Sermon Audio: God’s Design for Marriage and Sex

/ davidsschrock

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother
and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

— Genesis 2:24 —

Do you not know that your body
is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
whom you have from God?
You are not your own,
for you were bought with a price.
So glorify God in your body.

— 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 —

From the intricate arrangements of the cell to the massive construction of stars in the Milky Way, the God who made the heavens and the earth and everything in them is—to put it plainly—a Designer.

On earth, God has made mankind in his image. Male and female he created the human race. And on the day when he fashioned the man from the ground and made woman from his side (see Genesis 2:4-25), God also designed the institution of marriage and gave to Adam and Eve the gift of sex so they could partner in covenant union, procreate children who bear God’s image and likeness. At the same time, God made sex pleasurable as a good gift to his married couples.

Tragically, when sin crippled the human race (Gen 3), men and women made to honor God with their sexuality began to abuse and misuse his gift. In just a few generations, Lamech had married two women and by Genesis 19, homosexual desires had overcome the men in Sodom and Gomorrah. Today, sex is manipulated and marketed with dizzying speed.

Christians need to learn how to think about these things and we must come to the Bible to get our bearings. These two messages, preached over the last two Sundays, are my attempt to help our church think about God’s designs for marriage and sex.

I pray they may help you understand what God’s word says about this blessed gift, and how the power of God’s gospel can help you walk in holiness.

Glorify God with Your Body (1 Corinthians 6:9-20)
 

God’s Design for Marriage (Genesis 2:24)

For the rest of the sermons in this series (‘God’s Design for Marriage and Sex’), go to Sermon Audio.

Soli Deo Gloria, dss

 

A Sunday Prayer: Purification (Valley of Vision)

/ davidsschrock

Tomorrow my sermon will expound 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, a passage that calls believers to glorify God with their bodies. With that in mind, I could think of no better prayer to meditate on than the one recorded in Arthur Bennett’s Valley of Vision. 

May God be pleased to purify his bride as we meditate on Paul’s inspired words to flee sexual immorality and pursue God’s glory with our bodies.

LORD JESUS,

I sin— Grant that I may

never cease grieving because of it,
never be content with myself,
never think I can reach a point of perfection.

Kill my envy, command my tongue, trample down self.
Give me grace

to be holy, kind, gentle, pure, peaceable,
to live for thee and not for self,
to copy thy words, acts, spirit,
to be transformed into thy likness,
to be consecrated wholly to thee,
to live entirely to thy glory.

Deliver me

from attachment to things unclean,
from wrong associations,
from the predominance of evil passions,
from the sugar of sin as well as its gall,

that with self-loathing, deep contrition, earnest heart searching,
I may come to thee, cast myself on thee, trust in thee, cry to thee, be delivered by thee.

O God, the Eternal All, help me to know that

all things are shadows, but thou art substance,
all things are quicksands, but thou art mountain,
all things are shifting, but thou art anchor,
all things are ignorance, but thou art wisdom.

If my life is to be a crucible amid burning heat, so be it,

but do thou sit at the furnace mouth
to watch the ore that nothing be lost.

If I sin willfully, grievously, tormentedly, in grace

take away my mourning and give me music;
remove my sackcloth and clothe me with beauty;
still my sighs and fill my mouth with song,
then give me summer weather as a Christian.

Amen. May this washed, sanctified, and justified sinner proclaim a message of God’s gospel that purifies all who hear it.

Soli Deo Gloria, dss

 

The Doctrine of the Trinity: God is One God

/ davidsschrock / 7 Comments

TrinityThere is nothing bare-bones about the Trinity. But sometimes when introducing this doctrine it helps to give a brief, ‘bare-bones’ outline to help young believers or novice theologians understand the parameters of orthodox belief about Scripture’s deepest mystery.

With such an intention, let me lay out a bare-bones doctrine of the Trinity. In its shortest and most incomplete delineation, the Christians doctrine affirms two things: (1) God is One God and (2) God is Three Persons. This denies modalism (one god in three forms) and tritheism (three gods), and gets on the way to a right view of the doctrine. Continue reading →

Noonday Light: Reformation Day

/ davidsschrock

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
– Colossians 3:2 –

Luther

Yesterday, most of America (and beyond) celebrated Halloween. But for Bible-toting, Bible-quoting Protestants, there was another more significant ‘holiday’: Reformation Day.

On this day (October 31) in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the Wittenberg Castle Door. In lieu of that great day, here are a handful of links to spur on your love for God’s word and to give thanks to God for the ‘monk with a mallet.’

October 31, 1517. Here’s a synopsis of what happened on the day now called “Reformation Day” 496 years ago. (History Channel)

Luther’s 95 Theses. Here are Martin Luther’s ninety-theses condemning the errors of the Roman Catholic Church. (Spurgeon.com)

An Interview with Carl Trueman on Luther’s 95 Theses.  Carl Trueman answers a number key questions about Martin Luther, the 95 Theses, indulgences, and the Protestant Reformation. (Justin Taylor)

Finally, here is a scene from the movie Luther which depicts Luther’s bold stand against Rome. It captures Luther’s famous line stand:

Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen

Soli Deo Gloria, dss

From Eden to Zion: A Temple Story

/ davidsschrock / 2 Comments

What is the best way to describe the Bible?

Is it a collection of verses that supply promises and warnings for the Christian life?  Is it a collection of books that each point to Jesus Christ?  Or is it an epic story of Paradise Created, Paradise Lost, Paradise Promised, and Paradise Made New in Christ?

Perhaps, the best answer is all the above.  While each of these three answers are correct, I think the last is the most difficult to see in Scripture.  In the last month, we have given attention on Sunday mornings to the tabernacle in Exodus and how it fits into God’s plan of redemption.  Because of that, I want to give you a biblical roadmap that traces God’s “tabernacles,” I think by seeing this line of dwelling places, it will give you greater ground for hope in God.  Let’s see. Continue reading →

Noonday Light: Reflections on Halloween

/ davidsschrock

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
– Colossians 3:2 –

pumpkin

Halloween is America’s  second largest consumer holiday, one that is too easily rejected or embraced, without careful thought or biblical reflection. Therefore, on the eve of this dark night, take time to consider how a Christian should think about Halloween’s casual promotion of evil, death, and the grave.

Where Did the ‘-een’ come from in Halloween? Let the wordsmiths at Dictionary.com give you a brief etymology of the word Halloween. (Dictionary.com)

Christianity and Dark Side–What about Halloween? Albert Mohler points to a number of the concerns Christians should have with Halloween. (Albert Mohler)

Halloween and Evangelical Identities. Russell Moore provides a humorous and accurate ‘Rorschach test‘ to discern what various approaches to Halloween say about our evangelical identity. I guess I’m a conservative evangelical.

The Body of Jesus and Halloween. Patrick Schreiner helps us think about the ‘horrors’ of this life and how Christ’s death and resurrection are incompatible with Halloween’s glorification of evil (Ad Fontes)

Halloween: Mocking the Darkness. You can thank Tony Reinke for pointing to this excellent ‘spoken word’ video from “10 of those,” a Christian resources ministry from across the pond.  Watch it. And then watch it again. (Spurgeon.com)

Soli Deo Gloria, dss

1 John 1:1-4: We See Because He First Showed Himself

/ davidsschrock / 2 Comments

In John’s first letter, he introduces his audience to the Christ who he and the disciples had heard, seen, and touched. While it is apparent John’s tactile verbs—‘we have heard’ and ‘we have seen’—are meant to stress the flesh and blood reality of Jesus Christ, a closer look at the structure of 1 John 1:1-4, shows John stressing the antecedent work of God to manifest himself in the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ.

You can see this is in the complex chiasmus which organizes 1 John 1:1-4. Continue reading →

Noonday Light: Christians and the Public Square

/ davidsschrock

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
– Colossians 3:2 –

New York Construction Workers Lunching on a Crossbeam

While many stumble in the light of noonday, God offers light to those who look up to him. These links are given to help you walk in the light as a growing disciple of Jesus Christ.

From Moral Majority to ‘Prophetic Minority’: An Interview with Russell Moore. ERLC President, Russell Moore, explains how evangelicals must stand in post-Bible Belt America. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Russell Moore on Evangelicals and Politics (video). Here’s the follow up interview on Moore’s Wall Street Journal article. (C-Span)

How to Change the World. Josh Moody gives a few examples from church history that encourage us to be salt and light in the world. (The Gospel Coalition)

Soli Deo Gloria, dss

Evangelism Then and Now: The Same Seed, A Different Soil

/ davidsschrock

[This is the most recent “Feeding on the Word” article from our church newsletter]

Over the last few decades Americans have witnessed an unprecedented move away from traditional marriage toward a choose-your-own-adventure approach to sexuality. Influenced by academics, funded by political action groups, and promoted by entertainment personalities, our culture has bought into the notion that sex without limitations is the apex of American freedom.

It should not surprise us that the neighbors we are called to reach have enormous relational baggage. Their sordid stories break our hearts, confound our wisdom, and shut our mouths. Even if we believe—as we ought—that God can save the worst sinner, we see broken people and wonder what to do. Continue reading →

Jesus Knew His Calling: A Missional Christology

/ davidsschrock

In the Gospels, Jesus frequently spoke of why he “came.” For instance, in Mark 1:38, when the crowds are pressing in on him, Jesus tells his disciples, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”  While Jesus was attentive to the needs of man; he was perfectly obedient to his Father’s will. As John reiterates time and again in his gospel, the Son was ‘sent’ by the Father on a mission to redeem those whom the Father had given him before the ages began.

Thus, to understand who Jesus is one must look at his Christological mission—what missiologists might call the Missio Dei. As the image of the invisible God and the Son whose obedience pleased the Father, Jesus’ “I have come . . .” statements reveal the very heart of God and the work Christ came to accomplish. To know these statements is to know a great deal about our Lord. To overlook them is to miss a key insight into his self-identity and mission.  Continue reading →