Christmas is coming, preacher

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Peter Mead suggests some starting points from which the creatively-challenged preacher might approach the message of Christmas:-

Prophecies from the Old Testament such as Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6, Micah 5:2, or Jeremiah 31:15.

People from Matthew’s genealogy – the women, for example (each of whom has an interesting story to tell!), or the Gentiles (suggesting the greater scope of the Christmas hope).

Themes – the ‘Immanuel’ (God with us) theme, for example, beginning with Isaiah 7:14-9:7), continuing with Matthew 1, and then moving on to Matthew 28:20.…

Col 2:6-23 – More? – sermon notes

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Do you long for more in your Christian life?  Paul did, Phil 3:10-14 –‘Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.’  So, evidently, did the Colossians.

1. You don’t need Christ ‘plus’

False teaching in Colosse.  Its general description, v8 – ‘hollow and deceptive philosophy’, ‘human traditions’.  In particular:-

(a) Christ plus ritual, v16, ‘religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day’. …

Some “I wills” of Christ

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Prayer, Jn 14:13f, “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

Salvation, Jn 6:37, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

Confession, Mt 10:32, “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.”

Evangelism, Mt 4:19, “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”…

Isaiah 56:1-8 – Welcome the stranger – sermon notes

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Ethiopian eunuch, Acts 8:27ff.  He asked, “Of whom is the prophet speaking?”  He might also have asked, “To whom is the prophet speaking?”  The answer is here.

Last section of Isaiah – addressed to those returning from exile.

1. Gospel welcome

Addressed to all (v1-2), but specifically to ‘eunuchs’, v4, and ‘foreigners’, v6.

Gen 12:2 – “All people on earth will be blessed through you.”

Rahab, Ruth.

Cf. Deut 23.  ‘Special measures’, cf. Ezra, Nehemiah.

Jn 10:16 “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen.…

Joshua 101 – sermon notes

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Joshua 1

It’s taken us millions of years to discover it, but four days ago it finally became official.  This is the way Reuter’s agency broke the news:-

They were huge, lumbering and certainly not the most graceful of creatures, but when they had to dinosaurs sure could run, scientists said on Wednesday.

Using prints from a fossilised dinosaur track in a quarry from southern England, scientists have calculated that bipedal theropod dinosaurs could run at speeds of up to 30 kilometres (19 miles) per hour.…

Luke 1:5-25, 57-66 – A day to remember – sermon notes

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Is there any one day that stands out in your life?

For Zechariah, that day had arrived.  Except that it would turn out to be far more outstanding than he can have ever imagined.

1. Ordinary people

A humble couple, from the Judean hill country.  Of priestly stock, but did not belong to the corrupt aristocracy of Jerusalem.

Childless.  Elizabeth’s ‘disgrace’, v25.

Getting on in years, v7, must have given up all hope

Faithful, v6, not bitter. …

Christian scholarship needs Christian faith

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Why is it that some Christian scholars engage in what James Barr called ‘maximal conservatism’?  Why is it that, according to Peter Enns, evangelical Christians are far too ready to ‘defend’ the Bible against ‘attacks’ on its (supposed) moral uprightness, historical accuracy, and theological consistency?  Why is it that Kenton Sparks feels the need to accuse evangelical biblical scholars of giving the impression that they accept all the tools of critical scholarship while, on the other hand, blithely insisting that the use of these tools, ‘when properly used’, must uphold their own predetermined views about the Bible does, and does not, teach?…

Rescuing the Bible from its friends

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Enns, Peter (2014). The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It. HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

I offer a summary of some of the book’s main points, and then an assessment.

What the Bible is not

The Bible, says Enns, presents us with at least three kinds of problem:-

  • moral (God is responsible for a great deal of slaughter)
  • historical (many of the events recorded in the Bible did not happen, at least not in the way the Bible describes them)
  • theological (the biblical writers present diverse and contradictory points of view about God and what it means to follow him).
…

God bless the ‘Sunday Assembly’

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Yesterday morning (9th November 2014), the Norwich ‘Sunday Assembly’ held its first meeting.

Describing itself as ‘a global movement for wonder and good’, the Sunday Assembly sets out to offer much that a Christian worship service might offer – including communal singing, time for reflection, an address, tea and coffee at the end (can’t get much more religious than that!) – but without God.

The folks behind the Sunday Assembly are peaceable humanists.  They regard themselves as godless, but not anti-god.  …

The life of prayer

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Albert Barnes offers the following guidelines:-

1. Every Christian should have some time allotted for this service, and some place where he may be alone with God.

2. It is not easy, perhaps not possible, to maintain a life of piety without regular habits of secret devotion.

3. The morning, when we have experienced God’s protecting care, when the mind is fresh, and the thoughts are as yet clear and unoccupied with the world, when we go forth to the duties, trials, and temptations of the day; and the evening, when we have again experienced his goodness, and are about to commit ourselves to his protecting care, and when we need his pardoning mercy for the errors and follies of the day, seem to be times which commend themselves to all as appropriate seasons for private devotion.

…