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RTS and the Current State of Theological Education

Some of you may have seen this important article over at The Gospel Coalition about the decline and relocation of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) by Collin Hansen, who is a graduate of the school. Reformed Theological Seminary has been friends with TEDS for many years. Over the years, a number of our faculty have done their studies there before coming to RTS, and a number of our graduates have gone on to do doctoral work there. We wish TEDS all the best in this new stage of their institutional life. The last twenty years have been tough for accredited graduate theological education…

How to Pray (2): Kingdom Come

The Lord's Day Morning May 23, 2010 Luke 11:1-4 “How to Pray (2): Kingdom Come” Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III Praise waits for Thee in Zion, Lord, to Thee vows paid shall be. O Thou that hearer art of prayer, all flesh shall come to Thee. Let us praise God. As we prepare to worship today we are going to be in the Lord's Prayer again. I want to read you J.C. Ryle's words about the second petition, “Your kingdom come.” That's the petition we're going to be studying especially today and Ryle says this: “We are next taught to pray that God's kingdom may come — ‘Your kingdom come.’ — In so saying, we declare our desire that the usurped power of Satan may speedily be cast down, that all mankind may acknowledge God as their lawful King, and that the kingdoms of…

How to Pray (1): Holy Father

The Lord's Day Morning May 16, 2010 Luke 11:1-4 “How to Pray (1): Holy Father” Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. Let us worship Him! If you have your Bibles I'd invite you to turn with me to Luke chapter 11 as we continue to make our way through Luke's gospel. We come today to the passage in which one of Jesus’ disciples asks Him to teach them to pray, not an uncommon thing amongst disciples. But the very question and the answer that Jesus gives prompts us to ask the Lord in prayer to help us to pray. So let's pray. Heavenly Father this is Your Word. We ask that You would teach us to pray by Your Son Jesus according to…

It’s Not about Martha. It’s about You

The Lord's Day Morning May 9, 2010 Mother's Day Luke 10:38-42 “It's Not About Martha. It's About You.” Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III As we continue to prepare for worship, let me invite you to take your hymnals in hand and turn to number 115. Our opening song of praise is “All Creatures of Our God and King,” a glorious text set to one of the most beautiful and majestic hymn tunes that we have. We’re working through the gospel of Luke in our preaching. We've come to the very end of Luke chapter 10 and this is the passage where Martha and Mary host Jesus in their home. It is the perfect passage for Mother's Day and I did not plan this so I’ll be delighted to be in God's Word with you at the end of Luke chapter 10. Because it is Mother's Day I thought you…

What Shall I Do to Inherit Eternal Life?

The Lord's Day Morning May 2, 2010 Luke 10:25-37 “What Shall I Do to Inherit Eternal Life?” Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Let us worship God. Lord our God, we have just sung of choirs of angels who sing Your praise and glory in the heavens above and we with feebler lays now come and mingle our voices with theirs, the church militant and the church triumphant, in one accord singing the praises of You, Father, Son, and…

Hidden and Revealed

The Lord's Day Morning April 25, 2010 Luke 10: 17-24 “Hidden and Revealed” Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III As we prepare for worship, especially in light of our subject, I want to give you these words from J.C. Ryle, the great evangelical Anglican bishop of Liverpool. He says this: “Nothing so blinds the eyes of our souls to the beauty of the Gospel as the vain delusive idea that we are not so ignorant and wicked as some and that we have got a character which will bear inspection. Happy is the…

Sent Out

The Lord's Day Morning April 11, 2010 Communion Sunday Luke 10:1-16 “Sent Out” Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good. His steadfast love endures forever. Let all who fear the Lord say His loving kindness is everlasting. Let us worship Him. If you have your Bibles I'd invite you to turn with me to Luke chapter 10 as we continue our way through the gospel. As we look at this passage in which Jesus sends His disciples out again on a mission, I want you to be…

Born Anew to Hope Through the Resurrection

The Lord's Day Morning April 4, 2010 Easter Sunday 1 Peter 1:3-5 “Born Anew to Hope, Through the Resurrection” Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III The stone the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Let us worship God. Lord our God we quiet our hearts just now as we come into Your marvelous presence. Lord Jesus, You have been raised from the dead. You know…

From Eden to the New Heavens and Earth: The Unfolding…

Wednesday Evening Prayer Meeting March 31, 2010 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III Now all of these things are examples of sins that are common to the human heart and thus they press home a great lesson. Of course this isn't the only picture the psalms give of human beings. If you turn back just a couple of pages in your Bibles to Psalm 8 there is this beautiful expression of what God has done in the creation of man. Psalm 8 verse 5 — “You have made him a little lower” depending on…

The Cost of Discipleship

The Lord's Day Morning March 28, 2010 Palm Sunday Luke 9:57-62 “The Cost of Discipleship” Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you want to take your hymnals in hand you can turn to number 97 because our opening song of praise is “We Praise You O God, Our Redeemer, Creator” and you may want to use those words as we prepare for worship. Let me mention two other things about the songs that we’ll sing today. We’ll sing Theodulph of Orlean's hymn, “All Glory, Laud, and Honor.” This is a…