Sermons and Biblical Studies

Sermon: Poor in Spirit (1997) Matthew 5:3 #310 John W. Ritenbaugh Given 11-Oct-97; 67 minutes listen: description: (hide) Being poor in spirit (a precursor to humility) is a necessary, foundational spiritual state one must have to qualify for God’s Kingdom. As the polar opposite of pride, poor in spirit describes a condition of being acutely … Continue reading “Sermon: Poor in Spirit (1997)”

Sermon: Parables of Matthew 13 (Part 3): Hidden Treasure The Parable of the Dragnet #309 Richard T. Ritenbaugh Given 04-Oct-97; 75 minutes Go to the Parables of Matthew 13 (sermon series) description: (hide) The church constitutes Christ’s treasure, hidden in the world, purchased and redeemed with Christ’s blood. The Pearl of Great Price depicts a … Continue reading “Sermon: Parables of Matthew 13 (Part 3): Hidden Treasure”

Sermon: Habakkuk Learning to Trust in God #309A Richard T. Ritenbaugh Given 02-Oct-97; 78 minutes listen: description: (hide) Habakkuk had a remarkable transformation from pessimism to ironclad faith in the midst of seemingly disastrous circumstances. To the plaintive question, "Why does a loving God allow evil people to seem to get away with murder while … Continue reading “Sermon: Habakkuk”

Sermon: God’s Workmanship (Part 4) A New Creation #309B John W. Ritenbaugh Given 02-Oct-97; 70 minutes Go to the God’s Workmanship (sermon series) description: (hide) Salvation is not a one time event, but a continuous process analogous to the birth process—not just immunity from death, but a total dramatic transformation of our nature into a … Continue reading “Sermon: God’s Workmanship (Part 4)”

Sermon: Parables of Matthew 13 (Part 2): Leaven The Parable of the Leaven #307 Richard T. Ritenbaugh Given 20-Sep-97; 82 minutes Go to the Parables of Matthew 13 (sermon series) description: (hide) The Kingdom of God or of Heaven has past (Hebrews 11:13), present (Hebrews 12:22), and future (Hebrews 12:28) aspects. The Kingdom parables primarily … Continue reading “Sermon: Parables of Matthew 13 (Part 2): Leaven”

Sermon: God’s Workmanship (Part 3) God’s Direction #306 John W. Ritenbaugh Given 13-Sep-97; 73 minutes Go to the God’s Workmanship (sermon series) description: (hide) Salvation is an entire creative process undertaken by God to justify, sanctify, and glorify a called out body of individuals. Ephesians 2:8 uses the perfect tense ‘saved,’ indicating an action started … Continue reading “Sermon: God’s Workmanship (Part 3)”

Sermon: God’s Workmanship (Part 2) God’s Goals #304 John W. Ritenbaugh Given 30-Aug-97; 66 minutes Go to the God’s Workmanship (sermon series) description: (hide) Works are not the cause of salvation, but instead are the effect of God’s creative efforts at bringing us into His image—a new creation. We are created in Christ Jesus, given … Continue reading “Sermon: God’s Workmanship (Part 2)”

Sermon: Parables of Matthew 13 (Part 1): The Mustard Seed The Parable of the Mustard Seed #302 Richard T. Ritenbaugh Given 16-Aug-97; 65 minutes Go to the Parables of Matthew 13 (sermon series) description: (hide) The Bible, in both parables and prophecies, interprets itself and remains consistent in its use of symbols. We cannot arbitrarily … Continue reading “Sermon: Parables of Matthew 13 (Part 1): The Mustard Seed”

Sermon: God’s Workmanship (Part 1) Good Works #301 John W. Ritenbaugh Given 09-Aug-97; 72 minutes Go to the God’s Workmanship (sermon series) description: (hide) Good works are something that take place after the process of salvation has begun. Good works are the effects of God sending forth His Spirit and deliverance, but the works are … Continue reading “Sermon: God’s Workmanship (Part 1)”

Sermon: Keeping God’s Standards Living by God’s Ways #300 John O. Reid (1930-2016) Given 02-Aug-97; 69 minutes listen: description: (hide) Following the model of the European Trade fairs, the British perfected the first set of standards because of business necessity or the desire to make profit. Without accurate standards of weight and measurement, chaos and … Continue reading “Sermon: Keeping God’s Standards”