Sermons

The Mystery Revealed (1 Timothy 3:14-16)

 

Paul has been telling Timothy about how the church at Ephesus is to be run. Now he comes to summarise the message of the Church.

  1. Our plans for the future are provisional.
    • 3:14-15; note 4:13; 1 Cor.4:19; 1 Thess.2:17-18; 3:1, 5-6, 9-10. We are meant to plan for the
…
Sermons

Abraham, the Father of Faith (Hebrews 11:8-12, 17-19)

 

Abraham is the father of faith (Rom.4:16; Gal.3:6-9). The background is in Genesis 12:1-3; 15:13-16; 16:1; 17:17; 22:1-2.

  1. Faith obeys without knowing everything.
    • 11:8. Faith clings to what Luther called ‘the naked voice of God’. We do not always understand why God has commanded what He has – Gen.2:16-17;
…
Sermons

The Eternal God Can be Known (Hebrews 11:6)

 

It is probably a general statement on faith which was prompted by the example of Enoch.

  1. We must know that faith is necessary to please God.
    • 11:6; Psalm 14:1. James Valentine: ‘I believe in love, hope, truth and my fellow humans… I don’t believe in guilt and shame… Love
…
Sermons

Faith from Abel to Noah (Hebrews 11:4-7)

 

Faith is a sure hope, the same in principle in both Testaments, and begins with believing in God as the creator Heb.11:1-3).

  1. Faith does not protect us from suffering and trouble.
    • 11:4. God looked after Cain without saving him, while Abel suffered an early death, but was right with
…
Sermons

The Qualifications of Deacons (1 Timothy 3:8-13)

 

1 Timothy 3:1-13 shows that there are two ordinary offices in the Church. Deacons must derive from Acts 6:1-6. Calvin: deacons are ‘those whom the Church appoints to dispense alms, and take care of the poor’.

  1. Deacons must be godly.
    • 3:8 (note v.3); 3:12 (see vv.2, 4-5); 3:10.
  2. Deacons
…
Sermons

What is Faith? (Hebrews 11:1-3)

 

The Magic of Believing is about believing in yourself. Not so in the Bible. Hebrews 11 looks back to Hebrews 10:37-39.

  1. Faith is a sure hope.
    • 11:1. The word can be translated as ‘substance’ or ‘assurance’. Calvin favours the objective translation: ‘the foundation on which we plant our foot’.
…
Sermons

Exhortations and Greetings (1 Corinthians 16:13-24)

 

staccato exhortations in e.g. 2 Cor.13:11; 1 Thess.5:15-22. For 16:21, see Gal.6:11. Verses 13-14 introduce the final run, and contain five exhortations. For convenience, we can reduce them to three.

  1. Be watchful.
    • Scripture tells us to be watchful on a number of accounts:
      1. the devil – 1 Pet.5:8.
      2. temptation
…
Sermons

Making Plans (1 Corinthians 16:5-12)

 

deals with the gospel motives of Paul and the question of guidance.

  1. We plan, God over-rules.
    • Prov.16:9. See 15:5-6. He plans to get to Corinth via Macedonia (northern Greece) but it does not work out – 2 Cor.1:15-17.
    • 15:7. Paul has a plan, but it is with the proviso
…
Sermons

Collecting for the Saints (1 Corinthians 16:1-12)

 

  • flows on from 15:58; like Matt.6:20. The collection came about because of a famine in the world, which was especially severe in Judea
  • Acts 11:27-30; Gal.2:10; note 2 Cor.8-9. The Corinthians had specifically raised this issue – hence ‘now concerning’ in 16:1; see e.g. 7:1; later he refers to
…
Sermons

The Qualifications of an Elder – Part 2 (1 Timothy 3:1-7)

 

  1. The elder must be able to teach.
    • 3:2. For all in Hebrews 5:12. Lawrence Eyres: ‘An elder need not be a gifted public speaker, or an able teacher of the Bible to large groups, though both these gifts are highly desirable. But at the very least, an elder must
…