Sermon Text: Matthew 4:1-4 Theme: Jesus proved that the true Son of God trusts His Father in Heaven to provide for Him by refusing to use His messianic powers to avoid the suffering appointed to Him. Structure/points: At the Jordan River, Jesus was baptized and identified as the beloved Son of God. But what did that mean? How did He understand Himself…
Sermon Text: Matthew 3:1-17 Theme: John’s baptismal ministry called the Jewish people to repent of their sins from the heart because the messianic kingdom of heaven was about to dawn on them through Jesus Christ. Structure/points: After the Lord’s initial revelation about the births of Jesus and John the Baptist, He became relatively silent. We know nothing of John’s life in between…
Sermon Text: Psalm 3:1-8 Theme: Though the foes of the believer are many, salvation belongs to the Lord, and He will answer all who cry to Him for deliverance with protection and blessing. Structure/points: If ever there was a time to be thinking about musical composition, running away from Absalom’s rebels seems like it wouldn’t be it. Yet it was in the…
Sermon Text: Galatians 2:20 Theme: True believers in Christ are one with Him, as they continue to trust in His work and as they seek to know of and respond to His ways. Structure/Points:
Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 15:17-37 Theme: Though David was forced to once again retreat into the wilderness because of his and Absalom’s sins, the Lord provided him with help and encouragement so that the strength of his flagging faith was restored. Structure/points: For the second time, David found himself hunted by his own people and forced to seek refuge in the wilderness. …
Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 15:1-17 Theme: By wielding flattery and doubt, Absalom stole the loyalty of Israel from the king whom God had anointed as the rightful ruler of His people. Structure/points: Since 2 Samuel 13, David’s son Absalom has been a major figure in the book but not a positive one. He sinned against God and man by murdering his half-brother…
Sermon Text: Romans 1:16-17 Theme: The gospel of Jesus Christ demonstrates the power of God by revealing that whomever believes in Jesus alone for salvation will be justified from his sin by the Lord. Structure/points: When we talk about the Reformation, we often talk about Martin Luther’s discovery that “the righteous shall live by faith” and, as a result, the doctrine of…
Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 14:1-33 Theme: In order to secure an heir for the throne of Israel, King David ended the banishment of his murderous son and restored a prideful sinner to prominence within his family. Structure/points: As David struggled to decide what to do about Absalom’s murder of Amnon, Israel was left not knowing who would inherit David’s throne after he…
Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 13:23-39 Theme: Absalom’s hatred combined with David’s indecision to cause the king’s household to plunge into greater sorrows and throw the people of God into chaos. Structure/points: For the second time, God’s sword of discipline struck the house of David to punish his sin with Bathsheba, this time through the treachery of Absalom. For the second time, a…
Sermon Text: 2 Samuel 13:1-22 Theme: Amnon’s sin against his sister shows the people of God that indulged sin will always harm the lives of innocent victims as well as the sinner’s own soul Structure/points: In the wider context of 1-2 Samuel, the first twenty-two verses of 2 Samuel 13 are a catalyst for all that follows. If the sword would never…