Sermons in outlines. 03+ main points and 3+ sub points per main point.
In the Old Testament, the metaphor of the cup stands for human life which can be filled with various things. The Bible says that Jesus allowed the father to fill his cup with wrath and suffering so that you and I can drink from the cup of salvation. Let’s see. [Image Credit: Jaci Lopes]
My parents take great pleasure in looking at photographs taken during my infancy. I think those old pictures remind them of lovely memories attached to the early days of my life. Just imagine, I never reached maturity but remained a baby for the past 32 years or suddenly stopped growing. Do you think my parents will feel the same?
Although the visit of the Magi took place at least 2 years after Jesus’ birth it isn’t wrong to preach a Christmas sermon based on the incident, because still, the narrative is about Jesus’ birth. In it, Matthew introduces us to 3 kinds of people and how each one of them responded to the news about the messianic birth. Each response reveals to us the kind of person they were.
Like any other account in the Bible, this story also must be interpreted in its own context in order to understand the author’s original intentions. The story unfolds followed by a messianic uproar, (John 6:15). In response, Jesus immediately sent his disciples away while he dismissed the crowd and went up to a mountainside by himself to pray.
Why did Jesus evade such a good opportunity? Being the king of Jews sure sounds impressive. That was not his mission, however. God’s plan for him was to suffer and die so that we shall be saved. Likewise, God has a plan for each one of us. He wants us to stick to the plan before he can bless us. This chapter teaches us three important principles about honoring the divine plan.
The sea of Galilee is actually a vast lake (166 Km2) surrounded by a ring of mountains. It has been scientifically proven this unique geographical position is directly responsible for the storms sweeping the lake during the later hours of the day. This condition still exists to this day and the local fishermen exercise plenty of caution.
Westboro Baptist Church, followed by bomb explosions in Boston and Texas tweeted that the victims were sinners upon whom God’s wrath descended and wowed to picket funerals of the victims.
Westboro’s careless response to a national tragedy actually reminds me of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Jesus told it to some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else. So this is God’s message for you and me today.
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