Gospel Reset Bible Class, Pt.6: The Purposes of Natural and Revealed Knowledge

In order to proceed in a systematic way, we need to distinguish the natural knowledge which comes from the creation and the conscience, from the revealed knowledge of God’s Holy Word.  God writes the law upon the heart of all men as a curb to control gross outbursts of sin (1 Tim 1:8-10, Romans 2:14-15).  God also uses the natural knowledge of creation(Ps 19:1, Rom 1:19-20) to incite men to seek Him (Acts 14:15-17, Acts 17:26-27).  By means of natural knowledge, man knows that there is a God and knows that He demands certain things and prohibits other things, but he doesn’t know the identity of that God, nor does He know how to find a gracious God.  Natural knowledge creates the need in the hope that through the revealed knowledge of God in Holy Scripture, man would come to know the Triune God and come to believe in the will of God to save man through the suffering and death of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Handout 1: Gospel-Reset-Class-Six-April-28-2019.pdf

Gospel Reset Bible Class, Pt. 5: The Bible’s Purpose

The purpose of the Bible is the salvation of man. The law reveals a knowledge of sin and eternal damnation.  The Gospel reveals the person and work of Jesus Christ.  The Word of God not only presents the foundational content, but also creates the faith which trusts in the free salvation earned by Jesus Christ.

The Bible is able to accomplish this purpose!  Divine Authority-The Word of God is entitled to the same faith and obedience that is due God.  Divine Efficacy-the Word of God produces contrition, faith and good works.  Sufficiency(Perfection)-The Scripture presents everything a man must know to obtain salvation without the need for an outside source.  Perspicuity-The Scripture is clear in its teaching of salvation. An outside interpreter is not needed.

Handout 1: Gospel-Reset-Class-Four-April-7-2019.pdf

Gospel Reset Bible Class, Pt. 4: The Important of Creation Doctrine

Having established that the Scriptures do teach a young earth, literal six-day creation, this study shows just how important this teaching is by answering two questions. Is adherence to this doctrine required for congregational membership?  And is adherence to this doctrine required for salvation?  Although church fellowship requires complete agreement in doctrine and practice, a person can be saved without an adherence to the doctrine of creation.  In order to explain this answer, this study examines the difference between fundamental and non-fundamental doctrines.

The denial of one doctrine will logically result in the denial of other doctrines.  When man does not logically follow this, it is a called a “Felicitous Inconsistency.” (Pronunciation: fi-lis-i-tuh s )

Note: The first 4 minutes are an explanation of the outdoor church sign which read:
Side One:  Brothers living in unity under Aaron’s oily Beard Ps. 133
Side Two: The Aaronic benediction bestows the blessing of life

Handout 1: Gospel-Reset-Class-Four-April-7-2019.pdf
Overhead 1: Creation-Search-Results.pdf

Gospel Reset Bible Class, Pt. 3: The Domino Effect

Denying the Scriptural doctrine of a Creator and His six-day creation will have a profound effect on the teachings of the rest of the Scripture.  In this class, we see walk through some of the Scriptural doctrines which are overturned when evolution is allowed to infect the Christian faith.

Handout 1: Gospel-Reset-class-Two-March-24-2019.pdf

Gospel Reset Bible Class, Pt. 2: Inspiration and a Young Earth

First, we finished up the one-page handout (from last week) which gave an overview of the book “Gospel Reset: Salvation made Relevant,” (2018).  The book proposes the church engage in pre-evangelism, demolishing the wrong foundation of evolution, and teach apologetics.  We will examine these proposals as the study progresses.  We noted that the book’s terms are sometimes vague or not what we think.  I have often use the term pre-evangelism to refer to those gimmicks, which are used to get people to come to church.  He uses the term pre-evangelism for the teaching of the law which comes before (pre-) the Gospel (Evangel).

Second, we answered two questions.  1.  Does the Holy Scriptures teach a young earth, literal six-day creation?  and 2. Is God’s Word inerrant and truthful in every point (history, etc.)?  The answer to both of these questions is yes.  The book of Genesis (1:1-2:3) teaches the creation of the world in six normal days, followed by a rest day.  Holy Scripture is the sole source from which all doctrine is drawn. Not just in “spiritual” things, but whenever the Scripture speaks it is correct.

Note: The first three minutes are an introduction to our website Trinityh.org

Handout 1: Gospel-Reset-Overview.pdf
Handout 2: Gospel-Reset-class-Two-March-24-2019.pdf
Screenshots of our website: Web-site-pages.pdf

Gospel Reset Bible Class, Pt. 1: Introduction

Secular humanism teaches a progressive philosophy of life using only human reason and free inquiry. By that definition, God, religious dogma, and the supernatural are rejected while naturalism and a commitment to science is embraced in determining ethics and self-fulfillment. The adherence to the theory of evolution is one example of how the secularization of culture has become a problem in the church and in the church’s proclamation of the Gospel for those outside the church. The book “Gospel Reset: Salvation made Relevant,” (2018) written by Ken Ham presents a case for beginning with the Creator and the Genesis account of creation, which teaches the reality of sin and death, before presenting the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.

This study will examine the premises and conclusions of the book “Gospel Reset.” It will also use the topics addressed as a springboard to speak about related doctrines and practices.

Handout 1: Gospel-Reset-Overview.pdf

Theology Summary Bible Class Pt. 39: Kingdom of Glory

The subjects of the kingdom of glory are the same as that for the kingdom of grace–believers and holy angels.  The kingdom of grace is governed by means of the Word and sacraments administered by the pastoral office.  The subjects of the kingdom of grace are translated into the kingdom of glory either at death or on the last day.  The kingdom of glory is ruled by the Triune God directly. There is a difference in the mode of knowledge and conditions of their members.  In the kingdom of grace, believers receive by faith through the Word the revealed knowledge of God, while in the kingdom of glory believers experience the beatific vision of the glory of God. While in the kingdom of grace believers experience cross and tribulation, but in the heavenly kingdom will share in Christ’s glory.

Handout 1: The-Third-Genus-King-p25-26-only.pdf
Handout 2: Kingdoms-Definitions.pdf

Theology Summary Bible Class, Pt. 38: Kingdom of the devil

The kingdom of the devil is a kingdom of unbelief governed by the devil himself, who is a liar and murderer. The devil has not created anything, but only seeks by deception to get people to deny and/or misuse God’s gracious gifts. Revelation 12:9 says that he is “called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” According to Ephesians 2:1-3, even those later came to believe “were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”

The Lutheran Confessions explain that “the punishment and penalty of original sin, which God has imposed upon the children of Adam and upon original sin…” includes not only “death, eternal damnation, and also other bodily and spiritual, temporal and eternal miseries…” but also “the tyranny and dominion of the devil, so that human nature is subject to the kingdom of the devil and has been surrendered to the power of the devil, and is held captive under his away, who stupefies [fascinates] and leads astray many a great, learned man in the world by means of dreadful error, heresy, and other blindness, and otherwise rushes men into all sorts of crime” (FC, Ep. I. Original Sin 13).

Thankfully, “… Christ was given to us to remove both these sins and these punishments, and to destroy the kingdom of the devil, sin and death…” (Apology, II 50). “For human nature is far too weak to be able by its own powers to resist the devil, who holds as captives all who have not been freed through faith. There is need of the power of Christ against the devil, namely, that, inasmuch as we know that for Christ’s sake we are heard, and have the promise, we may pray for the governance and defense of the Holy Ghost, that we may neither be deceived and err, nor be impelled to undertake anything contrary to God’s will. [Otherwise we should, every hour, fall into error and abominable vices.] Just as Ps. 68, 18 teaches: Thou hast led captivity captive; Thou hast received gifts for man. For Christ has overcome the devil, and has given to us the promise and the Holy Ghost, in order that, by divine aid, we ourselves also may overcome. And 1 John 3, 8: For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (Ap IV, III, 17-18).

Handout 1: The-Third-Genus-King-p21-24.pdf
Handout 2: Kingdoms-Definitions.pdf
Handout 3: King-Chart-Throughout-Time.pdf

Theology Summary Bible Class, Pt. 37: The Two Kingdoms (Grace and State)

In the kingdom of power, the Triune God rules without means according to His omnipotence and omnipresence. God has always been and will always be the King of heaven and earth.  At the incarnation of the Son of God, the human nature of Christ was given authority in heaven and on earth.  Although all things have been put in subjection to Him, not all things are subject to Him.  “For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet” (1 Cor 15:25).

This class examined the two kingdoms: this world(the state) and grace (the church).  In the kingdom of this world, God rules the subjects of this kingdom, both believers and unbelievers, by means of law and the governing authorities.  Human reason is the guide for governance in this world.  In the kingdom of grace, God rule the subjects of this kingdom, only believers, by means of the Word (both the law and the promise of the Gospel) and sacraments and the apostolic/pastoral office. Although these two kingdoms are distinct they are not mutually exclusive.  The church is IN the world, but not OF the world (John 17:11-15).

Handout: Kingdoms-Definitions.pdf
Handout 2: King-Chart-Throughout-Time.pdf
Handout 3: Kingdom of Power, This World, and Grace, p.17-20

Overhead 1: One Page Overview of “Kingdom” in Scripture
Overhead 2: Walkthrough-of-Individuals-in-Two-Kingdoms.pdf
Overhead 3: Page 3 has Pope’s Three-fold Tiara