by Paul Apple | Mar 23, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE MANIFESTATION OF THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS STIRS UP REACTIONS OF BOTH AWE AND REJECTION INTRODUCTION: Leon Morris: For the second time in this section of his Gospel Matthew brings three miracles before his readers. He is emphasizing the authority and the...
by Paul Apple | Mar 22, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: DISCIPLESHIP DEMANDS RADICAL COMMITMENT INTRODUCTION: Grant Osborne: Shallow Christians are not accepted by Jesus as disciples until they have counted the cost and deepened their commitment. Both of these men are more sincere than many who attend church...
by Paul Apple | Mar 21, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: DESPERATE SITUATIONS SHOULD PROMPT EVEN THE OUTCASTS OF SOCIETY TO REACH OUT TO JESUS FOR THE POWER OF HIS HEALING TOUCH INTRODUCTION: Richard Gardner: The most adequate proposal on Matthew’s design in this section [8:1 – 9:34] is that he has organized the...
by Paul Apple | Mar 20, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: COMMIT TO OBEYING THE TEACHING OF JESUS INTRODUCTION: Grant Osborne: Jesus has now finished giving his new kingdom principles, and he draws his Sermon to a close by removing any possibility of neutrality and demanding a response. The Sermon on the Mount has...
by Paul Apple | Mar 19, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: KINGDOM ETHICS SUMMED UP IN THE GOLDEN RULE CONSISTENT WITH THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS = LOVING OTHERS INTRODUCTION: William Barclay: This is probably the most universally famous thing that Jesus ever said. With this commandment, the Sermon on the Mount...
by Paul Apple | Mar 18, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: GOOD THINGS COME TO US FROM OUR GOOD HEAVENLY FATHER IN RESPONSE TO PERSISTENT PRAYER INTRODUCTION: Why is our generation so weak in the area of prayer? This seems to be especially true among Christian men. Where are the prayer warriors of past ages? We...
by Paul Apple | Mar 16, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: DON’T BE OVERLY CRITICAL OF OTHERS BUT DON’T BE NAÏVE REGARDING VICIOUS OPPONENTS OF GOD’S TRUTH INTRODUCTION: Charles Swindoll: Jesus’ rapid-fire delivery of powerful principles in Matthew 7:1-12 builds up to a profound climax in what we know today as the...
by Paul Apple | Mar 14, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: SEEK GOD’S PRIORITIES AND TRUST HIS PROVISION RATHER THAN WORRYING INTRODUCTION: E. Michael Green: The worldliness that we are called to avoid can take a religious or a secular form. And so we differ from those who are not Christians both in our devotional...
by Paul Apple | Mar 14, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: UNDIVIDED ALLEGIANCE AS CITIZENS OF THE KINGDOM MUST BE REFLECTED IN OUR VALUE SYSTEM, VISION AND VOLITION (LOYALTIES) INTRODUCTION: Grant Osborne: The final of the three central sections of the Sermon on the Mount concerns the community citizen’s social...
by Paul Apple | Mar 12, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PRACTICING RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR PUBLIC ACCLAIM FORFEITS HEAVENLY REWARD – TRUE VS HYPOCRITICAL PIETY — EXAMPLE OF FASTING INTRODUCTION: Donald Hagner: In the first century, fasting apparently provided an exceptional opportunity for impressing others with...
by Paul Apple | Mar 11, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: OUR PRAYERS SHOULD NOT TRY TO MANIPULATE GOD BUT SHOULD EXPRESS OUR COMPLETE DEPENDENCE IN WORSHIP AND PETITION FOR NEEDS AFTER THE PATTERN INSTRUCTED BY JESUS INTRODUCTION: R. T. France: The “digression” on prayer which breaks into the tripartite unit of...
by Paul Apple | Mar 10, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PRACTICING RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR PUBLIC ACCLAIM FORFEITS HEAVENLY REWARD – TRUE VS HYPOCRITICAL PIETY — EXAMPLE OF PRAYING INTRODUCTION: Donald Hagner: The same point is being made about praying as was made about almsgiving. Prayer (even if offered in the...
by Paul Apple | Mar 9, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PRACTICING RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR PUBLIC ACCLAIM FORFEITS HEAVENLY REWARD – TRUE VS HYPOCRITICAL PIETY — EXAMPLE OF GIVING ALMS INTRODUCTION: Grant Osborne: In one sense, this section, like the previous one, exemplifies the authoritative teaching of Jesus...
by Paul Apple | Mar 8, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE TRANSCENDENT TEACHING OF JESUS REGARDING THE GREATER RIGHTEOUSNESS OF KINGDOM CITIZENS CLIMAXES WITH THIS COMMAND TO LOVE OUR ENEMIES WITHOUT PARTIALITY INTRODUCTION: E. Michael Green: The last example Jesus chooses of the ‘greater righteousness’ of...
by Paul Apple | Mar 7, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: KINGDOM ETHICS REQUIRE GIVING UP OUR RIGHTS WHEN WE ARE WRONGED INSTEAD OF RETALIATING INTRODUCTION: Charles Swindoll: The wheels of justice turned on the principle of payback. However, God gave these guidelines to govern civil and criminal justice. They...
by Paul Apple | Mar 6, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: OATHS ARE UNNECESSARY IN NORMAL SPEECH SINCE GOD DESIRES SIMPLE TRUTHFULNESS BASED ON PERSONAL INTEGRITY INTRODUCTION: Craig Blomberg: Jesus’ followers should be people whose words are so characterized by integrity that others need no formal assurance...
by Paul Apple | Mar 4, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: WHEN A DIVORCED PERSON REMARRIES THE RESULTING UNION CONSTITUTES ADULTERY INTRODUCTION: This passage deals with an additional way (other than lusting after a woman in your heart) to become guilty of breaking the commandment regarding adultery. The teaching...
by Paul Apple | Mar 4, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: AVOIDING ADULTERY DOESN’T GIVE YOU A PASS TO INDULGE IN LUST INTRODUCTION: William Barclay: It is necessary that we should understand what Jesus is saying here. He is not speaking of the natural, normal desire, which is part of human instinct and human...
by Paul Apple | Mar 3, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: UNRESOLVED ANGER EXPRESSES MALICE TOWARDS OTHERS (SIMILAR MOTIVATION TO MURDER) WHILE ACTUALLY HURTING OURSELVES INTRODUCTION: Grant Osborne: The six antitheses (on murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, retaliation, love of neighbor) function in two ways: they...
by Paul Apple | Mar 1, 2023 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: WHEN IT COMES TO UNDERSTANDING THE RIGHTEOUSNESS REQUIRED BY GOD, CHRIST BOTH SHARPENS THE FOCUS AND RAISES THE BAR INTRODUCTION: Pastor Brian has called the Sermon on the Mount, Christ’s stump speech – in other words this same message or at least its major...
