Subtopic: “Being Happy With Jesus Alone; Overcoming Myself”

Sermon Notes by Pastor Arthur H. Coleman Sr. for Sunday May 4, 2014

Texts: 1 Kings 18:21 “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God follow him: but if Ba’al, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.”

2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (vs4) and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

Psalms 17:15 "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness".

PREMISE

The Pulpit Commentary Vol.21, Pages 65-66, a comment on 2 Timothy 4 3-4---  I. THE REASON OF THE APOSTASY. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.” 1. The gospel-doctrine is sound, because it necessitates a holy life, and holds the gratification of sinful passions to be inconsistent with the hopes of salvation. 2. Evil men cannot endure it, because it is so opposed to the corruption of human nature, and therefore treat it with neglect, if not contempt. II.THE EFFECT OF THIS MORAL DISGUST AT THE GOSPEL. “but having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts.” 1. They Will Not Discard The Ministry Absolutely. They will only exchange one class of ministers for another. But they will vastly multiply the number of religious guides. 2. The Itch For Novelty Led To The Multiplication Of Teachers. They were fickle, unsettled, and uneasy. They wanted to hear new things or smooth things, such as would reflect the unreasonable notion or desire of a corrupt nature. 3. The Reason For The Whole Rabble Of Teachers That They Gathered To Themselves is to be found in their wish to have their fancies gratified--- “after their own lusts.” They wanted indulgent guides, who would flatter the pride of human nature, and not lay too great a stress upon the importance of a holy life. The sound doctrine was necessarily allied to a pure morality. III.THE RETRIBUTION THAT AWAITS ON SUCH A PERVERSION OF JUDGEMENT. “And will turn away their from the truth, and be turned aside unto fables.” 1. It Is A Solemn Fact In Divine Providence, That When Men Do Not Like To Return To The Knowledge Of The Truth , God gives them up to a reprobate mind, so that they lose all relish for sound doctrine.  

   2. It Is An Equally Solemn Fact That, If The Truth Is Repudiated , The Heart Will Therefore Cease To Exercise Itself About Religious Concerns. The heart cannot long remain empty. Fables rush in to occupy the place which denies a footing to truth, just a slack of religious faith  has a vacuum-creating power, which superstition immediately rushes in to fill up. What a waste of soul!--- profitless fables taken in exchange for soul-saving truth!

Subtopic: "Standing For The Truth: Our Contention"

Sermon Notes By Pastor Arthur H. Coleman Sr. For Sunday April 28, 2014

Text: St. John 8:31-32 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; (vs32) And ye shall know the truth,( i.e.to realize in the very depths of your being the trustworthy character of my word.)  and the truth shall make you free.”

Jude Verse 3 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." 


PREMISE

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.17, Page 392, a comment on St John 8:32 “There is the highest knowledge--- the truth. There are many truths, but this is the truth. This truth means the great facts of human redemption through Jesus Christ. We need not to list them; they will naturally occur to each in there magnitude , beauty, and order. They are various, yet one, constituting one Divine system of salvation. This is the truth made known by Christ, and to know this is the highest knowledge attainable by man, because it pertains to his spiritual nature, and involves his highest good. It is the most necessary and valuable.”

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.22, Pages21-22, a comment on Jude verse 3. 1. The Matter To Be Contended For. (1) It is the doctrine of faith, or the truth which is to be received in order to our salvation. It is called "faith" because it is the instrument used by the Holy Spirit to work faith. (2) It is the faith "delivered" by God, not delivered by man. The natural man can no more perceive than he can discover the things which are of God (1 Cor.2:14).(3) It is the faith delivered "once for all". No other faith will ever be given. No new doctrines are to be added to the circle of faith, though the truth may be cast in new forms, and shaped according to the intellectual and spiritual  demands for immediate action or attention of each age. Therefore (a)it is a great sin to despise the faith delivered to us; (b) we ought to be thankful for it; (c) we ought to receive and obey it in the love of it; (d) we ought to guard it against heretical perversions. (4)It is a sacred deposit placed in the hands of trustees--- "delivered to the saints." not to holy prophets and apostles merely, but to all saints, even in ages destitute of prophets and apostles. (a) It is a solemn trust, involving great responsibilities. (b) The saints are to keep the faith for their own salvation and comfort. (c) They are to keep it for generations to come. (d) How much is the world indebted to the saints! (e) The trustees of the faith ought to have holy hands and holy hearts. 2. How Shall The Saints To Contend For The Faith.   (a) by refuting and convincing gainsayers, (b) by praying for its success, (c) by confessing it boldly before men, (d) by mutual exhortation, (e) by holy example, (f) by suffering for the truth."

Subtopic: Let Your Blood Cover; Let Your Blood Prevail

Sermon Notes By Pastor Arthur H Coleman Sr. For Sunday April 20, 2014

Text: Exodus 12:12-14"For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the first born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.(vs13) And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. (vs14) And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever".

Lev. 17:11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for your soul."

1 Peter 1:18-21 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; (vs19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (vs20) Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, (vs21) Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”

Premise

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.22, Page 50, a comment on 1 Peter 1:18-19. REDEMPTION NECESSIATES HOLINESS. “1. Redemption is from the vain manner of life received from our fathers. “Conversion;” equivalent to “manner of life.” Christ died to deliver us from the sinful manner of life received from our fathers. From hell; yes, that is clear. “The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all;” (Isa.53:6) “He bore our sins in his body on the tree.”(1 Peter 2:24)      “There is therefore now no condemnation,” (Romans 8:1), ect. But that is not the end for which he died, as only a means to that end. Holiness in us was the purpose for the atonement, so much so that if we can imagine one getting no further than the cancelling of his sins only, we would be compelled to say that Christ died for him in vain.(see 2 Cor.5:15; Gal.1:4; Gal.5:25-27; Titus 2:14). Redemption by Christ is from the life of the natural man: “If any man be in Christ Jesus, it is a new creation.” 2. Redemption is only effected at unspeakable cost .     “ Not with corruptible,” ect. An emphatic testimony that redemption is through our Lord’s death --- not through his life, or example, or holiness, or mediation, but, as Scripture invariably says with unwavering consistency, by “his blood”. God himself bore the penalty of human guilt that he might righteously extend his mercy to the guilty. Nor can we imagine any method which so glorifies his grace and reveals himself. Think of the worth of our Lord’s offering. The universe were as nothing compared to the Son of God. What unfathomable meaning is in the words, “the precious blood of Christ”! Now, this stupendous price was paid for nothing less that we might be holy.”

Subtopic : "He Knoweth The Way That I Take"

Sermon Notes By Pastor Arthur H. Coleman Sr. For Sunday April 13,2013

Text: Job 23:8-14 "Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: (vs9) On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: (vs10) But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. (vs11) My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. (vs12) Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. (vs13) But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. (vs14) For he perfometh the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him."

Philippians 3:11-15 "If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. (vs12) Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. (vs13) Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, (vs14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (vs15) Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

PREMISE

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.7,Page 404, a commentary on Job 23:10-- GOD'S KNOWLEDGE AND MAN'S DISCIPLINE. "Job has just been owning his difficulty in finding God. He searches in all directions, forward and backwards, on the left hand and on the right, and he cannot discover God (vers.8,9). But although it is so hard for him to attain to a knowledge of God, he is quite certain that God knows him. We are known by God before we think of acknowledging him, and when we are bewildered with the mystery of life all is clear and open to God. God knows the way that his servants take. (1) Past experiences. He knows what we have had to contend with, and why our lives have been vexed and tried. (2) Present circumstances. At the very moment when we have some new difficulty to face, some new height to climb, or some new snare to avoid, God is with us, perfectly understanding the whole situation. (3) Future scenes. One step is enough for us, because God knows all that lies before us. Although our way may seem to be leading to impossible regions, he who sees the end from the beginning can lead us through. If God knows our way, we have not to travel like Columbus, over untried seas. The whole route has been mapped out by God. We cannot be lost if he who knows our way is our Guide."

Subtopic: Day By Day I Will Make This Journey

Sermon Notes By Pastor Arthur H. Coleman Sr. For Sunday April 6, 2014

Text: Psalm 37:23-26 “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. (vs24) Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. (vs25) I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. (vs26) He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.”

Romans 8:28-31 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. (vs29) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (vs30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (vs31) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”

PREMISE

The Pulpit Commentary Vol.8,Pages 290-291,a comment on Romans 8;28 “In The Widest Sense Human Life--- “ the steps of [each] man,” the path in which he treads--- is under God’s guidance; upheld by his power, directed by his counsel (Proverbs 20:24). As a journey is made up of single steps, and one false step may be fatal; so life, of momentary experiences and acts of choice, of which the greatest may hinge on the least. Life or death may hang on a pair of damp sheets or wet shoes, or a whiff of poisoned air. The fate of an empire may turn on the flight of a bullet. A spider’s web spun across a dark opening has saved a fugitive from his persecutors. A successful career or a happy home may be owing to a seemingly chance meeting. If, therefore God rules human affairs, he must foresee and control their most minute and secure causes.”

Subtopic: “ Let Us Not Lose The Book” 


Sermon notes By Pastor Arthur H. Coleman Sr for Sunday March 23, 2014 


Text: 2 Chronicles 33:14-15;18-19;21 “And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, Hil-ki’ah the priest found a book of the law of the Lord given by Moses. (vs15) And Hil-ki’ah answered and said to Sha’phan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hil-ki’ah delivered the book to Sha’phan. (vs18)Then Sha’phan the scribe told the king, (Josiah) saying, Hil-ki’ah the priest hath given me a book. And Sha’phan read it before the king. (vs19) And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent(tore) his clothes. (vs21)Go, enquire of the Lord for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Ju’dah , concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do after all that is written in this book.” 

Romans 15:4 “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” 

PREMISE 

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.6, Pages 419-420 “Judah had been concerning itself, had been “careful and troubled” about many things, but it had not thought it worth the while to multiply copies of the “Law of the Lord”, of its own sacred books; so negligent had it been that one is accidentally discovered in the ruins of the temple. Of what great and guilty negligence are we capable! We may be spending our time and strength, we may be exhausting  ourselves and endangering our health and life in all kinds of unprofitable occupation, in fruitless labour or in amusement which begins and ends in itself, and all the time may be neglecting that one study or that one habit in pursuit of which “standeth our eternal life.”There are many men in Christian countries who expend the substance upon, and occupy their very life with, horses, or dogs, or guns, who do not afford even  a few hours a year to the serious study of the will of God as revealed by his Son and recorded in his Word. The treasure which cannot be estimated in gold or silver lies untouched, as much buried from sight and use as if it had been hidden in some crypt of the temple. It may not be our deeds, but our negligences, that we shall most fear to face in the great day of account. 

In that book of the Law of the Lord there were instructions and admonitions which, if duly heeded, would have ensured abiding peace and honour to the inhabitants of Judah. These had been waywardly and fragrantly disregarded. And now the time for employing them had well-nigh gone. What was left was the sad opportunity of verifying by bitter experience the truth of its threatening. This was the alternative now open to Judah. Let us take care lest, by our disregard of the promises, we bring upon ourselves the warnings of the Word of God. “If we will not be ruled by the rudder, we must be ruled by the rock.” If we will not take advantage of the gift of the gracious laws and the gracious overtures of God, we must “show forth” the severity of those righteous laws which attach suffering and shame to vanity and guilt.” 

Subtopic: “The Need For Inward Power”

Sermon Notes by Pastor Arthur H. Coleman Sr. For Sunday March 16, 2014

Text:1 John 3:24 “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”

Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

PREMISE

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.22, Page 86 a comment on 1 John 3:24. “THE FRUITFUL INDWELLING OF THE SPIRIT IS THE SEAL OF GOD’S LIFE IN THE SOUL. “When by inspiration not of man nor by man we are led to a life which is above and beyond nature, “ we know that he abides in us.” The Spirit which he gave us when we believed (Eph.1:13) is the seal to us of God’s own life. His command used to be an outside letter, bidding us to live a life that was high above us. Now we have an inward force, inspiring a life that conforms to the letter! In a word, God’s Spirit in the soul brings about, in actual life, what the precept enjoins. By the Word we are taught that such a life was the right one to lead. By the Spirit we are also inspired that we cannot lead any other! Let us give note to the fact that :1 The God’s Law outside of our being is a great gift. The Spirit within is greater. It is a blessing to be shown the right way. It is a greater blessing to be disposed to walk therein. 2. As we all have the blessing of the Word, and since we know that there is a greater one obtainable, ought we not to seek for it? For observe: 3. The Gift of the Holy Ghost, albeit it is the greatest possible blessing, is precisely that of which we may make most sure, when sought by fervent prayer. 4. Let those who have the Spirit of God seek for a richer fullness of his indwelling power. The more that we allow the Holy Ghost to possess us, the easier will it be to obey; and just as it is the penitent’s duty to receive pardon from Christ by faith, even so it is the believer’s duty to receive the Spirit from him by faith.” 

Subtopic: “How Shall I Live In This World”

Text: Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, (vs12) Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (vs13) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (vs14) Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people , zealous of good works.”

PREMISE

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.21, Pages33-34;a comment on Titus 2:11-13  II. THE EFFECTS OF THE GRACE OF GOD. “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.” This grace first manifests itself by teaching, just as the first thing in creation was light. It must begin with teaching, and the Spirit of God is given “to teach all things”(St. John 14:26). The original word implies the idea of a disciplining process, effected by the grace of God to correct the inherent naughtiness of the heart. 2. The grace of God works toward the rejection of evil, for it teaches us “to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts.” (1) The denial is in the heart and deed. It involves the denial of self (St. Luke 9:23). (2) It is the rejection of ungodliness in heart and life. (a) Ungodliness  includes lack of reverence for God, blasphemy, and lack of religious faith. (b) It includes all living without all that are living  without having a true relationship with God regardless whether they are blasphemers or not. Thus a man can be considered ungodly who seeks only for his own pleasure, distinction, or happiness in the world. (c) Ungodliness implies the deeper enmity of the heart to God (Rom.8:7) (3) It is the denial of worldly lusts; including the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and vain glory of life--- “all that is in the world”--- which embody the enmity to God. Thus it denies (a) sensual lusts (2 Tim.2:22); (b) the inordinate desire of worldly things which may be lawful within themselves. 3. The Grace Of god Produces Positive Effects. “We should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.” (1) It secures the due regulation of individual life. “Soberly” This refers to the duties we owe ourselves. (a) In keeping a fair balance of judgment intellectually; (b) in keeping a due mastery over our passions---“a sobriety in speech, in behavior, in apparel, in eating, and drinking, in recreations, and in the enjoyment of lawful satisfactions.” (2) It secures the faithful discharge of all duties to our fellow-men. “Righteously” Justice is an exact virtue , which can be easily measured, and is therefore the basis of commercial and civil life. A single failure in justice makes a man unjust. Therefore it is most necessary we should give our neighbor his due, and not compromise ourselves by conduct which would bring injury to the gospel.

(3) It secures godliness. “Godly” that is, with God, in God, for God. This godly life is a dedication to God and spent in his fear.

Subtopic: "It's God's Way Or No Way"

Sermon Notes By Pastor Arthur H. Coleman Sr. For Sunday March 2, 2014

Text: Psa. 127:1 "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

Eccl.3:14 "I know that, whatsoever God doeth , it shall be  for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it : and God doeth it, that men should fear before him."

Isaiah 55:6-9 “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: (vs7) Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (vs8) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. (vs9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

St. John 15:4-5 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (vs5) I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

Premise

The Pulpit Commentary Volumes 8 &9 , Pages 62-63 &227-228 , comments on Psa.127:1 and Eccl. 3:14."UNBLESSED LABOUR 1. We can do nothing at all without the Divine co-operation. We constantly depend on the presence of his material, on the action of his laws, on the activity of the forces he keeps in play. We all recognize this in agriculture; that it is vain for the husbandman to sow his seed, unless God sends his rain and wind and sunshine ect. It is also true of our other occupations. The sailor and the builder depend on the constancy and regularity of Divine laws and forces. We are always assuming their existence, though we may think nothing of their Author. 2. We can effect nothing without divine permission. If God means that the guilty city shall fall, the watchman will wake and the soldier will fight in vain. If God intends to humble a man whose pride needs to be brought down, his utmost exertions in his trade or in his profession will not bring success. Many a man has found, as he at first thought to his cost, but afterwards knew to his advantage, that when God's wise and faithful providence is against his prosperity, he wakes early and works hard in vain. But how much more is blessed is he in a corrective adversity, than he would be in a hardened prosperity! We do well to ask that God's blessing may wait upon and crown all our activities; we do well, also; to remember that it may happen that, for our own sake, God will not grant us our desire in the form of temporal success. 3. We find no blessedness in a prosperity which is not hallowed by devotion. It is a vain thing for a man to strive hard and to attain the immediate object of his pursuit , if he is not making his life a life of holy service. Even if the bread he eats is not "bread of sorrows" in the sense that it is scanty, yet it will be such in the sense that it yields no abiding joy; for it is abundantly clear that a life of even prosperous labour , apart from the service and without the friendship of God, selfish and earthbound, is a life of dissatisfaction and practical defeat. The springs of pure and lasting joy do not rise on that lower ground."

A comment on Eccl.3:14 says "Behind man's free action and volition (the act of willing) stands the will of God, which orders events with a view to eternity, and that man can alter nothing of the providential arrangement. We cannot hasten or retard God's designs; we cannot add to or curtail his plans. There is a moral purpose in this disposal of events. Men feel this uniformity and unchangeableness in the working of Providence, and thence  learn to cherish a reverential awe for the righteous government of which they are the subjects."

Subtopic: God’s Overshadowing Providence/”Lord Let Me Hide In Thee”

Sermon Notes By Pastor Arthur H. Coleman Sr For Sunday February 23, 2014

Text: Psalm 91:1-7 “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (vs2) I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. (vs3) Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. (vs4) He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. (vs5) Thou shall not be afraid for the terror by night; nor the arrow that flieth by day; (vs6) Nor the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. (vs7) A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.”

St. Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (vs29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (vs30) For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

PREMISE

“The rest, peace and security that we seek is only found in that “secret place of the most High” as we “abide under the shadow of the Almighty”, inasmuch as we take upon us the yoke of Christ which is the yoke of Christian living, Christian duty,  and Christian affliction, which gives us the full knowledge of Christ , which in turn  causes us to experience the ease of the yoke, the lightness of the burden and the resting place of His security and peace.---AHC.