James 5:1-6 1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure…
How did the church (universal) get to where it is today on this matter of baptism? [Brief survey of church history] Note: Church history is informative, but it is not authoritative. Only Scripture is authoritative. What was the ‘baptism of John’? A baptism of repentance (c.f. Matthew 3:6, 11 / Acts 19:4) Why was Jesus…
Righteousness: “He Gives What He Demands” “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17) What is the Gospel? It is established upon a…
Planning with God in mind (James 4:13-17) 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” – 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a…
A Parable that Lays out the Problems (v9-18) A parable that says in effect: “You’ve had opportunities…but you haven’t used them. You’ve had warnings…but you haven’t heard them. You had My Son…but you’ve rejected Him. You’re going to die…but you’re not ready.” A Plot Made to Serve God’s Pleasure (19-26) The chief priests & scribes summed up in Luther’s Hymn: “The tyrants…
Two Dangers to our Soul in this matter of Baptism Pride in a (Credo) Baptistic Position 1 Corinthians 4:7 / Jeremiah 9:23 / Rev 2:2, 4 Faithfulness in this area of baptism does not excuse us in other areas of Christian living & doctrine. A Belief in Baptismal Regeneration Defined as the belief that baptism…
A Clash in the Temple & the Composure of the King [Understanding the text] A Clash in the World & the Posture of a Christian Recognize that we will clash with the world on the matter of Authority (c.f. Joshua 24:14-15 / Ps 2:1-3 / 2 Tim 3:16-17 / Acts 5:29) In zeal, exhibit the Character of Christ (c.f. Matthew 10:16 /…
1. A Look at the Signs Circumcision as a sign: All Jewish males were circumcised as a sign of entering into a covenant with God (Gen 17:10-12). Is there a connection between the sign of circumcision & the sign of baptism? (Colossians 2:11-12) [Note: baptism is not the point of this passage] Paul is describing…
Intro: The Church building is not a Temple The Historical Setting The Prophetic Nature of Christ’s Arrival Jeremiah 7:1-4, 8-11 / Ps 69:9 / Malachi 3:1 Some Further Application – Consider: the fury of God at those who put stumbling blocks before others (Luke 17:1-2) the intention of God to unite Various Peoples under Christ (Is 56:7 / Is 49:6 / Rev…
Baptism – Part 1 – Getting our Feet Wet (Various) 1. The Simplest Question – What is Baptism? Making some sort of public testimony concerning Jesus Christ…using water. If this seems strange, think on other symbolic actions – raising your hand in an oath; saluting; handshake… 2. The Well we Draw From – Where does…