Samson Part 2: “She is Right in My Eyes”

October 2, 2016September 25, 2019 BigSpringsActs 2, Judges 14, Nazirite, Samson, Timnah

Scripture Readings: Judges 14:1-20; Acts 2:22-24; 3:17-21 October 2, 2016 • Download this sermon (PDF) Congregation of Christ: In our last study in Judges Chapter 13, the writer introduces Samson, his father Manoah and his mother, and the announcement of his birth by the Angel of the Lord. The Messenger revealed to his parents that they will have a son, but God has ordained him to be a Nazirite from conception. A Nazirite has three vows: to abstain from wine or any produce from the vine; stay away from dead…

1 Peter Romans Sermons

“Be Subject to the Governing Authorities”

September 25, 2016September 25, 2019 BigSprings1 Peter 2, Belgic Confession Article 36, civil magistrate, government authorities, Jeremiah 29, Romans 13

Scripture Readings: Jeremiah 29:1-7; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-25 September 25, 2016 • Download this sermon (PDF) Congregation of Christ: These last few days, violence and looting have erupted in Charlotte these last few days, and in many other cities in the last year whenever there are black people who are shot by police officers. Some people even advocate violence against police authorities. These are all to protest what they perceive as social injustice and police brutality. And in recent weeks, a protest has been getting much attention. It centers around…

Judges Sermons

Samson Part 1: Two Nativities

September 20, 2016September 25, 2019 BigSprings1 John 2, Angel of the Lord, Judges 13, Manoah, Nazirite, Romans 12, Samson

Scripture Readings: Judges 13:1-25; Romans 12:1-2 September 18, 2016 • Download this sermon (PDF) Congregation of Christ: Last Sunday, we learned about Jephthah’s sinful vow to offer a burnt sacrifice to the Lord to gain his favor. God never required a vow in order to approve of a person’s request. And the tragic end to this vow is the burnt sacrifice turned out to be his only child, his own daughter. Today, we will study another kind of vow made by Israelites. But this vow was not made by…

Sermons

Jephthah Part 2: The Agony of Victory

September 12, 2016September 25, 2019 BigSpringsEphraimites, Gilead, Jephthah, Judges 12, Matthew 5, Shibboleth

Scripture Readings: Judges 11:29-12:7; Matthew 5:33-37 September 11, 2016 • Download this sermon (PDF) Congregation of Christ: Do your remember the TV program Wide World of Sports? It was the most popular sports program from the 1960s to the 1990s, and its byline was “The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat.” What could be more thrilling than winning an Olympic gold, or a championship game? And what could be more agonizing than losing a championship, even if it means being second? Our culture is a culture of No.…

Judges Sermons

Jephthah Part 1: Using God

September 4, 2016September 25, 2019 BigSpringsAmmonites, Gilead, Jephthah, Judges 10, Judges 11

Scripture Readings: Judges 10:1-11:28; Philippians 2:1-11 September 4, 2016 • Download this sermon (PDF) Congregation of Christ: Last Sunday, we studied the ascension to power of Abimelech, another evil oppressor of Israel. Abimelech was not a foreign oppressor, since he was the son of Gideon. After he oppressed Israel for three years, the LORD raised up two judges, Tola and Jair, the sixth and seventh judges. Since we know very little of these two men, they and Shamgar back in Chapter 3 are called “minor judges.” In this series,…

Judges Sermons

Abimelech the Vengeful Destroyer

August 29, 2016September 25, 2019 BigSprings1 Corinthians 3, Abimelech, Gideon, Judges 9, Shechem

Scripture Readings: Judges 8:33-9:57; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 August 28, 2016 • Download this sermon (PDF) Congregation of Christ: Remember the foreboding epilogue to Gideon’s life? It says that he had many wives who bore him 70 sons. One of his sons was from a Canaanite concubine in Shechem, whom he named Abimelech. And what does “Abimelech” mean? “My father is king.” Although publicly, Gideon declined to be the king of Israel, he acted like it, and considered himself a king (Jgs 8:29-31). Our text is a long story of…

Judges Sermons

Gideon Part 3: All’s Not Well That Doesn’t End Well

August 7, 2016September 25, 2019 BigSprings1 Corinthians 10, Abimelech, Baal, Colossians 3, ephod, Gideon, Judges 8

Scripture Readings: Judges 8:1-35; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17 August 7, 2016 • Download this sermon (PDF) Congregation of Christ: The title of our study this morning is the reverse of a well-known proverb or cliché, “all’s well that ends well.” It means that everything has turned out well, even though some things went wrong and the outcome was uncertain, along the way. Did you know that this proverb was popularized in Shakespeare’s play of the same name? It is the story of a beautiful woman in a court in…

Judges Sermons

Sermon Series on the Book of Judges

August 2, 2016September 25, 2019 BigSpringsAbdon, Barak, Book of Judges, Deborah, Ehud, Elon, Gideon, Hebrews 11, Ibzan, Jair, Jephthah, Othniel, Samson, Tola

Date Scripture Readings Title 06/05/16 Judges 1:1-2:5 (text); Ephesians 6:10-20 “I Will Never Break My Covenant With You” (web) (pdf) 06/12/16 Judges 2:6-3:6 (text); Ephesians 6:1-4 “There Arose Another Generation Who Did Not Know the LORD” (web) (pdf) 06/19/16 Judges 3:7-11 (text); Romans 13:1-4 The LORD Saved His People Through Othniel (web) (pdf) 07/03/16 Judges 3:12-31 (text); Hebrews 4:12 The LORD Sends Ehud to Bring a Sacrifice (web) (pdf) 07/10/16 Judges 4:1-24 (text); Hebrews 11:32-33 Deborah: A Woman Leads Because of Men’s Neglect (web) (pdf) 07/17/16 Judges 5:1-3 (text); 1 Timothy 2:8-14; Titus 2:1-5 “Quiet…

Judges Sermons

Gideon Part 2: The LORD Saves His People With 1 Against 450

July 31, 2016September 25, 2019 BigSprings300 Spartans, Esther, Gideon, Judges 7, Leonidas, Midian, Xerxes

Scripture Readings: Judges 7:1-8:3 (text); 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; 13:4 July 31, 2016 • Download this sermon (PDF) Congregation of Christ: Did you know that the Olympic Games starting next week, Queen Esther, the famous Battle of Thermopylae, and Gideon may all be part of a common thread? The Book of Esther begins with a great assembly called by King Ahasuerus of Persia (modern-day Iran), also known by his Greek name Xerxes. The gathering was in the capital city of Susa, attended by all officials and servants, nobles and governors…

Judges Sermons

Gideon Part 1: God’s Grace Towards Rebels

July 25, 2016September 25, 2019 BigSpringsBaal, Ephesians 2, Gideon, Judges 6

Scripture Readings: Judges 6:1-40 (text); Ephesians 2:1-10 July 24, 2016 (ZCRC Pasig & BSCC) • Download this sermon (PDF) Congregation of Christ: Gideon and Samson are the two most romanticized judges of Israel in the Bible. They’ve been subjects of “Be Like” sermons and two of the most frequently told stories in Sunday School. Today, we will have the first lesson on the story of Gideon, which spans Chapters 6-8 of the Book of Judges. This narrative begins with the familiar opening refrain of the stories of the judges. After…