Jared Smith's Sermons

Dispensations Of Disgrace

Some of the points covered in this sermon:

• Providing a historic backdrop to Dispensationalism
• Defining a ‘dispensation’ according to the signification of Scofield
• Highlighting the first of two primary principles of interpretation which undergird the Dispensational framework—“rightly dividing the word of truth”
• Explaining the basic fabric of the Dispensational framework—a timeline with eternal extensions, seven major events, seven major dispensations, seven major themes, seven major covenants
• Distinguishing between the Dispensational and Calvinistic use of biblical language
• Explaining how Dispensationalists have invented different plans of salvation
• Showing why Dispensationalists sideline the first three dispensations
• Showing why Dispensationalists focus on the fourth and fifth dispensations
• Explaining the difference between Dispensationalism’s view of God’s “elect people” based on race, and Calvinism’s view of God’s “elect people” based on grace
• Highlighting the second of two primary principles of interpretation which undergird the Dispensational framework—all prophecy must be interpreted literally
• Showing how a literal interpretation of prophecy follows the same rabbinical hermeneutic of the Jewish people during the first century when Christ exercised His earthly ministry
• Explaining the superstructure of the Dispensational framework—Christ came in His first advent to established a Jewish kingdom; the Jews rejected Christ’s offer; Christ therefore redeemed sinners and established the church; before the tribulation, Christ will return secretly and covertly to rapture the church; after seven years of tribulation, Christ will return openly and visibly, to usher in the millennial Jewish kingdom; the temple will be rebuilt and animal sacrifices will be reinstated
• Dispensationalists believe God has two distinct chosen people—(1) Israel, an earthly people, who can expect an earthly kingdom and whose standing and acceptance with God is based on the Mosaic Law; (2) The Church, a heavenly people, who can expect eternal happiness in heaven and whose standing and acceptance with God is based on faith in the finished work of Christ at Calvary
• Since the church is only a parenthesis in God’s masterplan for the ages, the majority of Scripture is not intended for them—it is intended only for the Jews
• Dispensationalists believe there are four gospel messages—(1) the gospel of the kingdom; (2) the gospel of the grace of God; (3) Paul’s gospel; (4) the everlasting gospel
• Dispensationalists believe Christians today must only preach the third gospel message—Paul’s gospel
• Many critics of Dispensationalism classify its system of teachings as a cult—at the very least, Dispensationalism rejects the gospel of sovereign grace, replacing it with a fragmented gospel of speculative nonsense