Sunday Sermonette

Keeping the Law
November 13, 2011

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10)

The law of God, centered in the Ten Commandments, is "holy, and just, and good" (Romans 7:12) and expresses perfectly the will of God for holy living. "The man that doeth them shall live in them" (Galatians 3:12).

The problem is that no man can possibly do them all. A man may keep most of the commandments most of the time, but he will inevitably fail in some of them some of the time. Since the law is a divine unit, breaking any commandment--as our text reminds us--breaks the whole law, bringing the guilty one under God's curse of death. "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them" (Galatians 3:10). "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight" (Romans 3:20).

All men, having sinned against God's law, are therefore lost and in urgent need of salvation. This is where God's wonderful grace comes in. "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, . . . Even the righteousness . . . which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe" (Romans 3:21-22), "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13). He kept the law for us, and bore its curse for us: Thus we are saved through trusting Him.

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid" (Romans 6:1-2). We now desire to keep His commandments, because we love Him. "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous" (1 John 5:3). We are now able to keep them, because His Spirit now lives in us, and we are "strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man" (Ephesians 3:16). HMM


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

Sunday Sermonette

Jesus and the Fact of Hell
November 6, 2011

"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." (Matthew 25:41)

How can it be that Jesus Christ, who taught so strongly the importance of love and forgiveness, could speak such words as these? Actually, Jesus had more to say about hell and eternal punishment than any other speaker or writer in the Bible. Since He is the Creator (Colossians 1:16), the coming Judge (John 5:22), and the only man who has died and risen permanently from the dead (2 Corinthians 5:14-15), we would do well to believe and heed His warnings. He knows whereof He speaks!

Listen to these prophecies, for example: "So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 13:49-50). "If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:47-48). There are other such warnings from Christ, but how can we reconcile such threats of everlasting doom with His own nature of love?

The fact is, however, that hell was prepared for the devil and his angels, not for people. The devil has been a rebel against God since the beginning, wanting to be his own god. When people follow the devil in this same rebellious path, rejecting God's Word, they are showing they would be more comfortable with Satan than with Christ in eternity. Therefore Christ, because of His great love, has repeatedly warned them of what is coming, and so should we. "Of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire" (Jude 22-23). HMM

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

Sunday Sermonette

The Joyful Sound
October 30, 2011

"Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance." (Psalm 89:15)

Many have been the Christians who have joined in singing "We have heard the joyful sound: Jesus saves; Jesus saves!" Not all have known, however, that this beautiful phrase comes from a great psalm extolling God's marvelous works of creation and then His promises of redemption.

"The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them. The north and the south thou hast created them" (Psalm 89:11-12). Earlier verses note that "the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD" (v. 5), speaking of the angels, "the sons of the mighty" (v. 6), literally, "the sons of God." It is exciting to realize that the very first "joyful sound" was heard when God "laid the foundations of the earth." Then it was that "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:4, 7).

There was also a joyful sound when Christ was born, and the angel came bringing "good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born . . . a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. . . . And suddenly there was . . . the heavenly host praising God" (Luke 2:10-11, 13).

Whenever a soul is saved, there is another joyful sound: "Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth," said Jesus (Luke 15:7). Finally, there will be a most wonderful sound of joy on earth when the Lord comes again. "And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (Isaiah 35:10). Therefore, even now, "my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation" (Psalm 35:9). HMM

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

Sunday Sermonette

Fellowship
October 23, 2011

"And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2:42)

Much goes on in Christian churches today under the name of "fellowship." Usually this consists of coffee and donuts, or church socials, or sports. As delightful as these functions may be, they should not be confused with biblical fellowship.

Nowhere in the New Testament do any of the Greek words translated "fellowship" imply fun times. Rather, they talk of, for example, "the fellowship of the ministering to the saints" (2 Corinthians 8:4) as sacrificial service and financial aid. (See, for example, 1 Timothy 6:18.)

Elsewhere, Paul was thankful for the Philippian believers' "fellowship in the gospel" (Philippians 1:5), for he knew that "inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers |same word as fellowship| of my grace" (Philippians 1:7). This sort of fellowship may even bring persecution.

We are to emulate Christ's humility and self-sacrificial love (Philippians 2:5-8) through the "fellowship of the Spirit" (Philippians 2:1). In some way known only partially to us, we have the privilege of knowing "the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death" (Philippians 3:10), and even "the communion |i.e., fellowship| of the blood" and "body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:16).

As we can see, this "fellowship" is serious business. As in our text and subsequent verses, fellowship should be accompanied by teaching, prayer, and ministry to the poor (Acts 2:45).

This kind of fellowship will be in "favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47). JDM

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

Sunday Sermonette

This Generation
October 16, 2011

"Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." (Matthew 24:34)

This exciting prediction by Christ climaxes His great prophetic discourse on the Mount of Olives. He had given His disciples the signs they had requested, then discussed the coming great tribulation and finally His glorious return in the clouds of heaven. And "all these things" were to be fulfilled before "this generation" would pass away.

And what generation would that be? Many commentators have taken it as the Jewish "race," but that would be redundant, since many other passages had already promised that the nation of Israel would never pass away (Jeremiah 31:37-40; etc.). Furthermore, the Greek word for "generation" (genea) is never used elsewhere for any meaning but that of a particular age generation. A similar word genos sometimes means "stock" or "kind," but never genea.

Thus, the generation which Christ was predicting probably meant the generation that would see the events He had prophesied. "When ye shall see all these things," He said, "know that it is near, even at the doors" (Matthew 24:33).

And what are some of "these things"? World wars, accompanied and followed by "earthquakes in divers places," as well as "famines, and pestilences" (v. 7), worldwide spread of the gospel witness (v. 14), many false Christs and false prophets (v. 24), widespread wickedness and spiritual indifference as in the days of Noah (vv. 37-39), and the budding of the fig tree, Israel (v. 32).

The word for "this" in verse 34 is the demonstrative adjective, so Christ seems to be referring to "that" generation which sees "these things begin to come to pass." That generation will see all these things fulfilled! To that generation He says: "Lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21:28). HMM

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

Sunday Sermonette

Absent from the Body
October 9, 2011

"We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:8)

This wonderful phrase of hope--"absent from the body, present with the Lord"--was the most appropriate inscription we could think of to place on the gravestone of our youngest son when he died many years ago. He was a solid Christian young man with a good Christian testimony, so we are indeed "confident" that he has been "present with the Lord" ever since sudden cancer temporarily conquered his body, leaving a beautiful wife and three young children behind.

Therefore, though we all miss him deeply, we "sorrow not, even as others which have no hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Sadly, however, there are many others who are "without Christ, . . . having no hope, and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:12). Although Christ has paid the full redemption price on the cross to have their sins forgiven and to give them eternal life, they spurn His love and so Jesus has to say, "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life" (John 5:40).

The times of judgment are coming, when they learn that "whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15). Right now, however, all who know Christ as their Lord and Savior can know, with Paul, that "to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21).

Furthermore, when Christ returns, "them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him" (1 Thessalonians 4:14). And then He will change our old body, whether in the grave or still living, "that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body" and "we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:2). HMM

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

Sunday Sermonette

In His Steps
October 2, 2011

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way." (Psalm 37:23)

There is nothing more satisfying to a believer than to be living in the will of God for his life. And it is good to know that God actually delights in leading us along that way which He is laying out for us. There are numerous Bible verses to this effect. One of the most familiar is "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:6).

That verse gives us a basic principle for knowing His way. We need to seek His leading in everything! Of course, it may not be an easy path. "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps" (1 Peter 2:21).

Even if the path seems difficult at times, it is a good path, because it honors Him. "He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake" (Psalm 23:3). He is the good Shepherd, and if we lose the way for a time, He can bring us back. As the prophet said: "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jeremiah 10:23).

An important check to be sure we are not drifting far off the path is to be sure we don't disobey or question His written Word. "Order my steps in thy word," we should pray each day (Psalm 119:133). Then He promises: "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left" (Isaiah 30:21).

It may not be an audible voice, but we can hear. Jesus promised: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). Then we can say, as the ancient servant testified: "I being in the way, the LORD led me" (Genesis 24:27). HMM


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