InPerspective

Harry Reeder: This particular sermon, while addressing the matters of theology, that is the doctrine of God, Christology, the doctrine of Christ, soteriology, the doctrine of salvation, while all of those things will be embedded in this particular sermon, the reality is this sermon is very focused in the practicality of the life of every believer in worship and in witness. Something biblical that I believe needs to be understood and needs to be embraced in life.

Guest (Male): Putting life in biblical perspective with Dr. Harry L. Reeder. This is InPerspective, a radio and internet ministry of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. The hymn, "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" declares, "Let the Amen sound from His people again, gladly, for I, we adore Him." Our Amen is a verbal affirmation, sign, and signature that all of God's truth is yes and is fulfilled in Christ.

Amen is a divinely provided, divinely commanded word used in response to genuine prayer and to God's word faithfully read and preached. Stay with us now as Dr. Reeder takes us to 2nd Corinthians chapter 1, as he brings us today's teaching, part two of the message entitled, "Amen!"

Harry Reeder: Now go back with me to 2nd Corinthians chapter 1. The church at Corinth was giving Paul a hard time. "You said you were coming and you didn't. You're just one of those yes and no guys." He said, "No, no. If I told you I was coming, I was coming. The only reason I didn't get there is that God gave me the 'no'."

I didn't say I was coming with "yes" or "no", I may or may not. My daddy and I used to have a running joke. I'd say, "Daddy, would you like to play golf Friday afternoon?" He'd say, "Yeah, put that down as a definite maybe." And I knew that there was a possibility he may not be there. Paul wasn't giving a "definite maybe". When he said he's coming, he's coming, and here's why.

He said, "My savior doesn't give yes and no. My savior gives yes to all of His promises. In fact, all of His promises are yes and Amen, forever true in Him." Look with me, if you would, at the verse. Just start at 17. "Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say 'yes, yes' and 'no, no' at the same time?" As surely as God is faithful, he said, "No, no. I am attempting to live according to the pattern God has established. Let your yes be yes and your no be no."

As God is faithful, our word to you has not been yes and no. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not yes and no, but in Him, it is always yes. What's always yes in Him? His word. His promises. Next verse: "For all the promises of God find their yes in Him. That is why it is through Him that we utter the Amen."

Our Amen is a verbal acclamation, a verbal sign and signature that all of God's truth is yes in Christ. I mean, today, we lit a prophecy candle. Why? Because 60 plus prophecies have been fulfilled in the birth of Christ. He has made other prophetic words. Everything He has promised is yes and Amen, not because I've said it, not because you've said it, but because Christ has said it, and His word is true, and His word is yes and Amen in Him.

Notice what else he says: "And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put His seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." Do you see what he's saying? You who are saved are saved in a covenant relationship with God and God has put a notary signature. He has put a sign and seal on you. He has given you the Holy Spirit. He has sealed you in Himself.

And you who know Christ then put the verbal seal of your love for Christ before the world. Amen! We utter Amen. We utter Amen to God before the world, the saved and the lost. God's word is true forever in Christ, and we have built our life on it. And what is in our heart comes out of our mouth, so we verbally take the divinely provided word and declare it, "Amen!"

Now why do we do it? Well, we do it because God has commanded it. That's why we do it. Let's say I asked you to turn to Joshua 5. And you went with me to Joshua 5 and you find this amazing moment. The people have crossed the River Jordan. They have taken Jericho. They then disobeyed God by not doing what God told them to do, but they went to get another town called Ai and they lost the battle and some were killed because of it, and it was all due to their disobedience and the sin of Achan.

Then they went up where they were supposed to go. They went up to where you find Jacob's Well. I have been there on a number of occasions. And Jacob's Well is in a valley, and a mountain's on this side and a mountain is on this side. This is Mount Gerizim, this is Mount Ebal. And on one mountain, the Levites were commanded by God to stand and read the law of God, its blessings and its cursings. On one mountain they read the curses, on the other mountain they read the blessings.

And the people were commanded when the blessings and cursings were read to say, "Amen!" in the gathered worship service. In the reading of the word, the proclamation of the word, they were called to say Amen. Well, like I said, I'm not going to turn there. The reason that happens in Joshua 5 is because it was commanded by God through Moses in Deuteronomy 27. Here's what it says.

The Levites shall recite, shall read, shall proclaim to all the people of Israel in a loud voice, so the people are together in worship between the two mountains. And the Levites shall proclaim the word and the law of the Lord. "Cursed is anyone who makes an idol, a thing detestable to the Lord, the work of a skilled hands, one that's set up in secret." Then the Lord said, "All the people shall say Amen!"

"Cursed is anyone who dishonors their father or mother." Then all the people are to say "Amen!" "Cursed is anyone who moves their neighbor or boundary stone." Then all the people shall say "Amen!" "Cursed is anyone who leads the blind astray." Then the Lord commanded all the people to say "Amen!" "Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow." Then all the people shall say "Amen!" The blessings and the curses, and then the people were commanded to say "Amen!" before the Lord.

Why? It is God's gift in a manner where you can respond to God's word and declare your affirmation, acclaim your adoration, and agree with verification that God's word has spoken. Now what's really interesting is where this word is grounded, where it is focused. Would you take your Bibles and do turn with me to this text? Revelation chapter 3. Revelation chapter 3.

You know the seven churches, and you get to the last church, the church at Laodicea, and I want you to see the introduction. "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the Amen." In other words, these are words from the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the one who begins the beginning of God's creation. Who is he referring to? This isn't hard folks, come on. He's referring to Jesus.

What is the name for Jesus? The Amen. Not only does God's promises come from Jesus, not only are they yes and Amen in Jesus, Jesus is the Amen. Now, this overwhelms me. I know the profanity and blasphemy of my mouth and the Lord's name prior to my conversion. And now, in worship and before the world, God allows me to honor His name by declaring all of His promises are Amen in Him, and I'm actually using His name when I say that.

I've had people tell me, "Pastor, you've got to mention the name Jesus," and you're right. You've got to mention Christ, and you're right. In the worship, now listen to me please, God says use my Son's name in acclamation, in adoration, in affirmation, and in agreement when you hear it. Use my Son's name not in vain, but in adoration, in acclamation, in affirmation, in agreement with what I have just heard in response.

When do you use it? You use it in response to God's word. You use it in response to God's word when God's word is read, when God's word is preached, and when prayers are faithful to God's word. Can I just show you one more text and then we'll close? Would you look with me in Psalm 41? Psalm 41. Go to the last verse, verse 13. It ends with a doxology. "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen!" The double Amen.

Now, would you go to the next thing that you see, Psalm 42. What does it say in your Bible? It ought to say Book 2. Well, if Psalm 42 begins Book 2 of the Psalms, what did Psalm 41 do? This isn't hard, even East Carolina can figure this one out. It ended Book 1. There are four books of Psalms in your Bible. The Psalms are divided into four books. Each one ends with a doxology and the double Amen.

Pastor, why are you saying that? Because Amen, which is a name for Jesus, all of God's word and His promises are yes and Amen in Jesus, come from Jesus, and Jesus is the Amen. And God commands His assembled people to respond to truth with the name of the Son of God that means "so be it forever". When? When it is read. Secondly, when it is proclaimed. Thirdly, when it is sung. The Psalms are the divinely given hymnbook.

And what do you do when you sing truth to God? You end with the Amen. And then what do you do when you pray? Well, Amen isn't the signal just open your eyes. Amen means I have attempted to pray about everything that concerns me, and I have brought it to you, Father, in the name of your Son. I have been as faithful as I could to frame my request according to your word. Amen! So be it forever as you answer according to your divine will.

I believe every prayer uttered in Christ's name to the Father by the Spirit, faithful to the word, when it finishes, we all enter in, "Amen!" And even in the prayer, there may be moments of Amen. When we sing truth, we end with Amen. In the singing of the truth, there may be moments you simply want to say, "Amen!" In the preaching of the word of God, the reading of God's word, you have heard me say many times, you have heard me say on many occasions, "And all of God's people said..."

I'm going to try that again. "And all of God's people said..." See, I didn't start that. God started that. That's not me. That's God. Now, if you're not His people, you don't want to say Amen. If you are, you do. And I actually get the opportunity to affirm God's truth that comes from Jesus, that's true in Jesus, with the name of Jesus, "Amen!"

And that's why I believe Paul would be astonished at our abandonment, our almost abandonment of Amen in 21st-century Christianity. Let me put it this way. We know in worship from the moment those chimes strike until the benediction, everything that we do does not come from human imagination. Everything we do is commanded in the scripture—the reading, the preaching, the singing, the giving. Everything has an express commandment.

And God is clear in worship: you're to worship in spirit and in truth, you are only to do that which I have commanded. But let me tell you what's equally true. We not only do in worship what God has commanded, we must not omit in our worship what God has commanded. Therefore, my takeaway is simply this: let the Amen sound from His people again, gladly, for I, we adore Him. That it would not be absent in the assembly of the people.

Pastor, why has this come to your heart? Well, I'll give you one reason. Would you read it with me? Go to Revelation 22. Let's end it right here. This is easy. How does the Bible end? Look at Revelation 22, verse 20. End of the book. "He who testifies to these things says: 'Surely,' Jesus said, 'Surely, I am coming soon.'" What's the response? "Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!"

"Surely I am coming soon. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. And the grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen." That's Jesus, true forever, be with all of His people. We've been through the Apostle's Creed. It starts off with *credo*, "I believe." I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. Amen! I believe in God the Son. I believe in God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that was born for us. I believe in the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, and that one who our Lord and our Savior. Amen!

I believe He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Amen! I believe He was born of the Virgin Mary. Amen! I believe He suffered under Pontius Pilate. Amen! I believe He died an atoning death on the cross. Amen! I believe His body was buried in a tomb. Amen! I believe His soul went to Hades and that place of paradise and heaven with the thief and all who had anticipated His coming to be with them. And He was under the power of death for three days. Amen! I believe that.

I believe on the third day He rose again. Amen! I believe He ascended into heaven. Amen! I believe He's coming again. I believe He is coming again to judge the living and the dead. Amen! Until He comes, I believe He has sent the Holy Spirit. Amen! I believe the Holy Spirit will inevitably, infallibly, and relentlessly gather all of the elect up to God to the great assembly of the elect of God, triumphant in heaven, the church of the Lord Jesus, blood-bought and Spirit-brought.

I believe that. Amen! I believe in the communion of the saints as they're on mission, on message, and in ministry. Amen! I believe in the forgiveness of sins. I believe in the resurrection of the body. I believe in the life everlasting. Amen! I believe those things, and I will use the term that God has given me and God calls me to use with all of His people to affirm, "Amen!"

Oh, but pastor, wait. Aren't you concerned that people will just do it by rote and ritual? Sure, I'm concerned about that. But the problem when we have liturgical Amens for everyone to unite before God and affirm and acclaim and agree the truth of God's word forever, if it's become ritual, the problem is not with the word, the problem is with our heart. That's where the problem is. We haven't solved that by removing the word. You solve that by dealing with your heart.

Pastor, aren't you concerned that some people, in the middle of a sermon and prayers, will get to Amening and draw attention to themselves? Certainly, I am. We've got something for that. It's called church discipline and the fellowship of the saints, speaking the truth in love to one another. Pastor, aren't you concerned it will bring some people in here that don't yet know Jesus or they've come from very formal churches and it'll be embarrassing if our people are saying Amen in a sermon or singing it or praying it or Amen in a prayer?

Sure. I remember when I was 14 and I'd bring some of my friends I played ball with to church, and I knew AA Short, Mr. AA Short. I don't know what AA stood for, I never found out my whole life. But I knew I was in a church that Amened, but it never Amened until AA Short gave the first one. We had 200 some people and plenty of Amens, but not until he spoke. If he said "Amen", that was the signal and the imprimatur on the preacher, then everybody else started.

I knew that. And I would be embarrassed. Do you know what I'd give anything if I could hear that dear octogenarian say one more time, "Amen"? The problem wasn't his Amen, the problem was my heart. That's why I was embarrassed. That's where the problem was. Listen, the same God who knows your heart can read the thoughts and intentions of your heart. That same God has commanded you to give vent to your heart verbally with the Amen. Not because He doesn't know what's in your heart, but because you need to speak from the heart.

And He's given you what to say: His Son's name, "Amen!" And He has commanded you and allows you to use the name of His Son to reveal your heart in worship, in the adoration of God, in the affirmation of His word, and to when it is read, when it is preached. And believe me, it does help when it's preached. There are times I think in my preaching ministry I've felt, "I'm not in an assembly, I'm in a mausoleum. I'm not even sure they're breathing."

That's why I do love the moments when I am invited and I have the privilege to preach with my African American brothers who know how to preach the preacher. Of course, sometimes if you're not doing too well, you don't get an Amen, what you get is, "Lord, help him!" But it's dialogue. God speaks to us, we speak back to God. "Amen!" and to one another to encourage one another as worshipers before the Lord and as a witness to a watching world. That God commands it, God calls for it, God's given His name so that we can give vent to our heart and let the Amen sound from His people again, because gladly for yes and Amen, gladly for yes, we adore Him forever.

Guest (Male): You are listening to InPerspective, featuring the teaching of Dr. Harry L. Reeder, our current sermon series, "I Believe: The Apostle's Creed in Biblical Perspective." For additional teaching by Dr. Reeder, visit inperspective.org. The Bible: fact or myth, historic or fiction? How does the Bible stack up against true science? Good questions. Find out the answers. Request this month's free gift offer, Dr. Reeder's series, "Is the Bible Reliable?"

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InPerspective is a broadcast ministry of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, proclaiming biblical doctrine to foster a reformed awakening in today's church. Connect with our online publishing, broadcast, and event platforms through inperspective.org. Again, if you would like to receive this month's free gift offer, the series "Is the Bible Reliable?", call 1-800-488-1888. Join us again next time as Dr. Reeder begins an in-depth examination of a most fascinating Old Testament prophetic book in our new series, "Daniel's Memorable Memoirs and Message." That's next time as we turn back to the scriptures to put life in biblical perspective.