Sunday Sermonette

An Acceptable Sacrifice October 28, 2012 "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:5) Our text instructs us that we, as a corporate church and as individuals, are designed for the purpose of offering up acceptable sacrifices to God. These are not animal sacrifices as before, but "spiritual" sacrifices, made "acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." What kinds of spiritual sacrifices are acceptable? Prayer: An amazing scene is recorded for us in heaven, for an angel is seen at the altar offering up to God incense mingled with "the prayers of the saints" (Revelation 8:4, see also 5:8). Our prayers are precious to Him. Giving: The use of our financial resources for the furtherance of His kingdom becomes "an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God" (Philippians 4:18). Praise: In some way, not fully comprehended by us, we can "offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name" (Hebrews 13:15). Good work and sharing: "But to do good and to communicate |share| forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (Hebrews 13:16). Remember, we are saved entirely by God's grace, but also created specifically unto good works (Ephesians 2:8-10). Ourselves: We have a distinct privilege in that we may "present |our| bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is |our| reasonable service" (Romans 12:1). God is a magnificent God! He can be trusted with our prayers, our resources, our praise, our works, and our lives. His perfect sacrifice has made it possible for our sacrifices to be meaningful. JDM h/t: J D MORRIS, INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH

Sunday Sermonette

Sudden Creation October 21, 2012 "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6) Even a superficial reading of the account of creation in Genesis 1 and 2 impresses the reader with the idea of suddenness. God simply called the universe into existence from nothing and then quickly set about the rapid formation of certain features, interspersed with other direct creative acts. All of the events, whether creative or formative, seem to have happened over a brief period of time, such as the formation of the plants (Genesis 1:12), the animals (v. 20), and the sun and stars (v. 16). Even aspects that were evidently formed by a process such as the continents and oceans (v. 10) and humankind (2:7, 22) seemingly took no great length of time. This is especially true of the creation of light. "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light" (1:3). No slow and sporadic arrival of light from distant stars is mentioned, nor a gradual heating up of the sun as interstellar gas collapsed and fused. Some evangelical advocates of the old-earth concept hold that God slowly cleared the atmosphere of left-over interstellar, dust which allowed the light from the sun and stars to penetrate to the earth. But, if Scripture alone is our authority, then it happened suddenly and spectacularly. As discussed in our text, it happened just as suddenly and just as supernaturally as a new creature is created out of a dead creature at the moment of salvation. Sanctification may be a life-long matter, but "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature" (2 Corinthians 5:17), literally creation. No more time is required for the transformation than for darkness to turn into light at the Creator's command. JDM h/t: J D MORRIS, INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH

Sunday Sermonette

Summing up Submission October 14, 2012 "Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5) Although this book was written to Christians during a time of horrible persecution, much of it is concerned with submission. Believers are to submit to the government (2:13-17); slaves to their masters (2:18-20); wives to their husbands (3:1-6); husbands to their wives (3:7); and each one to the other, as in our text, in just the same way Christ submitted to God’s plan for His suffering and death (2:21-25). A summary of this teaching is found in 1 Peter 3:8-12. "Be ye all of one mind" (v. 8), Peter tells us, and live in harmony. Paul taught, "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:18). There are exceptions to the rule (e.g., the primary doctrines of Scripture), but the Christian normally should not be the one to break the peace. He should do everything short of compromise to live in harmony. Continuing (see 1 Peter 3:8), we should have "compassion" for others (such as the rulers, employers, and spouses mentioned). We should "love as brethren" and choose to serve rather than be served. "Pitiful" is usually translated "tenderhearted," and "courteous" implies "humble in spirit." We should return a blessing for a curse instead of replying in kind (1 Peter 3:9). We should choose our words, use our speech carefully (v. 10), and "eschew" (i.e., avoid) evil (v. 11), actively replacing evil behavior with good. Peace must be consciously pursued. There is great reward in such a lifestyle and attitude. In doing so, we will "inherit a blessing" (v. 9) and "see good days" (v. 10). "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil" (v. 12). JDM h/t: J D MORRIS, INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH

Sunday Sermonette

A Credible Lifestyle October 7, 2012 "And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey." (Mark 1:6) At times we tend to think of John the Baptist as a wild man, one who would have been either an offense or a laughingstock to those he was trying to reach, but in reality quite the opposite was true. He was greatly respected and believed; some even wondered if he should have been worshiped as "that prophet" (i.e., the Messiah) or revered as Elijah (John 1:21). His "preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (Luke 3:3) was so effective that not only the common people (Luke 3:10), but also the publicans (v. 12), soldiers (v. 14), priests, and Levites (John 1:19), as well as the Pharisees and the Sadducees (Matthew 3:7), came to hear his teaching. Many repented and were baptized. Far from lacking credibility, John's style was what was expected of a prophet. Indeed his ministry and message were in fulfillment of those of Elijah (Malachi 4:5) who himself "was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins" (2 Kings 1:8). Even false prophets mimicked this style (Zechariah 13:4) to gain credibility. The point is, we should strive to package our timeless message of the gospel of Christ in such a way as to gain the greatest hearing and the most true converts. This is not to say that we should dress as John or Elijah did, for that would be bizarre in today's world. Nor should we flaunt riches, for both styles detract from the message and induce ridicule and blasphemy. Perhaps the principle is to dress and act as the hearers would expect a credible, sober conveyer of truth to behave. Let us be careful to "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things" (Titus 2:10). JDM h/t: J D MORRIS, INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH

Sunday Sermonette

Walk as He Walked September 30, 2012 "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." (1 John 2:6) The idea of walking as Christ walked can be intimidating to a Christian. After all, the sinless Son of God, Himself fully God, who gave up everything to serve and save rebellious mankind, set an exceedingly high standard. Nothing short of perfection and total sacrifice will do. Nevertheless, while we recognize that we will never fully achieve Christlikeness on this side of glory, we have "received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him" (Colossians 2:6). Let us note several specific commands in the New Testament that describe such a walk. First and foremost, we are to "Walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16, 25; Romans 8:1-4). The empowering of the Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to "walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory" (1 Thessalonians 2:12; Ephesians 4:1). Furthermore, our walk is a walk of faith: "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). We must "walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us" (Ephesians 5:2), and since "now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light" (v. 8; see also 1 John 1:7). We will make good use of our opportunities as we "walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15-16; Colossians 4:5). We must "walk in truth" (3 John 4) and in honesty (1 Thessalonians 4:12; Romans 13:13). This walk will be evident to all by our "good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). Such a victorious walk might be its own reward; but there is more. Our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, has said of those who overcome that "they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy" (Revelation 3:4). JDM h/t: J D MORRIS, INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH

Sunday Sermonette

The Creation of Plants September 23, 2012 "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so." (Genesis 1:11) One of the favorite biblical arguments used these days by Christian advocates of an old earth comes from a forced interpretation of this verse. While the verse seems to teach "sudden" creation, old-earth advocates interpret the verse to necessitate an indefinite time period, at least long enough for seeds to grow up into mature, seed-bearing plants. Plants differ widely and are thought to have evolved all throughout earth history. The third day, then, must be understood as long enough to witness the appearance of all "kinds" of plants and is equated with a vast stretch of geologic time. However, there are many biblical problems with this view--a few of which follow. Scripture teaches that "in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is" (Exodus 20:11; see also Genesis 2:1-4; etc.), and no meaning other than a solar day is biblically defensible. The "herbs" and "trees" mentioned can only mean small or woody plants which supposedly arrived late on the evolutionary scale, for the same words are used to identify food plants on Day Six. Furthermore, the verb "bring forth" (Genesis 1:11) is also used when God made animals, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature" (v. 24), on the sixth day. It cannot be referring to the growth of a seed out of the ground, but rather must imply the sudden creation of both plants and animals in abundance. Such compromises are impossible biblically and are quite unnecessary. There are no true facts of science which are incompatible with the young-earth teaching of Scripture. We can be sure of its teachings. JDM h/t: J D MORRIS, INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH

Sunday Sermonette

Fruitless Trees and Fruitless Lives
September 16, 2012

"He was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it." (Mark 11:12-14)

Many detractors of our Lord have pointed with glee to what on the surface seems like a fit of petty anger on Christ's part, spawned by His selfish appetite. In reality, it was probably unrealistic to expect figs at that time of year, a fact which He must have known quite well.

Perhaps the key to the whole passage is in the fact that "His disciples heard it." When we look at the surrounding passages, we see that Christ was using the barren fig tree to teach His disciples something they desperately needed to know. This might be called a living parable.

Our Lord had just come from His triumphal entry into the city, having been proclaimed as King by the multitude (vv. 7-11), knowing their shallow adoration would soon turn into cries for His death. Leaving the fig tree, he drove the money changers from the temple grounds, having recognized that they were not only exploiting all the Jews who entered, but had taken over the court of the Gentiles, using it as a shortcut through town (v. 16) and a place of business (v. 15), thus denying the possibility of true worship to all, both Jews and Gentiles.

The fig tree was an object lesson on barrenness, typifying the Jewish nation's condition in spite of their privileged heritage. This type of hypocritical fruitlessness receives condemnation (vv. 20-21), exhibits a lack of faith (vv. 22-23), and hinders our prayers (vv. 24-26).

Our desire must be to bear much fruit in our worship, in our faith, in our prayers, and in our lives. JDM

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