Sermons by Brad Mills

How the Church Grows Up (Ephesians 4:15-16

1. We Speak the Truth  Lovingly  (15a) 1. We speak the truth in love to those outside the church (“evangelists” v.11). This makes the body grow wider. We know the Great Commission, but do we carry it out? 2. We speak the truth in love to those inside the church (Eph 4:25). This makes the body grow stronger. Richard Baxter, “If they can see you love them, you can say anything to them.” 3. We receive the truth spoken in love by…

Living for Something Better (Ecclesiastes 7:1-12)

Funerals Are Better Than Birthdays (1-4) 1 We should value our name/reputation over our smell. This seems related to funerals, where we reflect upon the person’s reputation. A good name > the stench of even the best perfume sprayed upon a corpse. 2 Excellent verse for funerals. No one looks forward to going to funerals, but they serve as important reminders of our mortality.  Mourning > Feasting: Would you skip Thanksgiving for a funeral? You won’t naturally appreciate funerals more than feasts, but they’re…

The Wind, the Waves, and the Weight of Christ (Ephesians 4:13-14)

I. The  Breadth  of Maturity (13a) Paul helped establish the church in Ephesus with about a dozen disciples of John (Acts 19:1-7). He preached the gospel in the Jewish synagogue for three months before “reasoning daily” in the hall of Tyrannus for two years (Acts 19:8-10). He healed, cast out demons—and many turned away from magic to the Lord (Acts 19:11-20). The silversmith incited a riot because Paul’s ministry had cut into his idol making business (Acts 19:21-41). Paul was not an…

I Can’t Get No Satisfaction (Ecclesiastes 5:8-20)

We have seen the value of community followed by the proper way a community is to approach God, namely with reverence. Now we add another essential ingredient to the fulfilled life—joy. Pray and Read Ecclesiastes 5:8-20. Periods of transition create anxious feelings. Mostly revolve around uncertainty about the future. I get worried when things are out of my control, almost everything is! We all have guilt and emotional baggage. We perpetuate the cycle of guilt by repeated failure. Since we’re so uncomfortable with those…

Christ’s Body Builders (Ephesians 4:11-12)

The gifts Christ distributed upon his ascension are the benefits of the covenant community. They relate to your redemption, sanctification, and perseverance. Pray and Read Ephesians 4:11-12. Do you remember the Power Team—popular in the 1980s—that would put on shows at megachurches demonstrating feats of strength. They would quote Phil 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me,” before smashing their head through a stack of bricks, or ripping phonebooks in half, or ramming their shoulder through several sheets…

Approach God With Reverence (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7)

Approach God With Reverence (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7) Transitions from value of community (4:9-16) to the proper way that community is to approach God (5:1-7). Pray & Read Ecclesiastes 5:1-7. One week after our wedding, Carrie and I left the church I had attended for twelve years. That Sunday, August 1999, the church began “The Decades Series” (50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s): Apparently, our itching ears craved laughter rather than maturing through sound teaching. Our departure was as much about what we…

Every Square Inch (Ephesians 4:9-10)

Psalm 68—Scripture Introduction Last week, I highlighted several verses of this psalm as an overview. This morning, we’ll read the entire psalm as the theme of Christ’s ascension continues in Eph. 4:9-10. Psalms 65-68 God calls from Mount Zion upon the nations to worship him. In Ephesians, Paul connects God’s march from Sinai to Zion to Christ’s march from his earthly manger to the heavenly throne. Theme: God’s triumphal procession from Sinai to Zion. There is a liturgical association with…

He Ascended on High (Ephesians 4:8)

He Ascended on High (Ephesians 4:8) Unity is the result of worshipping a Triune God (vv.4-6). It is strengthened by our diversity of gifts (v.7). Now, Paul provides the basis for those gifts by applying Psalm 68:18 to Christ’s ascension, which raises several questions. Pray and Read Ephesians 4:7-8. In The Revolt of the Public, Martin Gurri explains the global trend of networks to overthrow the established order. “Networks succeed when held together by a single powerful point of reference…
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