Sermon and Worship Resources

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1 Peter 3:18

Sermon

James Merritt

... crucifixion of Jesus Christ. So many have the attitude of the late Bishop G. Bromley Oxnam, President of the World Council of Churches, who said, "I would rather go to hell than go to heaven on the back of another man."2 I like the way John R. W. Stott put it. He said: The concept of substitution may be said, then to lie at the heart of both sin and salvation. For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for man. Man asserts himself ...

2. God Really Cares

Matthew 27:46

Sermon

James Merritt

... His Son? Why did God turn his back on His Son? Why did God put a wall between Him and His Son? The answer is found in Hab. 1:13: "You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness." The great British preacher, John R. W. Stott, explains it this way: What is common to the biblical concepts of the holiness and the wrath of God, is the truth that they cannot co-exist with sin. God's holiness exposes sin, His wrath opposes sin. So sin cannot approach God, and God cannot tolerate sin ...

3. The S & L That Didn't Fail!

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... us down. Earlier in his book, Isaiah speaks of God as the Sovereign Lord, and now the Sovereign Lord, S & L, takes on the identity, in this text, of the suffering servant. This poem was perhaps written, originally, to describe the nation of Israel. John R. W. Stott, in his comprehensive work, The Cross of Christ, says, "It seems to be definite, beyond doubt, that Jesus applied Isaiah 53 to himself and that he understood his death in the light of it as a sin-bearing death." Peter, Paul, Matthew, Luke, and ...

4. Getting It Together

Luke 6:37-42

Sermon

William G. Carter

... you when you laugh at yourself. For your laughter is God’s opportunity. 1. Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary (New York: Dover Publications, 1993), p. 53. Slightly altered, so that men and women can be included in the definition. 2. John R. W. Stott, Christian Counter-Culture: The Message of the Sermon on the Mount (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1978), p. 178. 3. Charles M. Schulz, And the Beagles and the Bunnies Shall Lie Down Together: The Theology in Peanuts (New York: Holt, Rinehart ...

5. God Knows Exactly How You Feel

John 19:28

Sermon

James Merritt

... drink from Him the living waters of salvation and never be thirsty again. It is not coincidental that the last chapter of the Bible gives the last invitation and says, "Let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely." (Rev. 22:17) [1] John R. W. Stott, The Cross of Christ (Downers Grove, IL.: Intervarsity Press, 1986) pp. 336-337. 2 James Montgomery Boyce, The Gospel of ...

6. Ignite: Set On Fire!

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

James Merritt

... spread like a fire from one place to another. One of the reasons why Jesus Christ came to this earth was not just to establish the church, but to set it on fire. John the Baptist, even said about Jesus, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will ... faith burn as hot today as it did 2,000 years ago. [1] Warren Wiersbe, The Dynamic, p.23. [2] John R. W. Stott, The Spirit, The Church And The World, p. 42.

7. To Be a Pilgrim (Thanksgiving)

Hebrews 11:1-40

Sermon

Alex Gondola

... of us. There’s power in that kind of Pilgrim faith. Power to build a new society. With that kind of faith, I wonder, what might you and I do? 1. William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation: The Pilgrims In America, edited by Harvey Wish (New York: Capricorn Books, 1962). 2. John R. W. Stott (quoting Robert Bellah), "Christians, Salt, And Light" (Preaching Today Audio Series, Tape No. 109, 1992).

8. The following resources were used for John's letters.

1 John 5:13-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , 1997. Schnackenburg, Rudolf. The Johannine Epistles: Introduction and Commentary. Translated by Reginald and Ilse Fuller. New York: Crossroad, 1992. Smalley, Stephen S. 1, 2, 3 John. Word Biblical Commentary. Waco: Word, 1984. Smith, D. Moody. First, Second, and Third John. Interpretation. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1991. Stott, John R. W. The Letters of John: An Introduction and Commentary. 2nd ed. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988. Thompson, Marianne Meye. 1–3 ...

9. Unity in the Body of Christ

Ephesians 4:1-16

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... or her personal rights or be assertive at the expense of others. Stott notes how humility and gentleness go together by drawing upon an insight from R. W. Dale: “For ‘the meek man thinks as little of his personal claims, ... comes from the application of the shepherd imagery that characterized the Lord’s relationship with his disciples. Jesus is the good shepherd (ho poimēn ho kalos, John 10:11–18; cf. also Matt. 18:12–14; Luke 15:3–7; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:4); on several occasions, leaders in ...

10. Walking in the Light

1 John 1:5--2:14, 1 John 2:15-17

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... have a sinful nature or a principle of sin operating in one’s life (Brooke, Epistles, p. 17; Stott, Letters, pp. 81–82). Why do the opponents believe that they are “without sin”? Perhaps it is ... To deviate from this teaching is “heretical.” See W. Bauer, Orthodoxy and Heresy in Earliest Christianity (Philadelphia: ... to be prophetically inspired by the Spirit (4:1–2; R. A. Culpepper, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Knox Preaching Guides (Atlanta: John Knox, 1985), pp. 20–21. Jesus’ role as paraklētos ...

11. Walking in the Light and the Problem of Sin

1 John 2:15-17, 1 John 1:5--2:14

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

12. The Baby Messiah Recognized

Luke 2:21-40

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... to bring that light to people outside our own “comfort zone.” Illustrating the Text Anna and Simeon are models of the elderly whose hope in God has remained alive. Anecdote: John R. W. Stott. John Yates, pastor of The Falls Church Anglican in Falls Church, Virginia, wrote the following after the death of John Stott (1921–2011): “I have had few heroes, but John Stott has indeed been not only a hero, but a teacher and friend to me, and so many of us. The last few weeks have been very difficult for him ...

13. The Lord Commands Joshua

Joshua 1:1-18

Understanding Series

J. Gordon Harris

... can be “I create” or “I will be present”; Exod. 4:14). See the discussion in R. G. Boling and G. E. Wright, Joshua (AB 6; Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1982), pp. 118–20. The meaning of the name, however, remains unknown. See the discussion of the self-introduction formula in Exod. 6 and Ezek. 20 (W. Zimmerli, I Am Yahweh [ed. W. Brueggemann; trans. D. W. Stott; Atlanta: John Knox, 1982], pp. 1–16). Excursus: Joshua in the Canon Joshua, Moses’ “servant” or “minister” (Hb. mesaret ...

14. A Failure of Leadership

Num 20:14-29

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... replacements, Joshua and Eleazar, did (Josh. 14:1). Illustrating the Text Spiritual leaders die. Personal Story: Three of my heroes of faith as a young Christian were the evangelist Billy Graham, the apologist Francis Schaeffer, and the British pastor and thinker John R. W. Stott. As I write these words, only Billy Graham is still alive, and he is suffering from failing health and is no longer active in ministry. Church history records how great Christian leaders come and go. Many were and remain famous ...

15. God’s Love and Ours

1 John 4:7-21, 1 John 5:1-12

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... John; R. Law, The Tests of Life (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1914, 3d ed.; Grand Rapids: Baker, 1968), p. 16; Marshall, Epistles; Smith, First John; Stott, Letters; M. M. Thompson, 1–3 John; A. N. Wilder, “Epistles”; UBS, NEB, NIV, NRSV, TEV 16a/16b: Brooke, Epistles; Brown, Epistles; Culpepper, 1 John ... vol. 2, pp. 16–30, 65–106, 176–78, 186–88, 216–24, 247–57, 280–84, 296–300; W. G. Kümmel, The Theology of the New Testament (Nashville: Abingdon, 1973), pp. 22–95, 255–333; Ladd, ...

16. Faith in the Son of God

1 John 5:1-12, 1 John 4:7-21

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

17. Living as Children of Light

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... by Stott, God’s New Society, pp. 177–78. 4:18 Robinson supports the translation “blindness.” See his lengthy discussion on the word pōrōsis ... but the opportunity to assist others (for biblical injunctions on giving, see Matt. 19:21; Luke 14:13; John 13:29; Acts 2:44; 4:32–37; 6:1–4; Rom. 15:25–29; 2 Cor. 8 ... us is in line with reverence for Christ” (Mitton, p. 196). Additional Notes 5:4 P. W. van der Horst goes through a lengthy examination of the word eutrapelia and concludes that “the ...

18. Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Ephesians 1:1-14

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... 1, 2); in the NT, God chooses people to become members of the new covenant, the church (John 15:16; Rom. 8:29; 9:11; Eph. 1:4, 5; 2 Thess. 2:13; 2 ... doctrine of “universalism” that teaches that all humanity ultimately will be saved (see Stott, God’s New Society, pp. 42–45; Caragounis, The Ephesian Mysterion, pp. 143ff.; ... R. A. Wilson, “ ‘We’ and ‘You’ in the Epistle to the Ephesians,” Studia Evangelica 2 (1964), pp. 676–80. 1:13 G. Fitzer, “sphragis,” TDNT, vol. 8, pp. 939–53; P. W ...

19. Assured by the Certainties of Faith

1 John 5:13-21

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... , pp. 140–41; Kysar, I, II, III John, p. 117)? Such a summary abstraction, while logical to us, is unlike the author. Does it refer to God (Brooke, Epistles; Smalley, 1, 2, 3 John; Stott, Letters; Westcott, Epistles)? The author has called ... see R. E. Brown, Jesus, God and Man (New York: Macmillan, 1972); Cullmann, Christology, pp. 306–14; Dunn, Christology, pp. 258–68; W. Pannenberg, Jesus—God and Man (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1968), pp. 115–58; and R. Scroggs, Christology in Paul and John ( ...

20. Thanksgiving and Prayer

Ephesians 1:15-23

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... 4), gentleness (1 Cor. 4:21; Gal. 6:1), truth (John 14:17), or faith (2 Cor. 4:13; e. ... A Pascal Liturgy (London: Mowbray, 1954); F. W. Beare, The First Epistle of Peter, 3d ... Stott, God’s New Society, pp. 62–65. More specialized studies include P. Benoit, “Body, Head and Plērōma in the Epistles of the Captivity,” RB 63 (1956), pp. 5–44; A. R. McGlashan, “Ephesians 1:23,” ExpT 76 (1965), pp. 132–33. This last article led to a reply from R. Fowler, “Ephesians 1:23,” ExpT 76 (1965), p. 294. R ...

21. One in Christ

Ephesians 2:11-22

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... with issues in this chapter: W. Barclay, “The One, New Man,” in Unity and Diversity in New Testament Theology, ed. R. A. Guelich (Grand Rapids: ... fulfilled in his life (cf. the Sermon on the Mount, esp., Matt. 5:17–48). Stott mentions that although Jesus did not abolish the moral law “as a standard of behavior,” ... his first followers are told not to fear (Matt. 28:5, 10), or to his benediction of peace in John 14:27 (“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you”). However, there is much to be ...

22. Children of God

1 John 2:28--3:10

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... God in Brown, Epistles, pp. 388–91 and in R. A. Culpepper, “The Pivot of John’s Prologue,” NTS 27 (1980–81), pp. 1 ... John, pp. 93–101. On the eschatology of the Fourth Gospel, see Brown, Gospel, I–XII, pp. cxv–cxxi; W. F. Howard, Christianity according to St. John ... Stott, Letters, pp. 124–25, defend “Christ” as the intended referent; and Smalley, 1, 2, 3 John, p. 149, sees “God in Christ” as the best solution. 3:4 This is the only occurrence of anomia in the Gospel and letters of John ...

23. A Prayer for the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:14-21

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... love: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8; cf. also 2:9; 3:11–19; 4:13–21). Knowledge, when ... becomes the standard or level up to which we pray to be filled” (Stott, p. 138). The concept of “fullness” (plērōma) in Colossians (1:19; 2:9, 10) and Ephesians (1:23; 3 ... God’s people when this earthly pilgrimage is over. Additional Notes On 3:14–21, see W. E. Hull, Love in Four Dimensions (Nashville: Broadman, 1982). 3:15 For further discussion on whole ...

24. The Ten Commandments

Deuteronomy 5:1-33

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20). These words were not written by the author of ... the word is actually singular here (“the whole command,” kol-hammiṣwâ, as also in 6:1; 11:22; and 19:9, where the ... NT “Lord’s Day,” see Carson, Lord’s Day, and Beckwith and Stott, Day. 5:16 Honor is the strong word kabbēd, lit. “to ... who despise me will be disdained. “Likewise, in Lev. 19:3, the verb yārēʾ (“to fear, respect”), which even more commonly is used of God, is ...

25. Pastor or Priest?

Illustration

John R.W. Stott

Moreover, in seeking to reestablish this truth, it would be helpful simultaneously to recover for these over seers the New Testament designation "pastor." "Minister" is a misleading term, because it is generic rather than specific, and always therefore requires a qualifying adjective to indicate what kind of ministry is in mind. "Priest" is unfortunately ambiguous. Those with knowledge of the etymology of English words are aware that "priest" is simply a contraction of "presbyter" meaning "elder." But it ...

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