A new MP3 sermon from All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: 2Cor050 Reframing Value

Subtitle: 2 Corinthians

Speaker: John Sawtelle

Broadcaster: All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 2/21/2016

Bible: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Length: 57 min.

Overview: One reasonable way to determine what the contemporary church values is by examining what Christian books it purchases. The two best-selling contemporary Christian books promote new revelations and your best life now. Book sale then, seem to indicate that contemporary Christianity values new messages from God and physical blessing. Turning to this first century text, it is clear that the Corinthians prioritized the same values. False teachers worked their way into influence in the church by promoting the same things the Corinthians themselves valued, new revelations and physical beatitude. For a church that values either new revelation or material prosperity, whether in the first century or the twenty-first century, Paul reframes value by teaching what is of primary value- Biblical revelation and divine power perfected in human weakness.

A new MP3 sermon from All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: 2Cor049 Humble Deliverance

Subtitle: 2 Corinthians

Speaker: John Sawtelle

Broadcaster: All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 2/14/2016

Bible: 2 Corinthians 11:30-33

Length: 54 min.

Overview: Stories often communicate deeper levels of insight about persons or circumstances than a set of mere descriptive details. To this point in Paul's so-called -fool's discourse,- Paul has described a harrowing set of external and internal miseries encountered throughout his ministry. In recounting these miseries, Paul was boasting in his weakness as a counter to the false teachers. At verse 30, Paul continued to amplify his weakness, this time however, he used a story of a humiliating deliverance by means of being lowered down a city wall in a basket. This story of humble deliverance illustrates Paul's main point throughout this fool's discourse which is that God magnifies His power by delivering His weak servants and His weak church, through humble means, so that we will learn to put our confidence in Him in all of our circumstances of weakness and distress.

A new MP3 sermon from All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: 2Cor048 Strength Magnified In Weakness

Subtitle: 2 Corinthians

Speaker: John Sawtelle

Broadcaster: All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 2/7/2016

Bible: 2 Corinthians 11:21-29

Length: 67 min.

Overview: As Paul finally takes up his so-called -fools discourse,- ironically, he boasts in weakness, not strength. While this portion of the fools discourse consists of three sets of weaknesses, Jewish pedigree, external sufferings, and internal stresses, the weight of this discourse is placed upon the immense amount of physical suffering Paul endured, including multiple near death experiences and extreme deprivations. The point in boasting in such weakness is not to tout his sufferings as a means of magnifying his personal grit- rather, Paul boasts in weakness to show that miseries suffered in the circumstance of serving Christ presents opportunity for the Lord to magnify His power to exalt His own glory. The application for the saints is to see that Paul's pattern of weakness provides a model for how Christians are to deny themselves, take up their cross, and serve the Lord. The encouragement is, that just as the Lord magnified His power in Paul's weakness, so the consolation of the saints is that they will come to know the power of God strengthening them in the midst of their weakness as they seek to build the kingdom of God.

A new MP3 sermon from All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: 2Cor046 Beware of Satan's Ministers

Subtitle: 2 Corinthians

Speaker: John Sawtelle

Broadcaster: All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 1/24/2016

Bible: 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

Length: 57 min.

Overview: In diagnosing the problem which ails the Corinthian church, Paul points to the rise of a Satanic ministry within it. False apostles who practice deception, disguise themselves as apostles of Christ and minsters of righteousness, whose allegiance is with Satan, have appealed to Corinthian ideals in order to undercut the true ministry of the apostle Paul. By identifying these teachers for what they really are, Paul calls upon the church to root out their influence from the church. The message is the same for the contemporary church. Ministers who come proclaiming lies will do so as sincere ministers of Christ and not with devils' horns and pitch fork. The duty of the church is to be vigilant in its watch against false teachers, identifying such ministers by their deceitful ways, and warning the people of God not to lend their ears to such impostors lest they follow after them in judgment.

A new MP3 sermon from All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: 2Cor047 False ministry exposed, true ministry commended

Subtitle: 2 Corinthians

Speaker: John Sawtelle

Broadcaster: All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 1/31/2016

Bible: 2 Corinthians 11:16-21

Length: 53 min.

Overview: The headlines tell the story of gross pastoral abuse with details that are quite shocking. In some of the most high profile churches in America, we read testimony of all kinds of abuse ranging from sexual, to financial, and even to physical abuse. As Paul shames the Corinthians for accepting the false teachers who commend themselves through boasting, he exposes the gross forms of abuse the saints have had to endure at the hands of these false shepherds. Not only does Paul demonstrate the worldly character of false teachers, he also uncovers the sinful motives of believers which sometimes enables false teachers by allowing them access to positions of power in the church and permits them to exercise a harsh form of dominance over God's people. Instead of enabling false ministry, Paul calls upon believers to recognize and embrace true ministry which is characterized by grace, not worldliness.

A new MP3 sermon from All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: 2Cor044 Reasons for Foolishness

Subtitle: 2 Corinthians

Speaker: John Sawtelle

Broadcaster: All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 1/10/2016

Bible: 2 Corinthians 11:1-6

Length: 60 min. (64kbps)

Overview: At verse 1, Paul begins what scholars have long called the -fools discourse.- Paul first seeks permission to engage in a little foolishness and then proceeds to give reasons for this fools rant. At the top of the list of this discourse is Paul's concern for the nature and calling of the church. Mutually bound up with this concern for the church is a concern to defend the true ministry over against the Satanically motivated false teachers since without faithful preaching, the church will not live up to its calling and identity as the bride of Christ. Given this concern for the church and the true ministry, Paul engages in a fools discourse in order to promote the well being of both.

A new MP3 sermon from All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: 2Cor045 No Compensation Means Commitment

Subtitle: 2 Corinthians

Speaker: John Sawtelle

Broadcaster: All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 1/17/2016

Bible: 2 Corinthians 11:7-12

Length: 57 min.

Overview: As Paul continues to list reasons for engaging in a -little foolishness- -v1-, he addresses the charge that refusing compensation indicates a lack of commitment to the Corinthian church. A careful reading of Paul's response suggests that the false teachers have mischaracterized his refusal of compensation for ministry as sin, robbery, and even a lack of love for the Corinthians. Instead of expressing lack of commitment, Paul explains that it reveals intense devotion since he suffered great need and destitution, and he did so for their own exaltation, to promote the gospel, and to aim to keep the church free from the corruption of false teachers. The lesson for the contemporary church is to look in the mirror of Paul's model of commitment to Corinth, and to manifest that same level of commitment to the local church and express that commitment in the same way Paul expressed it in terms of devotion to the church's wellbeing, gospel purity, and upholding doctrinal soundness.

A new MP3 sermon from All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: 2Cor039 Generous Giving Commended and Rewarded

Subtitle: 2 Corinthians

Speaker: John Sawtelle

Broadcaster: All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 11/15/2015

Bible: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Length: 53 min. (64kbps)

Overview: In this last section of Paul's instructions regarding the collection for the Jerusalem offering to be taken up in Corinth, appeal is made to self-interest. Paul uses an agricultural metaphor to illustrate the meaning of generous giving as he compares it to sowing bountifully. The metaphor also commends generous giving by highlighting the fact that bountiful sowing -generous giving- leads to a bountiful harvest. To underscore the point that generous giving leads to blessing, Paul repeatedly affirms that God rewards such generosity with abundant grace, all sufficiency, multiplied resources, and enrichment for even greater liberality. Clearly, Paul appeals to self-interest in order motivate Christians to give generously which not only leads to greater blessing for the giver, but also, to greater thanksgiving to God who supplies His people with all necessary provisions to give generously.

A new MP3 sermon from All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: 2Cor041 The Problem With Appearances

Subtitle: 2 Corinthians

Speaker: John Sawtelle

Broadcaster: All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 11/29/2015

Bible: 2 Corinthians 10:7-11

Length: 42 min. (64kbps)

Overview: The old saying -don't judge a book by its cover- rings true in 2 Corinthians 10-7 as Paul diagnoses the Corinthian criticism of his leadership. So-called -super apostles- had gained a footing in the Corinthian church by criticizing Paul for his appearance. They claimed greater eloquence, more dignified clothing, a superior Jewish pedigree, and even a more distinguished commission from Christ than Paul himself had. Paul cuts through all the false impressions and phoniness by telling the Corinthians that they are far too impressed with appearances- instead, they should be looking for substance. This text teaches that godly leadership is not grounded in the superficiality of appearances, rather, it is grounded in a commission from Christ to build the saints up in true faith.

A new MP3 sermon from All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: 2Cor042 Authority is for edification

Subtitle: 2 Corinthians

Speaker: John Sawtelle

Broadcaster: All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 12/6/2015

Bible: 2 Corinthians 10:7-11

Length: 57 min. (64kbps)

Overview: Responding to false impressions and false charges, Paul unfolds the nature and purpose of ministerial authority. Some in Corinth challenged Paul's use of authority, claiming it was soft and unimpressive in appearance. Paul's counter is that he exercised his authority according to its nature, which is Christ-given, and its aim, which is for the purpose of edifying the church rather than for tearing it down. The lesson for the contemporary church is that Christ has put a real authority in the ministry of the church which is indispensable for building the church up in spiritual grace and maturity.