by Paul Apple | May 1, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PASSION FOR TRUE SPIRITUAL WORSHIP LEADS TO INTENSE CONFLICT WITH MATERIALISTIC OPPORTUNISM(:12) INTRODUCTION – THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM: “After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother, and His brothers, and His disciples; and there they stayed a...
by Paul Apple | May 1, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: JESUS FIRST MANIFESTED HIS GLORY IN SATISFYING THE HEART OF MAN WITH THE WINE OF NEW COVENANT LIFE AND FULLNESS OF JOYINTRODUCTION: What really satisfies the heart of man? cf. all of the Jewish OT expectations – looking forward to that promised Messiah who...
by Paul Apple | May 1, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE JOY OF DISCOVERY RENEWS THE CYCLE OF TESTIMONY –WITNESS REGARDING CHRIST LEADS OTHERS TO THE JOY OF DISCOVERY (WHILE RENEWING OUR JOY) AND PROMPTS NEW WITNESSING (ON THE PART OF EVERYONE)INTRODUCTION:Think about your greatest find in life – your...
by Paul Apple | May 1, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: JOHN THE BAPTIST FULFILLS HIS MISSION OF IDENTIFYING JESUS AS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GODINTRODUCTION: (:19a) MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST –GOD’S APPOINTED SPOKESMAN – Fulfilling his mission as a witness, a forerunner – pointing others to Christ “And...
by Paul Apple | May 1, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE INCARNATION OF THE ETERNAL GOD IN THE PERSON OF THE WORD REVEALS THE ESSENCE OF GOD AND OFFERS SPIRITUAL LIFE THROUGH FAITH AND THE DYNAMIC OF GOD’S SOVEREIGN INITIATIVEINTRODUCTION: God became Flesh! Why??How can finite man with all of his limitations...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE UNGODLINESS OF RELIGIOUS IMPOSTERS ONLY SERVES TO INCREASE OUR SENSE OF URGENCY IN PROTECTING THE VULNERABLE FLOCKINTRODUCTION:Cf. Under Armour commercial – “We must protect this house”Something much more at stake than a football game – precious lives of...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: DESPITE THEIR DECEPTIVE NATURE, THE APOSTATE FALSE TEACHERS ARE EXPOSED AND DOOMED TO DESTRUCTION FOR THEIR PURSUIT OF UNGODLINESSI. (:12-13) DECEPTIVE NATURE EXPOSEDA. Trojan Horse Syndrome – Danger from Within 1. Hidden Danger “These men are those who are...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: CERTAIN ETERNAL DESTRUCTION AWAITS THE APOSTATE FALSE TEACHERS WHO ARE MARKED BY LUST, REBELLION AND IRREVERENCEINTRODUCTION: “marked out for this condemnation” (vs.4)I. (:5-7) THREE OT EXAMPLES OF ETERNAL DESTRUCTION OF APOSTATESIntroduction: Urgency of...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST MUST BE MAINTAINED AS A KEY FUNDAMENTAL OF HISTORIC CHRISTIANITYINTRODUCTION:What undermines this essential doctrine of the Lordship of Jesus Christ? 1) Back in the days of Jude Form of Gnosticism he was reacting against 2)...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE EFFECTIVE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN CAN RESTORE THE WEAK PERSECUTED BELIEVER AND LOVING INTERVENTION CAN RESCUE SINNING UNBELIEVERS INTRODUCTION: John MacArthur: [I am following his view of this passage rather than the majority position that focuses on...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: FAITH THAT PATIENTLY PERSEVERES AVOIDS THREE DANGERS BY THE PROPER FEAR OF GOD INTRODUCTION: Craig Blomberg: Many commentators end the body of the letter at 5:6, but this appears a singularly inappropriate place for so major a break. Vv. 1–6, after all,...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: DON’T USURP THE ROLE OF GOD AS JUDGE OR MASTER PLANNER INTRODUCTION: A lot of times Christians try to play God without even realizing the folly of what they are doing. Craig Blomberg: Despite formal parallels with 5:1–6, the present section really is...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: HUMBLY DRAW NEAR TO GOD AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU INTRODUCTION: David Nystrom: So here the two ways are set with particular clarity and urgency before his readers: earthly wisdom or heavenly wisdom, self-interest or the law of love, self-exaltation or...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE ROOT AND FRUIT OF GODLY WISDOM VALIDATES OUR FAITH AND PROMOTES PEACE – TWO CONTRASTING TYPES OF WISDOM INTRODUCTION: George Guthrie: We now come to a focal passage for the whole of James. As noted in our treatment of James 1:5–8, true wisdom, the wisdom...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE TAMING OF THE TONGUE IS NO SMALL MATTER — BUT IT WILL PREVENT BIG-TIME TROUBLE INTRODUCTION: David Nystrom: James’s thought in the present section has three layers. The first (3:1–2) is a proverb concerning teachers, which serves to introduce the...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: OBEDIENT DEEDS (GOOD WORKS) = THE TEST ( OR EVIDENCE) OF GENUINE FAITH INTRODUCTION: Dale Allison: James appeals to Abraham to teach that justification is by works and not by faith alone. Romans and Galatians, by contrast, appeal to Abraham to teach that...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: DO NOT HOLD YOUR FAITH IN OUR GLORIOUS LORD JESUS CHRIST WITH AN ATTITUDE OF PERSONAL FAVORITISM INTRODUCTION: David Nystrom: The first chapter of James is in some ways an extended multilayered introduction to the entire letter. With this completed, James...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PRACTICAL EVIDENCES OF OBEDIENCE NEGATIVE: CONTROLLING OUR TONGUE POSITIVE: SOCIAL CONCERN AND MORAL PURITY INTRODUCTION: Alec Motyer: The three Christian characteristics of verses 26–27 are thus not an arbitrary choice. They say to us “Like Father, like...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: PROVE YOURSELVES DOERS OF THE WORD, AND NOT MERELY HEARERS INTRODUCTION: David Nystrom: His central purpose is to issue a call for the observance of a faith that practices, rather than a mere formal profession of faith. In this James echoes the thought of...
by Paul Apple | Apr 18, 2020 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE SOVEREIGN WILL OF GOD BLESSES US FROM START TO FINISH INTRODUCTION: Rather than God being the source of tempting us to evil, He must be recognized as the giver of every good gift and the one who has sovereignly granted us spiritual life. Craig Blomberg:...
