Introduction
A. Unlike those who serve Him, our God is always faithful (Lamentations 3:23; 1 Corinthians 10:13).
B. We can always know that God will keep His promises to us.
I. God has never failed to keep His word.
A. He kept His word to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-7; Numbers 1:46).
B. He kept His word to Israel (Joshua 23:15-16).
C. He kept His word to the saints of the early church (Matthew 26:32; 28:10; Revelation...
The Just Shall Live by Faith
Introduction
A. There are many who would tell us that salvation is by faith alone.
B. While there are many who recognize the essentiality of faith, there are but few who understand the Biblical principle of living by faith.
I. God taught Habakkuk to live by faith.
A. To this man it appeared that God was allowing the wickedness of His people to go unpunished (Habakkuk 1:1-4).
B. When God says He will punish them by the...
Not Done in a Corner
Introduction
A. As a man whose heritage was largely Jewish and whose family had ruled the Jewish people for many years, he was indeed “expert in all customs and questions” about the Jews (vs. 3).
B. When Paul tells Agrippa that these things “were not done in a corner” (vs. 26), what does he mean by this?
I. God had been announcing these things for centuries.
A. Paul was only declaring what the prophets of God...
In God We Trust
Introduction
A. On July 30, 1956, President Eisenhower signed a legislation making the phrase “In God We Trust” the official motto of the U.S.
B. What does it really mean, however, if we imprint this on our currency but don’t make any effort to live by it?
I. The world puts its trust in all the wrong places.
A. It puts trust in earthly treasure (cf. Matthew 6:19; 1 Samuel 17:33-39).
B. The world puts confidence in the flesh...
Paul’s Defense
Introduction
A. When Paul made his defense in Jerusalem (his first in a long series of such), no man stood with him, but the Lord did (Acts 23:11).
B. Paul was always ready to give a defense, not just of himself, but of the Gospel that he preached with such boldness.
I. This was neither the first time nor the last that Paul had to make a defense.
A. Paul’s defense was for the Gospel (Philippians 1:17).
B. Paul had made his defense...
Being Good Stewards of God’s Word
Introduction
A. Of all the gifts that God has entrusted to human hands, surely the Scriptures are chief among these (Romans 1:16; Psalm 119:105).
B. Are we being good stewards of this precious gift?
I. What is the conduct of a bad steward of God’s Word?
A. A bad steward often will not allow the Word into his heart in the first place (Matthew 13:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).
B. A bad steward will allow other things to choke...
Matthew 3: Our Savior’s Baptism
Jesus traveled from Galilee (the northern part of Palestine) to the Jordan (its most important river) to be baptized by John. No doubt, being baptized was an essential part of the beginning of His ministry. Why was Jesus baptized?
Since Jesus never committed sin (Hebrews 4:15), He was baptized “to fulfill all righteousness” (vs. 15)—Jesus was to fulfill Heaven’s requirements by submitting to baptism; John...
Cleansing the Leper
Introduction
A. Although it is easily curable today, leprosy is a disease that adversely affects skin and nerve tissue, resulting in permanent disabilities.
B. While leprosy has been virtually eliminated in the modern world, there is another plague that is silently killing millions every year.
C. The cure for this disease is also available, but few will seek it.
I. God gave Israel specific laws regarding leprosy.
A. First, God gave...
Being Good Stewards of Our Bodies
Introduction
A. God has fashioned billions of human bodies through the natural process He enacted, and each of them is unique.
B. There are many who are not happy with the bodies God gave them and go to great lengths to manipulate them.
C. Instead of letting society define beauty, why not let God?
I. What is the purpose of the human body?
A. Our bodies are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 3:16-17)...
Being Good Stewards of Our Money
Introduction
A. When we think about money, we must first realize that everything belongs to God (1 Chronicles 29:14; Psalm 50:10-12).
B. Will we give an account of the way we use the financial means God gives us here on earth? How should we be using them?
I. Money can be either a blessing or a curse.
A. Money can be good (1 Timothy 5:8; Proverbs 19:6-7).
B. It can also be dangerous (Ecclesiastes 5:10-12...