Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for September 19, 2021
Guest Speaker: Sherry Forester
God’s Unexpected Ways
Acts 16:6-40
I. Unexpected Plans (Acts 16:6-15)
• v.6-8 God’s “no”
• v.9-10 God’s “go”
• v.11-15 God’s plan begins to unfold
• With one plan, God accomplishes much.
II. Unexpected Problems (Acts 16:16-25)
• v.16-18 Unexpected situation
• v.19-25 Unexpectedly life goes downhill
• Our perspective is either our prison or our passport.
III. Unexpected Provisions (Acts 16:26-40)
• v.26-28 Unexpectedly life goes uphill
• v.29-34 A life is changed
• v.35-40 Moving on
• God’s sovereign plans are never without purpose.
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for September 12, 2021
Gospel Obsession
Philippians 1:12-26
-When advancing the gospel is your primary goal, you can view your circumstances as God-given opportunities to promote it.
1. Acknowledge Christ’s Providence in Your Past (12-14)
• apprehension about imprisonment
• advancement in the midst of adversity
• attracting attention to Christ
2. Advance Christ’s Cause in Your Present (15-18a)
• promoting the proclamation of Christ
• method, motive and message
• cause for rejoicing
3. Aim to Honor Christ in Your Future (18b-26)
• discernment: increased fruit or immediate gain
• desire: constrained or exchanged
• devotion: progress and praise
4. So What?
• “Live here in light of there under the conquering authority of the King.” (Stowell)
• “I cannot but run with all my might, for I am closer to the goal.” (Simeon)
• Resolve to magnify Christ in the midst of your current “restrictions.”
• A reminder from Samuel Rutherford
• “The men of grace have found glory begun below; Celestial fruits on earthly ground from faith and hope may grow…Then let our songs abound, and every tear be dry; We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground to fairer worlds on high.” (Watts)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for September 5, 2021
Gospel Confidence
Philippians 1:1-11
-For God’s glory, let the biblical assurance of His capacity to finish what He starts shape the words you pray and the way you live.
1. Savor the Salutation (1-2)
• from servants to saints
• grace and peace
2. See the Settled Conviction that Shapes Biblical Praying (3-7)
• expressed through prayer with joy
• gratitude for gospel partnership
• grounded in the reality of verse 6: the “pivot” verse
• a fitting feeling
3. Seize the Privilege of Praying for Spiritual Growth (8-11)
• pray for supernatural love: empowered, abounding, informed, discriminating
• pray for supernatural conduct: pure, perceptive, produced, purposeful
4. So What?
• Prioritize participation with others in the promotion of the gospel.
• “Let the glory of the all glorious God be everything to you.” (Murray)
• “Praise, my soul, the King of heaven; to His feet your tribute bring. Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, evermore His praises sing. Alleluia, alleluia! Praise the everlasting King!” (Henry Lyte, 1834)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for August 29, 2021
The End of the Matter
Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:14
Review/Overview
-last section: 8:16-12:14
-8:16-9:9: Remaining incongruities shouldn’t diminish joy.
-9:10-11:6: Work hard and understand you don’t know everything.
-11:7-12:2: Dependence and delight are the keys to satisfaction.
1. Perspective from Solomon’s Proverbial Statements. 11:1-6
• Life is uncertain. Be generous anyway. (1-2)
• Take life as it comes. (3)
• When it comes to work, just do it! (4)
• Remember your limitations. (5-6)
2. Preparation for the Future Should Begin in the Present. 11:7-12:12
• Relish life while you can. (7-8)
• Rejoice in your youth and remember the judgment of God. (9)
• Remove vexation and evil. (10)
• Remember your Creator. (1-2)
• Observe the house/body analogy. (3-7)
• Grasp the implications for applying the message of Ecclesiastes. (8-12)
3. Consider the End of the Matter. 12:13-14
• Fear God and do what He says.
• Make the NT connection. (2 Corinthians 4:7-18)
• Real satisfaction comes only to those who depend on God’s guidance and delight in His governance.
• “This is my Father’s world: Why should my heart be sad? The Lord is King: let the heavens ring! God reigns; let earth be glad!” (Babcock)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for August 22, 2021
The Righteousness of Another
Ecclesiastes 7:16-29
Review
-Satisfaction doesn’t come from within man. (1:1-2:26)
-God is sovereign. Objections are refuted. (3:1-5:20)
-Only God gives satisfaction/enjoyment in the midst of vanity. (6:1-8:15)
– Properly perceive external circumstances (6:1-7:15) and properly perceive humanity (7:16-29)
1. Apply the antidote of the fear of God. (16-22)
• our tendency to superficially assess circumstances and people
• the overly righteous/wise
• the overly wicked/foolish
• the survival of the “fearing”
• the strength of wisdom
• “…The God-given ability to see life objectively and to handle life with stability.” (Swindoll)
• the truth about all people
• cutting fellow-sinners some slack
2. Understand that the problem isn’t with God but with us. (23-29)
• acknowledgment of human inability
• under the sun discernment of danger (Proverbs 23:27-28)
• the scarcity of integrity
• the ongoing defiance of humanity
• the only remedy: the righteousness of Another (1 Corinthians 1:30-31)
3. So What?
• Knowing that all situations and all humans are not as they may appear, avoid surface evaluations and rely on the righteousness of Christ.
• “…This is all my righteousness: nothing but the blood of Jesus…” (Lowry)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for August 15, 2021
The Sacrifice of Fools
Ecclesiastes 5:1-20
I. Review
• God places everything in its place according to His perfect perspective. 3:1-15
• Answering theoretical objections to sovereignty 3:16-4:16
• Focus: practical obstacles that hinder the understanding of sovereignty
• Two key considerations: how you think about God and how you live before God
II. Vertical Insights (1-7)
• fools at worship 1-3
• fools and thoughtless vows 4-7
• applications
♦ Draw near and listen well.
♦ Be quiet and stay calm.
♦ Make a commitment and keep it
III. Horizontal Obstacles (8-17)
• being naive 8-9
• being greedy 10-11
• being anxious 12-17
IV. Gifts to Claim (18-20)
• two key phrases
• capacity to enjoy 18
• fulfillment of work 19
• contentment of heart 20
V. So What?
• Because God gives the power for enjoyment, you can thrive under the sun!
• connection to Christ: 2 Cor. 1:20
• “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever…The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him.” (Westminster Shorter Catechism, 1647)
• “…And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song, ‘twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.” (Hankey)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for August 8, 2021
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
1. Viewing Life through the Lens of God’s Sovereignty (1-8)
• life “under the loom”
• “everything” in the hands of God
• apportions times, seasons and tasks
• exhaustive sovereignty demonstrated through a series of contrasts
2. Applying the Joy-Fueling Principle of God’s Sovereignty (9-15)
• two questions: What’s the profit? (9) and What’s the purpose? (10)
• two affirmations:
God makes all things beautiful (fitting, appropriate) in His time
God has placed eternity in our hearts (11)
• two observations:
God gives ability, appetite and orientation (12-13)
God’s actions involve permanence, completeness, reverence and repetition (14-15)
3. So What?
• Because God really is in control, acknowledge your accountability to Him and trust Him to order your steps.
• incentive to look “above the sun” and to the Son (1 Cor. 1:26-31)
• Throw your hands up in faith!
• “Think not that God has thee forsaken when sorrows crown your acts of care, nor that He sleeps and cannot waken while evil prospers everywhere. Each recompense will have its hour. God sets the times with truth, with love and power.” (G. Neumark, “If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee”)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for August 1, 2021
Satisfaction in a Strange Place: Insights for Life under the Sun
Ecclesiastes 1:1-2:26
1. Introduction/Overview
• authorship: Solomon
• genre: wisdom literature
• structure: Satisfaction evaluated (1:1-2:26), Sovereignty explained (3:1-5:20)
Sovereignty applied (6:1-8:15), Concerns addressed (8:16-12:14)
2. Nature of the Book
• not a book for “cheerful fools”
• not a “grab-bag” of inspirational quotes
3. Three Key Emphases
• vanity, vanity…
• under the sun
• the great gift of God
4. Observations from 1:1-2:26
• search for satisfaction
• inscrutable repetition (1:1-11)
• truth about earthly existence (1:12-2:11)
• God gives things and the capacity to enjoy them (2:12-26)
5. The Doctrinal Foundation for Joy
• defining joy
• sovereignty of God
• grace of God
6. So What?
• Because the search for satisfaction is futile apart from God, commit yourself now to the fundamentals of fellowship with and fear of Him.
• connection to Christ: 2 Cor. 4:7-18
• “Who can satisfy my soul like You? Who can comfort me and love me like you do? Who could ever be more faithful and true? There is a fountain, who is a King, victorious Warrior and Lord of everything. My Rock, my Shelter, my very own, Blessed Redeemer who reigns upon the throne.” (Slaughter) (Psalm 107:9)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for July 25, 2021
Guest Speaker: Sherry Forester
Faith in God
Rahab’s Red-Letter Day
Joshua 2:1-7,2:8-24,6:20-26
I. COURAGEOUS FAITH (Joshua 2:1-7)
• God chooses unlikely people to accomplish His plan.
II. COMMITTED FAITH (Joshua 2:8-24, 6:20-26)
• Faith in God gives peace for today and assurance for eternity.
III. CHANGED THROUGH FAITH (Matthew 1:5)
• Faith in God is life changing.
