Christ Evangelical Reformed Church (CERC) | Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
CTC

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CREATION TO CONSUMMATION
PRELUDE & POSTLUDE SERMONS BY
DR. STEPHEN G. DEMPSTER
  • Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at Crandall University
  • Expert in Old Testament theology and biblical narrative
  • Academic Contributor to The Gospel Coalition

ctc-speaker
6PM | LUTHER CENTRE
13
July
CTC PRELUDE
Be Holy: Holiness
and Atonement
20
July
CTC POSTLUDE
Your Kingdom
Come!
6PM | LUTHER CENTRE
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Leviticus
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9.10 for 10 AM

AM gathering at 10pm

 

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4.45 for 5 PM

PM gathering at 5pm

We meet on Sundays

9.10 for 10 AM

AM gathering at 10pm

4.45 for 5 PM

PM gathering at 5pm
  • Jesus' Story - The good life under God's Son

  • God made this world for himself.

    Life in this world was made to reflect his nature:
    his goodness, love, and righteousness.

    Humanity was made to enjoy Him in His world.
    Under His rule, they could live happily His way:
    in peace and in thankful obedience,
    service and dependence on Him.

  • But we human beings attempted
    to live independently of God
    in His world.

    We denied God’s rule by denying
    His teaching about us and about life under Him.

    This was evil and the world was corrupted by it.
    Conflict and confusion ensued.
    The good life gave way to destruction,
    disease and death.

    God calls this sin.

  • Sin now has a dominating influence over
    all human beings. Its effects are devastating.

    Our denial of God is a denial of who we are
    made to be under God, and we are
    therefore denied the perfect life under God.

    This is God’s righteous judgment of a rebellious race,
    and there will be a final accounting for all human beings
    when they come face to face with God.

  • But God is righteously committed
    to His good plan for His world,
    including to His people,
    made for His glory.

    For human beings, death and conflict with God
    and with each other is not the life
    He has in mind as the final outcome.

    God continued His loving rule
    by revealing that the future of
    this world lies in the godly rule of a great king and saviour.

    In this ruler, life would be as God
    intended for man to be able to live.

    However, sin had to be dealt with:
    its corrupting effects, and its very source, man himself.

  • And so, God sent His Son in the likeness of man to be this ruler, to live life as man
    should have lived it under God. As God’s Son, Jesus established God’s kingdom,
    laying the foundation for the renewal of this world. God proclaimed the establishment
    of His Son’s kingdom by the power of His Spirit, defeating destruction, disease,
    death and even demons.

    God’s rule was established by the teaching of Jesus
    in the way, the truth, and the life of the people of God.

    God’s people were enabled to serve Him in new lives by
    God’s Spirit giving them an understanding of Jesus’ teaching.

  • Their sin was dealt with
    by Jesus taking their punishment,
    by offering Himself in their place.

  • Jesus died and resurrected for His people
    to bring glory to God.

  • He died and freed them from their love of the sin
    that brought death, so they, with new lives,
    could serve the living God.

    He was raised from the dead because
    His death was for this glorious purpose.

  • Jesus’ resurrection means that
    God’s proclaiming of a new kingdom under
    his Son’s eternal rule is true, and
    all who follow the Son will have forgiveness and
    new life in this kingdom of God’s rule.

    Jesus’ own life and resurrection is proof of
    all that is possible in the new humanity
    of a fully renewed world to come.

  • Jesus challenges us to recognise God’s rule.
    We must submit to God’s Son and receive forgiveness,
    a new mindset and relationship with God.

    This peace with God and love for Him, is available
    only in His Son’s rule. As Lord, Jesus has authority
    to forgive and give this new life through His Spirit.

  • Therefore, today is a day of hope.

    God commands all of us, to turn away from a life of
    rebellious sinfulness against God, to seek His mercy,
    and to depend on God for His life.

  • God promises that those who reject
    their own lives to live God’s life under
    Jesus will be forgiven, and will receive
    the gift of His Spirit to live obediently
    to the Lord Jesus.

    But whoever continues to assert
    their independence from God is still
    under his wrath and will be excluded
    from God’s world together with
    all that is evil.

  • If you have repented and are committed to
    submitting to Jesus and trusting Him, know this:

    As Lord, Jesus continues to rule His kingdom by His teaching and
    will bring to completion one day God’s renewing work in this world.

    At His return, the reality of Jesus and His kingdom will be revealed to all,
    exposing our actions and accountability for the lives we have lived
    without God. The evil and corruption of sin will be fully defeated so that
    we may experience the life and peace of God’s glorious world.

    Those who eagerly await His Son’s return and live for Him, will continue
    to live in this wonderful life of God’s renewed world in the near future.

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