A new MP3 sermon from Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: Peace Be with You (John 20:19-31)

Subtitle: Seasonal Sermon

Speaker: Peter J. Wallace

Broadcaster: Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 4/8/2018

Bible: Judges 6; John 20:19-31

Length: 40 min.

Overview: John 20 is the conclusion to John-s gospel. Chapter 21 serves as something of an epilogue, a bookend to the prologue found in John 1-1-18.----At the end of chapter 1 Jesus receives the Holy Spirit. At the end of chapter 20 Jesus gives the Holy Spirit.----John the Baptist declared that Jesus is the Son of God in 1-34. John tells us in 20-31 that these things have been written that you might believe that Jesus is the Son of God.----Nathaniel believed in Jesus simply because Jesus said that he saw him under the fig tree in 1-49, and Jesus told him -you will see greater things than these.- ----Thomas believes in Jesus only when he sees the greater thing in 20-28, and yet Jesus speaks then of the greater blessing for those who have not seen and yet believe.----The second half of John 20 has two parts------ Jesus- meeting with the ten disciples on the evening of the first day of the week - the evening of the resurrection -verses 19-25--- --- Jesus- meeting with the eleven -including Thomas- eight days later -verses 26-29- ----- John structures these two meetings in parallel through his use of the time stamp -The -first day of the week- - v19, and -after eight days- - v26- and by Jesus- opening words to his disciples both times- -Peace be with you.-----These words echo his promise in 14-27- -Peace I leave with you- my peace I give to you.- Jesus promised that when he left to go to the Father, his peace would remain behind. Now here in John 20, as Jesus meets with his disciples for the first time since the resurrection, everything he says to them has to do with this promise...

A new MP3 sermon from Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: The End of Days (Dan. 12)

Subtitle: Daniel

Speaker: Peter J. Wallace

Broadcaster: Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 4/1/2018

Bible: Daniel 12

Length: 43 min.

Overview: It is fitting that we conclude the book of Daniel on Easter Sunday, because the resurrection is at the heart of the conclusion to the book of Daniel.----What are you doing here- Why are you alive- What is the point of your existence-----The resurrection is the point of your existence. The Christian ethic is characterized by the cross - -Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.- -Have this same mind in yourselves that is yours in Christ Jesus.- -For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.- -Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds...-----But the cross-shaped ethic of the gospel is only cross-shaped - it is only cruciform - because the cross leads to resurrection.----We can count it joy when we endure trials precisely because these light momentary afflictions are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory. -1 Cor 4-17-

A new MP3 sermon from Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: I Have Seen the Lord! (John 20)

Subtitle: Seasonal Sermon

Speaker: Peter J. Wallace

Broadcaster: Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 4/1/2018

Bible: Ezekiel 37:1-14; John 20

Length: 28 min.

Overview: -Sung Psalm- 16-----Ezekiel has been speaking of the redemption of Israel in the new covenant, when God will pour out his Spirit upon his people.----This is what God promised to do for Israel. He promised that he would raise his people from their graves, put his Spirit-breath within them, and restore them to their own land. And so all faithful Israel looked forward to the resurrection.-- --In John 11, we discover that Martha understood this well- She found comfort in the doctrine of the resurrection. Even though her brother, Lazarus, had died, she says- -I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.- -Jn 11-24-----But Ezekiel 37 speaks of the resurrection of Israel. There is no hint here of the resurrection of the Messiah. At least, not so long as you think of the Messiah and Israel as two separate things. And that was Martha-s problem - and the problem of the rest of the disciples as well-----They could imagine the Messiah doing the work of God in raising Israel from the dead. But they could not imagine the Messiah becoming Israel through death - especially the death of the cross - a cursed death that rendered Jesus unclean, isolating him from the covenant community.----Deuteronomy 21-23 declares that a man who is hanged on a tree is cursed by God.----This was why the Romans liked to crucify Jews - because the Jews would never think of a crucified man as a martyr- Because a crucified man is hanged on a tree - and thus is cursed by God-----A crucified Messiah is a contradiction in terms-----But of course, God has a long habit of confounding the wise-

A new MP3 sermon from Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: Futility and Steadfastness (Dan. 11:2-12:4)

Subtitle: Daniel

Speaker: Peter J. Wallace

Broadcaster: Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 3/25/2018

Bible: Daniel 11:2-12:4

Length: 48 min.

Overview: There is a warning in this passage for us. There will be people who compromise with the spirit of the age. And that compromise will weaken the people of God. Even some of the wise will stumble.-- --The glorious Man comes to warn Daniel - to urge him - and us - to stand fast and wait patiently for the coming of the Lord.----Though - as we have seen from James - waiting patiently does not mean waiting passively- We must be active and eager in our prayer, in our work, and in our love....

A new MP3 sermon from Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: The Coming of the King (Mark 10:46-11:11)

Subtitle: Seasonal Sermon

Speaker: Peter J. Wallace

Broadcaster: Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 3/25/2018

Bible: 1 Kings 1; Mark 10:46-11:11

Length: 37 min.

Overview: -Sung Psalm- 118-----What does it mean for the king to ride on a donkey- Why not a war horse-------Wouldn-t it be a more powerful symbol for Jesus to ride a war horse into Jerusalem-----No, if Jesus had ridden a war horse into Jerusalem, he would have been saying, -I am not the Son of David------Because back in 1 Kings 1, when David wanted to have Solomon crowned king, David had said to Bathsheba and Zadok and Nathan, -Have Solomon my son ride on my own mule...-----Zechariah 9 sees the day coming when the King will again come to Jerusalem riding on a donkey. And notice that the prophet says the war horse will be cut off from Jerusalem.----Zechariah 9 speaks of the coming of the King as the coming of salvation - as the restoration of the glory of Jerusalem.----When the King rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, that will be the day that peace is restored to God-s people-----Their enemies will be defeated - and the King will rule -from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.-----And so Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey-

A new MP3 sermon from Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: Remembering the Lord's Day and the Day of the Lord (Amos 8)

Subtitle: Non-Series Sermon

Speaker: Joel Irvin

Broadcaster: Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 3/18/2018

Bible: Amos 8

Length: 43 min.

Overview: Sermon outline-----1. Vision of Hope, Dead Bodies, - God says, -Silence-- -vv.1-3-----2. Eightfold Accusation - the Noise of Sin -vv. 4-6-----3. Eightfold Punishment - the Noise of Judgment -vv. 7-10-----4. Vision of Despair, Dead Bodies, - God is Silent -vv. 11-14-

A new MP3 sermon from Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: The Coming of the Lord (James 5:7-20)

Subtitle: James

Speaker: Peter J. Wallace

Broadcaster: Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 3/18/2018

Bible: 1 Kings 18; James 5:7-20

Length: 53 min.

Overview: -Sung Psalm- 85-----Throughout his letter, James has spoken about what genuine faith looks like. Genuine faith remains steadfast in the midst of trials - because we know where these trials are going.----These trials will end with the coming of the Lord.----James introduced the idea of steadfastness back in chapter 1- -the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.-----Now, at the end of his epistle, James returns to his opening theme, but it is now enriched by his discussion of the tongue in chapter 3, and how we speak in chapter 4.----James continues his theme of speaking here at the end of his epistle. In the first section on steadfastness James focuses on the negative- James warns against grumbling against one another - similar to his warning against -speaking- against each other last time. Then in the transition -verse 12- he urges us not to swear - but to let our yes be yes.-- --And in the second section, he focuses on the positive- what sort of speaking should we do. Pray, sing praise, confess your sin...

A new MP3 sermon from Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow (Dan. 10:1-11:1)

Subtitle: Daniel

Speaker: Peter J. Wallace

Broadcaster: Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 3/11/2018

Bible: Daniel 10:1-11:1

Length: 50 min.

Overview: The interplay between word and touch in this passage is fascinating. The appearance of this -man clothed in linen- causes Daniel to lose all strength -v8-. Then the sound of his words puts Daniel to sleep -v9-.----Only the touch of -a hand- -whose hand- We don-t know-- aroused Daniel and set him on hands and knees -v10-. Then the words of the man raise Daniel to his feet -v11-.----We live in a day where -touch- has been sexualized. We can-t ignore that- We can-t pretend that our culture doesn-t exist. It does - and it affects us- But we need to recognize that there is a power in touch that is not sexual - and must not be perverted-----Because there is a danger in touch- The closer we get, the more harm I can do. Think of the kiss. In our day we tend to relegate kissing to romantic relationships - or parents with small children. But in scripture, the kiss has many functions. There is the holy kiss - the kiss of peace - that expresses the intimacy of the body of Christ. But of course, the holy kiss - the kiss of peace - also reminds us that Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss.----The closer we get, the more harm we can do-----So it might seem that it would be better to keep everyone at arm-s length- If no one gets close - then I can-t get hurt-----But look at Daniel. If no one gets close - then he will remain passed out on the ground.-- --Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is a great picture of this- Literally giving your breath to someone else-----There is a positive place for touch that brings life and strength - as when Jesus touched the leper - or when we anoint the sick with oil.----We need to recapture that non-sexual approach to touch.

A new MP3 sermon from Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: Knowing and Doing (James 4:11-5:6)

Subtitle: James

Speaker: Peter J. Wallace

Broadcaster: Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 3/11/2018

Bible: Isaiah 5:8-30; James 4:11-5:6

Length: 41 min.

Overview: -Sung Psalm- 37-----When Christians make plans, you often hear them add, -Lord willing- - as a way of acknowledging that God, in his providence, may have other plans.----And the English translations of James 4-15, would generally support that way of saying it. -And, let me hasten to add, that it-s a very good point- It is always prudent to acknowledge that God may have other plans - and so our plans must always be made with humility - recognizing as Proverbs says, -many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand- -Prov 19-21- - or as Thomas a Kempis put it, -man proposes, but God disposes.------But when it comes to James 4-15, it is a case of right doctrine, wrong text- After all, the conclusion of the paragraph is found in verse 17 - -Ser knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.-----If you take verse 15 as saying, -Lord willing, we will live and do this or that- - then you are admitting that you don-t know the right thing - you are just doing the best you can, given the uncertainty of God-s hidden will.----But when we talk about God-s will, there is another option. There is not only his hidden will - by which he governs all things - there is also his declared will - namely, the things that God has commanded us to do-----What happens if you take James 4 in this way- Well, thenW James is not telling us to simply add -Lord willing- to our plans- Rather, James is telling us to reconsider our plans- The point is not that we will do what we want - Lord willing. The point is rather that we should do the Lord-s will-----And if you know what that is - and you don-t do it - that-s sin.

A new MP3 sermon from Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio.com with the following details:

Title: "But Take Heart, I Have Overcome the World!" (Part 2) (Dan, 9:20-27)

Subtitle: Daniel

Speaker: Peter J. Wallace

Broadcaster: Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church

Event: Sunday Service

Date: 3/4/2018

Bible: Daniel 9:20-27

Length: 43 min.

Overview: In Daniel 9 we hear God-s promise that the day is coming that will put an end to sin, atone for iniquity, bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.----I suggested last week that all of this shows us that a Day of Atonement is coming. In Daniel 8 we saw Daniel-s vision of the ram and the male goat. The ram was the Persian empire. The goat was the Macedonian empire of Alexander the Great. Leviticus 16 is the only other passage in scripture that talks about a ram and a male goat. Except Leviticus 16 talks about two male goats. Where is the other goat-----Leviticus 16 says that Aaron shall offer the ram as a burnt offering for the people. Then he shall take one of the male goats as a sin offering, and the other one shall be -presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, --that it may be sent away into the wilderness as a scapegoat.- And Daniel 9 says that at the end of the 70 weeks, atonement will be made.----Jesus is the other male goat. The end of chapter 9 explains the unfinished vision of chapter 8.