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Worship, Fellowship and Service
The End of the Beginning
With Boldness, Unhindered
The Gospel Washes Up on Malta
Safe to Shore
What’s Your Story?
Paul Before Felix
Paul’s Defense to the Crowd
A Tale of Two Receptions
On To Jerusalem
Finishing Well
Psalm 23
It is the Good Shepherd who leads his sheep on the right paths. He leads me in paths of righteousness. He leads me on the right path because God protects the Good Shepherd, does what He can to protect his flock.
Tending The Crop
A Riot In Ephesus
Ministry in Ephesus
Strengthening the Disciples
In Corinth
Do you ever wonder if God cares for you? I don’t mean that in a big, lofty theological sense where we all would, as a said in the firm, of course he cares. I mean, do you ever wonder if God cares for you, if he is truly able to take care of you, if he wants to take care of you?
The law of averages would say that in this little fellowship here, there are a few. If not more, than a few people confronting circumstances in life that would pose that sort of question. Does God really care? Is God able to take care of me? Well, our text this morning in Acts 18, I hope, will provide you with an answer and with encouragement.
We are journeying through the Book of Acts. Last week, Paul was in Athens. He was speaking first in the marketplace and then in the area off Agus to the Stoics into the Epicureans and whoever else would listen to it. After his speech, he left Athens and traveled some 50 miles west of the city of Corinth. Athens, you remember, was a city that had already peaked and was past its prime in glory.
Bringing the Conversation ‘Round
A genera(on or two ago, it would have been inconceivable for you or I to have a conversa(on
with someone who knew nothing about Jesus. But that is not the case today. A lot has changed
in a rela(vely short period of (me, and as the gap between Chris(anity and our society widens,
we Chris(ans will con(nue to find ourselves encountering situa(ons and aAtudes that were on
a large scale foreign to our parents and grandparents, and yet were very familiar to those faced
by the early church in Acts.
Two Types of Soil
Paul and Barnabas Separate
Most of us naturally want to steer clear of disagreement. If we can.
But try as we might, we don’t always get to avoid the icky stuff in
life, nor should we avoid it when it comes to reading, preaching, or
trying to be shaped by the word of God. Our Father. We come before you
now asking that you would prepare our hearts to hear and receive the
beauty and the wisdom of your precious word.
Free In Christ
Would it surprise you to know that every member of United Baptist has spent time in prison? Not literally. Of course. Some of you are already like, I haven’t. What is he saying, though? Some of us may have, but I’m speaking figuratively, spiritually, every human being since the fall of man and the introduction of sin into the world is born into and lives captive to sin. Everyone in his or her natural state is a slave to sin. But by God’s grace, some of us have escaped the chains. Have you? This morning our Scripture from the Book of Acts presents multiple stories with one common theme a theme of deliverance, the power of God to set the captives free.
The Ruler, the Remnant, and the Rebellious
Our text today shows us an aspect of life from that point that we had from the New Testament last week. Our text today in the Old Testament teaches us that truth was true and all times past is true as we sit here was true. 800 years before Christ came, which is when this was written by Micah and will be true forever and always.
The Jerusalem Council
The message of the Gospel is a message of hope. It is a message of hope, not condemnation.
How is it hope? Jesus kept the laws of God perfectly in ways that we cannot. He did it, and he’s willing to take our record of lawlessness and exchange it for his perfect record of obedience. And he endured the judgment of God on the cross, the judgment for our lawlessness. When he hung there and he was killed to atone for our sins. And he rose. Having paid the penalty for our law breaking sin debt in full crushing with his resurrection, the power of sin and death, and extending the promise of everlasting life to all who will believe.
Through Many Tribulations
“Well, the deeper we get into the Christian life, the more we should see our faithful Heavenly Father conforming us to the likeness of Jesus. This is the promise of Romans 8:29. For those whom He four knew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. It is the will. It is the intention. It is the work of God for us in this life that we become more and more like Jesus.”
Good News for Lystra
Common grace is the grace of God that is experienced by all people everywhere. It is the experience of God’s goodness that is known to believer and unbeliever alike. What Professor John Murray describes as every favor of whatever kind or degree falling short of salvation which this undeserving and sin curse world enjoys at the hand of God.
What is the New Testament Church—Part 1
Lev. 26:1-13; Lev. 26:14-33; 2 Samuel 6:5-7; Acts 2:42-47 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were...
True View
Luke 23:44-24:49 Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is...
Vindicated and Victorious
Luke 23:44-24:49 Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is...
The Triumphal Entry
Luke 19:28-48 28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in...
Parable of the Ten Minas
] Luke 19:11-2711 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far...
Even the Tax Man!
Luke 19:1-10 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he...
What Do You Want?
Luke 18:31-43 31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him,...
Cancel Your Enemies?
Lk. 6:13-38 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas,...
Show Me Your Glory
Exodus 34:1-8 1 The Lord said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to...
The Testimony of Joseph
Psalms 105:1-24 1 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!2 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek...
The Steadfast Love of God
Psalms 25:1-10 1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, in you I trust;let me not be put to shame;let not my enemies exult over me.3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous....
Where is Wisdom Found?
Genesis 1:1-31 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let...
Male and Female Made He Them
Genesis 1:1-31 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let...
Vision Sunday – Displaying God’s Glory
Psalm 103 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,4 who redeems your life...
Mary’s Song
Luke 1:46-55 46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord,47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;49 for he who is...
The Christ Foretold
Jude 24-25 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and...
A Miraculous Conception
Luke 1:5-25 5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God,...
A Notable Family Tree
Ruth 4:16-22 16Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of...
A Child Is Born!
Ruth 4:13-15 13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer,...
Where Does Sin Come From?
Genesis 3 1Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may...
Will He or Won’t He?
Ruth 4:1-12 1Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men of the...
Kinsman Redeemer
Ruth 3:1-18 1Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing...
Introducing Boaz
Ruth 2:1-23 1Now Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall...
Grief, Loyalty and Conversion
Ruth 1:6-22 6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she was with her...
From Bad to Worse
Ruth 1:1-5 1 In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names...