"There Shall Be a Fountain Opened" -- Zechariah 13:1-9

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon on Zechariah, part of our series on the Minor Prophets:  "There Shall be a Fountain Opened"

Apologetics in a Post Christian Age (Audio) -- Making the Case for Christianity (Francis Schaeffer)

Here's the audio from the Wednesday night Bible Study: 

Making the Case for Christianity -- The Apologetic Methodology of Francis Schaeffer

"The Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ" -- Galatians 6:11-18

The Thirteenth in a Series of Sermons on Galatians

We begin to wrap-up our series on the book of Galatians.  In this sermon, we will consider Paul’s closing words to the Galatians–expressing his desire to boast only in the cross of Jesus Christ.  But Paul’s boast stands in complete contrast to everything we have read so far about the Judaizers, men who were ashamed of Christ’s cross, since crucifixion was regarded by virtually all first century people as a symbol of shame and humiliation.  Instead, the Judaizers were boasting that their heretical movement had the blessing of God because of the large number of converts they quickly made.  Such a boast about numbers obscured the fact that to be a Judaizer, one must also boast about one’s own righteousness, supposedly attained through law-keeping and submission to ritual circumcision.  By boasting about their personal righteousness, sadly, the Judaizers become enemies of Jesus Christ.

In the first six chapters of Galatians (1:1-6:10), Paul address both the doctrinal and practical consequences of the Judaizing heresy.  As he completes this remarkable and powerful letter, the Apostle has several final comments to make.  In the first part of chapter 6, Paul discussed the principle of “sowing and reaping.”  Those who sow to the flesh–those who embrace the false gospel of the Judaizers and who seek to earn favor with God through circumcision and obedience to the ceremonial law–will reap a crop, a crop Paul calls the “fruit of the flesh,” which leads to a harvest of destruction.  But those who trust in Jesus Christ’s finished work through faith alone, and who, therefore, “walk in the Spirit,” sow seed to the Spirit.  They will manifest the fruit of the Spirit, a harvest which leads to eternal life.  Paul’s notion of “sowing and reaping” is tied to believing the true gospel and sowing to the finished work of Christ–not sowing to self-righteousness by trying to earn favor with God through obedience to the Law as the Judaizers were deceptively teaching.

Before we get to Paul’s concluding point–that the Judaizers were trying to avoid persecution by stressing circumcision instead of preaching the cross–Paul slips in a statement about his own health that we ought to briefly address.  In verse 11, Paul says “see with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.”  That Paul is writing in “large letters,” likely means that the illness which originally landed Paul on a sickbed in Galatia some months earlier had to do with his vision.  Paul was likely still having trouble with his eyes, so he indicates why it is that he had written out this epistle in such large letters.

The final point Paul raises as he concludes this letter is his discussion of the motivation of the Judaizers in teaching their false gospel.  In verses 12-13, Paul charges, “it is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.  For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.”  Again, Paul deals with these hypocritical false teachers who were trying to make a good impression outwardly (verse 12), but who do not obey the very same law they tell their own converts they must obey (verse 13).  Warns Paul, they are trying to compel you to be circumcised–deceiving you into taking back upon yourselves the yoke of the law–when the Judaizers not only don’t keep the law themselves, their motivation in deceiving you has to do with escaping persecution because of the scandal attached to the cross.  

The cross of Jesus Christ is stumbling block to the Jew and foolishness to Greeks, the very mention of which was offensive to many.  Though the cross be an offense, if there is no cross, there is no gospel.  But for the Judaizers, who saw justification as the fruit of human effort (so the cross makes no sense to them) the gospel as taught by Paul must be modified so as to remove the offence.  But to remove the offence of the cross was to preach a gospel which was no gospel.

To read the rest of this sermon:  Click Here

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (February 4-10)

Sunday Morning, February 10:  We continue our time in Zechariah.  We will work our way through chapter 13, and discuss the fountain of forgiveness which cleanses from sin (Christ's cross).  Our worship service begins at 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Afternoon:  We will cover the famous first question and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism.  Our afternoon service begins at 1:15 p.m.

Note:  Our annual congregational meeting is scheduled for Sunday, February 10, @ 9:00 a.m.  All Christ Reformed members are requested to attend.  Visitors are welcome.

Wednesday Night Bible Study: (February 6 @ 7:30 p.m.).  We continue to "make the case for Christianity."  This week we'll discuss the apologetic method of Francis Schaeffer. 

Friday Night Academy: (Friday, February 8).  We return to our study of Michael Horton's theology text, The Christian Faith.  We will pick up where we left off last time (on page 350 and Chapter Eleven on Providence).

For more information on Christ Reformed Church you can always find us here Christ Reformed Church, or Christ Reformed on Facebook.

"On Him Whom They Have Pierced" -- Zechariah 12:1-14

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon on Zechariah from our series on the Minor Prophets: Click Here

"Thomas Reid and His Common Sense Philosophy" -- (Part Two)

Here's the audio from the Academy lecture on Thomas Reid (the second of a two part series).

In this lecture, I address the decline of Thomas Reid's "common sense philosophy" along with its recent resurgence.  I also address Reformed critics of Reid as well as consider Reid's influence upon the "Old Princeton" apologetic of B. B. Warfield.

I then offer four conclusions as to why Reid's "first principles" and "common sense" tests for truth can undergird a powerful transcendental argument for Christianity, as well as help us recover confidence in the place of Christian evidences in apologetics.

The Common Sense Philosophy of Thomas Reid -- Part Two

The Common Sense Philosophy of Thomas Reid -- Part One

Apologetics in a Post Christian Age (Audio) -- Making the Case for Christianity (Montgomery and Schaeffer)

Here's the audio from the Wednesday night Bible Study:  Making the Case for Christianity -- Montgomery and Schaeffer

"Whatever One Sows, That Will He Also Reap" -- Galatians 6:1-10

The Twelfth in a Series of Sermons on Galatians

Throughout his Galatian letter, Paul has let the Galatians have it–pointedly reminding the Galatians of the gospel which he preached to them, and then exhorting them to stand firm and not give in to the false teaching of the Judaizers.  Before he wraps up this letter to these struggling churches, the apostle stops to give some practical and pastoral advice to those suffering from the effects of the dissension and back-biting which the Judaizers brought upon the Galatian churches.

In last two chapters of Galatians (chapters 5-6), Paul addresses the consequences of the false doctrine taught by the Judaizers–the inevitable havoc wrought by a theology based upon justification by human effort and compliance to law and ritual.  As Paul argued in Galatians 5, those who have been taken in by the Judaizers risk being severed from Christ and falling from grace.  Any who seek to be justified on the ground of circumcision, obedience to dietary laws, and the keeping of the Jewish religious calendar (the so-called “emblems” or “badges” of Judaism), will be greatly disappointed.

But if the Law is fulfilled in love–which, as Paul has been saying flows out of justifying faith–then there are of number of specific points of application which need to be made in response to the self-righteousness and judgmental attitude introduced into the church as a direct result of false teaching.  In his response, the apostle sets out a sharp contrast between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.  The presence of the fruit of the Spirit is characteristic of every Christian believer, now freed from sin, death, and the Law.  But Paul also makes clear, Christians will inevitably struggle with the flesh and indwelling sin until they die, or Christ comes back, whichever comes first.  

Turning, then, to the first ten verses of Galatians chapter six (our text), Paul offers practical and pastoral advice, in which his prior discussion about the Law being fulfilled in love is now applied to the specific circumstances in Galatia.  Paul is dealing with the consequences of the deceptive actions of the Judaizers and the false gospel that they were teaching–all of which led to a very difficult situation in the churches throughout Galatia.  Many of those influenced by the Judaizers had stooped to such a low level that they were now spying on each other’s liberty, and, in doing so, created an atmosphere of judgment and in-fighting in the church.  

The Judaizers were seeking nothing less than to re-enslave the Galatians to the bondage of the “basic principles of the world.”  The tragic result of all of this was conflict in the church, stemming from fear and doubt about one’s relationship to God created in the vacuum of the absence of Christian liberty–the very blessing which Jesus Christ died to secure for his people.  Since the false gospel of the Judaizers was based upon human compliance to law, and therefore, grounded in human merit (“self-righteousness”) Paul reports that many of those who had been taken in by the deception of the Judaizers, were now acting in a conceited manner, provoking, and envying each other–all of which is the inevitable consequence of thinking that your merit is greater than another’s.  

Paul has expressed his amazement at how quickly the leaven of the Judaizers spread throughout the churches.  People were not only confused about the gospel, but, as a result, they were behaving like wild beasts.  This is why Paul so pointedly urges the Galatians to “walk by the Spirit.”  Christians are to act in an appropriate manner even under the difficult circumstances now facing them.  Heresy, strife, and animosity are the bitter fruit brought forth by those who oppose the gospel of free grace and justification by an imputed righteousness received by faith alone.  Paul will give the Galatians specific instruction as to what it means to “walk by the Spirit.”  As is typical of Paul, these are all very straightforward and make a great deal of sense in the context of the situation then facing the Galatian Christians.

To read the rest of this sermon:  Click Here

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (January 28-February 3)

Sunday Morning, February 3:  We will consider Zechariah's prophecy of a coming Messiah who will be "pierced" while his people mourn (Zechariah 12:1-14).  Our worship service begins at 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Afternoon:  We have undertaken a series on the Heidelberg Catechism.  We will look at the structure of the catechism and the importance of the practice of catechism.  Our afternoon service begins at 1:15 p.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Study: (January 30 @ 7:30 p.m.).  We continue "making the case for Christianity."  This week we'll discuss the apologetic method of John Warwick Montgomery and begin to look at Francis Schaeffer's approach to defending the faith.  

Friday Night Academy: (Friday, February 1).  Our lecture is entitled, "Thomas Reid and His Common Sense Philosophy -- Part Two"

For more information on Christ Reformed Church you can always find us here Christ Reformed Church, or Christ Reformed on Facebook.

"Thirty Pieces of Silver" -- Zechariah 11:1-17

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon on Zechariah from our series on the Minor Prophets:  Click here