Unbreakable Love: Embracing Scripture and Life's Sanctity

I've said that many times I wasn't the first person to say that and I I can't but imagine that ever since Paul penned Romans that the eighth chapter became a favorite because it contains so many gospel notes and some of the most famous texts in all of Scripture are in Romans 8. [00:01:11]

The Reformation was in many respects a recovery of the authority of Scripture over all of doctrine and all of life. The final answer to any question is what does the Bible have to say about this, and so putting scripture above human opinion whether that's the opinion of a single individual or a preacher or a commentator or a pope or or the opinion of a collection of like a like a council or a synod scripture is the final authority. [00:02:56]

We believe in something called the perspicuity of Scripture. It's at the heart of the Westminster confession for example in the first chapter and that and that says that that any Christian with the right use of means like preaching or a commentator or being blowing to a Bible study or asking someone who has more knowledge can come to an understanding of the essential doctrines of the Bible. [00:04:22]

I think that there is a rule of thumb a general rule of thumb that we pray to the Father through the intercession of the Lord Jesus and by the help and strength of the Holy Spirit so I think I think prayer generally speaking should be Trinitarian. Jesus taught his disciples to pray saying our Father who art in heaven. [00:05:18]

The psalmist speaks of a relationship of God with the individual from the moment of conception but just think of of Jesus when the Holy Spirit conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary the infant Jesus who is a day old a week old a month old who's in the third trimester at what point is is Jesus the Incarnate son of God and the answer is from Gabriel himself that it's at the moment of his conception. [00:15:07]

I think that it is important to remind children of their baptism and if there were baptized as infants then they're not going to have a memory of their baptism so they they need to be reminded that they are baptized and and there are implications of being baptized and there are consequences in terms of the privileges that baptism entails and that they've been raised in a godly home. [00:19:08]

The biggest challenge facing pastors there are many I mean I think that post modernity or late modernity whatever you want to call it you know has done a number on our society and therefore getting a platform in which what you are saying is being heard the way you intend it to be heard is increasingly more difficult and it's not just out there it's it's the congregation that you're actually speaking to who are constantly being molded and shaped by a broad abroad of what is acceptable and what isn't in terms of truth and doctrine and morals. [00:22:24]

Preach the gospel to yourself every day I think that that that becomes important but there are opportunities to serve the Lord that only come at certain times in one's life and you know the youth sometimes have a lot of zeal but no knowledge and and the trick is you don't want to pour water on the fire and put the fire out you just want to so steer them in the right direction. [00:33:21]

I think that preaching needs to be exposition of the word and needs to be about the gospel and not be driven by social issues the social issues can be applications of preaching but they must not be the vehicle through which we address the world only the gospel can change this this rotten world of ours you know and there there are there are many things that are troubling God's people at the minute and some of them are social issues and sexual identity issues. [00:50:14]

One of the evidences of a new birth one of the evidences of genuine faith is that you love Jesus and you love Jesus is loss so a desire to keep the law desire to be holy which is our sees book that you're giving away is one of the evidences of being a Christian and it's the only place where Christian will find true contentment and joy and happiness is that when you when you're walking in the will of the Lord keeping his Commandments. [00:51:05]

We must love those to whom we witness no matter who they are we're to love our enemies but to love our neighbors and so difficult under us there are examples and scenarios where this is difficult and that's not peculiar to LGBTQ issues but what they need is the gospel and it's it's the difficulty of having firm convictions about sexual identity about maleness and femaleness and not being seen as a bigot because that is the catalyst of our society that that if you are not open-minded you are a bigot. [00:52:04]

There are surely opportunities when somebody is facing near certain death to show love and tenderness and compassion just to speak about heaven to speak about the hope that lies before someone who who knows the gospel who loves Jesus and that this is just slipping into a fold in space and and you wake up in heaven there are opportunities I mean you know the the cross the three crosses it was the same event in all three it was a crucifixion it in one it was softening in one it was hardening and in another it was atoning right so the mere fact that one is aware that that one is dying does not necessarily induce a softening and an openness to receive the gospel it can just as easily Harden but to look for those opportunities where you can speak a gentle word or or or just to say connect can I pray for you and that's a little in mind indirect and bring the gospel into your prayer. [01:00:20]