In Matthew 9, we first read about a paralytic who was carried to Jesus. One strong theme in this account is that of arising. What is easier? To say your sins are forgiven or to say rise up (v. 5)? In the next verse, Jesus commands him to arise (v. 6). The next verse describes …
The Way It Is
“The indicative mood states, declares, and asserts. It is, for this reason, the fundamental mood of language; it is the fundamental mood of history; and it is also the fundamental mood of preaching. Good preaching will always tend to operate largely, although not exclusively, in the indicative mood” (Carrick, The Imperative of Preaching, p. 15).
Because the Fire Falls On Something
“Thus it is clearly the preacher’s duty to persuade men concerning the truth of Christianity. Moreover, the fact that the preacher is to undertake this sacred and solemn task in absolute dependence upon the Spirit of God does not mean that he is entitled to sit loose to those means which God himself has ordained …
The Fire of Evangelism
INTRODUCTION:God has two ways of destroying His enemies. One is the old school method—the fire coming down out of the sky method. This is the method that leaves a smoking crater. But the other is a far more glorious method, and that is His method of destroying enemies by turning them into friends. That is …
The Nature of National Repentance
INTRODUCTION:In God in the Dock, C.S. Lewis has a very fine short essay on the dangers of national repentance. In short, what he cautions us against is the prayerful form of “don’t blame me, I wanted to do something else.” In other words, every form of true repentance is hard, while there is a form …
Treasure and Pearl
INTRODUCTION:We come to two short parables, given to us side-by-side, and with the same basic point. Given their length, teaching, and placement, it only makes sense to treat them together. As with the parable of the leaven, we first have to decide on which way we shall take it. Some interpret this with the treasure/pearl …
The Leaven in Three Measures
INTRODUCTION:We come to a parable that has traditionally been interpreted in two diametrically opposed ways. One view sees the leaven as representing corruption, making this a parable of how the kingdom of God is going to go from bad to worse. The other sees the leaven as a good and positive image (representing the growth …
The Mustard Seed Kingdom
INTRODUCTION:In this parable, the Lord Jesus teaches us not to despise the day of small beginnings (Zech. 4:10). We see a disproportionate result from the tiniest of garden seeds—an herbal plant that can grow to twice a man’s height. When this happens, it is not an instance of things going terribly wrong—the seed is the …
Wheat and Darnel
INTRODUCTION:The problem of good and evil inhabiting the same place is a perennial problem. It has been a problem within the church from the very beginning, and Jesus taught in such a way as to prepare us for it. Another parable, that of the dragnet (Matt. 13:47-48), makes the same basic point. Cast a net, …
Sower, Soils, Seed
INTRODUCTION:The central method that Jesus employed in His teaching is the method of setting forth parables. That means that if we want to be serious Christians, we should give ourselves to the understanding of His parables. We should want to learn what they mean, but more than this, we should want to learn how they …