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Nov. 2,2007; The Series - Jesus, Unique & Unequaled Teacher

Focus Text: Matthew 21.45-46

“Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.” (Matthew 21.45-46).

It is a clear fact that Jesus could read the thoughts and innermost secrets of men’s hearts if He chose to do so. Sometimes people silently thought things around Him and He miraculously “intercepted” their thoughts and…  ( Click for more )

Nov. 1,2007; The Series - Jesus, Unique & Unequaled Teacher

Focus Text: Matthew 21.45

Perceptions can be wrong; sometimes they are directly opposite the facts; sometimes they are accurate. In the case of the chief priests and Pharisees, their perception about one matter was dead on. “Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His [Jesus’] parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.” (Matthew 21.45).

Actually the word “perceived” in the focus text is not as strong as it could be; the underlying Greek word is used 223 times…  ( Click for more )

Oct. 31,2007; The Series - Jesus, Unique & Unequaled Teacher

Focus Text: Matthew 21.40-44

After telling the parable of the wicked vinedressers, Jesus posed a question to the religious leaders in Jerusalem; He asked, “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” (Matthew 21.40). In spite of their unwillingness or inabilities to follow the Scriptures, these men certainly responded correctly to Jesus’ question! They bluntly stated, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other…  ( Click for more )

Oct. 30,2007; Jesus – Unique & Unequaled Teacher (the series)

Focus Text: Matthew 21.33-40

In dealing with the hardhearted religious leaders of His day, Jesus told the following parable:

“There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.…  ( Click for more )

Monday Miscellany; October 29,2007;

Focus Text: Isaiah 55.8-9

It was just a routine doctor’s visit that took me into the crowded metropolitan area. I turned into the parking lot reserved for all the patients who had a doctor in the multistory office building in which my doctor also had an office. As fortune would have it, the parking lot was jam-packed. I drove up one row and down the next looking diligently for a place to park my car, but without success for quite a while. Finally after minutes of searching and with patience getting thin, I spotted a spot and wheeled…  ( Click for more )

Oct. 26,2007; Part 12 of TBD

Focus Text: Matthew 4.13-17

“And leaving Nazareth, He [Jesus] came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.’ From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent,…  ( Click for more )

Oct. 25,2007; Part 11 of TBD

Focus Text: Matthew 21.28-32

If we listen carefully, compliments come from all sorts of unexpected places. I, like most people, appreciate a genuine compliment and so I listen carefully just in case one is passed and I fail to hear it! The two women that I was visiting had consistently caused trouble of one sort or another in the congregation where I was preaching. I called on them, hoping to understand them better and come away with some hope of how we might work together more effective for the cause of Christ. While talking to them, I learned…  ( Click for more )

Oct. 24,2007; Part 10 of TBD

Focus Text: Matthew 21.28-32

Calloused hearts are not the kind of soil in which the seed of the gospel will grow. For that reason, Jesus warned His followers to beware of false teachers and others whose motives are not genuine. In this series we have sampled how Jesus dealt with the chief priests and elders who came and confronted Him in the temple. After absolutely stopping their mouths with superior reasoning, Jesus directly proceeded to tell two parables, both of which were aimed at them and their ilk. In this view of Jesus, the unique and…  ( Click for more )

Oct. 23,2007; Part 9 of TBD

Focus Text: Matthew 21.23-27

There’s no dilemma like a real dilemma! Jesus knew (knows) about dilemmas; He was confronted with a false one in the focus text and He responded with a real one. Let’s examine this amazing event and the reasoning power of Jesus.

The false dilemma, though it was thinly veiled by the chief priests and elders, was, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” As members of the Sanhedrin, these questioners were in positions of authority granted by men. From…  ( Click for more )

The Last Suit You Wear

Monday Miscellany; October 22,2007

Focus Text: 1 Timothy 6.6-10

“The Last Suit You Wear,” as performed by Larry Sparks was one of IBMA’s (International Bluegrass Music Association’s) 2007 nominees for “Song of the Year.” I don’t know all the lyrics, but it has two great lines and the title that are the focal points of today’s message. These lines are great because they are true, and because they express truths that are vital to all of humanity. Consider these truths as we administer Today’s…  ( Click for more )

Oct. 19,2007; Part 8 of TBD

Focus Text: Matthew 21.23-25

Is it right to answer a question with a question? Let’s let Jesus answer this question and then reason as to when and how such might be appropriate.

“Now when He [Jesus] came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?’ But Jesus answered and said to them, ‘I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what…  ( Click for more )

Oct. 18,2007; Part 7 of TBD

Focus Text: Matthew 21.23-27

Jesus “practiced what He preached” when it came to being discriminating in His teaching of others. With the background of our previous two messages in mind (messages on the need to judge and to be discriminating regarding our hearers), you are asked to read (or reread if you have been following this series from the beginning) the focus text and today’s message.

“Now when He [Jesus] came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and…  ( Click for more )

Oct. 17,2007; Part 6 of TBD

Focus Text: Matthew 7.6 & John 7.24

Discrimination – is it a good thing or a bad thing? What if someone said that Jesus frequently discriminated when it came to teaching other people? Would you take that as a good thing, or would you be offended that someone accused Jesus of such practices. The answer is not as simple as one might think; consider this basic question in today’s message.

First, we will look at a modern definition of discrimination taken from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth…  ( Click for more )

Oct. 16,2007; Part 5 of TBD

Focus Text: Matthew 7.1-20

Do you agree that it would be a terrible thing to put words into Jesus’ mouth? What about claiming that He said one thing when in fact He said another? How would this be different from telling a lie about Him? Or, would it be different? Yet, day after day many people, some of them with totally blasé attitudes, put words into the mouth of Jesus, the Unique and Unequaled Teacher. Let’s see how they affront our Savior.

Let’s start by quoting the best known verse in the Bible (this is my opinion…  ( Click for more )

October 15,2007; The Power of "Un"

Focus Text: Isaiah 1.16-20

Consider the following list of words: Wise, holy, thankful, just, lawful, worthy, merciful, loving, forgiven, fruitful, godly, penitent, righteous, clean, believing, faithful, profitable. Do you like this list of words? Do you see these words as positive human attributes/conditions? To anyone who actually loves God, this list is a virtual recipe for success both here on in eternity. Now let’s turn that list around.

Consider each of the words again from this list. Now, in order to illustrate…  ( Click for more )

Oct. 12,2007; Part 4 of TBD

Focus Text: Matthew 21.23-27

It has been said, mistakenly, that time heals all wounds. However, if the Jewish Sanhedrin [the supreme Jewish judicial, ecclesiastical, and administrative council in ancient Jerusalem] was wounded by the seemingly radical actions of Jesus in cleansing the temple (see Matthew 21.12-13), they certainly did not allow time for healing to occur! In twenty-four hours or less after Jesus cast out the moneychangers, the elders and chief priests confronted Him as He walked and taught in the temple. This confrontation is…  ( Click for more )

Oct. 11,2007; Part 3 of TBD

Focus Text: Matthew 26.52-56

There is something to be said for the WWJD [What Would Jesus Do?] mentality; however here is an indisputable fact: No one can know what Jesus would do without knowing what Jesus did! In other words, it is fruitless to discuss what Jesus would do in any given circumstance if we do not know with certainty what Jesus did while here upon this earth. Those who brandish the WWJD acronym must either trust the written record of Jesus’ life (i.e. the Bible), or they ought to admit they simply do not know what Jesus would…  ( Click for more )

Oct. 10,2007; Part 2 of TBD

Focus Text: Matthew 21.23-27

What Would Jesus Do [WWJD]… if someone publicly asked Him a crucial religious question, a question that if left unanswered could result in the loss of a soul? Would He attempt to study in private with the querist, hoping to avoid a public confrontation, but yet capitalizing on the possibility of teaching a lost soul? Would He seize the opportunity to respond to the inquiry, teaching the lost person but at the same time demonstrating His superior knowledge of the subject and impressing other hearers for good?…  ( Click for more )

Oct. 9,2007; Part 1 of TBD

Focus Text: Mark 11.15-18

Three well know verses are used to introduce this subject; they are: “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Matthew 7.28-29). “So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, ‘Is this not Joseph’s son?’” (Luke 4.22). “Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who…  ( Click for more )

Focus Text: Acts 2

Today’s message completes our study of How God Treats Sinners. Valuable principles have been discussed. Some of these are: 1) God’s love is unconditional, but His pardon is not, 2) How God treats sinners depends upon how sinners treat God, 3) How God treats a person in the physical realm is not an indication of how He sees him in the spiritual realm, 4) It is God’s sincere desire that all men be saved, and 5) God finds no pleasure in the death of the wicked.

Eternal Grace sprouted from the hard craggy hill of Golgotha; in just that manner…  ( Click for more )

Focus Text: Acts 2

This series on How God Treats Sinners has “covered a lot of ground” in the previous thirty-six lessons. It will close with two closely related messages also taken from Acts 2. However, these two messages will have a bit of a twist to them; they concern a fact that is all too frequently overlooked in a study of Acts 2. In the context of this study, one of the most amazing verses in all of Holy Scripture is Acts 2.14; it reads, “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them…” Why is this one of the…  ( Click for more )

Focus Text: Acts 2

The prophecy of Joel 2.32 specified that anyone who would call upon the name of the Lord would be saved – no exceptions. Of course, calling on the name of the Lord obviously did not mean merely uttering the Lord’s name; rather calling on the name of the LORD is illustrated in Acts 2 by the instructions which inspired men gave to those who believed Joel's realized gospel message.

Peter was one of these inspired men; according to Luke, he was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2.4) and therefore, his word ought to be the final word when it comes…  ( Click for more )

Focus Text: Acts 2

“But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, ‘Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on…  ( Click for more )

October 1,2007; Who Won?

Focus Text: 2 Corinthians 10.3-7a

College and High School football is a huge reality this time of year. Sometimes people argue for months and even years about which team would have won had this happened, or had the other thing not happened. If you are in the typical office workplace, chances are better than even that you will hear some “Monday morning quarterbacking” going on before the morning is out. However, the score will remain just as it was when the final whistle blew regardless of the “self-proclaimed experts”…  ( Click for more )