The Radiance Of Glory
Every once in awhile I get a little controversial from the pulpit. I know there are some differences among us on very weighty issues, but please hear me out. I think we can all agree that music peaked in the eighties. And the only genre that really mattered in the eighties was soft rock. But narrowing down a favorite soft rock song is where it gets challenging. “The Glory of Love” by Peter Cetera has to be in the running.…
The Heir And Agent Of Creation
You’ve likely heard about the Marshmallow Test. Young children were given a giant marshmallow to eat, but if they were willing to wait for an unspecified amount of time, they would receive an additional marshmallow. Most of the children could not do it, but the few who did were creative at distracting themselves from looking at the prize. This example is often used to illustrate the value of delayed gratification. Most of us are willing to forfeit the best things…
God Had Spoken By His Son
Athanasius: Constantine Augustus and his sons wrote letters to St. Anthony seeking divine wisdom. Anthony told his disciples: “Do not be astonished if an emperor writes to us, for he is a man. Wonder rather that God wrote the law for man and has spoken to us through his own Son.” The first coming of Jesus was the climax of redemptive history and his second coming marks its culmination. This hybrid sermon-letter opens with a comparison between Christ and the…
God Spoke By The Prophets
Hellen Keller lost her ability to see and hear at 19 months (scarlet fever?). She learned about 50 signs in order to communicate with her family. When she was six-years-old, the family hired a visually impaired instructor named Anne Sullivan. The first thing she taught her was how to spell words. She gave her a doll spelling “d-o-l-l” into the palm of Keller’s hand. Keller didn’t realize that a different word was used to identify each object. After a month…
Jesus Is Greater Than….Part 2
We’re considering two things: 1. The Author 2. The Audience Why does this matter? They will have a significant impact upon our interpretation (hermeneutics). • Historical-Grammatical: Treats the Bible as God’s Word and understands that it conveys objective truth. Seeks to understand the original intent of the author. • Historical-Critical (Higher Criticism): Treats the Bible like any other text assuming no possibility of miraculous activity. Seeks to understand the author’s intended meaning. • Reader-Response: The Bible conveys subjective truth to…
Jesus Is Greater Than….
Jesus Is Greater Than… (Hebrews) It is anathema to compare two cultures and declare one to be superior. Cultural relativists will accuse you of ethnocentrism before you can finish your sentence. The author of Hebrews, himself a Jew, unashamedly argues that Jesus is greater than every prophet, priest, and king who came before him. He points to the supremacy of Christ over everyone and everything belonging to the old covenant. 1. Jesus > Prophets 2. Jesus > Angels 3. Jesus…
Nehemiah’s Final Reforms
“Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda“ (the church reformed, always reforming), has become a beloved slogan of the reformed church since it was first coined in a devotional book by the Dutch minister, Jodocus van Lodenstein in 1674. We might assume that he was talking about making major changes to the doctrine, worship, or government of the Church. But in his day, the church was already thoroughly reformed in each of those areas. Godfrey The great concern of ministers like van Lodenstein was…
Restoring The Sabbath
Since 1937 Gallup has tracked the decline in church membership in America. 2020 marked the first year that membership dropped below 50%. This trend applies across every demographic and subgroup of America. We cannot point the finger at one particular generation or denomination. We are simply becoming less and less religious across the board. Surely, the decline in Church membership is the product of a decline in church attendance. Only 22% of Americans say they attend Church every week, and…
