"A Faithful Creator" -- 1 Peter 4:12-19

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon:  Click Here

This Week's White Horse Inn

Is Reality Secular?

What are the roots and assumptions of secularism and why does this system of belief maintain such a stronghold in Western culture? Why are the other worldviews competing for our acceptance and how are we to know which one is true? On this program, Michael Horton will be speaking with Claremont University professor Mary Poplin about her abandonment of secularism and her subsequent conversion to the Christian faith.

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Audio from Ken Samples' Academy Lecture (10/31/14)

Here's the audio from Ken Samples' Academy lecture, entitled, "Augustine’s Key Spiritual Insight."  Click here

Friday Feature -- Tales of Brave Ulysses

Yup, I'm a child of the sixties.  First time I heard this song was in an eighth grade English class when we were reading Greek mythology.  Our teacher (Mrs. Nygren--a bit of a hippie) played Cream's "Tale of Brave Ulysses" to stir our interest in classical literature.  I never did like Greek mythology, but I've loved Cream ever since--not their pop stuff, but the live jams when Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, and Eric Clapton just let it rip.  Jack Bruce died this week at age 71.  IMHO, best rock bassist ever.  Love the fur hat!  This is from a live appearance on the Smothers Brothers in September of 1968.

A "Liver-Shiver" from a Pilgrimage to Charles Finney's Grave

Revialist Dutch Sheets recounts a "liver-shiver" upon visiting the grave of America's leading Pelagian, Charles Grandison Finney (h.t. Gary Johnson).

Sheets writes,

Perhaps it was to honor the memory of Finney, a faithful son; or, since awakening and harvest is what Finney so powerfully represents, maybe it was a confirmation that God is, indeed, going to give us another great awakening; and it could have been to remind us that we are part of something bigger than ourselves—that the great cloud of witnesses is watching and cheering us on, knowing fully that we're the continuation of their efforts (Heb. 11:39-12:2). Whatever His reason for choosing this time and place, the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon me. I was re-mantled and re-anointed.

Swell, just what America needs, another "re-mantled" and "re-anointed" follower of Charles Finney leading a revival of Pelgianism.  Part of me is very glad that John Calvin is buried in an unmarked grave.

"The Word became Flesh" -- John 1:1-18

The Fourth in a Series on the Gospel of John

There is a reason why Christians love advent and the Christmas season.  Advent is the time of year on the church calendar when we sing about, and celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the word become flesh.  It is not only a marvel to us that a virgin conceived the very son of God, but the eternal word who was God, and who created all things, took to himself a true human nature to save us from our sins.  The light of the world came to save the world trapped in darkness.  The creator becomes the redeemer.  Although we cannot see God because his glory is too much for our sinful eyes, God has revealed himself and his glory supremely in the person of Jesus Christ.  The incarnation is not only the wonder of wonders, but the incarnation is the central theme of the prologue of John, and the basis for everything which is subsequently revealed in the Gospel.

As we wrap up our three week study of the prologue to John’s Gospel, before, Lord willing, we move into the body of the Gospel next time when we take up with verse 19, of John chapter one.  As we have seen throughout our time in the first 18 verses of John’s Gospel, the prologue functions like the foyer to building–the prologue is the entrance to the Gospel itself.  Virtually every line and doctrine in the prologue will be restated later on in the gospel.  So, if we are familiar with the prologue to John’s Gospel, we’ll be prepared to understand the gospel.  The prologue tells us who Jesus is–the world become flesh.  The body of John’s Gospel is the record of the revelation of God’s glory.

In the previous two sermons, we have spent time considering a number of the key points set forth by John in the opening verses.  In verses 1-3, we covered the familiar words from John which echo Genesis 1:1-2:3 and the creation account.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”  In these verses, John establishes three fundamental Christian doctrines:  First, the deity of Jesus Christ (the logos was with God for all eternity), meaning Jesus has no beginning or end; second, the fact that the logos (the word) is distinct from God is the basis for the distinction between the persons of the Father and the Son, a distinction which also underlies the doctrine of the Trinity; and finally, these verses tell us that God created all things through Jesus Christ.

Then, we took note of the fact that in verses 4-5 of the prologue, John introduces a contrast between darkness and light–a contrast which we will find throughout what follows.  When using these terms in connection with the creation account (as in these two verses), darkness refers to the fact that nothing whatsoever existed before Jesus created the heavens and the earth–except the Triune God who enjoyed an eternal and perfect inter-Trinitarian fellowship.  There was only darkness (nothingness) until God spoke, and in that way, John says, darkness was overcome by light when Jesus created all things.  

Next, says John of the logos, “in him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  It is Jesus who is the light, as well as the author of all life.  Although John is referring to creation in these verses, it soon becomes apparent that John is also using the darkness and light imagery in reference to human sin and God’s redeeming grace.  When Jesus created all things, light dispelled the darkness.  But when Adam sinned, the human race was once again plunged into darkness, and darkness becomes John’s preferred metaphor for evil and willful ignorance of the truth.  In fact, in chapter 3, John will tell us that people prefer to live in darkness because the light exposes what we do, revealing the fact that we are all sinners in need of a Savior.

To read the rest of this sermon, Click Here

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (October 27-November 2)

Sunday Morning (November 2):  We are returning to our sermon series on 1 Peter.  This Lord's Day we will turn our attention to 1 Peter 4:12-19, and Peter's call to Christians to prepare for suffering.  Our Lord's Day worship service begins at 10:30 a.m.

Note:  Daylight Savings Ends

Sunday Afternoon:  We are continuing our study of the Canons of Dort, and we are currently in the 3rd/4th Head of Doctrine.  We are discussing the consequences of rejecting the doctrine of original sin (Refutation of Errors, paragraph 1).  Our catechism service begins @ 1:15 p.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Study (October 29):  We continue our study of the Book of Romans with a rapid-fire "run through Romans."  We will work our way through Romans 5-6.  Bible Study begins at 7:30 p.m.

Academy (October 31):  Prof. Ken Samples continues his six week series entitled, "If I Had Lunch with St. Augustine." Ken's third lecture is entitled, "Augustine’s Key Spiritual Insight."

For more information and directions, check out the Christ Reformed website:  Christ Reformed Church

"A Righteousness from God" -- Philippians 3:1-11

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon for Reformation Sunday, based upon  Zechariah's discussion of Joshua the High priest (Zechariah 3:1-10 and Paul's discussion of a righteousness from God in Philippians 3:1-11.

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This Week's White Horse Inn

Renaissance

At the very time that many Christians have shifted their focus from the unchanging gospel to the transformation of culture, countless churches have been transformed in the name of relevance into Christian entertainment centers with motivational speakers. So are we actually changing the culture, or are we being changed by it? Is cultural transformation something we should focus on in the first place? On this program, Michael Horton discusses these questions and more with Os Guinness, author of Renaissance: The Power of the Gospel However Dark the Times.

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Audio from Ken Samples' Academy Lecture (10/24/14)

Here's the audio from Ken Samples' second lecture on Augustine, entitled " Augustine’s Most Influential Book."

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