Now that we’re beginning to understand the truth of justification, what do we do with it?? How does it apply to our lives?
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Romans in which the apostle Paul masterfully distills for us the implications of the doctrine of justification:
Avg Guy:When it comes to justification, I have so many questions!
SBC Host: Okay.
Avg Guy:Well, for starters, WHAT IS IT?? … Is it MORE than the removal of sin?… Are we simply pardoned by God? And if so, how can God be JUST if he gives the wicked a pass and declares them as righteous?! Surely THAT would be a travesty of justice!
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Romans and shows in our passage that not only does Paul address these questions, but throughout the rest of the book of Romans, he expands upon these truths.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Romans to share with us what some call the most important paragraph every written — words of the most important person and most important news.
It’s the crux of Christianity. For the central and most critical point of the Christian faith is contained in this concise and precise explanation by Paul: justification by faith alone.
Avg Guy: Here’s my take: Man is good… basically. But sometimes there are exceptions where — either because of circumstances or people — he becomes evil.
SBC Host: Interesting, but that’s NOT the Bible’s take.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Romans in which he shows us how the Bible paints a much bleaker picture regarding the human condition. It’s a picture of BAD NEWS:man’s inability to do anything righteous or good.
But the Bible also proclaims the contrasting GOOD NEWS of the Gospel of Jesus Christ… good news that overwhelms even the sorrowful picture of Romans chapter 3.
Avg Guy:Well, so far in Romans we’re learning — whether Jew or Gentile — God is impartial and judges us on the law in light of the revelation we’ve received.
SBC Host: That’s right.
Avg Guy:So then, is there any advantage to being numbered among the Jewish nation? Is the Jew still honored in some way?
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Romans in which he reveals Paul’s response to this question… a response which just might surprise you.
Have you ever felt ELITE because you were affiliated or associated with a certain group?
Perhaps it was a fraternity or sorority in college, an all-star sports team, or a select choir or drama club.
Sometimes even involvement in good things can become a foothold for pride.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Romans and reminds us that the Jews felt a national pride that instead of fostering gratitude toward God often resulted in self-importance and sadly blinded them from seeing things in true Spirit-given light.
Avg Guy: How can that be fair?! I mean, don’t you think the Jews had an inside edge with Moses and all those prophets directing them? What advantage did the Gentiles have??
SBC Host: That’s a fair question.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Romans in which find an answer to this question.
For in our passage we find the standard that God will hold man accountable to.
…And how God will account for those who have been given less.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao reaches our LAST sermon for the book of Hebrews—
Avg Guy: —Imagine a discussion with God, it would always be God who got the final word, right?
SBC Host: Right. After all, who can argue with God?
Avg Guy:We would be like Job who exclaimed, “What can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth. Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; even twice…
SBC Host:…and I will add nothing more.”
Avg Guy:But all our fret and worry over what God’s final word to us might be is needless.
SBC Host: For God’s final word to His people is always benediction and blessing for those who are in Jesus Christ.
writer:We can stop pitching the tent, Eliakim, for the Lord has pitched the True Tent… our True Tabernacle of the Heavenly Realm!
Eliakim:There you go again! You and your writings.
writer:Eliakim, listen to me!…. Don’t you see? Jesus is our Priest, now… our High Priest in heaven… And His work far surpasses what our priests here on earth could EVER do!
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Hebrews, where we learn right alongside them about a better ministry….
writer:Don’t you read Torah?
Eliakim:God warned Moses on the mountain. That’s all I need. Now we have a tabernacle to erect. Grab your hammer, and help me! Follow the plan.
writer:Yes, you are right. God warned Moses to follow the pattern because it had to be precise. This tent, and everything that our earthly priest do in here in it, is but a shadow — a hint — of what goes on in the True Sanctuary of Heaven.
And the work that has been given to our High Priest, Jesus, is much greater than the work of OUR priests.
…Eliakim, don’t you find it strange that this tent we erect, time and time again, has no chair for the priest in which to sit?
Eliakim:How can he! Have you seen all the offerings and sacrifices?? He has far too much work to do!
writer:That is my point, Eliakim. Jesus’ work is different. He has obtained a more excellent ministry than our priests, and the New Covenant which He brings is much greater than the Old… because it is based on better promises.
Eliakim, in the Heavenly Tabernacle there are places to sit. And Jesus, our High Priest, at the right hand of the throne of His Father… SAT DOWN!
SBC Host:What type of priest and sacrifice does God require to save men?
Avg Guy:Bulls and goats, right??
SBC Host:It is true that some have thought that the sacrificial shadows of bulls and goats sufficed; but that doesn’t take into consideration that the sacrifices themselves were offered by priests who were just as in need of a savior, as the people they represented.
Avg Guy:Good point! …Then I know, the answer must be Christ!
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Hebrews and shows us that to say Christ is a fitting high priest or was a fitting sacrifice is to say that Jesus perfectly fit God’s requirement, as well as man’s need.
The Levitical Priesthood could never do that.
But Christ’s perfect priesthood is able to perfect imperfect people and make them fit for heaven.
SBC Host: “Weak and useless”… God’s description of the Levitical Priesthood.
The Levitical Priesthood had problems.
Avg Guy:Wait a minute! What was wrong?? Why couldn’t something be done to fix it?
SBC Host: There was. And He did.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao continues with our study in the book of Hebrews in which we see why a priesthood, that had once been ordained by God, was now needing to be replaced.
But then it all makes sense when viewed against the backdrop of the Gospel, where we see on display man’s great need and the perfect work of Christ.
How are we to represent God’s kingdom — a kingdom of hope —when chaos is all around us?
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast as Pastor Monty Simao continues his virtual preaching to our church body while we obey stay-at-home governmental mandates during the COVID-19 Pandemic, he shows us that Romans 13 gives us the answers to these questions.
Not only does it provide us the way to walk during crisis, but, perhaps more importantly, it provides us a way to live with the end in sight…and how, ultimately, the return of our Lord affects the way we live in the here and now.
Description: All Christians believe in the return of Christ.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, Pastor Monty Simao comes to our final passage for our study in the book of Revelation and presents us with a challenge:
If we know our Lord is returning, how does that change us? Does it change the things we think, say, and do?
The church’s response to Christ’s promise to come quickly is to say “Amen, Come Lord Jesus”.
But, is that your attitude? Are you looking forward to the blessed hope at the appearing of our Lord?
Description: After the Resurrection, the disciples had no idea what to do… so they went fishing.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, brother in Christ, David Teves fills in at the pulpit and explains that even after 3 years of living with Him, eating with Him, and listening to Him, the disciples still did not understand what Jesus was talking about.
In fact, it wasn’t until after His ascension that they finally knew what to do: Proclaim the gospel to all nations.
But has modern day Christianity faithfully followed suit? …Or has it fallen into a trap of deception — making the gospel into something it is not.
Average Guy:If you want to get to heaven, you’d better have a good looking résumé, because the things you do while your here matter.
Average Gal:Total nonsense! Everyone knows that once you get a “Grace Card” from Jesus, works are meaningless.
[argument between the two]
Scandia Host: There is much confusion in the church today as to what good works are and why we need (or need not) do them.
Today on Scandia Bible Church Podcast, brother in Christ, David Teves, fills in at the pulpit to preach on a topic that greatly separates Christianity from other religions: GOOD WORKS.
Some say you need to do good works in order to get into heaven; others, we’re saved by grace and that good works don’t matter. …But what does the Bible say?
Description: Our children are much the same way. We tend to have the Prodigals or the Pharisees. We tend to think of the Prodigals as hard to parent and we are always telling them the rules and the things that God requires. While the Pharisees actually seem to get either praised or largely ignored. After all, since they follow the rules, they require so much less…don’t they?
The truth of the matter is that our children can fall into both categories on any given day. Sometimes our rebellious children follow the rules for a while and it seems that we are making so much progress. And sometimes our rule-following children go through seasons of rebellion. The categories are not hard and fast but rather designed to be descriptive.
What we fail to remember is that the Gospel is not about following the rules to get saved. The Gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ obeyed the law perfectly for us. In other words, both our rebels and our rule-followers need the same thing. They need a Savior who has pleased God in all things and who has purchased their forgiveness by His death on the cross.
The ironic thing is that we fail to give either child the Gospel. The Prodigal just gets scolding and punishment. We tell them over and over what is expected…we tell them the rules. Our Pharisees get praised for doing the right thing.
Description: In chapter 4 the first of Job’s friends, Eliphaz, breaks the silence and provides council to Job. It is miserable council. Eliphaz believes that calamity only follows sin and so has already concluded that Job is in sin and calls for his repentance.
Job is discouraged by his friend and eventually turns his plead to God. In fact, Job is so discouraged that he requests God turn His gaze away from him and let him die in peace.
Description: John’s epistle is like looking through a kaleidoscope. He repeats the same truths, but from different perspectives. In this final chapter, John turns the kaleidoscope yet again to present a new view of the themes of loving God, loving the brethren, and obedience to God’s law. But this time we see it from the perspective of faith.
Description: The second section of the book of Jonah (chapters 3-4) begins in much the same fashion as the first section. In the first 2 verses we glean three important things about the way God extends His grace toward sinners. We see how God extended His grace toward Jonah and how He continues to extend His grace toward sinners today.
Description: Even thought he was known as “The Teacher of Israel,” Nicodemus has his ignorance and unbelief of the scriptures exposed by Jesus. The truth that Jesus taught to Nicodemus and teaches the world today is “believe”.
Sermon Archives
Given New Life
in SBC Classic Edition
We’re in the process of digging through the colossal SBC Sermon Archive Library to bring forth the rich and timeless Biblical Truths found within the hundreds and hundreds of sermon cassettes from yesteryear, in our Tape to Podcast Project.
Currently on the workbench:
The Jim Allen Lamentations Study (1998-1999) has joined our SBC Classic Edition.
The Jim Allen MARK Study (1999-2001) is (finally) complete! …as part of our SBC Classic Edition.
Watch our Steeple Study grow! … Great for a listen-study through a book or series.
Our Find-A-Sermon resource page helps you find what you’re looking for.
With the increased release of sermons from our archives, SBC Classic Edition is now podcasting on its own dedicated feed, separate from our current Sunday sermons.