Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for July 5, 2020
Are You Still Listening?
Proverbs 5:1-23
In light of the devastating consequences of sexual sin, apply God’s wisdom and enjoy fulfillment in marriage.
1. Acknowledge the dominant principle (1-2)
• pay attention
• the internalization of wisdom
2. Discern the deceptive promise (3-6)
• from lip to lip
• from smooth to bitter
• trajectory of death
3. Consider the devastating price (7-14)
• avoid association
• impact: economic, social, physical, spiritual
4. Apply the designed prevention (15-20)
• exclusive fidelity
• exquisite delight
5. Cultivate a disciplined perspective (21-23)
• the LORD’S awareness
• the fatal consequence
6. So what?
• Make sure you get your wisdom from on high rather than from online.
• Connection to Christ: Eph. 5:22-33
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for June 28, 2020
Stay in Your Lane
Proverbs 4:20-27
Main Idea: In light of wisdom’s strategic significance, apply it intentionally and specifically.
-hearing ears (20-22)
-guarded heart (23)
-accurate mouth (24)
-focused eyes (25)
-directed feet (26-27)
So What?
-insight from Psalm 119
-“O be careful…”
-connection to Christ in John 17
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for June 21, 2020
Wearing Wisdom Well
Proverbs 3:21-35
1. Setting
• blessing of wisdom (13-18)
• reminder of the source of wisdom (19-20)
• main idea: Because God’s wisdom is the sole source of security, cling to it with humility.
2. Prioritize wisdom and the security it provides 21-26
• first of 7 “Do not” statements: Don’t lose sight…
• command: keep/guard wisdom
• consequence: security in all situations
• the security of sleep (Psa. 121:4)
• principle: those who keep are kept
3. Relate to others on the basis of wisdom’s security 27-35
• like a good neighbor…reliable kindness
• 5 more “Do not” statements
• consequence: blessing or cursing
• cultivation: the promise of grace for the humble (1 Pet. 5:5-11)
4. So what?
• “Sleep is a daily reminder from God that we are not God.” (Piper)
• “The habitual eyeing of the world keeps the feet on a slippery path.” (Lawson)
• connection to Christ: clothing ourselves with the humility of ultimate Wisdom (Phil. 2:5-11)
• “If you but trust in God to guide you and place your confidence in Him, you’ll find Him always there beside you to give you hope and strength within; for those who trust God’s changeless love build on the rock that will not move.” (Neumark)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for June 14, 2020
Joyful Sanity for Chaotic Days
Proverbs 3:5-6
1. Setting
• remembering and keeping the word of the LORD (1-4)
• humility and reverence before the LORD (7-8)
• main idea: Because your security depends on the LORD, depend on Him comprehensively.
2. Rely on the LORD 5a
• object: the LORD
• expression: trust
• extent: all your heart
3. Renounce reliance on your own understanding 5b
• object: own understanding (Jer. 17:9)
• expression: do not lean
• exposure: insanity
4. Resolve to treasure the LORD’S presence 6
• object: the LORD
• expression: acknowledge Him
• extent: all your ways
• assurance: paths made straight
5. So What?
• “One is foolish to rely on his own thimble of knowledge before its vast ocean or on his own understanding.” (Waltke)
• commentary from Jer. 9:23
• connection to Christ: 2 Cor. 1:20
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for June 7, 2020
Fear or Foolishness
Proverbs 1:1-19
1. General Overview 1-3
• authorship
• purpose: instruction and application
2. Stated Objective 4-6
• prudence, discretion and guidance
3. Primary Emphasis 7
• fear of the LORD
• reverence/awe/obedience
4. Specific Application 8-19
• attention to instruction (8-9)
• acknowledgement of wrong influences (10-17)
• avoidance of self-ambush (18-19)
• despising or delighting?
5. So What?
• Because true knowledge and wisdom flow from the fear of the LORD, make sure it’s the lens through which you view life.
• “Does it exalt the Savior? Does it humble the sinner? Does it promote holiness?” (Simeon)
• connection to Christ: 1 Cor. 1:18-25
• comfort and challenge from Psa. 130:3-4
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for May 31, 2020
Sustained Obedience
Romans 16:17-20
1. Contextual Overview
• Christ the hope of Jew and Gentile (15:8-21) and Paul’s plan to visit Rome (15:22-33)
• Personal Greetings (16:1-16) and Doxology (16:25-27)
• Main Idea: Avoiding Satan’s deception and anticipating his doom, persevere obediently for God’s glory.
2. Reject False Teachers 17-18
• exhortation: watch out!
• methodology and motivation of false teachers
• command: keep turning away
3. Continue in Obedience 19
• a title and a testimony
• cause for rejoicing
• Paul’s desire: wise in the good and innocent of evil
4. Anticipate Satan’s Doom 20
• the God of peace
• Satan: crushed “in a short time” (Gen. 3:150
• first mention of Satan in Romans
5. So What?
• “Fidelity to God before fraternity with men.” (Spurgeon)
• “By perseverance, the snail reached the ark.” (Spurgeon)
• Treasure the “true truth” of Scripture. (Schaeffer)
• Remember to adjust your clock to God’s clock and rejoice in God’s conquest through Christ.
• “And though this world with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed His truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo! His doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.” (Luther)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for May 24, 2020
Endurance, Encouragement and Glory
Romans 15:1-7
1. Setting the Stage for 15:1-7
• “one another” emphasis
• passing of judgment on one another: 14:1-12
• causing one another to stumble: 14:13-23
• main idea: Call attention to God’s greatness by treating others as God in Christ has treated you.
2. Please One Another Purposefully 15:1-4
• sensitive bearing up
• intentional building up
• Christ-centered model Psa. 69:9
• aim of biblical instruction
• objective of hope
• agency of endurance and encouragement
3. Receive One Another Reflectively 15:5-7
• expression of desire
• reflection on God’s character
• harmonization for the goal of glorification
• reflection on Christ’s reception
4. So What?
• Ask the Lord to stagger you with a biblical sense of His greatness.
• Fight the battle to cope with the biblical weapon of hope.
• “Jesus, I hang upon Thy word: I steadfastly believe Thou wilt return and claim me, Lord, and to Thyself receive.” (Wesley)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for May 17, 2020
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
Romans 13:11-14
-Because the way you love and what you wear flow out of it, make sure you know what time it is.
1. Recognize what time it is (11-12a)
• contextual connection: 13:1-7 and 13:8-10
• and this…: the matter of motivation
• time to wake up
• nearness of salvation
• current overlap
• a departing night and a dawning day
2. Respond in light of the time (12b-13)
• so then…
• three “shoulds”: cast off, put on, walk properly
• three “should nots”: substance abuse, sexual immorality, social strife
3. Obey the commands for the time (14)
• put on
• make no provision
• feasting, remembering, reflecting
4. So what?
• Root your present actions in the reality of what is to come.
• “It is later than it has ever been before, and the smartest thing any man can do is to set his watch by God’s clock.” (Havner)
• “O Christ, He is the fountain, the deep sweet well of love! The streams on earth I’ve tasted, more deep I’ll drink above: there to an ocean fullness His mercy doth expand, and glory, glory dwelleth in Emmanuel’s land.” (Cousins/Rutherford)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for May 10, 2020
Dying to Live
Romans 12:1-2
1. Seize the Principle of Presentation (1)
• context of urgent appeal (Rom. 1:1-11:32 and 11:33-36)
• characterization of appeal: on the basis of tender mercies
• content of appeal: to present bodies as a living sacrifice
• consideration of appeal: holy, well-pleasing, reasonable
• main idea: In light of God’s tender mercies, offer yourself as a living sacrifice to Him.
2. Stop the Progress of Conformity (2a)
• prohibition: continuation of an act in progress
• perspective: external expression patterned after this age
• problem: shifting on the circumstances
3. Seek the Process of Transformation (2b)
• obligation: continual metamorphosis
• orientation: ongoing renewal of the mind
• objective: discern the will of God on the basis of Scripture
4. So What?
• The key to a God-honoring life is not getting more but giving all.
• “I am an old man now and my mind is almost gone. But I can remember two things: I am a great sinner and Jesus is a great Savior.” (Newton)
• “Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song, the joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue; Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last, hath won my affections and bound my soul fast.” (Stocker)
Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for May 3, 2020
When Paul Sang the Doxology
Romans 11:33-36
1. Contextual Considerations
• Chapters 1-11 as doctrine and Chapters 12-16 as duty
• “hinge” passage connecting 1:11-32 to 12:1-16:27
• not minimizing the content/flow/theology of 9-11
• aim to maximize the grand objective: doxology
• In light of God’s unfathomable depth and incomparable character, determine to live a God-centered life for His glory.
2. Delight in the depth of God (33)
• a declaration
• riches of wisdom and knowledge
• unsearchable judgments and untraceable ways
3. Discern the character of God (34-35)
• an interrogation
• who has known…who has been…who has given? (Isa. 40:13, 1Chron. 29:14, Job 41:11)
4. Direct the glory to God (36)
• a magnification
• source, agency and purpose
5. So what?
• A biblical view of grace promotes humility and extinguishes arrogance.
• “Grace is the pleasure of God to magnify the worth of God by giving sinners the right and power to delight in God without obscuring the glory of God.” (Piper)
• “…Till we cast our crowns before Thee, lost in wonder, love and praise.” (Wesley)
• “Let us love and sing and wonder, let us praise the Savior’s name! He has hushed the law’s loud thunder, He has quenched Mt. Sinai’s flame. He has washed us with His blood, He has brought us nigh to God.” (Newton)
