Reformed & Expository Preaching

There are ten lepers that are cleansed by the word of Christ. There is one who returns to thank Christ. Why is the one so alarming? What can this passage communicate to us about Thanksgiving?

The basis of our Christian ethic is that we live our lives before the Lord. This is really the beginning or the foundation of the Christian ethic that we live before the Lord as we walk in His power. How is the command not the blaspheme the Lord much bigger than we thought? How can this commandment regarding blasphemy encompass this whole ethic and orientation in this age?

We might think that blasphemy is not that big of a deal because it is just speaking a word that is careless. So, if someone just says something that is careless then why does the Lord command the Israelite child to be executed when he blasphemes the Name? Is the Lord just being petty? What does this teach us today in the church? How do we present the Lord as being a gracious God? What is the real issue of blasphemy?

There seems to be tension between Paul and Timothy. The root of this tension is that Timothy has most likely requested to go to Macedonia to meet with Paul, but Paul wants him to stay in Ephesus. We can see that one reason for Paul to write this letter is for Timothy to stay in Ephesus. Why is Paul telling Timothy to stay? Is this just a church that Paul does not want to put in order? Is Paul merely making Timothy do something that Paul does not want to do? Is Paul reminding Timothy that Timothy does not have enough clout because he is merely a preacher and not an apostle?

It is tempting to take out the doctrines of the Christian faith that do not seem to be that high of a priority. We could do this with the doctrine of the resurrection. We could try to make the case that this is a doctrine that only impacts us at the end of life rather than impacting us right now. Is that something that the Apostle Paul would affirm? Why does Paul make such a big deal about the resurrection and the gospel? What does the Corinthian church teach us about the continuing nature of the church?

So often we can think that the law of God is something that is old or not that helpful. Sometimes we can be tempted to look at the regulations that the Lord lays out and think that as we follow them we will climb our way into heaven. We are not going to get into heaven apart from Christ. So, if our redemption is based on Christ and His merits then why do we care about the law of the Lord?

As Christians we can think that idolatry is only conducting baal worship or something that is forbidden in the Old Testament. We can think that we do not worship baal or the golden calf so we are free from this sin. The reality is that we are tempted to trust in many things to sustain us apart from the Lord. Why is it so absurd to trust in something other than the Lord?

Love has become something that is rather subjective in our culture. It seems that many today have reduced love down to a feeling or something that is sentimental. How does Paul define love? How does Scripture define love and how is this love not subjective or sentimental?

The Reformation really hangs on how one defines grace. Salvation by grace alone is wonderful, but what do we do when Paul exhorts us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling? How do we encounter such a God that causes us to be fearful and to tremble? How is it that we are saved by grace, but yet we have to work out our salvation? Do we rely on the Lord for our justification, but then really work hard to make sure that we conform to our justification? Or does Paul mean something else by this exhortation that shows we are just taking this verse out of context?

It is a good thing to desire the Lord’s sanctifictifying power. We should want such a thing if we take hold of Christ by faith. It is honorable, but do we think about what we are asking? We are people who are stained with sin. We are people who honor strength and not suffering. How does the Lord conform us to Him? Do we always enjoy this conforming power of the Lord? When is the Lord working us the most when it seems he has abandoned us?