“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all…” Pastor Tony delves into Holy Scripture to unfold this astounding statement. For whom did Christ die? Was it for everyone as those who believe in a universal atonement would say? Was it for an elect group of people as those who believe in a particular atonement would say? Indeed, Pastor Tony shows that the clear teaching of Scripture is that Christ’s redemption was for a particular people–His sheep.
]]>Pastor Tony provides the immediate and larger context for understanding Romans 8:32. In the first eight chapters of Romans, the Apostle Paul points out again and again that we cannot attain right standing with God by human works or merit. Justification is the free gift of God and not something that can be earned. In 8:32, Scripture is proclaiming that since God did not spare his own Son for our salvation (which is every sinners greatest need) that of course we can trust God for the lesser or temporal things in this life.
]]>All of us grow weary at times through the life and work God has given us. At these times we find it difficult to “do good.” In this sermon, Pastor Tony lays out three points from Holy Scripture to help us fulfill the command to “do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10).
]]>Adversity and suffering are experiences common to all people in varying degrees. In this sermon, Pastor Tony expounds Biblical truths that describe three of the ways God uses suffering in the lives of His people. These include God using suffering to draw us to Himself, God using suffering to build and shape Christ’s character in us, and God using suffering to make us compassionate and equip us to comfort others.
]]>In this sermon, Pastor Tony teaches that practice in the spiritual disciplines is necessary to hone us for the spiritual race that God has called Christians. Spiritual disciplines—which include the Word of God, prayer, worship, the sacraments, fellowship, etc.—are essential to a person’s growth and success in the Christian life. This sermon focuses on the discipline of prayer.
]]>In this sermon Pastor Tony asks whether all religions are the same. Are they all true, or is Christianity unique? Dr. D. James Kennedy in his book Truths that Transform pointed out the three great differences between Christ and the founders of all other religions. Pastor Tony unfolds Kennedy’s insights in this Resurrection Sunday sermon.
]]>In this sermon, Pastor Tony reviews the biblical accounts of Palm Sunday and the claims that Jesus made about Himself as the Christ—the Son of the Living God.
]]>Pastor Tony reviews the 28th, 29th, and 30th verses in Romans Chapter 8 in preparation for his presentation of the truths presented in the 31st verse so that the full importance of this verse would be conveyed.
]]>Glorification is the final link in the Golden Chain of Redemption. In this sermon, Pastor Tony continues his exposition of Romans Chapter 8. He points out that our glorification as Christians is so certain that the Apostle Paul writes about it in the past tense—as though it had already occurred—“those whom He justified, He also glorified”. What God begins in effectual calling, He brings to completion in glorification.
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Scripture teaches that the accomplishing and application of our salvation was planned by God before He created the world. Salvation was not a last-minute response to Adam’s sin. God planned it before the creation of the world. In this sermon, Pastor Tony continues his series on the Golden Chain of salvation. This sermon covers the perseverance of the saints in the context of Romans chapter 8.
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Are blessings earned by obedience and thereby forfeited by poor performance? Is sanctification by God’s grace alone or dependent on God’s grace and our works? Paul’s letter to the Galatians proves the importance of these concepts and in his third sermon on sanctification; Pastor Tony answers these questions and completes his review of sanctification.
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Can someone belong to Christ, but not live as a follower of Christ? Can a person receive Christ as Savior but not as Lord? Is it possible for a person to be justified but not conformed to the likeness of God’s Son? Can justification and sanctification be separated? In this sermon, Pastor Tony reviews the inseparable links between justification and sanctification. The connection between faith and fruit or faith and deeds is clearly seen in Scripture.
]]>Several of the steps in which God applies redemption to His children are included in Romans 8:30. Here and elsewhere the Scriptures teach that the redemption accomplished by Christ is progressively applied to lives of God’s children. In this sermon, Pastor Tony reviews the steps in the order of salvation or the steps in the application of Christ’s redemption from Romans chapter 8.
]]>The great preachers of the Bible such as Edwards, Calvin, Spurgeon, Whitefield, Wesley, Luther, Zwingli, Augustine, Peter, John, and Paul were acutely aware of the fact that the Bible is a weapon—the mightiest weapon in the entire world. In this sermon, Pastor Aaron reveals what makes this weapon so mighty.
]]>Luke wrote “an orderly account” so that those of us who read his gospel might “know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” He recorded the miraculous births of both John the Baptist and Jesus the Messiah. In this sermon, Pastor Tony reviews the promise of a Redeemer and the birth of Jesus.
]]>In the last book of the Old Testament, God promised to send a messenger before the long-awaited Messiah would arrive. Malachi said that the Messiah was coming soon—but there was silence in Israel for over 400 years. In this Advent sermon, Pastor Tony unfolds the Old and New Testament prophesies and accounts of John the Baptist and Zechariah’s role in the amazing events.
]]>As recorded in I Corinthians chapter 11, the church at Corinth was experiencing some challenges to their unity. Similarly, today, Christ’s church seems hopelessly fragmented over issues of both doctrine and practice. The sacraments are the center of some division and controversy in the Church. In this sermon, Pastor Tony answers some questions about the way the Presbyterian Church in American observes the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.
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In this sermon, Pastor Tony reviews the Westminster Confession of Faith’s chapter on Adoption (Chapter 12) in the context of an overview of the order of salvation. In Christ, we partake the grace of adoption and enjoy all the liberties and privileges of the children of God. We become the righteousness of God and are adopted as His children through Christ having paid the penalty for our sins.
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Pastor Tony continues to review the order of salvation from Romans Chapter 8. This is the second of two sermons on justification. Justification by faith alone–in Christ alone–was the battle cry of the Reformation. Sadly, many Protestant churches have lost their understanding of this important doctrine. Question 33 in the Westminster Shorter Catechism defines justification as an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only by the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.
]]>One of the great battle cries of the Protestant Reformation was Sola Scriptura. Scripture alone is the Christian’s rule for all of faith and life. For followers of Christ, the Bible provides practical information on how to live. In this first of two sermons on the role of the husband and the wife, Pastor Don reviews the role of the husband in the family based on Ephesians Chapter 5.
]]>In this sermon, Pastor Tony describes the law as a mirror to show us our sins and to point us to the Savior. The law was not given as a means for people to earn their way to heaven. God’s Word clearly teaches that no one can be or has ever been justified by his or her own work. For salvation, Old Testament saints looked forward to the Coming Redeemer, and we look back to the Lamb of God who was slain for the sins of the world.
]]>Genuine repentance and saving faith are the two sides of the same coin of salvation. Conversion consists of both repentance and faith. This sermon is a continuation of Pastor Tony’s series on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. By examining Acts 16:30-31 along with other Scripture sources, this sermon looks at what it means to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ—what it means to have faith.
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A good summary of the requirements of the Gospel are found in Acts 20:21. In this verse, the Apostle Paul encapsulates the Gospel’s requirement as first repentance and second faith. These are the twin requirements of the Gospel. Pastor Tony covers the first of these, repentance, in this sermon.
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Regeneration is one step in salvation that is not listed in Romans 8:29-30 but is clear from other parts of Scripture including John chapter 3. The Scripture teaches that the natural man will not respond to God’s call to salvation. A spiritual heart transplant leading to regeneration is required to respond to the call of the Gospel.
]]>In Romans 8:29-30, the Apostle Paul explains how God’s children come to receive and experience the gift of salvation—a gift that is the sovereign work of the triune God. In this sermon, Pastor Tony continues his teaching on the Golden Chain of Redemption which has links from the eternal past to the eternal future.
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In writing the Book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon was seeking to wake-up the people of God from their spiritual slumber so as to serve Him with joy and energy. In this sermon, Pastor Aaron reviews the key points of the closing verses in the book of Ecclesiastes. These include understanding the purpose of knowledge and recognizing the necessity of living in reverential obedience to God.
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In this sermon, Pastor Tony provides an overview of the five steps in the application of redemption to sinful man: foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification. Starting in the eternal past with foreknowledge and extending into the eternal future in glorification, Pastor Tony shows that God is the actor in each and every step of the Golden Chain of Redemption.
]]>This passage of Scripture speaks of the doctrines of predestination and election. If you are skittish about these doctrines, Pastor Tony urges you to listen to this sermon and others in this series on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. The sermon provides Biblical evidence for these doctrines, doctrines which are taught over and over again in scripture.
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Romans 8:28 is the connecting bond between the first 27 verses in Romans 8 and the last 11 verses. Verse 28 summarizes all that the Apostle Paul was saying in the first 27 verses. To understand Romans 8:28, it must be examined in its immediate context. In this sermon, Pastor Tony provides the context for understanding Romans 8:28.
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