Marriage is defined by God. When He formed Eve and presented her to Adam, He established man and woman in a lifelong covenant relationship. This second in a series of sermons explains that two things characterize a good marriage, faithfulness and love.
The origin of marriage is found in the text for this first in a series of sermons on marriage. When God created Adam, He gave him work to do and worship to enjoy in the garden He had created. But Adam was incomplete and needed a helper. He needed another like himself with whom he could fulfill God’s […]
In his account of the crucifixion, gospel writer Mark emphasizes the shame heaped on Jesus. This derision and accusation leveled against the righteous by the unrighteous, is more blasphemy than mere mocking or ridicule. But those who scoffed in that day are not alone. We join with them by our disbelief or our neglect of the Son […]
God accomplishes His purposes through faithful leaders in His church. From the elders under Moses to the elders of today’s church, the biblical image often used for these is the shepherd. In our text, Jeremiah the prophet condemns Israel’s elders for scattering the flock and declares the Lord’s will to care for the remnant by providing faithful […]
God’s covenant with Adam in the garden was conditional. To the obedient man the tree of life and all its blessings were his and his descendants. By this, Adam became the representative, the federal head, of humanity. Therefore, when Adam sinned, the effect was disastrous, a sin nature inherited by all his descendants and evident […]
When God placed the first man in the garden, He created a unilateral agreement with him which granted much freedom and one restriction. God’s duty was to continue to supply an abundance of food. The man’s duty was to enjoy those foods with an abundant life as a consequence, and to avoid the restricted one on penalty […]
When God placed Adam in the garden, He gave him dominion over it to manage and cultivate. But in this text, God goes on to issue a higher calling to guard it as a place of worship. By this, Adam assumes the role of priest over the garden. But this first priest would not be the last in […]
The beautiful garden in Eden which God created for our first parents was complete, perfect. In it and through it He gave them everything they needed including a vocation, that noble work to tend it. When they thought they knew better than God what they needed, they lost it all, including the beauty and fulfillment of their […]