May 5, 2013 | Jonah 3:1-10 - Some Things Never Change: Divine Stubbornness & Why Grace is Unconditional

Here is part four of five of our sermon series on the wonderful Book of Jonah.

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, ² “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.” ³ So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk. ⁴ Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
 
⁵ Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. ⁶ When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. ⁷ He issued a proclamation and it said, “In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. ⁸ But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. ⁹ Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.”

¹⁰ When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.




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April 7, 2013 | Jonah 1:1-3 - You Can Run But Not Hide: Why That is Really Good News
April 14, 2013 | Jonah 1:4-17 - Grace Goes Both Ways You Know: Why that is Really Really Good News
April 21, 2013 | Jonah 2:1-10 - Salvation is From the Lord: Why I Stand Amazed  & Not Condemned
May 5, 2013 | Jonah 3:1-10 - Some Things Never Change: Divine Stubbornness & Why Grace is Unconditional


For more:
How Are We to Understand Jonah: As Historical?
How Are We to Understand Jonah: As Midrash?
How Are We to Understand Jonah: As Allegorical?
Holman Dictionary on Jonah
Bibledex on Jonah
VeggieTales and Jonah 
Man Swallowed By Hippo & Lived to Tell About It

November 13, 2011 | Psalm 51: The Lord is My Salvation

I had some computer problems and am finally back up and running.  Here is the audio and the notes from the sermon from November 13 from Psalm 51 written after David was confronted by Nathan the Prophet regarding his sexual sin with Bathsheba and his act of murder against her husband Uriah.





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For more:

Sermon - October 16, 2011 | Psalm 23 - The Lord is My Shepherd: Peace in the Shepherd's Arms
Sermon - October 23, 2011 | Psalm 99 - The Lord is My King
Sermon - October 30, 2011 | Psalm 8 - The Lord is My Lord
Sermon - November 6, 2011 | Psalm 1: The Lord is My Delight

Stewart on the Lordship of Christ

James A. Stewart has written one of the best summaries on the issue of submitting to the Lordship of Christ.  Though the "Lordship Controversy" appears to be a thing of the past, it remains a fresh conversation for us to have.  Here's the debate:  must a believer accept Jesus as both their Savior and their Lord in order to be saved?  In other words, must a person not only trust that Jesus can save them if they believe, but also repent and bear the fruits of their repentance?

I believe that those in whom God justifies on account of the substitutionary death of Christ He also sanctifies in the Spirit.  This means that salvation is more than a get-out-of-hell-free-card, but a call to repentance whereby we submit to our Lord, pick up our cross, and follow Him.  We surrender all.  Submit all.  And sacrifice all just as our Lord did for us.

Here is what Stewart had to say on the subject:

There are many who want to be saved from the consequences of their sin, who do not want to be saved from the love of it. Many want to be delivered from sin's curse and sin's wages, who do not want to bow their neck to the yoke of Christ. There are many who are attracted by the Gospel message and see the way of salvation, who are still possessing a craving for this present evil age. How great the need for care, lest by an inadequate presentation of the truth of the Gospel we deceive these souls into a false profession. There is a grave danger that many people will make a mistake of substituting an emotional religious crisis for a born-again experience. To preach Christ as Saviour without preaching Christ as Lord, makes a mockery of the Gospel and the entire Christian life. There must be true repentance. 'If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him' (I John 2 : 15).

To those who want to receive Christ as Saviour in order to have a passport to Heaven, but desire to remain in their sins and in the world, we must be faithful and declare like Peter, 'Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity' (Acts 8:21-23).

Mr. Spurgeon warns his students: 'If the professed convert distinctly and deliberately declares that he knows the Lord's will but does not mean to attend to it, you are not to pamper his presumption, but it is your duty to assure him that he is not saved. Do you imagine that the Gospel is magnified or God glorified by going to the worldlings and telling them that they may be saved at this moment by simply accepting Christ as their Saviour, while they are wedded to their idols and their hearts are still in love with sin? If I do so, I tell them a lie, pervert the Gospel, insult Christ, and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness.'

To read the rest, click here.


James A. Stewart - The Lordship of Christ - True Repentance  

December 27, 2009: Repentance: Costly Grace

Here is the audio and notes from December 27, 2009 on Matthew 3:1-12.

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April 26, 2009 - Got Fruit?

Download notes here.

April 19, 2009 - "Follow Me": The First Step of Repentance

Download the notes here.