Invest the next 10 minutes of your life listening to this short study on Bad Hermeneutics. Rightly dividing the Word of Truth is critical for Bible believers. It’s rare to hear preachers and teachers talk about this nowadays, but it is a much needed topic in the church.
Listen to this great teaching by Pastor John MacArthur, below:
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Some pastors struggle with sermons on the question of “Is There A God”. Pastor Jeff Arthur preaches a very clear message below. Use it for your own sermon ideas. Romans 1:20 says that creation proves God’s existence and that we are without excuse on the day of judgement. Tell your congregation.
Is this really happening in America? This was suppose to be a day about what the kid liked or “was about”, but the school district and judges decide what that is. There has to be some pastor sermons in here somewhere, no?
Awesome blog post today about working. This would actually be a great sermon series and much needed in this time and day.
“But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.” (1 Thess. 4:10-12).
“A bad day at fishing is better than a good day at work” — catchy bumper sticker but don’t believe it. Choose the good day at work anytime; it’s an important part of how God gives you meaning and value. When we’re first introduced to God, we find Him busy creating out of nothing, shaping the formless into form and filling the void with living creatures. He calls what He does a four letter word — work (Gen. 2:2-3), and He places Adam in the garden to do the same (Gen. 2:15). A few truths about work for you to remember this Labor Day:
First, work is not the same as having a job or simply putting forth effort. If that was the case, then the unemployed would lose their identity and the effort of the thief would maintain his. Work is the creating of value out of what is “formless and void” — crops from the ground, meals from ingredients, houses from materials, learning from teaching, etcetera. And value is defined not only by the marketplace, but by God Himself, which is why no one should ever think he is called to “retire” from work — maybe from a job, but never from work, which is an important way we honor God and increase our joy (Eccl. 5:19). Regardless of our age there is always work to be done in God’s vineyard — even if it’s simply praying from a wheelchair in a nursing home.
Second, work is meant to sustain our lives and the lives of others. Before Adam fell he never had to work for his food — it literally “grew on trees.” But afterwards, the garden gave way to the field, the sustaining fruit to the harvested crops, the naming of animals to wearing them. No work, no eat (2 Thess. 3:10) — regardless of the age, which meant that hands that became weak depended on hands that weren’t — an opportunity for ministry (Eph. 4:28) and testimony (1 Tim. 5:8).
Lastly, work is meant to attract the lost to the gospel. How a person works — the integrity of an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay, the sensitivity to not be a financial burden to others (1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:8-9) — speaks to the heart of the lost working man. Every Christian, like those who are deaf, must learn to “speak with his hands” if the gospel is to be received. Wanting something for nothing not only retards gospel progress, but is an excommunicable offense to the hard-working apostle (2 Thess. 3:6-15).
When God really “rolled up His sleeves,” it wasn’t at creation but at the cross — a work so great that it caused all other labors to cease — a testimony to the hands of a man not with blisters for his efforts, but holes. A labor that will sustain lives for all eternity.
Today in church, we took part in The Lord’s Supper. I have always
believed it to be a very special and holy occasion. Somehow though, I
do believe that the church in whole is beginning to fade from that way
of thinking. The deacons serving the crackers and grape juice (that
symbolize Christs body and blood shed on the cross for our sins), were
wearing Hawaiian shirts! I thought it was very inappropriate to say
the least.
The last time I checked, you can’t even go before an American judge
wearing shorts and flip-flops; how much more sacred should we hold
going in front of the maker of all creation as his servants? Maybe I’m
just being a little picky, but I thought it was disrespectful and
shouldn’t be a regular practice of church deacons.
Romans 12 starts off with Paul begging the church to present itself as
holy… and not to conform to this world; yet I couldn’t tell this
morning whether the deacons were there to serve God or hop on a plane
for vacation. Nowadays, Christians seem to think that Jesus is our bud
who is just hanging out in heaven waiting for us to come hither so he
can give us a big hi-five. Just listen to today’s ‘Christian’ music;
God is our homie that wants to give us everything our little hearts
desire.
I get a different picture when I actually read the Bible. I remember
God telling Moses to remove his shoes, for he was on Holy ground.
Sacred. I remember reading about how the temple was set up and if the
high priest entered and wasn’t clean – HE DIED!!! It was serious
business to come before the Lord. Jesus changed some of the ceremonial
laws, but His Holiness will never change.
I remember Peter, James and John (probably a little closer to the Lord
than you or I) falling on their faces because they saw the holiness of
God’s glory when He transfigured before them. And here we are shuck’n
and jive’n in our Hawaiian shirts instead of at least a shirt and tie.
What’s next, tank tops and flip-flops? Shame on us.
So, if you are looking for sermon ideas, here’s one: The Holiness of God.
