New Road Church

The sermon explores the multifaceted concept of resurrection, drawing from the account of Eutychus's raising in Acts to illuminate spiritual and physical realities. It examines resurrection as a type pointing to the spiritual rebirth of sinners, the unparalleled resurrection of Jesus Christ, and ultimately, the future, literal resurrection of believers into eternal life. The message emphasizes that while miraculous events like Eutychus's revival underscore God's power, they also serve to highlight the transformative grace that delivers individuals from spiritual death and promises a future of sinless existence in God's new world.

The sermon emphasizes the urgent need for believers to contend for the faith amidst the presence of ungodly influences, drawing parallels to historical examples of divine judgment and warning against complacency. It instructs listeners to build themselves up in faith through diligent study of doctrine, earnest prayer in the Holy Spirit, and patient waiting for God's mercy, ultimately leading to a deeper love and devotion to Christ. The message underscores the importance of discerning truth, actively resisting division, and maintaining a vigilant spirit, trusting in God's power to preserve them blameless and present them with joy before His glory. (Gen. by AI from transcript)

The sermon examines the uproar in Ephesus sparked by Paul's teachings against idolatry, drawing parallels to the human tendency to create idols and the dangers of prioritizing material wealth over spiritual devotion. Rooted in the Acts 19 narrative, the message explores the nature of object worship, the subtle trap of covetousness as a form of idolatry, and the resulting confusion that arises when people pursue empty pursuits. Ultimately, the sermon emphasizes the importance of placing God at the center of one's affections, recognizing that true worship leads to a life aligned with Christ and a rejection of fleeting, ultimately meaningless, pursuits.

The letter warns against the infiltration of ungodly individuals who pervert grace, deny Christ, and sow division within the church, ultimately facing eternal condemnation. Drawing from Jude's admonition, the message highlights the dangers of relying on dreams, despising authority, and indulging in sensual desires, emphasizing the importance of contending for the faith, building oneself up in holiness, and showing mercy to those in doubt while maintaining a firm stance against sin. Ultimately, the letter underscores the certainty of judgment for the unrepentant and affirms God's power to preserve believers, urging a steadfast commitment to Christ and a hopeful anticipation of eternal life.

Jude mentions angels three times, and these are considered to help our understanding of these creatures of God. There is their rebellion (which raises questions about Genesis 6 and the Nephilim) which brings judgement on them. There is then the dispute between Michael and Satan, where we learn that the office—but not the person—of Satan is to be respected, and this is to be reflected in respect for all authority. Finally, the role of angels in judgement is noted as they accompany Christ when he returns.

The pagan Ephesians see "magic" done by Paul in the name of this Christus figure, and some see that these miracles were categorically different from their own hit-and-miss methods using incantations. The next incident shakes them to the core. Jewish grifters, self-styled exorcists, copy the practice of their pagan magician neighbours by stealing the latest, most powerful name about. The new magic word is "Jesus", and they include it in their ritual of exorcism. Unfortunately, the evil spirits will not be commanded by the recital of magic spells, even if the name of Jesus is included. The devils respond only to authority greater than theirs, and only Christ and his agents have it. The evil spirit knows Jesus personally, and his fellow demons have been banished by Paul, but this bunch? It uses its host to attack the seven Jewish fakers forcing them to leave utterly humiliated and ruined. For some, this is too much evidence of the power of Christ to ignore. They repent, and in an outward expression of it which was both practical and symbolic, they torch perhaps more than £2m in magician books and saleable spells. The word of God continued to change people, cities and entire regions.

Apollos, a name rooted in "Apollo", was a highly educated believer from the great centre of learning: Alexandria. He no doubt used the famous library of 700,000 books until they were burned by Muslims. Still, he came to the church armed with both a Jewish and Greek education. Apollos appears on the scene dramatically, making a big impression. He would become a leading figure in the worldwide church, and many believe he authored the book of Hebrews. His familiarity with the scriptures, boldness, and fervency, made him a great example to Christians in general and preachers of righteousness in particular.

Paul arrives in Corinth on his missionary journey. He gets a job with a couple of fellow tentmakers/leatherworkers. His occasional practice of getting a job alongside the ministry has various reasons, but this bi-vocational ministry is never ideal; pastors should be free to devote themselves to prayer and the word. Paul makes a dramatic announcement whereby his ministry to the Jews is over. We infer from the voice of God to Paul which followed that he had been minded to move on from Corinth, but God would have him stay which he did for over a year and a half. The reason was that the Lord had many people there. This shows us that the Lord had his elect hidden among the populus, and he would have Paul and others preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and him crucified so that these elect ones would be drawn in. What the Lord's message does not imply is that there are many people in every place. We cannot know, and so it is that we preach widely and indiscriminately.

Paul addresses a mixed bunch of Athenian philosophers and approaches the gospel task in a particular way. He highlights the pointlessness of their entire pantheon of gods by suggesting that the one they pay no attention to is the God of heaven. This single God is creator, sustainer, governor, resurrector and judge. Paul urges repentance towards this God on his hearers.

At Athens, Paul encounters a wide range of religious belief. With this comes a diversity in terms of what each group preferred to hear. The Jews would have wanted to hear about Law, of how they could better keep the rules so as to attain that level of righteousness required by God. The Greeks wanted to hear about virtue and be intellectually stimulated. Paul's gospel is not what they want to hear. The Jews could not accept as their Messiah one who was killed, and they did not understand that the very righteousness of God was required, and this could come only as a gift of God through faith. The Greek philosophers could not accept the notion of a bodily resurrection; Stoics has a Platonic view whereby man had an immortal soul which went to heaven, while Epicureans dismissed an afterlife altogether. Paul's gospel by contrast had as a central doctrine the Christian hope of eternal life through bodily resurrection. The matter of different "appetites" for preaching in our day naturally arises. There is a range of preferences for preaching in our churches. Some only want to hear thrilling explanations of prophecy. Others want only practical advice on Christian living. The Bible contains these and much more, but the question every preacher must ask of his sermons is "Is Christ preached? His rich life, his atoning death, his glorious resurrection, his accomplishment of redemption, his continual intercession, and his soon coming?" Yes, we preach many things, but above all else our sermons must be Christ centred.