Understanding Christianity

Dr. Sean Cole teaches from Chapter 5 of the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession on God's PROVIDENCE. There is a correlation between Chapters 3, 4 and 5. God’s Decree describes His sovereign plan that He made before the foundation of the world. God then created the universe out of nothing for His glory. God’s Providence is the OUTWORKING or EXECUTION of that eternal decree in the created world through time, space, and history. God’s providence brings up some fundamental questions: Does it make any difference what I do if God has it all planned out? Is God the author of sin? How does any good come out of evil? He addresses these issues from the Scriptures and interacts with the wording of the 1689. www.seancole.net

In Judges 11, we see the epitome of evil in Jephthah's rash vow when he sacrifices his only daughter. His big mouth gets him into trouble. He is always talking, but God is eerily silent. Why did Jephthah do such a wicked thing? Was he desensitized to the pagan culture around him? Did he not understand God's sovereign grace? How do we respond to this chapter, which presents a "nasty"--a sordid episode in Israel's history? Dr. Sean Cole shows how the gospel of grace overshadows the worst of depravity. In light of the cross and resurrection, one of the best things we can do is to hear God speak and shut our mouths. www.seancole.net

Dr. Sean Cole teaches from Chapter 4 of the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession on CREATION. He discusses the question around a literal 24-hour day. He also addresses alternate views to the historical 24-hour view: (1) The gap theory, (2) the Day-Age Theory, and (3) Framework Hypothesis view. He also discusses what it means to be made in the image of God. He takes a detour and discusses how we as Christians are living in a negative world as opposed to a neutral or positive world of the past. Enjoy!

Does God have the sovereign right to execute His justice and punish our sins? Does God have the sovereign right to extend His mercy and forgive our sins? The answer to both of these questions is an emphatic “YES!!!” This passage raises a very important question: How can an absolutely righteous God punish our sins and yet, at the same time, completely forgive us? We must always understand that God must execute divine justice against our sins and, at the same time, is merciful, loving, and forgiving. How can God be both severe in His justice and yet compassionate in His mercy? This is most beautifully expressed when Jesus died on the cross. You can watch this sermon on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-CZzrvkomY

Dr. Sean Cole continues teaching through the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession. This session focuses on the doctrine of Predestination from Chapter 3. He examines John 6, Ephesians 1, Romans 8 and 9. He discusses reprobation, equal ultimacy, and then addresses four primary objections to unconditional election. www.seancole.net

A few weeks ago, Dr. Sean Cole was reading Volume 10 of the Works of John Owen and his essay called "A Display of Arminianism." In Chapter 13 on the issue of free will, Sean was surprised to find that the problems Owen identified with the Arminians of his day are the key tenets of modern day Provisionism. Owen interacts with these views and they are eerily similar to what Leighton Flowers and others believe about the nature of man and the nature of grace. Listen as Sean reads the words of Owen who rejects libertarian free will and actually summarizes most of the key tenets of Provisionism. www.seancole.net

In Judges Chapter 9, we see the treachery that results from the wicked leadership of Gideon's son from a concubine, the man, Abimelech. The main idea of this lengthy chapter is this: You get what you ask for when you accept bad leadership. Why do churches sometimes accept unqualified leaders as their pastors? The books of 1 Timothy and Titus clearly set forth the biblical qualifications for pastors so that there is no ambiguity or misunderstanding on the character and aptitude of spiritual leaders. Why do churches bypass these clear teachings, wiggle, or compromise on these when selecting a pastor? Dr. Sean Cole also explains how 1 Corinthians 3:5-17 relates to Judges 9 regarding spiritual leadership. www.seancole.net

In this session, Dr. Cole addresses paragraphs one and two of Chapter 3 on God's decree. He mentions three fences the confession gives to qualify the absolute and meticulous sovereignty of God. He also addresses why Reformed Baptists do not believe in mere foreknowledge but that God determines whatsoever comes to pass. Listen and enjoy! www.seancole.net

Will you end well? We scratch our heads in disappointment when we see someone undergo a tragic downfall. Perhaps you’ve even seen it with someone you love. You may have someone close to you who once professed faith in Christ and obeyed Jesus; now, they are walking in rebellion and could not care less. It’s a punch to the gut as we see someone start out so well and end badly. In Judges 8, we see the tragic downfall of Gideon, who started out so well and ended badly. Can those who are true Christians, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, fall quickly into idolatry and serious sinful habits? Absolutely. We have seen it with Gideon, who started so well and ended so badly. How do we avoid his tragic error? Listen and find out.

Dr. Sean Cole continues this in-depth teaching on the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession. In this session, he addresses the attributes of God and the doctrine of the Trinity from Chapter Two. www.seancole.net

God teaches Gideon a lesson by winnowing down the army to 300 men. : God will confront our prideful independence to lead us to humble dependence. In the end, God alone gets all the glory. Here’s the beauty of our salvation from first to last. The glory is ALL God’s, but the blessings are all ours. Not because we deserve them, have earned them, or have done enough spiritual things to get on God’s good side. No! Salvation is of the LORD! He alone saves. He alone gets the glory! HE alone gets the victory. He alone is deserving of all our praise! What do we get? All the spiritual blessings! So that we may not boast in ourselves but only in Jesus!

Start out the new year by spending time in the book of Philippians. Dr. Sean Cole's book "40 Days in Philippians: Finding Joy in Jesus" will help you grow in Christ. You can order here from the G3 Press website: https://g3min.org/shop/books/g3press/40-days-in-philippians-finding-joy-in-jesus-sean-cole/?mc_cid=49311f516a&mc_eid=d2c09c6b6d Dr. Sean Cole continues through Chapter One of the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession. He address the sufficiency of Scripture, the closed canon, the reliability of modern translations, the need to have faithful teachers of the Bible, and how we handle theological controversies.

Start out the new spending time in the book of Philippians. Dr. Sean Cole's book "40 Days in Philippians: Finding Joy in Jesus" will help you grow in Christ. You can order here from the G3 Press website: https://g3min.org/shop/books/g3press/40-days-in-philippians-finding-joy-in-jesus-sean-cole/?mc_cid=49311f516a&mc_eid=d2c09c6b6d In Judges Chapter 6, we are introduced to Gideon. Have you ever experienced a time when your faith was really weak? You felt anxious and fearful, and you were barely hanging on spiritually? Here is this chapter's main point or central theme: God’s tender patience extends beyond our fragile faith. This chapter is nicely divided into FIVE scenes or sections that show us how God equipped GIdeon in his weakness.

Dr. Sean Cole begins a new teaching series on the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith. In this introductory session, he gives some church history concerning Reformed confessions and why Emmanuel Baptist Church switched from the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 to the 1689. He then covers Chapter One on the Scriptures and discusses the necessity, inerrancy, inspiration, and authority of the Bible. You can find the 1689 in modern English from the Founders website here: https://founders.org/library-book/1689-confession/

Pastor Sean reminded the people of Emmanuel how the early church in Acts 2 grew in their faith. Emmanuel Baptist Church uses the Discipleship Pathway to help people take their next step in maturity. The four phases are Worship Biblically, Connect Relationally, Grow Intentionally, and Serve Generously. While this sermon is very specific to Emmanuel, listeners will learn about the biblical bases for how to do discipleship in the local church. www.seancole.net

Begin the new year with Sean's new book, 40 Days in Philippians: Finding Joy in Jesus. You can purchase it from the G3 website here: https://g3min.org/shop/books/g3press/40-days-in-philippians-finding-joy-in-jesus-sean-cole/?mc_cid=49311f516a&mc_eid=d2c09c6b6d Pastor Sean encouraged the congregation at Emmanuel Baptist Church to start off the new year focusing on the benediction in Hebrews 13:20-21. God equips us with everything we need to do His will. Listen as he does an in-depth exposition of one of his favorite prayers in the New Testament.

In this final chapter, we see two groups of people. You are either a Christian who has been saved by grace, or you are a non-Christian who lives in rebellion against God. There is no in-between group of people. This is a discussion about the last days and that period of intense tribulation that will come upon the world. In every age, there is tribulation. We are living in a time of tribulation right now—there is suffering, there is spiritual warfare, there is persecution, and it is very intense in other parts of the world. But the Bible teaches that there will be a period of intense tribulation right before Christ comes back. How do we live as faithful believers in a sinful world as we await Christ’s return? We are to live as those who are wise as opposed to those who are wicked.

Begin the new year with Sean's new book, 40 Days in Philippians: Finding Joy in Jesus. You can purchase it from the G3 website here: https://g3min.org/shop/books/g3press/40-days-in-philippians-finding-joy-in-jesus-sean-cole/?mc_cid=49311f516a&mc_eid=d2c09c6b6d Daniel Chapter 11 is one big history lesson as it unfolds significant events in world history. What we have before us is an amazing section of Scripture because it is not history but prophecy. This material was written and given to Daniel years before these events happened. This passage has baffled the liberal theologians because they can’t believe that Daniel would have been so specific about future events that they think it was not written by Daniel but written after these events occurred. We know that all Scripture is God-breathed and without error, so we stand with utmost confidence today and say that this prophecy of events came true in history to the “T.” The inerrancy of Scripture is under attack today.

Begin the new year with Sean's new book, 40 Days in Philippians: Finding Joy in Jesus. You can purchase it from the G3 website here: https://g3min.org/shop/books/g3press/40-days-in-philippians-finding-joy-in-jesus-sean-cole/?mc_cid=49311f516a&mc_eid=d2c09c6b6d Daniel 10 shows us the spiritual battle happening in the heavenlies behind the cosmic curtain. Spiritual warfare is real. God is sovereign and allows this warfare to happen for His purposes alone. What we experience here on earth may sometimes be due to the spiritual conflict in the heavens. Prayer is vital to this battle. God delays answers to prayer for us to grow in godliness and to conform more to the image of Jesus. What indeed strengthens us in this cosmic conflict is to think about and glory in the overwhelming, blazing majesty of a sovereign God.

You can purchase Sean's new book from G3 Press called 40 Days in Philippians: Finding Joy in Jesus here: https://g3min.org/product/40-days-in-philippians-finding-joy-in-jesus-sean-cole/ Dr. Sean Cole interacts with a short clip from Leighton Flowers of Soteriology 101 who claims that the Calvinistic understanding of Genesis 50:20 is wrong because it assumes theistic determinism. Sean shows how God can ordain all things that come to pass without (1) God being the author or direct cause of sin, (2) God not violating free will or forcing sinners to sin, and (3) God uses secondary causes to accomplish His decree.