Reflecting on the Sermon: 8/29/11

Rod preached on Romans 11:1-6 this past Sunday.  He began by noting that the existence of Israel (not necessarily the political state) is strong evidence for the inspiration of Scripture.  God promised to preserve His chosen people, and they are still here despite a very rough past.  You don't hear of Hittites or Jebusites or Babylonians anymore, but Israelites are another story.

Why does it matter to me (a Gentile Christian) that God has not completely forsaken Israel?  Because if He doesn't keep His promises to them, why should I have confidence that He will keep His promises to me?  But God has been faithful (evidenced by a remnant of believing Israelites).  Israel, as a people, is certainly under God's discipline, but He has maintained a remnant and will one day save an entire generation of ethnic Israelites.

This causes me to reflect on God's faithfulness to His promises and to worship Him for His kindness.  I pray it evokes a similar response from you.

Great Quotes on Temptation

As some of you know I recently preached on temptation (and am teaching on it in Sunday school).  Here a few quotes on the subject that I have found challenging and encouraging.  I hope you enjoy them:

The following are from Russell Moore's book Tried and Tempted

Temptation is so strong in our lives precisely because it is not about us.  Temptation is an assault by the demonic powers on the rival empire of the Messiah. That’s why conversion to Christ doesn’t diminish the power of temptation- as we often assume-, but actually, counterintuitively, ratchets it up (21).

Eat drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die is a sham. The alternative is not a refusal to eat, drink, and be merry.  That would be ingratitude. Instead, with the resurrected Jesus we sing out, "Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for yesterday we were dead" (75).

These are from John Owen's book On Temptation (taken from a the version of On Temptation, published by Crossway in the book entitled Overcoming Sin and Temptation)

If they would make work indeed, they are to set upon the whole of the lust itself; their ambition, pride, worldliness, sensuality, or whatever it be, that the temptation is united with. All other dealings with it are like tampering with a prevailing gangrene: the part or whole may be preserved a little while, in great torment; excision [surgical removal by cutting] or death must come at last. The soul may cruciate [torment] itself for a season with such a procedure; but it must come to this- its lust must die, or the soul must die  (180).

[speaking of those who don't take temptation seriously] When they are overtaken with a sin they set themselves to repent of that sin, but do not consider the temptation that was the cause of it, to set themselves against that also to take care that they no more enter into it.  Hence they are quickly again entangled by it, though they have the greatest detestation of that sin itself that can be expressed (187).

Fire and things combustible may more easily be induced to lie together without affecting each other than peculiar lusts and suitable objects or occasions for their exercise (Owen 190). 

Let no man, then, pretend to fear sin that does not fear temptation to it. They are too nearly allied to be separated…he hates not the fruit who delights in the root (193).

Evangelism Clips

I am getting excited about our upcoming opportunity for evangelism at FSU.  I hope you can come and be a part by praying or actually sharing the gospel.  We will be going to FSU on Thursday morning and Saturday afternoon.  Get more details and sign up here.  If you have a few minutes, you may want to check out these video clips from the Way of the Master website of some 1-1 evangelism.  They are encouraging to watch.