"Luther"

Being that tomorrow is Reformation Day marking the anniversary of when German monk Martin Luther nailed his infamous 95 Theses on the Wittenburg Castle Church door, we will be watching the 2003 movie Luther at the parsonage. I hope you will make it. If not, below is the movie.

Ravi Zacharias' 12 Arguments For the Historicity of the Resurrection

In his sermon He is Risen given at the 2013 Ligonier Conference (video below), Ravi Zacharias offers twelve arguments in favor of the historicity of the resurrection.

1. The disciples eye-witness experience where they saw and touched.
2. The early proclamation the resurrection.
3. The transformation from fear to martyrdom
4. The empty tomb
5. They proclaimed the resurrection in Jersulamen itself.
6. No one was able to produce the body.
7. The existence of the church founded by law-abiding Jews.
8. The change of the day of worship to Sunday
9. The conversion of James.
10. The conversion of Saul of Tarsus.
11. Why on earth would they have put the evidence in the mouths of women?
12. Why would Jesus claim He was going to rise bodily when He could have claimed He was going to raise spiritually?

All You Need is Christ: MacArthur on the Sufficiency of Jesus

From John MacArthur on Colossians 3:1-4:

Now if you will notice the first four verses, I'll show you something interesting. He says in verse 1 "with Christ," in verse 1, "where Christ," in verse 3 "with Christ," in verse 4 "when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall you also appear," there it is again, "with him in glory." With Christ, where Christ, with Christ, with Christ, The emphasis is pretty clear. Having Christ is having everything. He is is the center of our resurrection life, and the conscious preoccupation of the believer is to be on Christ. That's what it means when it says, "seek the things that are above." Get your preoccupation on Christ, He is the center of your life. Remember chapter 2, spiritual intimidation? Don't let anybody come along and intimidate you with human philosophy. Christ is all. Don't let anybody come along and intimidate you with human rules and rituals and legalism. Christ is all. Don't let anybody come along and intimidate you with their angels and their visions and their ecstatic experiences, Christ is sufficient. Don't let any­body come along and intimidate you with their acts of self-styled fleshly self indulgence. Christ is all And Colossians 2:10 put it as well as it will ever be put. "Ye are complete in him." And that is what he is saying here. You have everything in having Christ. You don't need any of the world's systems of religions. You don't need to say Christ, plus human philosophy, Christ, plus legalism, Christ, plus mysticism, Christ, plus asceticism, all you need is Christ.

October 20, 2013 | Colossians 2:8-15 - Beware of Counterfeits: Why Jesus is Better. Period. - Part 1

Here is the sermon audio and notes from Sunday's message taken from Colossians 2:8-15. Time would not allow us to finish the chapter which means we will look at part 2 next week.

⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. ⁹ For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; ¹¹ and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; ¹² having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. ¹³ When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, ¹⁴ having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

Audio
Notes


August 18, 2013 | Colossians 1:1-8 - Faith, Hope, and Love: The Greatest of These is Hope?
September 1, 2013 | Colossians 1:9-12: The More You Know
September 8, 2013 | Colossians 1:13-23 - Salvation is Creation: A Biblical Theology
September 22, 2013 | Colossians 1:13-29
October 6, 2013 | Colossians 1:13-23 - Tear Down This Wall: Tearing Down the Secular & the Sacred Divide
October 13, 2013 | Colossians 2:1-7 - Walk in the Lord: A Call to Agonize for the Christ’s Bride
October 20, 2013 | Colossians 2:8-15 - Beware of Counterfeits: Why Jesus is Better. Period. - Part 1 


For more:
Jim Monroe: I Am Second

Strengthen Your Hearts: Fun With Mark Lowry
The Secular vs the Sacred: Brand on the Influence of Luther
The Secular vs. the Sacred: Wax on the Lordship of Christ
Martin Luther on the Secular/Sacred Dichotomy 
Nancy Pearcey on the Secular/Sacred Dichotomy
Is Colossians 1:15-20 a Hymn?
"That's My King"
Faith, Hope, and Love: An Early Christian Confession 
MacArthur on a Faith that Saves  

Jim Monroe: I Am Second

Here is the Jim Munroe video we watched Sunday night.

September 22, 2013 | Colossians 1:13-29

I just realized that I failed to post the audio and notes from our exposition of Colossians 1:13-29. Total, we spent three weeks with the last half of Colossians 1. The links to all of the sermons are available near the bottom of this post.

¹³ For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. ¹⁸ He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. ¹⁹ For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, ²⁰ and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

²¹ And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, ²² yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— ²³ if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

²⁴ Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. ²⁵ Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, ²⁶ that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, ²⁷ to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ²⁸ We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. ²⁹ For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

Audio
Notes


August 18, 2013 | Colossians 1:1-8 - Faith, Hope, and Love: The Greatest of These is Hope?
September 1, 2013 | Colossians 1:9-12: The More You Know
September 8, 2013 | Colossians 1:13-23 - Salvation is Creation: A Biblical Theology 
September 22, 2013 | Colossians 1:13-29
October 6, 2013 | Colossians 1:13-23 - Tear Down This Wall: Tearing Down the Secular & the Sacred Divide
October 13, 2013 | Colossians 2:1-7 - Walk in the Lord: A Call to Agonize for the Christ’s Bride


For more
Strengthen Your Hearts: Fun With Mark Lowry
The Secular vs the Sacred: Brand on the Influence of Luther
The Secular vs. the Sacred: Wax on the Lordship of Christ
Martin Luther on the Secular/Sacred Dichotomy 
Nancy Pearcey on the Secular/Sacred Dichotomy
Is Colossians 1:15-20 a Hymn?
"That's My King"
Faith, Hope, and Love: An Early Christian Confession 
MacArthur on a Faith that Saves  

October 13, 2013 | Colossians 2:1-7 - Walk in the Lord: A Call to Agonize for the Christ’s Bride

Here is the audio and notes from Sunday's message taken from Colossians 2:1-7.

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, ² that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴ I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. ⁵ For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.
⁶ Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, ⁷ having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

Audio
Notes


August 18, 2013 | Colossians 1:1-8 - Faith, Hope, and Love: The Greatest of These is Hope?
September 1, 2013 | Colossians 1:9-12: The More You Know
September 18, 2013 | Colossians 1:13-23 - Salvation is Creation: A Biblical Theology 
October 6, 2013 | Colossians 1:13-23 - Tear Down This Wall: Tearing Down the Secular & the Sacred Divide
October 6, 2013 | Colossians 2:1-7 - Walk in the Lord: A Call to Agonize for the Christ’s Bride


For more
Strengthen Your Hearts: Fun With Mark Lowry
The Secular vs the Sacred: Brand on the Influence of Luther
The Secular vs. the Sacred: Wax on the Lordship of Christ
Martin Luther on the Secular/Sacred Dichotomy 
Nancy Pearcey on the Secular/Sacred Dichotomy
Is Colossians 1:15-20 a Hymn?
"That's My King"
Faith, Hope, and Love: An Early Christian Confession 
MacArthur on a Faith that Saves 

October 6, 2013 | Colossians 1:13-23 - Tear Down This Wall: Tearing Down the Secular & the Sacred Divide

Before leaving Colossians 1:13ff, it is important we discuss one important subject critical for Christians to understand. We unfortunately live in a bifurcated world between the sacred and the secular. Many do not see everyday, routine things as sacred like work, family, marriage, etc. Yet if Christ is both Creator and Redeemer, then all is sacred including changing diapers and clocking in.

¹³ For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. ¹⁸ He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. ¹⁹ For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, ²⁰ and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

²¹ And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, ²² yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— ²³ if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

Audio
Notes


August 18, 2013 | Colossians 1:1-8 - Faith, Hope, and Love: The Greatest of These is Hope?
September 1, 2013 | Colossians 1:9-12: The More You Know
September 18, 2013 | Colossians 1:13-23 - Salvation is Creation: A Biblical Theology 
October 6, 2013 | Colossians 1:13-23 - Tear Down This Wall: Tearing Down the Secular & the Sacred Divide


For more
The Secular vs the Sacred: Brand on the Influence of Luther
The Secular vs. the Sacred: Wax on the Lordship of Christ
Martin Luther on the Secular/Sacred Dichotomy 
Nancy Pearcey on the Secular/Sacred Dichotomy
Is Colossians 1:15-20 a Hymn?
"That's My King"
Faith, Hope, and Love: An Early Christian Confession 
MacArthur on a Faith that Saves 
September 2, 2012 | Philippians 1:1-11 - The Joy of Thanksgiving & Prayer 
September 16, 2012 | Philippians 1:19-30 - The Joy of the Future
September 23, 2012 | Philippians 2:1-4: The Joy of Humility
September 30, 2012 | Philippians 2:5-11: The Joy of Holy Condescension
October 7, 2012 | Philippians 2:12-30: The Joy of Sanctification 
October 21, 2012 | Philippians 3:1-11: The Joy of a Pure Gospel
October 28, 2012 | Jude 1-25 - Is Grace a License to Sin?: Jude & the Antinomians  

Strengthen Your Hearts: Fun with Mark Lowry

Sunday we'll be looking at Colossians 2:1-7 and in verse 2, Paul prays that the hearts of the Colossians would be encouraged/strengthened. This got me to thinking of the following comedic bit from Mark Lowry.