“The Grace of Giving” (2 Corinthians 8:1-15)
The Grace of Giving 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 Tonight we are learning about Christian giving. The grace of financial giving. There is only one other topic that could be preached that so directly strikes at our Old Man and fleshly sensibilities: overeating and obesity. We are going to examine what the Word of God says in 2 Corinthians 8. There are obvious pitfalls associated with the sharing of our finances. Giving unto God financially can be a reflection…
“Anticipating the Final Trumpet” (Revelation 10:1-11)
Anticipating the Final Trumpet (Rev. 10:1-11) Between the breaking of the sixth and seventh seal there was an interlude in chapter seven where John was given a vision of the church militant and triumphant. The saints on earth are promised protection from the harm of the judgments and given a vision of their future reign in glory. Following that same pattern, we have another interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpet. This interlude transitions from the demonic forces that were…
“Forgive Us Our Debts” (Matthew 6:9-15)
The Lord’s Prayer – Part 8 “Forgive Us Our Debts” (Matt. 6:9-15) Prayer is children coming before their Heavenly Father, offering Him praise and adoration for who He is, expressing our desire to see His kingdom established and purified, and requesting for His will to be done in and through us. Last week, we looked at the fourth petition which teaches us to pray for our daily bread. We begin by acknowledging that we do not deserve outward blessings, but…
“The Futility of Idolatry” (Revelation 9:13-21)
The Futility of Idolatry (Rev. 9:13-21) One frustrating tendency of Christians is their incessant search for innovative ways to worship God. We crave novel means of approaching God because we don’t like the results we are currently achieving. People who are generally dissatisfied with the depth of their spiritual experience—which is all of us at some level—are prone to look for creative approaches to worship. This is why being grounded in historic orthodox Christianity is crucial if we are going…
“Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread” (Matthew 6:9-15)
The Lord’s Prayer – Part 7 “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread” (Matt. 6:9-15) Whenever we come to God in prayer we begin by acknowledging his heavenly majesty and power. That is why we say “Our Father in Heaven”. We know he is holy and transcendent, but we have personally experienced his fatherly kindness. By sending his Son, the Father made a way for us to be adopted into his family. Through faith in Jesus we pray as children…
“The Misery of Unbelief” (Revelation 8:13-9:12)
The Misery of Unbelief (Rev. 8:13-9:12) John is writing from exile on the island of Patmos to the Universal Church in order to prepare them for the trials they will inevitably face and encourage them to persevere. The vision includes warning and encouragement. Heavenly glory is followed by divine judgment. Last week, we began the second cycle of judgments looking at the first four trumpets. With each successive blast another judgment resulted in the de-creation of a third of the…
“The Sound of Trumpets” (Revelation 8:6-12)
The Sound of Trumpets (Revelation 8:6-12) Two fundamental truths about the world is that (1) God created everything good, but (2) sin has corrupted everything. Without this understanding, much of life is nonsense. This explains why our desires are so often at odds with what is truly good for us. Man has fallen into an estate of sin and misery that the Westminster Shorter Catechism defines as “the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of original righteousness, and the…
“Your Will Be Done” (Matthew 6:9-15)
The Lord’s Prayer – Part 6 “Your Will Be Done” (Matt. 6:9-15) The Reformed community has a wealth of resources to turn to for guidance in prayer. Typically, the instruction follows the pattern of the Westminster Larger Catechism. Books on prayer take the subject and expound upon the examples and topics we find throughout Scripture. This is not meant to turn our prayers into a simple reading of God’s Word. Prayer is communication with God in our own words. But…
“The Sound of Silence” (Revelation 8:1-5)
The Sound of Silence (Rev. 8:1-5) I have loved Simon & Garfunkel ever since my mom chose “Bridge Over Troubled Water” for her brother’s funeral back in 1990. Since then, they have been one of my favorite musical artists. Hands down, their best song is “The Sound of Silence”. Paul Simon wrote the song at the age of 21 in 1963. It was recorded in March 1964 and included on their debut album. The song was a flop until a…