Category Archives: Sermon Notes

Mt 21:1-16 The ‘triumphal’ entry (sermon notes)

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Matthew 21:1-16 (Mk 11:1-10; Lk 19:29-38; Jn 12:12-15)

Grand entrances.  Wedding.  Royalty.

Verse 10 – “Who is this?”  Note:-

(a) the deliberate ‘staging’ of the entrance.  He is in sovereign control, (and yet uses human means).

(b) the nature of the entrance.  Similar to ancient ‘victory parades’.  Solomon, 1 King 1:33.  2 Kings 9:13 – ‘They took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps.  Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!”…

Mt 7:13-29 – Two ways to live (sermon notes)

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Matthew 7:13-29

Intro: ‘It ain’t those parts of the Bible I don’t understand that bother me, it’s the parts I do understand.’ (Mark Twain)

Ch. 5 – v4, 11, 20, 22, 28, 29, 32, 48.  ‘You cannot be serious!’

1. Two Gates, vv13f

V13 – “Enter through the narrow gate.”

(a) Wide vs narrow – easy vs confined.  Self-denial, Mt 16:24-26.  Acts 14:22, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God”.

(b) ‘Many’ vs ‘few’ – not about statistics, popular, going with the flow.…

Mt 6:1-18 – You hypocrite! (sermon notes)

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Text: Matthew 6:1-18

Everybody has an outside and an inside; a public exterior and a private interior.  On the outside are all the things that other people can see and hear: the actions you perform and the words you say.  On the inside is that collection of thoughts, feelings, motives, and attitudes that we call ‘the heart’.  Yes: each person has an outward appearance, and an inner reality.  But to what extent is that outer self that we present to others a true representation what we really are, deep inside? …

Ex 9:13-35 – Purpose, power, proclamation (sermon notes)

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[Notes of a sermon originally preached in 2003]

Text: Exodus 8:20-9:35, esp. 9:13-35.

We read it in the Bible, we recite it in our creed, we sing it in our songs and hymns, we say it in our prayers.  But do we really believe it?  Is God really powerful?

‘Allies meet for crisis summit’ – The leaders of the US, UK and Spain hold an emergency summit on Iraq as final preparations are made for war.…

Jn 7:25-52 – Will the real Jesus…? (sermon notes)

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Text: John 7:25-52

Kid McCoy was a US boxer, world champion in 1896. He became involved in a barroom brawl, when a drunk insisted that the boxer was not who he said he was. McCoy flattened his opponent, who struggled back onto his feet and said, “It’s him alright. It’s the real McCoy.”)

1. People, then, as now, have confused and conflicting ideas about who Jesus is.

‘The people were divided because of Jesus.’

Today, some consider Jesus to be

(a) a myth
(b) a Martian (i.e.…

John 8:12-30 – “I am the light of the world” – sermon notes

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Whereas the main question in chapter 7 is, ‘Who is Jesus?’, in chapter 8 this question develops into ‘How do we know that his testimony is valid?’

1. Declaration: “I am the light of the world”

“I” – Jesus points to himself, begging the question: mere man? madman? myth? menace? mistaken? Messiah?

“I am” – The 2nd such statement in this Gospel.  N.b. Yahweh’s self-revelation in Exodus and Isaiah.

“I am Light” – representing learning, love laughter, and life (in contrast to darkness, which represents dullness, depravity despair and death).…

Gen 12:1-9 – The three horizons (sermon notes)

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Genesis 12:1-9

After repeated failure, here is God’s new beginning.

Three horizons:-

1. An individual – Abraham

v2 – “I will bless you…I will make your name great.”

Many obstacles: – too old; childless wife; land already occupied, v6;  famine (v10)!  imperfect character!  not the top candidate (why not Melchizedek?)!

He ‘did not receive the things promised,’ (Heb 11:13).  By the end of his life, all he had was one field and one son.

He ‘obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going, (Heb 11:8). …

Mt 25:31-46 ‘Welcome me, welcome my people’ – sermon notes

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Text: Matthew 25:31-46

Died recently: Leslie Grantham: jailed for murder, sacked over a sex scandal, made homeless after divorce.  Concerning the murder, he said: ‘That’s between me and my Maker.’  Newspaper article concludes: ‘Now, finally, they can have their showdown.’  Just three things wrong with that: (a) it won’t be ‘now’, but at some future undisclosed date; (b) it won’t be a showdown; (c) it won’t just be Grantham, but all of us.

Outline

A glorious coming, v31 – The Son of Man – human, yet exalted; soon, he will hang on his cross pain and humiliation; but a day is coming when he will sit on this throne and judge the world in righteousness.…

Acts 4:5-31 Praying under pressure – sermon notes

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Praying Under Pressure, Acts 4:5-31 (esp. 23-31)

The healing of the crippled beggar, 3:1-10 – Peter’s speech to the people, 11-26 – Peter & John brought before the Sanhedrin, 4:1-7 – Peter’s reply, 8-12 – They are warned to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, 13-17 – Peter refuses, 18-22 – They return to their fellow-believers, who offer a remarkable prayer.  So:-

1. Be clear who you are praying to, vv24-28

This is the longest part of the prayer!…

Lk 4:31-44 A day in the life of – sermon notes

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Text: Luke 4:31-44

If in the previous passage Jesus publishes his mission statement, then in this passage we have a ‘day in the life of’ Jesus as he begins to fulfil that mission.

He’s in Capernaum.  In the morning, he goes to church.  At lunchtime, he visits the house of Simon Peter.  At sundown, he meets the townsfolk.  Early the next morning, he leaves.

Key theme: authority

The authority of his words, vv31f

v32 ‘They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.’…