“ Who Is This? ” Who is this who sleeps calmly in the stern of a fishing boat while the angry tempest roars? His companions fear for their lives. He rebukes the storm, and all is serene. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the firstborn of all creation, and firstborn from the dead. He is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, the One through whom all things were created, and without whom nothing would exist. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the bright and morning star, the faithful and true witness. He was in the beginning with God, and in him all things hold together. He is light to us and life. He is Immanuel, God with us, and his favor is like dew on the grass. Great power resides in the atom, the volcano, the supernova. How much greater must his own power be? He has the authority not only to quell a raging sea, but to save us from sin and death, eradicate all evil, and remake the earth for those whom he has chosen. To him belong all power, strength, and authority until the end of time and forever. Amen.
“ Great Sermon! ” Living Word, it has been said that we must carry our cross patiently and submissively, and in the end it will carry us. Help us to see that our own sufferings are a continuation of yours. And since it is evident that in the cross reside strength of mind and hope of future honor, awaken us not to fear it but to embrace it. Share with us your strength that we may submit to its demands, for through much tribulation we must enter the kingdom of God. May reverence and blessing be yours forever, O Savior and Conqueror of death. Amen
“ Great Sermon! ” Dr. MacArthur gives such clarity to what “taking the Lord’s name is vain” means and backs every point with Scripture in this sermon. I thank God for giving the world John MacArthur in my lifetime. His teaching is always biblically sound, deep, and thought provoking.
“ Lead Us On! ” Shepherd of Israel, your greatness, wisdom, and power were on display when you guided the twelve tribes on their journey from Egypt to Canaan. And today we look to you also in our journey through the present world to our promised rest in the New Jerusalem. For we also must walk through a wilderness no less barren than the Sinai. Forgive us for griping and bellyaching as did they, who left thousands of corpses in the desert because of their disobedience. They craved the fleshpots of Egypt, wishing they had died there. Grant that we not pine for our former life but forgetting what lies behind, endeavor forward to what lies ahead, for he that puts his hand to the plow, looking back, is not fit for your kingdom. Let us remember, O Lord, that this journey takes us to an imperishable inheritance, whose glory will more than compensate for the trials we endure in this wilderness. Yours is the glory, the greatness, and the majesty forever. Amen.
“ By the Grace of God! ” Eternal and Almighty God, O that we might find favor in your eyes as did Moses your servant. By your abundant grace you gave him a glimpse of your magnificent glory, and granted to him the wisdom and strength to lead the Israelites out of slavery and into Canaan, the land you had promised to Abraham’s descendants. By your grace you had called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldeans to show him this land of promise. You led him, protected him, and made a covenant with him because he too had found favor in your sight. By this same grace you chose Jacob over his elder brother Esau, in the end rescuing him and his twelve sons from starvation. Your grace turned meek Gideon into a military hero, calling him a mighty man of valor, as he threshed grain in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites. By your grace you saved Israel and Judah from their enemies repeatedly, and preserved a remnant for yourself. All these men, the nation of Israel, and we too are compelled to say with the Apostle Paul, “By the grace of God I am what I am.”* Let your grace to us not be in vain, for without your undeserved favor, we would be devoid of hope in a fallen and hostile world. Thank you, O Lord, for the grace you pour out on undeserving sinners. To you who give even more grace be glory forever. Amen.
“ Unsurpassable Wisdom! ” Holy One of Israel, all things have been designed and are managed by your unsurpassed wisdom. You have preordained both prosperity and adversity, Job’s gains as well as his losses. It follows then that you may lead us beside still waters one day, but turn to lead us into the valley of the shadow of death another. Thank you for your promise that all things work together for our good. Let us then rest in the assurance that everything in this world lies in the hands of benign providence. You who direct the fall of a sparrow love us eternally, and you allow into our lives nothing that contradicts that love. You alone are God, who do all these things. Amen.
“ I Am an Exile on the Earth ” Eternal Father, grant to your servant a pilgrim attitude and spirit, keeping me aware always that my true home is above, and that I am but a stranger and an exile on the earth, as were all my fathers before me. To you be glory, honor, and wisdom forever and ever. Amen.
“ You Are Our Portion ” Sovereign and Majestic Lord, though we may be poor in this life, you have blessed us with a portion that outlasts time and that satisfies us in your absence. You are our share of the goodness that exists in the cosmos, a helping of boundless magnitude. While the unbeliever’s portion exists in this life only, the portion of your redeemed transcends time and space, for you who are the fount of all goodness are our share. You are the strength of our heart and our portion forever. Amen.
“ Unerring Wisdom ” His providence, like a finely tuned watch movement with all the gears, wheels, and springs, moves every part of creation toward time's end in harmony with his perfect will. Divine engineering allows for no flaws in the machinery, no slips or hiccups. The workmanship is exquisite, and we progress inexorably with it. Let us then give thanks and praise to him who has designed with unerring wisdom this prelude to eternal life.
“ Nonor the Brey-headed! ” WORD: You shall honor the presence of an old man. —Lv 19:32
PRAYER: Creator God, thank you for the gray-headed among us. They have had a lifetime of gains and losses, and their years have given them wisdom, for is not wisdom found among the aged, and does not long life bring understanding? You have blessed us with the elderly so they can teach us, inform us, and save us from repeating the errors of the past. It has been said that the death of an old man is like the burning of a library. If we ignore them and shut them away, it is folly and sin. Lead us to give them proper respect and care lest we cover ourselves with reproach. No one is immune from old age and the evils that it brings. It comes upon us like some fearsome creature, wrapping us in its coils and robbing us of strength. It is an integral part of the human condition, a consequence of our iniquity. Seeing as how we ourselves must pass through it, help us treat with reverence and empathy the ones who have come before us. Scripture tells us to regard the gray head as a crown of glory. Remember us in your goodness when we are old. Do not cast us off in our latter years, nor forsake us when at last our strength is gone. Let us rise before the aged and honor them, as is commanded in your law. Amen.
“ Beautiful Sermon! ” Lord on High, arouse us to number our days that we may grasp how quickly the time passes. Teach us to use it wisely, not investing too much of it in earthly pursuits that have no eternal value. Let us therefore judge all things only by the price they will gain in eternity. Keep us mindful that we are stewards of everything you have given us, including time, and grant that we may serve you faithfully while we have breath. Amen.
“ Excellent Read! ” The kingdom of God is like a tender sapling pushing upward out of stony ground. The wind and rain buffet it. You put your hand over it, and it grows into a tree, spreading its branches like a canopy. Make this tree flourish so that its foliage covers the earth. Multiply your kingdom until the stumbling blocks are removed and all enemies vanquished. It has pleased you to give us this kingdom as an inheritance through the sacrifice of your Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Your kingdom is not an extension of life on earth, for it is not about eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Moreover it will surpass the beauty and splendor of all earthly kingdoms, hammering them into dust and bringing them to an end. Your kingdom will surely be established on the earth, and it will never pass away. To you, O King, belong truth, sovereignty, and power both now and forevermore. Amen.
“ Great Reader! ” Grant that I may live among the remnant that fears your name, for you will stretch their years to endless generations because they trust in you. Thus you raised your Anointed from the dead that he may reign over them and everything you have made. He will wield a scepter of righteousness, silencing the tumult of the nations, assessing them in the crucible of truth. And so I will trust in you at all times, and pour out my heart to you, for you alone are my refuge, my strength, and my salvation. Amen.
“ Excellent Reader! ” Today's churches do not preach this subject, but have denied the reality of God's wrath. Heaven loses its glory if there is no hell. Thank you for this powerful little sermon.
“ He Is Awesome! ” Omniscient and Almighty God, although to us the world seems out of control, we rejoice that you are everywhere at once and cognizant of even the smallest of minutiae. There is nothing you do not know, and you are involved in every aspect of your creation. The eyes of every creature look to you for sustenance and provision. You open your hand and satisfy their every need. You know where the fox has its burrow and where he lurks in the darkness of the night. As for man, you alone know the hearts of every living person. You know the number of hairs on our heads, just as you know the number of stars in the night sky. You know us better than we know ourselves. You know our thoughts, our plans, our goals, our sins. Before the die is cast, you know the result, for you have already determined the outcome of all events. There is a divine destiny even in the fall of a sparrow. You order everything according to the counsel of your excellent will so that all things may work to your glory. You turn the world on its axis, and nothing is left to chance. Thank you that our daily lives are in your infallible and almighty hands. Glory be to you in the highest. Amen.
“ True Riches ” Our Lord proclaimed a gospel that provides every necessity, and it is he who is the Provider of our souls. Priceless possessions come to us through him. He became poor like us in order that he might reconcile us to God and open the floodgates of his mercy and grace, which gifts are better than gold bars or rare jewels. When we look into ourselves, we are dismayed, but when we look to Christ, we rejoice in his abundant provision for our souls. Wealth and riches are his to give, and he gives generously and without reproach. Therefore may he grant to us assets that endure forever, for we come to him to buy wine and milk without money, trusting that from him we can secure all that is necessary to support us in this present life, and to make us happy through all eternity. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth. Amen.
“ Great Sermon! ” Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word. It was good for me that I was afflicted that I might learn your statutes. Psalm 119:67,71
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