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

Sunday Morning (02/03/13):  As we work our way through the Gosepl of John, we are in John 5, and we will be addressing our Lord's comments about the resurrection unto life (John 5:19-29).

Sunday Afternoon:  I will be leading our afternoon catechism service which begins @ 1:15 p.m.  We have come to Lord's Day 52 (question and answers 127-129) which deals with the final petition in the Lord's Prayer.  

Wednesday Night Bible Study 7:00 p.m. (1/30/13):  We are studying those New Testament passages in which the Lord's Supper is discussed--this week we will be working our way through 1 Corinthians 11.

The Academy 7:30 p.m. (2/1/13):  We are discussing Michael's Horton's theology text The Christian Faith.  We are currently in chapter 4, discussing the inspiration and authority of Scripture.

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

"My Father is Working" -- John 5:1-18

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon

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This Week's White Horse Inn

For God so Loved the World

In John chapter 3 Jesus tells Nicodemus that “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” What does this verse mean, and how has it been misunderstood in our day? What is the meaning John 3:16, and how does it relate to our understanding of both salvation and condemnation? Why do some respond positively to the gospel while others reject the good news? The hosts will discuss these questions and more in their continuing survey of the Gospel of John.

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From Biblical Metaphor to National Myth

For those of you interested in American church history and/or modern politics in light of the two kingdoms debate, you will certainly profit from Richard Gamble's recent book, In Search of the City on a Hill:  The Making and Unmaking of an American Myth.  You can find Gamble's book on Amazon here.

Gamble discusses in great detail the historical context for John Winthrop's famous 1630 sermon "A Model of Christian Charity" given onboard the Arbella before his group arrived in the New World.  As Gamble points out, near the end of his famous sermon Winthrop used the image of a "city on a hill" (found in Matthew 5:14) in a very conventional and biblical way (as an image of the church's witness and pastoral ministry).  Winthrop intended far less by his use of this metaphor than many have assumed. 

How then did this simple biblical image (as used by Winthrop) become such a powerful and ubiquitous political metaphor (dare I say political "myth") in which America (and American exceptionalism) is now, supposedly, the proper point of reference?  Gamble carefully explains the three hundred year evolution of the biblical metaphor into a uniquely American national myth.  The story may not be pretty to those who care about how Scripture is to be handled and interpreted, but it is certainly interesting nonetheless.

One particularly important point in Gamble's volume is his discussion of the use of the "city on a hill" metaphor by several early Puritans (and folk like Jonathan Edwards).  The "city on a hill" image was invoked as support for the supposed existence of a national covenant between God's chosen people living in America (the church) who served as a light to the world.  It was argued that God's providential purpose for America's founding was similar to Israel's role as God's national covenant people under the old covenant.  Gamble discusses the merits (few) and demerits (many) of this view, and points out that at the time a number of seventeenth contemporaries argued against this misuse of national covenant language.  Israel had a national covenant with God.  America does not.  Nor do Christians living in America then or now!  Being members of the covenant of grace in the midst of the civil kingdom will have to do!

This is an interesting and important book and is highly recommended.

There is a helpful interview with the author here:  Interview with Richard Gamble

A New Book from Michael Horton -- A Pilgrim Theology

Here's the publisher's blurb for Pilgrim Theology

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The 2011 award-winning publication The Christian Faith garnered wide praise as a thorough, well-informed treatment of the philosophical foundations of Christian theology, the classical elements of systematic theology, and exegesis of relevant biblical texts. Pilgrim Theology distills the distinctive benefits of this approach into a more accessible introduction designed for classroom and group study.

In this book, Michael Horton guides readers through a preliminary exploration of Christian theology in “a Reformed key.” Horton reviews the biblical passages that give rise to a particular doctrine in addition to surveying past and present interpretations. Also included are sidebars showing the key distinctions readers need to grasp on a particular subject, helpful charts and tables illuminating exegetical and historical topics, and questions at the end of each chapter for individual, classroom, and small group reflection.

Pilgrim Theology will help undergraduate students of theology and educated laypersons gain an understanding of the Christian tradition’s biblical and historical foundations.

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Here's ording information from the White Horse Inn website.  There are lots of great places to order it, but you can get it quicker and autographed by ordering it from the White Horse Inn.

The White Horse Inn store is now ready to ship copies of Michael Horton’s newest book Pilgrim Theology: Core Doctines for Christian Disciples. Before you head off to Amazon, know that they aren’t going to ship until February 5. Oh, and there is one other thing, only the WHI store will send you the book signed by Dr. Horton!

Order autographed Pilgrim Theology here

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (January 21-27)

Sunday Morning (01/27/13):  We are continuing our series on the Gospel of John, and we will be taking up the account of Jesus healing on the Sabbath (John 5:1-18).

Sunday Afternoon:  Ken Samples will be leading our afternoon catechism service which begins @ 1:15 p.m. 

Wednesday Night Bible Study (1/23/13):  We are studying those New Testament passages in which the Lord's Supper is discussed--this week we will be working our way through 1 Corinthians 10.

The Academy:  The Academy will resume on Friday January 25 (@ 7:30 p.m.), with our special guest, Michael Horton, discussing his theology text The Christian Faith.  For more info, Click Here

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

"The Man Believed the Word" -- John 4:43-54

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon (the fifteenth in a series of sermons on John)

Click Here

This Week's White Horse Inn

Behold the Lamb of God

Who is Jesus, and what was his ultimate mission? Some today say that he was a kind of philosopher or moral reformer who teaches us all to share our toys and behave on the playground of life. But these views presuppose that the human predicament is that we simply need a little advice or enlightenment, and not something drastic like eternal redemption from sin, death, and hell. On this edition of White Horse Inn the hosts will continue to unpack the first two chapters of John’s gospel and will point out the significance of Christ’s role as the “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

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Attention Academy Goers!

If you have been with us for any of our Friday night Academy lectures on Mike Horton's theology text, The Christian Faith, you will certainly enjoy our kick-off for the next Academy session.

Dr. Horton will be our special guest on Friday, January 25, to discuss his book (how it came to be written, how he organized it, etc.) and to answer any questions about the book you may have.

So, mark your calendars!  Dr. Mike Horton will be at Christ Reformed Church, Friday. January 25 @ 7:30 p.m.!

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

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (January 14-20)

Sunday Morning (01/20/13):  I am preaching through John's Gospel and we will be covering John 4:43-54 and Jesus' healing of the official's son.

Sunday Afternoon:  I am leading our afternoon catechism service which begins @ 1:15 p.m.  We will be covering Lord's Day 51 and discussing the petition in the Lord's prayer "forgive us our sins."

Wednesday Night Bible Study (1/16/13):  We return to our series on the Lord's Supper, and we will be looking at those New Testament passages in which the Supper is discussed.

The Academy:  The Academy will resume on Friday January 25 (@ 7:00 p.m.) when we continue our of discussion of Michael Horton's theology text The Christian Faith.

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