“We all long for Eden, and we are constantly glimpsing it: our whole nature at its best and least corrupted, its gentlest and most humane, is still soaked with a sense of ‘exile.’” -J. R. R. Tolkien

The linking of Eden, tabernacle, temple, and God's eternal city demonstrates that man’s most fundamental identity is liturgical. God created man and women so that they may worship. We are worshipping creatures, and we worship every day. The primacy of worship in humanity’s identity and creation means that nothing in the world is truly secular. The secular category does not exist – everything is religious and through and through an act of worship.

In his book, God Dwells Among Us, GK Beale gives twelve reasons (there are many more) that Eden primarily functions as a place of worship. I’ve attempted to

The temple is the place of God’s unique presence. Eden was also the place where God walked in fellowship with Adam. God walks with Adam in the garden, and the same verb form in Genesis also describes God’s presence in the tabernacle (Gen. 3:8; Lev. 26:12; Deut. 23:14-15; 2 Sam. 7:6-7; Ezek. 28:14).
The Genesis narrative depicts Adam as a priest concerning his mission, to work and keep the garden. In the temple, working and keeping are priests’ tasks (Num. 3:7-8; 8:25-26; 18:5-6; 1 Chron. 23:32; Ezek. 44:14). And Ezekiel describes Adam in priestly attire (Ezek. 28:13.).
In Exodus 25:18-22, the cherubim that guard the tree of life (Gen 3:24) become the guarding symbol of the tabernacle.
The temple lampstand (Ex. 25:31) in the temple (and the modern-day menorah) is a model of the “tree of life” from Genesis 2:9.
The tabernacle and the temple were ornately decorated in garden-like wood carving, giving the worshippers a sense of Eden (1 Kings 6:18-35; 7:18-20).
God instructs Solomon to build the temple facing east and to situate the temple on a mountain. Ezekiel’s future temple faced east and was on a mountain (Ezek. 40:2-6; 43:12). The entrance to the garden also faced east and located on a mountain (Gen. 3:24; Ezek. 28:14-16).
The ark of the covenant that contained the stone tablets of the law in the Holy of Holies reflects the knowledge of good and evil as both lead to wisdom.
The biblical writers across the Old and New Testaments link the river flowing out of Eden (Gen. 2:10) to God’s eschatological temple (Ezek. 47:1-12; Rev. 21:1-2; cf. Ps. 36:8-9; Rev. 22:1-2).
Eden was a garden of gold, onyx, and precious stones (Gen. 2:11-12). The same materials found in the garden are used to decorate the tabernacle and temple sanctuaries and priestly garments (Exod. 25:7-31).
God designed the temple into three parts (Holy of Holies > Holy Place > Courtyard), and God created the garden in three parts as well (Eden > Garden > Outer World).
Ezekiel says that “Eden, (is) the garden of God… the holy mountain of God,” and Ezekiel also says the garden contained “sanctuaries” (Ezek. 28:18; 7:24; Lev. 21:23; Jer. 51:51).
The building of the garden by the spoken word of God and the building of tabernacle by the command of God to men culminates in rest (Gen. 2:1-3, Exod. 31:12-17).

The question is, what or who do we bow down before daily? What habits of liturgy do you and I engage in daily?

Nick Kellogg 1/17/22 Nick Kellogg 1/17/22

2022

This second chapter of the confession is perhaps the most important chapter of this confession as this chapter is basically a summary of who God is, his very nature. As AW Tozer said, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."

Two reasons for this is so important:

the first is that according to Jesus this is not just central to eternal life, knowing God is eternal life. John 17:3 reads "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
Secondly, we become like what we worship. This is a biblical principle I don't have time to elaborate, but listen to this one passage from 2nd Corinthians3:18 "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." Or as John Owen put it: "Here would I live; here would I die; here would I dwell in my thoughts and affections, to the withering and consumption of all the painted beauties of this world, to the crucifying all things here below until they become to me a dead and deformed thing, in no way meet for affectionate embraces."

What is so great about this chapter is that it makes the glory, the greatness of the Lord, tangible, it makes his glory palpable. If you are looking for something to add in during an ACTS prayer for the adoration section, take notes.

In section one we see the glory of the Lord in his infinite perfections.

1. The Lord our God is one, the only living and true God. He is self-existent and infinite in being and perfection. His essence cannot be understood by anyone but him. He is a perfectly pure spirit. He is invisible and has no body, parts, or changeable emotions. He alone has immortality, dwelling in light that no one can approach. He is unchangeable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, in every way infinite, absolutely holy, perfectly wise, wholly free, completely absolute. He works all things according to the counsel of his own unchangeable and completely righteous will for his own glory. He is most loving, gracious, merciful, and patient. He overflows with goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. He rewards those who seek him diligently. At the same time, he is perfectly just and terrifying in his judgments. He hates all sin and will certainly not clear the guilty.

Section 2 shows the glory of the lord in his self-sufficiency

2. God has all life, glory, goodness, and blessedness in and of himself; he alone is all-sufficient in himself. He does not need any creature he has made nor does he derive any glory from them. Instead, he demonstrates his own glory in them, by them, to them, and upon them. He alone is the source of all being, and everything is from him, through him, and to him. He has absolute sovereign rule over all creatures, to act through them, for them, or upon them as he pleases. In his sight everything is open and visible. His knowledge is infinite and infallible. It does not depend upon any creature, so for him nothing is contingent or uncertain. He is absolutely holy in all his plans, in all his works, and in all his commands. Angels and human beings owe to him all the worship, service, or obedience that creatures owe to the Creator and whatever else he is pleased to require of them.

Thirdly, this chapter shows us the glory of the Lord in his tri-personal nature, in what we call the trinity.

3. This divine and infinite Being consists of three real persons, the Father, the Word or Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three have the same substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence without this essence being divided. The Father is not derived from anyone, neither begotten nor proceeding. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. All three are infinite and without beginning and are therefore only one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being. Yet these three are distinguished by several distinctive characteristics and personal relations. This truth of the Trinity is the foundation of all of our fellowship with God and of our comforting dependence on him.

Not only do we see God's glory clearly on display in this chapter, but isn't this also a comfort? To be reminded who our comforter is? At the same time this should humble us. It should humble us to realize God is infinite in his perfections, because we are not. It should humble us to recognize the Lord is the only self-sufficient one that we are dependent on.

Let me give you one more way you could apply what we've read, and I want to do this in line with a book titled "When people are big and God is small" by Ed Welch. His central point is that fear of man is essentially seeing God too small and people too big. What better to help us see God better than this chapter? Now perhaps it's not that people can be to big in your life, but what about politics? Comfort? Or even perhaps we think too much of ourselves and too little of the Lord?

With this application, let me suggest two questions you can ask "what is an area in your life that is too big, where God is too small?" secondly, "What from the chapter helps you see God as bigger, see God as greater?"

Guest User 1/16/22 Guest User 1/16/22

Unit 28, Session 4: Pursuing Godly Living

Scripture: 2 Peter 1

Dig & Discover Principles: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FvZCIHSOxackVo_9fIgDVCVSGGLKNQ3B/view

Sermons:
Help Me Teach the Bible with Jonathan Gibson: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/help-me-teach-the-bible/jonathan-gibson-on-2-peter/

Jonathan Gibson (bottom of page: Confirm Your Reservation): https://www.cambridgepres.org.uk/resources/app/type/sermons/name/jonny-gibson/book/2-peter

Ross Lester: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/word-of-the-week/growing-grace-requires-grace/

Kevin DeYoung: https://christcovenant.org/sermons/the-pattern-for-godliness-2/

Hershael York: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hZbaRUE6cY

Commentary/Study:
TGC Course Overview: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/course/2-peter/

Articles:
God’s Grace for a Life of Godliness: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/course/knowing-the-bible-1-2-peter-and-jude/#week-7-gods-grace-for-a-life-of-godliness-2-peter-11-15

Growth in the Faith: https://hereadstruth.com/2019/03/04/growth-in-the-faith/

Videos:
The Bible Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWLv_ITyKYc

Fill ins:
pg 49: establish, verify, evident

pg 50: lifetime, Christ, Holy Spirit, character

Guest User 1/12/22 Guest User 1/12/22

Unit 28, Session 3: The Word Became Flesh

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:1-3:7

Dig & Discover Principles: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FvZCIHSOxackVo_9fIgDVCVSGGLKNQ3B/view

Sermons:
Help Me Teach the Bible with John Piper: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/conference_media/help-teach-1-peter-john-piper/

Derrick Lynch: https://ftc.co/resource-library/chapel-messages/derrick-lynch-preaches-1-peter-1-13-21/

2016 TGC Women’s Conference: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/conference/2016-womens-conference/

Tim Keller: https://gospelinlife.com/downloads/suffering-if-god-is-good-why-is-there-so-much-evil-in-the-world-5491/

C.J. Mahaney: https://www.sgclouisville.org/sovereign-grace-church-louisville-sermons/sermon/2017-02-26/painful-yet-purposeful-c-j-mahaney-1-peter-1:6-9

Commentary/Studies:
Sam Storms: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/course/study-1-peter/#course-introduction

Garrett Kell: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/course/study-1-peter/#course-introduction

Look at the Book: https://www.desiringgod.org/scripture/1-peter/labs

Articles:
A Living Hope: https://hereadstruth.com/2019/02/18/a-living-hope/

A Call to Holy Living: https://hereadstruth.com/2019/02/19/a-call-to-holy-living/

God’s Good News in Bad News: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/gods-good-news-in-bad-news

Videos:
Life After Death: https://www.gospelproject.com/what-happens-after-die/

Evangelism: https://www.gospelproject.com/evangelism-duty-privilege-video/

Fill ins:
pg 39: Lord, resurrection

pg 41: duty, verbal, lifestyle

Guest User 1/11/22 Guest User 1/11/22

2nd London Baptist Confession of Faith Exhortation, Sunday January 9, 2022

“This little volume is not issued as an authoritative rule, or code of faith, whereby you are to be fettered, but as an assistance to you in controversy, a confirmation in faith, and a means of edification in righteousness. Here the younger members of our church will have a body of divinity in small compass, and by means of the scriptural proofs, will be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in them.”

—Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read 1:1, 1:4

Isaiah 8:20 – To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to God’s word, it is because they have no dawn.

In many circumstances in life a second opinion is a good thing. To have multiple sources of input or evidence may lead to a wise choice or a better outcome. If you are wondering where you should take your car to be worked on or maybe if you should undergo a medical procedure or what career path in college to choose. Certainly, these are decision that require prayer, counsel, and wisdom. These are the kinds of decisions that we make every day and therefore gathering multiple sources or authorities is prudent.

However, when it comes to the Holy Scripture, the Word of God alone is sufficient and certain. We do not need another authority for faith and obedience. We need only to ask what does the Word of God tell us? What does God’s Word say? We do not need any other authority or validation. The light of nature, reason, intuition, or our feelings do not add to the sufficiency or authority to God’s Word. In matters of faith and obedience, we need not ask what our neighbor thinks or what we feel to obey. We need only to find what God’s Word directs.

The authority and sufficiency of the Word of God becomes the foundation for all knowledge and wisdom. In matters of faith and obedience one needs only to consult God’s Word. In other matters, the Word of God is a foundation. One may choose to go to graduate school or drop out of school and start a business but all the education in the world cannot speak to what education and vocation for. What is its purpose? Obedience to the Word of God in matters of faith is the foundation for life, science, vocation, and all wisdom in the Word. The Word of God is the only sufficient foundation up on which we may build a life worth living.

Romans 15:4 - For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Ask yourself this morning, in matters of faith and obedience do you appeal only to the authority of God’s Word? As you gather around your table this week ask one another, how does the authority and sufficiency of the Word of God affect your day-to-day decisions? How is God’s Word foundational to every inch of life?