We are a local congregation in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church located in Amarillo, Texas.
God’s Holy Word is our primary standard. It is the only infallible rule of faith and practice. Our church officers subscribe to the Westminster Standards as our secondary standard, which consists of the Westminster Confession of Faith, Larger Catechism, and Shorter Catechism, as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures. Visit ccopc.org/beliefs/ for more information about what we believe.
What a great take on this passage! I always hate the "self help" message of standing up to your giants - reminds me of the "everyone has their own El Guapo" speech from "Three Amigos" (which itself may be satire on the self help handling of this passage). The whole point is we can't do it alone - Saul tried it and failed miserably. It was only when the man after God's own heart came and trusted fully on the Lord for deliverance that victory was achieved! Thank you Rev. Allard.
This is so helpful - it makes the purpose of the church so much more clear in this world. We don't have to confuse our efforts with political or social transformations, we simply need to worship and to "Go forth and make disciples" the rest will sort itself out according to the Lord's purposes. Of course we individuals in the church may get involved in other realms, but the church itself has a very clear and simple purpose.
The Spiritual World is something that seems hard for us to think about, maybe because we feel so powerless against an unseen entity - whether a friend or a foe? In the West, we mostly pass over these spiritual realities, but I think they're coming back into our consciousness to an extent. Psychology rules the day, and there are so many things that are unexplainable in our souls, sin and influences beyond the merely material.
Praise God for His justice and mercy. Thank God for Christ laying down His life to promote life - it was His to protect, but for our sakes he laid it down. Let us seek to promote life like our elder brother Jesus - by sharing His gospel that they may know and trust Him, resting secure in life everlasting.
Thank you, Reverend Boothby! I really appreciate your efforts in helping us understand the book of Revelation. Letting scripture interpret scripture really makes this so much more clear! I also really appreciate the emphasis on the sovereignty of God - when others see Revelation as a future event to be feared, we are instead reminded that our God is in control of all things (as He always has been) and that He works all things for the good of His church!
Thank you, Reverend Boothby! What a great reminder that our battle is spiritual and that the way we wage the war against the armies of Satan is through witness and evangelism. It's not human conquest. It's not Theonomy or forcing unbelievers to follow worldly recreations of God's law. It's care for the lost - a care that drives us to bring them to good news and hopefully lead them to Christ - only when the Spirit changes the heart is the enemy defeated and not only an enemy defeated, but a brother found.
"It is a proof that a man is grown higher when he can reach higher than he could before; so it is an argument that a soul is grown rich in grace when it can reach beyond what formerly it could reach into; when in duty, it can reach above duty; when in an ordinance, it can reach to Christ above the ordinance; when under enlargements, it can reach above the enlargements to Christ." - Thomas Brooks
1 Samuel 15 is such a rich passage - it's a foundational passage for important doctrines like the Regulative Principle of Worship, which is really based upon what is even more central to man: to say that our starting point in all things - especially worship - is and ought to be God, and not man. Saul didn't understand this.
I love this so much! We don’t obey to earn salvation, we obey because the great Lord loves us first and gave us a heart capable of loving Him! It’s not simple religiosity, it’s not a “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” arrangement, but true heart felt gratitude driving us to obedience! Praise God for the redemption of Christ Jesus our Lord! Let us strive to do good works until He returns or calls us home!
Thank you Reverend Allard! Anthropomorphism is so hard to understand and your analysis of the anthropomorphism in 1 Samuel 15 is such a helpful lesson in taking the full council of scripture when approaching a difficult passage!
What a helpful sermon! I think it’s an important reminder of how important praying (and praying properly) is in the life of the Christian. Also, it’s truly comforting to think of Christ and the Holy Spirit praying for us! To God be all praise and glory now and forevermore!
Reverend Boothby is so helpful in understanding difficult passages! He really uses the whole council of scripture to explain Revelation 7 in this sermon and I can’t recommend the full sermon enough!
