"Something Better for Us" -- Hebrews 11:32-40

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon, the twenty-first in a series of sermons on the Book of Hebrews

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This Week's White Horse Inn

For or Against Calvinism (Part One)

What is the role of the human will in salvation? How are we to understand predestination? Why does God choose some, but not all? Is he the author of evil? On this special edition of the program, we’re airing part one of a conversation between Michael Horton and Roger Olsen recorded live at Biola University concerning their differences over the issue of grace and free will. White Horse Inn: know what you believe and why you believe it.

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"The Unfolding Mystery" -- Live Streaming of a Conference at Westminster Seminary California

"The Unfolding Mystery: Reading and Applying the Bible"

This conference will show how we are to understand the different parts of Scripture as a united whole, and how that understanding affects our reading and application of the Bible.

Conference topics and speakers include:

• “Seeing the Unfolding Unity" - Dennis E. Johnson
• “The Unfolding History" - W. Robert Godfrey
• “Why the Old Testament is So Different” - Joshua Van Ee
• “Following the New Testament Model" - S.M. Baugh
• “Preaching Christ from All the Scriptures” - Julius J. Kim
• “Theological Implications of the Unfolding Mystery”- Michael S. Horton

To watch the conference live, Click Here

"There Is One God" -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

The Fourteenth in a Series of Sermons on First Corinthians

I’ve heard of churches squabbling over doctrine, over new programs, and even over whether or not the church’s new carpet should be red or blue.  But I’ve never heard Christians squabble over whether or not the meat someone brought to the church potluck had originally been used in a pagan sacrifice.  Yet this matter had become an issue in Corinth.  How do we as Christians interact with the non-Christian religions around us?  Can we go to their ceremonies and participate in their rituals?  Can we dress like the pagans?  Identify with pagan culture?  And what about using their left-overs?  Is that participating in paganism, and a violation of God’s prohibition of idolatry?  

The following and lengthy section of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (chapters 8-10) requires some background information to interpret properly, since the idea of sacrificing food to idols seems so foreign to us.  It is easy for us to understand why Christians should have nothing to do with idolatry.  It is clearly forbidden by the first three commandments, and idolatry is condemned in a number of Old Testament passages such as Deuteronomy 4:15-30 (our Old Testament lesson).  But it is far more difficult to understand how food items can be so directly connected to pagan practices.

As we work our way though this section of 1 Corinthians, there are several things we need to keep in mind.  For one thing, there was no refrigeration in Paul’s day, so once an animal had been butchered it had to be eaten soon thereafter, lest the meat spoil.  It was also very common for people in Greco-Roman culture to eat meals in pagan temples or in trade guild dining halls dedicated to pagan deities.  The latter are the forerunners of the modern restaurant.  When people gathered together for such a meal, it was common to begin with a sacrifice to the deity to which the temple was dedicated, and then the diners would consume what was left of the sacrificial animal (or other foodstuffs offered to the “gods”).  Part of the butchered animal was burned as a sacrifice.  The rest was placed upon the altar (the “table of the gods”) where it was eaten by the priests and the participants in the festivities.  If there was anything left over, it might be given to those in attendance, but more often was sold to local butchers for resale.  

Those in upper levels of society would have a difficult time avoiding such meals and places, since this was where virtually all of the social activities and commerce took place.  Therefore, given the connection between the contents of the meal, and the particular pagan deity to whom the meal was dedicated, the question arises, “can Christians participate in such activities?”  It is the connection between the meal, the sacrifice and the pagan deities associated with them, which created ethical problems for Christians.  How could Christians justify eating in a pagan temple, or eating something which was offered as a pagan sacrifice?  Apparently, a number of the Corinthians saw nothing whatsoever wrong with this practice.

To read the rest of this sermon, Click Here

Basics of the Reformed Faith -- God's Attributes

The next installment of my series on basic Reformed doctrine has been posted on the Westminster Seminary California blog.  You can find it here:  God's attributes

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (January 9-15, 2012)

Sunday Morning (1/15):  We are continuing our series on Hebrews and we will be covering Hebrews 11:29-40.  We are focusing this week upon the author's list of those figures and events in redemptive history in verses 32-40.

For previous sermons in this series, go here:  Sermons on Hebrews

Sunday Afternoon:  We take up a discussion Lord's Day 30 of our catechism and Q & A 80 which deals with the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.  Our afternoon service begins @ 1:15 p.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Study (1/11):  We are resuming our series on the sacraments, and this week we'll continue to discuss the biblical case for infant baptism focusing upon the meaning of circumcision in the Old Testament.  Bible study begins at 7:00 p.m.

The Academy:  The Academy will re-convene on February 10, 2012.

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

"By Faith the People Passed Over" -- Hebrews 11:29-31

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

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This Week's White Horse Inn

Scot McKnight & The King Jesus Gospel

What is the gospel? Throughout the history of American Evangelicalism, many have tried to reduce it to a simple slogan, or something like “four spiritual laws.” But in reducing the gospel of Christ to a sales pitch, have Evangelicals altered the message? Does the good news that we proclaim have more to do with getting people to make a decision, more than it focuses on Christ’s person and work? On this program Michael Horton discusses these issues with Scot McKnight, author of The King Jesus Gospel.

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You Can't Talk About Eschatology Without a Chart. Right?

Thanks to Robert Lira for creating a very useful chart of the two age model of New Testament eschatology.

The chart is available as a pdf in both color (Click here for color chart) and black and white (Click here for black and white version).

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (January 2-8, 2012)

Sunday Morning (1/8):  We return to our series on Hebrews and we will be covering Hebrews 11:29-40, focusing this week upon the Exodus, and next week on the era of the judges.

For previous sermons in this series, go here:  Sermons on Hebrews

Sunday Afternoon:  We take up a discussion Lord's Day 29 of our catechism and Q & A 78-79 which deal with the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.  Our afternoon service begins @ 1:15 p.m.

The Wednesday Night Bible Study will resume shortly, and The Academy will resume in February.

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