BetterThanSacrifice.org » Audio

The challenge: give a talk on the birth of Christ as the fulfilment of prophecy. Oh, and keep it to 5 minutes

BetterThanSacrifice — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:45:31 +0000

I was asked to talk on this topic for a carol service at the local sheltered housing complex just before Christmas. What a great subject! But, how to do it justice in ‘about 5 minutes’? Give me an hour, and no problem. But a mere 300 seconds? That’s hard!

And how in that short time do I weave in not just the good news of Christ crucified for sinners and raised from the dead, but also the reason for that gospel — our failure to keep God’s law? After all, there’s no sense in talking about the Saviour unless you first explain what we all need to be saved from — the just wrath of a holy and righteous God that we each have earned by our sin.

Could I do all this in a way that would make sense to people present who had little or no Bible knowledge and somehow also keep the interest of those that have been studying their Bibles for more years than I have lived?

I enjoy a challenge (sometimes, at least). So I eagerly accepted. And then spent the best part of three solid days preparing. Here’s the result.

Christmas homily 2009 (MP3, 21MB)

Ok, so I biffed it. It’s 9 minutes*, not 5. What would you have left out that I kept in? And what would you have included that I left out? Leave a comment to let me know! And I subsequently noticed that I’ve made at least one minor error of fact. Can you spot it?

Incidentally, the wider text for the evening as a whole was Matthew 1:18–25 (quoted here from the NKJV):

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

²⁰ But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.’

²² So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ²³ ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’

²⁴ Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, ²⁵ and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

* I requested prior special dispensation for running over time, and it was generously given. And I reckon that I was probably closer to 8 on the night — I made the above recording independently after the event.

Combative, opinionated, and highly recommended – the Fighting for the Faith radio programme

BetterThanSacrifice — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:54:50 +0000

I consider Fighting for the Faith to be essential listening. Chris Rosebrough, the show’s host, examines the trends and fads of today’s church, comparing what people say in God’s name with what is taught by Scripture.

Although entertainingly polemical, Chris doesn’t just poke holes. Rather, he equips his listeners to defend against error. He gives clear correction from the Bible and always directs us towards the true Gospel of Christ crucified for sinners. He faithfully handles the Word of God, properly understanding and explaining the critical distinction between Law and Gospel. He uses the law to crush us, and calls us to repentance, but never neglects to offer the forgiveness of sin through trusting in Christ’s death on the cross.

A highlight of most programmes is the sermon review — after listening to Fighting for the Faith for a few weeks, you’ll perhaps never listen to a sermon in the same way again.

As with Issues, Etc (mentioned in my previous post), Chris is coming from a Confessional Lutheran background. Don’t let that put you off, even if you (like me) are from a different tradition. There is gold here.

If you find yourself listening to Fighting for the Faith regularly, don’t forget to support the work by joining the Pirate Christian Radio crew or making a donation!

‘The Calvin I Never Knew’ seminars by Dr Frank A. James III (audio)

BetterThanSacrifice — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 21:16:09 +0000

I’d like to share with you another gem on iTunes U from the Reformed Theological Seminary. Dr Frank A. James III gives a refreshing, and perhaps unexpected, perspective on John Calvin. If you have iTunes installed, you can find the seminars here. Give them a try — you’ll be captivated.

Paul Washer on the True Gospel

BetterThanSacrifice — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 15:35:26 +0000

Crosstalk has a radio broadcast of a talk by Paul Washer, given in February 2008. Paul, in his usual uncompromising and clear way, presents the essence of the True Gospel of Jesus Christ. Well worth a listen.

Listen (MP3)

The Crosstalk site also offers this broadcast in RealAudio and Windows Media formats.

‘History and Theology of the Puritans’ lecture series by J I Packer (audio)

BetterThanSacrifice — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 01:14:21 +0000

My wife and I have recently finished listening to Dr Packer’s lectures on the Puritans, recorded about 20 years ago at Reformed Theological Seminary. The Puritans did not conform to the misleading stereotypes that we have of them, but had a zeal for making the most of life by putting into practice what they found in Scripture. Dr Packer is engaging on this important subject, and we give the series our wholehearted recommendation.

You can hear this series for free via RTS on iTunes U. You can access the series here, or, once you’ve managed to get to the iTunes U area in the iTunes Store, navigate to Reformed Theological Seminary > RTS/Virtual Courses in Church History > History and Theology of the Puritans.