The execution of an itinerant Jewish teacher on a Roman cross on a hill just outside Jerusalem in first century Palestine was the most important event in human history.
Really? THE most important? Doesn’t that sound just a little outlandish?… just a little “out there”?
Paul knew that what he had to preach would be considered an impossible hurdle for those with a Jewish background, and totally foolish to non-Jews. Yet he preached the message of the cross anyway, knowing only “the called” (among Jews and Gentiles) would see any value whatsoever in his message. In the cross of Christ, the very wisdom and power of God is put on display.
In past decades, church budgets included an item for the making and sending of sermons on cassette tapes (and later on CD’s and DVD’s) to pastors and people in distant regions of the world. That was then…This is now.
The world has changed! Extraordinary technological advancements in recent times means that sermons can now be heard on mobile phones in almost every location on earth. Even in a very remote village in Asia or Africa, it is not uncommon for everyone to have access to the internet. This present day reality has necessitated a major paradigm shift in thinking for missions-minded churches in the western world to make online sermons a part of their monthly missions budget.
Our online presence on youtube and sermonaudio means that King’s Church sermons (each containing the gospel) are accessed each month by people throughout the USA and in over 100 countries throughout the world. Your support of King’s Church impacts the lives of many we may never see in this life. Praise the Lord!
For me, the mystery of the Trinity is way more than my mind can handle. Way more!
Here is what we know: there is one God and yet three Divine Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father is not the Son; the Son is not the Spirit; and the Spirit is not the Father. All three members of the Godhead possess the attributes of personality.
In the garden, the Lord Jesus prayed “not My will but Yours (Father) be done”. This speaks of yet another mystery – Christ is one Person with two natures, one truly human, the other truly Divine. At Gethsemane, Jesus prayed as the God-Man – His human will wishing to avoid the agonies of the cross and all that this would mean in terms of the Father’s wrath being poured out on Him (“this cup” as He called it), yet submitted Himself to the will of the Father.
In glorious, majestic, beautiful, divinity, the Father, Son and Spirit are one in mission. There is never opposition of will between the Members of the Trinity. There has never been a single argument between them – they are forever united in what they intend to do and from eternity have acted in complete unity always, even as they have distinct roles to carry out for the purpose of our redemption. It is the Father who sends the Son into the world; the Son lives and then dies for us; and the Spirit applies the work of redemption to those God elected and the Son died for. Amazing beyond words! And that is about as far as my mind can go and prove from Scripture.
Beyond the boundaries we find in God’s revelation of Himself in Scripture there is only speculation and the treacherous fall off the cliff of orthodoxy into heresy and damnation. As Calvin rightly said, “Where God closes His holy mouth, I will desist from inquiry.”
Two final thoughts:
One in essence, three in Persons; one “what” and three “who’s” – while fathomless mystery, is no contradiction.
God has revealed all He has about Himself that we would have more than enough to forever stand in awe of Him and find boundless joy and delight in all He is as our glorious Triune God, for eternity.
Dave Hanson, a member of King’s Church, wrote the following email to me this week (August 12, 2020):
Hey Pastor,
While in the hospital and now that I am home, I’ve had time to reflect on the last 10 days. I want you to know that Suzanne and I are so thankful that we found you and the brothers and sisters at Kings Church. I actually found your blog about a year and a half and followed that before I first saw you on the dividing line (Dr. James White’s podcast).
I remember the program you had a mask of the Queen of England on your face. I can’t remember why but your sense of humor and your practical teaching won me over. When I found out you had started a church in Phoenix I prayed about checking it out for a few months, because we didn’t think we were being fed properly at the church we were at. This was the best move we have made! We have grown so much in the last I guess it’s been almost five years at Kings Church, it’s hard to believe it’s been that long – time sure flies.
Any way I say all of that to say this, because of all that I have learned over the last five years I was better prepared for this time when God in his providence put me through this health trial. I went in knowing that God is sovereign and in his power, wisdom and love, He would ultimately be glorified and it would be for my good. So I was determined to glorify God in this trial no matter what the outcome whether death or recovery! It was almost death.
On Friday, Suzanne and I were saying our goodbyes as we didn’t think I was going to make it, and I wanted to die at home and not by myself in the hospital. Suzanne started calling people from the church and people started praying and almost immediately my health started to improve. My body was still shutting down and there was damage to my liver but the doctors were able to stop the rejection and I started to heal remarkably fast.
While the rest of the patients in my wing suffering from the same thing were miserable and could not get out their beds they were suffering so much, I had no pain, just yellow eyes and skin. I ended up being able to read and pray for our church, listen to sermons, it was just like I do every day at home. My labs kept getting better every day and I got out of the hospital early, and I owe it all to you and the Kings Church family for yours and their prayers, which God in His providence answered, and all the words of encouragement I received.
It’s nice to know we don’t have to go through these tests alone – not when we have a sovereign holy God dwelling in us and with us and the local body of Christ standing with us. I am so blessed to be part of this fellowship.
