Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah . . . has conquered . . . Revelation 5:5
But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . Galatians 6:14
You have been very angry with your Anointed One. Psalm 89:38
For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2
Let the motto upon your whole ministry be - "Christ is All!" - Cotton Mather

Thursday, May 20, 2021

The Ten Most Influential Sermons I've Ever Heard?

At the Simeon Trust workshop (a meeting to help us read and preach the Bible more effectively), one of our leaders mentioned being asked the question: "What are the top five most nourishing, helpful, influential sermons you've ever heard in your life?"

I had to list ten! Here are mine (that I am aware of - and I actually could be wrong - God may have used a certain sermon I don't even remember to spur me on to holiness and Christ-likeness like none of these ever have!):

1. S. M. Lockridge: A sermon on the word "Amen" that contains the greatest 6 minutes of preaching I've ever heard in my life "That's My King!": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUDgBNhKBME

Full sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BhI4JKACUs

2. John Piper: Is God For Us Or For Himself? https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/is-god-for-us-or-for-himself--2

3. John Piper: Romans 3:21-26: The Just And The Justifier: https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-just-and-the-justifier

4. John Piper: Why Expositional Preaching Is Particularly Glorifying to God: https://t4g.org/resources/john-piper/why-expositional-preaching-is-particularly-glorifying-to-god-session-vi/

5. David Platt: Divine Sovereignty: The Fuel Of Death Defying Missions: https://t4g.org/resources/david-platt/divine-sovereignty-the-fuel-of-death-defying-missions-2/

6. Kevin DeYoung: Never Spoke a Man Like This Before: Inerrancy, Evangelism, and Christ’s Unbreakable Bible: https://t4g.org/resources/kevin-deyoung/never-spoke-a-man-like-this-before-inerrancy-evangelism-and-christs-unbreakable-bible/

7. Tim Keller and Ed Clowney: A preaching class they team taught: Preaching Christ in a Postmodern Worl‪d: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/course/preaching-christ-postmodern-world/#introduction-to-the-course

8. John Piper: Almost any of his biographical sermons at his pastor's conferences: https://www.desiringgod.org/biographies

9. A preaching series on the five points of Calvinism - one sermon on each of the five points - changed my understanding of God and life forever! This is not the exact series I heard, but it's a good one: John Piper: TULIP: https://www.desiringgod.org/series/tulip

10. Old Billy Graham sermons. Sometimes I think everyone else merely lectures - only Billy Graham actually preached 🙂 . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBQv0i4NnKU

11. And one essay: John Piper: Is God Less Glorious Because He Ordained That Evil Be?: https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/is-god-less-glorious-because-he-ordained-that-evil-be

12. And one book, other than the Bible: John Piper, Desiring God: Meditations Of A Christian Hedonisthttps://www.wtsbooks.com/products/desiring-god-john-piper-9781601423108?variant=9996172066863

13. And one documentary: American Gospel: Christ Alone: https://www.watchagtv.com/american-gospel-christ-alone/videos/american-gospel-christ-alone

Or a free, shorter version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocHm18wUAGU

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

When Quoting Scripture, Jesus Never Uses Quotations!

Dr. Klaas Schilder on why Jesus is never truly quoting someone else when He quotes the Scriptures:

He speaks in quotations because in a strict sense He never uses quotations. The Scriptures are the product of inspiration; the author of Scriptures is the Logos through His Spirit. Thus the Logos is the poet, the creator of the thoughts and of the poems in the Bible. Accordingly, when as man, that Logos feels back, goes back, in experience to that which as the Logos he announced beforehand through the Spirit, we can say that the specifically human in this experience can undoubtedly be characterized by saying: Notice, He is quoting. But on the other hand, Christ, who as a Person remains the Son of God, also in His human nature, is not quoting. As a human being He does indeed refer to a statement of the Bible, but as God, as the Supreme Wisdom He once Himself announced the very statement He quotes. Accordingly, He is not 'quoting' another person whom He recalls, but He is repeating His own words which He had spoken beforehand concerning Himself, and which, as man, He now fulfills and realizes in Himself. (Christ Crucified, 395).