Sermons from January 2022 (Page 8)
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
The Rebellion of Antichrist Introduction: There is probably no more mysterious and fascinating figure spoken of in the Bible than Antichrist. He has been the focus of a great deal of speculation among students of prophecy and the subject of countless books. Over the centuries I suppose everyone has wondered at one time or another whether some current evil leader in the world might morph into that tragic figure. While we’re going to examine carefully what our Scripture passage says about Antichrist, it is…
2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5
The Return of the King Before I begin today’s sermon I want to express my deep gratitude for all the cards, thoughts, conversations, and prayers expressed to me and my family in the days following the death of my mother. We rejoice in the wholeness that she experiences in the Lord’s presence, although we do miss her. The site of mom’s burial is just a quarter mile away from the farm on which I grew up. That proximity helped to…
2 Thessalonians 3:6-18
The Bread of Idleness Introduction: In a sense it is a relief to be past the most controversial prophetic passages in 1 and 2 Thessalonians. There’s nothing directly in today’s text about the Tribulation or Antichrist or the Rapture or the Second Coming. As you know, my last three sermons have all been on these topics–important but controversial. You’ve been very gracious in listening to views that were, for some, new, and for others, troublesome. For the most part I believe you have followed…
Luke 13:1-5
Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People (and Good Things to Bad People)? One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Isaiah 1:18: “‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the LORD. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’” This week, and in fact for most of this summer, I want us to reason together, to have a dialogue about some of…
John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Romans 1:18-25
Is Jesus Really the Only Way? (And if so, what about those who have never heard His name?) Dr. Robert Yarbrough, a professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, was reviewing a book for an evangelical publisher on women’s roles in the church, a topic we are going to be dealing with later in this series. In the introduction of her book the author noted that historically the nearly universal position of orthodox Christianity has been that women should not be ordained to…
Acts 20, 21
How Do I Find God’s Will for My Life? This third sermon in our series on Hard Questions could do one of two things: It could liberate you in an important area of practical Christian living, or it could blow your mind and upset your whole spiritual applecart. Someone has said that sacred cows make the best hamburger, but it’s easy to choke on it. I may be slaying someone’s sacred cow today, but I don’t ask that you digest it all…
Luke 9:49-62
Is Tolerance a Virtue or a Vice? Today is the fourth in a series of nine messages on Hard Questions for Thoughtful Christians and Inquiring Skeptics. Today I want to ask the question, “Is Tolerance a Virtue or a Vice?” And I want to answer my own question with a firm, unequivocal, “It depends.” I have here a magazine whose cover asks the question, “Why are Christians So Intolerant?” I believe that’s a legitimate question, because there are many people who need the Lord…
Mark 9:43 48, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10
Hell? Yes! There are several reasons why I have decided to address the topic of hell in this series on “Hard Questions for Thoughtful Christians and Inquiring Skeptics.” First, it is clearly a biblical topic. Second, it is a neglected topic in our churches. Third, hell is under intense attack in our rationalistic, relativistic culture. And fourth, and most importantly, I want to warn those who are on their way there to stop and turn around before it’s too late. Unfortunately, we cannot assume…
1 Corinthians 11:2-16; 14:34, 35; 1 Tim 2:8-15
What is the Role of Women in the Church? The topic of gender roles is a minefield many pastors consider too risky to cross, and I understand their hesitancy. It’s not without good reason that I am starting my study month tomorrow! It should be obvious that we cannot look to society for help in resolving the gender controversy, for the positions staked out there are pretty extreme. On the one side we have the women’s liberation movements like NOW, the National…