BBC Sermon Cast

If ever the prophet Jeremiah experienced a dark night of the soul, it was during the events recorded in chapter 20. As God’s appointed prophet, he faced inevitable opposition (vv. 1–6), but he continued to understand his inescapable orders (vv. 7–18). In this fifth and final “confession” of Jeremiah, we learn four vital truths about suffering that Christians experience for the sake of God’s truth.

Psalm 22—at least the first 21 verses—reveal the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday. But, there is more to the story. Psalm 22 is also about the fruit of his faithfulness. That is, it also about Easter Sunday. It is a psalm about the resurrection.

Psalm 22 has been called the psalm of the cross, and with good reason. There are at least six clear prophecies in this psalm that were fulfilled as Jesus hung on the cross for sinners. When Jesus spoke from the cross, like those special versions of the Bible, all His words were red.

Jesus wants to be remembered, not for his miracles, nor by his life, nor by his teaching, nor by his mighty resurrection and ascension; but by his death. When we partake of the Communion Meal—the Lord’s Supper—we remember Christ for the one thing he explicitly told us to remember him.

God’s sovereignty means that he has every right to punish sin. God’s holiness means that he has every intention to punish sin. God’s grace means that he has every desire to forgive sin.

The one common desire that people share is to be happy. Lots of money is spent in the pursuit of happiness and lots of advisors stand ready to advise how to find happiness (at a small fee, that is). When God engages Cain in Genesis 4, he gives him remarkably simple advice on how to be happy.

Government matters. Human government is ordained by God. But how a government governs also matters. Far too many human governments do not govern properly, wisely, biblically or righteously. The question is, how should the Christian—and a Christian church—respond to godless governments? Romans 13 tackles this question head on, and as we think about that text, we must wrestle with at least four major issues.

I. The Righteous Role Responsibility Assigned to Human Government

II. The Righteous Response to Human Government

III. The Righteous Ruler Over Human Government

IV. The Righteous Run from Human Government

Drunkenness is destructive. It therefore is to have no place in the Christian’s life. Paul makes this point in Ephesians 5:18, but, as he has done throughout this passage (4:17ff), he balances a divine prohibition with a divine replacement: “Be filled with the Spirit.” In essence, Paul is exhorting Christians to sober living.

In this study, we will begin another long section of practical Christian living, relating to congregational life, family life, workplace relationships, and the wider world. Verse 18 provides the foundation for success in all of these areas. As we do so, we will see that we must first understand the context before we look to obey the commands.

Psalm 23 is, as we saw previously, a psalm for sheep. It is a psalm that shows the sufficiency of the Shepherd and therefore the satisfaction that the sheep should find in Him. Having previously considered our relationship to the Shepherd, our resolve to find our satisfaction in the Shepherd, our rest in the Shepherd, and the restoration that comes from the Shepherd when we fall, we will now consider the reassurance received from the Shepherd, the revelations that the Shepherd affords His sheep of Himself, and the rewards that the sheep receive from the Shepherd. In light of all these things, we must resolve to want the Shepherd above all else.

Perhaps as a Christian, having entered into relationship with God, you have resolved to follow Him alone. You experience rest because you know that your Shepherd feeds and frees you. But before long you find that things have gone too well, and before long you fall and find yourself in need of restoration. Psalm 23, specifically v. 3, helps us to see something of what it means to be in need of restoration.