Lk 1:1-4 – “Dear Theophilus” – sermon notes
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Category Archives: Bible
Preaching the Minor Prophets
Alison Lo notes that the Minor Prophets resonate strongly with our contemporary church and society, with their themes of ‘social justice, religious corruption, financial impropriety and social and political unrest’.
They offer rich material for the preacher, then, and the following principles will help. I summarise:-
- Consider the historical and cultural context. Each prophet spoke into a specific situation: sometimes this is indicated by the heading of the book (Hos 1:1; Amos 1:1; Mic 1:1, etc.).
Domesticating the Bible’s teaching on homosexuality
If people don’t like what the Bible teaches, they may try one of a number of strategies designed to blunt its impact.
Applied to the thorny issue of same-sex behaviour, it can work like this:-
- ‘The Bible has been misinterpreted’. Sodom is not about homosexuality, but about inhospitality. Romans 1 is not about committed, loving same-sex relationships but about exotic and exploitative sexual behaviour.
- ‘The Bible is wrong’. The Scriptures do indeed teach that homosexual behaviour is sinful, but we must work with the Bible’s underlying principles and values, re-applying them to changing times and situations.
Heroes and villains
In his book Jesus on Every Page (54-59), David Murray discusses the pitfalls involved in preaching from Old Testament characters. Among other things, writes Murray, this approach is
- Man-centred – It puts God in the background, when he should be in the foreground. We should be preaching, not human character traits, but God’s nature, character and will.
- Moralistic – It turns the Old Testament into a manual of do’s and don’ts, rather than a revelation of God’s actions.
Exodus – Who hardened Pharaoh’s heart?
The account of the ten plagues of Egypt frequently refers to the ‘hardening’ of Pharaoh’s heart. Because ‘hardness of heart’ suggests to us something to do with the emotions, Goldingay prefers to think of this as ‘the closing of Pharaoh’s mind’. There are four aspects to this:-
- Yahweh will close Pharaoh’s mind: Exodus 4:21; 7:3; 14:4
- Pharaoh’s mind was closed: Exodus 7:13, 14, 22; 8:19; 9:7, 35
- Pharaoh closed his mind: Exodus 8:15, 32; 9:34
- Yahweh closed Pharaoh’s mind: Exodus 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:8
Alexander refers to the ‘strengthening’ of Pharaoh’s heart. …
Does typology imply fiction?
It is a well-known fact that the New Testament writers often present Jesus as the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies, or as having come in the spirit or tradition of certain Old Testament personages. It is often inferred from this that stories about who Jesus was and what he did were fictitious accounts, with their sources not in history at all, but in those Old Testament passages. According to New Testament scholar and historian Dale C.…
2 Tim 3 – Continue in the gospel – sermon notes
2 Timothy 3
What kind of church do we want to be? A gospel church. Guard the gospel, 1:14. Suffer for the gospel, 2:3. Now: continue in the gospel: v14 – ‘but as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of’.
Why? Because ‘there will be terrible times in the last days,’ v1. The present age, between Christ’s first and second comings. If Paul was thinking of some far-off future, why would he tell Timothy in v5 to ‘have nothing to do’ with certain trouble-makers? …
Seventy times seven – sermon notes
Matthew 18:21-35
I’ve never yet met a person who didn’t think that forgiveness was a good thing. Peter certainly thought so. He just wanted to check what its limits might be. The rabbis said that one should forgive a person up to three times. Peter was prepared to more than double the figure: “Up to seven times, Master?” “Not seven, but seventy times seven,” says Jesus; meaning, of course, one should forgive his brother an unlimited number of times.…
Be a better tour guide
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:-
- Guide in such a way that the people learn to find their own way around during the week.
- Show the overall lie of the land, as well as the key landmarks.
- Put in fascinating details that bring out the sense and the colour of the big picture.
Those imprecatory psalms
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. …