1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 "You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia."
Introduction:
Whenever it comes to standing behind a pulpit on a Sunday morning, the preacher's goal is always to bring forth a word from God from the word of God. The last few posts have featured introductory suggestions for discerning the selection process for planning out the preaching of God's Word. Thus far we have noted four suggestions for determining the direction a man ought to pursue when preparing sermons:
1. Begin with prayer
2. Know relevant texts that can address a given topic on the preacher's heart
3. Anything gleaned from the preacher's reading of books, listening to podcasts or other sorts of media
4. Knowledge of contemporary events
Today's post is going to wrap-up the suggested list a man can take when trying to figure out the direction their preaching ought to take. In addition to the four above suggestions, we can offer two others:
The preacher ought to prefer preaching verse by verse or chapter by chapter expository preaching
There have been many books over the years that have advocated what is typically called "expository preaching". Expository preaching is not a style of preaching. Instead, expository preaching is the very heart of preaching - namely, "exposing" or "explaining the text" to the congregation for the purpose of exhortation and application by the power of the Holy Spirit. The gold standard of such preaching is the verse-by-verse expository sermon or what is technically called "continua scriptura" method. God revealed His word through the writing styles and personalities of the prophets and apostles. Each word they used and each line they wrote are by-products of Divine revelation.
The beauty of expository preaching is that it takes the guess work out of what to preach next. An insightful reader in the last post had noted that the former suggestions had applied to so-called "topical preaching". I'll admit that in these posts, I'm attempting to cover the broad-swath of what is the practice of homiletics or Biblical preaching. If for anything, some of my suggestions intentionally apply to situations where a topical message or preaching series might be done, as well as those occasions where a preacher is going through a book of the Bible.
If anything, a stand-along message or preaching from a Psalm can break up monotony and keep both the preacher and congregation apprised of what God's Word teaches in other places. Certainly taking a subject and bringing in other texts of scripture can be illuminating and enjoyable for the preaching and hearer both.
It would seem to me that if a pastor were to offer a study diet of variety in his preaching repertoire, he may preach 25-30% topical messages; 60-75% verse by verse messages and 5% stand-alone sermons. Undoubtedly, verse by verse or chapter by chapter expository messages enable the congregation to be fed God's Word as it was revealed.
The preacher ought to take into consideration what is happening in his congregation
A preacher not only needs to be a student of the Word and the student of the world around him, but he undoubtedly better be sure he is a student of his flock. As time passes, there ought to be a growing trust and rapport between the pastor and the congregation. Pastors worth their salt ought to prize home-visitations, phone-calls, texting of church members and one-to-one conversations as much as they prize time in their study.
Whenever we read a passage like the opening set of verses in today's post, Paul knew what was going on at the church at Thessalonica. Their spiritual status was a factor in sculpting what he wrote. Whenever a prophet would give a Word from the Lord, that word was always timely in meeting the needs of the audience. Undoubtedly, sermons ought to be planned for the purpose of shaping the congregation. With that said, sermon preparation also entails being orientated on the basis of the audience at hand. A youth group may hear a slightly different message than say, a group of senior adults. Why? Both groups are going through different experiences and will hear different things - even though the preacher might be speaking from the identical same text.
Now whenever you put all the people of a given church in a sanctuary on a Sunday morning, more factors enter into the picture. This is where the preacher must needs rely on the empowerment of the Spirit in the delivery of the message. I can't tell you how many times the sermon delivered ended up being different from how I had prepared it. The Holy Spirit knows who is going to be in attendance and what responses are going to occur before the conclusion of the message.
If a pastor is not spending time with the people to whom he ministers or praying for them on a regular basis, he will never hear God properly on what to preach. Whenever one reads the seven letters written by the Apostle John in Revelation 2-3, seven times we read the refrain: "hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches". To the degree I know the people in the church I pastor, it will be to that degree I have clarity on what God is wanting to say to them in the preaching of His word. As Proverbs 27:23 states - "Know well the condition of your flocks, And pay attention to your herds."
Closing thoughts
The last few posts have been dedicated to offering suggestions for determining the direction to go in preparing sermons. Over the last three posts we have offered six suggestions:
1. Begin with prayer
2. Biblical texts he knows that can address whatever subject he has on his heart
3. Gleaning from whatever he has been reading
4. Discerning what God might be saying in the current events in the culture.
5. Preaching sequentially through Bible verses, chapters or books. This can eliminate much of the guess-work in determining what to preach next
6. A growing understanding of the status of one's congregation can aid significantly in determining the spiritual dietary needs of the congregation
It is hoped that these suggestions can aid any preacher, especially those starting out in ministry, on what to preach next. As any pastor will tell you - next Sunday is just around the corner...will you be ready to come with a word from God?
Daniel 9:1-3 "In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. 3 So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes."
Introduction:
In our last post we considered how a preacher discerns the direction of preparing his sermons. The proper place to begin is prayer. The great 19th century preacher Phillip Brooks once defined preaching as: "truth poured through a personality". When I as a preacher come to the Biblical text, my aim is not to look for a sermon, lesson or subject to communicate. Instead, my aim in coming to the Bible is to meet with God and He with me. God speaks through the words of the Bible. They are God's Word - period. Jesus Christ, the living truth, points me, by His Spirit, to the written truth in the Bible. It is there where we seek to have such truth poured through our personalities - whether those personalities be behind the pulpit or in the pew.
In those sacred pages, the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ emerges in the shadows of Old Testament circumstances and in the life of the disciples and the church in the New Testament. Jesus meets me in that precious book - the Bible. When I come to the Lord in prayer, He meets me there as well. Thus, the Bible and prayer function like hand and glove. We begin with prayer, since our relationship and fellowship with God is priority - whether speaking of the preacher or the person in the pew.
In today's post, we want to move onto three considerations of what a preacher should do when discerning on what to preach. Prayer is where we begin. However, what should come logically and spiritually next? As a preacher of God's Word, the following considerations function together - much like three strands in a braided rope. They may come in the order I'll be writing them below or, they may fall in a different sequence - depending on the sermon, the text and the audience. The above opening text in today's post will serve as a model - since the prophet Daniel was a premier example of a man of prayer and a man of the Word.
1. Know at least one text that will address what is burdened on the heart of the preacher
Daniel had been in Babylon for 70 years. He came to Babylon with the Jewish exiles. In Daniel 1, Daniel is but a youth - likely 15 years of age. In Daniel 9, we find him as an 85 year old man. This is Daniel of the lion's den. This is Daniel, interpreter of dreams. Daniel never deviated from his devotion to the Lord. He set his life by the Jewish festivals which he had learned growing up in Jerusalem. His beloved city, and her temple had been desecrated by Nebuchadnezzer in the fall of Jerusalem in 586 b.c. The empire of Babylon had given away to Persia in 538 b.c.
Now Daniel was stirred in his spirit. 70 years had passed. A particular text was on Daniel's mind. A near contemporary of his - the prophet Jeremiah - had predicted not only the Babylonian exile, but also its duration - 70 years. Daniel had a text of scripture to make sense of his situation. A portion of that text is found in Jeremiah 29:10-12 -
“For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you."
The pastor or preacher, much like Daniel, can only discern God's voice to the degree he gives himself daily to the scripture. Years of exploring God's Word, preaching it or teaching it, will increase one's ability to know where to look when considering key texts that touch upon various subjects. Each preacher will have their favorite passages.
I have found that wherever a passage of scripture has impacted me the most is in those times when I'm going through a major event, decision or challenge in life. Whenever I find myself being the one being scrutinized and read by the Bible, rather than the other-way around, then I know I have discovered the text from which to preach.
2. What has the pastor read as of late that has connected with his heart and mind
Now we're not told when Daniel had read the portion which he read in Jeremiah 29. It may had been over a period of days or it may had been the focal point of his meditation during his sojourn in Babylon. By the time we come to Daniel 9, the Babylonian Empire had given away to the Persian Empire under Cyrus I. All Daniel knew was that the shift in circumstances (we will touch upon this particular point momentarily) brought back to him what he had read. The impact of what he read and his current situation intersected.
The preacher of God's word should be an avid reader. It can be the newspaper, a book, a news article on the internet. In various other books of the Bible, we find not only extracts of other passages of the Bible inserted (like what we find here in Daniel's quotation of Jeremiah), but also King's decrees (example, Nehemiah 2).
Whatever occupies a preacher's mind whenever he is not in the Bible will make its way into his mind and heart. As I have listened to great preachers over the years, or have read classic sermons by preachers like C.H Spurgeon, I have observed their quotations of poets, writers of their day, something they themselves heard or read. The great 5th century theologian Augustine of Hippo noted how all truth is God's truth.
Even though there is plenty of error and fluff to avoid in our world, there are still plenty of opportunities to find the general revelation of His truth, character and nature. The Apostle Paul, for instance, quoted secular poets in his sermon in Acts 17. As the preacher reads or listens, he ought to do so with the intent to understand what God is showing him through his reading.
3. Considering the current state of affairs in the world
One thing that a preacher ought to be doing is reading. It can be the newspaper, a book, a news article on the internet. In various other books of the Bible, we find not only extracts of other passages of the Bible inserted (like what we find here in Daniel's quotation of Jeremiah), but also King's decrees (example, Nehemiah 2).
In today's 21st century world, social-media floods us with information. The preacher is like the old prospectors who would situate themselves by the rivers and streams to pan for gold. It seems at times that with all the information we hear and see, very few gold nuggets are present. As the preacher reads or listens, he ought to do so with the intent to understand what God is showing him through his reading. The goal of all preaching ought to be to bring our world to the world of the Bible so that the world of the Bible can transform our world.
Closing thoughts:
Today we considered further ways that a preacher can discern what needs to be preached. We looked at prayer as the place to begin. In addition to prayer, the preacher is to also note three other considerations: Biblical texts he knows that can address whatever subject he has on his heart; gleaning from whatever he has been reading; with a final consideration current events in the culture. All three of these areas (with the first leading the way) converge in differing measures to help the preach discern the direct he ought to go in preparing his sermon.
1 Timothy 4:16 "Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you."
Introduction:
One of the most important tasks a pastor has in his weekly schedule is determining what he will preach the following Sunday morning. Even though this post aims to unveil what goes through a pastor's mind in preparing to preach, all readers who value God's Word will hopefully find it illuminating and helpful. So how does a preacher arrive at the choice of text he is going to preach? the place to start is prayer.
Prayer begins the process of determining the direction of the next sermon
How often ought the preacher be praying during the process of his sermon preparation? Truly the beginning of the next sermon begins as soon as the last sermon was preached. Praying before, during and after the sermon is essential. Prayer has a way of checking one's motives (James 4:1-4) and discerning, by the scripture, what direction to go in the sermon preparation process (1 Timothy 4:13-16). The famed 19th century theologian B.B Warfield was well-known for his staggering intellect in the realm of theology. He taught those studying for the ministry. When asked about where prayer fits in the process of sermon preparation, he wisely responded:
"Sometimes we hear it said that ten minutes on your knees will give you a truer, deeper, more operative knowledge of God than ten hours over your books. “What!” is the appropriate response, “than ten hours over your books, on your knees?” Why should you turn from God when you turn to your books, or feel that you must from your books in order to turn to God?"
The preacher who is desperate for God to show up in His study and preparation will experience God showing up during his delivery of the sermon.
A sermon prepared without prayer is like grilling steak with no coals. The sermon can be finely trimmed, thick with content and juicy with abundant illustrations. Yet, unless the preacher has taken that sermon before the Lord, it will never become an edible message to be digested by the congregation. The man of God must sift his thoughts through the sieve of prayer to cut out any unnecessary additives.
The preacher who prays depends upon the congregation that prays
As the man of God gives himself to prayer, he has the leverage to encourage his congregation to do the same. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 6:19 "and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel." The best thing a people can do for their pastor is to pray for him (1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; Hebrews 13:18). As one dear saint told me not to long ago: "pastor, rather than put you on a pedestal, I'm going to hold you up in prayer as you preach". Do you know how much that encourages a pastor? Those church members who are regularly praying for their pastor must also pray that they themselves will have a heart and mind ready to receive the message for that day.
Closing Thoughts:
Today's post aimed to begin thinking about how anyone involved in the preaching ministry of the Word may sense a direction for knowing what to preach. We suggested that the only appropriate place to begin is prayer. Both the pastor and his congregation are to labor in prayer for one another. Only by hitching the sermon to prayer can it be turned into a message that God can use to change and transform lives.
1 Corinthians 8:6-7 "yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him."
Introduction
What is meant when we speak of a worldview? A worldview is how one views the world. To be more specific, a worldview is a narrative one has for explaining the answers to five main questions:
1. Where did I come from (hence the origins question)?
2. Why am I here (hence the meaning question)?
3. What kind of world is the world (hence, the nature of reality question)?
4. What explains the problems I see around me, and is there a solution (hence, the problem of suffering)?
5. Is there a point to life? Where are we heading? (hence, the ultimate purpose of life question)
Everyone in the world has a worldview. There are no "neutral" observers. How we evaluate which worldview is the most reliable one relies upon whichever one best handles the above "big questions". Certain methods that measure how probable one worldview is over another in handling and processing the "big questions" are usually employed when judging between competing worldviews.
As a Christian, it is vital to have a Christian worldview that can give good reasons as to why one believe what they believe. 1 Peter 3:15 gives the charge: "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."
Peter was one of the original followers of Jesus (i.e a disciple). When Jesus commissioned him to be one of the original early leaders sent forth to carry His message (i.e, an apostle), Peter would some 35 years later pen his first letter to a group of Christians scattered throughout the Mediterranean world. Peter understood the importance of having a Christian worldview.
In like manner, another Apostle by the name of Paul, had been called by Jesus in a vision while on his way to persecute Christians in Acts 9. As Jesus confronted him and called him to be an "apostle to the nations", Saul changed on the inside and became a vocal witness for Jesus Christ. In Acts 13 and Acts 17 we find records of Paul's preaching and early defenses of the Christian faith as he articulated a Christian worldview. In later letters to churches such as the church at Corinth, Paul would summarize the salient points of the key components of a Christian worldview (see 1 Corinthians 8:6-7; 15:1-6).
The basics of a Christian worldview
Both Peter and Paul demonstrated the need for every generation of Christian to be equipped and ready to operate with a Christian worldview. With that said, what could we say comprises the basics of a standard Christian worldview? In considering both Paul and Peter's writings in the New Testament, as well as considering the history of Christian thought over the past 2,000 years, theologians have identified what are called the "common places" or key points of Christian doctrine that comprise the essentials of the Christian faith. These "common points" or "common places" (called by older writers: "loci communes") are usually listed as follows:
1. Doctrine of God
2. Doctrine of Creation
3. Doctrine of Sin
4. Doctrine of Christ
5. Doctrine of Last things
Such a list could also include are key doctrines as "doctrine of man", "doctrine of revelation" and "doctrine of redemption". For our purposes we will stick to the five above, likely including the "doctrine of redemption" in with what we already have listed, namely "the doctrine of Christ", as well as "doctrine of man" under the larger heading of "doctrine of creation".
How the Christian worldview addresses the five "big questions"
So how can the five key essential doctrines be used in formulating a Christian worldview? Again, a Christian worldview aims to answer the big questions of life. I will list those again, and then plug in the doctrinal essentials so that the reader can see how a Christian worldview can work.
1. Where did I come from (hence the origins question)?
Doctrine of God & Doctrine of Creation
(we could include doctrine of man)
2. Why am I here (hence the meaning question)?
Doctrine of God & Doctrine of Creation
3. What kind of world is the world (hence, the nature of reality question)?
Doctrine of Creation & Doctrine of God
4. What explains the problems I see around me, and is there a solution (hence, the problem of suffering)?
Doctrine of sin & Doctrine of Christ (we could also include the doctrine of salvation, since this connects the work of salvation to the Savior, Jesus Christ)
5. Is their a point to life? Where are we heading? (hence, the ultimate purpose of life question)
Doctrine of last things
So why does it matter whether or not we have a Christian worldview ready to answer these big questions?
These so-called "big questions" are the ones raised all the time by philosophers, scientists and people of other religions. It does not take long to see these questions being discussed and debated on the internet, You Tube and on the major news networks. As a Christian develops his or her worldview, eventual introduction and even study to other disciplines will aid in sharpening up the specifics. We find that in studying the Bible, we can not only find such questions raised and answered, but more specifically, we can better understand how to approach such questions from a Biblical perspective. It would be the contention of this writer that only the Christian worldview can successfully handle all five "big questions".
Tips for improving one's understanding of the Christian worldview
Knowing Bible backgrounds will aid greatly when explaining the fall of Adam and Eve into sin, as well as how God could allow such an event to occur. It has been this author's experience in worldview discussions that opponents of Christianity and the Bible have rarely read, let alone thoroughly studied the Bible. Moreover, in as much as reason and education can access the contents of the Bible, only a converted heart and mindset committed to Jesus Christ can grasp and appreciate the meaning of those contents.
Memorizing scripture is the greatest weapon of course, since one never knows when they may need to bring up the Bible in the appropriate setting. Most of all, prayer and a patient heart are crucial in a worldview discussion. One could very well win the argument and still lose their testimony as the result of a misplaced attitude or word.
Closing thoughts
May we be ever ready to make a defense for the Christian faith and arm ourselves with the tools we need for developing a Christian worldview. Below I have included links to resources that can help the reader achieve that very thing:
1. https://www.amazon.com/Guard-Students-Thinkers-Guide-Christian/dp/0781412994/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1471622728&sr=8-10&keywords=william+lane+craig
2. https://www.amazon.com/Guard-Defending-Faith-Reason-Precision/dp/1434764885/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471622803&sr=8-1&keywords=william+lane+craig
Romans 8:31-32 "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?"
Introduction:
In our last post we considered the blessed assurances that flow from Christ's finished work on the cross as spelled out in Romans 8:31-32. We observed how God has an unquestionable commitment to the child of God who trusts in Christ in saving faith. We then noted too how Christ supplies unending representation for the Christian before the throne. These first two assurances were explored. Today we want to consider a third marvelous blessed assurance, namely...
Unbreakable Relationship between God and the Christian. Romans 8:35-37
Note what we read in Romans 8:35-37
"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us." The seven underlined words represent increasing levels of "worse-case" scenarios (at least for us living in the 21st century). The Bible Knowledge Commentary notes:
"These things—stated in increasing intensity—do not separate Christians from Christ; instead they are part of the “all things” (Rom. 8:28) God uses to bring them to conformity to His Son. Then Paul quoted Psalm 44:22 to remind his readers that in this life the people of God must face much affliction (cf. John 16:33) including even martyrdom for some. In the early days of the church one or more Christians were martyred every day, or faced the possibility of it. Their persecutors valued Christians’ lives as nothing more than animals to be butchered."
In looking at these seven negative experiences, one can note some observations:
1. We find two sets of three and a final, ultimate negative experience: martyrdom at the sword.
2. Of the two sets of three, we find in each set two negative experiences that occur as a result of circumstance (tribulation, distress and famine, nakedness) with each followed by a respective negative event caused by other people (persecution, peril).
3. Paul's listing here is said in light of what is clearly his meditation on Psalm 44, from which he quotes Psalm 44:22
The unbreakable link between God and the Christian is not only cemented at saving faith by the sealing ministry of the Spirit (see Ephesians 1:13-14); but continues on through the preserving work of the Father (1 Peter 1:5) and the continuing mediation of the Son on the believer's behalf (Hebrews 4:15; 7:24-25).
Will there be those times in the Christian's life where life, trials, sin and spiritual warfare weakens them enough to yield to short seasons of sin? Yes. We see it for example in Peter's life, when he was giving into the hypocrisy of the Judaizers in Galatians 2. Yet, Peter did not remain in such hypocrisy, as evidenced in what we read of his expositions on the Gospel and Christian life in his two epistles of 1 and 2 Peter. The Baptist Faith and Message notes in its comments on the doctrine of perseverance or what is more popularly known as "eternal security":
"All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation."
Closing thoughts:
What assurance can we find as believers when everything else seems not so sure? In Romans 8:32-37 we find a major assurance for salvation - the glory of the cross. The glory of the cross is like a multifaceted jewel in these verses. We saw the unbreakable relationship between God and the Christian. Note the following glories of the cross that follow from these considerations:
1. Riches of the Father's grace. 8:31-32
2. Representation by Christ. 8:33-34
3. Royalty of God's Sovereignty. 8:35-36
4. Reality of the believer's victory 8:37
Romans 8:31-32 "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?"
Introduction:
Romans 8:28-39 is composed of many "blessed assurances" of salvation. In this particular section of Romans 8:31-36, we discover three wonderful assurances that comprise the bedrock of all Christian assurance - the cross of Christ. Charles Stanley writes on page 9 of his classic book: "Eternal Security" -
"If our assurance hinges on anything but the finished work of Christ on the cross, we are in trouble."
What Paul has to say about the assurances of salvation in Romans 8:32-39 flows from the Savior's cross.
Albert Barnes in his commentary notes on this section:
"The argument for the security of all Christians is here derived from the fact, that God had shown them equal love in giving his Son for them."
Barnes then notes:
"The most humble and obscure believer may derive consolation from the fact that Christ died for him, and that God has expressed the highest love for him which we can conceive to be possible."
Today's post wants to begin looking at this section and note a couple of assurances of salvation that result from Jesus' accomplished work on the cross.
God's Unquestionable Commitment to the Christian. Romans 8:31-32
Note what we read in Romans 8:31-32 "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" In that underlined phrase of verse 32, "freely give", we can find it rendering one Greek verb which, according to one Greek dictionary, means: "to give or grant graciously and generously, with the implication of good will on the part of the giver—‘to give, to grant, to bestow generously."
Think about that definition: "good will on the part of the giver". God's thoughts towards His people whom are redeemed in saving faith come with His good intentions. Thankfully, we need not speculate as to how we can know whether or not God truly wants to supply the Christian with all they need for godly living.
Why I should ever doubt God's good intentions toward me as a Christ follower is baffling in light of His clear demonstration of such by the giving of His One and Only Son. God demonstrated such by giving the unparalleled gift His His one and only Son! This truth gives me such comfort! As we will see in later verses of Romans 8:31-39, we cannot look ultimately to circumstances, people or material possessions for the assurances needed for daily Christian living.
This unquestionable commitment of God to His people, as so demonstrated in the giving of His Son and spelled out here in Romans 8:31-32, receives the following observation from the Bible Exposition Commentary:
"The argument here is from the lesser to the greater. If when we were sinners, God gave us His best, now that we are God’s children, will He not give us all that we need? Jesus used this same argument when He tried to convince people that it was foolish to worry and fear. God cares for the birds and sheep, and even for the lilies; surely He will care for you! God is dealing with His own on the basis of Calvary grace, not on the basis of Law. God freely gives all things to His own!"
As Jesus notes in Matthew 6:26-31 -"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!"
So the blessed assurance of God's unquestionable commitment was paid for at the cross, but notice the second blessed assurance we find flowing from Christ's finished work...
Christ's Unending Representation of the Christian. Romans 8:33-34
Note what we read in Romans 8:33-34
"Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us." Some questions are worth asking of the two underlined words in the text. First, who is the accuser being spoken of in Romans 8:33? Undoubtedly, the accuser, the prosecuting attorney that would try to indict believers (i.e God's elect) is none other than the Devil. The Bible Knowledge Commentary notes:
"Satan is identified as “the accuser” of God’s people (Rev. 12:10; cf. Zech. 3:1). His accusations are valid, because they are based on the believer’s sinfulness and defilement. But Satan’s accusations will be thrown out of court, because it is God who justifies. The Judge Himself declares the accused person righteous on the basis of his faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:24; 5:1). As a result all accusations are dismissed and no one can bring an accusation that will stand."
Second question, who is the "who" in Romans 8:35. God the Father is the Judge, and has appointed judgment to the Son appointed judge, since into His hands has been given all authority (see Matthew 28:18). Romans 3:25-26 reminds us: "whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."
Therefore, the One who is supplying the assurance of Christ's credited righteousness knows full well about our past and yet, because of what Christ achieved, sees the believer, not in light of rightful condemnation, but rather in the richness of Christ's work on the cross and the credited righteousness which is His to bestow.
Not only does this text focus upon the right-standing of the Christian before God, but mainly on the unending representation Christ exercises on behalf of believers before the throne. Hebrews 7:24-25 notes: "but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." It is interesting to note that in Romans 8:26-27 we see the earthly intercession of the Holy Spirit for the Christian in prayer whilst we see Christ's heavenly intercession for the Christian to persevere to the end.
Closing thoughts:
So we have noted two assurances of salvation paid for by Jesus on the cross: God's unquestionable commitment to the believer and Christ's unending representation on the believer's behalf. In the next post we will consider the third and last assurance that flows from Christ's accomplished work on the cross as spelled out in Romans 8:31-37.
Genesis 4:25 "To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord."
Introduction:
Douglas Porter and Elmer Towns define the word, "revival" in their book: "The Ten Greatest Revivals Ever" as follows:
"An evangelical revival is an extraordinary work of God in which Christians repent of their sins as they become intensely aware of His presence in their midst, and they manifest a positive response to God in renewed obedience to the known will of God."
Porter and Towns then note the following results that flow from revival:
"(R)esulting in both a deepening of their individual and corporate experience of God, and an increased concern to win others to Christ."
In today's post, I want to briefly consider the world's first-ever revival as recorded in Genesis 4:25. In order to rightly understand what took place, we ought to consider the conditions that were present to prompt men to call upon the name of the Lord. If for anything else, revival has arrived when people - both inside and outside the church - are calling upon the Lord for increased closeness and sanctification (as believers ought to do) and for salvation (as unbelievers need to do).
In other words, what conditions are found necessary for there to be revival?
1. God-shaped vacuum in the culture. Genesis 4:16-22
Cain, after receiving his sentence from God for the killing of his brother Abel, flee from God's presence to build a mighty city. The so-called "city of man" has often been referred to in the history of Christianity as representing culture and society veering more and more away from God. The 17th century Christian thinker Blaise Pascal spoke of a God-shaped hole or vacuum in the human heart that can only be filled by God. Here we see in the text a God-shaped vacuum in the culture that must be filled by God.
All other influences will attempt to rush in to fill that vacuum: secularism, spiritualism, humanism and all sorts of "isms". The absence of God's name in the family line of Cain is telling. Whenever we find the wider culture at the brink of moral and spiritual collapse, and the signs of desperation increase, it is a sign that a God-shaped vacuum is in the culture.
2. Growing decline of morality, spiritual vitality and the family. Genesis 4:23-24
I put these three together because that is what we see in the life of Lamech. He is the originator of polygamy and thus wages the first historic war against God-ordained marriage. He brags to his two wives for killing a young man in cold-blood and treats God's curse on Cain as a light thing. Lamech's family is unlike what God's original design had been for the home in Genesis 2.
Sadly today, we not only find these three areas at a low-point in the culture, but the churches of the United States are more and more mirroring the culture. This second observation really speaks more to what we find inside the walls of the church than what lies on the outside. In Revelation 3 we find Jesus addressing the worldly church of Laodicea. Indeed, times are ripe for revival when we see declines in the moral, spiritual and family fronts, as well as a deepening God-shaped vacuum. Now notice thirdly....
3. Great desperation for God. Genesis 4:25-26
Here we find Adam and Eve giving birth to a son to replace murdered Abel: namely "Seth". Eve named the boy "Seth" due to what she saw as God's appointment to her of another to replace her dead son. As Seth would later on have his own son "Enosh", that even leads to men calling on the name of the Lord. Desperation for God had reached its boiling point. Death had hung over humanity like a thick fog. Darkness was setting into the human race. One lone-torch burned in the darkness. The man Seth would pass onto his son what he had learned from Adam and Eve. God's redemptive work, received by faith, paid for by blood, would constitute the Gospel. Hope in God came up in the souls of men. We're not told how many, nor are we given names. All we know is that revival hit, and men began to call upon the Lord.
