Search for sermons - John 10
Liar, Lord or Lunatic: Why I Believe in Jesus Christ - Various - Oct 22, 1995 - 792
Several years ago someone wrote a book called The Many Faces of Jesus. It happened to be the book Elvis Presley was reading when he died in Memphis, Tennessee. That title stands as a fitting symbol of the confusion surrounding Jesus in our time. Last month several thousand people filled Moody Mem ... More
Who is Jesus Christ? - Matthew 16:13-16 - Oct 11, 2009 - 1215
Who is Jesus Christ? Before you answer that question, let me set the scene. It’s a few minutes past noon in downtown New York City. You’ve walking with a few friends to a favorite lunch spot when a camera crew stops you for a spontaneous interview. To your surprise, their questions have ... More
Who Is Jesus Christ? Article D: The Person and Work of Jesus Christ - Various - Mar 15, 1992 - 751
Tonight we are coming to the most critical doctrine in the Articles of Faith. Other doctrines are important as establishing foundational truth (the inerrancy of the Bible, the Trinity) or as explaining what we believe in a particular area (eternal security, the premillennial return of Christ), but ... More
The Mysterious Doctrine of the Trinity - Acticle B: The True God - Various - Feb 16, 1992 - 747
My introduction to the doctrine of the Trinity came at a very young age. I first learned it through the music we sang at the First Baptist Church. The great hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy” was number one in the Baptist Hymnal. Over the years the words “God in three persons, Blessed Trin ... More
The Incorruptible Christ - Acts 2:24 - Apr 20, 2003 - 176
The first word is sometimes as important as the last word.Seven weeks had passed since the resurrection of Jesus. For 40 amazing days, Jesus appeared to his disciples on many occasions and taught them concerning the Kingdom of God. Then he ascended into the clouds and returned to his Father in heave ... More
God's Altar Call - Romans 12:1 - Oct 5, 2006 - 728
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1).I must have been about eight or nine years old when I first responded to an altar call. For those who don& ... More
Does Jesus Know My Name? - Dec 5, 2007
A few months ago we opened the ... More
The Shepherd's Gift - Ephesians 4:11 - Jun 24, 1990 - 576
About the time I graduated from seminary in 1978, a leading Christian magazine published an article entitled, “Things They Didn’t Tell You at Your Seminary Graduation.” It is subtitled, “Some aphorisms for the brand-new pastor.” I cut it out and saved it because at th ... More
Hope for Tomorrow: How God Keeps His Promises - Genesis 11:10-32 - Oct 6, 2002 - 219
This is the 19th and final sermon in the series on Genesis 1-11 that we started in late April. Almost five and a half months later, we have come to the end. In bringing this series to a close, I feel as if I should congratulate the congregation for your patience and your perseverance because this is ... More
Overcoming Boredom - Ecclesiastes 9:10; Colossians 3:17 - Nov 17, 2002 - 703
A ten-year-old boy was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Influenced by the threat of nuclear war and the reality of terrorist attacks around the world, the boy thought for a moment and then replied with just one word: “Alive.”All of us join him in his wish. Th ... More
Real Christian vs. Religious - John 3 - Sep 14, 1997 - 530
This is the first sermon based on the questions submitted by the congregation last spring. I don’t know who wrote this particular question but it’s a good one. The very wording suggests that there is a fundamental difference between being religious and being a “real Christian.&rdqu ... More
Do You Have the Courage to be Happy? - Matthew 5:3-12 - Nov 10, 1991 - 787
It started on a Friday night 17 years ago in Lansing, Michigan when a young sophomore came off the bench to lead Everett High School to victory. He scored 36 points, had 18 rebounds, 16 assists and 10 steals. It was the most remarkable high school performance Fred Stabley had ever seen. As he wro ... More
Sola Scriptura: The Bible and Only the Bible - 2 Timothy 3:16 - Jun 15, 1997 - 676
"Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.” Psalm 119:89 “You have exalted above all things your name and your word.” Psalm 138:2b “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Matthew 24:35 “The Scripture cannot be brok ... More
Great Is Thy Faithfulness - Lamentations 3:22-25 - Mar 23, 1997 - 471
How many people do you know who do exactly what they say? Before you answer, let me rephrase the question? How many do you know who do exactly what they say every single time? Now before you answer, let me rephrase it again. How many people do you know who do exactly what they say every single time ... More
The Easter Conspiracy - Matthew 28:11-15 - Apr 7, 1996 - 179
"The resurrection of Christ is either the greatest miracle or the greatest delusion which history records." Philip SchaffIt’s been a good week for Jesus if you count cover stories as good news. For the first time in my memory Jesus is on the cover of the three major newsmagazines in the same w ... More
What is Heaven Like? - Philippians 3:20-21 - Jan 18, 1998 - 521
"Heaven is a place, just as much a place as is New York or Chicago.” Charles Ferguson Ball I begin this sermon with two statements that I believe to be almost universally true: Everyone wants to know about heaven and everyone wants to go there. Recent polls suggest that nearly 80% of all Ameri ... More
When God Gives Up - Romans 1:24-32 - Feb 16, 1992 - 278
There are some messages that pastors would rather not preach. This sermon definitely falls into that category. It’s not that I am afraid to say what must be said; it is rather that I know these things will not be easy to hear. I also know that my words may be misunderstood or taken out of cont ... More
Can I Lose My Salvation? - Philippians 1:6 - Nov 2, 1997 - 525
I would like to begin with the observation that this is a controversial question in Christian circles. It would be difficult to find a subject about which believers are more deeply divided. To the question, “Can I lose my salvation?” there are whole denominations that answer yes: The Met ... More
The Shaking of the Nations - Haggai 2:20-23 - Jun 8, 1997 - 295
All of us need some special encouragement from time to time. It may be that you need encouragement to stay in school, or to stay on the job, or just to get out of bed in the morning. Maybe you’re facing the surgeon’s knife and you fear what the future may hold. Perhaps you are struggling ... More
The Midway - May 28, 2009
(What follows is a fable based partly on the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. ... More
Who is the Real Enemy? - Ephesians 6:12 - Apr 29, 2009 - 1198
Not long ago I received the following email:I am studying Ephesians 6 about the Armor of God & and there is one verse that I’m afraid I don’t get the full meaning of. It’s verse 12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the autho ... More
If God Is Sovereign, What Then? - Psalm 103:19-22 - Dec 11, 2008 - 1181
“The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his do ... More
What is the Difference Between a Real Christian and a Religious Person? - John 3 - Nov 11, 2008 - 1172
Let’s begin with a simple question. What percentage of Americans believe in God? You probably won’t be surprised to know that the number is very high. One recent survey puts it at 94%. That means that almost 19 out of 20 people in the U.S. believe in God. It also means you won&rsqu ... More
Have a Blast While You Last - Jan 15, 2008
A ten-year-old boy was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Influenced by the threat of nuclear war and the reality of terrorist attacks around the world, the boy thought for a moment and then replied with just one word: “Alive.” All of us join him in his wish. T ... More
In His Steps - 1 Peter 2:21-25 - Jan 30, 2005 - 588
In the Christian life, there are only two ways to grow. One is through people, the other is through pain. It would be hard to find a more important principle than this. Sometimes we grow through the influence of others. We sit at the feet of teachers, friends, mentors, disciplers, pastors, and gifte ... More
The Incomparable Christ: “Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord” - Philippians 2:9-11 - Feb 15, 2004 - 647
Who is Jesus Christ? Of all the questions that might be posed to modern men and women, none is more important than this. It is no exaggeration to say that this is the central question of history and the most important issue anyone will ever face. Who is Jesus Christ? Where did he come from? Why did ... More
The Man Who Killed Jesus: “Suffered Under Pontius Pilate” - Isaiah 53 - Feb 29, 2004 - 649
This has been a week unlike any other in my lifetime. Last Wednesday the new movie by Mel Gibson, “The Passion of the Christ,” premiered around the country. For various reasons the film has stirred up enormous controversy. That morning I turned on the news to see what was happening in th ... More
All One Body We: “The Communion of Saints” - Hebrews 12:1 - Jun 6, 2004 - 661
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1). In 1979 John Bass interviewed Ronald Reagan as he was p ... More
God Has a Big Family—Part 1 “I Believe in the Holy Catholic Church” - Matthew 16:18 - May 23, 2004 - 656
Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18 ESV). The Apostles’ Creed says, “I believe in the holy catholic church.” People say, “I like Jesus, but I don’t care for the church.” “I ... More
Take Me to Your Leaders - 1 Peter 5:1-4 - May 1, 2005 - 605
In early March I preached on “Are You Prepared to Suffer for Christ?” from I Peter 3:13-17. After the final service that morning, a first-time visitor came up and thanked me for my sermon. In the course of the conversation, he made an interesting comment: “You don’t seem to h ... More
Choose Life! - Deuteronomy 30:19-20 - Oct 29, 2008 - 182
(I first delivered this sermon in November 2000, just before the national elections that year. I have slightly edited the sermon and added a few new links. Otherwise the sermon is as I preached it eight years ago. I am posting it with a 2008 date because I still believe today what I wrote back then. ... More
Too Young To Die: Confronting the Tragedy of Suicide - Genesis 1:26-27; Deuteronomy 30; John 10:10 - Jul 17, 1994 - 137
“Sometimes I get so lonely it’s unbelievable. Life has been so good to me. I’ve got a great wife, good kids, money, my own health—and I’m lonely and bored … I often wondered why so many rich people commit suicide. Money sure isn’t a cure-all.” Those w ... More
The Making of a Disciple - Matthew 5:1-3 - Jan 7, 1996 - 55
This being the first Sunday of a new year, it’s appropriate that we should make a new beginning as a congregation. For the last five years we have adopted a theme for each year. In honor of our 80th Anniversary 1995 was The Year of Celebration. It was a great year and the Lord was very good ... More
A Time to Die - Luke 23:46 - Aug 4, 1991 - 548
3 P.M. Friday afternoon. It’s another hot day in Jerusalem. Things are worse now. More blood. More screams. More gore. The insects swarm around the three naked bodies. There are shouts, restless words from the crowd. Several hundred people have gathered at Skull Hill to watch the end. It hasn&# ... More
