Here’s a quote from Martyn Lloyd Jones about why he taught preaching and the value he saw in true preaching:
“But, ultimately, my reason for being very ready to give these lectures is that to me the work of preaching is the highest and the greatest and most glorious calling to which anyone can ever be called. If you want something in addition to that I would say without hesitation that the most urgent need in the Christian Church today is true preaching; and as it is the greatest and most urgent need in the Church, it is obviously the greatest need of the world also.” (Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Have you ever heard a sermon that missed? It just didn’t connect with the people.
Now, have you ever heard a message that changed your life?
How do you relate to God when this world bears down on you? Are you angry? Are you sad? Are you mad?
Job lost his his house, his kids, his health, his friends, all his possessions. Listen to Rob Bell talk about Job’s response and our response in this NOOMA video.
“Codex Sinaiticus is one of the most important books in the world. Handwritten well over 1600 years ago, the manuscript contains the Christian Bible in Greek, including the oldest complete copy of the New Testament. Its heavily corrected text is of outstanding importance for the history of the Bible and the manuscript – the oldest substantial book to survive Antiquity – is of supreme importance for the history of the book [Bible].”
If you read Greek or just want to see the translation check it out here
“At that time people began to call on the name of the LORD.” Genesis 4:26
This is the first recorded worship in the Bible!!! After Cain kills Abel, Eve has another son, Seth who also has a son, Enosh, and the people WORSHIP GOD!
Palm ‘Sunday’. This is the day that Jesus arrived in Jerusalem; the week that he was killed and then after three days resurrected. There were many thoughts about his arriving this day but the biggest one was ‘Hosanna.’ Read this passage from John 12.
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the Festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” [Ps 118:25-26]
“Blessed is the king of Israel!”
John 12
“Hosanna” is the term used by the people when Jesus entered into Jerusalem on that day.
In Psalm 118:25, Hosanna means “please save [us] now.” It was not until after the events of the NT, the term Hosanna changed into a proclamation of praise in Christian liturgy.
But during this moment, the Jews were chanting ‘Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ All the Jews of the day knew that the one who ‘came in the name of the Lord’ was the Messiah, the King, the Savior. And by saying, singing Hosanna they were declaring ‘Save [Us] Now.’
The Jews thought that Jesus was coming to save them from the oppression of the Romans, the political power of the day. In fact, Jesus was coming to save them from much more; from themselves. Jesus came into Jerusalem, into humanity to do what we cannot do ourselves, connect to God. Jesus declared himself to be The Way, The Truth, The Life.
So in celebration of this day, for us, in remembrance of that triumphant entrance of our Savior to the events which lead to our salvation and that give us Hope, we sing Hosanna. Save Us.
Then he said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. If you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” ~Luke 9:23-34
