Sermons on Spiritual Growth
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…
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…
Two Are Better Than One (Ecclesiastes 4:7-16)
Introduction Read Ecclesiastes 4:7-16 The Disadvantages of Isolation (7-8) Let’s consider… The Advantages of Cooperation (9-12) Ryken: There is spiritual warmth in going through life with other believers. It is easy to grow cold in the Christian life, to become numb to the work of God, and eventually to freeze almost to spiritual death. But when we are growing cold, the heat of another Christian can warm us up. Lastly, the Preacher considers… The Disadvantages of Position (13-16) In… Conclusion…
Perfect Unity (Ephesians 4:4-6) Part 1
For the past several weeks we have been in the second half of Ephesians in which Paul focuses on the practical implications of the first half. Paul devoted much of the first three chapters to praying that the Ephesians would know God intimately and understand the grace that has brought them into union with God and each other. He continued with that same theme in chapter four calling them to personally adopt a sacrificial commitment to their calling (1) and…
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