Beware the craving for novelty. It can happen even in a sermon series!
God told preachers to “feed the flock of God” in 1 Peter 5 and to “feed the church of God” in Acts 20, and the most nutritious meal I can think of is “all the counsel of God” (also from Acts 20). The Scriptures are the only sufficient “food” for God’s people.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Hebrews 5:12-14 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskillfull in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
We have both topical and expository sermons around here. The topical series cover certain topics—for example, our Spiritual Disciplines series on Wednesday nights. Expository sermons, though, take the believer thought by thought through the meat of the Scriptures. If all Scripture as a whole and every individual Scripture is meant to perfect you in some way (see 2 Tim. 3:17 above), then, theoretically, we ought to be able to open up the Bible to any passage and be helped by God’s thoughts! I’m not claiming that every passage is equally profitable, but I’m also not prepared to make the judgment call on which ones are more or less profitable.
Today marks the end of our Ephesians series with sermon 47, and it has been a rich study of theology as well as a practical study of how to bring the Bible home. Beware the sentiment that can creep up in your spirit that says, “Ugh, ANOTHER sermon from Ephesians? When are we going to be DONE with this?” I’ve never heard anyone say that, but I’ve felt it before, and I’ve had to question why I’m eager to move on. Is there something in my spirit that gives in to the spirit of the philosophers on Mars Hill? Acts 17:21 For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.
Spare us, oh God, from coveting the novel when the answer is in the “boring” of the steady.
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
—Pastor Ryan