http://www.trinityopcnovato.org Serving Novato, Marin County, California and the World Wide Web. This site provides information about the Christian ministry of Trinity Presbyterian Church, OPC. This site also broadcasts the latest sermons and Sunday schools from Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Novato, CA. Our sermons seek to exposit Scripture, preaching Christ and the cross, and understanding the impact and demand of the Word on our lives. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:54:18 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Copyright © by W. Reid Hankins and Trinity Presbyterian Church, 2011 info@trinityopcnovato.org (Rev. W. Reid Hankins) info@trinityopcnovato.org (Rev. W. Reid Hankins) Religion & Spirituality:Christianity 1440 http://www.trinityopcnovato.org/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/tpc-vertical144.jpg http://www.trinityopcnovato.org 144 144 http://www.trinityopcnovato.org/?feed=podcast Sermons and Sunday Schools Serving Novato, Marin County, California and the World Wide Web. This feed broadcasts the latest sermons and Sunday schools from Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Novato, CA. Our sermons seek to exposit Scripture, preaching Christ and the cross, and understanding the impact and demand of the Word on our lives. Church, Novato, Marin, Hankins, Sermon, Christian, OPC, San Rafael Rev. W. Reid Hankins Rev. W. Reid Hankins info@trinityopcnovato.org no no http://www.trinityopcnovato.org/2011/07/17/hand/ http://www.trinityopcnovato.org/2011/07/17/hand/#comments Mon, 18 Jul 2011 04:33:29 +0000 Pastor Reid Hankins http://www.trinityopcnovato.org/?p=1428 http://www.trinityopcnovato.org/2011/07/17/hand/feed/ 0 0:00:01 Sermon preached on 1 Peter 4:7-11 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 7/17/2011 in Novato, CA. Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div. 1 Peter 4:7-11 7/17/11 “End of All Things is at Hand” The[...] Sermon preached on 1 Peter 4:7-11 by Rev. W. Reid Hankins during the Morning Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 7/17/2011 in Novato, CA. Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div. 1 Peter 4:7-11 7/17/11 “End of All Things is at Hand” The “End is Near.” If you see someone holding a cardboard sign with those words hand written on it, it’s likely you might scoff a bit inside. We’re used to seeing on TV or movies all sorts of doomsdays preachers that hold up signs like that or shout that in the city streets. Just recently Harold Camping and his followers said such things, and are still essentially saying such things. Others have before them as well. But let us be clear. We can disagree with Harold Camping setting a date. We might disagree with the approach and tone of people holding up cardboards signs. But the biblical truth is that indeed the end is near. That’s our very first verse for today. Verse 7 says here, “But the end of all things is at hand.” The NIV translates that as “The end of all things is near.” Same thing. Not just of some things. The end of all things has drawn near. That’s a biblical truth. And Peter says it should inform how we live right now. And so this will be our study for today. We’ll consider first the nearness of the end. Second, we’ll consider the general response commended here, based on this reality. In other words, how do we live in light of the end of the world. Third, we’ll hone in on one of those responses – we’ll consider in more detail the serious and watchful prayer commended in verse 7. Let’s begin with considering the nearness of the end. That’s verse 7′s bold pronouncement. Since Peter said this about 2000 years ago, it’s a fair question to ask what he meant by this. If the end was so near back then, how come it hasn’t come yet? So in this first point, I want us to understand in what sense the end has drawn near. Let’s start with the translation. The NKJV does a very good job with the translation here. To say that the end of all things is at hand, it to say how the end has drawn near. It expresses in one sense, the imminence and closeness of it, while at the same time acknowledging that’s it not here yet. Jesus used this exact same language with regard to the coming of the kingdom. The gospels start out recording Jesus saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” Well, I think there’s a helpful parallel there in thinking about the kingdom of God being at hand, and the end of all things being at hand. These things are closely connected. At the final end of all things, that’s when the kingdom of God will come in its fullness. And yet when Jesus teaches about the coming of the kingdom, we see there is a present dimension to it as well. There’s a sense in which the kingdom has come already through Christ’s ministry, especially his death and resurrection. His kingdom rule already operates by his Spirit and through his church, reigning from heaven at the right hand of God. His kingdom advances ever forward on earth, having a definitive victory already over Satan at the cross, as souls are won for him. And yet there’s clearly a sense in which the kingdom of glory has not come yet. That will happen in its fullness on Christ’s return. And so Christ’s kingdom has come, already, and not yet. It’s so imminently at hand, that in part we already taste of it, though not in its final fullness and glory. Well, that’s very similar with the end of all things. The New Testament talks about us being in the last days. Let me mention just a few. John says in 1 John 2:18 that it is the last hour. Hebrews 1:2 says that we are in the last days. James 5:3 says we are in the last days. It’s the implication of Jude 1:17 and Paul in 2 Timothy 3:15. [...] Rev. W. Reid Hankins no no http://www.trinityopcnovato.org/2009/02/01/watch-and-pray/ http://www.trinityopcnovato.org/2009/02/01/watch-and-pray/#comments Mon, 02 Feb 2009 04:45:11 +0000 Pastor Reid Hankins http://www.novatoopcsermons.org/?p=262 http://www.trinityopcnovato.org/2009/02/01/watch-and-pray/feed/ 0 0:36:35 Being alert can be very important at times.  If you don’t look both ways before you cross the street, it can be a deadly mistake.  If you fall asleep while driving, it can cost you your life.  If you don’t read the safety precautions before taking c[...] Being alert can be very important at times.  If you don’t look both ways before you cross the street, it can be a deadly mistake.  If you fall asleep while driving, it can cost you your life.  If you don’t read the safety precautions before taking certain medications, you can get very sick.  Being alert can be very important. When the Messiah tells you to be alert about something, it’s probably pretty important.  Jesus in this passage tells three of his disciples to be on guard.  He tells them to “Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation.”  This was an important warning. Passage: Mark 14:32-42 Author: Rev. W. Reid Hankins, M.Div. Sermon originally preached during the Morning Service at Trinity Presbyterian Church (OPC) on 02/01/2009 in Novato, CA. Manuscript: Watch and Pray Mark Rev. W. Reid Hankins no no