Hi Everyone,
The painters are coming Monday, so things will be a little topsy-turvy the next two weeks. They will be painting Monday, Tuesday and Friday this coming week, and then they will finish the following week. So, everything will be back to “normal” on July 28.
Thanks for your patience.
Sincerely,
Pastor Dave
Here is this week’s bulletin. Also a reminder that Andy & Jaycie Johnson and family will be sharing with us in Sunday School this week.
Pastor Dave
Hi Everyone,
Please be in prayer for Pastor Sam Kostreva’s wife, Ruth, and family. Ruth’s father, Norman Geisler, well-know theologian, has unexpectedly gone to be with the Lord. Please keep Ruth and her family in prayer.
Thanks,
Pastor Dave
Hi Everyone,
Somehow … this has slipped past me on the radar … oh, yes, it is July … I should have had this in the bulletin the last two weeks but Andy & Jaycie and their girls are going to share an update to their work in Germany in Sunday School at Faith Fellowship on July 7. They will be in the U.S. for a brief time before going back later this summer.
Sincerely,
Pastor Dave
Following up our evening study, on July 7 we will show this video in the evening service.
Here is the Grace to You link to the media for this sermon by MacArthur. You will find links to audio, video, transcripts, etc.
https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-324/understanding-the-doctrine-of-inspiration
We come now to a wonderful opportunity to consider the great doctrine of the inspiration of the Scripture. We’re going to look at the theology category that is called bibliology, the study of the Word of God. It was some years ago that I read an interesting interview. A very popular Christian songwriter, many of whose songs we all sing and enjoy, was asked to explain how he was able to write a certain song, and this was the answer. “Regarding that song, it came quickly, and we do not care to discuss the theology of it. In fact, we feel that to dissect the song would be tampering with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who inspired the song,” end quote.
Well, I think I understand what the writers of that song meant, but that really is a startling claim; to say that they don’t want to discuss the theology of the song nor dissect the words of the song, because that would be tampering with the Holy Spirit, who inspired the song, may indicate that they don’t quite understand what it means when something is inspired. In defense of them, we use that word a lot. We especially use it with regard to music. It’s one thing to say, “I was inspired by the music.” It’s something else to say, “That was an inspiring rendition of the music.” We mean we were lifted up, and encouraged, and our emotions were elevated in the experience of singing that song, or hearing that song. A writer could even say, “It was an inspiring experience for me to write that song.”
But to say that a song is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and therefore should not be dissected or tampered with, is to make the song equal to Scripture. Are we to say, then, that a songwriter who writes a song is inspired in the same way that Luke was inspired when he wrote the gospel of Luke? Or Paul was inspired when he wrote the book of Romans? Or Isaiah was inspired when he wrote the prophecy that is called Isaiah? What do we mean when we say the Bible is inspired? Do we mean it’s an inspiring book because it inspires in us faith, and religious feeling, and understanding? And are people today still inspired when they write songs, in the same way that writers of the Bible were inspired? Are books today inspired? How about sermons? Are they inspired?