Come Down, Lord!

  A few listeners have requested a pdf of the following sermon, which was preached in November of 2020. I have attempted here to transcribe the sermon as closely as possible with only very minor edits. Quotes from the Bible are taken from the KJV unless otherwise indicated. That morning, following the service, I found the police waiting for me in the lobby. Though I was not fined on that occasion, the timing of the visit struck us all. This morning I want to face the issue head on; but before I do, I want to make a few preliminary comments. So, five preliminary comments. 1. Number one, there are good men — men that I love and admire — who will not agree with my conclusions. On this I am convinced that they are wrong, but my love for them is not diminished in the least. My hope and prayer is that you will all play the part of Bereans, that you will search the Scriptures to see if these things are so. It is sometimes tempting to play favourites, or to go along with the crowd, to be ...

From a sermon to the Westminster Assembly Doctrine : All princes are obliged to govern and rule for the Lord and his honor. 1. So Scripture speaks, it shall be in the last days (Isa. 49:23; Ps. 72:10). 2. Princes are God's standard bearers; they bear his sword by office (Rom. 13:4), and they hold crown and scepter of him , as great Landlord of all powers. 3. In a special manner they are second gods (Ps. 82:6; 2 Chron. 19:12).  All rulers in the act of judging are God's deputies, even though their second calling is to be sent by a King, and t herefore see what judgement God himself would pronounce , if he were on the bench, that same must they decree, except they would make the deputed mouth to belie the mind of the great Lord who sent them.   4. The Lord has entrusted Christian rulers with the most precious thing he has on earth; he has given his bride and spouse to their tutorage and faith. A. Use One.  You are entrusted by God, with an honorable virgin, a King's ...

Today I heard a reformed church elder argue from John Calvin for submission to the magistrate's current restrictions on worship.  Though he was not quoted, we were exhorted to read from Book IV.     Ironically, the following is taken from Book IV of the Institutes: Bold emphases are mine. "But in that obedience which we hold to be due to the commands of rulers, we must always make the exception , nay, must be particularly careful that it is not incompatible with obedience to Him to whose will the wishes of all kings should be subject, to whose majesty their sceptres must bow. And, indeed,  how preposterous were it, in pleasing men, to incur the offence of Him for whose sake you obey men !    The Lord, therefore, is King of kings. When he opens his sacred mouth, he alone is to be heard, instead of all and above all. We are subject to the men who rule over us, but subject only in the Lord .  If they command anything against Him let us not pay the...

Someone recently commented on one my articles with these words: " Nobody is above the law.  Not even pastors."  She was responding to my comments about James Coates.   I found the comment very interesting.  And then a number of days later I saw someone suggest that since  Faith Presbyterian Church  didn't follow covid regulations we couldn't be trusted to lawfully handle other matters.    Fascinating logic... But, are we above the law?  I guess it depends on what is meant by the question.  The irony, of course, is that Christians are generally some of the most law abiding citizens in the country.  We are taught to obey our magistrates and pray for them.  The Bible is our rule of faith and practice, and we are told there by God to obey governing authorities. But of course every Christian knows the exception.  There is a higher authority .  It is God who told us to obey our magistrates, and so we obey the...

  The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our law giver, the  Lord is our king; he will save us. - Isaiah 33:22 Thomas Manton says if we take these words in a spiritual sense "the words are exclusive : God, and no other , our only judge, our only lawgiver, &c.  God only knoweth the conscience, and therefore God only must judge it, and give laws to it.  God only can punish the conscience for sins, and therefore he only can make a sin." But this raises a question (and probably from some quarters an objection).  What about Romans 13:5?  Paul says, "Wherefore ye must be subject, not only for wrath, but for conscience' sake."  Doesn't this mean that the laws of men can 'oblige' the conscience.   True - to a point.  The laws of  men do oblige the conscience, but - as Manton put it - "not in that order and manner that God's do."  He names three differences.  I will name them here and explain them in my own words. 1. "Not...