Sermons on Matthew 3:16-4:4:

"And The Heavens Were Opened"

Contributed by David Washburn on Mar 24, 2003

Why was Jesus baptized? Christ’s baptism is an example of his commitment to God and God’s commitment to him and to us.

Matthew 3:13-17 “And the Heavens Were Opened” March 9, 2003 Why was Jesus baptized? Our Christian faith tells us that Jesus Christ was and is the Son of God and that he lived a life without sin. Baptism is a call to the confession and repentance of sins. This was especially true of the baptism ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17

Denomination: Baptist

The Holy Spirit And The Dove

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Apr 25, 2003

The dove often symbolizes the Holy Spirit, and in studying the Biblical background about the dove, we can see why this symbol was chosen and we can be reminded of the Holy Spirit’s qualities.

The Holy Spirit and the Dove (topical) Intro 1. In our baptismal service, we followed the command of Jesus and baptized our candidates, "in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." 2. Trinity: one God, three persons or three personalities… 3. Tonight I would like to focus upon the Holy ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 10:16-17

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Not By Bread Alone

Contributed by Charles Salmon on Jan 19, 2004

Sermon examines Jesus’ first response to the temptation of Satan

Man Shall Not Live By Bread Alone Matt. 4:4 INTRO.: Almost immediately after His baptism, the integrity of Jesus was put to the test. The Scripture says God initiated this testing. "The Spirit drove Him into the wilderness." after He had been there 40 days without food, Satan came to Him with this ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:4, Deuteronomy 3:8, Deuteronomy 8:3

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

How Much Is Enough?

Contributed by Anthony Smith on Feb 1, 2004

Looking at what people consider is their main value in life.Coventness in todays life.

How much is enought? Covetness in ones life will be the death of them. How much is enough, how much money, titles, positions, land , how many homes is enough. We war and strive, fight and kill, lie and cheet, decieve and steal, to get enough. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-4

Denomination: Pentecostal

Water Baptism

Contributed by Brian Chavarria on May 31, 2003

Understanding water baptism

I. Water Baptism: It’s meaning 1. Greek: Baptizo - to plunge under, dip, or immerse. a. Some churches teach a sprinkle of water. This is not true to the meaning of the word. b. Two Greek words translated "sprinkle" are RANTIZO and ECHEO. Neither word is found in the Bible ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17

Satan Declares War On Christ Series

Contributed by Robbie Parsons on Jun 8, 2003

The third of a series about spiritual warfare, THIS MEANS WAR! This examines how Satan tempted Christ, much like he does us, and how Christ deflected Satan’s temptations.

It was a time of reflection for David; 2 Samuel Chapter 23 begins by telling us these were the last words that David spoke. Now whether or not they were literally the last words that he spoke, or the last words of importance that he spoke, or the last recorded words he spoke, we don’t know. We ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11

Denomination: United Methodist

Honoring Fathers

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Jun 16, 2003

What children owe their fathers. What children need from their fathers.

Today, as you know, is Father’s Day. It may surprise you to learn that Father’s Day is not a Christian holiday. By that, I mean it’s not recognized as one of the special days of the Christian Year which have been celebrated by the church for centuries, such as Christmas, or Easter, or Pentecost. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:16-17

Denomination: Baptist

Worship That Works

Contributed by Eloy Gonzalez on Jun 22, 2003

Second Sunday after Pentecost: What is worship that is real and authentic? We look at Jesus’ teachings about this to learn how to honor God in worship.

The Bible describes perfect worship. It occurs around the throne of God. That is a place where there is no pain, or sadness; A place where no sun or moon are needed because God is there to provide light and warmth; A place where the chaos and all that disturbs is replaced by the perfect peace. It ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:23-28, Matthew 4:1-25

Denomination: Lutheran

Under Attack!

Contributed by Carl Willis on Jun 27, 2003

Standing strong under fire.

Today we are going to look at practical steps for standing strong when you are under attack! We will be using Christ’s temptation in the wilderness as our backdrop. Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the Devil. Matthew 4:1 (NLT) The first issue ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Escaping The Buffet Mentality: Feast On The Word Not The World

Contributed by Billy Ricks on Aug 20, 2004

We as a church are bellying up to the buffet of the world much more often than we feed ourselves on the healthy and holy food of God’s word.

Escaping the Buffet Mentality “Americans are getting fatter” - - “and the south is leading the way.’ So says World News Digest by the Canadian press. What is the problem why are we as Americans getting fatter or having an excess of body fat. Some say it is genetics, choice, targeted ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

Jesus, The Son Series

Contributed by Anne Robertson on Sep 4, 2004

Phrase two of the Creed, "And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord."

JESUS, THE SON TEXT: Matt. 3:13-17; 2 Sam. 7:11b - 16 For those of you just tuning in, we have begun a look at one of the ancient maps of the Christian faith, the Apostles’ Creed. I think it’s fair to say that every line of this creed has been questioned and debated from the very beginning. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17

Denomination: Methodist

Power Of The Word Series

Contributed by Warren Curry on Sep 21, 2004

Just as Jesus did, we must arm ourselves with the Word of God, for it is the Sword of the Spirit. It is our weapon of defense against the enemy. We must carry our weapon of truth realizing it has great power and be prepared to use it.

Power of the Word Sermon Series: The Manual Matthew 4:1-12 The last few weeks we have been going through a series titled: The Manual. We have been examining the importance of God’s Word in history and in our lives today. First, we looked at 2 Timothy where we found that all Scripture is ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Following Jesus To The Water

Contributed by Matthew Morine on Sep 27, 2004

The world is confused about baptism. We follow Christ to the water to be baptized like him.

FOLLOWING JESUS TO THE WATER FOCUS: THE BAPTISM OF JESUS GIVES PRINCIPLES THAT CHRISTIANS CAN FOOLOW AS THEY FOLLOW JESUS INTO THE WATER. FUNCTION: TO ENCOURAGE CHRISTIANS TO FOLLOW JESUS INTO THE WATER AS A MODEL FOR BAPTISM. INTRODUCTION In the religious world there have been many ways ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Powerful Witness

Contributed by Ben Bannister on Oct 11, 2004

God gave us John the Baptist as an example on how to have a powerful witness.

Text: Matthew 3:1-17 ETS: This passage details the early ministry of John the Baptist. ESS: God gave us John as an example of a powerful witness. OSS: God’s people will be effective witnesses. PQ: What are the characteristics of a powerful witness? UW: Characteristics Title: A Powerful Witness I. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:1-17

Denomination: Baptist

A Shift In Focus! Series

Contributed by Stan Rodda on Oct 16, 2004

A look at fasting from a different angle

A Shift in Focus! Optical illusions To see something different, change your focus Many people are focused on the temporal This earth, money, sex Instant gratification Satan even tried this on Jesus- Mt. 4:1-4 Did you catch it in v. 3? “If You are the Son of God” Are you kidding ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-4

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ