Introduction: In this section of Isaiah, we find a glorious description of the turn from the old to the new covenant, and from the corrupted covenant to the incorruptible. The Text: “Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be regarded …
A Series of Coronations
Introduction: On Ascension Sunday, we mark the departure of the Lord Jesus into Heaven, where He was received in great glory, and where He was crowned with universal dominion. This is our celebration of His coronation proper. But there were a series of glorifications prior to this, each one building on the last—at each stage …
Decluttering Your Marriage II
Introduction: In the message last week, we addressed the problem of how pride and a lack of self-reflection compounds the problem of cluttered relationships. In this message we are going to focus on some practical steps that will help you get things picked up, and will help you keep it that way. As things stand …
Decluttering Your Marriage I
Introduction: Many of you have been married for quite a number of years now. This can be wonderful, like aging wine, but before anyone says awwww, it can also grow seriously un-wonderful, as bad spiritual habits compound with interest. Marriages can get badly cluttered, like a neglected garage, attic, or basement. And when things get …
Crowds of the Heart/Palm Sunday 2017
Introduction: You have often heard here that we have no real reason for assuming that the crowd that welcomed Jesus in the Triumphal Entry and the crowd that was gathered to scream for His crucifixion were made up of the same people. Those two events, just days apart, are often pointed to as evidence of …
Real Forgiveness
Introduction: Everyone knows that the Christian faith revolves around the forgiveness of sins. But because there is a gospel logic involved in it that eludes every form of carnal reasoning, we have to be careful to understand what is actually involved. What is real forgiveness? The Text: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and …
Missions and Media
Introduction: Every year our congregation sponsors a missions conference, the one we just finished Saturday. It is also our custom to have the sermon following the missions conference be related to the subject of missions in some way. This message is no exception, but it is important for us not to misunderstand. The fact that …
State of the Church 2017
Introduction: It has been our custom for many years to have a “state of the church” message at an early point in the year. This year we have an opportunity to have that message pretty early. Now sometimes the message concerns the state of the church nationally, and sometimes it pertains just to our congregation. …
Themes in Proverbs: Work and Laziness
Introduction: One of the things we must recognize is that work does not exist in the world because of the Fall. Work got a lot more difficult because of our sin, and it labors under a curse, but God gave the cultural mandate to mankind, a mandate which involved an enormous amount of work, before …
Themes in Proverbs: Self-Control
Introduction: When we think of the phrase self-control, the first thing that comes to mind is control of the bodily appetites. We think of resisting temptations to lust or to gluttony. But that is not the only concern of Proverbs when it comes to learning how to control oneself. Many of the passages dealing with …