Monday Morning Pulpit: Judging

Posted on August 15, 2011 by blund

Sometimes you run out of room or time in your Lord’s Day sermon, and so “Monday Morning Pulpit” is a chance to expand upon or reinforce ideas you didn’t have a chance to finish during the sermon.

We wrapped up a short, topical series on God’s Judgments and Judging at Zion Ev. & Reformed Church. Especially in the second sermon in the series, we looked at what it means for God to Judge of all the earth (Genesis 18:25; Psalm 50:1 – 6). After demonstrating his judgments in Creation by issuing divine decrees on His own handiwork (“it was good,” “it was very good”) God shows His just judgments in salvation history. God’s judgment climaxes in condemning our sin at the cross, and vindicating Christ at His resurrection (Romans 4:25; I Timothy 3:16), and thus pronouncing us to be justified by faith in Christ (Romans 8:1).

Since God is Judge, how then should we live?

Since God is Judge,

then let us judge ourselves before judging others. Continue reading →

Citizens of the Coming Kingdom

Posted on August 3, 2011 by blund

Dear Zion,

One of the main themes of Jesus’ teaching during His earthly ministry was the Kingdom of God. As soon as He began His ministry, “Jesus came proclaiming the gospel of God… ‘the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel'” (Mark 1:15). When He sent out His disciples, their message was similar: “These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them to proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand‘” (Matthew 10:5). After Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples continued to “preach the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 8:12), and even at the end of the apostolic age we see the apostle Paul basing his teaching on the Kingdom (Acts 28:30 – 31). But what is the Kingdom, and how can we be servants of the Kingdom in this world?

The first concept to understand is that the Kingdom is God’s realm where He rules as almighty sovereign. Continue reading →

A Father to the Fatherless

Posted on August 2, 2011 by blund

One of the ladies in our congregation recently lost her father, and in counseling and encouraging her, I’m reminded of what the great American pastor and theologian Jonathan Edwards (1703 – 58) wrote. Having contracted smallpox through a botched innoculation, Edwards wrote to his daughter the last words of his that we have.

And as to my children, you are now to be left fatherless, which I hope will be an inducement to you all to seek a Father who will never fail you.

Jesus says in Matthew 19:29:

And everyone who loses houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.

Amen. May it be so for all of us.

Calvin’s Ecclesiastical Ordinances

Posted on July 12, 2011 by blund

The Genevan Book of Order

The Form of Prayers and Ministration of the Sacraments, etc.
Used in the English Congregation at Geneva (1556)

Of Ministers and Their Election
What Things are Chiefly Required in the Pastors and Ministers

First, let the church diligently consider that the minister which is to be chosen[a] be not found culpable of any such faults which St. Paul reprehends in a man of that vocation,[b] but contrariwise endowed with such virtues, that he may be able to undertake his charge, and diligently execute the same. Secondly, that he distribute faithfully the word of God, and minister the sacraments sincerely,[c] ever careful not only to teach his flock publicly, but also privately to admonish them;[d] remembering always, that if any thing perish through his default, the Lord will require it at his hands.[e]

a. Acts 1:21-23; 13:2-3; 14:23 Continue reading →

Modern “Worship” Service

Posted on July 2, 2011 by blund

Slavery in the New Testament

Posted on May 27, 2011 by blund

Dear Zion,
In our sermon series looking at God’s transforming grace in the book of Colossians, we note in chapter three, verse twenty-two: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything… Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly…” (Colossians 3:22; 4:1). Slaves?! Reading along about how the Lord wants us to live in the power of Christ’s resurrection (Col. 3:1-4), and how that power should transform our families (Col. 3:18-21), it can be jarring to come to these verses and hear the Apostle Paul talk about slavery. Why doesn’t Paul scream out against slavery? Is he condoning it? Why does Scripture speak this way? Continue reading →

Hymns vs. Contemporary Worship

Posted on May 18, 2011 by blund

Sometimes we can think that the issue of the older hymns vs. more contemporary songs (often praise choruses) is overblown. Music is subjective, so they say, and how can anyone say one is better than the other? Isn’t it personal opinion?

I’ve said elsewhere that not all hymns are created equal (I’ve never been in a garden alone with Jesus), and that there is some absolutely phenomenal new stuff coming out in contemporary songs. But despite these caveats: no, music isn’t wholly subjective and beyond critique. McLuhan Mug Remember Marshall McLuhan?

The medium is the message.

Dr. Lester Ruth is especially helpful for driving this point home. Dr. Ruth is now at Duke (formerly Lily May Jarvis Professor of Christian Worship at Asbury Theological Seminary), and he has tried to show conclusively the differences between song forms. He examined the top contemporary songs from CCLI for 13 years for language on how these songs spoke about the Trinity, the atonement, God’s divine saving work, and other doctrines unique to Christianity. Here are some of his findings: Continue reading →

Soaring By Relying On the Holy Spirit

Posted on May 12, 2011 by blund

I want to thank Eric Williams, the class of 2011, and all of you for the privilege of addressing you this evening for your Baccalaureate service. Congratulations to the graduating class!

As we think about our theme of “soaring,” one of the key passages in Scripture that has already been mentioned is Isaiah 40:31 – “but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”. Maybe we sometimes wonder, “Why should I believe that God will help me soar on eagles wings?” Well, that is a question God’s people have asked themselves in every generation. But the reason we can know that God will help us soar on eagles’ wings is because He has proven that He has done it in the past, and He can do it again. Continue reading →

Godliness In Selecting Worship Music

Posted on April 21, 2011 by blund

Dear Zion,

As we seek to obey God’s Word in the realm of music in worship, we must remember that there are several commands in God’s Word that do not speak directly to music, but nevertheless apply to how we treat one another. In this article, we will look at some of these biblical principles. Continue reading →

Holy Week Timeline

Posted on April 18, 2011 by blund

Click for full image

Beginning with the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on the first day of the week through His death and resurrection, this timeline/visual aid nicely depicts what the Four Gospels describe happened to the Son of Man. You can trace each line through to see how Pilate, John, the disciples, and Jesus journeyed through those days. I think my favorite is how the graph depicts the resurrection sightings. Hopefully this will encourage you to meditate on your crucified and risen Savior this season.