Living in Light of Two Ages
____________________________
Sunday, October 13, 2013 at 05:57PM 
Here is the audio from last Friday Night's Academy lecture. This is the fourth in the series and is entitled, "In the Land of Nod: Adam Cast from Eden"
Sunday, October 13, 2013 at 05:49PM 
God's Story vs. Our Stories
When sharing the faith with others, should we primarily focus on what happened to Christ, or what happened to us? In other words, should we focus on the gospel of Christ as we find it unpacked in the New Testament, or should we emphasize our personal testimonies, explaining to others what God has done in our own lives? We put this question to a number of attendees at a Christian convention, and you might be surprised by their answers.
Thursday, October 10, 2013 at 02:56PM 
Men love `em. Women hate 'em. For the Stooge fans among us, however, this is great news. A Stooge film from 1933, thought to be lost, was uncovered recently in a shed in Australia, of all places. Lost Three Stooges film recovered. Lots of fond memories as a kid watching them with my dad (who claimed not to like them, but always cracked up when watching) and then with my own sons.
I always carry three things with me in the trunk of my car: a hammer, a roll of duct tape, and a can of WD-40. With these, I can take care of pretty much any contingency. I knew the ole WD-40 had many uses, but I had no idea you could do so many cool things with it. Too bad we don't have squirrels where I live. I'd like to try that. WD-40
A picture of Bigfoot sleeping? Really? Looks to me like somebody with a bad hangover and B.O. wearing a Gilly Suit. I won't believe in this nonsense until Bigfoot gets his own reality series on the History Channel along with Ancient Aliens and Nazi Alien Encounters. Sleeping Bigfoot?
Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at 10:07AM 
The Sixth in a Series of Sermons on Select Passages in Second Corinthians
Although it is very hard for us to believe, the Apostle Paul was forced to defend his apostolic authority in a church which he helped to found. In making this defense of his unique calling in his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul directs the Corinthians back to the very same gospel which he first preached in Corinth. This gospel, which centers upon the proclamation of Christ crucified, reconciles God to sinners, sinners back to God, and is the means through which believers are reckoned righteous before God. Paul proclaims this message (even though it is a scandal to Greeks and Romans) because the New Covenant is vastly superior to the fading glory of the Old, and because the long anticipated day of salvation has finally come. Paul now exhorts the Corinthians to realize that they themselves are the living temple of God, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and that they must leave behind all of their pagan ways of thinking and doing.
As we resume our series on 2 Corinthians, we come to the end of chapter six (and the opening verse of chapter 7). Throughout the past several sermons, we have been looking at Paul’s defense of his apostolic office in the face of a serious challenge raised to his authority by a group of men in Corinth whom Paul calls “false apostles” (chapter 11). Beginning in 2 Corinthians 2:14, Paul has been defending his apostolic office against this challenge by engaging in a running argument (of sorts) which concludes with our text this morning (at the end of chapter 6). Throughout this opening section of 2 Corinthians, Paul has covered much ground, but he has focused upon the contrast between the fading glory of the Old Covenant (and its veiled mediator, Moses) with the far greater glory of the New Covenant, which has been ratified by the shed blood of its mediator, Jesus Christ.
Throughout Paul’s defense of his office, we get a hint at some of the issues being raised in the Corinthian church in Paul’s absence. The false apostles, apparently, were contending that Paul is too boring a preacher, that he lacks personal charisma, and as skilled rhetoricians, these men knew how keep an audience on the edge of their seat (unlike Paul, who preaches an unpopular message about crucified Savior). To ensure their own popularity and that nothing too offensive gets in the way of their flowery and lofty speech (so loved by the Greeks of that age), the false apostles are perfectly willing to sand down the gospel and remove the rough edges to make the cross of Christ less offensive to an audience eager and expecting to be stirred and entertained by classical rhetoric.
Ironically, in their attempts to undermine Paul’s authority, the false apostles and those taken in by them, end up in the same place as those Jews who still rely upon doing enough good works to earn favor with God. Sadly, whenever the Jews hear the law read aloud, Paul says that their minds and hearts are veiled to the truth of the gospel. The law stands outside of them (written upon stone tablets and in the Torah), demanding perfect obedience from all, yet giving no one the power to obey the law’s demands. Tied to the blessing/curse principle (God will bless those who obey his commandments and curse those who disobey them), the law inflicts the curse upon the disobedient. As Paul says, the wages of sin is death, and the purpose of the law is to both excite sin in us, as well as to show us how sinful we truly are.
To read the rest of this sermon: Click Here
Monday, October 7, 2013 at 10:57AM 
Sunday Morning (10/13/13): Jesus told his disciples (including a number of Greeks) that when he is lifted up, he will draw all men to himself (John 12:27-36). What did Jesus mean? That is the topic of Sunday's sermon.
Sunday Afternoon: We are continuing with our series on the Canons of Dort. This week, I am addressing the attitude (humility) with which we much approach the doctrines of total depravity and unconditional election (Article 18 of the First head of Doctrine). Our catechism service begins @ 1:15 p.m.
Wednesday Night Bible Study (10/09/13): We are continuing our series, "Studies in the Book of Revelation," and are working our way through Revelation 6. Bible study begins at 7:30 p.m.
The Friday Night Academy (10/11/13): I am continuing my series "In the Land of Nod" (on the Reformed doctrine of the two kingdoms). The fourth lecture in the series is entitled: "Adam Cast from Eden: Life in Nod"
Ken Samples new Academy series, "Responding to Islam" begins on Friday, October 18, and is entitled, "Can You Explain the Whats & Whys of Islam? -- The Muslim Worldview"
For more information and directions, check out the Christ Reformed website: Christ Reformed Church
Sunday, October 6, 2013 at 05:57PM 
Here's the audio from this morning's sermon: Click Here
Sunday, October 6, 2013 at 05:45PM 
Here's the audio from Friday Night's Academy Lecture. The third lecture in the series is entitled "In the Land of Nod: Adam in Eden"
Sunday, October 6, 2013 at 05:37PM 
Lessons from Church History
Why is it important to study church history? Is it possible to avoid the mistakes of the past, or does every generation bring a certain amount of cultural baggage to the sacred text? How did the early church resolve the question of Jesus’ divine nature? What was Constantine’s role in the rise of Christianity in the West? What were the main arguments of the Protestant Reformation? In this program, W. Robert Godfrey, President and Professor of Church History at Westminster Seminary California, joins Mike Horton to discuss these important issues.
Thursday, October 3, 2013 at 01:47PM 
In case you hadn't seen the sad news, Chuck Smith has died. A Memorial Website for Chuck Smith
Please pray for his family, as well as the many who loved him, and for the future of Calvary Chapel. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints" (Ps. 116:15).
Never thought I'd see this. Moody Bible Institute is allowing professors to enjoy a cold beer or glass of wine (or two). Apparently, academically-qualified teetotalers are hard to find. Students, however, are still considered weaker brothers and sisters. Alcohol at Moody Bible
Now this is really weird. Thanksgiving and Hanukkah fall on the same day this year. This won't happen again for 70,000 years (h.t. Larry Johnson). Thanksgivukkah
Tuesday, October 1, 2013 at 09:58AM 
The Fifth in a Series of Sermons on Select Passages in Second Corinthians
Many of you have heard the revivalist preaching that I have. When Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “today is the day of salvation,” revivalists interpret this to mean that right now, at this very moment, the time has come for you to repent of your sin, and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. Paul’s words from 2 Corinthians 5:17–“the old has passed away, the new has come”–are taken to mean that if you truly did accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you instantly become a new creature and all former bad and sinful habits should immediately cease. But if these bad habits don’t go away immediately, either you didn’t really surrender all and are holding something back, or else you love your sin more than you love Jesus. But this is not what Paul means. In fact, this peculiar reading of Paul’s discussion about the greater glory of the New Covenant robs us of the confidence of trusting in a merciful Savior who has reconciled us to God, precisely because we live in the New Covenant era and the age of the Holy Spirit. Those living under the Old Covenant could only look forward to that final sacrifice which would take away sin. But as beneficiaries of the New Covenant, we can look back to the reconciling death of Jesus, which once for all, establishes peace with God. The war is over. The day of salvation has come.
We are making our way through that section of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians in which the apostle is contrasting the fading glory of the Old Covenant God made with Israel at Mount Sinai, with the much greater glory of the New Covenant which has been ratified in the blood of Jesus Christ. Whereas the Old Covenant was written on stone tablets, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the New Covenant is written upon human hearts. Whereas the mediator of the Old Covenant was Moses, Jesus Christ is the mediator of the New. This is why the New Covenant has a greater glory, and will not fade away as did the Old Covenant which was superseded, and is now rendered obsolete by the coming of Jesus Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 3-6, Paul has made a running argument (in which he contrasts the old and new covenant) in defense of his apostolic authority which has been challenged by a group of self-proclaimed “super apostles” (as Paul calls them). In Paul’s absence from Corinth, these men complained that Paul was not eloquent enough, too weak and lacking in charisma, and not present frequently enough in Corinth, to properly serve as an apostle. Paul is not as capable as they are. And so despite his own weaknesses and lack of personal charisma, Paul points the Corinthians back to the power of the gospel and to the greater glory of the new and better covenant. This isn’t about Paul’s personality, or how to attract an audience.
In the previous section of 2 Corinthians, Paul pointed out that in light of the contrast between the fading and temporary glory of the Old Covenant, and the greater glory of the New, Christians must walk by faith and not by sight. Although Paul speaks of fallen humanity as “tents” and “jars of clay” (temporary dwellings because of our human weakness and frailty), Paul reminds us that we must live our daily lives in the light of eternity. Paul knows what it is to have given himself completely to the cause of Christ–in fact, to the point that death shadows the apostle constantly. Yet Paul exhorts us that even as we wear out physically (due to age, illness, and the wear and tear of life), we need not lose heart, or despair because of our circumstances. Paul reminds us that we have been given new life in Christ (regeneration), we are presently being sanctified (being renewed day by day), and one day, we will be raised from the dead (in an eternal dwelling not built by human hands–the resurrection of our bodies).
To read the rest of this sermon: Click Here
