Podcast appearances and mentions of thomas goodwin

In John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, few figures offer a more sobering warning to the traveling soul than the character Temporary. Living in the town of Grace-less, right next door to Turn-back, Temporary begins his journey with intense zeal—weeping over his sins, seeking godly counsel, and setting his face resolutely toward the Celestial City. Yet, despite his bright start and genuine emotional stirrings, his zeal quickly cools, he aligns himself with a man named Save-self, and he slides back into total spiritual ruin. Through this tragic figure, Bunyan illustrates what Puritan theologians like Thomas Goodwin, John Owen, Jonathan Edwards, and A. W. Pink identified as the "common influences" of the Holy Spirit—a work that can enlighten the mind, stir the emotions, and reform outward behavior without ever regenerating the heart. Temporary's story is not a tale of open hypocrisy, but a compelling, cautionary study in the vital difference between a temporary emotional reaction to the truth and a permanent, heart-transforming union with Jesus Christ.

In John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, few figures offer a more sobering warning to the traveling soul than the character Temporary. Living in the town of Grace-less, right next door to Turn-back, Temporary begins his journey with intense zeal—weeping over his sins, seeking godly counsel, and setting his face resolutely toward the Celestial City. Yet, despite his bright start and genuine emotional stirrings, his zeal quickly cools, he aligns himself with a man named Save-self, and he slides back into total spiritual ruin. Through this tragic figure, Bunyan illustrates what Puritan theologians like Thomas Goodwin, John Owen, Jonathan Edwards, and A. W. Pink identified as the "common influences" of the Holy Spirit—a work that can enlighten the mind, stir the emotions, and reform outward behavior without ever regenerating the heart. Temporary's story is not a tale of open hypocrisy, but a compelling, cautionary study in the vital difference between a temporary emotional reaction to the truth and a permanent, heart-transforming union with Jesus Christ.

In John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, few figures offer a more sobering warning to the traveling soul than the character Temporary. Living in the town of Grace-less, right next door to Turn-back, Temporary begins his journey with intense zeal—weeping over his sins, seeking godly counsel, and setting his face resolutely toward the Celestial City. Yet, despite his bright start and genuine emotional stirrings, his zeal quickly cools, he aligns himself with a man named Save-self, and he slides back into total spiritual ruin. Through this tragic figure, Bunyan illustrates what Puritan theologians like Thomas Goodwin, John Owen, Jonathan Edwards, and A. W. Pink identified as the "common influences" of the Holy Spirit—a work that can enlighten the mind, stir the emotions, and reform outward behavior without ever regenerating the heart. Temporary's story is not a tale of open hypocrisy, but a compelling, cautionary study in the vital difference between a temporary emotional reaction to the truth and a permanent, heart-transforming union with Jesus Christ.

In John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, few figures offer a more sobering warning to the traveling soul than the character Temporary. Living in the town of Grace-less, right next door to Turn-back, Temporary begins his journey with intense zeal—weeping over his sins, seeking godly counsel, and setting his face resolutely toward the Celestial City. Yet, despite his bright start and genuine emotional stirrings, his zeal quickly cools, he aligns himself with a man named Save-self, and he slides back into total spiritual ruin. Through this tragic figure, Bunyan illustrates what Puritan theologians like Thomas Goodwin, John Owen, Jonathan Edwards, and A. W. Pink identified as the "common influences" of the Holy Spirit—a work that can enlighten the mind, stir the emotions, and reform outward behavior without ever regenerating the heart. Temporary's story is not a tale of open hypocrisy, but a compelling, cautionary study in the vital difference between a temporary emotional reaction to the truth and a permanent, heart-transforming union with Jesus Christ.

In John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, few figures offer a more sobering warning to the traveling soul than the character Temporary. Living in the town of Grace-less, right next door to Turn-back, Temporary begins his journey with intense zeal—weeping over his sins, seeking godly counsel, and setting his face resolutely toward the Celestial City. Yet, despite his bright start and genuine emotional stirrings, his zeal quickly cools, he aligns himself with a man named Save-self, and he slides back into total spiritual ruin. Through this tragic figure, Bunyan illustrates what Puritan theologians like Thomas Goodwin, John Owen, Jonathan Edwards, and A. W. Pink identified as the "common influences" of the Holy Spirit—a work that can enlighten the mind, stir the emotions, and reform outward behavior without ever regenerating the heart. Temporary's story is not a tale of open hypocrisy, but a compelling, cautionary study in the vital difference between a temporary emotional reaction to the truth and a permanent, heart-transforming union with Jesus Christ.

IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.In this episode, Douglas Wilson offers a cautiously optimistic take on the approaching midterms, continues his tour through the sins of the New Testament with moria and the foolishness of worldly wisdom, and recommends Thomas Goodwin's The Vanity of Thoughts and the Puritan Treasures for Today series. For more from Doug, subscribe to Canon+: https://canonplus.com/  

A thousand times a year, someone sits across the table from Jeremy Stalnecker and says: "I've tried everything. If this doesn't work, I'm not going to make it." How is a gentle and lowly Jesus the answer to that? Dane Ortlund, pastor of Naperville Presbyterian and author of the runaway evangelical bestseller Gentle and Lowly, sits down with Jeremy to break down the Jesus most Christian men have never been taught. The Jesus who, as Spurgeon noted, only once told us what was in his own heart. The Jesus whose default is mercy and whose anger always requires provocation. The Jesus with nail-scarred arms who, according to 1 Corinthians 12, feels your trauma more acutely than you do. This is one of the most theologically rich conversations on the channel - anchored in Matthew 11:28-30, with stops in Hebrews 1, John 14, Exodus 34, and 1 Corinthians 12. If you've ever pictured Jesus as a watered-down, decaffeinated, domesticated version of God, this conversation will reset that picture. RESOURCES MENTIONED• Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers (Crossway): https://www.crossway.org/books/gentle-and-lowly-tpb/• Thomas Goodwin, The Heart of Christ in Heaven for Sinners on Earth - the 400-year-old book that wrecked Dane• Dane Ortlund, Edwards on the Christian Life (Crossway) CONNECT WITH DANE• Website: https://www.daneortlund.com• Naperville Presbyterian Church: https://www.naperpres.org • X (formerly Twitter): @daneortlund KEY VERSES• Matthew 11:28-30 - "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden"• Hebrews 1:3 - Jesus, the exact representation of God• John 14:9 - "If you've seen me, you have seen the Father"• Exodus 34:6 - "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger"• 1 Corinthians 12 - We are the body of Christ Subscribe for more interviews, biblical breakdowns, and conversations with men who've been there: https://www.youtube.com/@MarchOrDieShow?sub_confirmation=1 Hit Subscribe, share this episode with your community, and drop a comment on what landed hardest for you. Want more reinforcement? Subscribe to our newsletter, The Forward Edge, to go beyond the podcast and dig deeper into these topics and more: https://marchordie.substack.com! Join us daily for encouragement and biblical truth with the Mighty Oaks Daily Devotional, you can sign up for reminders: https://mightyoaksprograms.org/daily-devotional or text JOIN to (832) 333-8794 Follow March or Die:https://instagram.com/MarchOrDie https://Facebook.com/MarchOrDieShow https://TikTok.com/March_or_Die Follow Jeremy:https://instagram.com/jeremystalnecker https://jeremystalnecker.com Follow Sean:https://instagram.com/seantopgunkennard https://youtube.com/@SeanTopGunKennard Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In Episode 245 of Theology In Particular, Pastor Joe Anady and Dr. Daniel Scheiderer are joined by Dr. Drew Sparks, who follows up on previous discussions about habit by presenting a summary explanation of the cardinal (or "natural") and theological virtues.   Contact: For information about International Reformed Baptist Seminary, go to irbsseminary.org. For feedback, questions, or suggestions, email Joe Anady at tip@irbsseminary.org.    Recommended Resources:  Wilhelmus à Brakel Christian's Reasonable Service William Ames Marrow of Theology Francis Turretin, Institutes of Elenctic Theology John Owen, Works, vol. 3 Thomas Goodwin, Works, vols. 6 & 8 Petrus Van Mastricht, Theological-Practical Theology, vol. 5

In episode 471 of The Reformed Brotherhood, hosts Jesse Schwamb and Tony Arsenal begin a multi-part series on Jesus's parables of lost things in Luke 15. This first installment focuses on the Parable of the Lost Sheep, exploring how Jesus uses this story to reveal God's disposition toward sinners. The hosts examine the contextual significance of this teaching as Jesus's response to the Pharisees' criticism of his fellowship with tax collectors and sinners. Through careful analysis of the text, they unpack how this parable not only rebukes religious self-righteousness but also reveals the active, seeking love of Christ for His own. The discussion highlights the profound theological truth that God's joy is made complete in the restoration of His lost children. Key Takeaways The Parable of the Lost Sheep demonstrates Christ's heart for sinners, showing that seeking the lost is not exceptional behavior but the expected norm for those who understand God's character. Jesus positions this parable as a direct response to the Pharisees' criticism, turning their accusation ("he eats with sinners") into an affirmation of His mission and identity. The lost sheep represents those who belong to Christ but have gone astray; the shepherd's pursuit illustrates Christ's commitment to recover all whom the Father has given Him. God's rejoicing over one repentant sinner reveals a profound theological truth: divine joy increases in the act of showing mercy and restoring the lost. The shepherd's willingness to leave the 99 to find the one reflects not recklessness but the infinite value God places on each of His children. Regular worship practices, including family worship and congregational singing, reflect the same disposition of praise that heaven displays when sinners return to God. The parable serves not only as a comfort to sinners but as a challenge to believers to adopt God's heart toward the lost rather than the judgmental attitude of the Pharisees. Understanding the Shepherd's Heart The central focus of the Parable of the Lost Sheep is not simply God's willingness to receive sinners, but His active pursuit of them. As Tony Arsenal points out, Jesus presents the shepherd's search not as an extraordinary act of sacrifice, but as the obvious and expected response: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the one that is lost?" Jesus frames this as the normal behavior that any shepherd would exhibit, making the Pharisees' lack of concern for "lost sheep" appear not just uncompassionate but utterly irrational. This reveals a profound truth about God's character: He is not passively waiting for sinners to find their way back to Him; He is actively seeking them out. As Jesse Schwamb emphasizes, "Christ's love is an active, working love." The shepherd does not merely hope the sheep will return; he goes after it until he finds it. This reflects God's covenant commitment to His people—those whom He has chosen before the foundation of the world. The parable thus powerfully illustrates the doctrines of divine election and effectual calling within a deeply personal and relational framework. The Divine Joy in Restoration Perhaps the most striking element of this parable is the emphasis on the shepherd's joy upon finding his lost sheep. This isn't merely relief at recovering lost property, but profound celebration that calls for community participation: "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost." Jesse highlights Thomas Goodwin's profound insight that "Christ's own joy, comfort, happiness, and glory are increased and enlarged by his showing grace and mercy." This suggests something remarkable about God's relationship with His people—that in some mysterious way, God's joy is made more complete in the act of showing mercy and restoring sinners. The hosts point out that this doesn't imply any deficiency in God, but rather reveals the relational nature of His love. When Jesus states that "there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance," He's indicating that divine celebration isn't prompted merely by moral perfection but by restoration and reconciliation. This understanding transforms how we approach God when we've strayed. As Jesse notes, "Jesus is never tired, flustered, or frustrated when we come to him for fresh forgiveness or renewed pardon." Our repentance doesn't merely avoid punishment; it actually brings joy to the heart of God. This is a profound comfort for believers struggling with sin and failure, assuring us that our return is met not with divine disappointment but with heavenly celebration. Memorable Quotes "This parable of the lost sheep gives us the beating heart of God, his normative disposition toward his children. It's really an exceptional and special window into God's design, his loving compassion for us, his heart of ministry and seeking for us, for his children who are lost." - Jesse Schwamb "He wants us to draw on his grace and mercy because it is inherently who he is. And he drew near to us in this incarnation so that his joy and ours could rise and fall together, which is insane that God would come and condescend to that degree that in his giving mercy and in ours receiving it, Christ gets more joy and comfort than we do when we come to him for help and mercy." - Jesse Schwamb "Christ's love is an active working love. Just as the shepherd did not sit still, wailing for his lost sheep, so our blessed Lord did not sit still in heaven pitying sinners. He comes to us, he came to us, and he continues to draw to himself those who are sheep, who hear his voice." - Jesse Schwamb Host Information Jesse Schwamb and Tony Arsenal are the hosts of The Reformed Brotherhood, a podcast that explores Reformed theology and its application to the Christian life. With a blend of theological depth and practical insight, they examine Scripture through the lens of historic Reformed doctrine, offering accessible teaching for believers seeking to grow in their understanding of the faith. Resources Mentioned Scripture: Luke 15:1-7, Matthew 18, John 10 Worship Resource: Sing The Worship Initiative (sing.theworshipinitiative.com) Theological Reference: Thomas Goodwin's writings on Christ's joy in redemption Brad Kafer and Michael Lewis, The Theocast Tragedy, episode 75, with guest Jeremy Marshall, November 16, 2025, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-reclamation-podcast/id1747221237?i=1000736883898. Joshua Lewis and Michael Rowntree, The Theocast Split: Examining Christian Unity and Theological Differences, November 11, 2025, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-remnant-radios-podcast/id1392545186?i=1000736293538. Daniel Vincent, Fallout of Theocast, November 15, 2025, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-particular-baptist-podcast/id1512601040?i=1000736872315. Tony Arsenal, "A Refutation of Reformed Fringe," Reformed Arsenal, November 2025, https://reformedarsenal.com/category/a-refutation-of-reformed-fringe/. Tony Arsenal, "The Quest For Illegitimate Religious Gnosis: How 'Fringe' Theology Deforms Christology," Heidelblog, November 24, 2025, https://heidelblog.net/2025/11/the-quest-for-illegitimate-religious-gnosis-how-fringe-theology-deforms-christology/. Full Transcript [00:00:08] Jesse Schwamb: And what's special about the series? Parables that we're about to look at is it gives us the beating heart of God, his normative disposition toward his children, which is not like, we haven't seen some of that already, but this is, I think, really an exceptional and special window into God's design. His loving can compare for us, his heart of ministry and seeking for us for his children who are lost. It's really unequal in all the parables and probably among some of the most famous, Welcome to episode 471 of the Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse. [00:00:56] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother. [00:01:01] Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. You know, it seems like sometimes we could just summarize the teaching of Jesus like this. You get a parable and you get a parable, and you get a parable, and we've already, by looking at some of these parables, gotten to see what the kingdom of God means. The kingdom of God is Jesus coming in His power. It's here, but also not yet. The kingdom of God is the judgment of God. The kingdom of God is a blessing of God. The kingdom of God is the treasure of God. And what's special about the series? Parables that we're about to look at is it gives us the beating heart of God, his normative disposition toward his children, which is not like, we haven't seen some of that already, but this is, I think, really an exceptional and special window into God's design. His loving can compare for us, his heart of ministry and seeking for us for his children who are lost. It's really unequal in all the parables and probably among some of the most famous, and I think we'll probably have some maybe like semi hot takes, maybe some like mid hot takes as the young kids say. [00:02:07] Tony Arsenal: Mid hot takes. [00:02:08] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. [00:02:08] Tony Arsenal: So like [00:02:09] Jesse Schwamb: lukewarm takes, well my thought is like, what is a hot take that's not heretical? Do you know what I mean? So it's gotta be, yeah, [00:02:16] Tony Arsenal: there you go. [00:02:16] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. That's what I'm saying. It's like, listen, we want to be orthodox in our approach here, but I think we gotta, we gotta chew these up a little bit. Like we gotta digest them, we gotta move them around in our gut and really take everything that we've, we thought we knew about these, we just heard and they've been written on cards or postcards or crocheted into, I guess you're not crocheting bible verses, but like cross stitching Bible verses on pillows and really go deep because I think there's so much here for us, and if this were like for, for everybody that wants to say that, sometimes we take a little bit too long with our series. Again, I do have a question, simple question for all of those people. And that question is how dare you? And the second thing I would say is, you're lucky that you're not listening to a Puritan podcast. Maybe you never would, like at the Puritans in a podcast, the series would never end. They'd start with like a single verse and be like, we're gonna do two episodes on this. And then they'd be getting to the like, you know, 4 71 and they still wouldn't have left like the, the first five words. [00:03:11] Tony Arsenal: It's true, it's true. We move a little bit faster than that. Pace. Not much. Yeah. Way, [00:03:15] Jesse Schwamb: listen, way faster. By like Puritan standards, we are cruising. Like we're, we're just like NASCAR going through these parables. And to that end, I'll try to keep us moving though. I've already delayed us already because we're, we're late for affirmations. [00:03:30] Affirmations and Denials [00:03:30] Jesse Schwamb: Denials. The time is ripe. It is Now. The fields are gleaning with affirmations and denials. So let's, let's bring them in. Tony, are you denying against, are you affirming with something? [00:03:40] Tony Arsenal: It's a little bit of both, I guess. Um, do it. [00:03:44] Controversial Theology Discussion [00:03:44] Tony Arsenal: A little while ago, uh, it was maybe back in September, I did an episode on, uh, some theology that was being propagated by a podcast called Reformed Fringe. Um, it was a solo episode, so if you haven't listened to it, go back and listen to it. The affirmation here comes in, in, uh, the form of a show called, I think it's called The Reclamation Cast. Um, there are a series of podcasts that have addressed some of the same issues. For those who haven't been following it, which I would assume is probably most of you, the issue is kind of blown up online. Um, Theo Cast, which was a pretty big a, a really big podcast in the, uh, sort of reformed ish, particular Baptist world. Um, they actually split because of this. And so John Moffitt was one of the hosts. Justin Perdue was the other. And then John was also on this show called Reform Fringe with Doug Van Dorn. So I'm affirming some of these other podcasts that have covered the same issue, and I would encourage you to seek them out and listen to them. I can can pull some links together for the show notes today. Um, more or less the, the issue that I identified, um, is beyond just sort of what's known as Divine Counsel Theology, which was made, made, really made popular by, um, Michael Heiser. I don't know that he would, we could say that he was necessarily like the. Architect or inventor of that. I'm sure there are people who've had similar thoughts before that, but he's really the main name. Um, he's passed on now, but, um, Doug Van Dorn was a, uh, he's a Baptist pastor outta Col, uh, Colorado, who took his views and actually sort of like cranked him up and particularly. Uh, troubling is the way he handles, um, the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament. Um, I won't go into all of the details, but he wants to argue and he has argued in writing actually, and he, he published the paper first in 2015, and then again in 2024, he published it again, uh, with very minimal changes and nothing substantial. It was really kind of contextual stuff. Um, he actually argues that in the Old Testament, when we see the angel of the Lord, it's not just, not just God appearing as an angel, it's God actually becoming an angel. And in his paper, at least, he argues, um, more or less that this is a sort of hypostatic union. It's not just a temporary taking on of some sort of like outward appearance. Um, it's an actual, uh, uh, assumption of properties into the person of the sun. And the whole reason he makes this argument, which is why it's a little disingenuine, that now he's saying that's not what his argument was. He makes this argument in order to make it so the angel of the Lord can genuinely suffer, experience passions, change his mind, um, enter into covenant, come to know new knowledge, like there's all sorts of things that he wants the angel of the Lord to be able to actually do, not just accommodated, but actually. Experience. Um, and he does that by having the angel of the Lord be an appropriation of angelic properties into the person of the sun, what we would call a hypostatic union. And in his paper, he actually says like, I would want to use all of the same language of, uh, of this union as I do of the incarnation. He intentionally uses the words image and form kind of drawing from Philippians two. So the, the affirmation comes in and there are other podcasts that have identified this. So it's not just me. I would encourage people to go find them. Where the denial comes in is, um, there have been many people, including myself, who have attempted to engage with Doug Van Dorn, like publicly, directly, um, through private messaging. There are many people who've tried to reach out to him, and he has just sort of waved all of them away. Which is one thing, if like you just say like, I don't really care to interact with you. I don't really care to have this discussion. But then he is also presenting the situation as though he, he is totally open to having these conversations and nobody is trying to reach out to him. So I would encourage everyone, you're all reasonable people, search the scriptures, read what he has to say. The paper that he wrote is called Passing the Impassable pa or impassable Impasse, which is hard to say, but it's a very clever title. Um, and it was, it actually was written, I don't know a lot about this controversy and maybe I need to do a little bit more research. It was actually written during a time where, um, the particular Baptist conventions that were out out west where experiencing a lot of internal controversy regarding impassability, and this was his proposal for how, how biblically you can still maintain the divine attributes of changeness and impassability all these things, uh, without compromising the real, the real passable, um, appearance that we see of the, of God in the Bible. So. I don't wanna belabor the point. This is not the point of the show. We, I already did a whole episode on this. I've published, I wrote many blog articles. There's a lot that I've, I've put out on this. Um, so check it out, look at it. Wait for yourself. Um, the only reason I've been, this has come up in our telegram chat. People have encountered this theology. Um, one, one guy was asking about it, 'cause I think like his mom or his aunt or someone close to him had, has been sort of reading Michael Heider's work. Michael Heiser was very instrumental at logos. He was on staff at Logos for quite a while. So a lot of their, um, more speculative theological articles that you might find on their website are written by him. Um, he was a, one of the main people behind the sort of proprietary translation that, um, Laro uses the Lham, um, English Bible. So. It's not a neutral point. Pretty significant theological consequences if, uh, if our reading of what Doug is saying is correct. Um, and there doesn't seem to be any real openness to discussing that. He has to be fair, he has published a series of affirmations and denials, um, affirming his a his orthodoxy saying he affirms the change changeness of the son. He denies that there was a hypothetic union. So that's encouraging. It's great to see that when it comes down to it. He's willing to make affirmations, uh, of orthodox things and to deny unorthodox things, but it doesn't really help the situation when those things and those affirmations, denials are still at very least difficult to reconcile with what he wrote. I think in point of fact, they're actually contradictory to what he wrote. So the, the proper course of action would be for him to say, well, no, that's not what I meant. Or, or, yes, I wrote that, but that's not what I believe. Um, rather than to just try say, trying to say like, well, you all got it wrong. There's a lot of people reading these papers looking at it going, Ooh, it sure seems like the sun took on an angelic nature, even if that was temporary. That's, that's got some pretty weird consequences for your theology. And one of the shows I was listening to made this point that I thought was interesting and a little scary is this is like an utterly new theology. Um, no one that I've talked to who is aware of this, who studied these issues. Is aware of anyone ever saying anywhere that the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament was some sort of like assumption of actual angelic properties into the person of the sun. Almost everywhere that you read. It's either a manifestation view where the sun is kind of appearing as an angel, um, but it's not actually becoming an angel. It's, it's sort of taking on created medium, uh, in order to reveal himself or an instrumental view, which would be something like there's an angel that is used instrumentally by the Lord, and so we can say that it the angel of the Lord is the Lord in an instrumental sense, kind of like saying like if I pick up a hammer. Use that hammer for as long as I'm using that hammer. The hammer is actually sort of an extension of me. I'm moving it, I'm motivating it, I'm controlling it, it's connected to me, and then I put it down when I'm finished. Those are kind of the two main views that people, people would argue in the Old Testament, if they want to even say that the angel of the Lord is a Christoph, it would either be this manifestation view or this instrumental view, this sort of weird novel assumption of properties view. I'm, I've never encountered anything like that and I've studied this, this, this particular issue at some length. So check out the other episodes, I'll pull together some links, uh, of ones that have done it, both that have been, uh, critical of Doug's position. And also there was one, um, on remnant radio, which I never heard of, but, um, that was acknowledging that there are some question marks, but sort of saying like, this really is an overblown controversy. Um, and then I'll link to Doug's podcast too, so you can listen to his own words and, and sort of think through it yourself. [00:11:51] Jesse Schwamb: Some point I have this volition, you know, places, organizations, groups might have like FAQs, frequently asked questions. I have this idea to put together for us, like a frequently discussed topic. This would be one of them. We've talked, or we co we've come back to this idea of like the molecule way, the messenger of the Lord many times. Yeah. In part because I think there's a good and natural curiosity among many when you're reading the scriptures and you see that's the angel of the Lord and you're trying to discern, is it Christoph? And in some cases it seems more clear than others. For instance, the Maia appearing to, you know, Joshua, or, you know, there's, there's all kinds of instances in the scripture that draw us into this sense of like, well, who is it that is being represented here? And the funny thing about this though, and I agree with you, that like makes it. Puts it in like, I would say contradistinction to like just kind of innocently wanting to understand is that there's a lot of theological gymnastics happening here, like a lot and two, it seems to me that he's kind of trying to create a problem to find a solution on this one. Yeah. And so it should give everybody that sense that we always talk about where like the red light goes off, the flags get thrown up, that when you hear that, you're just like, well, something is not right about that. And the thing that's not right about it is one, it doesn't subscribe to, like you're saying, any kind of historical orthodoxy. And two, it's just funky for funky sake. It's, there's really a lot that's happening there to get to some kind of end, and it's better to know what that end is. I'm glad you brought that up. So I think you can, everybody who's listening can weigh, like, if you. Don't wanna weigh into that, or you don't really need to solve the problem that's being created here, then don't bother with it altogether. Yeah. Uh, it's just not worth your time. But people, this is the hide thing. Like when, when we are challenged to be discerning people, when we are challenged to take scriptures at face value, there is always a tendency for us sometimes to go too deep, to get too wild with it, to try to turn around and bend it to, to answer all in every single question. And even the reform tradition doesn't attempt to do that. So here, there is something that's beautiful about these certain mysteries of God and to take him at his face, to trust him in his word, we should seek, seek out many things. Some things are just not worth seeking out. So, you know, the Internet's gonna internet and people are gonna, people and theologians are gonna theologize. And sometimes that's good and sometimes it's not that productive. [00:14:08] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I, I think to be as charitable as I possibly can be, I think, um, Doug is, has identified a legitimate. Question about the Old Testament, right? Right. The, the Bible appears when we read about God in the Old Testament. He appears to do things like change his mind, suffer yes. Grieve experience passions. Right. Um, and, and so that's a real, um, question that needs to be answered as you read the Old Testament. Um, and the two options of course, or the two primary options of course, are either that God actually suffers, he actually experiences those things, in which case he wouldn't be a changeless God. Um, he wouldn't be a perfect God because there's these, these modes of change within God. The other option would be that there's some sort of appearance of suffering or appearance of, of change or passions that is not actual, it's not real in the sense that he's not God's lying. It's not that God's lying to us, of course not. But that these are appearances for our sake. We would say that's, we call that the doctrine of accommodation. Right. Um. What Doug tries to do is actually exactly what the church did in trying to understand how it could be that the second person of the Trinity suffered. Uh, why, why we can genuinely say that God suffered. Um, we can say that and that the answer was the hypothetic union, and this is where it really kind of like jumped into full relief for me is Doug has the same answer for the Old Testament, but instead of an incarnation of humanity, I don't know what you would call it, an, an evangelization or a, something like that, um, he would probably call like a, some somatization. Um, he uses the difference between Soma and sars as though that somehow answers the question. He says it's not a, an incarnation into sarks. It's a, an assumption of properties in da Soma. But in either case, like his answer is the same answer. That the way that the angel of the Lord suffers in the Old Testament is not according to his divine nature. It's according to these angelic properties that are assumed into his person well. Okay, so like you get the same conclusion. There needs to be some explanation now of like, well, why is it a hypostatic union when it's the human nature, but it's not a hypostatic union when it's the angelic nature or angelic properties. Um, and I think the, the real answer is that when Doug wrote those papers, he just didn't realize those implications. Um, Doug is a sharp guy, like, don't get me wrong, he's a smart guy. Um, I think he's got a pretty good grip on Hebrew and, and a lot of this too is, um. Not to make this more of an episode than it is, but, um, this Divine Council worldview at first feels like not that big of a deal when you, when you read about it the first time. Um, or when you read sort of like popular treatments of it. Um, the real problem is that this divine council worldview, um, which I'm not gonna define again, you can look, I'll pull the radio episode or the other podcast episodes, but this divine council worldview becomes like the controlling meta narrative for the entire scripture for these guys. And so if, if the son is to be the sort of lead Elohim on this divine council besides Yahweh himself, then he has to become an angel. He has to become a one of the sons of God in order to do this. Sort of almost ignoring the fact that like he already was the son of God. Like, it, it just becomes, um, this controlling meta-narrative. And if all that this, all that this divine council worldview is saying is like, yes, there's a class of creatures. Um, that are spiritual in nature and the Bible uses the word Elohim to describe them and also uses the word Elohim to describe the one true God who's in an entirely different class. And it just happens to use the same, the same word to describe those two classes. Okay. Like I would find a different way to say that that's maybe not as risky and confusing, but that would be fine. But this goes so much farther than than that. And now it has all these weird implications. He actually did a five, five-part sermon series at his church where his argument is essentially that like this. This overarching narrative of the Sons of God and, and the 70 sons of God. Um, that that's actually the story that explains how salvation functions and what we're being saved to is we're not being swept into the life of the Trinity, which is kind of the classic Christian view, the classic orthodox view that because, because of who the son is by nature, in reference to the father, when we're adopted, we gain that same relationship with the father and the son and the spirit. Um, he's, he's wanting to say, it's actually more like, no, we, we we're sort of brought onto this divine council as, as creator representatives of the cosmos. So it's, it, there's a lot to, it's, um, again, I, I don't want people just to take my word for it. I'm gonna provide as many receipts as I can, um, in the, the, um, show notes. Um, but yeah, it's, it's weird and it, it's unnecessary and [00:18:57] Jesse Schwamb: that's right. [00:18:58] Tony Arsenal: It made a lot of sense to me when Michael Heiser went down these routes, because his whole program was, he had a, a podcast called The Naked Bible, and the whole idea was like he interprets the Bible apart from any prior interpretations, which of course we know is not possible. But that was sort of his plan was he's. It wasn't necessarily anti cre, anti-real or anticon confessional. He just thought you needed to and could come to the Bible without any sort of pre interpretive, uh, positions. Um, so it made a lot of sense to me when he was like, well, yeah, this isn't the way that the historic tradition isn't understood this, but that doesn't matter. But then you have someone like Doug Van Dorn come around who claims to be a 1689 Confessional Baptist. This is like radically foreign to that system of doctrine. So it's just a weird situation. It's kind of an abandonment of the pattern of sound words that handed down to us, the ages. Um, and it does have all these weird implications, and I'm not hearing loud and clear. I am not saying Doug Van Dorn is not a Christian. Um, I do think that the implications of what he's teaching are heretical. Um, but we've made the distinction before that like, just because you teach something heretical doesn't mean you're a heretic. Um, that's a, that's a formal proclamation that the church officially makes not some dude on the internet with a podcast. But the, the implications of his teaching are quite dangerous. So. Check it out. Read it with caution and with discernment, um, and with, you know, a good systematic theology that can help kind of correct you in your hands. And the creeds and the confessions. But dude, check it out. You, you're reasonable people. Look at the scriptures yourself and make your own decisions. I don't expect anybody to ever just take my word for any of this stuff. [00:20:25] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that's right. Or like you said, don't bother with. Yeah. Or don't bother. Just read the confessions. Unaware of it. Yeah. That's also, okay. Stick to the, the, hopefully the good local preaching and teaching that you're receiving and just hang out there. Yeah. And that's also okay. The internet is a super strange and weird place. Yeah. And that includes even among well intentions. Theology, sometimes it just gets weird. And this is one of those examples. [00:20:51] Tony Arsenal: It's true, it's true. I often tell people that my, my goal in any sort of public teaching or podcasting or blogging or when I'm preaching, uh, my goal is to be as like vanilla reformed as I possibly can. Like that's what I'm saying. There, there are times where like some of the stuff that I be, like, I, I'm not like straight down the middle on every single thing. There are things that I would, you know, like my view on, um, state relations with church like that, that's not exactly run of the mill vanilla presbyterianism. Um, so there are definitely things where I'm, I'm sort of a little off center on, um, but I try to be like right down the middle of the vanilla, vanilla aisle here with maybe a little bit of chocolate sauce here and there. But it's, it's pretty, uh, my reform theology is pretty boring and I'm fine with that. I love [00:21:35] Jesse Schwamb: it. I love it. It's okay to be boring, isn't it? Like boring? It's is for the most part, right. On the money. Because often when we do take our views and we polarize them to some degree, we know that there's a greater probability propensity for the errors to lie there if you're always hanging out there. Yeah. But especially in this, again, you've said all the right things it, it's just one of those things. But it's a good mark for all of us to understand that when we move so far away from orthodoxy that we're just kind of out on the pier by ourselves and you're looking around, you ought to ask what happened that you're out there so far. [00:22:05] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Well, Jesse, save us from this train of thought. What are you affirming or denying today? [00:22:10] Jesse Schwamb: I hope I have something that's exactly the opposite. As you know, Tony, not all affirmations especially are created equal because sometimes we throw one out there and it's, it's good. We think it's great. Maybe not for everybody. It doesn't resonate. It doesn't hit. This is not one of those, this is for everybody. [00:22:24] The Importance of Daily Worship [00:22:24] Jesse Schwamb: I'm coming in with a hot, strong affirmation, and that is one of the things you and I have promulgated for so long is the beauty, the necessity, the responsibility, and the joy of regular daily worship, and that can look. Lots of ways, but I think you and I have tried in our own lives and we've spoken a lot about the high conviction that we have that that kinda worship should be participatory and it can involve reading the scriptures, praying, singing this spills over into convictions about family worship, leading our families, and that kinda experience, even if it's just a little bit every day and even if it's, we give it our best efforts, this is not like a kind of legalistic approach. And so I just came across something that I think I've been testing for a while that I think is faab fabulous for everybody, could be helpful to you in daily worship. And I'm just gonna give you the website first and explain what it is. Secondly, so the website is sing the worship initiative.com. That's sing dot the worship initiative.com. You can find it if it's easier. Just search the Worship initiative. What this is, is it is. Once you sign up for this, you'll actually get a text. It's a daily text, and that text will be a link in a browser every day. So it's not a podcast, but it comes through a browser every day. It is a time of, I would say, I'll use the word colloquially, it's a time of devotional with singing led by Shane and Shane and some of their other musicians and their friends. And this is glorious. It's no more than 15 minutes, and it's purposely orchestrated to lead you or whoever's listening with you in singing, including in the app or rather in the browser. They will give you the words for the songs that they're gonna sing that day. And one, Shannon and Shane are fantastic musicians. You wanna listen to this with a good speaker or set of, uh, earbuds because, uh, the music is great and it's very stripped down. It's just, it's just piano and a little bit guitar generally. Uh, but the speaking of the theological pieces of what's in these songs is fantastic. And this just past week, they've done songs like Crown Hit with Many Crowns. Um, in Christ Alone, he will hold me fast, he will hold me fast, is an incredible piece of music and a piece of worship. So I'm just enjoying, they are using rich deeply theological songs to speak rich, deep theological truths, and then to invite you into a time of singing, like along with them. It's as if like they were just in your living room or in their kitchen and said, Hey, you got 15 minutes, especially start the day. Why don't we gather around this table and why don't we worship together? So I haven't found something quite like this where it's like an invitation to participate, both by being active listeners into what they're saying, but by also singing together. So I. Can only come at this with a really hot affirmation because I'm being blessed by it. And this rhythm of somebody like leading you daily into song, I'm finding to be so incredibly valuable. Of course, like we can find song in lots of places. We may lead ourselves, we may rely on the radio or a playlist to do that, but this kind of unique blend of a time that's being set apart, that's organized around a theme and then brings music into that as a form of meditation and worship is pretty singular. So check out, sing the worship edition of.com and especially if you're a fan of Shane and Shane, you're gonna slide right into this and feel very blessed because they're talented musicians and what they're bringing, I think is a, is a rich theological practice of actual worship, not just devotionals of some kind, but like actual participatory worship of, of in spirit and truth. [00:25:53] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I just signed up for this while you're talking. It took about a minute. It's super easy. So, um, and I'm sure that they have a way to opt out. If you start it and you hate it and you want to just stop getting text messages, I'm sure you can just respond, stop. Um, so there's really nothing to lose. There's no gimmick. They don't ask for a credit card, anything like that. Um, and I, I'm with you, like I love me some Shane and Shane music, and I do like some Shane and Shane music, um, that, that like takes me way back. Those, there are a lot of singers who've been at this for a long time. Yes, Shane and Shane was like. A really like popular band when I was in like, like upper high school. Oh yeah. So like, we're talking about a multi-decade career, long career doing mostly worship music, like they're performers, but they have entire, they have entire, many entire, um, albums that are psalms, um, entire albums that are worship choruses or what you might think of as chorus singing. Um, so yeah, I think this is great. And I'm always looking for new ways to integrate worship into my life. So this could be something as simple as like, maybe you're not gonna be able to sing out loud, but you could listen to this on the bus on the way home. Or you could put in your air, your ear pods, uh, when you're, you know, doing the dishes and instead of just listening to another podcast. I recognize the irony of saying that on a podcast that you may be listening to while you're doing the dishes, but instead of just listening to another podcast, you spend a little bit of time thinking about meditating on God's word. So that's great. I think that's an awesome, awesome information. A little [00:27:20] Jesse Schwamb: bit like very casual liturgy, but you're right, they've been around for a while and this, the content that they're producing here strikes me as like very mature. Yeah, both like in, of course, like the music they're doing and how they're singing, they're singing parts, but also just what they're speaking into. It's not just like kind of a, let's let tell you how this song impacted my life. They're, they're pulling from the scriptures and they're praying through. They're giving you a moment to stop and pause and pray yourself. There's a lot that's, that's built in there. And can I give like one other challenge? [00:27:47] Encouragement for Family Worship [00:27:47] Jesse Schwamb: This, this came to me as well this week and I know we've had some conversation in the telegram chat about like family worship, leading our families in worship about somehow how do we model that? How do we bring that together? And music often being a part of that. And I think that it's especially important for families to hear their. Their fathers and their husbands sing, no matter what your voice sounds like. Can I give a, a challenge? I think might sound crazy. This might be a hot, hot take. And so you can bring me back down instead of a mid hot take. If it, yeah, if it's a little bit too hot. But I was reading an article, and this is really from that article, and it, it did challenge me. And the article basically challenged this and said, listen, most people are actually far more musical than they understand themselves to be. And that might just not be in the instrumentation of the voice, but in other ways. And so the challenge was if you're a, a husband, a father, maybe you have some proclivity of music, maybe you have none. The challenge was basically, why don't you consider. Learning a musical instrument to lead your family in worship. And, and the challenge was basically like, pick up a guitar and, uh, see if you can eke out a couple of chords. Work through that just for the sole purpose of if nothing else, but saying like, I want to participate in something differently in my home. And maybe that's getting a keyboard and just, just trying it there. If I can play the guitar, anybody truly I think can play the guitar. It's, it's not really that difficult. I just found this captivating that this guy laid down the gauntlet and said, maybe you ought to consider doing that if only to be a model of worship in your own home throughout, throughout the week. And I just thought, you know what? That's something we're thinking about. I think all of us have something there. And that might be for some, like, maybe it means strengthening your personal prayer closet. So like your example in time of, of corporate worship of your family is stronger. Maybe it means your study of the scriptures, not just of course for like pure devotional life, but to instruct or to practice that scripture for your family. So I, I take this point of, it's not just about the music, but it could be if you're, if you're looking and saying like, man, I wish that we had some music. Um, you, you possibly could be the music. And it's just something to think about. [00:29:47] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I'll say this. Uh, it's not that hard to play guitar, but Jesse is actually quite a talented guitar player, so even though he's right, it's not that difficult. Uh, Jesse is, uh, is much better than he's letting on. But yeah, I mean, most modern worship songs, um, you can get by, you might have to like find a version online of it in this key, and you might not be able to sing it in this key, but like GC, D and E Minor. Yeah, that's right. We'll get you, we will get you basically every major worship song that you're used to singing. And those are all very easy chords to play. Yes. Um, there are difficult chords and some, some worship songs are more difficult or the, the tone is more difficult. Um, but even, even something like that, or get a keyboard and just do, you know, you can just pluck out notes, right? You can write on the notes what the, what the name of the notes are and just pluck out notes so people can sing with it. Um, there are lots of ways you can do, get a kazoo. You could lead music, you could lead your, that's your family in worship with a kazoo, um, or get the Trinity Salter hymnal app. Like, it's, yes, there are many ways that you could incorporate music in your family devotions and your personal devotions that, um, are not that challenging and, uh, really do add a lot. Now, I know there are some, there are probably a few people in our, our listening audience that are acapella only people. And I respect that perspective and, and I understand where it comes from. But, um, even then, like this might also be a little bit of a hot take. I'm not an excellent singer. I'm not a terrible singer, but, um, I could be a better singer if I practiced a little bit. And with the, with the ease of finding things like YouTube vocal coaches and right, just like vocal lessons and techniques and practice. Cool. Like, you could very easily improve your ability to sing and your confidence to sing, right? And that's only gonna help you to lead your family. I'll even throw this in there. Um. I'm in a congregation with lots and lots and lots of young families. There are five pregnant couples in our church right now. Wow. And our church, our church is probably only about 70 people on an average Sunday. So five pregnant, uh, couples is a pretty high percentage. Um, what I will tell you is that when the congregation is singing, we have lots of men who sing and they sing loud. But when the children are looking around at who is singing, they're not looking at the women, they're looking at the men. Right. Um, and you know, we're not, we are not like a hyper-masculinity podcast. We're not, you know, this isn't Michael Foster's show, this isn't the Art of Manhood. Um, but we've been pretty consistent. Like, men lead the way. That's the way the Bible has, that's way God's created it. And that's the way the Bible teaches it. And if you're in the church. You are commanded to sing. It's not an option. [00:32:28] The Importance of Singing in Church [00:32:28] Tony Arsenal: But what I will tell you is that, um, singing loud and singing confidently and singing clearly and helping the congregation to sing by being able to project your voice and sing competently, uh, it does a lot for your church. Yes. So it's never gonna be the wrong decision to improve your ability to sing and your confidence to sing. So I think that's great. I think the whole thing is great. You can learn to sing by listening to Shane and Shane and singing with them, and you can Yes. Invest a little bit of time and maybe a little bit of money in, in like an online vocal. I mean, you can get something like Musician or something like that that has guitar, but also you can do vocal training through that. There's lots of resources out there to do that. So yes, I guess that's the challenge this week. Like, let's all get out there and improve our singing voices a little bit and, and see if we can, can do this together. [00:33:14] Jesse Schwamb: I love it. I, I don't wanna belabor the points. [00:33:16] Encouragement to Learn Musical Instruments [00:33:16] Jesse Schwamb: I only bring it up because there might be somebody out there that's thinking, you know, I'd like to do more of that. And I say to you, well, why not you? It's okay. Like you could just go and explore and try get or borrow a relatively inexpensive guitar. And like you said, you don't need to learn to read music to do that. You're just kind of learning some shapes and they correspond to certain letters in the alphabet. And in no time at all, you could be the person that's strumming out, eking out some chords and you're doing that at home. And that might be a great blessing. It might change your life. It might change the trajectory of how you serve in the church. And you might find that God has equipped you to do those things. Yeah. And wouldn't it be lovely just to try some of those things out? So whatever, whatever they are, it's certainly worth trying and, and music is a big part of, I know like your life. Mine and it is someday. Tony, we have to do the sing episode. I don't know that we've actually done that one, right? We just talk about what it like, is it a command that we sing and why I think we've [00:34:08] Tony Arsenal: done that. I think we did have, we, it's early on in the episode on our views. Might have changed a little bit. So we maybe should um, we should loop back to, I'm sure we talked about 'em when we were going through Colossians as well. [00:34:17] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, I think we did. I just dunno if we did, like, we're, we're just gonna set a whole hour aside and for us, that's definitely not an hour, but, and just talk about this in particular and like what, why do we sing and what, why does guy command this? And then why our voice is different and why do some people feel this, you know, sense of like why don't have a good voice and you know, we, you always hear people say like, well make a joyful noise. And I think sometimes that falls flax. You're kinda like, yeah, but you don't know the noise I'm making you. That's kind of the response you hear. So some someday we'll come back to it, but I'm gonna make a prophetic announcement that there is no way we're going get through this one parable. No already. So. [00:34:55] Introduction to the Parable of the Lost Sheep [00:34:55] Jesse Schwamb: Everybody strap in because we'll do probably a part one. And if you're curious about where we're going, we're moving just away from Matthew for now, we're gonna be hanging out in Luke 15. We've got a trio of parables about lost things. And again, I think this is gonna be very common to many people. So I encourage you as best you can, as we read these to always start our conversation, try to strip away what you've heard before and let's just listen to the scripture. [00:35:20] Reading and Analyzing the Parable [00:35:20] Jesse Schwamb: So we're gonna start in Luke chapter 15 in verse one. I'm not even gonna give you the name of the parable because you will quickly discern which one it is. So this is the Luke chapter 15, beginning of verse one. Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Jesus to listen to him, and both the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling saying, this man receives sinners and eats with them. So he told them this parable saying. What man among you, if he has 100 sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the 99 in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it. And when he is found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors saying to them, rejoice with me for I found my lost sheep. I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repentance than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. [00:36:19] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And yeah, this, this will definitely be a multi-part episode. And, and part of that is we just spent a half an hour talking about affirmations and denials. I think we probably should have a podcast called Belaboring The Point, which is just us talking about other random stuff. Fair. [00:36:33] Comparing the Parable in Luke and Matthew [00:36:33] Tony Arsenal: But, um, the other part is that this parable is, um, slightly different in Luke as it is in Matthew. [00:36:41] Jesse Schwamb: Yes. [00:36:41] Tony Arsenal: Um, and also it's positioning in the narrative and what comes immediately following it is different. And I think that's worth unpacking a little bit as we talk about it this week, next week and, and probably maybe even into a third week. Um, but the, the parable here on, on one level, like most parables is super, super straightforward, right? Like right. This is God's di, this is God's demeanor, and his disposition is that he seeks that which is lost, um, which is good news for us because all of us are lost. There's only lost people until God finds them. Right. Um, and find again, of course, is an accommodated way of saying it's not like God has to go out searching for us. He knows where we are and he knows how to find us. Um. But this is also a different format for a parable, right? He's, he's not saying the kingdom of heaven is like this. The parable is what man of you having a hundred sheep? Like the parable is a question Yes. Posed to the audience, and it, it is in the context here, and this is where, this is where looking at the parallels between different, different gospels and how it's presented and even the different variations here shows you, on one level it shows you that Jesus taught these parables in multiple different contexts and different occasions. Right? In this occasion, it's he's sitting down, he's with the tax collectors and the sinners. They're grumbling. They're saying, this man eats with sinners. And receives them in, um, in Matthew, it's slightly different, right? He's in a different context and sit in a different teaching context. So the way that we understand that is that Christ taught these parables multiple places. And so we should pay attention to the variation, not just because there's variation for variation's sake, but the way that they're positioned tells us something. So when he's telling the account in Luke, it's told as a corrective to the tax collectors and the um. Right on the Pharisees, um, who are, sorry. It's a, it's a corrective to the Pharisees and the scribes who are grumbling about the tax collectors and the sinners drawing near to Christ. And so he speaks to the Pharisees and to the scribes and is like, well, which one of you wouldn't go seek out their lost sheep? Like, it's this question that just lays bare. They're really sinful. Ridiculous Jonah. I just invented that. Like Jonah I perspective that like, oh, exactly how dare God go after how dare Christ eat with sinners and tax collectors? And he says, well, if you love something. If you love your sheep, you're going to go after your sheep. [00:39:03] The Deeper Meaning of the Parable [00:39:03] Tony Arsenal: You're not going to just abandon, uh, this sheep to its own devices, even though there is, and again, this is a, a comedy way of talking about like, even though there's some risk associated with going after the one sheep, because you do have to leave the 99, he still is saying like, this is the character. This is my character speaking as grace. This is my character. This is the character of my father. And there's this implication of like, and it's obviously not the character of you. So I think this is a, this is a really great parable to sort of highlight that feature of parables when they're repeated across different, um, gospels. We have to pay attention, not just to the words of the parables themselves, but what the teaching is in response to what the teaching like proceeds. We'll see when we look at Matthew, there's a very, there's a, a different. Flavor to the parable because of what he's going to be leading into in the teaching. So I love this stuff. This has been such a great series to sort of like work through this because you, you really start to get these fine details. [00:39:59] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. This parable of the lost sheep is I think on the face straightforward, like you said. But it is actually complex. It's complex in the argumentation and the posturing Jesus takes here, like you said, he's binding the pharisee. This is condemning question of like which one of you, like you said. So there's that, which is slightly different element than we've seen or covered so far. There's also the context, like you said, in which it happens and I think we need to think specifically about. Who is this lost? Who are the 99? Who are the ones that Jesus is really trying to draw in with conviction, but also, again, what is he saying about himself? And it's way more, of course, like we're gonna say, well, this is again, that default, that heart posture. Even those things are more cliche than we mean them to be. Yeah. And we need to spend some time, I think, on all of these elements. And it starts with, at least in Luke, we get this really lovely context about when the teaching unfolds. And even that is worth just setting down some roots for for just a second. Because what I find interesting here is I think there's a principle at play that we see where. Everything that everything gives. Jesus glory, all the things give him glory, even when his enemies come before him and seek to label him. It's not as if Jesus appropriates that label, repurposes, it turns it for good. The very label, the things that they try to do to discredit him, to essentially disparage him, are the very things that make him who he is and show his loving and kindness to his people. And I think we'll come back to this like this, this sheep this, these are his children. So these words that it starts with, that were evidently spoken with surprise and scorn, certainly not with pleasure and admiration. These ignorant guides of the Jews could not understand a religious preacher having anything to do with what they perceive to be wicked people. Yeah. And yet their words worked for good. I mean, this is exactly like the theology of the cross. The very saying, which was meant for reproach, was adopted by Jesus as a true description of his ministry. It is true. He's the one who comes and sits and subs and communes and touches the sinners, the ugly, the unclean, the pariahs. It led to his speaking three of these particular parables in Luke in rapid succession. For him to emphasize that he's taken all of what was literally true that the scribes of Pharisees said, and to emphasize that he is indeed the one who received sinners. It's not like he's just like saying, well, lemme put that on and wear that as a badge. He's saying. You do not understand God if you think that God does not receive sinners, to pardon them, to sanctify them, to make them fit for heaven. It's his special office to do so. And this, I think therein lies this really dip deep and rich beauty of the gospel, that that's the end that he truly came into the world. [00:42:47] Christ's Joy in Finding the Lost [00:42:47] Jesse Schwamb: He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. He came to the world to safe sinners, what he was upon Earth. He's now at the right hand of God and will be for all eternity. And he's emphatically the sinner's friend. And without this reproach from the Pharisees, like we don't get this particular teaching and what they intended again, to be used to really discredit God, to say, look, how can this be the son of God? What we get then for all of eternity is some understanding of Christ. And even here now with his word, we have this sense like, listen, do we feel bad? Do we feel wicked and guilty and deserving of God's wrath? Is there some remembrance of our past lives, the bitterness of sin to us? Is there some kind of recollection of our conduct for which we're ashamed? Then we are the very people who ought to apply to Christ. And Christ demonstrates that here, that his love is an act of love. Just as we are pleading nothing good of our own and making no useless delay, we come because of this teaching to Christ and will receive graciously his part in freely. He gives us eternal life. He's the one who sinners. I'm so thankful for this parable because it sets up very clearly who Jesus is, and this is where we can say he is for us. So let us not be lost for lack of applying to him that we may be saved. This text gives us the direct inroad to apply for that kind of healing and favor of God. [00:44:08] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And, and I love, um, there is such a, um, subtle sort of SmackDown that Jesus does. Like, yeah. I, I think, um, just speaking on a purely human level for a second, like Jesus is such a master re tion. Like he is so handy and capable to just dismantle and smack down people who, and I obviously, I don't mean that in like a sinful way. Like he just puts down the argument. He just gets it done with, and even the way this is phrased, right, they come, they're grumbling, this man receives sinners and meets with them. So he told them this par ball, what, what man of you having a hundred sheep, if he lost one of them, doesn't leave the 99 in the open country and go after the one that is lost, right? So he's saying like, he jumps in right away, like. This is just the obvious answer. This is just the obvious state, like who would not go after their sheep. I think we hear this, and again, I'm not an expert on like first century sheep herding practices, right? But like we think of it, I look at it, I'm like, actually, like that seems like a really bad investment. Like it would be really bad idea to go after the one sheep and leave your 99 in the open country. That seems like a silly answer. That's my error. That's me being wrong because he's saying that as the obvious answer. Right? I think we sometimes, um, I've heard, I've heard sermons that preach this, that make it almost like this is a super reckless. You know, abandonment. Like he's so enamored with us that he leaves the 99 and he goes after the one, and he's taking such a huge risk. But the way that this is presented, this is the obvious thing that anyone in their right mind would do if they lost a sheet. Right? For sure. Right? It's not an unusual response. Yes. There's an element of risk to that, and I think that's, that's part of the parable, right? There's a, there's a riskiness that he's adding to it because, um. Again, we wanna be careful how we say this. Um, God's love is not reckless in the sense that we would normally think about reckless, but it's reckless in the sense that it, it es assumes sort of ordinary conventions of safety. Right? Right. That's not really what's at play here. Like the, the fact is Christ presents the scenario where you, you go after one lost sheep and leave your 99 in the open country or in Matthew, it's on the mountains. Like that's the normal expected course here, such that if you are the person who won't do that, then you are the one that's out of the ordinary. But then he goes on to say, and this is where, where I think he's just such a master, he's such a master at setting a logical trap. Here he says, um. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors saying to them, rejoice with me for I have found my sheep that was lost. And again, this is the expected answer. This is not some unusual situation where like people are like, oh man, he like, he had a party 'cause he found a sheep. That's strange. This is what, what would be expected, right? This would be the normal response. But then he says, just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. He is able, in the course of like. 30 words, like this is a short, short response. He's able to show them that their response to, to sinners is totally out of the ordinary. Like it's a, it's sort of an insane response. Um, he positions going after the one sheep and leaving the 99 as the sane response and leaving the, you know, leaving the one to be lost, leaving the sinners and tax collectors to be lost. That's the insane response. Right. That's the one that like, nobody would do that though. Why would anybody do that? But then he goes to show like, but that's exactly what you're doing. [00:47:55] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Right. And he [00:47:56] Tony Arsenal: says, what you should be doing is rejoicing with me for, I found my lost, she. Right. He shifts. He shifts. He's now the man in the parable saying, um, not just, uh, not just rejoice or not just I'm rejoicing, but he's summoning them to rejoice with him over the salvation of these lost sinners. And that is the normal expected response. And then he, he shows like there will be this rejoicing in heaven when a sinner repents more so than if there was a, but, and we should address this too. He's not saying that there is a such thing as a righteous person who needs no repentance. Right? He's saying like, even if there were 99 righteous people who need to know repentance, even if that was somehow the case, there would be more joy. There is more joy, there will be more joy over the sinner who repents than over a hun 99 people who didn't need to be saved. Right? He makes the sin, the, the, um, Pharisees and the scribes look like total chumps and totally like. Totally self-absorbed and turned inwards on themselves in this tiny little master stroke that you wouldn't even, you wouldn't even think that that was part of the point. If it wasn't for the fact that it was positioned right after verse 15, one and two. You just wouldn't get that from this parable. That there is this sort of like rhetorical SmackDown going on that I think is, is important for us to, to latch onto a little bit here. [00:49:18] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, why is our podcast not three hours? Because there's so much I want to say, so. I'm totally with you. I like what you brought up about this recklessness of God, and I'm with you. We shouldn't define that in the same way. Maybe we can modify it. I might say like His love is recklessly spend thrift. That is, we see when Paul says like God has lavished his love on us, like these big verbs that they are real. Yeah. It's not just hyper rip hyperbole or just like flowery language. And I think as you're speaking, what really occurred to me, what really kind of came through with what you're saying is, okay, what is this cost? Why is he so particular to go after this one? And I think it's because it's, he's looking for his sheep. So these are his children. Yes. It's not just, I think Christ is out in the world because he will find his children. He will find the one who is. His own. So he is looking for his own sheep. One of his, one of his fold. So like the sheep I might find in the world is the one that God has been seeking to save, even one of whom knows his name. That's like John 10, right? So one of, I think our problem is understanding this parable has to do with the when of our salvation. You know, we generally think it's at the time that, you know, we believe. The people are those given to God before the foundation of the world. And God sees us as his people before we were ever born, even before the world began. And when we believe it is just our Lord finding us as his last sheep and we're returned to the fold. So he always goes after that one. So we'll learn more. Like you said, when we look at Matthew's account about who are those other 90 nines. So we can set that aside, I suppose, for now. But it really is a matter of our status before Adam, before the fall, and then after Adam, after the fall, while all men fell with Adam. So also did God's people, which he had chosen before time began. And so this idea of going after the one is bringing back into the fold that who is his child though, who he has made a promise, a covenantal promise to bring into the kingdom of heaven. I was thinking as well of this amazing quote and like, what that all means about God's love for us, which again, is just more than like, isn't it nice that when you are out in

Here we consider the introduction of John Cotton's book, "The Keys of the Kingdom". In endorsing this book, Thomas Goodwin and his colleagues advocate for a "middle way" of church government, and their goal is to resolve the long-standing conflicts in church history over who holds power within the church. The central argument is that church power, rather than being held solely by a few individuals (like the Pope or bishops), should be distributed among different groups within the local church, each group in the church is assigned a specific, share of input and authority, based upon the word of Jesus Christ.

Daisy Thomas is back in the Triple M studios after he and Tash welcomed Allegra to the world! Simon Goodwin's gone from the Dees, and Damo lists the replacements Melbourne are seeking. Injury crisis has hit Hawthorn and Brisbane, do Collingwood make the top four, Joey's insane Jeremy Cameron stat and all the tips ahead of round 22.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION “Do you live with an awareness not only of his atoning work for your sinfulness but also of his longing heart amid your sinfulness?” “For the penitent, his heart of gentle embrace is never outmatched by our sins and foibles and insecurities and doubts and anxieties and failures. For lowly gentleness is not one way Jesus occasionally acts toward others. Gentleness is who he is.” “Jesus deals gently and only gently with all sinners who come to him...If we never come to him, we will experience a judgment so fierce it will be like a double-edged sword...If we do come to him, as fierce as his lion-like judgment would have been against us, so deep will be his lamb-like tenderness for us...To no one will Jesus be neutral.” “Fallen, anxious sinners are limitless in their capacity to perceive reasons for Jesus to cast them out. We are factories of fresh resistances to Christ's love. Even when we run out of tangible reasons to be cast out, such as specifics sins or failures, we tend to retain a vague sense that, given enough time, Jesus will finally grow tired of us and hold us at arm's length.” “He cannot bear to part with his own, even when they most deserve to be forsaken. ‘But I...' Raise your objections. None can threaten these invincible words: ‘Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.'” “The Spirit's role...is to turn our postcard apprehensions of Christ's great heart of longing affection for us into an experience of sitting on the beach, in a lawn chair, drink in hand, enjoying the actual experience. The Spirit does this decisively, once for all, at regeneration. But he does it ten thousand times thereafter, as we continue through sin and folly, or boredom to drift from the felt experience of his heart.”~Dane Ortlund, pastor and author of Gentle and Lowly “Your very sins move him to pity more than to anger...as all his anger is turned upon your sin to ruin it; yes his pity is increased the more towards you, even as the heart of a father is to a child that has some loathsome disease or as one is to a member of his body that has leprosy, he hates not the member, for it is his flesh, but the disease, and that provokes him to pity the part affected the more.”~Thomas Goodwin, English Puritan pastor, 17th centurySERMON PASSAGEHebrews 6:1-12 (ESV)1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. 7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

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Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/editorialtpv El día de hoy hablaremos sobre la segunda parte del libro "El Corazón de Cristo en el cielo hacia los pecadores en la tierra", de Thomas Goodwin. Páginas 61-122. Ver aquí: https://teologiaparavivir.com/goodwin-el-corazon-de-cristo/ .  El programa de hoy examina como Jesucristo, incluso en el cielo, conserva un corazón compasivo hacia los pecadores de la Tierra. Goodwin utiliza las escrituras, en particular Hebreos 4:15, para apoyar la afirmación de que la empatía de Cristo por la debilidad humana perdura. Se presentan tres argumentos clave: el mandato perpetuo de Dios a Cristo de amar a los pecadores, la naturaleza misericordiosa inherente de Cristo como Hijo de Dios y la presencia continua del Espíritu Santo. Por último, el Goowin explora los papeles continuos de Cristo como Sumo Sacerdote y Cabeza de la Iglesia como una prueba más de su amor y compasión perdurables.  Siguenos: - Web: https://teologiaparavivir.com/ - Blog: https://semperreformandaperu.org/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teologiaparavivir/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teologiaparavivir/ - Youtube: https://www.instagram.com/teologiaparavivir/

Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/editorialtpv El día de hoy hablaremos sobre la primera parte del libro "El Corazón de Cristo en el cielo hacia los pecadores en la tierra", de Thomas Goodwin. Páginas 1-60. Ver aquí: https://teologiaparavivir.com/goodwin-el-corazon-de-cristo/ .  El programa de hoy explora el El corazón de Cristo en el cielo hacia los pecadores en la tierra, de Thomas Goodwin, una obra puritana del siglo 17. Se destaca su vida y sus contribuciones teológicas en el contexto de la Guerra Civil Inglesa y el auge del puritanismo. El podcast también contiene una obra más breve, titulada "Un aliento para la fe", que explora temas similares sobre el amor de Dios y Cristo por los pecadores.   Siguenos: - Web: https://teologiaparavivir.com/ - Blog: https://semperreformandaperu.org/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teologiaparavivir/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teologiaparavivir/ - Youtube: https://www.instagram.com/teologiaparavivir/

What are we to make of a book that has evidently been a blessing to many, contains truths vital for the church to recover, and which is yet unbalanced and problematic at points? Jeremy Walker shows the way with grace and discernment in his review of Dane Ortlund's Gentle and Lowly (2020). We read Jeremy's review, and then spend a little more time with Thomas Goodwin and his view of the heart of Christ.   Featured Content: – Jeremy Walker 'Precious but Flawed: A Review Article', Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 691 (April 2021). – Excerpt from Michael Reeves, 'Goodwin, Sibbes and the Love of Christ', Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 578 (November 2011).     About the Contributors: Jeremy Walker is pastor at Maidenbower Baptist Church, Crawley, West Sussex. He is the author of a number of books, including Our Chief of Days: The Principle, Purpose, and Practice of the Lord's Day. Michael Reeves is President and Professor of Theology at Union Theology (https://uniontheology.org/)     Explore the work of the Banner of Truth: www.banneroftruth.org Subscribe to the Magazine (print/digital/both): www.banneroftruth.org/magazine Leave us a voice message: www.speakpipe.com/magazinepodcast  

When young Thomas Goodwin and his friends went out to have fun, they decided to go to a funeral. Whether they had nothing else to do or were planning to sneer, the sermon Goodwin heard changed his life forever. Join Trinity, Emma, and Christian as they interview Dr. Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California, who has written a thesis about Thomas Goodwin. Find out how Goodwin's sermons and writings affected the people of his time and how they continue to speak to us today by pointing us to Christ, not ourselves or our faith. Thanks to the generosity of our friends at Reformation Heritage Books, we are excited to offer a bundle of Simonetta Carr's books to two lucky listeners! The winner will be selected just in time for Christmas. Register here to win this special giveaway! Show Notes: Dr. Horton recommended the following books to our listeners: Christ Set Forth by Thomas Goodwin: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/theology/christ-set-forth/ The Heart of Christ in Heaven towards Sinners on Earth by Thomas Goodwin: https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/christian-living/the-heart-of-christ/

A new MP3 sermon from Jon Jacobs/Grace Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The English Reformation: Thomas Goodwin Subtitle: The English Reformation Speaker: Dr. Jon Jacobs Broadcaster: Jon Jacobs/Grace Presbyterian Church Event: Teaching Date: 8/14/2024 Length: 38 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Jon Jacobs/Grace Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The English Reformation: Thomas Goodwin Subtitle: The English Reformation Speaker: Dr. Jon Jacobs Broadcaster: Jon Jacobs/Grace Presbyterian Church Event: Teaching Date: 8/14/2024 Length: 38 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Jon Jacobs/Grace Presbyterian Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The English Reformation: Thomas Goodwin Subtitle: The English Reformation Speaker: Dr. Jon Jacobs Broadcaster: Jon Jacobs/Grace Presbyterian Church Event: Teaching Date: 8/14/2024 Length: 38 min.

Thomas Goodwin made it his life's mission to take Christians' minds off themselves by filling their gaze with the glory of Christ. Today, Michael Reeves describes the Christ-centered preaching of this eminent Puritan. Get Michael Reeves' Teaching Series 'The English Reformation and the Puritans' on DVD and the Digital Study Guide for Your Gift of Any Amount: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/3404/english-reformation-puritans Meet Today's Teacher: Michael Reeves is president and professor of theology at Union School of Theology in the United Kingdom. He is the featured teacher for the Ligonier teaching series The English Reformation and the Puritans. He is author of many books, including The Unquenchable Flame, Delighting in the Trinity, and Rejoice and Tremble. Meet the Host: Nathan W. Bingham is vice president of ministry engagement for Ligonier Ministries, executive producer and host of Renewing Your Mind, host of the Ask Ligonier podcast, and a graduate of Presbyterian Theological College in Melbourne, Australia. Nathan joined Ligonier in 2012 and lives in Central Florida with his wife and four children. Don't forget to make RenewingYourMind.org your home for daily in-depth Bible study and Christian resources. Renewing Your Mind is a donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

This week we hone in on Thomas Goodwin, 'The Atlas of Independency', and read Ian Hamilton's recent article, Thomas Goodwin: The Evangelical Puritan, before turning to an extract from Goodwin's own Christ Set Forth, As the Cause of Justification and as the Object of Justifying Faith (Puritan Paperback).   Featured Content: – Thomas Goodwin: The Evangelical Puritan, Ian Hamilton, featured in The Banner of Truth Magazine: No. 725, February 2024 – Extract from Thomas Goodwin, Christ Set Forth, As the Cause of Justification and as the Object of Justifying Faith (Chapter 3, pages 15–26). Buy the book: https://banneroftruth.org/store/theology/christ-set-forth/   Explore the work of the Banner of Truth: www.banneroftruth.org Subscribe to the Magazine (Print/Digital/Both): www.banneroftruth.org/magazine    

“????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ???????????” is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast In this exploration of Abraham's experience in Genesis 15, we delve into the theme of spiritual darkness, drawing parallels with the observations of Puritan theologian Thomas Goodwin and the biblical prophet Isaiah. Despite Abraham's […]

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION “Gather ‘round, ye children, comeListen to the old, old storyOf the pow'r of death undoneBy an infant born of glorySon of God, Son of Man. So sing out with joy for the brave little boyWho was God, but He made Himself nothingHe gave up His pride and He came here to die like a man.”~ Andrew Peterson, “Gather ‘Round, Ye Children, Come” “Now the same Spirit dwelling in Christ's heart in heaven, that does in yours here, and always working in his heart first for you, and then in yours by commission from him; rest assured, therefore, that that Spirit stirs up in him bowels of mercy infinitely larger towards you than you can have unto yourselves.”~ Thomas Goodwin, The Heart of Christ in Heaven Towards Sinners on Earth “As Bunyan says, describing his first and illusory conversion, ‘I thought there was no man in England that pleased God better than I.' Beaten out of this, we next offer our own humility to God's admiration. Surely He'll like that? Or if not that, our clear-sighted and humble recognition that we still lack humility. Thus, depth beneath depth and subtlety within subtlety, there remains some lingering idea of our own, our very own, attractiveness. It is easy to acknowledge, but almost impossible to realize for long, that we are mirrors whose brightness, if we are bright, is wholly derived from the sun that shines upon us. Surely we must have a little - however little - native luminosity?”~ C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”~ Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit, by J.R.R. TolkienSERMON PASSAGEMicah 6:1-8 (ESV)1 Hear what the Lord says: Arise, plead your case before the mountains,  and let the hills hear your voice.2 Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord,  and you enduring foundations of the earth,  for the Lord has an indictment against his people,  and he will contend with Israel.3 “O my people, what have I done to you?  How have I wearied you? Answer me!4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt  and redeemed you from the house of slavery,  and I sent before you Moses,  Aaron, and Miriam.5 O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised,  and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,  and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,  that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”6 “With what shall I come before the Lord,  and bow myself before God on high?  Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,  with calves a year old?7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,  with ten thousands of rivers of oil?  Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,  the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”8 He has told you, O man, what is good;  and what does the Lord require of you  but to do justice, and to love kindness,  and to walk humbly with your God?

Man's Restoration by Grace by Thomas Goodwin audiobook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thomas Goodwin The Work of the Holy Spirit on the Temporary Believer Short of Regeneration. 1616-1680 Confessional, Affordable, Theological Education CBTS is a Confessional Reformed Baptist Seminary Providing Affordable Online Theological Education to Help the Church in its Calling to Train Faithful Men for the Gospel Ministry. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cbtseminary/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cbtseminary/support

Thomas Goodwin The Work of the Holy Spirit on the Temporary Believer Short of Regeneration. 1616-1680 Confessional, Affordable, Theological Education CBTS is a Confessional Reformed Baptist Seminary Providing Affordable Online Theological Education to Help the Church in its Calling to Train Faithful Men for the Gospel Ministry.

In this episode, I walk through another great paragraph of Thomas Goodwin's "A Discourse of Thankfulness." We'll talk about some critical truths if we are to be genuinely thankful to God.

In this episode, I begin walking through Thomas Goodwin's "A Discourse of Thanksgiving." We'll briefly discuss the difference between giving God glory and giving him thanks.

Temporary and the Twofold Working of the Spirit. The Twofold working of the Spirit is the title of a chapter in A W Pink's commentary on Hebrews where he details the work of the Holy Spirit upon the non-elect. It is also called -The Common Influences of the Holy Spirit. An examination of Thomas Goodwin's treatise from Works Volume 6 -The Holy Spirit and the Temporary Believer- is also opened up with a story in this lesson also from Davis W Clark's Deathbed Scenes, 1851 The Apostate.

"Thomas Goodwin - The Child of Light Walking in Darkness" For more information visit: https://cbtseminary.org --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cbtseminary/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cbtseminary/support

"Thomas Goodwin - The Child of Light Walking in Darkness" For more information visit: https://cbtseminary.org

February 13, 2023 KEVIN HAY, who has pastored churches in Ohio, Indiana & West Virginia, is a D.Min student of Expository Preaching @ The Master's Seminary, the editor of the book, “Assurance: Our Confidence In Christ”, by Thomas Goodwin, & a regular, contributing writer @ Expository Parenting & G3Min.org, who will address: "The NECESSITY of EXPOSITORY PREACHING” & announcing the upcoming conference, "From Shadows to Substance!" Subscribe: iTunes  TuneIn Android RSS Feed Listen:

Here I offer five recommendations for books to get started engaging with the Puritans. Links: 1) Samuel Rutherford's Letters: https://www.amazon.com/Loveliness-Christ-Samuel-Rutherford/dp/0851519563/truthunites-20 2) John Owen, The Mortification of Sin: https://www.amazon.com/Mortification-Sin-Puritan-Paperbacks/dp/0851518672/truthunites-20 3) Thomas Goodwin, The Heart of Christ: https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Christ-Vintage-Puritan/dp/1941129218/truthunites-20 4) Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed: https://www.amazon.com/Bruised-Reed-Puritan-Paperbacks/dp/1848718039/truthunites-20 5) Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor: https://www.amazon.com/Reformed-Pastor-Puritan-Paperbacks/dp/1848712111/truthunites-20 Truth Unites is a mixture of apologetics and theology, with an irenic focus. Gavin Ortlund (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) serves as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Ojai. SUPPORT: Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/truthunites One time donation: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/truthunites FOLLOW: Twitter: https://twitter.com/gavinortlund Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TruthUnitesPage/ Website: https://gavinortlund.com/

While the English Book of Common Prayer had early use in Scotland, it is a fixed liturgy, providing a range of fixed prayers and detailed tables of fixed lessons. It is therefore not easy to compare it with the Directory. However, the Directory does very much follow the Book of Common Order used in Scotland from 1564, which derived from Knox's Forme of Prayers used in the English Congregation in Geneva. This book affords discretion in the wording of the prayers and no fixed lectionary.--The Directory was produced by a parliamentary subcommittee among the Westminster divines. The chair of the subcommittee was Stephen Marshall. Other members included Thomas Young, Herbert Palmer, and Charles Herle. Representing the Independents were Philip Nye and Thomas Goodwin, and representing the Scottish Presbyterians were Alexander Henderson, Robert Baillie, George Gillespie, and Samuel Rutherford. The text appears to be in the style of Nye's writing. from the wiki article

A new MP3 sermon from Puritan Reformed Church of the UK & US is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Aggravations Of Sinning Against Knowledge Conclusion Subtitle: Puritan Audio Books Speaker: Thomas Goodwin Broadcaster: Puritan Reformed Church of the UK & US Event: Audio Book Date: 12/14/2022 Bible: Proverbs 1 Length: 62 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Puritan Reformed Church of the UK & US is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Aggravations Of Sinning Against Knowledge Conclusion Subtitle: Puritan Audio Books Speaker: Thomas Goodwin Broadcaster: Puritan Reformed Church of the UK & US Event: Audio Book Date: 12/14/2022 Bible: Proverbs 1 Length: 62 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Puritan Reformed Church of the UK & US is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Aggravations Of Sinning Against Knowledge Part 2 Subtitle: Puritan Audio Books Speaker: Thomas Goodwin Broadcaster: Puritan Reformed Church of the UK & US Event: Audio Book Date: 12/12/2022 Bible: Romans 1:18-32 Length: 48 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Puritan Reformed Church of the UK & US is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Aggravations Of Sinning Against Knowledge Part 1 Subtitle: Puritan Audio Books Speaker: Thomas Goodwin Broadcaster: Puritan Reformed Church of the UK & US Event: Audio Book Date: 12/11/2022 Bible: Romans 1:18-32 Length: 38 min.

Four preachers from the English Puritan era of the 17th century. The period of King Charles 1 - 11- Oliver Cromwell- William of Orange- the Great Ejection and -Black Bartholomew's Day on August 24 1662.---The final study looks at the ministry of Swiss born Pierre Viret, a close friend of John Calvin. Viret, an outstanding gospel orator but largely forgotten Reformer was born in the Swiss village of Orbe, near Lausanne.

Four preachers from the English Puritan era of the 17th century. The period of King Charles 1 - 11- Oliver Cromwell- William of Orange- the Great Ejection and -Black Bartholomew's Day on August 24 1662.---The final study looks at the ministry of Swiss born Pierre Viret, a close friend of John Calvin. Viret, an outstanding gospel orator but largely forgotten Reformer was born in the Swiss village of Orbe, near Lausanne.

Day 191 Today's Reading: 1 Timothy 1 Erwin Lutzer, author and long-time pastor of Moody Church in Chicago said, “There is more grace in God's heart than there is sin in your past.” This is something the apostle Paul knew and wrote about in today's chapter: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 1:12-14) A. W. Tozer tells us how right Paul is: Sometimes I go to God and say, “God, if Thou dost never answer another prayer while I live on this earth, I will still worship Thee as long as I live and in the ages to come for what Thou hast done already.” God's already put me so far in debt that if I were to live one million millenniums I couldn't pay Him for what He's done for me. The only currency we have to offer God for all He has done for us is thanksgiving. And sometimes we don't do well with gratitude. How can we get better? Here's a good place to start from Priscilla Maurice: Begin by thanking Him for some little thing, and then go on, day by day, adding to your subjects of praise; thus you will find their numbers grow wonderfully; and, in the same proportion, will your subjects of murmuring and complaining diminish, until you see in everything some cause for thanksgiving. The apostle Paul starts off by thanking God for putting him in the ministry. The Message says it like this: I'm so grateful to Christ Jesus for making me adequate to do this work. He went out on a limb, you know, in trusting me with this ministry” (1 Timothy 1:12). And just like Priscilla Maurice said, as he started thanking God, the list grew. After thanking God for trusting him with the ministry, his heart went into the past and realized that God had gone out on a limb to pick Paul to represent Him. Here is the limb God went out on for Paul: “Even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus” (verses 13-14). Paul used three words that built to a climax—blasphemer to persecutor to violent aggressor. What's crazy is how important our crazy past is. Instead of being tempted to hide it or ignore it, he shared it. Author Brennan Manning encourages us to do the same—to tell our terrible stories: “In a futile attempt to erase our past, we deprive the community of our healing gift. If we conceal our wounds out of fear and shame, our inner darkness can neither be illuminated nor become a light for others.” And as Warren Wiersbe reminds us: “The past is a rudder to guide you, not an anchor to drag you.” That means Paul used his crazy past to guide his gratitude and thanksgiving. Maybe we don't think enough of our past and so our praise limps. Here is what Paul did. The thing that stands out in this passage is Paul's insistence on remembering his own sin in a very revealing ascending order. He piled up his words on top of one another to show the awfulness of what he had done and the kind of person he really was. Paul said he was an insulter of the church. He'd flung hot and angry words at the Christians, accusing them of crimes against God. Then he moved up to being a persecutor, taking every means to annihilate the Christian church. Then he moved up again and admitted he became a violent aggressor. The word in Greek indicates a kind of arrogant sadism; it describes someone who is out to inflict pain for the sheer joy of inflicting it. Paul was showing us a dark heart. He had found delight in the suffering of other people, especially Christians. That was what Paul once was. Then Paul, amazed, said that God went out on a limb to put him in the ministry. That's definitely something to thank God about. The Puritan pastor, Thomas Goodwin, wrote an insightful letter to his son: When I was threatening to become cold in my ministry, and when I felt Sabbath morning coming and my heart not filled with amazement at the grace of God, or when I was making ready to dispense the Lord's Supper, do you know what I used to do? I used to take a turn up and down among the sins of my past life, and I always came down again with a broken and a contrite heart, ready to preach, as it was preached in the beginning, the forgiveness of sins. I do not think I ever went up the pulpit stair that I did not stop for a moment at the foot of it and take a turn up and down among the sins of my past years. I do not think that I ever planned a sermon that I did not take a turn round my study table and look back at the sins of my youth and of all my life down to the present; and many a Sabbath morning, when my soul had been cold and dry, for the lack of prayer during the week, a turn up and down in my past life before I went into the pulpit always broke my hard heart and made me close with the gospel for my own soul before I began to preach. When we remember how we have hurt God, hurt those who love us, and hurt others, and when we remember how God and our neighbors have forgiven us, that memory must awake the flame of gratitude within our hearts. That's exactly what Paul did here in 1 Timothy. Let's read what Paul said after he recounted his awful past: Grace mixed with faith and love poured over me and into me. And all because of Jesus. Here's a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I'm proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever. (verses 14-16, MSG) Paul's past was forgiven and now he was telling others the amazing forgiveness and mercy of God. Let's follow his example.

A new MP3 sermon from Mission Africa is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Free Mercy by Thomas Goodwin Psalm 86:15 Subtitle: Old Paths Readings Speaker: Jim Robinette Broadcaster: Mission Africa Event: Devotional Date: 9/14/2022 Bible: Psalm 86:5 Length: 2 min.

In this episode we dive into some of the rich depths of Psalm 73. We resonate with the frustration of Asaph as he watched the ungodly of the world strutting in luxury while he pained himself in obedience to God. We also look to the solution in the cross of Christ and we saw how as Chrsitians we are to lift up the eyes of our hearts to our hope of glory beyond this life only. At the close, we finish with a beautiful encouragement written by the puritan Thomas Goodwin on the heart of Christ in heaven unto sinners like us. Enjoy!Time:AfternoonMinister:Pastors Daniel & TaylorTexts:Psalm 73Colossians 3:1–4Series:Midweek Musings

Hello!Thank you for listening to Into the Pray. We hope you're being encouraged as you listen.Please consider supporting our work here and/or here. You can watch the YouTube video of the same title here. Martin Luther once slammed Desiderius Erasmus by saying:"Your thoughts of God are too human."Luther was right, but then again, so too were his thoughts of God too human. This is true for all of us but, for some, more terminally  true - for those who think they know God when they do not. Recent content: The Context of the Power - For God's sake, pick up a cross and take Jesus to people. If you have any testimonials, please reach out, make contact across the 'digital divide', and let us know!How to pray for Ukraine (and other nations)? See a new video here. Order our new gospel tract for your parish here. Let's smash this fake gospel up.Our flagship content:

Hello! It's good to be back after a short break! On this episode of History and Christianity and I want to focus on a little sentence, in this little book -- but I'll get to that in a little bit.FIRST, I have a question: What would YOU say to someone who had abandoned you at a critical moment -- what would be the first thing you would say to them if you had a chance to run into them AFTER they had abandoned you?This question came to mind as I was reading Thomas Goodwin's little book, "A Habitual Sight of Him." Today Thomas Goodwin was a minister, writer and teacher who was born in the year 1600 in a coastal community in England.Now I know what you're thinking -- I never heard of Thomas Goodwin, why should I care about what he has to say about anything? That's a good question. He's not well-known today, but he influenced people whose names you're probably familiar with --  John Cotton, the guy who influenced the development of New England along the East Coat in what was then known as the New World. Goodwin influenced Jonathan Edwards -- When hear his name you probably think "the Great Awakening"--that's right--- and there he also influenced George Whitefield, an important leader of the Methodist movement of the 1700s.But the reason Thomas Goodwin was popular was because he was very Christ-centered, as I think you'll see.The question I raised about abandonment stems from my reading of his insights regarding Jesus after the Resurrection, when Christ first appears to His disciples. So let's just dive right in. Today young people talk about "ghosting," which is a form of abandonment. Psychologists tell us the impact on us can vary depending on how we react to it. Jesus felt abandoned, too, but this is a very different form of abandonment. He had "been subjected to an exhausting series of late-night inquests, brutalized by Roman guards and marched through the streets of Jerusalem under a crushing weight; he is now nailed to the wood and suffering excruciating pain." We can't relate to that and neither could his friends because we are told in the New Testament that when they saw the Lord Jesus get arrested "they all abandoned Him and fled." They ran off to save themselves rather than admit allegiance to Jesus, which would have likely meant they, too, would have been crucified along with Jesus on a cross. Imagine that.Now with this context in mind, let's fast-forward to the first appearance of Jesus after he had been abandoned by the disciples --Thomas Goodwin writes: Now when Christ comes first out of the OTHER world -- that is, from the dead, and he appears first to a woman named Mary Magdalene, he is --get this -- clothed with that heart and body which he was to wear in heaven -- and Goodwin asks, what message does He send first to them? Goodwin says since the disciples could not relate to Him in His sufferings -- the phrase he uses is -- they did not know Him in His sufferings -- remember they didn't understand why the Messiah had to die, they fled -- so how could they relate to Him in his glory?This is a reference to Jesus' body after the Resurrection. Now, to quote Don Stewart on this point:"The body Jesus possessed, though like His pre-resurrection body, was in some aspects different. He could suddenly appear and disappear. In the locked upper room, Jesus suddenly appeared in the midst of His disciples. His new body had abilities the previous one either did not have or did not demonstrate. He did not have to eat or rest. He also ascended into heaven when his earthly ministry was finished. Consequently there are similarities, as well as differences, between the body that Jesus had while upon the earth and the one in which he was raised."So Thomas Goodwin notes, "We would all think that as the disciples would not know Him in

What is one of the most precious yet underestimated doctrines in Reformed theology? In this episode of Open Book, Stephen Nichols and Joel Beeke speak on the strength and comfort we receive from Jesus' heavenly intercession for His people. Read the transcript: https://openbookpodcast.com/joel-beeke-on-thomas-goodwin/

Welcome to Recharge Radio! This is a Christian podcast dedicated to increasing worship in the Christian's daily life. We are back with the Waterwheel and we are going over a sermon excerpt from "Christ the Mediator" by Thomas Goodwin.

Luke 18:15-17 // How does the example of children help us receive and enter the Kingdom? By embracing our powerlessness, growing in trust and forgiveness, & develop vulnerability and resistance. “Christ's own joy, comfort, happiness and glory are increased and enlarged by His showing grace and mercy, in pardoning, relieving and comforting His members here on earth.” ~ Thomas Goodwin

Return to MeOur Scripture reading this morning is from Zechariah chapter 1, found on page 943. Our focus this morning will be on verses 3-6, but I'll be reading starting at verse 1.Reading of Zechariah 1:3-6PrayerIntroductionIn the year 383 AD something happened that has had lasting but unfortunate impact in the church. What happened? Well, a new version of the Bible was published. But wait, how can a new version of the Scriptures cause an unfortunate result? It started with the good intentions to write a new more accurate version translated into Latin. A well-educated scholar, St. Jerome, took the best-known manuscripts at the time and began the task. But because of the difficult task of translation and the differences in how Greek and Latin are structured, a couple of key Bible verses were mis-translated.One of those verses is Matthew 4:17 – Jesus' first words as part of his public ministry. Our translations say this: “repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand”But the new Latin translation at the time essentially said this: “do repentance, for the kingdom of God is at hand” or “do penance.” You see, it attached an outward activity to the inward call of repentance. And over the ensuing centuries, the church sadly took and ran with it. The church began requiring people do things like going to a priest in a confessional, or saying things like the rosary (a prayer to Mary), you could even pay money as part of your penance. Really, it suppressed the Gospel. It made faith and repentance works oriented.But in the year 1517, a young boisterous monk had had enough. Martin Luther, the great reformer, posted his famous 95 theses against the abuses of the Roman Catholic church. And his first four theses focused on repentance. In other words, Luther saw the false teaching about repentance as the center of the problem. Luther wrote that the entire life of believers should be one of inner repentance. And not the false teaching of doing penance. Luther referenced Matthew 4:17 in his very first theses. And he went on to explain what the word “repentance” means and what it doesn't mean.There is no “do” in repentance. Rather, it's a heart felt turning from your sin and to God.And as we come to these few verses at the beginning of Zechariah, that's exactly what we learn. Our text this morning focuses in on repentance. It teaches us what repentance is. And it helps us to understand the need for repentance. And let me say, repentance applies to everyone, everywhere. God calls each and every one of us to repentance. Along with faith, repentance is foundational to life. They go hand in hand.Now, you may be thinking, “but wait, why are you saying that these verses focus on repentance? I only see that word one time down in verse 6” Well, I'm glad you asked! That root word for “repentance” used in verse 6 is actually used 4 times in these verses. It's the same word translated as “return” used twice in verse 3 and once in verse 4. So, repentance is the focus of these verses. Once we get into it, that will become more apparent.BackgroundBut before we dig in, let me start with some quick reminders about Zechariah and who God was speaking to through him.First, if you remember from last week, the Babylonians had overthrown Judah and Jerusalem. They destroyed almost everything, killed many of the people, and dragged many of the remaining inhabitants to Babylon. That's known as the Babylonian exile or captivity. When Zechariah came on the scene, it had been almost 70 years since that started. Zechariah and his generation were born in Babylon. So it was their father's generation whom God was punishing, but they experienced that punishment as exiles. The Persians now controlled the region. They actually helped the Jews to return to Jerusalem. And Zechariah was one of the remnant of God's people who returned. He was a young man at the time. And he was prophesying to his generation who had recently returned from Babylon. That pretty much summarizes the historical context from last week.But let me also add something. This morning we read from Haggai chapter 1. Haggai's prophecy was only 2 months earlier than Zechariah's prophecy. And it gives us very helpful insight into what was going on with the people who returned. God said to them “my house lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.” The Lord was speaking about his temple. The foundations had been laid, but then the work stopped. And part of what happened was the people turned inward. They started working on their own houses without care for God's house.That's one reason God called them to return to him. He wanted their hearts and minds to return to the one true living God.Really, that's the purpose of the entire book of Zechariah. Its focus is spiritual rebuilding. That's different from the Old Testament books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra focuses on physically rebuilding the temple. Nehemiah focuses on God's call to physically rebuild the walls of the Jerusalem. But these verses at the beginning of Zechariah show us the need for God's people to be spiritually built up and renewed. God wants his relationship with them to be restored. It's why, as we'll see over the next weeks and months, Zechariah emphasizes God's salvation, his sovereignty, and his presence. He's calling them and he's calling us to be built up as a people who know the Lord, who trust in him, who give him glory, and who receive his mercy.And the starting place for that spiritual rebuilding is repentance.And let me say, these are helpful and powerful verses about repentance. They hit the very center of what repentance is.1. What are we turning toThis morning, we're going to start with what we are turning to in repentance before what we are turning from. I know that sounds backwards, but the emphasis on what we are turning to is so prevalent in these verses, that I think we should begin there. Then we will consider why we need to repent.And I think you already know the answer to what or who we need to turn to. It's pretty obvious, here. We need to turn to the Lord. We're to return to him. The turning is focused on God and our relationship with him. Look at verse 3. Let's count together the number of times that the Lord is referenced including pronouns. “Thus declares the Lord of hosts (first), return to me (second), says the Lord of Hosts (third), and I (fourth), will return to you, says the Lord of Hosts (fifth).” That's five times in just that 1 verse. And in the first 6 verses there are a total of 15 direct and indirect references to the Lord. These verses overwhelmingly reference the LordAnd did you notice that the word Lord is all capitalized. That is God's covenant name. Yahweh. It's a name that references the covenant relationship that God has with his people. And added to the word Lord is the phrase “of hosts.” That expands the meaning here to include God's heavenly army. His spiritual army. Some translations actually say, “the Lord of armies.” He is the Lord of hosts. The sovereign covenant keeping God with a vast army of angels.And our Lord wants you. He wants your heart. I'm using “heart” in a biblical sense. He wants your deepest beliefs, your identity… the very center of who you are is to be about him. When God says, “Return to me,” he wants to be in a relationship with you or a restored relationship with you… He wants to be the center of your life.And the foundation to repentance is returning to him – to God, in a restored relationship with him. That idea is also captured in God's response, here. He says, “return to me” …and if you do, he then says, “I will return to you!” Even though that is the same word as repentance, God is not saying he is repenting. No, his return to them is about his presence. He will again be with his people. And to say it again, “do” is not a part of repentance. This is not a transactional kind of relationship where if you do these things, then God will reciprocate. No, this springs from God's very nature. His desire to know you and to be known. He wants your heart.Our primary call in repentance is to turn our lives to God – to the Lord of Hosts. If you don't remember anything else from this sermon, I want you to remember this. God wants you. Repentance is turning your life to him.2. What are we turning fromLet's continue on, though. Let's now ask, what are we turning from? The short answer is, we are to turn from our sin, away from our sin. You see that right there in verse 4. “Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.” The Lord was talking about their father's generation there. And it's good summary of sin – evil ways and evil deeds. We'll take a moment to work that out. But first I want to point out that when we sin, we separate ourselves from God. The sin of their father's generation, mentioned here, caused them to be separated from God. That's the effect of sin. It says there at the end of verse 4, “they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord.” Their sin separated them from God, and he called them to turn from it and back to him. That's the very straightforward definition of repentance - turning away from our sin, and turning back to God.But I think we don't often consider all the ways we sin. The different categories of sin. So let's think of what “evil ways” and “evil deeds” refers to. Think about this. When you think of your sin, I'm guessing you usually think of the things that you do, which break God's commands. Right? Like a lustful thought or action to repent of. Or kids, anger against your brother or sister or classmate. Those are “evil deeds.” The things we think, say, or do that go against what God's tells us not to do. But that's only one category of sin. The other category of sin are the things we don't do that God calls us to do. That would be the “evil ways.” We take our own path. We're not following God's path. For example, God calls us to worship him, to pray to him, to trust him. He calls us to make disciples. When we don't do those things, we're also in sin. We're not following God's way. Both of those avenues of sin, move us away from God, away from his presence, and not towards him.Let's go back to the temptations of Zechariah and his generation. Even though they were back in Jerusalem, it didn't bring them closer to God. They mistakenly thought that by returning to the city, they were returning to God. That certainly wasn't the case for their forefathers. Who were, after all, in Jerusalem. They had the temple, but they rejected God. And so Zechariah's generation returned, but their excitement turned to disappointment and frustration. They didn't feel settled. And they began working on their own homes. They weren't following God's ways. Instead, they began to focus on themselves. And that's when God called them to return to him.Now, we'd be here all day if we were to work through all of our “evil ways” and “evil deeds.” So rather than think of specific sins. Let me give you some categories. And I want you to think about your own life and areas that need repentance. Here's the list:• Things or people you worship above God or alongside God• Times or situations when you are anxious and not trusting in him• Not coming into God's presence in prayer• Fear of man – of what other people think of you and not what God thinks• Sinful reactions when you are sinned against. Or other relational sins that you commit against one another• The big category of coveting and lust – wanting something that is not yours, or sexual desires that you act on in your thoughts or actions• Ways in which you are not loving your neighbor – like things we talked about in Sunday school this morning – that includes prejudice or injustice. • Laziness or slothfulness spent through hours and hours of wasted time. Let me get specific on this one… on games, watching sports, or shows• And last, one for the kids – ways in which you are not honoring your parents or loving your siblingsThere are many more.And God says to each of us, turn from those things and return to me. If you've walked away from God in some area of your life or if you've never come to him. He wants you to be grieved about those sins. He wants you to turn from them and to him.3. Why should we turnAnd this brings us to the third point. Why. Why should we turn from our sin?In some way, that question has already been answered. Our sin separates us from God. It's one reason why God calls us to return to him. But the why is also deeper and harder than that.Let's go back up to verse 2. “The Lord was very angry with your fathers.” He was angry at their fathers because of their sin. Because of their evil ways and evil deeds. Because God hates sin. Sin is so contrary to God's holiness and righteousness. And that holiness evokes in him a righteous justice at the presence of sin. The punishment on their fathers was a result of their sin. Exile. Using a worldly kingdom to overthrow them. And God says to Zechariah's generation “Do not be like your fathers”. He was telling them that the call to repentance, turning from sin and to God, included the warning of God's judgment.And we even see here a jab of sorts from God to Zechariah's generation… Verse 5. “Your fathers, where are they?” God was not only saying, don't be like them, he was telling them why. Because they received the just punishment of their sin. God was warning them that he will follow through. And look at that last part of verse 8. Zechariah's generation realized that. Realized that God will follow through. See what they said, “As the Lord of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.” The “us” meaning God's people, they and their fathers. This was a recognition that God will do what he says. Sin will be punished.And this goes all the way back to Genesis chapter 2 and 3. Genesis is the first book of the Bible. When God created man and woman, he gave them one prohibition. Not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And if they did, God promised that they would die. And when they ate of it, God fulfilled his promise. They didn't immediately die, no, God was gracious. But they spiritually died, they were banished from the presence of God, and they would begin the process of physically dying.You see, God will follow through. There's no escaping punishment for sin.If you've been reading along in our “Gentle & Lowly” book study, the chapter this week, chapter 15, focuses in on God's wrath. It's an unavoidable topic in Scripture, both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Pastor Ortlund, the author, works through the books of Lamentations and Hosea, and then he quotes Thomas Goodwin, who he has gone to many times before. Goodwin wrote, “God's wrath and his word do torment men forever…” and Ortlund clarifies, “those who persist in sin and do not repent.”So why repent? Because God is a holy and just God, who will punish sin and the sinner.But beloved, there's another reason why we should repent.And that is because God is merciful. Yes, God hates sin, but he also is merciful to those who repent. It's right there in verse 3. We've already looked at it. “Return to me… and I will return to you.” God's warning of his anger is matched by his offer of mercy. It's a promise. “I will return to you.” I will relent. I will stay my hand. I will be in your presence again. Turn back to me, from your sin, and I will return to you. And his mercy should invoke in us a desire, a heart-felt desire, to return to him.And there's an amazing thing that happened in verse 6. “They repented.” This is most likely referring to Zechariah's generation. A reference back to verse 3. “Say to them” meaning say to Zechariah's generation. And verse 6 is their response. Repentance. In other words, they were not like their fathers, no, instead they repented. We have record in other books that these remnant and their leaders in Jerusalem repented. They turned from their sin to God, and God turned from his anger and back to them.Let's go back to Gentle & Lowly chapter 15. As much as that chapter is about God's wrath, the chapter is even more so about God's mercy. You see, God is just, yet that doesn't diminish his mercy in any way. No. As Ortlund writes, “God's attributes are not pieces of a pie making a whole pie,” rather “God is every attribute perfectly.” You see, we repent to God because of both his wrath and his mercy. But it's not like when we repent that all of a sudden God switches gears from wrath to mercy. No, that would be moving the pieces of the pie around and that is not how God's attributes work. Rather, God receives our repentance through the very act that both upholds his perfect wrath against sin and his perfect mercy to the repentant sinner. That is the cross of Christ. Through Jesus' death on the cross, God's perfect justice and mercy were both satisfied through his perfect sacrifice.God received their repentance through Christ who was to come, and he receives our repentance through Christ who has come.I think the Westminster Catechism summarizes repentance so well. Look back at it again in your bulletin. “Repentance unto life is a saving grace,” yes it is, God's work in us! “whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, does, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.” A heart turning from our sin because of the God's mercy in Christ... and a new desire to follow him and his ways.ConclusionLet me end where we began. Jesus words. “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The warning is there, but so is the mercy. The Lord of armies is calling you to turn to him. If you have never repented and turned to the Lord. This is where it all begins. Turning from your sin and coming to the Lord by faith in Jesus. Turn to him and he will turn to you.And if you have already repented and turned to the Lord. That day that you turned to him… it's not the end of your repentance. No, it should be the first day of an ongoing life of renewed faith and renewed repentance…. In the presence of our holy, covenant keeping merciful God. Let's pray to him.