Food on SermonAudio

Bartimaeus made to see. The Triumphal Entry. Temple Cleansed. Authority Questioned.

Why would a woman anoint Jesus for burial while he was still alive? And was it a wise use of a year's wages? In Mark 14:1–8, we encounter an unnamed woman who breaks an alabaster jar of extremely expensive perfume and pours it over Jesus. The disciples are outraged. They see waste. Jesus sees something beautiful. In this expository sermon, we explore why this woman understood something the religious leaders and even Jesus' disciples were missing: Jesus was going to the cross, and His death was worthy of extravagant worship. This passage introduces the passion narrative in Mark and brings us into what can be called the "holy of holies" of the Gospel—the unfolding story of Christ's death and the meaning of the cross. If you enjoy the episode, please consider subscribing to the podcast and leaving a 5-stars rating. This helps others find the podcast. My sermons are the fruit of nearly 30 years of pastoral ministry, biblical counseling, formal seminary training, and a lifelong passion for God's Word. Since childhood, I've been drawn to the beauty and power of expository preaching—opening Scripture verse by verse and applying it to real life. After graduating from Moody Bible Institute, I spent the next 27 years serving as a youth pastor, senior pastor, church planter, and host of the Food For Your Soul radio broadcast. Along the way, I also earned a Master of Sacred Literature and a Doctor of Religious Studies. For more content from D. Richard Ferguson, visit TreasuringGod.com. Follow on social: • Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DarrellFerguson • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrell.r.ferguson/ • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dr.DRichardFerguson

Jonah 3:5–10 shows a city that believed a bare word of overthrow, stopped its violence, and was spared. The sermon presses the difference between cheap repentance, true (imperfect) repentance, and the false demand for perfect repentance, and why greater light after Christ makes refusal heavier than Nineveh's or Sodom's. Nineveh heard five Hebrew words of coming ruin and no promise of pardon. From the greatest to the least they fasted, put on sackcloth, and, by the king's decree, called on God earnestly (with force) that each might turn from his wicked way and the violence in his hands. Even the beasts were covered and denied food and water. They did not wait for a softer message or a fuller creed. They credited the God who had spoken, hoped that the One who warns before he strikes might still relent, and actually ceased the evil. God saw their deeds—that they turned—and did not bring the calamity he had declared. That turn did not purchase mercy. A city of blood does not put God in its debt by fasting. "Who knows?" is the speech of men with no claim. God does not change, lie, or learn something new; the relation of the sinner to his settled word changes. To the impenitent the true word is overthrow; to those who believe him and drop the violence, the true word is spare. He appointed both the warning and the mercy that meets repentance. Faith and the turn are his gift through the word, not a wage that moves an undecided God. Cheap repentance keeps the sin and offers only "I'm sorry." True repentance is still spotted—it can still say "who knows" until the gospel teaches it to say "I know"—but it is actual: the hand releases what it held.

The Apostle Paul calls the church to live all of life coram Deo, before the face of God, so that whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we do all to the glory of God. Against the temptation to retreat from a culture marked by the degradation of Romans 1, the ordinary Christian calling is to remain where God has planted us and make His glory visible. That life begins in true worship, public and private, offered in spirit and in truth, with reverence, joy, order, and faith. It continues at the table: food and drink are gifts of the Creator who owns the earth and has given it to the children of men, to be received with thanksgiving, enjoyed with mirth, and kept within the fences He has set, neither despised as common nor abused in gluttony or drunkenness. From that foundation the text opens onto the whole of life—good works that shine before men, fruit that remains, bodies treated as purchased by Christ, Sabbath rest that confesses God as our sustainer, and the receiving of one another for His sake. Ordinary faithfulness at table, work, speech, and neighborly love is how the church displays the holiness, generosity, and lordship of God.

This sermon explores the Noahic Covenant in Genesis 9, emphasizing God's unwavering faithfulness and the practical implications of His promises for daily life. The message highlights how God provides for humanity through dominion over animals and the provision of food, while simultaneously establishing boundaries that protect human life by affirming the image of God. It argues that the rainbow serves not merely as a historical sign but as a present-day reminder of God's restraint of wrath and His grace toward a sinful world. By connecting these ancient promises to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the sermon invites believers to find security and gratitude in God's character rather than in their own ability to maintain salvation. The tone is pastoral and encouraging, urging the audience to recognize God's ongoing faithfulness in sustaining creation and offering hope through the gospel.

This sermon explores the narrative in 2 Kings 7, where God provides for a besieged city through the unexpected actions of four lepers. The central message emphasizes that God's Word is infallible and that He can provide in impossible circumstances, contrasting the faith of the lepers with the doubt of the king's officer. The preacher highlights how unbelief can hinder a person from partaking in God's blessings, citing the officer who witnessed the miracle but died without eating the food. Furthermore, the sermon argues that God often uses unconventional means to accomplish His purposes, challenging believers to trust in His wisdom rather than demanding specific outcomes. Finally, the message concludes with a call to action, urging Christians to share the good news of the gospel, as holding onto it while others remain in spiritual darkness is a failure to fulfill their obligation.

Have you ever experienced when two Christians, each holding firmly to Bible verses, spoke past one another, and this did not benefit their relationship? This sermon examines the tension between theological knowledge and Christian love, using the Corinthian debate over food offered to idols as a case study. It argues that while doctrinal accuracy is important, wielding knowledge without compassion can destroy the conscience of weaker believers and fracture church unity. The message emphasizes that spiritual maturity carries a greater responsibility to nurture rather than condemn, mirroring the self-sacrificial love of Christ. Listeners are challenged to examine their motivations in theological disagreements, ensuring that their actions reflect the gospel rather than a false standard of self-glorification. The ultimate goal is a healthy congregation where truth is spoken with gentleness, fostering growth and stability for all members.

In Mark 6, Jesus looks upon the multitude and has compassion on them, for they are like sheep without a shepherd. In Ezekiel 34, God promised to personally shepherd His scattered and neglected people. Christ came to fulfill this role. He is the Good Shepherd. His compassion for the people is expressed first and foremost through teaching, for God's word is the most essential provision for human life. The miraculous multiplication of loaves and fish was a sign pointing to a greater reality: Christ himself is the true bread from heaven, and genuine life is sustained not by earthly food but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. As under-shepherds, pastors and teachers are called to faithfully feed the flock through the proclamation of Scripture, trusting that it is ultimately Christ's voice that gathers and sustains his people.

The crowd crossed the sea to find Jesus, but they came for another free meal, and he called them to labor for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man gives. When they asked what works they must do, Jesus answered that the work of God is to believe in him whom he has sent; the Father gave the manna, and he now gives the true bread from heaven. Jesus is the bread of life, and whoever comes to him hungry will never hunger. All that the Father gives him will come to him, he will never cast out anyone who comes, and he will lose none of them but raise them up on the last day.