Sermons on Adversity (Page 5)
The Way of the Wilderness
The wilderness temptation of Jesus is pivotal for defining his way of ministry as opposed to Satanic pathways. This also echoes the people of Israel’s wilderness wanderings and presents Jesus as a new sort of Israel. Matthew 4:1-11 SERMON OUTLINE “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” (Matthew 4:1) The Wilderness: Where will my provision come from? The Wilderness: Where will my protection come from? The Wilderness: Where will my praise…
The Voice of One Calling Out
This week explores John the Baptist as a prophetic voice calling out for repentance and change in a challenging time for Israel. Radical elements call for revolutionary overthrow of Rome. John calls for a radical revolution of the human heart. SERMON OUTLINE “In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” (Matthew 3:1-2) John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-4) Repentance The kingdom of heaven The voice…
Refugee Messiah
With echoes of Moses’ journey and the Exodus, Jesus’ earthly parents flee from the wrath of Herod the Great to Egypt, returning only after an angelic visitation tells them it is safe. They return not to Bethlehem but to Nazareth. Matthew 2:13-23 SERMON OUTLINE “So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the…
The Way of Jesus and the Way of Herod
An exploration of the contrasting kingship of Jesus and Herod with attention to how both of them present a “way” of life that is starkly different in its rule, tone, and outcomes. Matthew 1:20-25; 2:3, 12 SERMON OUTLINE “When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under.” (Matthew 2:16) A Conversation about Ways What…
Zephaniah
A contemporary of Jeremiah, Zephaniah calls the people of the southern kingdom of Judah to humbly seek God as the day of the Lord approaches. The difficulties that Zephaniah speaks about are also accompanied by future hope of our God who rejoices over us with singing. Sermon OutlinE “The Lord your God is with You, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over…
Habakkuk
Habakkuk’s prophecy is framed as a series of dialogues between the prophet and God about the justice of God and the suffering to come. The final chapter is a beautiful psalm of trust to God in the midst of the ruins of a collapsing culture. Sermon OutlinE “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” (Habakkuk 3:2) Introducing…
Amos
After searing prophecies against the surrounding nations, Amos turns his attention to God’s judgment on His own people in the northern kingdom of Israel. Of specific concern for God is a call to true justice within the public square as a reflection of His own justice in the covenant. Though judgment will come, God promises a remnant will be restored. Sermon OutlinE “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24) Introducing Amos Prophecies…
The Suffering Messiah
Psalm 22 is one of the most powerful descriptions of suffering in the entire psalter. It is often connected with Christ’s suffering upon the Cross. Taken on its own terms, this psalm speaks of praise to God amidst suffering. Within the context of Jesus’ life and crucifixion, the depth of this psalm only increases. SERMON OUTLINE “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1) Lamenting God’s Distance (Psalm 22:1-11) Lamenting Evil Opponents (Psalm 22:12-21) Praising God for…
The Hunger for Peace
No one wants to live feeling depleted and empty. We all want to live out of a place of abundance, satisfaction and peace. We hunger to feel like our lives are on the right track and that everything is ‘right’. The biblical word for this is peace, which Scripture tells us is ultimately found in God through Jesus Christ. Key passages: John 14:25-31; 16:33; 20:19-20; Luke 1:68-79; Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15; 12:18; Matthew 5:9; James 3:18 Sermon OutlinE “Peace I leave…
Faith at the End of All Things
The last chapter of Daniel looks toward the ultimate end of all things. The final words of Daniel speak of the ultimate end, peace, and one of the only glimpses on the Old Testament of the hope of the resurrection. Sermon OutlinE “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.” (Daniel 12:13) Faith in Difficult Times (Daniel 12:5-7) Faith Until…
Faith and the Final Vision
The last two chapters of Daniel look toward the ultimate end of all things. There are king and kingdoms, difficulties and challenges that come, in Daniel’s vision. In light of the New Testament teaching, we have a hope that endures through the end to a better future. How does Daniel’s teaching enliven our faith? Sermon OutlinE “In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and…
Exile Faith at Prayer
Daniel’s prayer in chapter 9 is one of the most heart-felt and powerful prayers of Scripture. It is part of Daniel’s hope-filled pleading with God to bring an end to the exile. In the midst of this, Daniel again encounter Gabriel the angelic messenger who instructs him about the end of the exile and future hope. Sermon OutlinE “So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.”…