Many of you know that old poem: Within my earthly temple there’s a crowd There’s one that’s humble and one that’s proud. There’s one that’s sorry for his sins, There’s one that unrepentant sits and grins. There’s one that loves his neighbor as himself. There’s one that cares for naught but fame and pelf. From much corroding cares, I would be free. If I could once determine which is me. Our Gospel story today is of a man who could have written a far more powerful poem than that: “My Name if Legion,” he ...
Step seven: "Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings." Psalm 51 is basic to the biblical foundation of this step. The introduction to this Psalm sets the context for its writing. Nathan, a prophet of God, went to David, the King of Israel, after David's affair with Bathsheba. David had gained fame and power and wealth. David had not only committed adultery with Bathsheba. When he discovered she was pregnant with his child, David sent her husband, Uriah, into battle, had the troops around him pull back ...
This is the season we celebrate Christmas. The shopping has begun. The countdown of days left to make purchases is underway. Jewelry commercials are dominating the airways. People are passing by the Salvation Army bell ringers as they go in and out of the mall looking for just the right gift. It’s Christmas! This is the time of year when we decorate with lights, greenery, and all the symbols of the season. We sing carols. We greet the people we pass with tidings of good cheer, “Merry Christmas!” We rejoice ...
Oftentimes the question is asked, "Is America in the Bible?" Well, the answer to that question is both no and yes. No, I do not find America directly in the Bible; I know of no Bible prophecy that can be directly traced to United States. But on the other hand, I do believe we see in the Bible a parallel to America. I see a nation, which in many ways, pictures the past, the path, and the problems of America. Israel was born supernaturally, and almost instantaneously. Like America, Israel was at one time the ...
Big Idea: There is plenty of condemnation to go around for Jews as well as Gentiles. In this passage the story of Israel is reflected in the story of Gentiles—sin and judgment for both. But this bad news is designed to drive both to the gospel, the ultimate restoration of the Jews and conversion of the Gentiles. Understanding the Text Romans 1:18–4:25 is the unit of Romans that corresponds to the stipulation component of the Old Testament covenant formula. According to Paul, the stipulation for receiving ...
I think it is significant that these young people have been confirmed in the midst of the particular series of sermons that we are preaching these days, because hopefully, in this sermon series, we are providing that which will sustain them and give them a clear vision of what the possibility is for their life in Christ. Let us pray. Take the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts, make them acceptable in your sight, because you are our strength and our redeemer. Amen. The promise of the gospel ...
Some time ago I was in Maryland for a retreat, and we were near Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. I had never been to Gettysburg, that sight of the pivotal battle that turned the tides of the Civil War, so we rode out there one day. It was altogether too cold, and there was too much snow and ice for us to tour the battle field. But we had the opportunity of visiting the Cyclorama - the giant painting on canvas the high water mark of that awful war. Paul Philippoteaux was the artist. He came to America in 1881 ...
When I was a 19-year-old kid-preacher, I was trying to preach my first revival in a small, north Missouri town. It was an eight-day revival, and I had literally worked for months trying to get the ten required sermons together. God had wonderfully blessed the series, crowds came (perhaps because there was nothing else much doing in the town and also because they had never seen a 19-year-old preacher, particularly of the "girl" type), decisions were made for Christ, and a lot of people were inspired. The ...
A man was sitting at the breakfast table reading his newspaper when his wife breezed through the kitchen, gave him a light kiss on the cheek and said matter-of-factly, "I'll bet you've forgotten what day this is." The husband answered defensively, "I have not!" He went back to reading the paper while she rushed upstairs to finish getting ready. All the way to work it bugged him, "What day is this?" He knew she was very sensitive about his forgetting Valentine's Day, anniversaries, and other special ...
If you have more than one child in your family, you have probably faced a familiar dilemma. A mother was telling about her three boys. "My boys are very loyal to each other," she said. When one of them misbehaves, the others will not tell on him." Her friend asked, "How do you know which one to punish?" "It's not too hard," she replied. "When one of them does something wrong, we send all three to bed without supper or TV. The next morning we spank the one with the black eye." Every parent wishes it were ...
Whether you are rich or poor, black or white, Jew or Gentile, male or female, there is one thing every single person on this earth has - we all have family trees, genealogies, ancestors and if we live long enough descendants, but family trees represent more than babies and bloodlines. They represent a mosaic. Remember the definition of mosaic? mosaic (mo-za'ik) n. 1. A picture or decoration made up of diverse, multi-colored small pieces. In reality, that is what a family tree is - a picture of a family ...
There was a man who did not feel well for an extended period of time. His pastor suggested he go to a certain internist who was good at making accurate diagnoses. The doctor examined this man and ordered a variety of tests. The doctor was concerned about the man's heart, and how the health of his entire body was affected by his heart. The man's arteries were clogged. The man had been overweight for some time, and he was always under stress. He allowed good health to deteriorate into bad health. The doctor ...
Does it bother you when someone corners you on the street and asks you, "Are you saved?" Do you have an uncomfortable feeling when someone pointedly asks you if you're a Christian? How many times have you answered by saying, "Well, I try to be." Is there uncertainty in your heart about your salvation? If so, you should realize that you are not alone. Many of the best Christians who have ever lived have gone through times when they doubted if their conversion was real. It happened to Martin Luther. It ...
As we left our story last week in galaxies beyond, we found Darth Vader kneeling before the hologrammed image of the Emperor pledging his loyalty to his evil master. In the meantime, the battle between the forces of light and darkness has intensified and the Jedi are gaining ground. The young, but powerful Jedi leader, Luke Skywalker, must be stopped and the Emperor is making a visit to insure his demise. Every day, in every way, when you walk out the door of your home, Satan is going to try to turn you to ...
The late Erma Bombeck, one of America’s best-loved columnists, wrote a funny but penetrating piece. And I quote her as clearly as I can. “Most of us have never seen anyone smile in the Post Office. The Post Office instead is like a clinic for lower back pain. Well, I was in line yesterday, when the door opened and in walked a lady with a big smile on her face weighted down with boxes for mailing. She held the door open for her three little girls who filed in, each carrying a package. It was quite obvious ...
On a children’s TV program, the announcer asked a little boy what he wanted to do when he grew up. “I want to be an animal trainer,” said the child, loudly and clearly into the mike. “And I’ll have lots of wild lions and tigers and leopards,” he continued boldly. “And then I’ll walk into the cage…” Here he hesitated for a second, and then added softly, “but, of course, I’ll have my granddaddy with me.” Granddaddies and Grandmothers are special. Ask any boy or girl. Grandsons and granddaughters are special ...
[Jesus said] If any[one] would come after me, let [them] deny self and take up [their] cross daily and follow me. Our family was skiing in Colorado with some friends. I rode up a long chair lift with a stranger who turned to me saying, "The name’s Clyde; I’m a plumber from California. I'm out here to meet women and have fun. What’s your work?" I answered, "Fire insurance," the response I frequently give when I want to have some fun with an unsuspecting stranger. He questioned, "Fire insurance? Who do you ...
Acts 4:32-37, 1 John 1:5--2:14, John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31
Sermon Aid
Russell F. Anderson
Theme: The risen Christ confronts us in our doubts and fears with his living presence, fortifying our faith, so that we might withstand the doubt. COMMENTARY Epistle: Acts 4:32-35 The church in Jerusalem witnessed to the power of the risen Christ through the quality of their communal life. They were united in faith and love, freely sharing their possessions. In fact, many of those with property sold it and made the funds available to the whole community. Epistle: Acts 3:12a, 13-15, 17-26 (See Easter 3) ...
I read in the paper last week a fascinating article by a woman named Naomi Wolfe. She is an unabashed, avowed, feminist. The title of the article was: "A call for truth." The byline of the article was: "Pro-choice advocates should defend abortion honestly, says a prominent feminist author." I want to share with you just a part of this article: At its best feminism defends its moral high ground by being simply faithful to the truth to women's real-life experiences. But to its own ethical and political ...
Sometimes a story in the Bible has me feeling like a kid in a candy shop. There are so many goodies in front of me that it's difficult to know which one to select. Such were my feelings as I prepared this sermon on the healing of the paralytic. I was tempted to entitle this sermon, “When Jesus Is There, The House Is Full," but, I doubted that would be true on a snowy Sunday. I considered a country music theme, “We Get By With A Little Help From Our Friends." Of course, we do. I don't usually remember ...
I know that it is rude and impolite, generally speaking, to ask personal questions. I mean there are just certain questions that people should know better than to ask. For example: You should never go up to a woman and ask, "How much do you weigh?" Likewise, you should never go up to a woman and ask, "How old are you?" You should never go up to anyone and ask a question such as, "Is that a wig?" or, "Do you color your hair?" You should never ask anyone, "Did your plastic surgery not work out, or do you ...
In a culture awash in self-hug spiritualities, it is time for disciples of Jesus to take up their crosses and follow him. The year ... 177 A.D. The place ... the arena at Lyons. The celebration ... fiesta time. The sport ... killing criminals, runaway slaves and Christians. A letter from the local church to a sister church in Turkey describes what happened: The governor had the blessed ones form a procession for the enjoyment of the crowd ... Maturus, then Sanctus, Blandina and Attalus were led to face the ...
Naaman was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. What a shock it must have been to this great man, the leader of the Syrian army, when the unaccountable lethargy and the terrible pain in the joints attacked his body. Then he discovered, especially on his back, the discolored patches and on them the little nodules which were pink at first and then turned brown. He knew that he had it, the dreaded leprosy. It was the scourge of the ancient world -- the AIDS of his day. In crystal clear and cryptic ...
"There have been a lot of changes around here," said the old man proudly, "and I want you to know I've been against every one of them." Have you ever noticed that some people have a difficult time with change? Some people would rather fight than switch. Their motto seems to be "Don't rock the boat even if it's the Titanic!" Of course, some changes are difficult to accept. As someone has said, "It just doesn't seem right to go over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's condo." And not all change ...
I enjoy watching people enter this Chapel. Nearly half a million each year, enter that portal, as you did moments ago. And (if they are here for the first time) I like to watch their eyes turn upward, their mouths drop open, overwhelmed by the glory, the majesty of this place. And that's exactly what the Gothic architect intended--that these soaring arches and brilliant windows should overwhelm us with the glory of God. It's an emotion one doesn't have often in contemporary religion with our pre-fab, multi ...