Sermon Central
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Matthew
Contributed by Warren Lamb on Jun 23, 2007 (message contributor)
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1. Whoever Has Ears To Hear...
Contributed on Jun 23, 2007
Jesus has validated John’s life and his ministry and told His audience, “This is what you have been waiting for. Now, pay very close attention to what I am saying to you. Mark my words: it is absolutely critical that you get this!”
The Messiah And The Prophet – Part 3 Whoever Has Ears To Hear… Matthew 11:15 Several centuries ago, a learned German philosopher began investigating a new philosophy coming out of Japan. This philosophy was called, “Zen.” The philosopher poured through every piece of written material he cold ...read more
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2. Jesus Returns Home One Last Time
Contributed on Jul 15, 2007
They say, “You can never go back.” “They” are right for the most part – and there really is no need to, except to allow where and who we have been to give us a proper perspective on who we have become. I cannot help but wonder how much of that Jesus felt
Philip Yancey, in his book, The Jesus I Never Knew, gives this illustration: "George Buttrick, former chaplain at Harvard, recalls that students would come into his office, plop down on a chair and declare, ’I don’t believe in God.’ Buttrick would give this disarming reply: ’Sit down and tell me ...read more
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3. The Murder Of A Prophet
Contributed on Jul 28, 2007
Have you ever done a bad thing and had someone just blurt it out, right in your face and in front of other people? How did you feel? Did you want to say or do something to that person to shut them up, maybe embarrass or silence them in order to blunt the
As we begin today, I want us to keep two questions in our minds: 1) what are you willing to lose your head over? 2) What are you willing to take someone else’s head over? Any time the Bible mentions something more than once, we automatically know that it is significant. When we read through this ...read more
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4. The Compassion Of Christ
Contributed on Jul 29, 2007
Do we believe that we are the hands-feet-arms-mouth-body-wallet-ride-smile-kind word-gentle touch-shelter provider-etc.-etc of Jesus Christ now that He is in heaven? Then how should we respond when we see a need? Mull this over as we continue.
Peter Ustinov said, “Charity is more common than compassion. Charity is tax-deductible. Compassion is time consuming.” What we are going to talk about today is compassion – godly, Christ-like compassion. Compassion in the midst of our own wants, our own needs, our own limitations. Compassion ...read more
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5. A Little Walk With Jesus
Contributed on Aug 19, 2007
Jesus and Peter walking on the water is a familiar story - is there something fresh we can get from something we know so well? I believe there is.
Dwight Lyman Moody lived toward the end of the 19th century. He was an American evangelist and publisher who founded the Moody Church, Northfield School and Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts (now the Northfield Mount Hermon School), the Moody Bible Institute and Moody Publishers, all of which ...read more
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6. The Hem Of His Garment
Contributed on Aug 29, 2007
Do the least-likely and least-lovely around me know that they can come and touch the hem of my Savior’s garment and receive the most magnificent of blessings? Can I keep Him to myself? How do I learn to step out and truly be His hands and voice and heart
The Hem Of His Garment Matthew 14:34-36 The portion of the Pacific Northwest where we are right now is an idyllic place to live. Surrounded by lush green forests teeming with wildlife and bounded by snow-capped mountains, the valley we live in is suffused with some of the richest soil in the ...read more
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7. Getting To The Heart Of Things – Part 1
Contributed on Oct 6, 2007
In our drama today, we see it once again. This is not an authorization to blast people full-force with anger, vehemence or vitriol. It is, however, a demonstration to us that we have the biblical, God-ordained, Christian duty to be truly honest when we en
We could actually entitle this study “Jesus and the Forbidding Pharisees, Part 6”. What we encounter today is almost a continuation of our study of Matthew 12. In that series of lesson, we examined the dynamic discrepancies between what the Pharisees practiced and promoted and what God actually ...read more
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8. Getting To The Heart Of Things – Part 2
Contributed on Oct 6, 2007
Jesus never liked bullies - still doesn’t either. Today we get a look at how Jesus dealt with the religious bullies of His time, the very people who would soon be His worst enemies.
Have you ever heard somebody let somebody else “have it” and feel a sense of glee over it? Ever seen someone let a bully “have it” and felt a sense of awed relief that bordered on giddiness? I can remember an incident back in my early youth when a bully who had been picking on a friend of mine ...read more
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9. Christ Plays No Favorites
Contributed on Oct 8, 2007
What do you know about prejudice? Have you ever experienced it? What was that like? Have you ever been guilty of it? Be careful how you answer – you might be surprised at the truth.
One of the things that I so enjoy about the study of God’s Word is how it is knitted together so finely that there is nothing that doesn’t fit, nothing that is out of place. Our story today demonstrates this quite well indeed. Preparing for our time together today, I ran into a problem that ...read more
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10. How Soon We Forget
Contributed on Oct 23, 2007
Do you know someone who needs a miracle? Maybe - just maybe - that miracle is supposed to come through you...
The word “miracle” comes from the old Latin word miraculum, which means "something wonderful". A miracle is a extraordinary interposition of Divine intervention by God in the universe by which the ordinary course and operation of nature is overruled, suspended, or modified. Have you ever felt ...read more
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11. The Disappointment And Discontentment Of Expectations
Contributed on Dec 8, 2007
Tell me about your expectations – especially of people – and I will tell you about the disappointment in your life. Tell me about the details you expect to be fulfilled in your life, and I will tell you about the discontentment that you live with.
The Disappointment and Discontentment of Expectations Matthew 16:1-12 Tell me about your expectations – especially of people – and I will tell you about the disappointment in your life. Tell me about the details you expect to be fulfilled in your life, and I will tell you about the ...read more
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12. The Beginning Of The End – Part 1
Contributed on Jan 5, 2008
If you knew that your time on earth was short, how would that change the way you lived? Today we are going to embark on a study into the beginning of the end for Jesus here on earth.
The Beginning Of The End – Part 1 Matthew 16:21-28 The first two section of our study of this 16th Chapter of Matthew focused on two ideas: that the expectations we have of God and of others will inevitably lead to disappointment and discontentment if we do not have biblical, God-given ...read more
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13. The Beginning Of The End – Part 2, The Real Cost Of Discipleship Revisited
Contributed on Jan 7, 2008
If you knew that your time on earth was short – say, just a few months left. How would that change the way you lived? What would you do or say differently?
The Beginning Of The End – Part 2 The Real Cost of Discipleship Revisited Matthew 16:21-28 If you knew that your time on earth was short – say, just a few months left. How would that change the way you lived? What would you do or say differently? Most of us would probably put our affairs in ...read more
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14. Did Jesus Suffer All Of That For This?
Contributed on May 24, 2008
We need to look at what we are involved in, what we think and do and say, and ask the question: Did Jesus suffer all of that for this?
Did Jesus Suffer All Of That For This? Matthew 20:17-19 Our time together will not be long. We will all probably be most thankful for that before we are through. I don’t know what you thought you came to church for this morning, but God has an agenda for all of us. Let’s read our text for this ...read more
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15. What's It Like To Follow Jesus?
Contributed on Jun 8, 2008
Willing to wash feet? Big, dirty, calloused, stinky feet? Willing to let someone else take the credit for the good job you did? What if that is what following Jesus looks like? Are you willing?
What’s It Like To Follow Jesus? Matthew 20:20-28 What’s it like to follow Jesus? What is my life, my attitude, supposed to be and to look like? There were a couple of things I noticed while I was studying this passage this past week. There is a theme here that I had not noticed before, and ...read more
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16. Keeping Prayer In Perspective
Contributed on Jun 8, 2008
Think for a moment about what it would be like to be blind. No vision of blue skies, wind-blown trees, loved ones, favorite movie. Close yours eyes for a moment right now. Notice the absence of things. Notice all that is missing.
Keeping Prayer in Perspective Matthew 20:29-34 As we come to the end of our study in Matthew 20, we find a short story that is included in three of the four gospels. Keeping in mind our general rule of thumb that whenever the Bible tells us something three times it is of major significance, I ...read more
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17. Jesus Cleanses The Temple—part 1
Contributed on Jul 19, 2008
We come to a portion of Matthew’s narrative about the final week of Jesus’ life that has troubled me a great deal this past couple of weeks...
Jesus Cleanses the Temple—Part 1 Matthew 21:12-17 We come to a portion of Matthew’s narrative about the final week of Jesus’ life that has troubled me a great deal this past couple of weeks as I was preparing to come and speak with you today. Let’s read Matthew’s report in Matthew 21:12-17, ...read more
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18. Jesus Cleanses The Temple—part 2
Contributed on Jul 19, 2008
Does Jesus cleansing the temple have any real significance for us so many years later? I believe this story acts as a spiritual MRI, if we let it.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple—Part 2 Matthew 21:14-22 Welcome back to the story of Jesus cleansing the temple. Last time, we all walked away with a renewed sense of the call of God on the life of each of us to reserve and preserve a holy time and a holy place to encounter and worship Him. We ...read more
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19. Jesus Brings The Truth To Light—part 1
Contributed on Jul 27, 2008
Every had your position, your authority, your intelligence, or your worth challenged? How did you handle it? Did you see it as a “teachable moment”? Or was your reaction a bit more carnal than that?
Jesus Brings the Truth to Light—Part 1 Matthew 21:23-27 Every had your position, your authority, your intelligence, or your worth challenged? How did you handle it? Did you see it as a “teachable moment”? Or was your reaction a bit more carnal than that? Let me be the first to confess that ...read more
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20. Jesus Brings The Truth To Light—part 2
Contributed on Aug 23, 2008
Assumptions. We all have them. We all make them. In fact, we live our lives assuming that our assumptions about people and situations are accurate. It takes something strikingly different to make us stop and look at things from a different perspective.
Jesus Brings the Truth to Light—Part 2 Matthew 21:28-32 Assumptions. We all have them. We all make them. In fact, we live our lives assuming that our assumptions about people and situations are accurate. It takes something strikingly different to make us stop and look at things from a different ...read more
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21. The Greatest And Foremost Commandments
Contributed on Oct 12, 2008
Probably no passage has been preached on more than this one - the summary statement of what it means to be a Christian.
The Greatest and Foremost Commandments Matthew 22:34-40 The challenge before me today is to open to you a passage of the Bible that contains the words of Jesus that have been more preached about than any others. In my library, I have collections of sermons from many of the great preachers ...read more