Illustrated sermon notes from my talk last night on relationships and sexuality. Thanks to The Shaping of Things to Come by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsh and Sex God by Rob Bell for much of the material.
Archive for the 'Sermon' Category
Sermon notes from week four of our series on the book of Colossians. This brings me all up-to-date. Continue reading ‘Growing in the peace of Christ – Colossians 3:5-4:2′
Sermon notes from the third week of our series on the book of Colossians. Continue reading ‘Christ Applied – Colossians 2:6-23′
Sermon notes from week two of our series on the book of Colossians. As I look over the notes, I realize that they are missing large parts of what I actually said. I suppose this is the weakness in posting sermon notes in this way. Anyways, enjoy. Continue reading ‘Image of the Invisible – Colossians 1:15-23′
As part of my earlier plans, here are the notes from the first week of my series on the book of Colossians. As you can guess, it was preached during the week of Canadian Thanksgiving. Continue reading ‘Colossians 1:3-14′
As part of my renewed dedication to blogging I am going to start including my sermon study notes and sermon outlines on this blog. Currently, I am halfway through preaching through the book of Colossians. Over the next few days, I’ll post background information I’ve collected and the outlines to my sermons so far. The best case scenario is that this becomes a forum for feedback and that together we can improve on the content. Here goes:
Outline
I. Greeting (1:1-2)
II. Thanksgiving (1:3-14)
A. Gospel growing in you (3-5)
B. Gospel growth around the world (6-8)
C. Prayer of thanks (9-14)
III. Christology Primer (1:15-23)
A. Description of Christ (15-20)
B. Example of His work in you (21-23)
IV. Paul’s Struggle (1:24-2:5)
A. Struggle for the Gospel (24-27)
B. Struggle for Everyone (28-29)
C. Struggle for Us & Colosee (2:1-5)
V. Christ Applied. Christ at work in us. (2:6-23)
A. Christ the fullness of God in us (2:6-16)
1. Intro (6-8)
2. In fullness (9-10)
3. In circumcision (11)
4. In baptism (12)
5. Summary: Christ in our situation (13-15)
B. -> New life applied. (16-23)
1. Don’t fixate on law (16-17)
2. Don’t fixate on superstition (18-19)
C. Applications (2:20-3:4)
1. Since you died with Christ (20-23)
2. Since you raised with Christ (3:1-4)
VI. Growing in the Peace of Christ (3:5-4:2)
A. Personal Peace (3:5-8)
B. Peace on the Body of Christ (3:9-14)
C. Peace of Christ (3:15-17)
D. Peace with families (3:18-21)
E. Peace in business relationships (3:22-4:2)
VII. Final Instructions (4:2-18)
A. Appeal to Prayer (2-6)
B. Greetings (7-15)
C. Instructions (16-17)
D. Farewell (18)
Corinth:
- Corinth was the largest city in first century Greece.
- Population of 250,000 free people and as many as 400,000 slaves
- Capital of the Roman province of Achaia
- Economically important because of the isthmus. A 5.5km wide stretch of land between the east and the west seas.
- Most cargo going to or from Rome went through Corinth. Cargo was unloaded on one side and carried to the other side. Small ships would be dragged across on a road build for this purpsoe
- In it’s day it was an expensive place to live. There was a common saying when discussing wealth that went, “Not everyone is able to go to Corinth“
- At least twelve temples were in the city
- Also famous for it immorality. Extensive prostitution and idol worship
- The temple to the goddess Aphrodite was said to have had at one time over 1,000 temple prostitutes serving at it
- The Corinthians were educated, wealthy, largely working class, religious and immoral.
Author:
- Paul is acknowledged to be the author from the start of the letter and almost all church fathers agree. Paul wrote it towards the end of his three years in Ephesus
- Paul in Corinth - Acts 18
- Came from Athens to Corinth
- Paul preached for 18 months in Corinth
- Met Priscilla and Aquila who were also tentmakers
- Reasoned in the Synagogue
- When Silas and Timothy joined him he stopped tent-making and focused his time preaching to the Jews, but when the Jews became abusive he left them and and went “next door” to the house of Titius Justus where it appears he started a house church.
- Through his ministry, Crispus the synagogue ruler (the place he had been kicked out of) and his family because believers and were baptized.
- Eventually, the Jews took Paul to court, but the case was thrown out and ended with the new synagogue ruler, Sosthenes being beaten for wasting the courts time.
- From Corinth he sailed on, retracing his earlier travels, strengthen the new churches.
- Many interpret Acts 20:3 as a second stay in Corinth that lasted three months. During this time he was said to have written Romans
I’ve put together some language study notes for the first sermon. Beside the general benefit that always comes from really studying a text, the two big things that stood out to me are:
- Paul’s frequent use of χαρις (grace) in verse 3, 4 (x2), and 7. It’s such a beautiful word. I wonder if it’s frequent usage indicates a stronger relationship between verse 3 and the rest of the passage then the headings in the NIV suggest. It strengthens verse three by providing examples of the grace that God gives. It’s a connection that the Greek reader (or hearer) would have surely caught, but one that the limitations of translation can’t seem to get across.
- I found the translation of βεβαιωσει in verse 8 of the NIV kind of curious. “Strong” seems like an odd choice. “confirm” seems to a more straight forward choice.
But then again, I am a total hack at this so don’t count my opinion for two cents!
After really wrestling with where to start the preaching for inTransit. I have decided to go with a four week look at the first two chapters of 1 Corinthians. I can’t deny that I have been influenced by the sermon series that Mark Driscoll is currently preaching at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, but I’m pretty sure the pull to preach these two chapters goes beyond that.
Even a quick glance through the passage tells me that 1 Corinthians 1:20, “Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of the world?” has something to say to a group of educated, cool, 18-30ish year old people.
What about a new ministry that is just starting out? I know we’re trying hard to do things really well, put a lot of care into the promo, the website, the setup, the location etc. In fact, there are so many details that we are working on right now that I admit, it’s easy to start focusing on the details and lose sight of why we’re doing this. Check out what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5,
When I came to you brothers, I did not come to you with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
Lord, as we go forward, help us to put our hearts, minds and spirits in the right place. I look to you today Lord.
