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Sexual Purity
This Sunday we will continue our considerations of the moral exhortations in the final chapter of Hebrews. While some of us can’t relate directly to last week’s admonition to care for prisoners who suffer for their faith, we fully understand what it is like to live in a society obsessed with sex and materialism (the topics for this week and next week).
In Hebrews 13:4, our author encourages us to honor marriage in a culture which defiles relationships and sexuality.
The foundation of the marriage covenant is God’s covenant with us. Our marriages are to picture the relationship between Christ and His church.
Sex itself is not evil. Sex within marriage is precious. The abuse of God’s gift, however, calls forth God’s judgment. The key to sexual purity is faith that God is most to be desired, and that He will satisfy our needs in His way and His time. Also, through faith, those of us who haven’t been pure in the past can experience grace, forgiveness, and transformation.
Love One Another
Last week we completed the theological argument of Hebrews. This week we have come to the final chapter of Hebrews which is full of practical exhortations. We will take three weeks to consider verses 1-6 which admonish us to love, to sexual purity, and to contentment (freedom from money-love). Virtually every religion would claim to promote love, fidelity, and contentment. Christianity, however, approaches morality in a unique way. The most important moral issue is not love for fellow-man, but love for God. Also, our love for one another is grounded upon the love God has shown us in Christ. His love is our example and enablement.
This week’s sermon may not, like the earlier section of Hebrews, blow you away with deep doctrinal truth. Instead you will be reminded of our duty to love each other and how in particular to express love through hospitality and caring for those who are suffering.
Breakout Session - Avoiding Hurt: Courtship for Older Singles
Breakout Session - Knowing God’s Will
Session 3 - Hope’s Satisfied Heart
Breakout Session - God’s Call to Singleness
Breakout Session - Finanical Challenges
Session 2 - Hope Worships a Sovereign Lord
The Great Quake
If you have lived long in California you have experienced at least one earthquake. Most earthquakes do very little damage. Even the most severe quakes typically cause damage in a limited area. The Bible records several earthquakes, each of which displays the power of God and the instability of our life on earth.
In this week’s text, the shaking of the ground when God gave the law at Sinai foreshadows a final great shaking which is spoken of by the Old Testament prophets, including Haggai. At the Lord’s coming everything which is inconsistent with the holiness of God will be shaken apart and removed. All that will remain is God’s unshakable kingdom, with us as his co-regents.
This truth should motivate us in at least two ways: First we should be thankful that, because of Christ, we belong to the kingdom which cannot be shaken. Such thankfulness should produce a life devoted to holy service to God. Also we should heed the warning that those who refuse to listen to God will not escape judgment from Him Who is a consuming fire.
The end of Hebrews 12 is the climax of the theological argument of the entire book. Chapter 13 contains concluding practical exhortations, greetings and a benediction.
Is Jesus’ Tomb Empty?
You are probably aware that the Discovery Channel recently aired a special entitled, “The Lost Tomb of Jesus”, in which James Cameron (the director of “Titanic”) and Simcha Jacobovici claim to have found the ossuary in which Jesus’ bones were placed. They try to combine a bit of Indiana Jones, CSI (with DNA evidence), and the Da Vinci Code (with claims of Jesus’ relationship to Mary Magdalene). They claim the statistical likelihood that they are correct is 600 to 1 in favor of their having found Jesus’ tomb. While Cameron and Jacobovici claim to have no religious agenda, the implication of their claim would be that Christianity is a fraud.
Have they really found Jesus’ body?
What would be the implications if they have?
Why do Christians believe Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead?
What are the implications to you if He has?
Biblical Restoration
Galatians 6:1 - Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
Recent Sermons
Satisfaction for the Thirsty
Spurgeon called Isaiah 55 a chapter of gospel invitation. He preached from this passage at least eighteen times.
Isaiah 55 pleads with the lost to abandon their worthless idols. The Lord offers abundant pardon and rich kingdom blessings to those who turn to Him.
Isaiah 55 also speaks to believers who sometimes waste their time and money seeking to find joy and satisfaction in worldly things instead of finding their fulfillment in Christ.
Isaiah 55 also points to Christ who offers Himself as our spiritual food and drink.
Liberty and Love
Are you strong?
Last week Paul began his discussion of the issues over which Christians differ by encouraging all of us to accept one another without judging in these difficult matters.
In this week’s text Paul focuses upon those who consider themselves strong - because they believe they have liberty to do things in which the weak cannot participate without violating his conscience.
Rather than looking down on the weak, the strong should forego the use of his freedom for the sake of those who don’t enjoy the same sense of freedom.
In so doing he is living out the gospel by imitating Christ who gave up His rights for us.