2008 Missionary Speakers

Alex, Jean, Joe and David Agha-Khan, England

Jim and Evelyn Anderson, Bonn, Germany

What is Reformed Theology?

The Foundations of the Reformed Faith

January 13, 2008

• Review TULIP

• Total depravity. (Jer 17:9, Rom 3:10-12)
• Unconditional election. (Eph 1:4-5, Acts 13:48)
• Limited Atonement. (John 17:1-2, Rev 5:9)
• Irresistible grace. (John 6:44, 65)
• Perseverance of the saints. (Jer 32:40, John 10:27-30)

The five points of Calvinism were developed by the Synod of Dordt in 1619 in response to five specific objections raised by Jacob Arminius. They are distinctives of reformed theology but not the essence. We are to look to the following principles for the foundations of reformed theology.

• Reformed theology is centered on God.

• The five solas - the great exclamations of the Reformation.

• Sola Scriptura – the only infallible rule of faith for the Church. (2 Tim 3:15-17, Heb 4:12)
• Sola Gratia – our only method. (John 1:12-13, 1 Cor 1:30-31)
• Sola Fide – our only means. (Eph 2:8-9. R Sola om 4:4-5)
• Solus Christus – our only mediator. (John 14:6, Acts 4:10-12)
• Soli Deo Gloria – our only ambition. (See various Scripture)

• Reformed theology interprets Scripture through the three major covenants (also known as Covenant Theology).

• The covenant of redemption. Between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
• The covenant of works. Between God and Adam.
• The covenant of grace. God’s relationship with his people throughout the rest of Scripture.

Scripture

Total Depravity

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

Rom 3:10-12 There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.

Unconditional Election

Eph 1:4-5 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Acts 13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

Limited or Particular Atonement

John 17:1-2 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.

Rev 5:9 And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

Irresistible Grace

John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:65 And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father."

Perseverance of the Saints

Jer 32:40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me.

John 10:27-30 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

Centered on God

Westminster Larger Catechism Q. 7. What is God?

1. God is a Spirit,[1] in and of himself infinite in being,[2] glory,[3] blessedness,[4] and perfection;[5] all-sufficient,[6] eternal,[7] unchangeable,[8] incomprehensible,[9] every where present,[10] almighty,[11] knowing all things,[12] most wise,[13] most holy,[14] most just,[152] most merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.[16] Numbers are scriptural support

Acts 2:23 This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.

Phil 2:12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Sola Scriptura

2 Tim 3:15-17 And how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Sola Gratia

John 1:12-13 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

1 Cor 1:30-31 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.

Sola Fide

Eph 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Rom 4:4-5 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

Solus Christus

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Acts 4:10,12 Then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Soli Deo Gloria

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God; Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. (1CO 10:31; 1PE 4:11; REV 1:6; 2PE 3:1; EPH 3:21; REV 7:12; ROM 11:36)

Bob Flayharts Summary of The Peace Maker

The key concepts are p. 22, p. 126, p. 209, p. 227 and the Peacemaker's Pledge.

The Slippery Slope of Conflict


How to Confess our Wrongs

Forgive as God Forgave You


Cooperativeness vs. Competative Negotiations



The Peacemaker's Pledge

Purpose of Life - Rick Warren

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness,” which is my problem, my issues, my pain." But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has bee n very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people. You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stoppe d taking a salary from the church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor , care for the sick, and educate the next generation.

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes for my life?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better.

God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.

That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.

Galatians Study - Lesson Two

Ambassador vs. Anathema

 

Galatians 1:1-12

August 26, 2007

Tyndale Class

 

Reviewing Paul's Conversion

Acts 9:1-9,17-22

 

-          Saul leads the parade of relative moralism and ceremonial law keeping

-          Associated with the Sanhedrin and courts of the High Priest

-          Paul was arrested by Grace in the midst of his persecution

-          Christ left him in darkness in part to expand the margins of his self examination having seen the Son of God

o   Paul's entire world was crashing down

o   God left him in darkness to prepare for the light

o   His apostleship was an experience of complete brokenness followed by divine calling to truth, redemptive love and a missional perspective toward the Gentiles

-          How is our conversion like that of Paul?

-          How is our sanctification accomplished in similar ways?

 

 

Paul The Apostle

 

-          Why does he start out with this claim and is it valid?

o   I Corinthians 9:1

-          Is his statement tinged with positional pride or arrogance?

o   I Corinthians 15:9

-          What is the role of the apostle in the early church?

o   I Corinthians 3:10-11

 

 

Grace And Peace – More Than Words – Romans 5:1-5

 

Grace

What do we know of the boundaries of Grace?

o   What can be added to it and it still retain its meaning

o   What limit's of God's grace

o   How does God administer Grace to his people?

§  Positionally

§  Conditionally

Peace

o   Where is the conflict?

o   What had to be accomplished to establish peace?

o   Is it a fragile peace?   Why or why not?

 

 

Sola Gratia – No Other Gospel

 

            Who initiates the work of salvation in a believer's life?

o   Romans 4:4-8

o   Justification "Just as if I never sinned….just as if I always did everything right"

o   Romans 8:28-30 – It is GOD alone who changes a heart

o   Even if angels suggested work that could be added to satisfy God's requirement

o   Where do we find a sort of "angel" that tempts us to seek to add to the work of God through Christ?

o   Sanctification – God's work of assimilation of our hearts/minds as new citizens of a foreign country – the new heaven and new earth

o   Why do we listen to voices that tell us:

§  You just need more discipline and you conquer your ______ problem…

§  You just don't take sin serious enough, you need to recognize that God is losing patience and has His limits……

§  If you read some more Christian books on the topic….

 

Paul gives the agitators no quarter

o   Philippians 3:2-4

o   The Greek word he uses in Galatians 1:8&9 is "anathema" which is the embodiment of a curse

o   Why does Paul make such a big deal about it?

    

No wide gate or easy road

o   Paul makes clear that he is not dumbing down the requirements for salvation to expand his group of followers

 

 

Paul's Words As Spoken To OMPC

 

            Where would he challenge our minds/hearts in this area?

 

            What is the most popular "alternative gospel" in your life this week?

 

 

Galatians Overview

Hallmark Epistle of Grace

I. What are the key themes of this book?

a. Justification by faith in Christ’s work has been the hope of all true Israel from Abraham until the time of the books writing

b. The law is powerless to save or to contribute anything to eternal hope

c. There can be no alternative or gray area to this truth – nothing can be added

d. We have a rich inheritance as Sons of God if we are united to Him – It is position in Christ vs. condition of our immediate circumstances.

e. The Spirit works with our spirit to deepen our sense of identity as citizens of a new heaven and earth and to break us free of the flesh

II. Who is Paul at the time of this writing

a. Well known leader for taking gospel to the Gentiles (1:16)

b. Former Pharisee and tormentor of the church (1:13)

c. Passionate apostle of Christ – not of other apostles (1:1)

III. Why did the zealots challenge Paul

a. They saw him as a threat to their sense of control on Christians in these churches so they tried to cast him as a renegade apostle

b. They were trying to “raise the bar” on first century Gentile Christians under pressure from Jewish groups in Judea who were becoming more intolerant of contact between Jews and Greeks.

IV. When was the book written

a. Many scholars think it was written to the southern Galatians and this would be shortly after his first missionary journey

b. Some scholars believe it was written to the northern provinces of Galatians and that would put it during or at the end of his third missionary journey (AD 54 or 55).

V. What are the similarities between the Galatians and OMPC

a. We struggle with the flesh that pushes an agenda of self centeredness and self sufficiency

b. Traditions and familiar customs cloud our understanding of Christ’s power

c. Key doctrines are key to our understanding and will be:

i. Gospel

ii. Justification

iii. Adoption

iv. Freedom

v. Grace

vi. Sovereignty

Parables

We have been focused on parables for the summer.  John Welch kicked off the series by defining parables.  

Mike Yates presented the Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven.  Those are the Parabel of the sower, parable of the tares among wheat, parable of the mustard seed, parable of the leaven, parables of the hidden treasure, and parable of the costly pearl.