Sermons on Faith (Page 2)
Romans 4:13-25
Justification Illustrated: The Father of Faith, Part 2 Introduction: For three weeks we have been giving our attention almost entirely to the doctrine of justification by faith. In the first three chapters of Romans the Apostle Paul goes to great lengths to establish, as a prosecutor might do in a court room, that the entire human race stands guilty before God because of SIN. Having built an absolutely watertight case, he stops to await the Judge’s verdict, which, astoundingly, comes down as “not guilty.” God…
1 Cor. 13:5-13
Love Never Fails SCRIPTURE: 1 Cor. 13:5-13 Introduction: Have you ever stood before an exquisite painting or sculpture and felt as if you were gazing into the very soul of an artist? One of the joys of my life has been visiting some of the great art galleries of the world. I once spent more than a week by myself traveling from one great art museum to another across Europe. I have had the privilege of spending many hours in the Louvre in Paris,…
Daniel 2
The Dream That Became a NightmarE Note: This manuscript has been extensively rewritten by Mike Andrus. Introduction: Last week we began a chapter-by-chapter study of the book of Daniel, the story of the life of a godly Jewish man taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in the 6th century before Christ. It is a story which highlights the sovereignty of God over human history even in the midst of great disaster. Today we look at Daniel chapter two and the opening account…
Daniel 3
Flame Broiled Faith Note: This manuscript has been edited, and information has been added, by Mike Andrus. Introduction: I do not frequent Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, but I’ve heard a lot about it. It seems that the secret of their steaks, what really makes them a cut above the rest, is their process of quick flame broiling them over an open fire at 1800 degrees. This searing heat seals in the great flavor of truly fine beef. That is, as long as their chef, also…
Daniel 6
Character, Faith, Duty Introduction: It is my privilege to teach today on one of the best-known and best-loved stories in the Bible. It is also a dilemma. How does one handle an old story in a new way so that it remains fresh and, more importantly, so that we all profit from the powerful spiritual lessons it contains? I have decided to focus on three things that stand out throughout the life of Daniel, but particularly here in chapter 6: he was exceptional in character,…
Matthew 14:13-21, 15:29-39
The Feeding of the Nine Thousand (or Food Stamps and Faith) Introduction: We come this morning to two of the best known and best loved stories in the Bible–the feeding of the 5,000 and the feeding of the 4,000, found in two successive chapters of Matthew. Thus, the title of my sermon, but I could just as well have called it “The Feeding of the Twenty-seven Thousand,” because in both stories Matthew goes out of his way to tell us that he…
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
How the Gospel Impacts the Church Those who know me well know I can be a very critical person. And I confess that there are times when I’m critical of this church. Some of you may have some criticisms of our church as well. After all, churches are composed of sinners. There is room for improvement in any church, but overall I think we have much to be thankful for at First Free. When the gospel has an obvious impact…
Acts 10, Matt 8
The Centurions: Does God Approve of Military Careers? Introduction: Today we come to the last message in our three-month series on The Ministry of the Market Place. I want to thank George Fooshee and Phil Thengvall for their excellent messages while I was in Israel. Next Sunday, Lord willing, we will begin a new series on the life of Christ. We will start, as is appropriate for Advent, with the nativity of Jesus, and then we will continue after the Christmas season by studying…
Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus: Can You Change Your Reputation at Work? Introduction: The question posed in my sermon title today is one that may not seem relevant to everyone here, because some of you don’t have a problem with your reputation at work. But some of you may. And all of you know people who do. It is my hope that this message will give you hope that people can change. Of course, it works both ways. We need to be aware also that one bad decision, one careless act…
Luke 7:36-50
Have You Miscalculated Your Indebtedness? Every one of us likes stories, and Jesus was a storyteller par excellence. It just so happens that the first parable I am going to tackle is a parable about two debtors, but that is where the connection with last Sunday stops. Missionary aviation is a field of service that for the past fifty years has enabled the gospel to penetrate the most remote areas of the third world. About six years ago I left the southernmost…
Hebrews 11:1-7
God’s Hall of Faith: The Gallery of the Ancients Note: This sermon was preached in St. Louis many years before the series in Wichita. The text was divided up differently, so this sermon is briefer than the others. Americans go in big for Halls of Fame. I’ve never visited one, but I have always wanted to go to Cooperstown. And I wouldn’t mind going to the Football Hall of Fame. But I didn’t realize just how prolific Halls of Fame are until the reference service at…
Hebrews 11:8-22
God’s Hall of Faith: The Gallery of the Patriarchs I have always loved to visit the great museums of the world. I once spent an entire week just going from one museum to another in Europe. It’s probably because I have always loved history, and it’s in museums that history has been preserved for posterity. In a sense Hebrews 11 is a museum of faith, or perhaps better, a Hall of Faith, which the believer is invited to explore. There are a number…