C. S. Lewis wrote, "All that is not eternal is eternally out of date" (The Four Loves). Josh Moody and Robin Weekes, authors of Burning Hearts: Preaching to the Affections, would agree, and maintain that -- despite all our scientific and technological advances -- this age is pretty much like the ages before. Therefore, "relevant" preaching will preach to those unchanging issues of greatest importance...
"What is the same about our age? Everything of greatest importance. People are still made in the image of God. People are still fallen and depraved. The world and the whole universe is still created by God and sustained by the word of His power. All of reality still throbs to the beating heart of the living God. Jesus is still Lord. The cross is the centre of the universe and of all time and space. The Holy Spirit is the power for ministry, life, change and Christlikeness... Ecclesiastes is right when it says that ‘there is nothing new under the sun’ (Eccles. 1:9). Women are still women. Men are still men. Ambition, pride, deceit and all the devilish fears of humanity still dominate the world. The kingdom of God, though, is on the march. The gospel is preached. The church is being built. One day Jesus will return. Every knee shall bow. God will be glorified. Those who resist Him till the end will be cast into outer darkness. The dead shall be raised. Those who love Jesus till the end will join Him in the New Heaven and the New Earth to thrive in an eternity of joy, peace, love and endless glory in Christ. None of this has changed. None of it ever will."
Bible reading for weekend Nov 1 -- 2 Nov 1 -- Hosea 7 and Psalms 120-122 Nov 2 -- Hosea 8 and Psalms 123-125 ================ "Were I to write for him my laws by the ten thousands, they would be regarded as a strange thing." (Hosea 8:12) THE RESULTS OF SIN (ch 7-8). Notice the words and metaphors to describe Israel's sinful condition: they are surrounded with, and proud of, their evil (7:1-3); like adulterers in the heat of passion (7:4-5); their anger is like a hot oven (7:6-7); they are like a half-cooked (one side only) cake (7:8); their strength is gone (7:9); they are like silly doves easily trapped (7:11-12); they are undependable like a warped bow (7:16). In spite of all of this they are so proud of themselves! (We might say they have a strong self-esteem.) They have spurned what is good (8:3); they sow to the wind and have no real fruit (8:7); they are a useless vessel (8:8) and a wild donkey wandering alone (8:9); they regard God's law as a strange thing
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