|
A Billy Graham Sermon Summary  Whatever Solomon wanted, he got. He had more knowledge, pleasure, wives, wealth, fame, and power than anyone in his time. But to him, everything under the sun was meaningless [1]. Will chasing after what Solomon pursued give us meaning and satisfaction?
Solomon had great knowledge, but his knowledge gave him grief [2]. In the beginning, humans gained the knowledge of evil after rebelling against God. The devil can blind our minds to spiritual things, manipulating us to see the Gospel as stupid [3]. Knowledge enables us to create bombs and weapons that can kill people in an instant. Knowledge alone isn’t enough. We need to love God with all our heart and soul, not just our mind. Solomon was extremely wealthy. But riches will leave you like an eagle taking flight. What good is it if we gain the whole world but lose ourselves [4]? It is better to have little and seek God’s will than to be wealthy and wicked [5]. Solomon had every pleasure at his fingertips [6]. He had great military power. He had great music, art, and culture. He built a phenomenal temple. But when Solomon surveyed all he had and all his achievements, he found them meaningless. They didn’t give him peace or joy. To him, nothing under the sun could satisfy his deepest needs [7]. Solomon concluded that the key is God—humbly follow Him and prepare for His judgment [8]. On our own, we will fail. Christ is the Son of the living God. He is the way, truth, and life [9]. All wisdom and knowledge are in Him [10]. No riches are comparable to His [11]. He has all power and authority [12]. Come to Christ. Let God forgive our sins through Christ. Know Christ, and the truth will set us free [13], not free from problems but at least free from problem-caused anxieties. We will gain wisdom and knowledge. We will gain supernatural joy and pleasure that we can’t get anywhere else [14]. We will gain riches [15]. And we will receive power, love and self-discipline [16]. Surrender to Christ. Seek a personal relationship with Him. He will transform our minds to His mind, giving us a new life of peace, purpose, joy, riches, and power [17]. Why wait? Summary of a sermon by Billy Graham, titled, “Sex, Power, Riches, and Materialism.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-Fe0KIbjd0 [1] Ecclesiastes 1:2 2 Ecclesiastes 1:16, 18; 1 Kings 4:30 3 2 Corinthians 3:14, 4:4; Ephesians 4:17-18; Titus 1:15; 1 Timothy 6:5; and 1 Corinthians 1:20-21 4 Matthew 16:26 5 Luke 12:15, Proverbs 23:5, Psalm 37:16 6 Ecclesiastes 2:1 7 Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 8 Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 9 John 8:32, 14:6 10 Colossians 2:2-3 11 2 Corinthians 8:9 12 Matthew 28:18 13 John 8:32 14 Hebrews 12:2, Psalm 149:5, 1 Peter 1:8, Psalm 16:11 15 2 Corinthians 8:9 16 Matthew 28:18, Romans 1:16, 2 Timothy 1:7 17 Philippians 2:5, Romans 12:2
0 Comments
A Billy Graham Sermon Summary  Christ lived 33 years, never travelled more than 100 miles, and had no formal education. Yet, generation after generation has been asking who He is.
He was a man who experienced hunger, thirst, tiredness, joy of friendship, and sadness seeing His loved one died. He claimed to be the Son of God, existing in the beginning. He was made flesh to live among us, yet committed no sin even as he faced all sorts of temptation (John 1:14, Matthew 16:16-17, John 1:1, John 8:58). Was He a liar, a maniac, a hippie, or an evil man? He lifted ethics to the highest degree, judging us by our thoughts. He taught to turn the other cheek and to forgive our brother seventy-seven times (Matthew 18:21-22). He declared that we must be born again to have a new beginning. He forgave sins (Matthew 9:1-2). He claimed that all authority was given to Him (Matthew 28:18), including authority over nature, calming the sea; over disease, healing the blind, deaf, dumb, and dead; and over demons, casting them out of people. He was crucified because He loved sinners, healed on the Sabbath, and claimed to be the Son of God (Mark 14:61-62). During crucifixion, the earth shook (Matthew 27:51). He forgave the perpetrators, stating that they didn't know what they were doing (Luke 23:34). At the end, He declared, “It is finished.” (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34, John 19:30). Christ had taken the punishment for our sins so we could be reconciled to God. Then Christ resurrected. His disciples proclaimed everywhere He was alive and died brutal deaths for refusing to recant. The evidence is overwhelming that Christ is who He claimed to be, though this can’t be proven scientifically. Many believe because of His acts, words, and wisdom (Luke 11:29-32). Also, the proof is in the numerous lives He transformed, bringing them joy, peace, love, satisfaction, and His grace. We walk by faith when it comes to many things. We trust that others won’t poison us, that banks will cash our checks, and that the dollar will retain its value. Put the same faith in Christ, and you will know He is who He claims to be. Accept Christ as your Lord, Savior, and the Son of the Living God. He will come into your heart, forgive your sins, and change your life. Summary of a sermon by Billy Graham, “Who Is Jesus?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U89zkUZPd5w A Billy Graham Sermon Summary  Jerusalem didn’t repent and fell. Daniel was taken to Babylon, the richest and most powerful empire at the time. He was trained to serve King Nebuchadnezzar. After Nebuchadnezzar’s death, his grandson Belshazzar became king. Belshazzar was prideful, immoral, and irreverent. He went too far.
Pride is one of the greatest sins. God will not be mocked and will humble you if you exalt yourself. Keep on plowing evil, you will reap from it (1). Feeling complacent and secure (2), Belshazzar held a great feast, where an armless hand wrote an unreadable message on a wall. Belshazzar trembled and sent for the astrologists and sorcerers. Like Belshazzar, we are used to ease and luxury. Compared to other parts of the world, even poor people here are wealthy. We don’t put our trust in God. When trouble comes, we go to fortune tellers. With no one able to read the message, Belshazzar sent for Daniel. Daniel accused Belshazzar of dishonoring God and predicted his demise (3). That night, Babylon fell and Belshazzar was killed. Is God’s writing on the wall of the US? Have we gone too far? If America doesn’t repent and turn to our living God of consuming fire (4), America will be judged. But God will forgive and heal anyone, any nation, who repents and turns back to Him. Observe God sparing the wicked but subsequently repentant Nineveh. God remembers our sins, and their consequences will find us (5). On the day of judgement, everything we have done, said, and thought will be brought to light. We will be weighed on God’s balance (6) against
All have sinned and fallen short. All will be judged, with the lukewarm spit out (11). Fortunately, Christ took the penalty of our sins on the cross. Through Him, we can become righteous, accepted by God, and given a new life. So, accept Christ as your Savior and repent today. Otherwise, judgment will come. Summary of a Billy Graham sermon, titled, “Is the handwriting on the wall, America?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJT7MjxkRrk 1 Proverbs 17:19, Obadiah 4, Matthew 23:12, Job 4:8, Hosea 8:7, and Galatians 6:7 2 Amos 6:1 3 Daniel 5:26 4 Deuteronomy 4:24 5 Numbers 32:23 6 Daniel 5:27 7 Matthew 22:36-37 8 Psalm 89:8, Isaiah 40:25, 1Peter 1:16 9 Matthew 25:41-46 10 Luke 12:48 11 Revelation 3:15-16 A Charles R. Swindoll Sermon Summary  We aren’t built for speed or racing. Constantly staying in motion, going non-stop, will ruin us. We will forget what life is about.
Some of us are constantly interrupted by messages and external stimuli. Such persistent noise denies us the silence and solitude we need, crowding our lives and robbing us of any intimate time with loved ones and, most importantly, with God. We need to slow down. God speaks to us in our time of silence. The Israelites had just left Egypt. When they saw the mighty Egyptian army marching after them and the Red Sea before them, they were terrified. Naturally, they blamed Moses, their leader. They accused Moses of bringing them out of Egypt to die, cynically stating their preference of serving the Egyptians instead. But Moses told them not to be afraid. He told them to stand firm, be still, and see the Lord fighting for them (Exodus 14:10-14). We know the outcome. Elijah had just killed hundreds of Baal’s prophets. When Jezebel threatened to kill him, he ran for his life in fear, leaving behind his servant. He was utterly alone, depressed, and exhausted. He asked God to take away his life. God didn’t rebuke him, or shout to make Himself heard. Instead, God spoke to Elijah in a gentle whisper. Later, God gave him Elisha to help him connect with others. Even amid terrifying events, like earthquakes, with the ground giving way and mountains falling, or nations around us fighting ferociously and kingdoms collapsing, don’t panic. Don’t let such events grip you. God is our refuge, strength, fortress, and ever-present help, whether in chaos or in peace. So, even in severe distress, pray. Do what you can, but leave the outcome to God. It may help to keep a private journal. Write down your fears, struggle, how God helped you, and what you have learned. Be still. Be quiet. Learn and know that He is God. He will win the battle and do the great work. He will be exalted in the world (Psalm 46:1, 2, 6, 7, 10). Summary of a sermon titled “Be Still...Be Quiet” by Charles R. Swindoll https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U24L4YOJLfI A Philip Yancey Sermon Summary  It may appear to us that some people don’t deserve our help because their problems are from their bad choices. For example, some characterize those with HIV as drug addicts involved in promiscuous sex. They don’t see their hunger for love and don’t treat them with respect and compassion but consider their affliction to be a punishment from God.
All of us deserve God’s punishment and wrath. But Christ suffered and died for us, the undeserving. He came to save, not to judge and condemn sinners, but to treat us with mercy and respect (John 3:16-17, Mark 2:17). Through God’s grace, we receive forgiveness and love, which we don’t deserve. Our behavior may be slightly better now but be aware that we have failed and will fail like others. It’s God’s grace that has put us back on the right path. Grace is like our beautiful nature, freely available to us, and like streams of water continuously flowing down to the lowest places, the undeserving, the worst. God loves us not because of what we are but what He is. There is nothing we can do to make God love us more or less. We live in a dog-eat-dog world. Giving grace may mean forgiving those who have wounded us, being taken advantage of, and sacrificing our interests for others. But consider the alternative. Without grace, we scorn those who disagree with us, grow hostile towards those who are different, and create a world of division and anger. Look at our harsh world with His eyes of grace. Live by His way. Show God’s love and forgiveness. Treat others with grace when they deserve the opposite. See that no one misses the grace of God (Hebrews 12:15). Bring practical help to the needy. Dig wells for them, educate them, and free those trapped in trafficking. By ministering to the undeserved, we are serving Christ (Matthew 25:37-40). Like an artist, create wonderful things and let others enjoy them at their own pace. Be merciful to reach hearts before explaining your faith to reach heads. We are less than a speck of dust, but don’t worry. The smallest seed can become the largest tree. Our converted, wretched life can transform a society. Summary of talks by Philip Yancey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it4UhakXjrE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA-YeA_I9rA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVYdYX__BIA A Billy Graham Sermon Summary  Let’s study the proverb in Galatians 6:7, “You reap what you sow.”
First, to reap, we need to sow. To reap salvation, we need to have faith in Christ and live a good life. Salvation is based on God’s mercy, who showers us with His goodness through Christ’s crucifixion (Hosea 10:12, Psalm 126:5). To excel in a profession, we need to put in the effort to study and practice. Similarly, we should keep sowing good deeds, repentance, reading the Bible, and praying. Second, if we sow, we will reap. If we sow to please our flesh, succumbing to lust and pleasure, we will reap destruction. Keep stirring up conflicts, and calamity will suddenly come (Galatians 6:7-8, Proverbs 6:12-15, Jobs 4:8). Unfortunately, we are all sinners who have broken the laws of God. Our sins, big or small, will find us. Evil desire leads to sin, which leads to spiritual and physical death (Numbers 32:23, James 1:14-15). Remaining ignorant of what we sow will not keep us from reaping the consequences. Allowing our lives to be sowed by the devil will reap hell. Upon death, will we be ready to meet God in eternal life or eternal condemnation (John 5:29)? Fortunately, though we are great sinners, we have a great Savior, who can totally transform our lives. Through God’s mercy and grace and by His Spirit, we can and must be spiritually born again. So, confess and renounce your sins, and receive Christ. God will forgive, and you will receive His mercy and grace (Proverbs 28:13). Third, we will reap more than what we sow (Hosea 8:7, John 4:36). Charles Reade said, “Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.” We must repent, change, and put our faith in Christ and the cross alone. Only by God’s amazing grace can we be saved. Through Christ, our numbed conscience is resensitized. God produces within us, love, peace, joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment that we could never know without Him. God enables us to do good work, to feed the hungry and help the poor. And God puts us on the right path to live a life we have never dreamt of (1 John 3:8, 4:4). A Billy Graham sermon summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3N1B1-m6H8 A Charles R. Swindoll Sermon Summary  How should we live?
Many do crazy things to zest up their life. Don’t. Don’t walk in the flesh; walk in the Spirit. Many procrastinate and worry too much, even about things very unlikely to happen, and are consumed with anxiety. Don’t. Walk by faith, not by sight. God puts our lives together from start to finish. We are in His hands, and everything is under His control. Many assume they have everything figured out. Don’t. There are many things we can’t understand. For example, no one knows why the Israelites’ sandals didn’t wear out during their forty years in the desert (Deuteronomy 29:5-6). The book of James describes a foolish person planning out a project, picking the starting time and duration, selecting the location, setting the activity, and even predicting profit (James 4:13-15). James doesn’t discourage planning or suggest haphazard living. The book of Proverbs teaches us to plan and be organized. James only warns against pride and over-confidence. We should never assume that we’re in total control and that we have everything figured out. Don’t try to play God. We don’t know what’s going to happen to us tomorrow. Imagine you were in Pearl Harbor in 1941 right before the attack, or you were in the twin towers on 9-11 right before the planes hit. Life can end in an instant. We are like mist that appears only briefly (James 4:14). We are not guaranteed a long life. Death can come suddenly. We are alive because this is the will of God. Our lives are short. In the short time you are here, follow the will of God and believe we are doing so. In the short time you are here, be all there in every situation. Every morning when you open your eyes is a special day. Consider every day alive as a special occasion. In the short time you are here, plan, work hard, and give it everything you’ve got. Don’t procrastinate but remember that we can do things only if the Lord wills. Always pray and put your work in the hands of God. By God’s grace, live wholeheartedly the life God has given you. Summary of a Charles R. Swindoll’s sermon, “You Do Not Know What Tomorrow Will Bring.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5MmL_XEzwo A Charles Swindoll Sermon Summary  Life is unpredictable. Disaster can strike at any time. Everything we have can be lost in an instant. Suddenly, a loved one can be diagnosed with cancer. When disasters strike, many will stop trusting in the Lord to guide them in all their ways (Proverbs 3:5-6). Why?
First, we are too self-sufficient. Rarely do we consider that our problems are permitted or directed by God to teach us. We just charge forward to resolve our mess. We might be denying ourselves the lessons God wants us to learn. Second, we are too quick to seek help from others first. It’s understandable because they are present and capable, while our God in heaven feels so distant. Also, we have developed the bad habit of worrying. Many times, we choose to worry. We can be overwhelmed by worry and fear, lying awake in bed twisting and turning at night; clinging to others to feel secure, wanted, and loved; or just forging ahead without praying for guidance. King David and his 600 warriors returned to Ziklag, where they had left their wives, children, and all their belongings. They found that David’s enemies had burned everything and captured their people. The men wept bitterly. They turned against David, even considering stoning him. Consider: if you had been in David’s shoes, how would you have reacted? David found strength in the Lord and prayed for help. With God’s guidance, David led his men and re-claimed everything they had lost (1 Samuel 30:1-19). We will never outgrow our problems or rid ourselves of worry. The only way to get through worry is not to rely on our own strength, but to trust God. Rely on God to win the battle for us, so that we may enjoy the spoils of His victory. So amid your loss and pain, do not be afraid. Pray so that you will rest in, lean on, listen to, and endure the test with Him. Be humble to learn what God is teaching you. Find strength in the Lord. Trust God with all your heart, and He will guide you in all your ways. Summary of a sermon by Charles Swindoll, “Trust God!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CafpzBJJFbQ A John Calvin Sermon Summary  For Christians, the foundation of the relationship between husband and wife is based on how man and woman were created.
God created Eve using a process totally different from everything else He had created. God used Adam’s rib to create Eve, shaping her from him. Eve was Adam’s flesh and bone. They were one, united in an inseparable bond. Moses’s concession of divorce was because of man’s hardness (Matthew 19:8). A husband should consider his wife as a part of his body. As God commanded, a husband should love his wife as he loves his own body, which inherently includes respect, gentleness, and not looking for but bearing many faults (Colossians 3:19). A wife should subject herself to her husband, not based on whether he has something superior, but to honor him, as God commanded. Though she probably can find things in her husband to despise or even demonize, she shouldn’t. Husband and wife should live harmoniously. A husband provoking fights with his wife, or a wife being adamantly stubborn against her husband, will disrupt the order of nature. Such behavior will even hinder their prayers to God (Ephesians 5:31-33, Genesis 2:23, 1 Peter 3:3-7). Though the bond between husband and wife is stronger than any other between two people, children should still honor their parents. God won’t change what He has ordained. As commanded by God, husband should be a companion to his wife and love her as a part of himself. And wife should honor her husband, submitting to him as the head. The relationship between husband and wife teaches us about Christ and His church. The church draws its life and strength from Christ (Ephesians 5:31-33). We are nothing compared to God’s majesty, yet God manifested Himself in the flesh to save us. Moreover, God the Father has knitted us to His son and grafted us into His body. Christ becomes our sustenance, with everything of Him made common to us, including His glory (Ephesians 5:32). So, repent, worship Him, and be governed by the Holy Spirit to live according to His will, allowing Him to reform us to perfection. Summary of a sermon by John Calvin, titled “Sermon on Ephesians 5:31-33.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMF7mldLe6E A 蘇穎智 Sermon Summary titled “What we must know regarding prayer.”  God knows what we want, whether we ask or don’t. If our desires align with His plans, they will happen; if not, they won’t. So why ask for anything?
We don’t pray to tell God things He doesn’t know. We pray to ask for wisdom, to know when and how to use what God has given us. We pray to learn about Him. And we pray to have an intimate fellowship with Him (James 1:5, Matthew 6:6). Some prayers won’t be accepted, such as insincere prayers made openly to receive worldly glory. Lengthy, performative prayers, coupled with bad behavior, may even lead to punishment. In fact, purple prose and mindless repetition may indicate a lack of faith. With faith, we may only need to ask once (Matthew 6:5-8, Luke 20:47). Other requests God dislikes include requests with bad motives, such as asking for things we don’t really need. Another type is requests that assume God is not in control or He is not loving. Also, requests from a clashing constantly-fighting family may encounter difficulty getting granted (Psalms 66:18; James 4:3, 1:6-7; Matthew 5:23-24; 1 Peter 3:7). As to prayers that God favors, the first is humble prayers, like the tax collector’s short but desperate prayer for forgiveness, in contrast to the Pharisee’s arrogant and narcissist prayer (Luke 18:9-14). God favors prayers that sincerely admit fault. God loves repentance, and He will forgive. Earnest prayers in tears lead to results. Other God-favored prayers include whole-hearted requests from at least two believers, and prayers from spiritual leaders on our behalf. Opening ourselves to such leaders can be a healing process. Learn to confess sins to one another and pray for each other (Psalm 51:17, 126: 5-6; 1 john 1:9; Matthew 18:19-20; James 5:13-16). God may not answer our prayers how or when we want, but we must trust His love and sovereignty. Patiently wait for Him, hold onto His words, and follow them (Jeremiah 33:3). Have confidence that whatever He gives will be better than what we ask for. He will show us great things beyond what we can imagine. Summary of a sermon by 蘇穎智 titled “What we must know regarding prayer.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AYOMnoSqtQ Summary of Christopher Wright’s book, titled, “Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit.”  The fruit of the Spirit is neither earned through deeds alone nor grown entirely by itself. We need to cultivate it. Let’s first understand what the fruit is (Galatians 5:22-25).
The fruit starts with love, which is God’s primary essence. Love God and others regardless of differences, just as God loves the world. Joy isn’t the constantly-wearing-a-smile-type happiness. We can be in pain and depressed but still have it. Joy arises from trusting God’s sovereignty and goodness, and His ultimate healing and restoration. We have joy from God being with us, and from all He has given us. Peace transcends all understanding in this schizophrenic and stressful world. Peace isn’t apathy, but it strives to avoid needless conflict. And it anchors in the promise that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him (Philippians 4:6-7, Romans 8:28, Romans 14-15). God’s patience, kindness, and faithfulness are extolled throughout the Old Testament. However, God is also just and holy. When the Israelites kept rebelling, punishment became necessary. But the fruit doesn’t include judgment because only God can exercise fully righteous and holy judgment. We won’t become Christ in every sense. Goodness implies integrity and doing what’s right, including the good work God has prepared for us. This is at least because we are saved by grace, and we should serve God. Serving Him includes sharing His words. Such sharing and caring go together. Gentleness is from recognizing you are blessed by God’s grace. Never boast. But balance gentleness and righteous anger against what’s wrong, including against things totally disruptive to how life should work. Yet never feel morally superior. We are all sinners. Self-control isn’t encouraged in this culture, but we let our impulses dictate our choices. Because of our sinful nature, we need the discipline to not do, say, or think certain things. Yet we aren’t killjoy. Self-control helps produce the above attributes, which include joy. The fruit of the Spirit is God’s work in us. However, we need to cooperate with the Spirit. So, regularly examine your life and question yourself; stand up where you fail; and read the bible, pray, worship, and have fellowship with other Christians. Then you will bear the fruit of the Spirit. Summary of Christopher Wright’s book, titled, “Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc71NfiVYUk A Benedict Kwok Hung-Biu Sermon Summary  Curiously, the Bible uses several different words for resurrection.
During His ministry on earth, Christ brought three people back to life: the daughter of a synagogue leader, the son of a widow, and Lazarus1. The Greek word used in the daughter’s case is zesetai2, which means “live.” In Lazarus’s story, the term anastesetai3 is used, meaning “rise again.” But the Greek word used for Christ’s resurrection is egerthe4. Similarly, in 1 Corinthians, the Greek word anastasis5 refers to people coming back to life, while the term egegertai6 and its variants are reserved for Christ’s resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12-17). So why the distinction? Christ’s resurrected body transcends matter, time, and space. After He rose, Christ could walk through walls7, and His body rose into the sky8. But for those Christ brought back to life, they were returned to their former bodies, like being resuscitated. If they later didn’t come to believe in Christ, they would die in their sin and not experience Christ’s type of resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:22). We have historical records of Christ being crucified, but Christ’s special type of resurrection is beyond our understanding and must be accepted by faith. The Church is Christ’s body. What parallels can we draw between Christ’s body and the Church today? During crucifixion, Christ’s body was butchered, but His resurrected body was glorious. Today’s churches are wrecked. Lots of churches are little more than tourist attractions. Many believers have stopped attending church altogether. Can the Church be restored just as Christ’s body was? What about us as individuals? One day, we will die, and we will lose everything we gained in this life: possessions, power, status—we can’t take any of it with us. We might even lose them before we leave this world, as many have experienced when they retire. So don’t focus on earthly things. Instead, anchor onto a new hope, the hope of having the Christ-like resurrection. Focus on being the children of God, whom God cherishes. Pray to become more like Christ, with your life reflecting our glorious Savior. A summary of a sermon by Benedict Kwok Hung-biu, titled, “Christ Resurrection Based on the New Testament.” 1 Matthew 9:18-26, Luke 7:11-17, John 11:1-44 2 Matthew 9:18 3 John 11:23 4 Matthew 28:5-6, Mark 16:6, and Luke 24:6, 34 5 anastasis in v12 and 13 6 egegertai in v12, egegertai in v13, egegertai in v14, egeiren in v15, egeirontai and egegertai in v16, and egegertai in v17 7 John 20:19-20, 26 8 Acts 1:9 A George Whitefield Sermon Summary  Enoch faithfully walked with God and pleased Him, such that Enoch was even spared from death (Genesis 5:22-24, Hebrews 11:5-6).
To walk with God, we must deal with our hate for Him. We saw this hate in Adam when he avoided and blamed God for giving him Eve, and when Cain killed Abel out of jealousy. Removing such hostility requires the Holy Spirit (Romans 7:18-25). Through faith in Christ, we are reconciled with God the Father, and the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us. As we remain in fellowship with God, we will grow daily and become more like Christ. There are a few things we can do to help us maintain that fellowship. Read and meditate day and night on God’s words so they become a lamp to our feet and light to our path (2 Timothy 3:16-17); even Christ fought Satan by quoting the Scripture. Meditate on God’s works, such as Christ’s crucifixion. Pray privately and unceasingly, no matter how brief. Pay close attention to His work on us, and to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. To avoid being misguided by our emotions or reasoning, use God’s word to test what we think might be the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Also, obey His commands and find fellowship with other believers. As iron sharpens iron, so too do believers, spurring each other toward love and good deeds (Proverbs 27:17). It is a great honor to walk with God, with the Lord of lords in us, and to be called His friend (John 15:15). This is a pleasant path because ways of wisdom are pleasant ways (Proverbs 3:13-18). His words are sweeter than honey. With the love of the Holy Spirit in us, we will be filled with joy, even in tribulation. The apostles rejoiced after being flogged, and Paul sang hymns in prison after being stripped and severely beaten (Acts 5:40-42, 16:22-25). Furthermore, our rewards and blessings in the new heaven and earth will be great, with everlasting glory from God waiting for us. So, Christians, don’t be lukewarm. Remember the joy of walking with God and let the love of Christ drive you to walk with Him. Summary of a sermon by George Whitefield, titled, “Walking with God!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt-Xu3JC1sg A Christopher Wright Sermon Summary  After the flood, sin was still rampant. Then came Abraham. God showed Abraham He would justify all nations by faith, with all nations blessed through Abraham (Genesis 12, Galatians 3:8).
God’s desire is to bring blessings to all nations. Abraham was chosen for this purpose (Genesis 18:18-19), as was Israel. Not because Israel was good, but because of His love, God chose Israel to be His witness, by which He would bring salvation to all (Isaiah 44:21). Then through Christ, salvation came to all nations, as promised in the Old Testament (OT) (Galatians 3:8; Luke 24:27, 44-47). So the mission of God’s people in the OT was to bring God’s blessing of salvation to all nations. To achieve such a mission required Biblical ways of living. Abraham and his people needed to live distinctively, following God’s righteousness and not Sodom’s way of injustice, cruelty, and wantonness (Genesis 18:18-19, 19; Isaiah 1; Ezekiel 16). Similarly, Israelites were to live following God’s teachings (Leviticus 18:3, 19:2). If so, they would be God’s priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:4-6), bringing God to all nations and drawing them to God. That was the purpose of the OT laws, which were ultimately fulfilled through Christ. God’s people must follow God’s ways, to bear witness to and bring the knowledge of God to all. God’s people are to shine before them, attracting them to God (Deuteronomy 4:6-8, Matthew 5:14-16). Examples of witnessing in the OT include Joshua terrifying the surrounding nations and attracting people, like Rahab, to God; and the Israelites themselves being sent into exile before their subsequent return (Exodus 15:14-16; Joshua 2:8-11; Exodus 32:11-14; Ezekiel 36:20-21, 33-36). Through such witnessing, ultimately the nations will benefit and praise God. Those who choose to be God’s people will be accepted into an all-nation community that knows, worships, and loves God (Isaiah 56:3-8, Isaiah 19:19-24, Psalm 87:4-7, Zechariah 2:10-11). God’s creation will rejoice together in the coming of the Lord, culminating in the new heaven and the new earth (Psalm 96: 11-13, Isaiah 65:17-25). In the New Testament, Christians are to live following God’s teachings and obey the Great Commission. Christians are to bring God’s blessings to all and make God known to the ends of the earth. Thus, the mission of God’s people is deeply rooted in the OT. A summary of a sermon by Christopher Wright, titled, “The Old Testament Vision of God’s People”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0dFzFry7sU A N.T. Wright Sermon Summary  Paul ventured beyond Jerusalem to convert non-believers to Christ. To the Gentiles, Paul was crazy because Christ was crucified. To the Jews, treating Christ as their Messiah was scandalous. Paul forced both groups to ask themselves who God was, what His purpose was, and what that meant for them.
Those who accepted his message became renewed creations[1], with new eyes and new minds, growing and maturing in their new knowledge of the Creator[2]. No longer enslaved by foolish things, they saw the importance of love[3]. Their new lives centered on Christ. These transformed individuals formed a united and holy community focused on God, not on earthly things[4]. Through this community, people would see Christ as Lord[5]. Paul rooted the above in the Old Testament. Regarding the concept of only one God, as shown in Shema, the Jewish daily prayer: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God; the Lord is one,” Paul refreshed this concept into one God, the Father (we live for Him), and one Lord, Christ (we live through Him)[6]. Just as Christ humbled Himself despite being God, we should also humble ourselves in our relationships with others[7]. In light of this, God the Father shares His glory with Christ; compare this to the Jewish concept of God never sharing His glory[8]. Regarding being God’s people, Jews in Exodus were freed from Egyptian slavery with God living among them, just as we, slaves of sins, become God’s children through Christ, with the Holy Spirit living in us[9]. But Paul placed knowing Christ above all his Jewish privileges[10]. Instead of Jews alone being God’s people, Jews and Gentiles alike are justified through Christ as one people under God. As to our future, it is analogous to how the Israelites left Egypt and inherited the promised land. Through Christ, we become part of the new heaven and earth. Paul teaches us to live according to the Spirit, with our minds set on what the Spirit desires. But we still live in a fallen world. Fortunately, in our weakness, we can rely on the Spirit, who helps us and intercedes for us before the Father[11].What we do in Christ won’t be in vain but instead will be part of God’s new creation. So let us give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord[12]. Summary of a sermon titled “How Paul invented Christian theology,” by N.T. Wright https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkcjFHYIugY 1 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:18-22 2 John 3:7, Romans 8:5-8, Romans 12:2, 1Corinthians 14: 20, Colossians 3:10 3 Galatians 4:8-9, Corinthians 8:1-3 4 Philippians 2:1-2, 3:19; Galatians 2:11-14; Romans 8; Colossians 3:2 5 Ephesian 3:10 6 1 Corinthians 8:6 7 Philippians 2:5-11 8 Philippians 2:10-11, Isaiah 45:23 9 Galatians 4:1-11 10 Philippians 3:2-11 11 Romans 8:5-8, 26, 27; 1 Corinthians 15; Isaiah 11; Revelation 21 12 1 Corinthians 15:58 A Christopher Wright Sermon Summary  Let’s explain a few concepts regarding the end times. Some people focus too much on the millennium, a term that appears only in one passage[1] in Revelation, which is a book filled with symbolic imagery. Others focus on the rapture and Christians being snatched away[2]. Instead, our focus should be on Christ’s return. Furthermore, the New Testament has nothing on the Israel state. The Old Testament’s promises to the Israelites are fulfilled in Christ, not through any holy land[3]. Gentiles and Jews share the same inheritance in Christ[4].
In the end times, Christ will return personally[5]. All will see His glorious return[6], and the dead will be raised[7]. Christ will be the fair and merciful judge[8]. His judgments will last forever[9], with all wrongs exposed[10] and all wickedness destroyed[11]. His judgments will be based on what we know and our situations[12], according to our deeds and our lives[13]. We are justified through faith, and our deeds will show whether we lived in faith[14]. God will transform His creation into the new heaven and earth, with no more death, mourning, pain, impurity, strife, violence, war, or sin. Many will go to heaven, but earth is the final home. God will come down to be with us on earth[15]. We will openly see God’s face[16]. We will live with God in our gloriously resurrected bodies[17]. The corrupted physical creation will be cleansed of its curse. All people and animals will live peacefully together, praising and honoring God[18]. The new earth includes the city in Revelation, a secure, spacious, and beautiful place, like the garden of Eden, but with the tree of life always there for us. People will bring into the city their glorious and honorable splendor, filling the city with their cultural richness, and we will enjoy the work of our hands there[19]. Until that day, we should faithfully do what He has told us to do, so we’ll be ready for the end times. Rest in our sovereign God, who will redeem us and put all things right again[20]. Also, let us thank God for giving us a new birth and a living hope through Christ’s death and resurrection[21]. Thank God for giving us a real life in His new creation. Summarized from Chapters 9-11 of The God I Don’t Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith by Christopher Wright. 1 - Revelation 20 2 - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and Matthew 24:40-41 3 - Hebrews 13:14, Acts 13:32-33, 2 Corinthians 1:20, Galatians 3:26-28, Romans 4:11-12 4 - Ephesians 2:11-3:6; Hebrews 3:12-4:11, 4:14, 8:1, 10:21, 13:10, 6:19-20, 10:19, 12:22, 12:28 5 - Acts 1:10-11, James 5:7-9; 1 John 2:28 6 - Matthew 24:27, 30; Revelation 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:7; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; Titus 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:8 7 - Revelation 20:11-13, Philippians 3:21, 1 Corinthians 15:35-43, Matthew 22:23-33 8 - Revelation 5:6; John 5:22-23; Acts 10:42-43, 17:31; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Psalm 33:13-15, 103:14; Luke 23:34; 1 Timothy 1:13 9 - 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10 10 - John 5:25-29; Job 24:12, 23-24 11 - 2 Peter 3:10 12 - John 3:19-21; Romans 1:19-20, 2:12-16 13 - Revelation 20:12-13, 2 Corinthians 5:10 14 - Matthew 7:21-23 15 - Revelation 21-22; Isaiah 65:17, 25 16 - Revelation 21:3, 22:3-4 17 - Luke 24:37-39; John 21:4-13; Acts 2:24, 3:15, 13:29-30, Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2; Romans 8:11, 23 18 - Isaiah 65:25; Revelation 4:7, 5:13-14 19 - Revelation 21:24-27, Isaiah 65:21-23. 20 - Isaiah 52:7-10, Psalm 96:11-13 21 - 1 Peter 1:3 A Christopher Wright Sermon Summary  Humans have caused lots of suffering. Genesis 3 describes how the devil tempted humans into rejecting God’s authority, distrusting His goodness, and disobeying Him, which led to the downfall of mankind.
The Bible doesn’t explain the origin of the devil but describes the devil as an angel rebelled and fought against God, such as attacking Christ throughout His ministry[1]. Despite this, the devil still exists under God’s authority. God doesn't create evil because there is no darkness in God[2]. Though we can’t make sense of the devil, we need to reject and resist him[3]. We also can’t make sense of natural disasters and catastrophic pandemics, which cause suffering as well. The curse on the ground in Genesis 3 didn’t cause them because that curse was on humans[4]. The story of Job teaches us that suffering is not necessarily a punishment from God[5]. Natural disasters have existed all along. If God used disasters to punish, He would’ve stated so. Many in the Bible, including Job, Jeremiah, and numerous psalmists, lamented and questioned their loving and all-powerful God. They complained furiously, protesting to God’s slowness in responding. Yet, they still believed in God’s sovereignty and goodness[6]. We also need to trust God being in charge. We need to believe that all things work together for His purpose, as seen in the life of Joseph[7]. Similarly, we need to trust God’s goodness. The cross demonstrates His goodness, as well as the wickedness of Satan and men under their free will. But God’s sovereignty weaves all these together for our good[8]. Finally, Revelation teaches that God is at the center of the universe, with all creation around Him. Only Christ can understand human history, not us[9]. And God’s sovereignty overrides all evilness, with God judging the wicked and saving His people[10]. In the end, Christ will rule over everything, with all evil, death, pain, shame, deceit, impurity, and curse eradicated[11]. In His sovereignty, God weaves evil into His purpose to redeem the whole of creation, accomplishing the greatest good[12]. This is our wonderful hope, in which we have total confidence and incomparable joy. Summarized from Chapters 1-3 of The God I Don’t Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith” by Christopher Wright. 1 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6, Revelation 12:7-9 2 Habakkuk 1:13, 1 John 1:5 3 Ephesians 6:11, 1 Peter 5:8-9 4 Genesis 3:17, Romans 8:20-21 5 John 9:1-3, Luke 13:1-5 6 Job 19:6-8; Jeremiah 15:10-21, 17:14-18, 20:7-18; Lamentations 2:11-12; Amos 3:6; Isaiah 45:7; and Psalms 10, 12, 13, 28, 30, 38, 56, 69, 88 7 Genesis 45:4-8 8 Acts 2:22-24, 36-38 9 Revelation 4&5 10 Revelation 6&7 11 Revelation 21:1-4; 22:3 12 Revelation 21-22 A David Jeremiah Sermon Summary  Sometimes our invisible God seems powerless or apathetic in our day-to-day life. And we don’t even know how to pray about it (Romans 8:26).
Romans 8:28 starts with “we know.” We know God is in control of all aspects of our life, to manifest His glory and bless us. Don’t let circumstances control you. Instead, learn about God. The more we know Him, the better prepared we are to deal with our confusing world. God promises that all things work together according to His plan. He is always working behind the scenes to fulfill this plan. In everything, God works for good. In the short term, things can look terrible. But life events are synergistic. God weaves them together for good. This promise is to those who love Him (Deuteronomy 7:9, Psalm 145:20, 1 Corinthians 2:9, 1 Corinthians 8:3, James 1:12). They are also those called by God. These are two sides of a coin, one side from us loving God and the other side from God calling us to Himself for His purposes. Let’s look at a few heroes in the Bible. Job suffered terribly. He lost everything. Even his friends said he deserved it. Though Job didn’t understand why, he trusted God’s sovereignty and stood strong during all his life’s disasters (Job 1:1, 1:21, 23:10). Joseph was sold to Egypt and suffered for years. But he followed God. Later, as the second most powerful man in Egypt, he succinctly said everything was woven together under God’s plan for good (Genesis 50:20). Jeremiah told the Jewish people in exile and destruction that, weaving everything together, God had a plan to give them hope and a future (Jeremiah 24:5-7, 29:11). Finally, look at Christ. God, the Father, turned all Satan’s evil plots against Christ into humanity’s greatest blessing (Acts 2:23, 4:27-28). So, trust God. Believe that all things are under His control (Isaiah 46:9-11). If we walk with God every day, there is nothing to fear. All things work together for their good of those who love God. So, count your blessings in gratitude. And live grittily. Hold fast to your goals. If you fall, get back up and fight again. Serve God in faith and without fear, because He is our safety net. Summary of a sermon by David Jeremiah, titled “A Great Promise.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&v=DLl3VeCEODQ A Christopher Wright Sermon Summary  In His great love, God sacrificed Himself on the cross, pouring His blood in place of ours [1]. But why? Why does God love us? Can we ever understand?
God loves the Israelites not because they are important [2] or righteous [3], or even because He is their God [4]. He loves them for reasons only known to Him. Similarly, only God knows why He loves us and has mercy on us [5]. So, just be amazed and thankful [6]. The cross has phenomenal effects. Through it, God has forgiven us, freeing us from sin’s control [7]; justified us before Him [8]; reconciled with us [9], enabled us to reconcile with others [10]; and has given us new life [11]. His crucifixion has removed our guilt before God and bears our shame of covering up our real self, removing our shame before others [12]. How the cross achieves this is a mystery. We can’t fully understand why the Father, working with the Son, ferociously assaulted and killed His beloved Son to appease His own standard of justice. One reason may be that God hates evil. The Father handed Christ to the wicked [13] to be tortured and killed. The Father also separated Christ from Him. The New Testament said the cross was in accordance with the Scriptures (or the Pentateuch) [14]. Christ also linked His death to Solomon temple’s destruction [15], drawing a parallel between crucifixion and Israelites’ history. Because of their rebellion, God handed the Israelites to wicked people. They were exiled and nearly annihilated, with the temple destroyed. God separated Himself from Israel [16]. Yet, while the Israelites were sinful, Christ was innocent. Similarly, because of our rebellion, God has separated Himself from us and handed us to the wicked. And we suffer from them. Though we can argue that God doesn’t want to turn us into puppets, do we deserve to be punished when it was God who made the moral universe? Can we exonerate God from all involvements? We can’t fully comprehend God’s sovereignty and our responsibility. But what we can see is God’s love on Calvary. We can see Christ being cut off from the Father and bearing God’s judgment of our sin so we can reconcile with God [17]. A summary of Chapters 6-8 of “The God I Don’t Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith,” regarding “Questions Regarding the Cross,” by Christopher J.H. Wright. [1] 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Luke 22:19-20, Isaiah 53:5-6 [2] Deuteronomy 7:7-8 [3] Deuteronomy 9:4-6, Ezekiel 16:48-52 [4] Deuteronomy 10:14 [5] Ephesians 2:3-7 [6] 2 Samuel 7:18; 1 Chronicle 29:14-15 [7] Ephesians 1:7, 1 John 1:7-2:2 [8] 1 Peter 2:24, 2 Corinthian 5:21 [9] Ephesians 2:11-13, 19; Romans 5:10-11 [10] Ephesians 2:13-18 [11] Ephesians 2:4-5 [12] Isaiah 54:4, Ezekiel 36:16-32 [13] Acts 2:23, Ezekial 11:9 [14] 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 [15] John 2:19-22 [16] 2 Thessalonians 1:9 [17] 2 Corinthians 5:21 A 陳若愚 Sermon Summary  Praise God’s great mercy for the wonderful salvation that gives us a new birth (1 Peter 1:1-9, John 10:10).
This new birth from the Holy Spirit transforms us (John 3:5, 8). It brings us the living hope of an inheritance that is eternal, unlike earthly things; that is pure, with no evil, suffering, and sin; and that is as beautiful as Christ’s never-fading glorious body (1 Peter 1:4, Philippians 3:21). But our journey on earth is one of sanctification. We will fall, but in that failure, we should pray fervently and rely on God’s grace. Through the power of God, we can stand up from where we fall and hold firmly onto our conviction to do God’s will (Hebrew 3:14, 10:36). We shouldn’t rely on what we see. Our trust shouldn’t be in our wealth and health. Instead, focus on God’s glory, God’s will, and His Kingdom. Trust God to be our Lord. His glory is the hope of humanity (Ephesians 1:3-14). During this journey, we will experience suffering and trial. This is partially because living a godly life brings persecution (1Peter 1:6, 2Timothy 3:12). In suffering, persist in your faith, which is purified by the trial. When Christ returns, those holding onto their faith will receive praise from Him and crowns as good as Paul’s (2Timothy 4:7-8). We will be like Christ and with Christ, who is on the throne (1 Peter 1:7). This salvation doesn’t just promise us wonderful blessings in the future. On earth today, it already provides us an abundant life through God’s great blessings. We can enjoy a loving relationship with the invisible Christ. Though we may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials, the Holy Spirit can bring us God’s grace and guidance and help us trust His wonderful plan. Remember that you don’t have to fight alone; God’s power will protect your faith, and the salvation of your body and your soul (1 Peter 1:5). So, you can be filled with glorious joy even today (1 Peter 1:6, 8, 9; Matthew 16:24-26). This is our wonderful salvation. Summary of a sermon by 陳若愚牧師, titled “The All-Inclusive Salvation” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih_Ej-YsIvA&list=PLg3M9TBbMGt3ncUcMo3R92J7LLbX_BhJ5 (From 18:00 minutes). |
