Topic: Westminster Shorter Catechism Questions 63-66
Author: Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.
Adult Sunday School at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 12/28/2008 in Novato, CA.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Our country’s elections are fast approaching. If you turn on the radio or TV, you hear more and more advertisements. You probably are receiving spirited pleas from various people about why you should vote for one candidate or another. The passion and rhetoric is picking up. Things are getting heated. Why? Why does everyone get so excited about the elections? Because we are picking who will lead our government. And our government is our nation’s authority. We recognize that the people in authority have a very powerful role over our life. And since we live in a nation that allows us to have a role in picking the leaders in our government, we take that responsibility seriously. And so we pick the people we want to submit to. We recognize that the government is in a position of authority, and so we want to pick the leaders who we want in that position of authority over us.
You see, that’s what I want us to think about today – authority. That’s the question that is raised in our passage for today. There is a question of authority in our passage. This question has to do with Jesus. Simply put, by what authority is Jesus acting? Jesus is obviously acting from a position of authority, but whose authority is it? Let’s take a look at this passage and find out.
Passage: Mark 11:27-12:12
Author: Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.
Sermon originally preached during the Morning Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 11/02/2008 in Novato, CA.
Click here for the manuscript.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
In our passage for today, Jesus’ authority is again being questioned, this time with regards to the Sabbath. Our passage for today has two different scenes in it, both with opposition against Jesus, and both dealing with the question of his authority concerning the Sabbath. The question that is being raised is, “Who has authority to interpret God’s law on what is permissible to do on the Sabbath?” Who has authority to declare God’s purpose and intentions of the Sabbath? Is it the Pharisees with all their man-made laws which they had erected around the Sabbath? No! Mark shows us that Jesus is the authority even on the Sabbath.
Passage: Mark 2:23-3:6
Author: Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.
Sermon originally preached during the Morning Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 03/09/2008 in Novato, CA.
Other Scripture Readings: 1 Sam 21:1-9; Revelation 7:9-17
Click here for the manuscript.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Passage: Mark 2:1-12
Author: Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div.
Sermon originally preached during the Morning Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 02/24/2008 in Novato, CA.
Other Scripture Readings: Psalm 103; Isaiah 53; Romans 3:9-26
In our passage for today, Jesus makes a rather bold claim. He claims that he has the power on earth to forgive sins. When Jesus declared that the paralytic’s sins were forgiven, he caught everyone’s attention. Some responded with faith to Jesus’ claim, but many with doubt and skepticism. Such a bold claim, dare I even say, an outrageous claim, demanded some sort of proof. If true, it would suggest that Jesus came with the very authority and power of God himself. And our passage beautifully shows how Christ’s claim was vindicated, verified through his miraculous healing of the paralytic.
Click here for the manuscript.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
