Bbc Sermon Cast

The work that Jesus began was to be completed by his disciples, who were to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the very remotest part of the earth. Luke’s account of the early apostolic church concludes with Paul, under house arrest, preaching the gospel in Rome “with all boldness and without hindrance” (Acts 28:31). He was bound but the gospel was not. And for two thousand years, this gospel has continued to go forth with all boldness and, despite many attempts to stop it, without any true hindrance.

Paul knew that our view of God (theology) shapes our corporate worship and that our corporate worship shapes our view of God (theology). This is at the heart of his concern about this church’s obsession with the spectacular gift of speaking in tongues. Previously, we considered vv. 20–25 under the broad theme of mindful worship. In this study, we will consider, from vv. 26–40, that rightly understanding the character of God results in: 1. Meaningful Worship (vv. 26–33) 2. Mundane Worship (vv. 34–40)

Prayer is a privilege Jesus purchased for his people. In Luke 6:12–13, Jesus spent all night in prayer prior to appointing his apostles. We will take a brief look at what Dr Luke records for us about this prayer and see what lessons we can learn to apply to our own times of prayer. We see here that: 1. Jesus’ prayer was deliberate (v. 12a) 2. Jesus’ prayer was intense (v. 12b) 3. Jesus’ prayer was followed by action (v. 13)

The death, burial, and resurrection are the fundamental elements of God’s good news for believing sinners (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). Jesus’ death informs us that the penalty has been paid on our behalf. Jesus’ burial declares that that price really was paid. Jesus’ resurrection declares that the price was accepted. But with the resurrection, we are reminded that Jesus is alive. But where is he alive? What is he doing? Why does this matter? What does this mean for his people?

How the church behaves in corporate worship communicates something about the nature and character of God. This was Paul’s concern as he addresses the Corinthian church about their exercise of the gifts of tongues and prophesy. This is a major theme in this passage which we will study under two headings: (1) Mindful Worship (vv. 20–25) and (2) Meaningful Worship (vv. 26–33).

To call upon the Lord’s name is the essence of prayer. As we, in Christ, call upon his name, we stand upon the eternal majesty of his perfect person and work and by him alone are granted access to have communion and pray to our God. Yet for all that God has done in Christ, men are not prayerful.

Psalm 32 is a Psalm of David, which rejoices in the blessedness of those who have repented and embraced God’s forgiveness. As we study this Psalm together, we will consider the wonderful reality that joy comes to those who are forgiven (vv. 1–2), confessing (vv. 3–5), and prayerful (vv. 6–11).

It has been said of John 1:1 that it “deserves to be written in golden letters in every Christian church.” In our fallenness, we are prone to think of our sin as a small thing. When we see how John magnifies Christ in this short verse, we are reminded of its true cost. We consider four things: 1. Our sin must be big because Jesus is revealer 2. Our sin must be big because Jesus is eternal 3. Our sin must be big because Jesus is the Son 4. Our sin must be big because Jesus is God

Spiritual maturity requires biblical corporate worship, unlike the kind experienced by the church in Corinth. Lots of people wanted to speak, but what they had to say was, for the most part, unhelpful. In chapter 14, Paul aims to set the matter right and, in doing so, helps us to see the best way to use our tongues in corporate worship. We will look at this under three headings: 1. Corporate worship must be informed 2. Corporate worship must be intentional 3. Corporate worship must be intelligible

Paul unlocks the secret to being content, no matter his circumstances. Through our study, I trust we will be encouraged, as the church at Philippi was. As G. K. Chesterton once said this: “Christians ought not to be better than other people ought to be. But they ought to be better than other people are.” Why? Because we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We consider three truths from Philippians 4:13: 1. Suffering Saints 2. Suffering Saviour 3. Suffering’s Secret

Whether the Beatles understood the nature of true love is highly questionable, but they weren’t far off the mark when they sang, “All you need is love.” The church at Corinth needed to learn this. And perhaps so do you and I. To help us to see, savour, and seek this love, we will study 1 Corinthians 13:8–14:1a under three headings: 1. The Permanence of Love (13:8–12) 2. The Pre-eminence of Love (13:13) 3. The Pursuit of Love (14:1a)

As the early church was characterised by praying together as a part of corporate worship (Acts 2:42), as well as when there were particular needs (Acts 4:23–31; 12:1–5), so our church should be characterised. Tonight, we spend some time looking at what it means to pray without ceasing and to do so with understanding. We see: 1. We Are to Pray Dependently 2. We Are to Pray Deliberately 3. We Are to Pray Devotedly

Disciples of Christ are called to focus on one main priority: seeking God’s kingdom and his righteousness above all else in this fallen world. There are two elements to this priority in Matthew 6:33: 1. A Divine Priority (v. 33a) 2. A Divine Promise (v. 33b)

The psalmist prayed that God would open his eyes to behold wonderful things out of his law. This is a prayer that God’s people do well to pray today.

The resurrection is not only the cornerstone of our faith and hope for eternity, but by it we experience power to live and endure suffering to the glory of God here and now. We consider Paul’s words under three broad headings:   1. Knowing God (vv. 1–10a) 2. The Power of the Resurrection (v. 10b) 3. The Resurrection of the Saints (v. 11)

The gospel is a simple message that calls for a simple response with eternal consequences. It is a choice between life and death: We acknowledge Christ and live or deny Christ and die. We see the dynamic between acknowledging or denying Christ played out in four scenes in Mark 15:21–39:   1. The man who acknowledged Jesus (v. 21) 2. The people who denied Jesus on the cross (vv. 22–32) 3. The Father who denied Jesus on the cross (vv. 33–38) 4. The Roman Centurion acknowledged Jesus on the cross (v. 39)

What makes the Lord’s Supper so special? Of course, there is much we can say to answer that question, but why did Jesus leave us with a meal? What is so significant about the fact that the second sacrament of the church is a meal? When we survey the Bible’s examples of meals and look especially at meals in the Gospel of Luke, we learn three truths: Meals involve fellowship; fellowship requires reconciliation; and reconciliation produces fellowship. When we understand that, we can join in with the angel in Revelation 19:9: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

As we continue our journey through Africa’s most popular verses, we come to Paul’s famed words to the Roman church in Romans 12:2. Rightly interpreted, this verse shows us that true worship flows from a renewed mind.

Mark 11 begins a long section (11:1–15:47) detailing the events of Passion Week, commencing with what is often called Psalm Sunday. As Jesus approaches the walls of Jerusalem, the crowd accompanying him cries out, “Hosanna!” What they supposed would be a triumphal entry would at first be a traumatic entry. We will study this entry with a view to sharing in the blessing that Jesus secured for those who enter with him. 1. Messianic Expectations (11:1–10) 2. Messiah’s Examination (11:11–19) 3. Messiah’s Exhortation (11:20–26) 4. Messiah’s Expectation (11:27–12:12)

Paul wanted his young disciple, Timothy, to remember the charge he had given him to guard the good deposit of the gospel. In 2 Timothy 1:6–7, he issues a twofold reminder as he reiterates this charge: 1.⁠ ⁠A reminder to attend to the gift he received (v. 6) 2.⁠ ⁠⁠A reminder to act on what he was called to do (v. 7)