The Reformed room Bible study

[CCWoody]

If anyone wants to be added to the Bible study mail list to receive the Spurgeon sermons, please PM me an email address and I will add you. This is today's sermon.

THE IMMUTABILITY OF CHRIST.​

NO. 170
​

A SERMON DELIVERED ON SABBATH MORNING, JANUARY 3, 1858,​

BY THE REV. C. H. SPURGEON,​

AT THE MUSIC HALL, ROYAL SURREY GARDENS.​

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.” — Hebrews 13:8.​

​

T is well that there is one person who is the same. It is well that there is one stable rock amidst the changing billows of this sea of life; for how many and how grievous have been the changes of last year? How many of you who commenced in affluence, have by the panic, which has shaken nations, been reduced almost to poverty? How many of you, who in strong health marched into this place on the first Sabbath of last year, have had to come tottering here, feeling that the breath of man is in his nostrils, and wherein is he to be accounted of? Many of you came to this hall with a numerous family, leaning upon the arm of a choice and much loved friend. Alas! for love, if thou wert all, and nought beside, o earth! For ye have buried those ye loved the best. Some of you have come here childless, or widows, or fatherless, still weeping your recent affliction. Changes have taken place in your estate that have made your heart full of misery. Your cups of sweetness have been dashed with draughts of gall; your golden harvests have had tares cast into the midst of them, and you have had to reap the noxious weed along with the precious grain. Your much fine gold has become dim, and your glory has departed; the sweet frames at the commencement of last year became bitter ones at the end. Your raptures and your ecstacies were turned into depression and forebodings. Alas! for our charges, and hallelujah to him that hath no change.
​

But greater things have changed than we; for kingdoms have trembled in the balances. We have seen a peninsula deluged with blood, and mutiny raising its bloody war whoop. Nay, the whole world hath changed; earth hath doffed its green, and put on its sombre garment of Autumn, and soon expects to wear its ermine robe of snow. All things have changed. We believe that not only in appearance but in reality, the world is growing old. The sun itself must soon grow dim with age; the folding up of the wornout vesture has commenced; the changing of the heavens and the earth has certainly begun. They shall perish; they all shall wax old as doth a garment; but for ever blessed be him who is the same, and of whose years there is no end. The satisfaction that the mariner feels, when, after having been tossed about for many a day, he puts his foot upon the solid shore, is just the satisfaction of a Christian when, amidst all the changes of this troublous life, he plants the foot of his faith upon such a text as this — “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” The same stability that the anchor gives the ship, when it hath at last got the grip of some immovable rock, that same stability doth our hope give to our spirits, when, like an anchor, it fixes itself in a truth so glorious as this — “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.”
​

I shall first try this morning to open the text by a little explanation; then I shall try to answer a few objections which our wicked unbelief will be quite sure to raise against it; and afterwards I shall try to draw a few useful, consoling, and practical lessons from the great truth of the immutability of Jesus Christ.
​

 

[CCWoody]

For those of you who may be curious as to my absence, I have not not abandoned this thread. I am continuing in my devotion of the Lord as I hope those of you reading with me have. However, I have been in the middle of a rather time consuming project at the office (actually 2 large projects and a few smaller ones) which has nearly eliminated my free time. Be patient with me. I am nearing the end.

Such is the life of an engineer.

 

[CCWoody]

Another Amil verse for your consideration:

Act 3:21 GB

(21) Whome the heauen must containe vntill the time that all thinges be restored, which God had spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began.

​

 

[theseed]

Another Amil verse for your consideration:

Act 3:21 GB

(21) Whome the heauen must containe vntill the time that all thinges be restored, which God had spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began.

​

How is this verse amillennialist? Why can't the restoration be the Mellennial Kingdom? It actually seems pre-millennialist, because if the kingdom was here (post-millennial)., then Christ would have come back.


Acts 3 (NIV)
21He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.

Acts 3 (NASB)
21He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.

Acts 3 (KJV)
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

 

[CCWoody]

How is this verse amillennialist? Why can't the restoration be the Mellennial Kingdom? It actually seems pre-millennialist, because if the kingdom was here (post-millennial)., then Christ would have come back.


Acts 3 (NIV)
21He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.

Acts 3 (NASB)
21He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.

Acts 3 (KJV)
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

You need to remember that in an eschatological discussion you can't read your expectations about the Millennium into someone else's. This is what you have done here when you presume that I would view the Millennium as having Christ physically present. As a Partial Preterist Amillennialist, I don't view the Millennium as requiring Christ to be physically present for him to be reigning over the kingdom of God.

Now, as to this verse, you are also reading your presumption into the verse when you state that the "restoration of ALL things" to be the institution of the Millennial reign of Christ.

When I read that Heaven must contain Christ until the restoration of ALL things, I presume that all things must be all things unless there is a compelling Scriptural reason to presume that Christ is only going to return after the restoration of some things, or all kinds of things, but not all things.

Plainly stated, you need to read your presumption into the verse. I don't. This is why I present this as an Amil verse. All I have to do is read the verse and make a mental note that the Lord will return when all things are restored.

Do you understand my position here?

 

[theseed]

Do you understand my position here?

I understand that you presume the millennial kingdom not to be literal.

Premillennialist have no problems with thier millenial interpretations because they interpret those passages literally.

And we must define what "all things" or "everything" means. Because it can't literally mean everthing either.

Can it mean that Satan will once again sit under God? No, he won't be restored.

 

[CCWoody]

I understand that you presume the millennial kingdom not to be literal.

Premillennialist have no problems with thier millenial interpretations because they interpret those passages literally.

And we must define what "all things" or "everything" means. Because it can't literally mean everthing either.

Can it mean that Satan will once again sit under God? No, he won't be restored.

Verse 23 makes it clear that the restoration of all things means the utter destruction of every soul that will not hear Christ. So, in the immediate context of the verse, we learn that the Return of Christ which will not happen until the restoration of all things which includes the utter destruction of everyone who will not hear Christ.

Premillennialism denies this by the belief that the utter destruction of these people will not occur until 1000 years after the return of the Lord.

IOW, this verse teaches that the Return of the Lord is tied to the Judgment of the Reprobates. Therefore our eschatology must include this belief, not be in contradiction to it.

 

[theseed]

This much I have learned--Acts 3:21 is a premill. "pet" verse.

 

[ksen]

Another Amil verse for your consideration:



Act 3:21 GB

(21) Whome the heauen must containe vntill the time that all thinges be restored, which God had spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began.​

​

If the Heaven must contain Christ until the Restoration, then how can He be reigning now?

 

[theseed]

Excellent point. And although I don't understand the passage here, only premill. makes sense in light of Acts 1.6-7.

Acts 1 (NIV)

6So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

Acts 1 (NASB)
6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, (1) is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"
7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which (2) the Father has fixed by His own authority;

Acts 1 (KjV)
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

 

[CCWoody]

[/indent]If the Heaven must contain Christ until the Restoration, then how can He be reigning now?

With all due respect, my brothers, we need not concern ourselves with what kind of reign Christ is or will have. We need only concern ourselves with what this verse I presented is telling us we have to believe concerning the Parousia.

Now, I understand that you Premills make verse 23 a "pet verse." The problem is that you haven't figured out that verse 21 declares that Christ cannot return until the restoration of all things, which by the definition of verse 23 means that it must include the utter destruction of all the wicked. We know this because both verse 21 & 22 start with the word "for" telling us that this is a continuation of the same topic from previous verses.

Besides, we know that verse 23 cannot possibly be talking about a future Millennial reign of Christ because verse 24 clearly tells us that we are talking about "these days" not future days. And, verse 26 declares to us that the Prophet raised up can't possibly be talking about the future. The tense is talking about the past raising of Christ.

So, verse 23 reveals that not hearing the Prophet is a present tense reality which will result in the future destruction of the wicked at the return of Christ when all things are restored.

 

[ksen]

Now, I understand that you Premills make verse 23 a "pet verse." The problem is that you haven't figured out that verse 21 declares that Christ cannot return until the restoration of all things, which by the definition of verse 23 means that it must include the utter destruction of all the wicked. We know this because both verse 21 & 22 start with the word "for" telling us that this is a continuation of the same topic from previous verses.

(Still having trouble getting my emails)

Woody, where in the passage does it say that Christ cannot return until all things are restored. It says that Christ is in Heaven until it is time for the restoration. Then when Christ returns He restores all things.

To say that Christ doesn't return until all things have already been restored sounds almost Postmillenial.

 

[CCWoody]

<A href="http://www.jonathanedwards.com/sermons/Warnings/WickedMen.htm">Wicked Men Of The Past Are Still In Hell<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">

 

[CCWoody]

(Still having trouble getting my emails)

Woody, where in the passage does it say that Christ cannot return until all things are restored. It says that Christ is in Heaven until it is time for the restoration. Then when Christ returns He restores all things.

To say that Christ doesn't return until all things have already been restored sounds almost Postmillenial.

The verse plainy states that Heaven must contain the Lord until the time that all things are restored. You really have to stretch the plain meaning of the verse to say that it is 1000 years or restoration. That would clearly imply that there will be 1000 years of continuous restoration.

The problem is that the immediate context of the verse tells us that this restoration will include the utter destruction of the wicked. Well, nobody disuptes that this utter destruction is a single event, not a 1000 year process.

 

[theseed]

I don't think its benefical to argue millenialism in this thread. It is far to indepth.

And I don't know enough to make a case, but have leaned in the premill. view because I tend to believe The Bible literally.

 

[CCWoody]

To get added to the Spurgeon mailer, please PM me with an email address and I'll get you added.

Whew! I have now completed nearly all of my major projects and will again have some time to send these sermons out after vacation, which is next week. However, I did manage to get this one formatted for your reading pleasure:

SATAN CONSIDERING THE SAINTS.
​

NO. 623
​

DELIVERED ON SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 9TH, 1865​

BY C. H. SPURGEON​

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.​

“And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job.”-Job 1:8.​

​

OW very uncertain are all terrestrial things! How foolish would that believer be who should lay up his treasure anywhere, except in heaven! Job’s prosperity promised as much stability as anything can do beneath the moon. The man had round about him a large household of, doubtless devoted and attached servants. He had accumulated wealth of a kind which does not suddenly depreciate in value. He had oxen, and asses, and cattle. He had not to go to markets, and fairs, and trade with his goods to procure food and clothing, for he carried on the processes of agriculture on a very large scale round about his own homestead, and probably grew within his own territory everything that his establishment required. His children were numerous enough to promise a long line of descendants. His prosperity wanted nothing for its consolidation. It had come to its flood-tide: where was the cause which could make it ebb?
​

Up there, beyond the clouds, where no human eye could see, there was a scene enacted which augured no good to Job’s prosperity. The spirit of evil stood face to face with the infinite Spirit of all good. An extraordinary conversation took place between these two beings. When called to account for his doings, the evil one boasted that he had gone to and fro throughout the earth, insinuating that he had met with no hindrance to his will, and found no one to oppose his freely moving and acting at his own pleasure. He had marched everywhere like a king in his own dominions, unhindered and unchallenged. When the great God reminded him that there was at least one place among men where he had no foothold, and where his power was unrecognized, namely, in the heart of Job; that there was one man who stood like an impregnable castle, garrisoned by integrity, and held with perfect loyalty as the possession of the King of Heaven; the evil one defied Jehovah to try the faithfulness of Job, told him that the patriarch’s integrity was due to his prosperity, that he served God and eschewed evil from sinister motives, because he found his conduct profitable to himself. The God of heaven took up the challenge of the evil one, and gave him permission to take away all the mercies which he affirmed to be the props of Job’s integrity, and to pull down all the outworks and buttresses and see whether the tower would not stand in its own inherent strength without them. In consequence of this, all Job’s wealth went in one black day, and not even a child was left to whisper comfort. A second interview between the Lord and his fallen angel took place. Job was again the subject of conversation; and the Great One defied by Satan, permitted him even to touch him in his bone and in his flesh, till the prince became worse than a pauper, and he who was rich and happy was poor and wretched, filled with disease from head to foot, and fain to scrape himself with a miserable potsherd, to gain a poor relief from his pain.
​

Let us see in this the mutability of all terrestrial things. “He hath founded it upon the floods,” is David’s description of this world; and, if it he founded on the floods, can you wonder that it changes oft? Put not your trust in anything beneath the stars: remember that “Change” is written on the forefront of nature. Say not therefore, “ My mountain standeth firm: it shall never he moved;” the glance of Jehovah’s eye can shake thy mountain into dust, the touch of his foot can make it like Sinai, to melt like wax and to he altogether on a smoke. “Set your affection on things above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God,” and let your heart and your treasure be “where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, nor thieves break through and steal.” The words of Bernard may here instruct us: “That is the true and chief joy which is not conceived from the creature, but received from the Creator, which (being once possessed thereof) none can take from thee: compared with which all other pleasure is torment, all joy is grief, sweet things are bitter, all glory is baseness, and all delectable things are despicable.”
​

This is not, however, our subject this morning. Accept thus much as merely an introduction to our main discourse. The Lord said to Satan, “Hast thou considered my servant Job?” Let us deliberate, first, in what sense the evil spirit may be said to consider the people of God; secondly, let us notice what it is that he considers about them; and then, thirdly, let us comfort ourselves by the reflection that one who is far above Satan considers us in a higher sense.
​

 

[CCWoody]

Bible Devotion Suggestion​

For those of you who are doing the alternate reading of Proverbs in lieu of the Psalms on months with 31 days, I would advise sticking with the Psalms this month. We are actually scheduled to read the book of Proverbs starting later this month.

 

[CCWoody]

I'm back from my vacation....

To be added to the Spurgeon list or discover the location of the Archives, please send me a PM.

“LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION.”​

NO. 509


​

A SERMON DELIVERED ON SUNDAY MORNING, MAY 17TH, 1863,​

BY THE REV. C. H. SPURGEON,​

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.​

“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” — Matthew 6:13.​

​

​

ERTAIN Psalms are entitled “Songs of Degrees;” certainly the prayer before us might be called a Prayer of Degrees. It begins, where all true prayer must commence, with the spirit of adoption, “Our Father.” There is no acceptable prayer until we can say with the prodigal — “I will arise and go unto my Father.” This child-like spirit soon perceives the grandeur of the Father “in heaven,” and ascends to devout adoration. “Hallowed be thy name.” The child who lisps, “Abbe Father,” grows into the cherub crying, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” There is but a step from rapturous worship to the glowing missionary spirit, which is a sure outgrowth of filial love and reverent adoration — “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We do not commence our spiritual career with this missionspirit; we begin with “Our Father;” we go on to feel his glory, and then the next natural desire is, that others may behold his greatness too, till we are ready to cry with the Psalmist, “Let the whole earth be filled with his glory.” In the process of education which this prayer so well describes, we find the man very early conscious of his dependence upon God; for as a dependent creature he cries, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Being further illuminated by the Spirit, he discovers that he is not only dependent but sinful, hence he entreats for mercy — “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors,” and being pardoned, having the righteousness of Christ imputed, and knowing his acceptance with God, he humbly supplicates for holy perseverance — “Lead us not into temptation.” The man who is really forgiven is anxious not to offend again; the possession of justification leads to an anxious desire for sanctification. “Forgive us our debts,” that is justification; “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” that is sanctification in its negative and positive forms. Now, it would not be the course of nature to begin a life of prayer with the supplication of this morning. This is a petition for men already pardoned, for those who know their adoption, for those who love the Lord and desire to see his kingdom come. Taught of the Spirit to know their pardon, adoption, and union to Jesus, they can cry, and they alone — “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”


​

I shall this morning, first of all, anticipate an objection; then I shall venture upon an exposition; and conclude with an exhortation.​

 

[theseed]

You can listen to 10 sermons by Spurgeon, read by Charles Kelsh. The sermons range from 12-16kb mp3's. You can download the sermons, directly, but you can find them in your internet files after you listen to them (if not a little before they're finished).

http://www.praize.com/sermons/C.H.Spurgeon/

 

[CCWoody]

The Tears of St. Lawrence.​

Those of you reading along with me will notice that for August 10th there is the following memorial notation: S. Laurence, Archd. of Rome & Martyr

The following can be found on www.space.com

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Every August, when many people are vacationing in the country where skies are dark, the best-known meteor shower makes its appearance. The annual Perseid meteor shower, as it is called, promised to put on an above average display this year.[/font]

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The event is also known as "The Tears of St. Lawrence." [/font]

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Laurentius, a Christian deacon, is said to have been martyred by the Romans in 258 AD on an iron outdoor stove. It was in the midst of this torture that Laurentius cried out: "I am already roasted on one side and, if thou wouldst have me well cooked, it is time to turn me on the other." [/font]

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The saint’s death was commemorated on his feast day, Aug. 10. King Phillip II of Spain built his monastery place the "Escorial," on the plan of the holy gridiron. And the abundance of shooting stars seen annually between approximately Aug. 8 and 14 have come to be known as St. Lawrence’s "fiery tears."

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Behind the tears[/font]

[/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]We know today that these meteors are actually the dross of the Swift-Tuttle comet. Discovered back in 1862, this comet takes approximately 130 years to circle the Sun. With each pass, it leaves fresh debris -- mostly the size of sand grains with a few peas and marbles tossed in.

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Every year during mid-August, when the Earth passes close to the orbit of Swift-Tuttle, the bits and pieces ram into our atmosphere at approximately 37 miles per second (60 kps) and create bright streaks of light.[/font]

[/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]According to the best estimates, in 2004 the Earth is predicted to cut through the densest part of the Perseid stream sometime around 7 a.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 12. Activity could be high for a few hours on either side of that time.

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The late-night hours of Wednesday, Aug. 11, on through the first light of dawn on the morning holds the promise of seeing a very fine Perseid display. The bright light of a Full Moon almost totally wrecked last year’s shower, but this year it will be a lovely crescent, about 3½ days before New phase. Moreover, it will not rise until around 2:30 a.m. local daylight time on the morning of the12th, hovering to the east of brilliant Venus. [/font]

Click here for the rest of the article: http://www.space.com/spacewatch/040806_perseid_guide.html[/font]