Understanding God's Love and the Role of the Church

The basic line that I would argue is, um, twofold. First of all, uh, John at the beginning of the book of the Revelation, John 1:10, says, "I was in the spirit on the Lord's day." That means there is a Lord's Day in the New Covenant. That doesn't solve exactly which is the Lord's day or all the implications of that, but it's a clear indication all days are not alike in the New Covenant. [00:02:19]

When it comes to the fourth Commandment, the critical question is, is the Sabbath of the fourth Commandment simply a mosaic institution in which one could well argue it has passed away with so much of the Mosaic institutions for Israel, or is it a creation institution, in which case in some sense it continues forever with creation? [00:02:53]

The writer of Hebrews said that they would be offered time and time again, and the atonement was in that blood according to Leviticus 17:11. And so it made atonement for their sins, but of course, they would sin and then sin again and then have to go back in and make another sacrifice. But again, the writer of Hebrews said that when Jesus Christ gave his life, it was once and for all a sufficient atonement for us. [00:04:19]

The doctrine of election and John 3:16 highlight the complexity of God's love, which is universal in its offer but particular in its saving effect. This calls us to a deeper understanding of Scripture and a commitment to evangelism that respects God's sovereignty. [00:05:30]

God's disposition towards the world in sending his son, God the Father was motivated by love to send his son, and that's a glorious statement. And I don't think that it specifically identifies for whom Christ died. I think there are too many other verses where Jesus specifies he lays down his life for the sheep, that he purchased the church with his own blood, Paul said. [00:07:31]

God has a general love for everyone, that's a benevolent love of caring, providing life, providing food and water, with some exceptions. I mean, God is so loving he feeds the animals, he causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. And so God has a broad, general, non-saving, non-redemptive love for all mankind. [00:15:22]

The father, in the mystery of his infinite character, both loved us with an everlasting love but was angry with us as sinners. And the great glory of the Cross is it shows us how love and justice can meet, how righteousness and love can be reconciled. And it can't happen in us or through us; it can only happen through another. [00:18:37]

The primary purpose of the worship service is not to attract the unbeliever. So the seeker-sensitive movement has flipped the church upside down on its head. The primary purpose of the worship service, amazingly, is to worship. So it's first and foremost for the exaltation of the name of God. [00:30:14]

We do want unbelievers to come to church, but we're not going to compromise the worship service. We're not going to dilute it and water it down with secular activities and turn this into a three-ring circus with all kinds of gimmicks and flashing lights and smoke machines and all the rest. We're not here for that. [00:31:58]

The success of the worship service is not judged by how many people walked an aisle, how many people raised a hand and parroted a prayer. The success of the worship service is, was God pleased with the worship that ascended up to him? [00:34:37]

I think we have to challenge it in the first place theologically and biblically as you were doing, but also challenge the pragmatists in their own terms. Is it working? Are we seeing lots of people being saved? Are they being built up in the faith? And the answer is no, by any objective standard. [00:37:47]

I do think as the church in particular, we have to make clear to the world that we are not picking on certain sins and ignoring other sins. So we have to be sure we preach as much against heterosexual sins as we do against homosexual sins, as much against pre-marital sex and as against adultery. [00:41:38]