Suffering: Motivation from the Future

Driving home: Underscoring again that all theology is practical, all theology has tremendous implications for life and for our ordinary experience as the people of God.

The phrase 'give account' is explained by analogy to a steward being asked to present the books and account for his handling of his master's property, emphasizing accountability.

What is the essence of this judgment? Look at the text. Who shall give account to him? Who shall give an account? Now this little phrase comprised of two Greek words is the word you would use if you were speaking to someone who was given a stewardship and you were requesting that he come and take the books and give an account of his stewardship to him.

13:49 - 14:20 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Remember, while the slander still rings in your ears, and while the blasphemy directed to your God grieves your spirit, look upon the blasphemer, and remember, he is one who regards himself as his own man. She regards he…

The situation in Acts 19:40, where people feared being unable to 'give account' for a riot, illustrates the phrase in a governmental context, signifying inability to give a justifiable explanation.

Not in an economic framework, an employer-employee relationship, but within the structures of government. Acts 19 and verse 40. In a situation where there is this tumult precipitated by the Apostle Paul and the impact of his ministry there at Ephesus, we read in verse 40, for indeed we are in danger to be accused concerning this day's riot, there being no cause for it. And as touching it, we shall not be able to give account of this concourse.

15:18 - 15:57 Read in full sermon

The point: Lift up your eyes and fasten your gaze upon the unseen world of future reality when the going gets rough.

Moses' choice to suffer affliction with God's people rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin is used as an example of looking beyond present circumstances to the 'recompense of the reward' and ultimate reality.

exalted to the right hand of the Father there is nothing more that needs to be done to qualify him as judge he has validated his claims by his resurrection dear child of God remember this the ones who think it strange that you do not run with them the ones who speak evil of you they shall give an account to this very Christ they shall give an account of all that they have said and done and remember in that day Jesus underscores the truth that the treatment of Christ's people is regarded by Christ as their treatment of him this is what Peter is doing to comfort them saying as scripture does aga...

25:46 - 27:14 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin addresses the difficult verse 6, 'the gospel was preached even to the dead,' rejecting interpretations of a 'second chance' after death. He proposes that 'the dead' refers…

Martin uses the analogy of a camp evangelist saying he 'preached to these sleeping kids' (meaning, kids who are now sleeping, but heard the gospel when awake) to illustrate how 'gospel preached to the dead' should be understood as preached to those who are now dead, but heard it while alive.

He writes a widely accepted view and that is what I'm going to set before you is not a novel view it's widely accepted is that those described as dead in the Bible in the passage for that's a key to understanding the passage for unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead there is a widely accepted view that those described as dead were members of the Christian churches addressed but had died before the writing of 1 Peter the New International Version takes this exegetical judgment and inserts the word now into their translation it's not in the Greek but the NIV reads this way for t...

39:18 - 40:46 Read in full sermon