The Absurdity of Truth (Luke 6:20-49 (LD 43)

In our day and age we do not esteem truth.  This is not to say that our days are worse than other days in history, but philosophically there are those who do not believe we can understand truth.  In fact, people have appealed to history showing that the winner of a battle is the one who controls the narrative of the battle.  So, if this is true then what about the Bible?  What do we do with people having different understandings of the Word of God?  Is there truth and can we know truth?

The Absurdity of Honest Business (LD 42; Deuteronomy 25:13-19)

There is a certain wisdom in cheating people out of money in terms of worldly wisdom.  It would seem that we would get ahead and increase our earnings.  We want to believe that if we cheat to get ahead it will not really cost us anything and it will make our business ventures all that much more profitable.  This is not what the Lord would have us do.  The Lord does not see such deceptive practices as honorable to HIm.  In fact, we find that Moses makes explicit that we are not to have two different kinds of weights in our house.  Why is Moses concerned about the Israelites having two sets of weights?  What is the problem of us having a different weight in a bag and a different weight in the house?  How can we use this old standard to learn how to live a pleasing life to the Lord today.

The Absurdity of Purity (1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (LD 41)

The reality is that Christians are a people set apart unto the Lord and called to honor the Lord as His redeemed people.  This notion of living for another being is something that just is so contrary to worldly wisdom.  The world desires that we live out and have our best life right now. So, why would we seek to honor the Lord and live for Him instead of self?  How is living for the Lord something is actually a way more gratifying way to live than living for self?

The Absurd Christian Home (LD 39; Colossians 3:18-4:1)

Today we think that we have the luxury of evaluating what a Christian home looks like.  There is a real temptation to think hat because our day and age is so different from Paul’s time that we can reevaluate the home.  There is no doubt that people have abused their roles as husbands and as wives, but does that change what the Lord has ordained?  What has the Lord ordained and how is Paul’s model for the home something good and honorable even today?  How can we as a family benefit from Paul’s words?

The Sabbath’s Answer to Absurd Anxiety (1 Peter 5:6-11 (LD 38; COD Head 5 Art. 14, 15)

There are many things in this life that can upset us and even overwhelm us.  Peter affirms the reality of the hardship in the Christian life as he tells us that we have our own struggles, the world, and Satan is out to destroy us.  These things make it pretty difficult for us to maintain a positive outlook in our perseverance.  So, how do we know that we will arrive at the goal of heaven?  Where do we turn in our darkest moments?  Where is our hope in this Christian life?

The Absurdity of Blasphemy (2) (Deuteronomy 6:13 (LD 37)

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?

Absurdity of Blasphemy (Leviticus 24:20-23) (LD 36)

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?

Absurdity of a False Means (1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (LD 35; Head 5; Art. 14)

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?

The Absurdity of Idolatry Psalm 90 (LD 34; BC 1)

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?

The Sanctifying Basis (2 Corinthians 1:3-7 (LD 32; COD Head 5 Article 11)

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?

Personal Examination (1 Corinthians 11:28 (LD 30; BC Article 35)

The Apostle Paul gives some strong words regarding the call for members in the church to examine themselves. It is rather frightening to hear Paul talk about people actually dying in the midst of the congregation.  Why would we as sinners desire to partake of such a meal?  Who is worthy to eat at the Lord’s table?  Who can claim a worthiness to be a partaker of this food?  So, how can one come to the Lord’s Supper without knowing that one is not going to be struck dead?  What does Paul mean when he exhorts us to examine ourselves?

Living out the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 10:1-22 (LD 29; BC 35)

We might be tempted to think that there is not a whole lot we can learn from Israel or the history of Israel.  They are a people who lived under the Old Covenant and they were people who did bad things while we are the people who are going to do good things because we are more informed right?  The apostle Paul wants the church to learn things from Israel’s history.  How does Paul use their history to show that we can fall into similar things?  What does the history of Israel have to do with us, our sacraments, and even the Lord’s Supper?

Why One Baptism? (Ephesians 4:5 (LD 27; BC 34)

Our confession uses strong language that we are to be baptized once.  This means that we do not agree with other traditions that will baptize someone a second time because they do not see infant baptism as being a valid baptism.  Why do we believe in one baptism?  What is the bigger picture of this baptism?  How do we as Reformed people see baptism as something for children and adults?  Why are we not Roman Catholic even though we baptize infants?

Needing the Spirit Beyond the Means (Romans 7 (LD 26; BC 15)

Romans 7 is a passage that is debated about its application.  Some say that this is Paul under judaism, Paul in a pre vs post conversion, a regenerate man looking at unregenerate man, and the theories continue.  How can Paul be talking about the issue of human sin and the law?  What if Paul is just laying out that fallen man is so sinful that fallen man cannot attain the holy God apart from Christ?

Why Preach if Elect Anyway? (1 Peter 1:23-25 (COD Heads 3/4 Art. 17)

I believe that God has chosen His people before the foundations of the world.  This is something that is rather risky for a preacher to believe because if God chooses His people then what is the point of preaching?  I mean really, if God just does what God desires then why preach?  Why care about the people who do not know the Lord? So, why do we preach if God chooses HIs people anyway?

Longing or Lethargic? (Titus 2:11-14 (LD 24; Head 5 Art. 12)

One of the basic accusations against the Reformed faith is basically along the lines that if we make grace too free or too gracious then people will be lethargic in the Christian life.  Is this true?  How can a free grace view of redemption account for Paul’s letter to Titus where he exhorts us to train ourselves in godliness?  How can we account for all men being saved?  How can a system that believes that God’s grace is only applied to the God’s chosen elect account for Paul’s language of training and stating all being saved?

A Distant, but Sympathetic Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16 LD 23; COD Head 2 Article 4)

If Christ is in heaven how can He know our struggle?  If Christ is in heaven it seems that He is too distant to care.  So, how do we know that Christ is not too far away to care about our struggles here?

From Liars to Truth Bearers (LD 43) (Exodus 20:1-2; 16)

Mr. Shaun Murray encourages us to bear witness to the truth as those who have been redeemed. 

Striving for Our Rest (Hebrews 3:7-4:13 (LD 22; BC 37)

We are exhorted to strive to enter the Sabbath rest of the Lord.  Does this mean that we have to work really hard to please God?  Was the problem with Israel that they just did not understand the gospel?  Was it that they did not have Christ?  Why would the letter to the Hebrews appeal to Israel when we are being exhorted through the words of this letter?  What can we possibly learn from the Israelites that is relevant today?

No Insight without New Birth (John 3:1-15 (LD 20; COD Head 3/4 Article 11)

The interaction between Christ and Nicodemus communicates that there is a problem.  It is a problem with the human condition and not a problem with the Lord.  We can understand on one level the complexity of redemption, but on the other level we fail to see how complex it is.  Nicodemus is shocked by the proposal of a new birth because Nicodemus hears that he needs to be part of another family or another genealogy.  Christ is telling him that this is partly true, but it is not a genealogy tied to a family in this world.  So, what genealogy matters?  What genealogy do we want to have?  How do we attain this genealogy and the necessary birth?