Sunday, March 25, 2012

Sunday Sermonette

The Watchful Christian
March 25, 2012

"But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. . . . And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." (Mark 13:32-33, 37)

Every believer, in all places and times, has been commanded by Christ Himself to watch for His return. Since we cannot know the day nor the hour, we are to be watchful always. There are at least eight references in the New Testament commanding us to watch for His coming.

Many people have tried to calculate the date of Christ's coming. But Jesus said, "In such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 24:44). If anyone "thinks" he has figured out the time, we can be sure that calculation is wrong! If even the Lord Jesus Himself, within the self-limiting confines of His humanity, did not know the time of His return, it is unscriptural and presumptuous for any of us to think we can determine it.

In fact, the very reason for its uncertainty is to stimulate watchfulness on the part of the believer. When a believer starts to "say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming" (Luke 12:45), there arises a real danger that he will fall into sinful habits.

The daily attitude of "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" is a real incentive for one to "live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world" (Titus 2:13, 12). "When he shall appear, we shall be like him," John promises, "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (1 John 3:2-3). We should continually "abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming" (1 John 2:28). HMM

h/t: HENRY M MORRIS, INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Sunday Sermonette

The Flesh of a Little Child
March 18, 2012

"Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean." (2 Kings 5:14)

The familiar story of Naaman the Syrian was cited by the Lord Jesus as an example of God's concern for people of all nations: "Many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus |Elisha| the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian" (Luke 4:27). It is also a striking picture of salvation.

Naaman was a great and highly acclaimed general, but nevertheless was stricken with an incurable and loathsome disease. Similarly, any natural man, no matter how powerful, is afflicted with the lethal disease of sin. Before this proud official could be cured of his leprosy, he had to humble himself in several ways. First, he had to accept the advice of a slave girl from an enemy nation; then journey to that nation and its prophet, whose God his own nation had repudiated; travel still farther at the word of the prophet (who would not even come out to meet him); and, finally, immerse himself seven times in the despised river Jordan. Though he resented being so humiliated, his condition was hopeless otherwise, so he finally did all these things, and God marvelously healed him!

The leprous flesh became as the flesh of a little child again, but first he had to manifest the obedient faith of a little child. The same principle is true for every lost sinner. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up" (James 4:10). Jesus said, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3-4). HMM

h/t: HENRY M MORRIS, INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Sunday Sermonette

A First-Century Hymn
March 11, 2012

"It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself." (2 Timothy 2:11-13)

It has been noted that our text for the day is in poetic language and form. It probably consists of an early hymn that Timothy and the other readers of this epistle knew. It consists of a series of "if . . . then" statements, each an important conditional promise, two with negative connotations and two with positive.

"If we be dead with him, we shall also live with him." Elsewhere we read, "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses" (Colossians 2:13).

"If we suffer |literally, 'endure'|, we shall also reign with him." "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne" (Revelation 3:21).

"If we deny him, he also will deny us." Christ said, "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:33).

"If we believe not |literally, are unfaithful|, yet he abideth faithful." His promises are sure whether they be warnings of judgment or promises of blessing. God promised Joshua: "As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage" (Joshua 1:5-6).

Our text begins with the statement "It is a faithful saying," and ends with "he cannot deny himself." We can be sure that He will live up to His end of the bargain. His very nature demands it. JDM

h/t: J D MORRIS, INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Sunday Sermonette

A Time to Die
March 4, 2012

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted." (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2)

In the first eight verses of Ecclesiastes 3 there is a remarkable listing of 28 "times" arranged in 14 pairs of opposites (e.g., "a time to be born and a time to die"). Every timed event is planned by God and has a "purpose" (v. 1), and everything is "beautiful" in God's time for it (v. 11).

Although it is beyond our finite comprehension, it is still bound to be true that the infinite, omnipotent God "worketh all things after the counsel of his own will" (Ephesians 1:11). Even when in our time we may not understand how a particular event can be purposeful or beautiful, we can have faith that if it occurs in God's time for it, it is (Romans 8:28).

The time of our birth is, of course, not under our control, but we can certainly have a part in determining the occurrence of all the other thirteen "times," even the time of death. With the exception of those still living at the time of Christ's return, each of us will eventually die. God has appointed a time for each individual, and it is wrong for him or her to shorten that time (by suicide or careless living, which can never be part of His will for any of us).

We should say with David: "My times are in thy hand" (Psalm 31:15), and seek to live in ways pleasing to Him as long as He allows us to live. We should pray that, when our time is finished, He will enable us to die in a manner that will be "beautiful in his time" (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Not one of us knows when that ordained "time to die" may be for us, so we must seek daily to "walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time" (Colossians 4:5). HMM

h/t: HENRY M MORRIS, INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH