ScriptureStream

ScriptureStream

By Mark WatsonSociety & CultureReligion & SpiritualityChristianityPhilosophy
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ScriptureStream episodes

  • John 3:16
    John 3:16
    • John 3:16 – What does “believes” mean? Does that exclude other obligations, like repentance and baptism? Could this be a synecdoche?
    • John 3:14-15 is a synecdoche.
    • John 12:32-33
      • What’s the evidence of synecdoche?
      Context
      • Numbers 21:4-9 – The bronze serpent
      • People had to respond to be saved by the serpent.
      • John 3:14-21
        • Harmony
        • Mark 16:15-16
        • Acts 3:19
        • Romans 10:9-10
        • James 2:14, 26, 19
          • Pattern
          • Acts 2:44, 41 – They had done much more than just believe.
          • Acts 16:29-34 – Belief included baptism here.
          • Acts 18:8
          • I Corinthians 1:14
            • Conclusion
            • My suggestion is that John 3:16 is another instance of this sort of language (synecdoche), where “believes” is simply a shortened way of referring to everything that comes from that belief and is involved in salvation.
              • Learning the truth about Jesus
              • Matthew 28:18-20 – Jesus sent the disciples everywhere to teach.
              • Teaching in the book of Acts
                • Acts 2:14, 42
                • Acts 4:1, 17, 33
                • Acts 5:20, 25, 42
                • Acts 6:7-10
                • Acts 7:51-53
                • Acts 8:3
                • This was a spiritual revolution founded on information.
                • Romans 1:16; 10:17 – The power of salvation was in the word of God.
                • Acts 17:2, 11
                • Don’t just go with your conscience.
                  • Acts 23:1; 26:9-11
                    • 44 min
                  • Don't Overlook These Three Spiritual Boosts
                    Introduction
                    • Romans 8:28-32 – God pulled out all the stops to bless us!
                      • The help of fellow Christians
                      • James 5:15-16
                      • Romans 15:14 – Christians help admonish each other.
                      • Galatians 6:1
                      • I Thessalonians 5:11
                      • I John 4:11
                      • We must be good at both giving help and receiving it.
                        • The Bible as a guide for our lives
                        • Romans 15:4
                        • II Timothy 3:14-15; 1:5; 3:16-17 – Timothy was evidently listening and understanding what his mother and grandmother were reading to him.
                        • The Bible is not just opinions – it is authoritative.
                          • The troubles that mature us
                          • Hebrews 10:32-34
                          • Romans 5:3-4
                          • Matthew 5:10-12
                          • I Peter 1:7 – How do you find out if a Christian is really a Christian? Test him by fire.
                          • Revelation 2:8-10 – Be faithful even if it requires your life!
                          • God has not promised to take away our troubles, but H will give us what we need to get through them.
                            • 33 min
                          • Matthew 18:1-17
                            Matthew 18
                            • Matthew 18:1-5
                              • See Mark 10:32-45.
                              • I Peter 5:2-5 – Elders are to lead with humility and service.
                              • James 4:1-3
                              • Matthew 18:5 – Compare Mark 9:37.
                              • Matthew 18:6-10 – It is critical to Jesus that children be protected. Harming them or their faith must be avoided at all costs.
                              • Matthew 18:11-14 – Rejoicing over the lost sheep. Sheep can be infuriating to tend and they are easily led astray. We can be very much like them, yet God shows His love for us.
                              • Matthew 18:15-17 – Jesus shows the simple but difficult process of trying to save a brother in sin.
                                • 41 min
                              • Nicodemus
                                Truth over tradition – “Now there was a man of the Pharisees …”
                                • John 3:1
                                • The Pharisees were a conservative reaction to the encroaching Greek culture. The group likely started about 150 B.C. They were thought of as protectors of Judaism and had significant popular support.
                                • Acts 5:34-40
                                • Matthew 12:1-14 – The Pharisees clung to their perspective on the Law of Moses, not the Law of Moses itself. They had put guardrails around the law and were defending the guardrails instead of the Law itself.
                                • Matthew 15:1-9 – We must be careful about “teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.” God to the Bible and teach only that!
                                  • We don’t just need small changes
                                  “You must be born again.”
                                  • John 3:2-5
                                  • Romans 6:3-4
                                  • I Peter 1:22-25
                                  • John 3:19
                                  • Matthew 23:33
                                    • Dare to seek the truth
                                    “this man came to Jesus by night”
                                    • John 3:2 – This simple admission was much more than most Jews would admit.
                                    • John 3:14-15
                                    • John 9:22; 12:42
                                    • John 7:40-44, 32, 45-52 – Nicodemus tries to gently stand up for Jesus.
                                    • John 19:38-42 – Nicodemus comes to help bury Jesus’ body.
                                    • Acts 17:11 – The Bible commends those who think for themselves.
                                      • 36 min
                                    • I Peter and the Example of Jericho
                                      I Peter: A letter about “the true grace of God”
                                      • I Peter 5:12
                                      • No contradiction:
                                        • I Peter 1:17 – judged according to works
                                        • I Peter 1:18-19 – redeemed with the blood of Christ
                                        • Acts 2:37-38
                                          • The example of Jericho: Joshua 6
                                          • Joshua 6:1-5 – God gave them the city.
                                          • Joshua 6:20 – The people took the city.
                                          • No contradiction:
                                            • Joshua 6:2 – “I have given Jericho into your hand”
                                            • Joshua 6:20 – “they took the city”
                                            • Deuteronomy 9:6
                                              • Jericho
                                              Salvation
                                              God gives it
                                              Joshua 6:2: “I have given Jericho into your hand.”
                                              Ephesians 2:8: “it is the gift of God”
                                              You didn’t earn it
                                              Deuteronomy 9:6: “it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land”
                                              Ephesians 2:8-9: “not of yourselves … not as a result of works, so that no one may boast”
                                              And yet there are conditions
                                              Joshua 6:3: “You shall march around the city …”
                                              Matthew 7:21: “he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter”
                                              • Hebrews 11:30 – “By faith …”
                                              • Ephesians 2:8 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith …”
                                                • The example of Naaman: II Kings 5
                                                • II Kings 5:1-4, 10-14
                                                • God can choose His own methods to achieve what He wants to achieve. God sets the rules!
                                                  • 44 min
                                                • Matthew 17:1-20
                                                  Matthew 17
                                                  • Matthew 17:1 – Luke gives the time here as eight days (Luke 8:28), which skeptics count as a contradiction. However, the two authors just count days differently (exclusively vs. inclusively). To Jews, a partial day was counted as a whole day. Note here that Jesus had to exert some effort and go quite a way to get away from the crowds.
                                                  • Matthew 17:2-9 – Jesus is transfigured. See also II Peter 1:16-18; Luke 9:28-36. Other accounts tell us that Peter, James, and John fell asleep while Moses and Elijah were speaking with Jesus. Peter seemed to think of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah as equals. For a Jew, this was a great compliment, but it was still a complete misunderstanding of the power and authority of Jesus. God quickly corrects Peter’s misunderstanding, indicating that Jesus occupies a much higher place. Afterwards, Jesus comforted Peter. In verse 9, Jesus again references his own resurrection.
                                                  • Matthew 17:10-13 – This is a reference to Malachi 4:5-6. Elijah had already come in the sense of John the Baptist. See Luke 1:17.
                                                  • Matthew 17:14-20 – Jesus showed compassion on the boy. In verse 17, Jesus was possibly rebuking the meager faith of the disciples. He seemed exasperated about their lack of spiritual progress and lamenting that he didn’t have long with them.
                                                    • 41 min
                                                  • Preaching
                                                    Study the word
                                                    • Read, context, harmony, translations
                                                      • Preach the word
                                                      Apply the word
                                                      Further tips on preaching
                                                      • How do I choose a topic?
                                                      • Keep in concise.
                                                      • Control your nerves by doing all your preparing ahead of time.
                                                      • Truth first, delivery second.
                                                      • Use illustrations, stats, anecdotes, etc. wisely.
                                                      • Application
                                                      • Practice
                                                      • Try to avoid a “Concordance Lesson.”
                                                      • Make your notes easy to read at a glance.
                                                      • Be nervous but natural.
                                                        • 35 min
                                                      • Matthew 16:1-28
                                                        Matthew 16
                                                        Matthew 16:1-4
                                                        • See Isaiah 48:1; 50:10
                                                        • They said they wanted a sign from Jesus, but they refused to acknowledge what He had already shown them. This was hypocrisy.
                                                        • Compare Matthew 12:38-41.
                                                          • Matthew 16:5-12
                                                          • The disciples were focused on physical things and missed Jesus’ point completely. Jesus was warning about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
                                                          • Compare Galatians 5:7-9.
                                                            • Matthew 16:13-20
                                                            • Jesus did not set in place any order of succession for the apostles, nor for a pope.
                                                            • See Matthew 18:1-4; 14:22, 33.
                                                            • John 6:66-69; 11:27 – People were recognizing that Jesus was the Christ.
                                                            • Matthew 21:42-44; Romans 9:33
                                                            • Matthew 7:24
                                                            • I Corinthians 3:11
                                                            • Ephesians 2:20
                                                            • Jesus is the chief cornerstone. The apostles were part of the foundation. Jesus was not building His church on Peter. Jesus Himself was the cornerstone.
                                                              • Matthew 16:21-28
                                                              • If Jesus had bowed to Satan at any point, His entire mission on earth would be lost. Jesus was going to complete His mission, no matter the physical consequences.
                                                                • 43 min

                                                              About ScriptureStream

                                                              From the publisher's feed

                                                              Just the gospel, plainly spoken. ScriptureStream compiles lessons presented at the Benchley church of Christ, located just north of Bryan, TX. Visit ScriptureStream.com for full notes on each lesson…