Saturday, July 27, 2013

Sunday Sermonette

July 28, 2013
Remember the Day of Rest
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates." (Exodus 20:8-10)
 
The Hebrew word for "remember" actually means to "mark" or "set aside." The Israelites didn't need to be told to "remember" the sabbath, because all nations had been keeping time in weeks ever since creation (Genesis 2:13). (Note the references to the sabbath in the sending of God's manna, prior to the giving of this commandment |Exodus 16:23-29|.) But they did need to be reminded to mark it as a holy or rest day, as God had done in that first week.
 
The Hebrew word for "sabbath" does not mean "Saturday" any more than it means "Sunday." It means, simply, "rest" or "intermission." The institution of the sabbath (that is, one day out of every seven days to be "set aside" as a day of rest, worship, and remembrance of the Creator) was "made for man" and his good (Mark 2:27). It was even of benefit to the animals used by man (note the mention of "cattle" in the commandment). It had been a pattern observed since the completion of God's six days of creation and making all things at the very beginning of world history (note Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:11).
 
It is still appropriate today, as well. "There remaineth therefore a rest |that is, 'a sabbath-keeping'| to the people of God" (Hebrews 4:9). All men have a deep need to remember their Creator and His completed work of creation at least once each week, as well as His completed work of salvation—especially in these days when both of these finished works are so widely denied or ignored. HMM

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

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Sunday Sermonette

 July 21, 2013
Why Did Christ Die?
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
 
This passage is often considered the defining passage of the gospel, stating the great truth that Christ died for our sins, then was buried (thus stressing that His resurrection was a physical resurrection, not just spiritual), and then rose again. As such, it is interesting that verse 1 which introduces it ("I declare unto you the gospel") contains the central mention of the more than 100 times the Greek word for "gospel" occurs in the New Testament.
 
However, it does not say why Christ died for our sins. It was not just to pay for our salvation and make us happy. There are, in fact, numerous references to His substitutionary death which do give us further insight into just why Christ died for us and our salvation.
 
For example, "he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again" (2 Corinthians 5:15). And consider Galatians 1:4, in which Paul tells us that Christ "gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world."
 
Peter's testimony and explanation was that the Lord Jesus "his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness" (1 Peter 2:24). John said: "|God| loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another" (1 John 4:10-11).
 
There are many other verses to the same affect. Christ did not die merely to save our souls, but to empower us to live in a way that would glorify God right here on Earth. HMM

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

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Sunday Sermonette

July 14, 2013

Son of Man

"And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle." (Revelation 14:14) This is the last of some 87 New Testament references (84 in the four gospels, one in Acts, none in the epistles, two in Revelation) to Christ as the Son of man. Here we see the Son of man coming on a white cloud from heaven (just as He had ascended into heaven after His resurrection) as the conquering King of all the earth. What a contrast is this to the first New Testament reference to the Son of man. "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head" (Matthew 8:20). From humility and poverty on Earth to power and riches in heaven, and for all eternity—this was His journey when Christ left His heavenly glory to join the human family. In between the poverty and the power lay the whole human experience, for He "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). Finally, as Son of man He must die for man's sin, for "the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again" (Luke 24:7). Even in heaven He is still the Son of man, for Stephen saw Him thus: "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God" (Acts 7:56). There is, indeed, a great man in the glory! Christ called Himself "the Son of man" much more often than "the Son of God," though He will eternally be both, the God/man. He delights to identify with those whom He has redeemed, for He "is not ashamed to call them brethren" (Hebrews 2:11). "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" asked Jesus. Then we say, with Peter, "Thou art . . . the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:13, 16). HMM

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

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Sunday Sermonette

July 7, 2013 Eternal Life ". . .that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." (1 John 5:13) Although this powerful, five-chapter letter from the apostle John is full of vital insights into the Christian life, it is written to "little children" (1 John 5:21) so that they might "know" the majesty and wonder of eternal life. John begins his epistle with a reminder that he "knew" this Jesus from whom the promise of eternal life came (1 John 1:1-3). John was an eyewitness to Christ's resurrection (John 20), which is the most powerful proof of the claims and promises of the Lord (Acts 17:31). Much of that which is applied in John's epistle is based on the precise teachings of the Lord Jesus Himself, heard by John and recorded in John's gospel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (John 20:31). Those who believe will "not perish" (John 3:15-16). The "water" of Christ springs up to "everlasting life" (John 4:14). Whoever has everlasting life "is passed" from death to life (John 5:24). Those who come to Christ will "never hunger" (John 6:35). No one is able to "pluck" the believer out of the Father's hand (John 10:28-30). "Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die" (John 11:26). Based on the Word of God, John gives us several experiential tests by which we can know that we "live": We love and keep His commandments (1 John 2:3). We know and love the truth (1 John 2:20). We love the brethren (1 John 3:14). We have God's Holy Spirit (1 John 4:13). HMM III h/t: HENRY M MORRIS III, INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH