Peace With God -- Romans 5:1-11

The Eleventh in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Epistle to the Romans

We’ve all seen the pictures of VE-Day–some reading this might even remember VE Day–that glorious day in May of 1945 when Hitler’s Germany unconditionally surrendered to the victorious allied armies.  The horrors of war were coming to an end.  Peace was at hand.  And did people celebrate!  In Romans 5:1-11, Paul speaks of the coming of peace, but not in the sense of the end of bloody war between combatant nations.  Paul speaks of the peace which is the result of Jesus Christ’s death upon the cross for sinners.  By turning aside the wrath of God, Jesus Christ has reconciled God to sinners and sinners to God.  Because of the cross the war between God and rebellious sinners is now blessedly over.  And this beloved is cause for joy and celebration!

Beginning in Romans 5:1, Paul changes focus a bit and begins to set out some of the blessings which come to all of those who receive the promised inheritance through faith and not through works.  This section in Romans is not only loaded with important theological information, but the entire chapter serves as a hinge of sorts, connecting Paul’s discussion of justification in Romans 3:21-4:25, with his subsequent discussion of sanctification in Romans 6:1-8:39.  As we will see, for Paul, all those who believe God’s promise to justify the ungodly are not only justified and given life, but they are also called to reckon themselves dead to sin but alive to God (Romans 6:11).  Paul cannot conceive of someone who is justified but who is not also being sanctified.  To be justified by grace through faith is to be sanctified by grace through that same faith.  These two things are inextricably linked together.

It is noteworthy that commentators disagree so widely about the main theme of this section as well as how it is connected to the preceding discussion of Abraham and justification by faith (4:25) and the following discussion of sanctification and the Christian life (6:1 ff).  The divergence of opinion about the theme of this section suggests the obvious–this section is packed with information, all of which is related to Paul’s comments about the nature of the inheritance of those justified sola fide.

To read the rest of this sermon, click here
 

A Robe Dipped in Blood -- Revelation 19:1-11

The Twenty-Seventh in a Series of Sermons on the Book of Revelation

In Deuteronomy 32:35, God warns covenant breakers, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.”  In verse 41 of that same chapter, God declares, “when I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand grasps it in judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me.”  In the closing chapters of the Book of Revelation, John is given a glimpse of that terrible day when God’s judgment comes upon the whole earth.  God’s long-suffering mercies toward his rebellious creatures have come to an end.  The end of the age has finally come.  Judgment day is at hand.

As we continue to survey the final chapters of the Book of Revelation, John takes us from the issues facing his original audience–the persecution of the saints by the beast (the Roman empire)–to those things directly connected to the of the age.  Therefore, once John has been given a vision of the three cycles of judgment (the seven seals, the seven trumpets and seven bowls) each of which intensifies as the end draws near, John now fast-forwards his first-century reader to those events associated with the second advent of Jesus Christ at the end of the age.  These events include the glorious redemption of all the saints and the final destruction of all of God’s enemies, including the harlot, the beast, the false prophet, as well as the destruction of the dragon (Satan) whom they worship and serve.

In the previous section of Revelation, which runs from Revelation 16:17 to Revelation 19:10, John describes God’s judgment upon the harlot, and contrasts the bride of the dragon (Babylon the Great) with the bride of Jesus Christ (which is the church).  While the great harlot commits adultery with the kings of the earth, continually increasing her guilt, Christ’s bride, meanwhile, is preparing herself for her marriage to the Lamb.  By holding fast to the testimony of Jesus in the face of persecution, by remaining faithful to her spouse, and resisting all of the seductive efforts of the harlot, while walking in the good works that Jesus Christ has prepared her to do, the bride readies herself to receive the gift of spotless wedding garments of fine white linen from her husband.  Because of the mercies of her bridegroom, she is now holy and blameless, purified from every hint and trace of sin.

To read the rest of this sermon, click here 

Some Interesting Links

Looking for a car?  Here are two really cool choices.

Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez (yes that Manny Ramirez) is selling his Chrysler 300 on E-Bay.  Click here: eBay Motors: Chrysler : 300 Series (item 300170156441 end time Nov-13-07 20:00:00 PST)

If you are looking for something more sensible, like a car in which you can always find Mecca, store your Koran and head-scarf, boy have I got a car for you! Click here: BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Malaysia firm's 'Muslim car' plan

What features would a car for Reformed Christians include?  Lots of horsepower and a way to enjoy a good cigar for starters. 

I hope Major League Baseball sues the crud out of these guys:  Click here: A Little Leaven: Major League Rip Off.  I am always amazed at the "originality" of Christian merchandisers.

Don't you just love it when "snake-handlers" sue the doctor and the hospital after they get bit by a rattler during church and die?  Click here: Family sues hospital over snakebite death

Finally, on a serious note, OldTruth has a great essay on amillennialism.  Click here: Prophecy Not Intended To Be a Crystal Ball

Who Said That?

Who Said That?

“Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, corporate jets, $23,000 commodes in a multimillion-dollar home. You know, just think of a $23,000 marble commode. A lot of money going down the toilet, you can say.”

Leave your guess in the comments section.  Please no google searched or cheating.

Update on Friday, November 9, 2007 at 10:37AM by Kim Riddlebarger

This is a quote from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, speaking to CNN about his request for six evangelical TV ministries to disclose their financial information.  Grassley is mocking the excess of these "ministries."

For All You Heidelbergers Out There

For those of you who are interested in the Three Forms of Unity, there's a very helpful new book out dealing the history and sources of the Belgic Confession.

Nicolaas Gootjes' The Belgic Confession:  Its History and Sources covers a number of important topics, including whether or not Guido (Guy) de Bres is the primary author of the confession -- Gootjes argues that he was.  There are important chapters dealing with the sources of the Belgic Confession (primarily the French Confession) as well as a previously overlooked source, Beza's Catechism.

There is a helpful discussion of the confession's authority in the Dutch Reformed Church.  As the Remonstrants gathered steam in Holland, they began to challenge the authority of the confession, especially because it was used by the orthodox to challenge Arminian doctrine.  Gootjes convincingly shows that the confession was accepted by the churches (and was therefore binding) shortly after it was written, well before the Synod of Dort.

The appendix is also helpful and contains the texts of critical correspondence establishing the confession's authorship and authority.

This is an important book, and Dr. Gootjes (a professor at the Canadian Reformed Seminary in Hamilton, Ontario) has given us non-Dutch speakers an important window into the origins of our confession which is a wonderful summary of the biblical faith. 

For more information, Click here: Amazon.com: The Belgic Confession: Its History and Sources (Texts and Studies in Reformation and Post-Reformation

Some Interesting Links . . .

I'm sure looking forward to reading this one -- Click here: The Future of Justification: A Response to N. T. Wright :: John Piper :: Contemporary Authors :: Modern Authors ::

A great discussion of Gary Johnson's new book on Warfield can be found here -- Click here: Warfield, Part 3 « Green Baggins.

Here's a list of the ten worst album covers of all-time.  Thankfully, I never owned any of them (hilarious and creepy) -- Click here: mental_floss magazine - Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix

Baby-boomers might remember these tacky Halloween costumes -- Click here: retroCRUSH: The World's Greatest Pop Culture Site.

And then for all you WWII buffs, here's an essay about a very flatulent Fuhrer.  How come I didn't read about this in Ian Kershaw's excellent biography of Hitler?  Click here: The Smart Set: Scent of a Führer - October 24, 2007
 

This One Cracked Me Up

Textual criticism is a hot topic these days.  This little bit of humor illustrates the tremendous importance of a good manuscript tradition (h.t. Tommie Sloan).

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A young monk (brother Joseph) arrives at the monastery.  Excited about his new call, he is soon assigned a painstaking but important task--helping a group of monks copy volumes of canon law.

However, brother Joseph soon notices that the monks are copying from copies of canon law, they are not consulting the original manuscript. 

So, brother Joseph sheepishly summons up the courage to go to the head abbot to question this method.  If someone made even the smallest error in an earlier copy, it would never be caught and corrected by those making copies of a copy!  In fact, that error would be continued in all of the subsequent copies.

The abbot replied to Joseph's query, "We have been copying from the copies for centuries, but you make a good point, my son." 

So the abbot hurried off down into the dark archives underneath the monastery where the original manuscripts of canon law were held in a locked vault that hadn't been opened for hundreds of years.

Hours go by and nobody sees the abbot . . .  So, brother Joseph gets quite worried about the old man and goes down to look for him.

In the dim light, Joseph sees the abbot banging his head against the wall and wailing in a broken and cracking voice, "We missed the R! We missed the R! We missed the R!”  The abbot's forehead was bloody and bruised and he was crying uncontrollably. 

Brother Joseph rushes to his side and asks him, "What's wrong, father?"

Barely able to speak, the old abbot replied, "The word was . . . "CELEBRATE!!!”

Mike Horton Reviews Joel Osteen's "Become A Better You"

For those of you who haven't seen this yet, Mike Horton has a new review of Joel Osteen's new book, Becoming a Better You. (h.t. Mark Vanderpol)

You can find the review here:  Click here: Joel Osteen and the Glory Story by Michael Horton

On Subscription Sermon Series -- A Follow Up

A while back I posted excerpts from a sample sermon sent to me by a company that sells sermon subscriptions to pastors (Click here: Riddleblog - The Latest Post - On Subscription Sermon Series (Part 1)

This is a follow-up to my prior posts.  Apparently, I'm still on their mailing list, even after asking to be removed.  Here's their latest appeal: 

"TWO QUESTIONS THAT EVERY PASTOR SEEMS TO BE ASKING:

(1) First, how can I find good, sound Bible source materials to help me in my sermon preparation?

(2) Second, how can I find good humor and illustrations for my sermons?"

Funny, I've never once asked these two questions!  Like many other pastors, I try and find "Bible Source" materials through my own study of the biblical text!  That includes studying the passage I am preaching on in the original language, consulting the commentaries and reference tools and then prayerfully and painstakingly crafting my own exposition of the text.  However good or bad it is, and however God decides to use it, it is my work, my sweat, my labor.

The last thing I want in a sermon is "good humor" and/or illustrations.  My job is to preach God's word, not entertain the congregation or tell stories about my family.  The idea of using someone else's materials and then passing it off as my own is repulsive to me.  It is both dishonest and lazy.  I don't see how any minister of the gospel would be comfortable doing this.

The email continues (the blank is the company's name):

"Since Bible preachers are constantly preaching and looking for fresh materials each week these are two questions they need answers to.  __________________ has the answer to both of these questions. Literally thousands of pastors will confirm that _____________________ is providing good, sound sermon materials, good humor and illustrations to use in their sermons. __________________ has been working with thousands of pastors for over thirty years!" 

I know, I'm kicking a dead horse by posting on this again, but if it is really true that "literally thousands of pastors," use this stuff, then they need to be called on it.

Under these circumstances, it is no wonder so many sermons sound so much alike!  Thousands of pastors?  Thirty years?  Hard to believe.  No wonder evangelicalism in America has fallen on such hard times. There simply is no excuse for this and it must stop. 

The LORD Gives Rest -- Joshua 1:10-18

The Second In A Series of Sermons on Joshua

It is easy to imagine the excitement that raced through the camp, when the order was given to pack up in preparation to cross the Jordan River and enter the land of promise.  The people of Israel waited forty long years for this day to come.  In just three short days, they would be ready to cross the river and they would at last possess that bountiful land which God promised to give to his people as their covenant inheritance.  The armies were to prepare for battle, the people would participate in a ceremony in which they acknowledged God’s choice of Joshua as their covenant leader, and then soon, they would be on the move.  It was truly a great day in the history of Israel.

Last time we began a new series on the Book of Joshua.  When we last took a break from our study of the unfolding drama of redemption “I will be your God and you will be my people,” we had completed the Book of Deuteronomy.  We left off with the people of Israel camped on the plains of Moab, just to the east of Canaan.  All that stood between Israel and the promised land was the Jordan River and the fortified city of Jericho.  While Israel was camped in Moab, God renewed his covenant with Israel–our Book of Deuteronomy.  But then Moses died and was succeeded by Joshua, a man chosen by God to lead the Israelites into the promised land and take possession of it–despite the presence of the Canaanites in the land, a group of tribes known for their great ferocity.  The Book of Joshua is the account of this transitional period in Israel’s history, when the people of God entered the land, conquered the peoples living there, and then became a great nation, just as God had promised to Abraham. 
           
As we began this series, we considered the geo-political situation on the eve of the conquest.  Living in a land between the three great empires of the day (Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Hittites), the Canaanites were flourishing at this time and there was great prosperity throughout the land.  Then we briefly reviewed the life of Joshua (Moses’ assistant), before we turned to the first nine verses of Joshua chapter one in which God renewed his promise to give Israel the land of Canaan.  This was that promise God made first to Abraham, then Isaac and Jacob, a promise which was renewed to Moses (and Israel) when God made a covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai.  Joshua is now the covenant mediator, but God’s covenant promise remains unchanged.  The critical question is, will the people of Israel remain faithful to the terms of the covenant so as to receive this inheritance and become a light to the nations?

Before we turn to our passage, I’d like to do a bit more introduction to the Book as a whole.  There are a number of important themes which appear multiple times in this book, and it might be useful to identity them at the beginning of this series. 

To read the rest of this sermon, click here