Great Sermon! I praise the Lord for this sermon. Anyone that delights in growing in sanctification should keep this in their "heavy rotation" of sermons. Very timely for this age. May the church be on guard against pride.
Outstanding Sermon About a Difficult Proverb! Until this sermon by Pastor Josiah, I never understood this somewhat mysterious Scripture verse. Pastor Josiah draws out nuances and inferences of which I was never previously aware. Overall, according to Pastor Josiah, it seems that what God's Word is telling us is that our gratitude and blessings toward others must flow from sincere, humble, genuinely grateful hearts, with no hidden motives. Thank you, sir!
Great King of Light! Christ is the great light that shines in our darkness and sin and who brings us to life and light, to salvation. He is King of Light, Sovereign to intervene in our lives. The initiative is His, the liberation is His.
Great Sermon! I enjoyed your sermon very much, I started listening to Family Radio about 6 months ago because I'm a music minister in our church and I loved the hymns on the broadcast. I am very disturbed by Mr. Camping's teachings regarding "leaving the church", and I have heard a few distraught callers filled with confusion over leaving their church, and that really bothered me because he seemed to be needlessly confusing and scaring people. Thanks for clarifying this issue for me, because I feel that since the church truly is "the body of Christ", Jesus will not abandon us, as Camping insists he already has. Good job, Dan, and thank you!
Great Sermon! Very nice sermon!
Good cadence. Dan has a gift of preaching like a one on one conversation with the listener.
You could listen to this once or twice a year.
Minor Correction This sermon presents a 50-word definition of the gospel (not 49, as indicated in a previous comment):
(1-2)"In Christ,
(3-9)God the infinite spirit becomes a human,
(10-13)to share his love:
(14-18)he lives a perfect life;
(19-23)he dies a substitute death;
(24-27)he rises to heaven;
(28-32)and he promises to return,
(33-37)to give glorious lasting life,
(38-43)to anyone who turns from sin, (44-50)and who places their confidence in Him."
Comment About the Sabbath (to LM77) I realize this is an old posting; however, I did want to respectfully reply.
I believe when we examine the Scriptures closely we can find that God Himself changed the sabbath day from the 7th to the 1st day of the week. In Matt 28:1 the same Greek word (sabbaton) is used twice...its first occurrence represents the literal ending of sabbath day with sunrise on Sunday morning -- but I believe Scripture also supports the underlying spiritual truth that, with the resurrection of Christ, this also represents the end of the OT 7th day sabbaths. The next occurence in v1 has been mistranslated as "day of the week" when it is the identical Greek word used earlier in the verse. One can argue that a more proper translation for this portion of v1 would be "as it began to dawn toward the first of the sabbath" -- representing the beginning of the NT Sunday sabbath.
Just my thoughts on this sabbath morning in January 2006. Jeff
Intriguing Insight into Spurgeon on Dec.25 Regarding Christmas: I agree with Spurgeon's doctrine and practice.
CONCERNING SPURGEON'S BELIEFS:
"We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons...because we find no Scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Saviour."
CONCERNING SPURGEON'S PRACTICE: His sermon text for Dec.24, 1871 is Luke 2:10-12 "Joy in Bethlehem" --
-- an intriguing insight into the true Spurgeon, who was both a guardian of the truth and a wise pastor, selecting the appropriate text for the season which surrounded him.
another response "However, I must admit, I once met a minister who generally preached on the theme of resurrection during Decembers.) (By the way, his church eventually folded)"
Folded since he didn't tickle the ears. ?
Response to Newington, Connecticut
Your comments still make me wonder if you've even listened to the sermon.
The sermon does not advocate the establishing of some superstitious day as the day of our Lord's birth. This sermon assumes that the overwhelming majority of American culture already celebrates the Christmas season (though with a mixed understanding), and thus the sermon seizes the cultural opportunity to become all things to all people to win some for Christ (I Cor.9:19-23) and to help the sermon listeners to enrich their understanding of Christ and to prompte in them a joyful response -- and to appreciate our Lord's wonderful incarnation on behalf of an undeserving people, like you and me.
(However, I must admit, I once met a minister who generally preached on the theme of resurrection during Decembers.) (By the way, his church eventually folded.)
Response to Dr. Broadwater If you read the full quote, it is even more amazing. However, even going off of the quote that was given (my space was limited by the form submission), you miss the real thrust of the whole thing. His main focus was not on the issue of the date of Christ's birth. His focus was on the fact that it is superstitious to even set up a holy day that isn't taught in Scripture. Upon this point, you ducked. Further, I cannot wish you a merry Christ's Mass, since I am not Catholic. However, I do praise the Lord for the incarnation of Christ, His life, His death on the cross, His shedding of blood for the remission, His bodily resurrection from the grave, His ascension, and His soon coming.
Response to Newington, Conn. Great quotation from Spurgeon. I agree wholeheartedly regarding the actual date of our Lord's birth -- No one knows. However, if you actually listen to the sermon you'll see that the precise date has nothing to do with the sermon or the textual exposition. One thing is for certain: Our divine Lord was born as a human on some specific date in history; and it is appropriate to celebrate his incarnation, as long as it is not mandated as a divinely appointed day.
Merry Christmas -- the Lord is come. Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.
Joy Born At Bethlehem Spurgeon, preaching a sermon on December 24th, 1871 had the following to say, "We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons...because we find no Scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Saviour; and, consequently, its observance is a superstition, because not of divine authority. Superstition has fixed most positively the day of our Saviour's birth, although there is no possibility of discovering when it occurred...It was not till the middle of the third century that any part of the church celebrated the nativity of our Lord; and it was not till very long after the Western church had set the example, that the Eastern adopted it. Because the day is not known, therefore superstition has fixed it...Probably the fact is that the holy days were arranged to fit in with heathen festivals. We venture to assert, that if there be any day in the year, of which we may be pretty sure that it was not the day on which the Saviour was born, it is the twenty-fifth of December."
Great Sermon! Up to a Point! The general sentiments of the 4 points are fine.
Yet, I cannot understand, how you can claim that Jesus CHANGED the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday,(no text given!) and claim that 1st-day or Sunday to be the Lord's Day, when God's Word clearly says that Jesus made the 7th-day Sabbath at Creation,Blessed it! Hallowed it! (set it apart for Holy use) and by His own example: RESTED on it & declared it perfect & Holy! In the NT it is clear, that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath! Matt.12:8. So, why would a perfect God, who CHANGES NOT! change a Perfect & Holy Law of Liberty?
And another trickery on your part, when you say, "one in seven" , is an utter LIE! The commandment does not say "one in seven" but "the seventh-day is"! Ex.20:10. Just ask any decent dictionary, & see which day is the seventh-day, and it will say: Saturday! Since when is the 1st-day become 7th-day?
Could you provide the text, where Jesus CHANGED the Sabbath from 7th to 1st-day of the week, in honour of His resurrection?! I thought Baptism by immersion was in honour of His resurrection: Death, Burial and Resurrection. Sunday is Pagan, and is the child of the Papacy! Jesus & all Apostles kept Saturday-not Sunday! Are you a true Protestant, or a Catholic? Please make up your mind! Regards, LM77
Sermon Overview Jesus' Birth Story Presents an Amazing Cast with an Amazing Ending.
THE STORY IS AMAZING BECAUSE OF:
1. The Unusual Star
2. The Unusual Magi
3. The Unusual King [Herod]
4. The Unusual Child
5. The Unusual Ending, as the Child brings us our much
needed salvation.
SERMON QUOTES:
1. Concerning the Shining Star? "The Birth of Christ brings a miraculous light to the nations."
2. Concerning the Seeking Magi:
"Christians are addicted to seeking solutions instead of seeking Jesus."
3. Concerning Cruel Herod: "It was safer to be Herod's pig than to be Herod's son."
4. Concerning the Amazing Child: "What other Child has his own Star?"
FINAL SERMON THOUGHTS:
1. That "first Christmas" God could have brought us anything --money, technology, entertainment, education...you name it; but instead, God brings us salvation -- "they will call the Child "...Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" (Mat.1:21).
2. The first Christmas story is amazing, but the most amazing part is this: God would come in the form of a baby to forgive me.
OVERVIEW This sermon clarifies the gospel in a single word: "Christ"; in four words --"good news, in Christ."
Broadwater goes on to explain the good news of Christ, in a rich full sentence (49 words)--
"In Christ, God the infinite spirit becomes a human, to share his love: he lives a perfect life; he dies a substitute death; he rises to heaven;
and he promises to return, to give glorious lasting life, to anyone who turns from sin, and who places their confidence in Him."
Broadwater's 49-word definition of the gospel is essentially the entire sermon, with each section supported by Scripture and rich quotes from key Christian thinkers.
This sermon can be used for clarifying the gospel with seekers, young believers, or even more mature Christians who want to refresh their understanding on the precise nature of the gospel.