I can tell that Easter is near. Every year about this time, several television specials and news magazines focus on the fact that Christians still believe in Jesus even though they should not. In about a week, expect Time Magazine (or its equivalent) to run a cover story on how/why the resurrection could not have possibly taken place. Predictably, they will claim Jesus either 1) did not die 2) stayed dead, or 3) was never alive in the first place. Each year, several media outlets predict an end to Christian faith, despite the fact that each year there are still billions of Christians around the world. Continue reading
Category Archives: Bible
Jesus Greater Than Moses: Heb 3
Hebrews is easy to preach because its form is much more like a sermon than an epistle (letter). At the heart of its message is an impassioned plea not to leave the Christian faith for another, and so in order to be convincing the author of Hebrews makes many comparisons between Christ and all the things of the Old Testament he is superior to. We have already seen that Christ is superior to the angels, and that through suffering he becomes the perfect founder of our faith. Chapter 3 begins this way:
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Hebrews 3:1-6
Jesus Suffered: Hebrews Chp 2
I am preaching through the book of Hebrews, and expect to post on Hebrews many times in the weeks ahead. While Hebrews looks a little like a letter (epistle) in many ways it is more like a sermon. That makes it really easy to preach.
I recommend reading Hebrews 2. When I preach this sermon, I read most of it as the text; it isn’t long. The writer of Hebrews contends that Jesus tasted death for everyone, and that his suffering has made him the perfect founder of our salvation. Because of it he is not ashamed to call us brothers. Continue reading
The Symbol is Not the Thing
I don’t normally come home from church and blog my pastor’s sermon. I know some people do. I am making an exception. The following is my take on the Sunday a.m. service preached by Ken Bolin of Manchester, KY.
In I Samuel, the Israelites confuse the Ark of the Covenant for what the Ark represented, namely the presence of God. They wrongly assumed carrying the Ark into battle would protect them. Continue reading
God Sent His Son – Hebrews 1
I am about to start a sermon series on the book of Hebrews, and will endeavor to share those messages here. Hebrews ties together the Old and New Testaments by showing how Jesus is carrying forward into the church age the work started by God among the Hebrew people. Written to a Jewish audience, the letter to the Hebrews strives to prove that Christianity is the continuation of Judaism, and not something else entirely. If you have ever questioned why a Christian should read or study the Old Testament, this book will be an eye-opener. Quite simply, most of what God was doing in the Old Testament was meant to help us understand the work of Christ in the New. Continue reading
Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, and the Kingdom of God
Lincoln, King and the Kingdom: what’s the relationship? I’ve always wondered who in the government decided to put Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) together. Although my students will tell you that sometimes I get a little preachy when I teach history, I’ve always tried to not lecture history from the pulpit. This time, I’m going to ask that you indulge me just a little bit.
It’s always around this time of year that my American History class studies the Civil War. It just so happens that right in the middle of that, my wife and I visited D.C. over the Christmas break. I stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and looked across the reflection pool toward the Washington Monument. The words of the Gettysburg Address are carved into Lincoln’s memorial in 12″ letters. It’s hard not to come back and say something about it. Continue reading
…And the Holy Spirit
God manifests himself in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It’s easy to recognize the Father and Son in many of our Christmas stories and traditions, but the Holy Spirit is sort of the missing character. That’s just in our remembrance of the story; in the Biblical account, he is all over that story.
If we’re aware of the Holy Spirit in the Christmas narrative at all, it’s probably when the angel Gabriel tells Mary that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and she will conceive, Luke 1:35. That’s just the first time Luke will mention the Spirit. Continue reading
Advent: Faith
Week 2 of Advent is about faith, and we light the Bethleham candle. This candle reminds us of the faith Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethleham, believing God was fulfilling his promise to Israel and blessing their family at the same time. I began by reading Psalm 79. Most of the psalm is a lement over the destruction of Jesrusalem. Continue reading
The Ten Percent Tithe
Tithing is a tricky thing. If a church pastor preaches a sermon on tithing, he will be accused of being interested only in money. The pastor’s salary (minister, priest, etc) is probably set in the church budget. It’s not like if the church has a good day at the offering plate, he’s going out to Golden Corral after the service. But try to teach on the subject of tithing if you don’t believe me, and see if words like meddling or greedy aren’t tossed around freely.
The issue I wish to address here is the practice many Christians have of tithing exactly ten percent of each dollar earned. I mean to respond to questions such as:
- Is tithing an Old Testament command?
- Are Christians required to tithe?
- Does Jesus demand a tithe?
- How much should one tithe, if anything? Continue reading
Building on the Rock
As Jesus finishes the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) he offers some practical advice concerning his teachings. He says that anyone who hears his words and does them is like a wise man that built his house on a rock. Do we all know what happens next? The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew, but the house did not move. To not heed the word of Jesus is to be the foolish man who build his house on the sand; great was the fall of it. Continue reading
The Master's Table 