Category: Sermon Supplements

While looking at the awesome power of God’s Word to rip us open and expose us I stumbled upon a motif that I somehow missed in our study of Isaiah, that of the unrepentant crying out on the day of terror for the mountains to fall upon them.

And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth. – Isaiah 2:19

The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. Thorn and thistle shall grow up on their altars, and they shall say to the mountains, “Cover us,” and to the hills, “Fall on us.” – Hosea 10:8

Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ – Luke 23:30

…calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, – Revelation 6:16

What would cause someone to cry out for a mountain to fall on them? Notice they don’t simply seek death; they are trying to hide and escape. The splendor, majesty, and face of Jesus causes this panic. Before his gaze they are naked and exposed. Their hope is that perhaps a mountain, if it would fall upon them, might hide them from his gaze.

When a father returns it may cause two completely different reactions. To the child who did his chores and heeded his words; his return is a blessing for he anticipates the father’s presence and the reward of his love. To the disobedient child who shunned the father’s words; his return is a terror as words of judgment are soon to come.

My sister Kris once slept near 24 hours.  I don’t remember the exact duration but she went to sleep at a decent hour one evening and didn’t wake up until the next evening.   Upon emerging from her coffin she said she would not have resurrected but she had to fiercely relieve herself.  She was a sleep ninja, insane skills.  Yet you can be a sleep expert and not have rest.

You might say that you had a good night’s sleep, or a good night’s rest, but no one ever talks about a sleepful weekend.  I’ve never heard anyone say, I feel sleeped.  There is a difference.  Rest trumps sleep.

I read about this guy Tony Wright, he tried to break the world sleep record.  The facts are fuzzy from my little research (I wonder if it might be the sources Wikipedia and Bloggers) but it seems that Mr. Wright stayed awake 11 days, or 264 hours.   Upon awaking, having slept he either (a) found out that he fell short of the record  set by some dude in Finland by 11 hours or (b) found out that American Randy Gardner’s record still stands because Guinness is no longer accepting records because of the danger of sleep deprivation.  I wonder if this bothered him so, torment him so that he could not sleep?  Or maybe he could still sleep, it was rest that he was lacking.  His soul was in turmoil, all his striving was for nothing; to catch up on sleep would not do, his soul needed rest.

Jesus didn’t simply hold sleep out to us, he said:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.  – Matthew 11:28-30

Our hearts are the opposite of clay.  If you place clay in a dark damp area, it stays soft and malleable, put it out in the sun and it hardens.  Our hearts indicate they are soft when there is a love for light in them.  Sadly the natural environment and inclination of our hearts is darkness.  This is the dire situation of man; darkness in his heart, darkness all around his heart.  This is why it is so crucial that the grace and work of Christ not be abused and neglected.   I don’t play with clay but I will venture to say it is easier to keep it soft than to soften it after hardening.  In fact it may be impossible to ever soften it again.  A heart softened turning back to darkness is worse off than a heart never exposed to such grace at all.

Play with clay, not your hearts.

There is one amongst us that does a blasphemous thing and she must be exposed.  She is guilty of watering down juice (somewhat tolerable) and sweat tea (an unjustifiable crime).  I hereby publicly rebuke thee Michelle.

How much can you water down sweet tea so that it is no longer sweat tea?   What about Kool-Aid?  Kool-Aid is a vile substance when properly made, but water down, it is the Satan of beverages.  One might be technical and say that is no longer kool-aid when the additional water molecules outnumber the proper Kool-Aid/sugar/water mixture; I don’t think any such technical definition will pass upon a taste test.

I think there has been a watering down of the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints.  This can be seen in the terminology prominently used to designate the doctrine.  We degenerated from talking about the final perseverance of the saints, to preservation of the saints to security of the believer to the cliché “once saved always saved”.  It’s not that there is untruth in the latter terminology, just less truth.  It is perfectly fine to talk about the security of the believer, but if this is all that is strictly discussed, the truth has been greatly watered-down, and like Kool-Aid, it should cause the true Christian to retch.

What is the difference?  When “once saved always saved”, absent the idea of perseverance is applauded one may come to Christ only for fire insurance.  “I did what was required and no more,” if not a blatant declaration is the functional proclamation of many lives that recite this cliché.  The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints has as its corollary that the saints are the ones that persevere.   True saints indicate that they are saints, and they take no comfort in having done certain actions such as saying a specific prayer.  Rather they find their comfort in fruit that can only be a result of God’s saving and sanctifying grace.  One does not work to finally achieve salvation, rather true salvation is a salvation that works, a salvation that bears fruit.

The question is not one of the retention of salvation based upon the persistence of faith, but possession of salvation as evidenced by a continuation of faith.  – Alistair Begg

No cute analogies, no geeky illustrations, and no powerful quotes; I am at a loss for words. It’s been a draining week. Part of the writer’s block is I’m sure due to the fact that I just want to go home right now. I just want some rest. I don’t want to put out the mental exertion to write. I am tired. I am weak. I am inadequate. I am insufficient. I am sinful. Perhaps I have been looking at the text only to see how I can use it to feed you. I need this text. I stand with you under the text while I preach it.

His suffering brings me to glory. He sanctifies me. He has one origin with me. He is not ashamed to call me brother. He defeated death. He delivers me from the fear of death. He helps me. He is a merciful and faithful high priest. He made propitiation for my sins.

I’m going to go home now, reflect on these truths, and rest in the perfect work and sacrifice of my Great High Priest.

Before I do, here is another Hymn I am angry I didn’t learn:

Before the Throne of God Above
By Charitie L. Bancroft

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

I think the highest pitches achievable by female vocal cords are struck at the loudest volume when the estrogen dominated live audience of a certain TV show (a TV show humbly self-titled by the host) announces that this specific episode will be dubbed her “favorite things”.  Who else upon announcing some of their favorite things causes such hysteria?  Oprah , she’s got nothing.  I’m sure most of the companies give her the goods, its great advertising.  I’m sure she forks out some of her own dough as well, still its small cookies.

I once heard that Mr. Braum gives away an orange or an apple every year for a Christmas bonus to his employees.  Lucky employees, they get to choose between two sweet bonuses.  Can you imagine the deliberation that must be theirs every year as that grand moment approaches?  “Oh which one will I choose!  The orange was so great last year but…”  Clearly Oprah has Mr. Braum beat.  I watched this bit one monring of the place Fortune magazine named the greatest place to work… Google.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6h-gm01Fb0]

The wealth of a person or company is flaunted by what they give away.  The giving away of stuff when it fails to dent the wealth of the owner does not diminish his glory it adds to it.  If I give away iPods I must be doing quite well, but if Cameron comes along and is giving away flat screens as easily as I do iPods, He has a greater glory concerning materialistic wealth.   Both our gifts would be dwarfed by Mr. X (Graham contended for this position, ultimatly I considered this too unrealistic) who is giving away Ferraris.  The greater the gift and the less the diminishing effect upon the wealth of the giver the greater their glory.

God gives away and suffers no lack.  It is not as if he is so wealthy that hundreds become tens and dollars pennies; no, He gives and no deduction is made from his account at all. He gives without suffering any loss.  He does not acquire, He is the fountain.  He does not give away trite little trinkets, others may give electronics and cars – God gives the earth.  Better yet, He gives His Son to redeem the earth and bring many sons to glory.  In bringing many sons to glory and giving them dominion over the earth He does not diminish His own glory, rather He flaunts it.

There are some authors that I love and appreciate so much that I try to read nearly everything they write.  I rarely hesitate to buy a book by Piper, Carson, Mahaney, Driscoll, or Lewis.  It’s like walking by an appetizer tray, you just gotta.

Commenting on this passage Calvin wrote, “The import of the whole is this, that the higher the dignity of Christ is than that of angels, the more reverence is due the gospel than to the law.  Thus he commends the doctrine by mentioning the author.”  The law is precious, it is the word of God, it is holy and too often neglected.  We should not demean or make little of the law in any way.  Seek to put it upon the highest shelf of your heart.  It reveals Christ to us in shadows and shows us our deep need for Him.  So place it high as the Holy Word of God and then realize that the gospel is its fulfillment and climax, thereby placing it on top.  If the word of God delivered through angels (Psalm 68:15-17; Acts 7:38, 53; Galatians 3:19) is so precious, what of His supreme Word Jesus?

When it comes to the message of Jesus Christ, you just gotta.

Some things don’t compare.  A lot of friends and family are getting nice flat screens, our little ol’ TV – it doesn’t compare.  I pulled up to a Porsche yesterday, yep, I was in the Taurus – didn’t compare.  We spent the weekend at my brother and sister in law’s house in McKinney, TX; as we drove through down town many of the houses… well let’s just say our house can’t begin to compare with them.

When is contentment with lesser things not a virtue?  It would be foolish of me to buy a Porsche, it would strain our finances and cause my wife to throw incredibly large heavy objects at my face (if you know Bethany this is a ridiculous for two reasons:  1. she uses silence not violence, 2. if she were to throw something it could not be large and heavy.  The muscles in those skinny little arms though defines are alas attached to skinny little arms, skinny little arms that I love and adore mind you.  I will now cease this impertinent deviation).  But say both, the Taurus and the Porsche, are available at the same price while retaining their respective quality level, then I would be a fool to keep the Taurus.  Sorry Birnies, we love the car but…

What a fool I must look as I am enamored with things so much lesser than Christ.  Spiritually I am often caught driving a lemon, living in a shack, and watching black and white.

I receive my last issue of Relevant today.  I won’t be renewing because:  

1. I enjoy Tabletalk more.  I would rather have theology than culture.  I need to study both, but culture bores me.

2.  I would rather read an outdated book than a fresh magazine.  I really don’t care to be hip anymore.

So here is my last issue and it tempted me to renew; there was a great article on the 10 weirdest things within the Christian subculture.  Of course Bibleman was there along with Testamints.  But the topper for me was the PPB, Personal Promise Bible, a bible you can customize perfectly for you.  Now if by customizing you are thinking cool colors and designs you will be let down.  You can get a few colors in bonded leather, gender and age sensitive versions in paperback, but this is no big deal, Zondervan has been doing this for years and from what I can tell does it better from a aesthetic and marketing standpoint.  No with PPB you actually customize the Bible, not the cover, not study notes… the Bible!  For example if your name is John, Ephesians 2:5-6 will read:

Even when John was dead in trespasses, God made John alive together with Christ (by grace John has been saved), and raised John up with Him and made John to sit with Him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

There is a free samples tab where you can enter your name and catch a preview. 

Some things should not be customized:

1)      Dogs.  Foolish haircuts and doggy clothes should be banished.  They will be banished to hell and thus the curse dogs suffer for man’s sin will be no more.

2)      Old trucks.  Restore them.

3)      Your body.  Plastic surgery has its place; does our society keep it there?

On the PPB website I found a series of verses telling me I am valuable, loved victorious, complete, chosen, and forgiven.  Why don’t they offer the flip side?  What about Josh outside of Christ?  I couldn’t find  Deuteronomy 28:15 on the website; would it read, “But if Josh will not obey the voice of the Lord his God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command Josh today, then all these curses shall come upon Josh and overtake Josh”?  I’m just betting the personalizations are all blessing and no curse or chastisement.

If the penalty to customize, twist, and contort God’s word is so harsh, what of those who customize His ultimate, supreme, final and perfect Word, the name above all names, Jesus Christ?