God had made a promise to Abraham, and part of that promise was the Abraham would have a son who would carry on the family line. He and Sarah waited a long time, but the promised son didn’t arrive, and they were getting old. So Sarah said to Abraham: “Why don’t we take my maid-servant Hagar, and try for a baby with her?” So Abraham did, and along came Ishmael. So it seemed that Ishmael would be the promised son. …
But it cannot save us – only the gospel can do that
…
Text: Isaiah 53:1
[These notes were written many years ago, and do not represent how I would now structure and present a sermon on this passage. Nevertheless, I think they have some value as an exposition.)
The 53rd chapter of Isaiah needs little introduction. Suffice it to say that it is one of the most precious passages in OT, for it speaks to us in a unique way about our Saviour, centuries before his coming. And if it seems strange that an OT prophecy can predict in such minute detail the life and achievements of the coming servant of the Lord, the challenge is this: is there one other person, living or dead, from any age or land, to whom this could apply? …
Isa 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.
Lit. ‘Out of [or after, or because of] the travail of his soul he will see and be satisfied.’
‘Travail’ signifies severe labour, or painful exertion. It refers to the entire work of toil and suffering of the Lord, which were included in his offering of his soul for sin, and which was consummated when he was ‘cut off out of the land of the living.’…
2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the time of King Herod, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem 2:2 saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
As to the identity of this star:
1. Some regard the entire story as fictional. Ehrman (Jesus, Interrupted) makes no attempt to make sense of the account. …
An important study, published in September 2014, showed that children who live in a family with married parents are better behaved, and have higher educational and employment attainment, than classmates brought up by unmarried parents.
The government-backed research – part of the Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education project – analysed data from 3,000 children from early years up to 16.
The study identified a number of factors influencing future education and employment success. These factors included size of family (children from smaller families tended to out-perform those from larger families) and the provision of pre-school education. …
To the question, by whom, and by what, are we saved, the New Testament gives a range of answers.
1. by God, 1 Tim 4:10
2. by Christ,
3. by Christ’s blood,
4. by Christ’s resurrection
5. by Christ’s life, Eph 1:7 Rom 5:10
6. by the Holy Spirit, Tit 3:5
7. by grace, Eph 2:4-5
8. by faith,
9. by confession of the truth, Rom 10:10
10. by believing and being baptised,
11. by baptism, 1 Pet 3:21
There is, of course, nothing contradictory here. …
In the idyllic setting of ch 2, there had been just one prohibition, v16f.
3:1 – there is an enemy in the garden. The serpent exaggerates the prohibition, minimises the threat of punishment, and tempts the woman, “Go on – have some”. And she takes it and eats it.
Meanwhile, the man has been watching and listening. The woman offers him some of the forbidden fruit, and he too takes and eats.
Before they can wipe the juice from their mouths, they know themselves to be sinners. …
Prime Minister David Cameron has recently expressed deep concern about the epidemic of fatherlessness that is currently sweeping our nation.
Harry Benson, of the Marriage Foundation, has elaborated the cause for concern by setting out some shocking statistics. They are presented mainly in his own words. (They are addressed to Mr Cameron, but should be of interest to us all).
[Note: this sermon was preached the Sunday after the appalling killings carried out by ‘Islamic State’ in Paris on Friday 13th November, 2015. Hence the introductory comment.]
There was ‘a moment of relative calm’ in Paris yesterday afternoon as Davide Martello played his piano outside the concert hall where dozens of people had been killed just a few hours earlier. The song? John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ – ‘Imagine there’s nothing to kill or die for. And no religion too.’…
