Sermons on Josh Wesley:

What Do We Need?

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Feb 7, 2005

This is on the Transfiguration.

What are our greatest needs? Food? Clothing? Shelter? Those things certainly are important, but is there a greater need? Set the stage: in Matthew 16, Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ. Jesus then went on to tell his disciples that he would soon be rejected and put to death. Jesus then ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9

Denomination: Wesleyan

Passion Week Act I: Triumphing Series

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Feb 11, 2005

This is on the Triumphal Entry.

Intro to Passion Week series. It is the most important week in history. All Gospels climax at this point. Matthew – 8 chs. Mark – 6 chs. Luke – 5½ chs. John – 9½ chs. 29 chs in all. Compare that with 4 on the first 30 years of Jesus’ life including his birth. Read Matthew 21:1-11. This ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11

Denomination: Wesleyan

Passion Week Act Ii: Cleansing Series

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Feb 21, 2005

This is on the cleansing of the Temple.

Last week recap: Palm Sunday and Triumphal Entry: donkey, crowds, cheering, etc. Mark places the temple cleansing on the next day, while in Matthew it appears to happen the same. It probably happened the next day. Read Matthew 21:12-17. This passage has often been misunderstood. At times ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:12-17

Denomination: Wesleyan

Passion Week Act Iii Teaching Series

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Feb 25, 2005

This is about the parable of the two sons.

Passion Week Act 3 Teaching Jesus spent a great deal of time his last week on earth teaching. In this time we have the Great Commandment, the sheep and the goats, the signs of the end of the age, and many other famous teachings of Jesus. Read Matthew 21:28-32. We have here a clear simple story. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:28-32

Denomination: Wesleyan

Passion Week Act Iv Feasting Series

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Mar 5, 2005

This is on the Lord’s Supper.

The action really kicks into gear now. The events move at an ever-increasing pace from this point. It’s a blur, a whirlwind. Chapter 26 starts with the religious elite plotting to kill Jesus. Jesus is then anointed. Judas agrees to hand Jesus over. Read Matthew 26:17-29. The first thing we ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 26:17-29

Denomination: Wesleyan

Passion Week Act V: Praying Series

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Mar 11, 2005

This is about Jesus praying in the Garden.

Passion Week Act 5 Praying After the Last Supper, Jesus and 11 disciples left the Upper Room and headed to the Garden of Gethsemane. On the way, Jesus told them that they would abandon him, and Peter would even deny Jesus three times. Read Matthew 26:36-46. We have a vivid picture in this ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 26:36-46

Denomination: Wesleyan

God Encounters: Isaiah Series

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Jul 10, 2004

This is about Isaiah’s God encounter.

What comes to mind when I say, “In the year 2001”? 2001 was a year that changed the way we look at security. The WTC attack rocked our world. It had been 60 years. OKC was domestic. WTC ’93 failed. We were hit at home. Life is not the same. Threat level codes. Air marshals. Dep. of ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8

Denomination: Wesleyan

The Spirit Of Unity

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Jul 17, 2004

This is a Pentecost sermon.

The late 1960s was a time of great disunity in our nation. People were protesting the war in Vietnam. Race riots occurred in many major cities. Upheaval was prevalent on college campuses. Meanwhile, in baseball, the New York Mets had been the laughingstock of Major League Baseball for the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-21

Denomination: Wesleyan

The Verse

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Jul 17, 2004

This is about Jesus conversation with Nicodemus.

It is perhaps the best known verse of the Bible. Almost anyone can quote it, at least in paraphrase. It is the verse that every child learns in Sunday school and VBS. I remember making a little wall plaque in Bible school with the verse on it. I remember that 15 to 20 years ago, you would see ...read more

Scripture: John 3:1-17

Denomination: Wesleyan

God Encounters: Jeremiah Series

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Jul 17, 2004

This is about Jeremiah’s God encounter.

Too Young the Hero is a movie about 12 year old Calvin Graham who managed to enlist in the Navy during WWII. Read Jeremiah 1:4-10. Jeremiah was young. How young? We don’t know. The word translated “youth, child, boy” could mean an infant to a young man. I. God’s CALL. We typically think of ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-10

Denomination: Wesleyan

God Encounters: Ezekiel (Religious Experience Vs. Religious Action) Series

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Jul 24, 2004

This is about Ezekiel’s God encounter. It explores the difference between religious experience and religious action. Religious EXPERIENCE means nothing without ACTION.

Read Ezekiel 1:4-3:15. This is a bizarre vision. Not all God encounters are alike. We see here two things: Religious Experience (ch. 1) and Religious Action (chs. 2 & 3). What is the difference between the two? * Religious Experience is… In chapter 1, we see Ezekiel’s strange religious ...read more

Denomination: Wesleyan

God Encounters: Simeon And Anna Series

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Jul 31, 2004

This is about Simeon’s and Anna’s encounter with Jesus in the Temple.

We’ve been looking at God encounters: Abe, Jacob, Moses, Gideon, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. They pointed to the Messiah (Christ). We turn now to encounters in the NT; encounters with Christ. Outside of the shepherds, this is the first one. Read Luke 2:21-38. Verse 21 was eight days after ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:21-38

Denomination: Wesleyan

God Encounters: Nathanael Series

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Aug 8, 2004

This is about Nathanael’s encounter with Jesus.

Jesus is beginning his ministry. John the Baptist had baptized him. He has just called Andrew and Peter. He had been a carpenter. Read John 1:43-51. I. Proposal. Jesus makes a proposal to Philip: “Follow me.” He was from the same town as Andrew and Peter. It was a simple and direct proposal. ...read more

Scripture: John 1:43-51

Denomination: Wesleyan

God Encounters: The Samaritan Woman Series

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Aug 13, 2004

This is about Jesus and woman at the well.

This is a rich passage. I could spend a couple months preaching from this passage. Give background of animosity between Jews and Samaritans. Women were marginalized. Read John 4:1-42. What does it mean that Jesus had to go through Samaria? Was it divine or geographically necessary? ...read more

Scripture: John 4:1-42

Denomination: Wesleyan

God Encounters: Zacchaeus Series

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Aug 21, 2004

This is about Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus.

Sing “Zacchaeus was a Wee Little Man.” Share recollections of Zach from Sunday school: short, tree, etc. Read Luke 19:1-10. Who was Zacchaeus? What happened to Zacchaeus? Who was Zacchaeus? The only biographical info is right here: “a tax collector and rich.” * He was DESPISED. To say that ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:1-10

Denomination: Wesleyan