Enemies on SermonAudio

A NEW HEART FOR A NEW FAITH Luke 5:33-39; Hebrews 8:6-12 SUMMARY: In one of the more difficult parables to interpret, Jesus, in declaring the superiority of the new covenant over the old, seems to refer to the great divide between two systems, two groups of people, and two kinds of hearts. I. A DIVIDE BETWEEN THE NEW SYSTEM AND THE OLD. A. Old System: a dead external religion. B. New system: a spiritual relationship with God. C. The two systems: Incompatible. II. A DIVIDE BETWEEN FRIENDS AND ENEMIES OF THE BRIDEGROOM. A. The Pharisees. B. The Disciples of John. C. Jesus & His Disciples. III. A DIVIDE BETWEEN THE NEW HEART AND THE OLD HEART. A. A new mind & a new heart. B. A new understanding of God: C. A new freedom in Christ's forgiveness. KRETZMANN: "The piety of the Pharisees, the religion of works which they flaunted before the eyes of the people, on the one hand, and the doctrine of Jesus, the preaching of the free grace of God through His blood, on the other, will never agree. If one insists on wearing his old garment of self-righteousness and works, and then believes it possible to cover an occasional revealing sin with the Gospel, he will find but poor comfort. His heart is still bound up in the old garment, and he will only make the incongruity appear the more glaring. It is just as foolish to keep new wine, grape-juice in the early stage of fermentation, in old skins that have lost their elasticity. The result is disastrous: The skins burst, the wine is spilled. But new skins and new wine are perfectly suited to each other. The sweet Gospel of the forgiveness of sins by the mercy of God does not fit into carnal, Pharisaic hearts.

When your character is attacked, when your needs are targeted, when your help is requested, when your property is lost, and in all things, Jesus says, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you" (vv. 27–28), for this is the character of His people and His kingdom, and it is the kind of love He has shown to us.

The sermon uses Joshua chapter 12 to illustrate three spiritual lessons for believers. First, it urges Christians to actively count their blessings and remember God's past faithfulness rather than focusing on current struggles. Second, it encourages honoring faithful saints who have passed away, noting that their service is recorded by God even if unnoticed by men. Third, it warns that no one can successfully oppose God, emphasizing that unsaved individuals are enemies of God regardless of their religious environment. The preacher concludes with an urgent call for sinners to repent and place their faith in Christ before it is too late.

The enemies of God's vineyard are destroyed by his sword, while even briers and thorns are invited to be reconciled to God because fury is not in him.

This sermon explores Psalm 28, emphasizing the believer's absolute dependency on God's infinite power rather than human ability. The preacher outlines three key themes: the necessity of acknowledging one's weakness before an almighty Creator, the need for divine deliverance from spiritual enemies, and the resulting devotion expressed through prayer and praise. The message highlights that access to God and sanctification are solely dependent on Christ's work. It urges listeners to cease relying on self-sufficiency and instead plead for God's intervention in their daily struggles. Ultimately, the sermon encourages a life of worship where trust in God's strength brings joy and security amidst trials.

Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand [shall be] in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him [shall] the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

Sometimes you don't have an hour to pray. I know it, you know it, we all know it. Yes, it is true that we should be like Martin Luther, who spent three hours per day in prayer because he did not have time to pray any less. Yes, you can often accomplish more tasks, and more important tasks, after prayer. But all the same, sometimes the pressure of events and circumstances is such that you need to pray quickly and you need to pray for a speedy answer. Once again, our psalm is a psalm of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. We know that because it is a psalm of remembrance according to the title, and that word "remembrance" pops up in the New Testament exclusively in the context of the Lord's Supper: "This do in remembrance of me." Psalm 70 is a psalm in remembrance of Him. It is, in fact, a prayer from the cross. And it is a prayer that our King shares with us, teaching us to pray for speedy help too when danger is near. This psalm functions as a summary of Pss 69 & 71; it's the quick version, the one you can pray when you're desperate for God to shame your enemies and save your people.

As we look down through this passage and examine all the various pieces of armor which Christ has given us, we remember that there are certain pieces which are worn as clothing, which we "put on" in verses 14 and 15, and there are certain pieces which we "take up" found in verses 16-18. There are 3 of each. We find that of those that we take up, only one of them is a weapon and that is our focus this afternoon. The weapon of choice for every Christian is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. I think that it will do us well to remember that prayer is not a weapon but rather the offering up of our desires to God for things agreeable to His will. It is communication; a request for help and reinforcements for ourselves and others who are soldiers in the spiritual battle. We are not to "take up" prayer, but to be praying always in the Spirit. We are, however, to take up the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, and use it in prayer and in fighting the battles of the Lord. When David was fleeing from Saul in 1st Samuel 21 he came to the city of Nob, and he asked Ahimelech the priest for a sword and he told David that the only sword he had on hand was the sword of Goliath the Philistine. And David said, "There is none like it, give it to me." And as we come this study we can truly say of our sword – Truly there is none like it. The Word of God is given to the believer to use as a powerful weapon in spiritual battle. It is a powerful weapon for 2 reasons. 1st – Because it can be used defensively. 2nd – The Word of God is given to the believer to use offensively as well, in fighting the spiritual battle with the Lord's enemies and yours