermon - February 5, 2012 | Matthew 14:1-12 - Off With His Head: When the Gospel Infiltrates the Kingdom of Man

Sermon - February 12, 2012 | Matthew 14:13-36 - More Than a Hint: Jesus is the Son of God & Why That Matters
GBC - This is Who We Are: What a Baptist Is and Believes - The Kingdom  
GBC - Matthew Thus Far:  Matthew 1-5
GBC - The Sermon on the Mount Series
GBC - Matthew 8-12 - The King Has Come: The Gospel According to Matthew Series
GBC - The Last Week of Jesus: From Triumphal Entry to Triumphal Grave Series

Driscoll: Why Jesus Creates Sex

This is one of the most helpful talks on marriage, sex, relationships, and dating I have come across in some time. Its from Mark Driscoll.






For more:
GBC - Driscoll on Neither Feminism or Chauvinism  

GBC - Driscoll on What Forgiveness Is Not
GBC - Driscoll on Consumers vs. Worshippers 
GBC - Driscoll on Trinitarian Heresies and Living the Trinitarian Life
GBC - What Creation Reveals About God  
GBC - Driscoll Sermon:  God is Creator 
GBC - How Much Do We Owe?:  Discoll on our Need for Redemption 
GBC - The Church as Family

February 12, 2012 | Matthew 14:13-36 - More Than a Hint: Jesus is the Son of God & Why That Matters

Sermon from Matthew 14:13-36 preached on February 12, 2012.


Audio
Notes





For more:
GBC - A Bowflex Machine?
Sermon - January 1, 2012 | Matthew 13:1-23 - Like Soil: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You
Sermon - January 8, 2012 | Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 - Like Wheat & Weeds: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You
Sermon - January 15, 2012 | Matthew 13:31-35 - Like Mustard Seeds & Leaven: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You  
Sermon - January 22, 2012 | Matthew 13:44-46 - Like Treasure: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You
Sermon - January 29, 2012 | Matthew 13:47-58 - Like a Net: The Kingdom, The Gospel, the Church, & You
GBC - This is Who We Are: What a Baptist Is and Believes - The Kingdom  
GBC - Matthew Thus Far:  Matthew 1-5
GBC - The Sermon on the Mount Series
GBC - Matthew 8-12 - The King Has Come: The Gospel According to Matthew Series
GBC - The Last Week of Jesus: From Triumphal Entry to Triumphal Grave Series

February 5, 2012 | Matthew 14:1-12 - Off With His Head: When the Gospel Infiltrates the Kingdom of Man

Here is the sermon from Matthew 14:1-12 preached on February 5, 2012. Sorry, but no audio is available.



Notes


For more:
Sermon - January 1, 2012 | Matthew 13:1-23 - Like Soil: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You
Sermon - January 8, 2012 | Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 - Like Wheat & Weeds: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You
Sermon - January 15, 2012 | Matthew 13:31-35 - Like Mustard Seeds & Leaven: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You  
Sermon - January 22, 2012 | Matthew 13:44-46 - Like Treasure: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You
Sermon - January 29, 2012 | Matthew 13:47-58 - Like a Net: The Kingdom, The Gospel, the Church, & You
GBC - This is Who We Are: What a Baptist Is and Believes - The Kingdom  
GBC - Matthew Thus Far:  Matthew 1-5
GBC - The Sermon on the Mount Series
GBC - Matthew 8-12 - The King Has Come: The Gospel According to Matthew Series
GBC - The Last Week of Jesus: From Triumphal Entry to Triumphal Grave Series

January 29, 2012 | Matthew 13:47-58 - Like a Net: The Kingdom, The Gospel, the Church, & You

Here is the sermon from January 29 finishing the wonderful chapter on the Parables of the Kingdom of God.


Audio
Notes





For more:
Blogizomai - MacArthur on Entering the Kingdom
Sermon - January 1, 2012 | Matthew 13:1-23 - Like Soil: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You
Sermon - January 8, 2012 | Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 - Like Wheat & Weeds: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You
Sermon - January 15, 2012 | Matthew 13:31-35 - Like Mustard Seeds & Leaven: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You  
Sermon - January 22, 2012 | Matthew 13:44-46 - Like Treasure: The Kingdom, the Gospel, the Church, & You
GBC - This is Who We Are: What a Baptist Is and Believes - The Kingdom  
GBC - Matthew Thus Far:  Matthew 1-5
GBC - The Sermon on the Mount Series
GBC - Matthew 8-12 - The King Has Come: The Gospel According to Matthew Series
GBC - The Last Week of Jesus: From Triumphal Entry to Triumphal Grave Series

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Hallelujah! What A Savior - Ascend The Hill



Man of Sorrows! what a name
for the Son of God, who came
ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
in my place condemned he stood;
sealed my pardon with his blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
spotless Lamb of God was he;
full atonement can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was he to die;
"It is finished!" was his cry;
now in heaven exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When he comes, our glorious King,
all his ransomed home to bring,
then anew this song we'll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Repost | The Critical Question For Our Generation: Piper on Heaven & the Satisfying Presence of Christ

I came across the following quote from John Piper recently and felt it needed to be passed along.  I realize that this is a well known quote from Piper, but it is timely in my own life and ministry.  Piper challenges both the believer and their shepherd.

The critical question for our generation - and for every generation - is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?

He goes on to challenge Christian ministers and preachers:

And the question for Christian leaders is: Do we preach and teach and lead in such a way that people are prepared to hear that question and answer with a resounding No? How do we understand the gospel and the love of God? Have we shifted with eh world from God's love as the gift of himself to God's love as the gift of a mirror in which we like what we see? Have we presented the gospel in such a way that he gift of the glory of God in the face of Christ is marginal rather than central and ultimate? . . .

Can we really say that our people are being prepared for heaven where Christ himself, not his gifts, will be the supreme pleasure? And if our people are unfit for that, will they even go there? Is not the faith that takes us to heaven the foretaste of the feat of Christ? . . .

Nothing fits a person to be more useful on earth than to be more ready for heaven.  This is true because readiness for heaven means taking pleasure in beholding the Lord Jesus, and beholding the glory of the Lord means being changed into his likeness (2 Cor. 3:18). Nothing would bless this world more than more people who are more like Christ. For in likeness to Christ the world might see Christ
.


-John Piper, God is the Gospel: Meditations of God's Love As the Gift of Himself, 15-16.


For more:
Blogizomai - "Salvation Brings Imitation": Piper on Christus Exemplar
Blogizomai - Did You Hear?: Piper Interviews Warren
Blogizomai - John Piper on His Support of Minnesota's Marriage Amendment
Blogizomai - Piper: 15 Things to Consider about Abortion
Blogizomai - "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper
Blogizomai - Repost | "Thinking. Loving. Doing." by John Piper & David Mathis
Blogizomai - Theology Thursday | Piper On Hellless Preaching

Monday, February 13, 2012

MacArthur on Entering the Kingdom

Every week as I prepare for the Sunday sermon, I almost always listen to a sermon preached by Dr. John MacArthur on that text.  And although he is not known for using illustrations (and he has his own reasons why he doesn't use them often), when he does use them, they always fit the text and are worth passing along.  His sermon on Matthew 13:44-46 (which is our text for Sunday) entitled Entering the Kingdom contains a great illustration about the Kingdom of God and how to enter it:  die.


A week ago I cuddled up on the couch with Melinda and I said I want to read you a story, honey, that I think you'll like. It's about a caterpillar named Stripe. And so she jumped up and we read about Stripe. Stripe was a caterpillar and he just did what caterpillar's do, he just kind of walked around in a field a little bit. He got kind of bored and so one day he looked off in the distance and he saw a pillar going up into the sky. And he thought - I wonder what that is. And he got closer and he saw that it was a caterpillar pillar. It was just a pillar full of caterpillars climbing up. And he couldn't see at the top because there was a cloud up there and it was just a bunch of caterpillars climbing on each other going into the cloud. And he thought, - Well, maybe that's what caterpillars do; they just climb up caterpillar pillars. And so he got on the caterpillar pillar and he started to climb. And when you're climbing on a caterpillar pillar, you step on anybody's head to get up further. And so he just kept pushing his way up the caterpillar pillar and he'd ask people now and then - What was at the top? And they all said - We don't know, but it seems as though everybody's going there so it must be important. And so they all just kept climbing.

And then one time, he ... he stepped on the head of a little yellow caterpillar whose real pretty and he felt bad about that and then he did something you're never suppose to do when you're climbing a caterpillar pillar, he looked the other caterpillar in the eye and you don't make relationships with people you're stepping on. And then when he made the mistake of looking in the eye, he thought - That's a lovely little yellow caterpillar, and he said to her, you know, maybe it would be better not to climb this caterpillar pillar but to go back to the field and just hug a lot. And so the two of them worked their way back down the caterpillar pillar and into the field and they hugged a lot. And after a while, hugging got a little boring and he said - I think I'm going to go back up the caterpillar pillar and see what's up there. Hugging is kind of boring and she said - I can't go back to that. And so he left her. And she was very lonely and she was crawling around out there in the field and she looked up on a branch and she saw something funny hanging down, it was half of a little case and then it was half of a caterpillar. And she said to the caterpillar What are you doing? Well, I'm spinning a cocoon. And she said Well, why are you doing that? And the caterpillar said - Because I'm going to die. And she said Well, why do you want to die? He said - Because if you die, you get born all over as a butterfly. And she said - Are you sure? Because what if you die and then you just die? And you don't get born as a butterfly? Oh, he says - You do get born as a butterfly because that's what caterpillars are made to be, butterflies, but they have to die first.

And she thought about that a long time because that was a big move. And she decided, too, she'd be willing to die and be born as a butterfly. And then she wouldn't have to climb the caterpillar pillar, she could fly over the top and just look down and see what was up there. And so she spun a cocoon and she died and guess what? She did get born as a butterfly. And she flew over to the caterpillar pillar and here she found Stripe and he was almost to the top. And he was just close enough to the top to find out what the top was all about. You know what happened when you got to the top? Somebody underneath pushed you off and you fell all the way to the bottom and died. And before he did that, she rescued him and he spun his cocoon and he became a butterfly too.

What does that say? I asked Melinda, she said - I know what that says. That says if you're willing to die you can be born again as a Christian. That's right. That's the message of the parable. That's what it's saying.

Think of Christ. He took His life and threw it for a world redeemed. And ere His agony was done before the westering sun went down, crowning that day with its crimson crown. He knew that He had won.

A Bowflex Machine?

This is the skit my wife and I did Sunday morning because of Tuesday being Valentine's Day and because it illustrated a point about our text. Sorry for the poor quality.  Nothing I can do about it.