Why think about death?
- Its anticipation a cause for joy, Heb 12:2; Rev 14:13
- Its solemnity a reason for humility, Psa 39:4; Eccle 5:15
- Its suddenness a spur to Christian labour, Rom 13:11ff
- Its contemplation a motive for evangelism, 2 Cor 5:11
Access to God
Introduction
The New Testament teaches that every person can now have access to God because Jesus’ death on the cross has opened the way. Such access is actually experienced by those who express personal trust in Jesus and rely on divine grace. This brings peace and eternal hope, (Rom 5:1-2) but it is always dependent upon the heavenly King’s royal favor, not upon entrance requirements established or met by humans. Both Gentiles and Jews have an open door to the Father through Christ’s death on the cross and through the work of the Holy Spirit present in the believer’s life.…
General and special revelation
‘The heavens declare the glory of God’ (Psalm 19:1).
Paul affirms in Rom 1:19-21 and Acts 17:28 that nature itself bears witness to God’s power and majesty. His works of providence bear witness to his kindness, Acts 14:17. Conscience testifies to the demands of his holy law, Rom 2:14, and to the reality of punishment for the wrong-doer, Rom 1:32.
This is referred to as general revelation, because everyone receives it. Failure to thanks and serve God aright is, therefore, a sin against knowledge, and any claims not to have this knowledge should not be taken seriously. …
Work and play
1. In the light of CREATION
God himself sets the example, Gen 2:1-3. God calls us into partnership with him, Gen 2:15. God has made this world our workplace and our playground, Gen 1:28. God has established a cycle of work and play, Ex 20:8-11.
2. In the light of THE FALL
Work tends to become a hardship, Gen 3:17-19. The worker tends to become selfish, lazy, disobedient, dishonest, 2 Thess 3:6-12. Play tends to become perverted from its original purpose: (a) it may become commercialised and over-competitive; (a) it may become destructive of work, education, physical health, family life or spiritual well-being.…
Evil and God’s providence
Of the evils that infect God’s world (moral and spiritual perversity, waste of good, and the physical disorders and disruptions of a spoiled cosmos), it can summarily be said:
1. God permits evil; (Acts 14:16)
2. he punishes evil with evil; (Ps 81:11-12 Rom 1:26-32)
3. he brings good out of evil; (Ge 50:20 Acts 2:23 4:27-28 13:27 1 Cor 2:7-8)
4. he uses evil to test and discipline those he loves; (Mt 4:1-11 Heb 12:4-14)
5.…
The mutual love of husband and wife
Richard Baxter spells out the mutual love that a husband and wife must have for one another:-
I pray you, next tell me my duty to my wife and hers to me.
The common duty of husband and wife is,
1. Entirely to love each other; and therefore choose one that is truly lovely.… ;and avoid all things that tend to quench your love.
2. To dwell together, and enjoy each other, and faithfully join as helpers in the education of their children, the government of the family, and the management of their worldly business.…
Puritans on male leadership
According to J.I Packer, the Puritans advanced four arguments confirming the rightness of male leadership as adumbrated in Milton’s ‘he for God only, she for God in him’:-
- The argument from creation: the man was made first, then the woman, and the woman was made to benefit the man as a suitable helper for him.
- The argument from the story of the Fall: the woman was first in the transgression, and God decreed in judgement that henceforth her husband should rule over her.
Sacrament and mystery
The word ‘sacrament’, explains Donald Macleod, comes from the Latin sacramentum, which referred to the oath taken by a Roman Soldier. It has therefore been suggested that the Lord’s Supper is the taking of an oath to Christ and an entering into an obligation of loyalty to him. There is, no doubt, truth in this. But the word sacramentum is not a biblical word, and cannot therefore the recruited for theological purposes for a meaning that is not sanctioned by Scripture itself.…
Hab 1:1-2:1 – How long, O Lord? – sermon notes
‘Daily life…is the painful reality of starvation, AIDS, and violence. There is no food on the shelves, there are no medicines in hospitals, and no one can afford to buy from the drugstores.
We have become a nation of beggars who spend more time looking for food than working. Most employees’ monthly wages would not be enough to meet their transportation budget to get to and from work.
State schools have lost almost all qualified teachers.…
Isaiah 52:1-12 – Beautiful feet! – sermon notes
Bringing good news of the redeeming Saviour, v9, the returning Lord, v8, the reigning King, v7.
The battle has been won, the long years of captivity are ended, the holy city and its temple will rise from the ruins, peace and joy and plenty will enjoyed across the land.
This was fulfilled following the decree of Cyrus in 539 BC. But how complete was that fulfilment?
Neh 9:36 tells us that the return of the exiles was not all they hoped it would be: “We are slaves today, slaves in the land you gave our forefathers.”…