Author Archives: admin

Phil 2:19-30 – Best supporting act – sermon notes

Walking With Giants Posted on by

Text – Philippians 2:19-30

When the BAFTAs and the Oscars are held, there are awards for best film, best director, best screenplay, best music, best costume design, best make-up and hair, best leading actor and actress, best grip, best best boy, and, of course, best supporting act.

As Christians, we are used to speaking in glowing terms of heroes of the faith such as Abraham, Moses, David, Paul, Augustine, Martin Luther, John Wesley, Billy Graham.  But we’re here tonight to consider two nominations for ‘best supporting act’. …

Messianic secret

Walking With Giants Posted on by

It has long been recognised that in the Synoptic Gospels (Mark especially) Jesus is frequently recorded as commanding people not to speak about certain aspects of his identity and activity.

For example:

  1. Jesus commonly taught the disciples separately from the crowds (Mark 4:13, 34; 7:17; 9:28–29, 30–31; 10:10–11; 13:3).
  2. Jesus asked several people whom He healed and the family of a girl He brought back to life not to speak of it to anyone (Mark 1:43–44; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26).
…

Simplicity

Walking With Giants Posted on by

What does it mean to adopt a simpler lifestyle?  Richard Foster suggests a number of aspects:-

1.  Simplicity means unity of heart and singleness of purpose.  Our one desire is to obey Christ in all things.  Our one purpose is to glorify him in all things.  We have only one use for money – to advance his kingdom.  Jesus taught us to have a ‘single’ eye, Mt 6:22.

2.  Simplicity means joy in God’s good creation. …

The role of the apostles as authoritative eyewitnesses

Walking With Giants Posted on by

‘The role of the apostles as witnesses to the fact that the crucified and buried Jesus rose from the dead is central for Luke. This role is emphasized in the commissioning of the apostles (Lk 24:48; Acts 1:8), and it is central both in the description of the criteria of apostleship when the need arose to replace Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:21–22) and in Peter’s preaching and teaching (Acts 2:32; 3:15; 4:2, 10, 33; 5:32; 10:41). The apostles are “distinctive in their role as Jesus’ authorized delegates, witnesses to the reality of his resurrection and expounders of its significance” (Clark, 178).…

The doctrine of Christ’s return affects everything in the Christian life

Walking With Giants Posted on by

Peter Lewis (The Glory of Christ, 400) reminds us that the doctrine of Christ’s return affects everything in the Christian life. It:-

  1. encourages us in daily godliness, 1 Thess 1:10; 2:13; 3:13; 5:23; Tit 2:11-14.
  2. provides a focus for all church life and worship, 1 Cor 1:7; 11:26; Heb 10:25.
  3. gives us confidence in spiritual warfare, Rom 16:20; 1 Cor 6:3; 2 Thess 2:8-12; Rom 13:11-13; 1 Thess 5:2-8.
  4. Comforts us in times of persecution, Rom 8:18-25; 2 Thess 1:6-10.
…

The Puritan path of piety

Walking With Giants Posted on by

In mapping the path of piety (that is to say, godliness), the Puritans focused on four particular areas:-

  1. the first steps – conviction and conversion, leading to assurance;
  2. the fight – against the world, the flesh, and the devil;
  3. the fellowship – communion with God through prayer, and with other Christians through ‘conference’ (talking and sharing);
  4. the finish – dying well, in faith and hope, with all preparations made and a clear and quiet conscience as one prepares for the final momentous meeting with the Father and the Son.
…

God does not live in houses

Walking With Giants Posted on by

“The Most High does not live in houses made by men,” declared Stephen (Acts 7:48).  And even though these words infuriated his accusers, he was only echoing the consistent message of their own Scriptures (see, esp. 2 Sam 7:5f).

To this day, Christians seem to doubt Stephen’s words.  True, they may pay lip-service to the idea that the church is a ‘people’, not a ‘place’.  But ‘holy’ buildings still feature far more prominently than they ought, given the consistent teaching of both Old and New Testaments.…

Genesis 3 – traditional and revisionist readings

Walking With Giants Posted on by

I must admit that I’m not sure about where to place Genesis 3 on a scale between the two extremes of ‘literal history’ and ‘pure fiction’.  Here’s a summary of some the options:-

An historical account of a ‘Fall’

Traditionally, this account has been understood as a more or less literal description of an historical event in involving a ‘fall’ on the part of our first parents from a state of innocence.  According to Kreeft & Tacelli, for example,

‘there are three reasons why the Fall can’t be mere moral parable or fiction:-

First, if the Fall is not historical at all, then its effects—suffering and death—also are not historical.

…

Original sin

Walking With Giants Posted on by

Definition

‘Original sin’, like some other terms (‘total depravity’, ‘unconditional election’, ‘limited atonement’, irresistible grace’ come immediately to mind) requires careful definition if it is to provide useful service in theological discussion.

For Calvin, original sin is

‘a hereditary depravity and corruption of our nature, diffused into all parts of the soul, which first makes us liable to God’s wrath, then also brings forth in us those works which Scripture calls “works of the flesh” (Gal 5:19).’ …