WESLEY SERMONS #4

In this series, 60 of Wesley's sermons will be summarized into about 250 words. I'm using the work of Collins/Vickers as my source (for transcripts and order), but the summaries are mine (so any misrepresentations of Wesley may be attributed to me). 

AWAKE, THOU THAT SLEEPEST (Charles Wesley)

“Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” (Ephesians 5:14)

All people begin… and many people remain… in a state of sleep. They are asleep spiritually. They are totally unaware of their actual spiritual condition. Some, perhaps some in this room, are in the ‘deep sleep’ of thinking they are spiritually alive when they are actually dead unto God. They call themselves Christians, but Christ is not in them. Until they are awakened to their lost-ness, they remain lost.

So WAKE UP! If you think this sermon is for someone else, it’s probably for you! Sleeping is, in some ways, a terrible metaphor when we consider that such sleepers are in the devil’s arms, on the brink of the pit, and in the jaws of everlasting destruction. They will not find TRUE rest until they rest in Christ. If you’ve not been made new and received the Holy Spirit, you have no basis to hope (neither the lack of bad deeds nor the presence of good ones is sufficient). You simply must WAKE UP!

The good news is that whoever genuinely responds to God’s wake-up call will truly come alive! They’ll be no doubt about it because they’ll have the Spirit of Christ in them. The filling of the Spirit is the mark of every Christian, but I fear we’re just a collection of Pharisees and Sadducees! We must WAKE UP before it is too late!

WESLEY SERMONS #3

In this series, 60 of Wesley's sermons will be summarized into about 250 words. I'm using the work of Collins/Vickers as my source (for transcripts and order), but the summaries are mine (so any misrepresentations of Wesley may be attributed to me). 


FREE GRACE

We are saved by grace… and that grace is freely given (unconditional) and available to all (every individual). Some, however, believe that saving grace is only given to certain people. These individuals were selected to receive this grace in an eternal decree of predestination. The rest, it seems, are decreed for damnation.

Those who believe in this doctrine of predestination sometimes try to mitigate the apparent unfairness by suggesting that God only predestines the elect to salvation and not the non-elect to damnation. But this simply doesn’t work. If God doesn’t extend saving grace to the non-elect, it is impossible for them to be saved!

This view of predestination tends to destroy the call to evangelism, holiness, enemy-love, salvation, assurance, joy, and good works. Why bother with such things if our ultimate fate is predetermined? It also renders the cross obsolete (wasn’t their fate already sealed?) and destroy the consistency of Scripture by creating contradictions.

But if I’m right (and this view of predestination is wrong), then why aren’t all people saved? The answer is simple: Some willfully reject God’s gracious offer.

The view of predestination described here is blasphemous. It makes Jesus a hypocrite and destroys the Father’s character. In this view, God does Satan’s job for him! It ultimately makes God the devil! How much greater the alternative: Grace is free to all! There is hope!

5 Reasons to Watch the Sabres

Struggling to get excited about watching the Sabres play out their pitiful season? Here are 5 races that might help to make these games more interesting to watch.


1. Who will lead the team in scoring?
Yes, the final numbers for the Sabres leading scorer will be pretty depressing. There's a great chance the team 'leader' will have less than 50 points! In any case, it is an accomplishment to lead an NHL team in scoring and the race for both goals and points is tight enough to be interesting. Hodgson and Ennis are currently neck and neck in both categories. Who will win? Will they get to 50 points? 20 goals?


2. Can Ville Leino go the whole year without scoring?
Rob Ray had 41 career goals. Leino is stuck on 40... and he's been stuck ALL SEASON LONG. This would not be too alarming if Leino were paid like Rob Ray was paid, but the reality is that Ville is the highest paid forward on the roster! Will he be able to outscore Rob Ray? Could he at least pull even?


3. Will Enroth or Neuvirth win the goalie battle?
One legitimately interesting race is in goal. Which goalie will play better as the season winds down? Enroth and Neuvirth seem pretty even. Both will have plenty of opportunities (and shots against!) to prove themselves worthy of playing time next season. Will one of them begin to emerge as a legit starter? Will either be able to pitch a shutout (Sabres have none so far this season)?


4. Will any Sabres help your fantasy team?
OK. I'm basically kidding here. If you have any Sabres on your fantasy team, chances are you've long been out of the race for first place in your league. I suppose it is possible that Ennis or Stafford could put up a few points here or there (though probably not both). In all honesty, Mike Weber is probably your best bet if you're looking for hits and blocked shots (even his +/- has been better lately!).


5. Can the Sabres secure a top 2 pick?
I'll end with some good news. It is HIGHLY improbable that the Sabres will win their way out of last place. It is more likely that they'll lose the lottery and have to pick 2nd. A similar race to watch is where the Islanders finish as they have to decide whether to give the Sabres a 1st round pick this year or next. But a word of warning: This is Buffalo sports and it's always possible that the Sabres will go on a winning streak and jeopardize all that they've not worked for this season!

WESLEY SERMONS #2

In this series, 60 of Wesley's sermons will be summarized into about 250 words. I'm using the work of Collins/Vickers as my source (for transcripts and order), but the summaries are mine (so any misrepresentations of Wesley may be attributed to me).

ORIGINAL SIN

 “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5)

Many people believe that human beings are essentially good. Some Christians have even fallen into this line of thought. The appeal is obvious, but a faithful reading of the Scriptures doesn’t allow one to hold such a view.

As our passage (above) makes clear, the depravity of humanity was both deep and wide. The people of Noah’s day were totally depraved. It wasn't just that the bad outweighed the good, it was all bad (insofar as it was all man/flesh).

There is no good reason to think that the situation has changed since the flood. Without the grace of God, people are utterly sinful with no hope. We have no ability to recognize our sad state, no way to know God, and certainly no proneness to love and fear God.

Left to ourselves, we are literally left to self-worship. We share Satan’s self-will, but we go even further than he. We fall in love with the world. We become defined by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

The doctrine of original sin is a distinguishing one for Christianity. It is an essential doctrine. If it’s not true, we just need some help… but if it is true we need to humble ourselves and come to Christ (the only cure!)

WESLEY SERMONS #1

In this series, 60 of Wesley's sermons will be summarized into about 250 words. I'm using the work of Collins/Vickers as my source (for transcripts and order), but the summaries are mine (so any misrepresentations of Wesley may be attributed to me).

THE IMAGE OF GOD

In Genesis 1:27 it is written:

“So God created man in his own image.”

Human beings weren’t just made by God. They were made like God. This is hard for some to believe given our current state. But we believe that the explanation for the incongruity between our beast-like present and our god-like past is found in the story of Adam’s fall.

We must ask what it meant to be made in the image of God. First, it meant that Adam had a beautiful mind; clarity of thought. Second, and more importantly, it meant that he had a love-filled-will. Third, speaking of that will, he was genuinely free. Adam would have lived forever in a truly happy state.

To be genuinely free required a genuine choice. Adam chose poorly and brought about what we call… The Fall. The effects correspond to the previous blessing: Deterioration of the beautiful body/mind, a homeless love, and a legitimate feeling of being in slavery. Summarily, The Fall brought about death and misery.

The only hope for redemption is found in Jesus Christ. When we humbly come to Christ, God begins to restore our minds, our love, and our freedom to their pristine condition. God makes us happy again.

Those who have been so redeemed must pity the lost, praise the Redeemer, and persuade others toward Him.