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Heb 10:23 – The hope we profess – sermon notes

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Hebrews 10:23

With v19 we come to the great turning-point of this epistle.  Up until now the writer has been dealing with matters mainly doctrinal.  Now he turns to things primarily practical.  Verses 19-21 are transitional: bridging the gap between these two sections of the epistle.  Then follow three urgent exhortations: ‘let us draw near to God’, v22; ‘let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess’, v23; ‘let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds’, v24.…

The healthy Christian life

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In a healthy Christian life, a balance will be maintained between various extremes.  Such as:-

Dependency–Independency. Healthy religion fosters a harmonious balance between these two polarities in such a way that permits the development and maintenance of one’s individual identity yet encourages the experience of a sense of oneness with others.

Control–Freedom. Healthy religion will encourage a spontaneity, creativity, and self-direction that is tempered by inner discipline and a sense of responsibility toward oneself and others.

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Be a better tour guide

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Moving into a large city can be a confusing experience.  Having a reliable guide can make all the difference.

Peter Mead suggests some ways in which the preacher could be an effective Bible tour guide.  Here’s a summary:-

  1. Guide in such a way that the people learn to find their own way around during the week.
  2. Show the overall lie of the land, as well as the key landmarks.
  3. Put in fascinating details that bring out the sense and the colour of the big picture.
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Those imprecatory psalms

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The Psalms are the best-loved and most-used part of the Old Testament.  But from time to time they flare up in fierce expressions of anger against the psalmist’s enemies.  See, for example, Psa 5; 11; 17; 35; 55; 59; 69; 109; 137; 140.  To many readers, these ‘imprecations’ are ‘barbarous’, ‘vindictive’, and even ‘a disgrace to human nature’.  Some churches direct that they should not be used liturgically.

But, at the very least, these imprecatory psalms serve to remind us that life is not a bed of roses, and troubled Christians need the opportunity to express their fears and frustrations to God in worship.  …

Rethinking slavery in the Old Testament

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‘Slavery’ is one of those words that tends to prompt a knee-jerk reaction.  ‘The Bible condones slavery; how can we then take the Bible seriously on this or any other matter?’

But hold on for a moment, urges Gordon Wenham.  Maybe we are too ready to read back into the Old Testament teaching on slavery our own ideas about what is actually meant by that term.  Maybe ‘slavery’ isn’t even the best word to use.  What if Exodus 21:2, instead of being translated,

‘When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.’…

50 politically incorrect thoughts for men – 5

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41. Help with the laundry – sometimes.  Help with the household tasks when she’s overwhelmed, or to give her a break, and certainly if you’re both working.  But (especially when the children are young), keep some distance between keeping house and taming the wilderness (aka climbing the company ladder).  Our culture may say it’s wrong to have sex-specific task; but our culture is sick.

42. Be considerate of her emotional state.  Women are generally more emotional than men, and are in greater need of protection.  …

Psalm 92:12-15 – Still fruitful in old age – sermon notes

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The last in a series on work.  Various angles: –

Statistical.  In NT times the average life expectancy was 35-40.  This didn’t change much until about the year 1850.  By 1950 it had risen to 65.  Now it’s around 80.  Somewhere in the world a person has been born who will live to the age of 150.  Over half the people born today will live to the age of 100.

Economic.  Things will be very different when today’s young people reach retirement age. …

Discussion starters, Acts 18:1-28

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(a) Aquila and Priscilla had a lot in common with Paul, and became his life-long friends (see Rom. 16:3 and 2 Tim. 4:19).  Why do you think that Priscilla is usually mentioned first?  What evidence can you see in this chapter of how effective they were as a team?  How important is team-work between a Christian husband and wife?

(b) What do you think was inadequate, or incomplete, about Apollos’ understanding of the Christian faith?  What do you think was the content of the ‘more adequate’ explanation that he received from Priscilla and Aquila? …

Marriage and the marshmallow test

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Marriage – not just some marriages, but marriage itself – seems to be on the rocks these days.  More and more couples are avoiding it, and settling for cohabitation, and more and more couples who do tie the knot are looking for a pair of scissors with which to cut it before too many years are out.

Marriage seems like a relic from a bygone age, a dinosaur.  And not even a valuable relic, nor an interesting dinosaur.  …

Who am I preaching to?

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John Stott called it ‘double listening’, urging that the preacher must exegete, not only the Bible, but also the culture.  Not only to the eternal word of God, but also to the changing context in which that word is to be proclaimed.

Colin Adams would agree, and says that he has been thinking about questions such as:-

  • Who am I preaching to?
  • What pressures are they facing?
  • What sins are they struggling with?
  • What is the church in the UK like today?
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