Sermons on Salvation
1 Samuel 15:1-35 (Part 1)
In 1 Samuel 15:1-35 Samuel commands Saul to destroy the Amalekites. Saul destroys them, mostly. When confronted by Samuel he argues that his disobedience was really done to serve the Lord, since the things not destroyed were to be offered to God. Samuel then gives one of the great fundamental principles of service to God: Obedience is better than sacrifice. Attempting to do things for God that He has not commanded, that is making sacrifices for God in an attempt…
1 Samuel 13:1-15
In 1 Samuel 13:1-15 Saul’s reign begins to unravel. He fights against the Philistines and appears to have some success, but once things appear dire, he disobeys God causing Samuel to tell him that he will lose the Kingdom. True service to God, even when things are difficult, entails obedience.
1 Samuel 12:1-25
In 1 Samuel 12:1-25 Samuel gives a final exhortation to the people highlighting the sinfulness of their request for a king once again. Judgment, however, is not the final word. Samuel affirms that God will be with His people if they are faithful to Him. Ultimately, both the people and the king need God and must be faithful to Him.
1 Samuel 10:1-16
In 1 Samuel 10:1-16 Saul is privately anointed king of Israel and is given signs of confirmation which culminate in the Spirit coming upon him and turning him into “another man”. Saul receives the benefits of the work of the Spirit, and yet his reign is disastrous and he likely was not a believer. How then are we to understand the work of the Spirit in this context? We are to understand that the Spirit can give gifts to equip…
1 Samuel 7:3-17
In 1 Samuel 7:3-17 Samuel leads the people at the battle of Ebenezer. The account of this battle parallels the account of the devastating battle of Aphek, and the point is to contrast these battles. In the one God’s people are routed. They put their confidence in the ark of God rather than the God of the ark. In the second, God wins a great victory for His people. Why? Because they showed true repentance.
1 Samuel 6:1-7:2
Many believe they are serving God and that many roads lead to heaven, however, the Scriptures teach that obedience is required for God to be pleased with a person’s service. If a person believe he is serving God but not obeying His Word, this person’s service is sinful In 1 Samuel 6:1-7:2 various people come into contact with the ark of God as it returns from exile. The Philistines send the ark away not understanding what is pleasing to God. …
Proverbs 9:13-18
In the gospel eternal life is offered. Wisdom has set a great feast, and yet, many refuse. Why is this the case? Many reasons can be given, but one significant reason is that there is another offer to go to another feast, and many choose this one over Wisdom’s. This is the feast of folly, built on the foundation of sin. Ultimately, it leads to death. Those who are foolish content themselves with this feast that leads to death.
Proverbs 9:1-12
In Proverbs 9:1-12 Wisdom sets a table with a great feast and invites all to come. This is the offer of the gospel that goes out to all. The beginning of wisdom is to accept the invitation offered. Those who do so will feast with Christ on the last day at the wedding feast of the Lamb. The question is, will you be there?
Proverbs 8:32-36
In Proverbs 8:32-36 the final appeal of Wisdom is made. In light of Wisdom’s call, her greatness as seen in the rule of kings, her righteousness, her glory in creation and eternity, there is tremendous blessing for turning to Wisdom. Great blessings are offered to those who turn, as well as great curses for those who fail to heed the call.
1 Samuel 1:1-20
In 1 Samuel 1:1-20 the birth of Samuel is recounted. This birth was miraculously given to Hannah after she cries out to God in the face of the opposition she faced from Peninnah. The opposition of Peninnah is a type of the opposition that the godly face from the ungodly. Hannah’s cry for deliverance is a model of how to face such opposition in faith. God granted her deliverance through childbirth. Such deliverance has been granted to us through the…
Proverbs 8:1-11
In Proverbs 8:1-11 Solomon records the call of Wisdom, the eternal Son of God, which is contrasted with the call of the adulteress in the previous chapter. This call has gone out to all the earth in the preaching of the gospel. The words of Christ are pure, true, and righteous, and those who are wise find them to be so. Do not neglect Wisdom’s call.
Hebrews 1-13
The genre of the book of Hebrews is self described as a “word of exhortation”, which was a phrase used in the ancient church to describe a sermon. Therefore, it is good to consider the letter as a whole. Pastor Grasso reads the letter as a sermon.