Hebrews as a Sermon
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughEven as Hebrews prepared the first century church for persecution, so it is also relevant to today's church as it faces an increasing assault on God's law.
Hebrews: Its Background (Part Seven)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe socio-cultural milieu before the writing of Hebrews created difficulties for the Jewish converts to the Gospel, who were deemed to be traitors.
Did God Change the Law of Clean and Unclean Meats?
'Ready Answer' by John O. Reid (1930-2016)Were the clean and unclean laws abolished at the cross? A closer look at the pertinent New Testament scriptures reveals God's intent.
Hebrews: Its Background (Part Five)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWhen Hebrews was written, the newly converted Jew to the Way encountered persecution from the established religion and culture similar to what we experience.
Hebrews: Its Background (Part Six)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe book of Hebrews' audience consisted of converts from Judaism, suffering estrangement from family and community, excommunicated from the temple.
Acts (Part Eleven)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh explores the conversion of Cornelius, a Gentile. This event is nearly as pivotal a benchmark as the original Pentecost because the Gentiles at this point are given the same portal of salvation (repentance, belief in Christ, and receipt of God's Holy Spirit) originally offered to Israel. This portion of Acts …
Why Hebrews Was Written (Part Three)
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughHebrews was written to fulfill several needs of the first-century church. One of the most critical was to explain God's opening of eternal life to the Gentiles.
Remember the Christians
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughUsing an analogy from the movie Remember the Titans, Richard Ritenbaugh focuses upon the difficulties of merging hostile or antagonistic perspectives, such as Jewish/Gentile animosity. Ironically, God made the gospel available to the Gentiles in order to provoke His chosen people to jealousy. The key to breaking down the enmity …
Elements of Judgment (Part Five)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, fearing that we may be following suit in the world's religions by focusing on "getting salvation" rather than preparing for service in God's Kingdom, cautions us that we must re-orient our mindset, seeking to grow in the stature of Christ. Many mainstream religions believe that much of the …
Is America a Christian Nation? (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, describing an ongoing "bloodless coup" in which a major political party and a complicit propagandistic media are feverishly trying to high-jack the controls of governmental power, taking choices away from the individual and giving them to the government, maintains that we are reaping the consequences …
Why Are You Here?
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod, following a pattern, routinely calls the lowly and weak to guard against pride. God will transform the weak of this world through His Holy Spirit.
Acts (Part Ten)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh reiterates that the martyrdom of Stephen, largely instigated by Hellenistic Jews, actually had the paradoxical dramatic effect of spreading the Gospel into Gentile venues, enabling individuals like Cornelius and the Ethiopian Eunuch, upon repentance, belief, and baptism to be added to the fellowship. Even more …
Is America a Christian Nation? (Part Two)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, focusing on Ephesians 1:13-23, reminds us that as God's Called- out ones, we are recipients of the promised seed made to Adam and Eve, the Holy Line, beginning with Seth leading through Noah, Abraham, Jacob, David, and Jesus Christ, the promises given to Abraham which include being a blessing to all nations. The …
Hebrews (Part Nine)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughAfter the change from the Aaronic to the Melchizedek priesthood, it was also necessary to change the Covenant. The flaw was not the law, but the heart.
Repentance and Righteousness (Part 2)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughMechanically keeping the law is only the beginning of righteousness. By emphasizing principle, Christ came to magnify, not to destroy God's law.
Sin, Christians, and the Fear of God
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughScripture takes a very stern view of sin because it is failure to live up to God's standard and destroys relationships, especially our relationship with God.
The Household of God and Truth
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsTo destroy the concept of home is to destroy the nation or church. The centrality of the family or household is the heart of the church and the nation.
The Consequences of Affluence
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. Collins'Affluenza' describes the bloated insensitivity caused by trying to keep up with the Joneses, the stress caused by doggedly pursuing the American Dream.
