The newest sermons from New Braunfels OPC on SermonAudio.
Church councils and courts have been and are comprised of fallible men who seek to be wise and make godly decisions but can err in what they say and do. Considering various facets of error, what if the church is believed to have erred in its governance in the use of church discipline?
What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse, due to us for sin?
How is your heart tonight? Is it steadfast? Is it fraught with fear, or fixed on Christ in faith, praising Him in the midst of your storms? Today is the day to seek His face and grace to bring that about more and more in you! May Christ and His fame be proclaimed in every place! May you be faithful in giving Him glory and bearing good witness of Him to the nations!
Do you see the wonderful connection in these lessons regarding welcome in kingdom entrance that Jesus gives you here with both the children and the rich young ruler? How can you enter the kingdom of Heaven? How can you have eternal life? They both came to Jesus. The children were welcomed and blessed, but the ruler walked away sorrowful because he wasn't willing to abandon all and follow Christ.
How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation? What is a sacrament?
Pastor Miller continues his Biblical Hebrew for Beginners class. Today: Review of translation homework of Psalm 57:1-2. Lecture on remainder of Lesson 17 on pronominal suffixes with Imperfects.
What happens if a sinning brother refuses to repent after your private pursuit of him, as well as your witnessed pursuit? If you have to proceed to step 3 and tell the matter to the church, what happens when the Session or the Presbytery (for ministers) engages in the pursuit, determines that the brother is guilty of a true sin, but he remains unrepentant regardless of the applied censure(s)? The elders have to prayerfully and wisely use the Office of the Keys.
Be comforted by the Gospel message of mercy to you in this passage. Do you see the great picture of the shelter of divine mercy? Your soul is safe. Your soul is redeemed. Your soul is protected. Your soul is lifted up!
Do you see how Matthew 18 lays a wonderful foundation in the context of how you then consider marriage and divorce? Do you see the Pharisaic heart that swells up demanding freedom to divorce at will? Do you see the great contrast in the Redeemed heart and how humility and love should motivate you towards the pursuit of your spouse in reconciliation when offense arises?
By whom is the Word of God to be preached? How is the Word of God to be preached by those that are called thereunto? What is required of those that hear the Word preached?
Remember, though you go the first time to your sinning brother, you're not free to stop and walk away from your pursuit if he doesn't hear you in that meeting. No, Jesus calls you to keep praying and persist in going back with witnesses for both your benefit and his. Now, though you go a second time to him with them, Jesus says that you still aren't free to stop and walk away if he refuses to hear them. What does this refusal specifically mean? The Greek word for "refuses" lit. means that the sinning brother won't listen to sound counsel. In fact, such refusal not only means the ears are turned off, but the word also carries the meaning that he is willing to do the opposite and disobey the counsel given. Do you see the fruit of pride in the stubborn and hard heart here? If he refuses, know that your pursuit is to remain prayerful and persistent, but it stops being private as you must tell the matter to the church. This being said, it's right to keep the matter confidential with the church.
The Redeemer of Israel, Pleading with Unfaithful Israel
As one does well in being prayerful in their private pursuit of a brother or sister who has sinned against them, they also do well in being persistent and persevering in their pursuit. What do I mean by this? A good place to start is that you don't just look at the path of reconciliation with them as one and done. You don't go into your Step 1 meeting with them thinking, "I'm just going to go once and be done. Then I can say I tried, and nobody can say I didn't." Sadly, if those are the internal thoughts and mindset, pride and/or fear are still alive and well in the heart. The fruit will likely bear accordingly in the outcome of the conversation. From a place of pain, you may feel justified in a half-hearted attempt, but the offense remains sincerely unaddressed, and the matter remains unresolved and festering. Again, when self is off the throne, and pride/fear are dealt with, out of true love towards the sinning brother or sister, the humble heart that is mindful of its own struggles and falls desires to obey your Savior and pursue real reconciliation and peace.
Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
The Servant of the Lord, Praise the Lord, The Promise of God's Help, Israel's Obstinate Disobedience
Fight fear! Memorize verse 3. When fear creeps in and takes root in your heart and mind, may you confess to Christ, "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You." Never forget that God has honored His Word with His own glory so that you will receive it with absolute trust and humble fear. Indeed, fear the Lord, not men. In God you trust!
Do you see the necessity of humility in your prayerful private pursuit of a brother or sister who has sinned against you applied here? Do you see your need for you to have the heart of the King in your encounter with them? For indeed, as much as it's right for you to go to the brother and talk to him about his sin, it's just as important that you do so with kindness and compassion, freely forgiving them when they hear you and repent.
Is the Word of God to be read by all? How is the Word of God to be read?
One of the great challenges of every generation has been the right handling of offense, dealing biblically with sin when offense rises up, especially between brothers and sisters in the church. The reasons why this is so challenging vary according to persons involved and the issue at hand. However, it's true that whatever the details of that challenge look like, the sources that fuel the resistance and reluctance to pursue reconciliation are very commonly pride and fear. I hope that you've been blessed as we've made our way through Matthew 18 in the morning service preaching series thus far. I hope you have had eyes to see and ears to hear how the lessons Jesus teaches you in verses 1-14 of the chapter really under gird and lay the groundwork for then how you interpret and apply His lesson in verses 15-17 in pursuing a sinning brother.
The forbidden longings of lust are a very real and present danger. Although Christians may be diligent in being on the lookout for lust, we often find it has passed through our defenses and is present in our hearts. Lust may be subtle in its entrance, and then strong in its growth and pursuits. Such longings in our hearts are part of the three that the Apostle John lists in 1 John 2 above. Don't miss John's words that importantly reveal to us that these lusts are both in the world and of the world. Notice that all three of these longings have to do with three predominant inclinations of the depraved nature. All three of them demonstrate personal gratification, and not a heart of love and obedience to God. Yet, all praise be to our God for the truth that though the natural man is in bondage to his lusts (Rom. 3:10–18), when the Lord saves us, because of our union with Christ, we are delivered from the dominion of them (Rom. 6:12-14).
Don't let the burden of betrayal or other sins threaten or take away your peace. Rather, cast your fears and cares on Christ, being thankful that He will sustain you and lift you up in the midst of your trials and hardships. Take much comfort for His mercy to you and judgment against the wicked, and then continue to trust Him as you walk with Him.
As you think about this path, does it intimidate you? Are you fearful of, or don't do well with confrontation? It's so easy to try to take matters into your own hands, or not deal with sin at all. I pray that you see the importance of these steps of reconciliation that Jesus calls you to follow, coupled with the peace it brings. If love can't cover the sin, like the shepherd goes after the one sheep, you must go to your brother or sister. As Jesus has shown by love fueled call and example, never forget that there are no pains too much to take for the recovering of a sinner to repentance. I hope you can see the blessings of following the path, along with the great consequences of not doing so.
What are the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of his mediation? How is the word made effectual to salvation?
Pastor Miller continues his Biblical Hebrew for Beginners class. Today: Review Hebrew Dialogue 1. Introduce Dialogue 2. Lecture on beginning of Lesson 16 covering the uses of the Imperfect in the remaining verb stems, as well as the Vav Consecutive. Brief translation and exegetical discussion on Psalm 55:16.
Israel Assured of God's Help, The Futility of Idols
Anger can be a volatile emotion in many people, especially after an offense. It can explode quickly like a firecracker, or a short-fused bomb. The blast radius can have deadly focus or it can be tragically broad. Once it's unleashed, the damage can be great and the path to healing and restoration even greater. Unleashed, sinful anger can often thrive in pride. It can also quickly lead the angry person down the path of regret. For these reasons and many others, sinful anger needs to be promptly and thoroughly dealt with and put to death in both heart and life.
It's important that you learn from and remember the burden of betrayal. Like David, in your grief and prayer to the Lord it's good and right to be mindful of what used to be and now is no more. All the while, like David, may you be refreshed in the nature and effects of sin, the pain that it brings, the offense that it is against the holy God, the beauty of the Gospel, and desire His justice and will be done.
As the disciples needed to, considering their dispute, prayerfully check your hearts this morning- Do you despise anyone in the flock? This is a critical question, whether you're an under shepherd looking at sheep, whether you're an older believer looking at and interacting with the young, whether you're in your youth interacting with peers- Do you look down at them? Do you scoff at their weakness in faith or any other area that you think you have superior knowledge, ability, or wisdom in? Remember that doing so is sinful. It hardens pride in you and can lead those who are weak or new astray, or cause them to wander in faith, doctrine, and obedience to God. Rather, value and respect them in the ways that Christ, who died for them, does. Then seek to lift them up and not tear them, or your relationship with them down.
What doth every sin deserve at the hands of God? What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us by reason of the transgression of the law?
Pastor Miller continues his Biblical Hebrew for Beginners class. Today: Review Hebrew Dialogue 1. Review of Lesson 15 homework covering the uses of the Qal Imperfect, the Jussive, and Cohortative. Walkthrough translation work on Psalm 55:9.
In today's edition, Pastor Miller speaks more to the matter of betrayal, its pain, and the path of godly resolution as he speaks to good lessons David teaches you in Psalm 51 as he reflected on his own experience in betraying others and fled in prayer to his Lord.
As we examine Jesus' exposition of the Law in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, we consider the great need to mortify our flesh, to kill sin within us, as we seek to be obedient to Christ's commands for us to walk in holiness and purity before Him and with one another. One of the sins that we need to be serious about putting to death is the sin of pride. It's one of the seven sins Solomon lists in Proverbs 6:17. We know well that God hates sin. Solomon teaches us that pride is an abomination to our Lord. With the prevalent, pervasive, and multi-layered presence that pride often has within us, it's all too true that killing it in our own hearts is very difficult. Why is this true? Click and listen...
Meditate on this beginning of Psalm 55, and the betrayal that under girds it, this week, and may it encourage and strengthen you to walk more closely with Christ. For in the midst of being surrounded, scrutinized, and oppressed by men on the outside, while at the same time feeling squeezed, heavy hearted, even tempted to have the fear of man, not to mention the fear of death, when you feel crushed with no way out, never forget the lesson Jesus teaches here you through David.
The glorious truths and reality that should comfort and calm your hearts this morning are the great promises, the great hope, for the life to come for all those who believe in the crucified and risen Christ.
What are those aggravations that make some sins more heinous than others?
The pain of betrayal is real and runs deep. It often hits hard as the breach of trust and confidence you had in a person, or with people, can shake you as you realized they've damaged or broken their relationship with you, or sometimes broken their covenant vows, as they've turned on you to harm you. Have you experienced betrayal in your life?
Take this picture of betrayal, its causes, and consequences with you tonight. Be especially mindful in your meditation and study of the Word regarding betrayal when it hits home. The trouble and hardship from any kind of betrayal is hard enough when it comes from those you would call friends, or those outside of your family. And yet, it's much worse when you're betrayed by your own kin. Praise God for the Lord Jesus Christ who is your Helper, who also sent you another helper, the Holy Spirit!
Do you see the glorious progression in what Jesus is teaching you thus far in Matthew 18? The rise of pride that battles for power and position was countered by Spirit wrought humility, seen in a heart of service and reception of even the least of these. As Jesus has welcomed them, so must you with open arms! As you grasp more of the value and importance of true, godly humility in your service to Christ and His people, may this lesson of the practical effect of such humility being manifest in your loving those that Jesus loves, and hating what Jesus hates, in your loving the little lambs, and your hating sin.
Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? Are all transgressions of the law of God equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God?
© 2020-2026 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
