Reformed & Expository Preaching

Mr. Andrew Smyth brings a word of exhortation to our church. We look at Acts 4 and consider the significance of Christ’s name.

A strange slogan for the gospel could be, “The Lord can save even a cretan.” This does not sound very polite, but the apostle Paul quotes from a cretan philosopher who summarizes non favorable cretan philosophers. Nevertheless, Paul makes very clear that even the cretans get the same gospel as Abraham. The point that Paul is making is that we are all set apart in Christ as a people who have been made worthy in Christ. It is because Christ has redeemed us that desire to live out of gratitude. In fact, it is a blessing to be owned by Christ.

The Apostle Paul tells us that we are baptized into Christ. This seems to imply that at the moment of baptism we are brought directly into communion with Christ. If this is the case then how can we baptize infants? We need to read this exhortation in the context of the church. We should note that that covenant and election are not the same thing. Further, the Apostle Paul is simply exhorting us in light of this sign of consecration. Paul’s exhortation is similar to the the prophets exhorting Israel to circumcise their hearts. The Apostle Paul is simply exhorting us to see that we are a people set apart in Christ. Christ has undergone the definitive ordeal of death and he emerged triumphant from the sea. This sign is showing us that we are identified as a community of people in Christ Jesus.

Satan is the accuser and adversary against the Lord. Satan seeks to undermine Christ's work and the church. Peter warns us that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Peter seems to know a lot about Satan's power. We might be tempted to be afraid. We might be tempted to doubt whether the Lord can prevail against such an adversary. However, Christ gives the assurance that he prays for Peter. We also know that Christ prays for us in the heavenly temple. So, we learn about the power of prayer, and in particular Christ's prayer for us to persevere.

The Israelites inquire about fasting. They want to know if they should continue their fast regarding the temple's destruction. Their history is a place of limbo. On the one hand they are back in the land, but on the other hand the temple is not finished. This question is very pious as they are inquiring about how to honor the Lord. However, the Lord questions why Israel is asking about this fast. The Lord does not want our outward acts, but we learn that God wants his people.

Peter greets the church as a scattered seed, when he says "the dispersion." We are a people scattered throughout the world like Israel in exile. This means that the church is not settled in the land of canaan. We are sojourners through this world who will experience suffering, testing, and unrest. The assurance is that while we are the scattered seed in this world we are born of the imperishable seed from heaven, and we will persevere by God's preserving power.

Zechariah moves from being the recipient of visions to the prophet who brings the word of the Lord to the Lord's people. He brings a revelation that a crown is to be placed on the priest's head, and then the crown is the be placed in the temple. The promise is that the branch brings the council of peace between them both. We might think that there is a tension between the king in Israel and the priest. However, it is not an issue of the people, but the separate offices. Zechariah is speaking of the priest king who has no beginning of days nor end of days that we know as Melchizedek.

Normally when we read Hebrews 11 we focus on the individuals and their faith. We look at the deeds that they have done in the power of the faith and we consider them to be the heroes. However, if we put the chapter in the context we discover that the real hero is God who is showing his invisible power at work in his people.

Zechariah moves to another location where he sees two bronze mountains. There are chariots that pass between the mountains and survey the world. The horses resemble or echo the horses in the first vision, but now they are pulling chariots. These mountains show the entrance to heaven or the exit from heaven. These chariots are no longer surveying, but they are moving to judge the north country.

John tells us that if we see someone sin we should pray for that person provided that they are not committing the sin unto death. This can result in us being concerned that maybe we committed the sin unto death and we might wonder if we are saved. The assurance that we have is that if we are concerned about committing the sin unto death then we need to be confident that we did not commit the sin.