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Articles from Pastor Jon's Blog

Romans 9:14-16 2007-10-21 00:00:00 Romans 9 - Has God Rejected  Israel? 3. (14-16) Does God’s choosing one over another make God unrighteous? What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. a. Paul answers this question strongly: Certainly not!  God has clearly declared His right to give mercy to whomever He pleases in Exodus 33:19. b. I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy: Remember what mercy is.  Mercy is not getting what we do deserve.  God is never less than fair with anyone, but fully reserves the right to be more than fair with individuals as He chooses. i. Jesus spoke of this right of God in the parable of the landowner in Matthew 20:1-16. ii. We are in a dangerous place when we regard God’s mercy towards us as our right ...

Sunday Quotes 10.21.07 2007-10-21 00:00:00 Roy Gustafson, "Religion is what sinful people try to  do for a Holy God, and the Gospel is the Good News of what a Holy God has already done for a sinful people." If you can't hear God speaking, check the volume control of your conscience. -- Unknown The old nature knows no law; the new nature needs no law. -- Unknown "Sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden; it is forbidden because it is hurtful." -- Unknown "If we live up to the light that God gives us, He will give us more light."  -- F.B. Meyer "Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can." -- John Wesley "If nothing in us can win Thy love, nothing in the universe can prevent Thee from loving us. Thy love is uncaused and undeserved. Thou art Thyself the reason for the love wherewith we are loved." -- A. W. Tozer<:))))>&l ...

Romans 9:10-13 2007-10-20 00:00:00 Romans 9 - Has God Rejected  Israel? 2. (10-13) Another example of the fact that promise is more important than natural relation: Jacob and Esau. And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” a. Our father Isaac: God’s choice between Ishmael and Isaac seems somewhat logical to us.  Even though it may seem to make less sense, His choice between Jacob and Esau regarding which one would be the heir of God’s covenant of salvation is just as valid. b. Not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil: Paul points out that God’s choice was not based on the performance of Jacob or Esau; the choice was made when they were. c. That th ...

Romans 9:6-9 2007-10-19 00:00:00 Romans 9 - Has God Rejected Israel? B. Why Israel is in its present condition from God’s perspective: Because Israel missed the Messiah because it was according to His sovereign plan. 1. (6-9) Has God failed with His plan regarding Israel ?  No; God has not failed His children of promise.  But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel. , nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.”   a. If it were true that the word of God has taken no effect, then we could say that man was above God, and could rule over and above God’s purpose, frustrating it by his lack of cooperation. b. For they are not all Israel who ...

How To Become A Famous Blogger 2007-10-18 07:15:33 After I saw this I understood completely....... <:))))><< ...

Keepin' It Real - 1 John 2:1-11 2007-10-18 07:11:52 The audio from Sunday's teaching is available on the Springfield Calvary site. We are in a series entitled "Keepin' It Real", a study of 1 John. This week's teaching covers 1 John 2:1-11. <:))))><< ...

1 John 1:7-11 2007-10-18 00:00:00 1 John 2 - Hindrances to Fellowship with God 4. (7-11) The absolute imperative of love. Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. a. The commandment John will communicate is at the same time both old (in the sense that it has been preached to them their whole Christian lives) and new (in the sense that it was called the new commandment by Jesus in John 13:34). i. The new commandmen ...

1 John 2:3-6 2007-10-17 00:00:00 1 John 2 - Hindrances to Fellowship with God 3. (3-6) The fruit of fellowship.  Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. a. The evidence of someone knowing God, and fellowship with Him is that they keep His commandments - a simple, loving obedience is a natural result of fellowship with God. i. Some wonder about the connection between knowing we have an Advocate in heaven, who loves us though we are guilty, and living a righteous life. Won’t knowing this love and grace of God makes us take advantage of Him, and be less concerned about sin than ever?  Not at all! ii. “Those men who think that God’s grace, when fully, fairly, and plainly preached, will l ...

1 John 2:1-2 2007-10-16 08:30:54 1 John 2 - Hindrances to Fellowship with God 2. (1b-2) Help for the sinner and the restoration of fellowship. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. a. God’s desire is that you may not sin; yet if we do, there is provision made - an Advocate, a defense lawyer on our side, Jesus Christ Himself. i. Lenski on Advocate: “Demosthenes uses it to designate the friends of the accused who voluntarily step in and personally urge the judge to decide in his favor.” b. We have an Advocate; Jesus is our defender, even when we sin now.  God is not shocked by human behavior; He has seen it all in advance.  He didn’t forgive you at one time to later say, “Wow, look what they did now!  If I would have known they would go and do that, I would have never forgiven them!”  His forgiveness is available to us now. i. It is as ...

1 John 2:1a 2007-10-15 00:00:00 1 John 2 - Hindrances to Fellowship with God A. Fellowship and the problem of sin. 1. (1a) A purpose of John in writing this letter: that you may not sin. My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. a. If sin is a fact (according to 1 John 1:8), why fight against it?  If there is always forgiveness for our sin (according to 1 John 1:9), why be so concerned about sin?  These things I write to you, that you may not sin makes it clear that Paul does not want anything he has written before to make us unconcerned about sin. i. John has previously rebuked the idea that we can become sinlessly perfect (1 John 1:8); at the same time, he wants to make it clear that we do not have to sin; God does not make us sin. b. If sin is inevitable for us, it is not because God has decreed that we must sin - God’s plain desire is that you may not sin.  All the resources for spiritual victory are ours in Jesus Christ, and that resource is never withdr ...

Sunday Quotes 10.14.07 2007-10-14 00:00:00 "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."  --St Francis of Assisi "Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of God no matter what the conflict." - Unknown "Faith enables persons to be persons because it lets God be God." - Carter Lindberg The heaviest thing to carry is a grudge. - Unknown "Anyone who doesn't talk to God hasn't got a prayer." - Unknown "The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us." - Unknown<:))))><< ...

Romans 9:3-5 2007-10-14 00:00:00 Romans 9 - Has God Rejected  Israel? 3. (3-5) The source of Paul’s sorrow. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen. a. Paul’s great love and sorrow for his brethren is dramatically displayed in his declaration that I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren.  Paul says he himself is willing to be separated from Christ if that could somehow accomplish the salvation of Israel. i. We should not think that Paul is merely using a dramatic metaphor here.  The solemn assurances he gave in Romans 9:1 remind us he is being completely truthful. ii. Paul reflects the same heart Moses had in Exodus 32:31-32:  ...

Romans 9:1-2 2007-10-13 00:00:00 Romans 9 - Has God Rejected  Israel? 2. (1-2) Paul’s sorrow. I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. a. I have great sorrow and continued grief in my heart: In Romans 8, Paul left us at the summit of glory, assuring us that nothing can separate us from the loved of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  So why has Paul now become so somber in his tone? b. Paul has sorrow and continual grief because now he considers a people who seem to have become separated from God’s love: unbelieving Israel, who have rejected God’s Messiah.  c. I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit: Paul uses every possible assurance to declare his great sorrow over Israel.  This is something that really bothered Paul and was on his heart.  Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is taken ...

Romans 9 2007-10-12 00:00:00 Romans 9 - Has God Rejected Israel? A. Paul declares his heart for Israel. 1. Chapter 9 brings a shift in focus to the book of Romans. a. In Romans chapters 1 through 8, Paul thoroughly convinced us about man’s need and God’s glorious provision in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit. b. Now, in Romans 9 through 11, Paul deals with the problem associated with the condition of Israel. What does it mean that Israel has missed its Messiah?  What does this say about God?  What does it say about? What does it say about our present position in God?  i. “If God cannot bring his ancient people into salvation, how do Christians know that he can save them?  Paul is not here proceeding to a new and unrelated subject.  These three chapters are part of the way he makes plain how God in fact saves people.” (Morris) Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is taken from the New King James translation of the Bible.<:))))><<   ...

1 John 1:8-10 2007-10-11 00:00:00 1 John 1 - Fellowship with God 4. (8-10) The presence of sin, the confession of sin, and the cleansing from sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. a. If we say we have no sin: John has introduced the ideas of walking in the light and being cleansed from sin.  But he does not for a moment believe that a Christian can become sinlessly perfect. i. To think that of ourselves is to deceive ourselves, and to say that of ourselves is to lie - the truth is not in us. ii. There are few people today who think they are sinlessly perfect; but how many of us really think we sin?  Many of us will say “I make mistakes” or “I’m not perfect” or “I’m only human,” but usually we say such things to excuse or defend ourselves.  ...