Theological term
Apostle
10 sermons · All terms
The Third Appearance of Christ to the Disciples, Part 2
Peter's threefold denial of Christ is answered by Christ's threefold question — 'Do you love me?' — and his threefold commission to feed and tend the flock. This exposition of John 21:15–19 argues that the primary qualification and motivation for gospel ministry is love for Christ, expressed not in entertainment or corporate management but in the preaching and teaching of the word. The prophecy of Peter's martyrdom in verses 18–19 further establishes that faithful ministry is patterned on the cross-then-crown trajectory of Christ himself, and that the grace shown in Peter's full restoration is the same grace sufficient for the worst of sinners.
The Commendation of Epaphroditus
Philippians 2:25–30 presents Epaphroditus as a model of Christian ministry and other-mindedness, embodying the very exhortation Paul gave in Philippians 2:3–4 to esteem others above oneself. The sermon examines the three titles Paul assigns Epaphroditus in relation to himself — brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier — and his two roles in relation to the Philippian church — messenger and minister. The Christian life, and pastoral ministry in particular, is shown to be genuine warfare requiring devotion, discipline, and diligence. The church is called to receive and esteem men who hazard their lives for the work of Christ, recognising that to neglect such men is to demean the ascended Christ who gives them as gifts to his church.
The Free Offer of Eternal Life
Paul's defense of his ministry in 1 Thessalonians 2:1–4 is not merely self-vindication but a demonstration that the gospel he preached is categorically different from the self-serving philosophies of his day — it came without error, without moral corruption, and without deceit. The message cost Paul greatly to deliver, yet it costs the hearer nothing to receive, because Christ paid the full price. God himself, through appointed ambassadors, freely offers eternal life to sinners who will lay aside their rebellion and receive the gift by faith alone.
Paul's Salutation to Titus
Paul's salutation to Titus in Titus 1:1–4 is not empty formality but a compressed treasury of apostolic theology. This exposition works through seven elements of the greeting: Paul's identity as bondservant and apostle, the apostolic task of advancing the faith of God's elect through faithful proclamation, the eternal assurance grounded in God's immutable promise before time began, the providential means of preaching, the specific entrustment given to Paul, the recipient Titus as a true son in the common faith, and the benediction of grace, mercy, and peace from the triune God. The sermon calls hearers to slow down at biblical salutations, to prize the heritage of Christian antiquity, and to pray for ministers who proclaim Christ in a God-hating world.
The Ministry in Iconium, Part 2
Acts 14:1–7 records the apostolic ministry in Iconium: bold gospel preaching met by coordinated Jewish opposition, a divided city, a violent plot, and a strategic withdrawal to Lystra and Derbe. This exposition traces the pattern of persistent opposition to the gospel across Acts and the Old Testament, establishing that persecution is not an aberration but the ordinary condition of faithful gospel ministry. The sermon draws four conclusions: the inevitability of persecution for godly living, the perseverance required of gospel ministers, the wisdom to know when to stay and when to flee, and the indispensability of the Holy Spirit for any effectual proclamation of the Word.
The Introduction to Ephesians
Ephesians 1:1–2 introduces one of the richest doctrinal letters in the New Testament canon, and this sermon surveys the authorship, historical context, and theological purpose of the epistle before examining Paul's greeting to the saints. The apostle's self-identification as one sent by Christ 'by the will of God' grounds his authority not in self-appointment but in sovereign divine commission, while his description of the recipients as 'saints' and 'faithful in Christ Jesus' defines sainthood in purely biblical terms — all who are justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The sermon traces Paul's founding ministry in Ephesus through Acts 18–19, showing how the gospel's triumph over witchcraft, idolatry, and the cult of Diana provides the backdrop for the letter's emphasis on Christ's supremacy over all powers. The epistle is previewed as a two-part structure — doctrinal foundation (chapters 1–3) followed by practical application (chapters 4–6) — aimed at grounding believers in both the indicatives and imperatives of redemption.
The First Disciples of Jesus
John 1:35–51 records the calling of the first disciples of Jesus — Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, and Nathanael — and the passage frames their coming to Christ as the inevitable fruit of John the Baptist's preparatory ministry and the sovereign grace of God. The sermon traces how each disciple is drawn to Christ, how each immediately brings another, and how the accumulating titles given to Jesus in this section — Lamb of God, Rabbi, Messiah, Son of God, King of Israel, Son of Man — build a Christological portrait that mirrors the prologue's declaration that the Word was God. Christ's omniscience in knowing Nathanael and his royal authority in renaming Simon Peter underscore that these disciples are not choosing a teacher but being conquered by a divine Savior. The pattern of Andrew fetching Peter and Philip fetching Nathanael becomes the sermon's model for evangelism: those saved by sovereign grace become, without coercion or manipulation, propagators of that same grace.
The Introduction to the Book of Titus
Titus 1:1–4 contains one of Paul's longer epistolary introductions, and the reason is pastoral and strategic: Paul is authenticating the ministry of Titus among a difficult, newly-planted congregation on Crete by anchoring his own apostolic authority in the eternal decree of God. The sermon surveys the historical and biographical background of the pastoral epistles before working through Paul's self-designation as bondservant and apostle, his two-fold apostolic purpose (the salvation and sanctification of God's elect), and the grounding of that purpose in the covenant of redemption purposed before time began. The greeting's triad of grace, mercy, and peace — flowing from both God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, each called 'Savior' — opens a rich vein of covenant theology, Christology, and soteriology that will run through the entire book.
The Ministries of Paul and Timothy
Paul's appointment as preacher, apostle, and teacher of the Gentiles was not self-generated but rooted in the eternal decree of God, who foreordained both the salvation of the elect and every means by which that salvation arrives — including gospel proclamation. Examining 2 Timothy 1:11–14, this sermon traces Paul's God-given role, his suffering in that role, and his unashamed confidence in a sovereign God able to keep what has been committed to Him. Timothy is then charged with two complementary duties: to hold fast the pattern of sound words received from Paul, and to guard that apostolic deposit by the indwelling Holy Spirit — not for his own sake alone, but so that the church across successive generations remains anchored to the truth.
The Introduction to 2 Timothy
Second Timothy is Paul's final letter, written from a Roman prison cell where he awaited execution, and its weight cannot be understood apart from that context. This introductory sermon to 2 Timothy surveys the life and missionary ministry of the Apostle Paul, the historical occasion of the letter, its fourfold purpose, and the opening greeting of 2 Timothy 1:1–2. The sermon argues that the letter's authority rests on Paul's apostolic office by divine will, that its content — grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus — is indispensable for faithful ministry, and that its words were written, as Calvin said, not in ink but in Paul's own blood. Believers are called to receive this letter as a solemn charge to faithful, gospel-grounded perseverance in whatever age they find themselves.