Ephesians 3:14-21 [14]For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, [15]from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, [16]that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17]so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, [18]may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, [19]and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. [20]Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, [21]to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (ESV)

We live out our lives as the people of God in the Body of Christ between the exploitation of grace and the elimination of grace. We either say that we are not what we should be and never will be and take being as we are for granted with no real effort exerted in our striving for holiness or we labor every day burdened by the guilt that we just can’t get there. The truth is that we as the church of the Lord Jesus Christ engaged in worship and witness in and through this meeting house at 853 Liberty Street are not all that we should be and never will be, but that does not mean that we become passive in our approach to our becoming increasingly more and more of all that God desires for us to be. And the key to it all is a focus on God that comes to us through listening to His Word and lifting up our hearts to Him in prayer. John Stott writes, “Bible reading and prayer must go together. For it is in Scripture that God has disclosed His will and it is in prayer that we ask Him to do it.” And those two meet here in this prayer that closes the third chapter of Ephesians, a prayer that the late E.Y. Mullins calls “a prayer of marvelous sweep and elevation.”

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Ephesians 3:1-13 [3:1]For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles-- [2]assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, [3]how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. [4]When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, [5]which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. [6]This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. [7]Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. [8]To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, [9]and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, [10]so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. [11]This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, [12]in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. [13]So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. (ESV)

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(Coming soon….)

Photos from the trip can be viewed here:
http://www.fbcwaynesboro.org/v/ukrainepictures/

Matthew 16 [16:1]And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. [2]He answered them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' [3]And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. [4]An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." So he left them and departed. [5]When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. [6]Jesus said to them, "Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." [7]And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, "We brought no bread." [8]But Jesus, aware of this, said, "O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? [9]Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? [10]Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? [11]How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." [12]Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. [13]Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" [14]And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." [15]He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" [16]Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." [17]And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. [18]And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [19]I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." [20]Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. [21]From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. [22]And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you." [23]But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." [24]Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [25]For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. [26]For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? [27]For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. [28]Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." (ESV)

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(notes to come soon…)

Matthew 5:17-20 [17]"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. [18]For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. [19]Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. [20]For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (ESV)

Youth Pastor Mike Godfrey shared the Word while Pastor Al was preaching at Open Hearts Church in Kiev , Ukraine

Ephesians 2:14-22 [14]For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility [15]by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, [16]and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. [17]And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. [18]For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. [19]So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20]built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21]in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [22]In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (ESV)

Mark Dever who is the pastor of the Capitol Hill Baptist Church located in the shadows of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. says, “the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is God’s evangelism plan.”  He means by that that if the church is what the Bible says it is and what Jesus came to redeem for Himself, then it stands in the midst of the world as a witness to the greatness of God and to the grace of God.  The church becomes the place in which and through which God displays His glory so as to both astound and attract the world.  And this is so because the church over all the earth is made up of very different and very diverse kinds of people whose priority purpose is to give praise to God in worship and to proclaim the truth of His saving grace throughout the earth.  This reality, Dever argues, should be reflected in every local body of believers.  To the extent that it is, the church is the church for which Jesus died and to which the world will be drawn.  The extent to which it isn’t means that the church will have to do something else to attract the world which usually means becoming like the world in order to attract the world.  And whenever and wherever this happens, the church ceases to be the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.  God has only one nation.  He is not the peculiar God of any one nation.  He is God over all the earth who through the sacrifice of His Son and by the power of His Spirit is raising up and redeeming His people over all the earth an bringing them out of every tribe, tongue, people and nation into the beautiful body of Christ, the church of the living God.

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Ephesians 2:11-22 [11]Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands-- [12]remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. [13]But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14]For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility [15]by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, [16]and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. [17]And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. [18]For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. [19]So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20]built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21]in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [22]In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (ESV)

What is it that constitutes the core values of your life? Where would you say is the essence of your identity? Is it ethnic/racial, national, cultural, denominational, theological – OR is the essence of your identity found “in Christ.”

Ephesians 2:1-10 [2:1]And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2]in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- [3]among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4]But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5]even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- [6]and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7]so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8]For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9]not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10]For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)

Three statements are made in Ephesians 2:1-10 [+/-]Ephesians 2:1-10 [2:1]And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2]in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- [3]among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4]But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5]even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- [6]and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7]so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8]For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9]not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10]For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)
that constitute the core of what it means to be a believer.  We have examined the first two statements and today I want us to tie together the first two with the third so as to see the portrait of a Christian.  I am using the word “portrait” intentionally since as we will see in just a few moments the final verses of Ephesians 2:1-10 [+/-]Ephesians 2:1-10 [2:1]And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2]in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- [3]among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4]But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5]even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- [6]and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7]so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8]For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9]not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10]For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)
are powerfully poetic.  The intention of these verses is not to give a definition of a Christian:  a Christian is a person who . . . .; the intention of these words is to paint a picture of what a person who is a believer looks like.  Everything in verses 1-10 is building toward this powerfully poetic presentation in verses 8-10.  So, let’s begin our examination of these verses by remembering the three statements.  The first is found in verses 1-3 and declares that we are born as sinners captured and controlled by sin living our lives in separation from God.  This does not mean that we are horrid people who do horrible things; it simply means that we are born dominated by a desire to be who we want to be and to do what we want to do wanting a “god” who will confirm us in our ways rather than radically changing our ways.  The second is found in verses 4-7 where we are told that God on the foundation of His great love invades our lives with His mercy and changes us by His grace.  We are dead and He makes us alive.  We are living for ourselves and He changes our hearts so that our intention is to live in obedience to Him.  We want what we want and His Holy Spirit births within us a desire to put to death so as to die to our own desires so that we can increasingly live in devotion to Him.  This leads us to the third statement which is that God conforms to the image of Jesus everyone whom He has changed.  The desires of the flesh are being put to death and the ways of the world are being rejected as God raises up a people who will  live for the praise of His name because they have a passion to fulfill His purpose.  These people form the church of the living God, the household of faith, the community of the redeemed, the family of God, the body of Christ.  And Paul paints for us here a portrait of this people.

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Ephesians 2:1-10 [2:1]And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2]in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- [3]among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4]But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5]even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- [6]and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7]so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8]For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9]not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10]For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)

Three views of the basic nature of humans have prevailed throughout history.  Only one of them is biblical while the other two are held by many who consider themselves to be people of the book.  It is no accident of history that the two that are not biblical have been in every period of history the most popular and the most prevalent while the one that is biblical has been put down as primitive and perverse.  One of the realities of every human being who is a sinner is that we want to see ourselves in our basic nature as being better and higher than we really are.  I want to begin the sermon this morning by setting the three views before us and asking that we think about them from the perspective of practical or applied theology.  What I mean that is that I want you to think about which one best describes your view in terms of how you actually live out your life in relationship to others for however we are living practically is really what we believe biblically and theologically.

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Ephesians 2:1-4 [2:1]And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2]in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- [3]among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4]But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, (ESV)

John Calvin opens his magnum opus, Institutes of the Christian Religion with these words, “nearly all wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts:  the knowledge of God and ourselves.”  Knowing ourselves so that to our own selves we can be true is not enough not only because it causes us to worship ourselves when we might think we are worshipping God but because we cannot ourselves apart from a knowledge of God.  Yet, knowing God both in the majesty of His holiness and the generosity of His grace is not full enough or faithful enough to Scripture apart from the knowledge of ourselves.  That is why this text along with Romans 3:10-26 [+/-]Romans 3:10-26 [10]as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; [11]no one understands; no one seeks for God. [12]All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." [13]"Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips." [14]"Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness." [15]"Their feet are swift to shed blood; [16]in their paths are ruin and misery, [17]and the way of peace they have not known." [18]"There is no fear of God before their eyes." [19]Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. [20]For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. [21]But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- [22]the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: [23]for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24]and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, [25]whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. [26]It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (ESV)
may be for both the knowledge of ourselves and the knowledge of God the most important texts in the Bible.  This text teaches us three precious truths that we are going to examine one at a time:  We are born dead in our sins but God comes with His grace to save us through faith and then to form and fashion us so as to make us trophies of His grace who live our lives for Him and for the praise of His Name.  We are dead.  We are made alive.  And the life we are given is from God and for God and is not from us nor for us.  If God would open our eyes to see these precious truths then He would have shown us I believe what is the heart of who He is, how He works in saving sinners, and why He does it at all.

John Calvin opens his magnum opus, Institutes of the Christian Religion with these words, “nearly all wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts:  the knowledge of God and ourselves.”  Knowing ourselves so that to our own selves we can be true is not enough not only because it causes us to worship ourselves when we might think we are worshipping God but because we cannot ourselves apart from a knowledge of God.  Yet, knowing God both in the majesty of His holiness and the generosity of His grace is not full enough or faithful enough to Scripture apart from the knowledge of ourselves.  That is why this text along with Romans 3:10-26 [+/-]Romans 3:10-26 [10]as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; [11]no one understands; no one seeks for God. [12]All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." [13]"Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips." [14]"Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness." [15]"Their feet are swift to shed blood; [16]in their paths are ruin and misery, [17]and the way of peace they have not known." [18]"There is no fear of God before their eyes." [19]Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. [20]For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. [21]But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- [22]the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: [23]for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24]and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, [25]whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. [26]It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (ESV)
may be for both the knowledge of ourselves and the knowledge of God the most important texts in the Bible.  This text teaches us three precious truths that we are going to examine one at a time:  We are born dead in our sins but God comes with His grace to save us through faith and then to form and fashion us so as to make us trophies of His grace who live our lives for Him and for the praise of His Name.  We are dead.  We are made alive.  And the life we are given is from God and for God and is not from us nor for us.  If God would open our eyes to see these precious truths then He would have shown us I believe what is the heart of who He is, how He works in saving sinners, and why He does it at all.

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Luke 7 [7:1]After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. [2]Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. [3]When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. [4]And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this for him, [5]for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue." [6]And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. [7]Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. [8]For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." [9]When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." [10]And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well. [11]Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. [12]As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. [13]And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." [14]Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." [15]And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. [16]Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God has visited his people!" [17]And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country. [18]The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, [19]calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" [20]And when the men had come to him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, 'Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?'" [21]In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. [22]And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. [23]And blessed is the one who is not offended by me." [24]When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? [25]What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings' courts. [26]What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. [27]This is he of whom it is written, "'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.' [28]I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." [29](When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, [30]but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.) [31]"To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? [32]They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, "'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.' [33]For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' [34]The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' [35]Yet wisdom is justified by all her children." [36]One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. [37]And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, [38]and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. [39]Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner." [40]And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he answered, "Say it, Teacher." [41]"A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. [42]When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?" [43]Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly." [44]Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. [45]You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. [46]You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. [47]Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." [48]And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." [49]Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" [50]And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." (ESV)

Associate Pastor Don Veldboom shares his testimony of being called into the mission field to England, with 4 children, and reflects on God’s Word  to illustrate that all believers have received the Call to Go!

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Lamentations 3:19-40 [19]Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! [20]My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. [21]But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: [22]The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; [23]they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. [24]"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." [25]The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. [26]It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. [27]It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. [28]Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; [29]let him put his mouth in the dust-- there may yet be hope; [30]let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. [31]For the Lord will not cast off forever, [32]but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; [33]for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men. [34]To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth, [35]to deny a man justice in the presence of the Most High, [36]to subvert a man in his lawsuit, the Lord does not approve. [37]Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? [38]Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? [39]Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins? [40]Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD!

Pastor Mike Godfrey shares a powerful message about the confidence and hope one has with Christ, even in the dark hours of the night.

Ephesians 1:15-23 [15]For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, [16]I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, [17]that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, [18]having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, [19]and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might [20]that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, [21]far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. [22]And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, [23]which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (ESV)

“Most young adults today don’t pray, don’t worship, and don’t read the Bible, a major survey by a Christian research firm shows.  If the trends continue, ‘the Millennial generation will see churches closing as quickly as GM dealerships,’ says Thom Rainer president of LifeWay Christian Resources.  It surveyed 1,200 members of the 18-29 year old Millennial generation and found 72% say they’re ‘really more spiritual than religious.’  Among the 65% who call themselves Christian, ‘many are either mushy Christians or Christians in name only,’ Rainer says.  ‘Most are just indifferent.  The more precisely you try to measure their Christianity, the fewer you find committed to the faith.’

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Ephesians 1:15-23 [15]For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, [16]I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, [17]that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, [18]having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, [19]and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might [20]that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, [21]far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. [22]And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, [23]which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (ESV)

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Ephesians 1:7-14 [7]In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, [8]which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight [9]making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ [10]as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. [11]In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, [12]so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. [13]In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, [14]who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (ESV)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,” (Eph. 1:3 [+/-]Ephesians 1:3 [3]Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, (ESV)
).  God who alone is good and who alone does what is good has come in Jesus Christ to bestow upon us from heaven all that we need for living for His glory and His purpose upon the earth.  God has come in Christ to give us every spiritual blessing.  The measure then that we use for meaning in life must not be other blessings whether of family or friends or money or material matters, but the blessings of God from heaven given to us in Christ.  We are here upon this earth to engage in an intimate relationship with God through Jesus so as to live our lives as servants of Jesus for the glory of God which cannot be done without the spiritual blessings.  And we saw last week that the context for these blessings are our election by God into His Kingdom over which He is King, our adoption into His family over which He rules as Father and our celebration of His goodness that He has come to us to choose us as His own and to use us for His glory.  But there is still a question that begs to be answered:  what are these spiritual blessings?  He tells us in these verses.

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Ephesians 1:1-6 [1:1]Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: [2]Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. [3]Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, [4]even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love [5]he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, [6]to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. (ESV)

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Acts 20:26-38 [26]Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, [27]for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. [28]Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. [29]I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; [30]and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. [31]Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. [32]And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. [33]I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. [34]You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. [35]In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" [36]And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. [37]And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, [38]being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship. (ESV)

What would you say to a group of fellow believers if you knew that you were speaking to them for the very last time?  That is the scene here in Acts 20 [+/-]Acts 20 [20:1]After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. [2]When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. [3]There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. [4]Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. [5]These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, [6]but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days. [7]On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. [8]There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. [9]And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. [10]But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him." [11]And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. [12]And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted. [13]But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. [14]And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. [15]And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after that we went to Miletus. [16]For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. [17]Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. [18]And when they came to him, he said to them: "You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, [19]serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; [20]how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, [21]testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. [22]And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, [23]except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. [24]But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. [25]And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. [26]Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, [27]for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. [28]Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. [29]I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; [30]and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. [31]Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. [32]And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. [33]I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. [34]You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. [35]In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" [36]And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. [37]And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, [38]being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship. (ESV)
.  Paul is on the island of Miletus from which he sends for the elders in the church in Ephesus.  He sends for them in part because of the strategic location and thus the spiritual significance of this church.  Something in him causes him to know beyond doubt that he will never see them again upon the earth but he needs to speak to them before his departure.  And what he says to them is simple:  I have given to you the whole counsel of God.  I have taught you clearly and accurately the truth of the Word of God.  Take what I have given you and keep teaching it to the people of God that are under your care.  Satan will slip in through men who are even among you now and seek to destroy the church by getting her to compromise the Gospel.  But you stay steadfast in your commitment to the word of Truth and you communicate that truth to the people of God because God has chosen for the glory of His name to do His work in the world through His people in the church.  His final words were about faithfulness to the truth of the Word of God so that the people of God might be grounded in this Truth as they live out this Truth among themselves and in witness to the world.  Paul’s final words were that the church be the church and that those called to lead do so in a way that keeps the church focused on the glory of God and faithful to the Gospel of God.

First in series on Ephesians
What would you say to a group of fellow believers if you knew that you were speaking to them for the very last time?  That is the scene here in Acts 20 [+/-]Acts 20 [20:1]After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. [2]When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. [3]There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. [4]Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. [5]These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, [6]but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days. [7]On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. [8]There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. [9]And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. [10]But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him." [11]And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. [12]And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted. [13]But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. [14]And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. [15]And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after that we went to Miletus. [16]For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. [17]Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. [18]And when they came to him, he said to them: "You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, [19]serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; [20]how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, [21]testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. [22]And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, [23]except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. [24]But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. [25]And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. [26]Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, [27]for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. [28]Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. [29]I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; [30]and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. [31]Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. [32]And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. [33]I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. [34]You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. [35]In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" [36]And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. [37]And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, [38]being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship. (ESV)
.  Paul is on the island of Miletus from which he sends for the elders in the church in Ephesus.  He sends for them in part because of the strategic location and thus the spiritual significance of this church.  Something in him causes him to know beyond doubt that he will never see them again upon the earth but he needs to speak to them before his departure.  And what he says to them is simple:  I have given to you the whole counsel of God.  I have taught you clearly and accurately the truth of the Word of God.  Take what I have given you and keep teaching it to the people of God that are under your care.  Satan will slip in through men who are even among you now and seek to destroy the church by getting her to compromise the Gospel.  But you stay steadfast in your commitment to the word of Truth and you communicate that truth to the people of God because God has chosen for the glory of His name to do His work in the world through His people in the church.  His final words were about faithfulness to the truth of the Word of God so that the people of God might be grounded in this Truth as they live out this Truth among themselves and in witness to the world.  Paul’s final words were that the church be the church and that those called to lead do so in a way that keeps the church focused on the glory of God and faithful to the Gospel of God.

Learn more about this message by downloading the sermon notes here!

1 Corinthians 15:1-28 [15:1]Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, [2]and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. [3]For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, [4]that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, [5]and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. [6]Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. [7]Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. [8]Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. [9]For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. [10]But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. [11]Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. [12]Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? [13]But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. [14]And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. [15]We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. [16]For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. [17]And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. [18]Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. [19]If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. [20]But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. [21]For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. [22]For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. [23]But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. [24]Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. [25]For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. [26]The last enemy to be destroyed is death. [27]For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. [28]When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. (ESV)

Several passions I pray that are connected with the glory of God and the advancement of His Kingdom permeate and stimulate my life every day. I have a passion for the church to be who she is called to be as the body of Christ in the world. I have a passion to see lost people come to know Jesus and to know Him in the fullness of what it means to know Him. I have a passion for the accurate understanding of the Word of God that depends upon an equally accurate communication of the Word of God. But there is nothing in my life about which I am more passionate than the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want us to get it right because I believe that in our day and in our culture we have bought into a gospel that is not The Gospel thus leaving literally multiple thousands of people deceived by the devil and under the wrath of God while believing that they are born again. So on this Easter Sunday in April in the year 2010 I have a very clear and a very simple purpose: I want you be able to walk out of here at the end of this service knowing what the Gospel is and what the Gospel does so as to be clear about whether you have believed it, received it, so that it has become the basis upon which you live your life. And I want to be clear at the beginning: if the Gospel is not the basis upon which you live your life then you have neither heard or heeded the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Isaiah 52:13-15 [13]Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. [14]As many were astonished at you-- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind-- [15]so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.

One of the most unforgettable Springs of my life happened in 1980.  The highlight of that Spring and of that year was the birth of our first child, but prior to that May 25 date I had been involved in a most fascinating experience.  I met once a week with a Jewish Rabbi to read and to reflect upon Hebrew texts:  Genesis 1 [+/-]Genesis 1 [1:1]In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. [2]The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. [3]And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. [4]And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. [5]God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. [6]And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." [7]And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. [8]And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. [9]And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. [10]God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. [11]And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was so. [12]The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [13]And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. [14]And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, [15]and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so. [16]And God made the two great lights--the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night--and the stars. [17]And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, [18]to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. [19]And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. [20]And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens." [21]So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [22]And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." [23]And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. [24]And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds--livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so. [25]And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. [26]Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." [27]So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. [28]And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." [29]And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. [30]And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. [31]And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (ESV)
, Deuteronomy 6 [+/-]Deuteronomy 6 [6:1]"Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the rules that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, [2]that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. [3]Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. [4]"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [5]You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. [6]And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. [7]You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. [8]You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. [9]You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. [10]"And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you--with great and good cities that you did not build, [11]and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant--and when you eat and are full, [12]then take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. [13]It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. [14]You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you-- [15]for the LORD your God in your midst is a jealous God--lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth. [16]"You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. [17]You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you. [18]And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go well with you, and that you may go in and take possession of the good land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers [19]by thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has promised. [20]"When your son asks you in time to come, 'What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the LORD our God has commanded you?' [21]then you shall say to your son, 'We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. [22]And the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. [23]And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. [24]And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. [25]And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.' (ESV)
, Psalms 1, 23 [+/-]Psalm 1 [1:1]Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; [2]but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. [3]He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. [4]The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. [5]Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; [6]for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
and 103 and Isaiah 53 [+/-]Isaiah 53 [53:1]Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? [2]For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. [3]He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. [4]Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. [5]But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. [6]All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. [7]He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. [8]By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? [9]And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. [10]Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. [11]Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. [12]Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
.  I could hardly wait to get to Isaiah 53 [+/-]Isaiah 53 [53:1]Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? [2]For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. [3]He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. [4]Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. [5]But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. [6]All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. [7]He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. [8]By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? [9]And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. [10]Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. [11]Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. [12]Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
that Spring even though we had agreed at the beginning that the conversion of one of our ways of thinking to the others way of thinking was not our goal.  But during that week that we read Isaiah 53 [+/-]Isaiah 53 [53:1]Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? [2]For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. [3]He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. [4]Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. [5]But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. [6]All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. [7]He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. [8]By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? [9]And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. [10]Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. [11]Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. [12]Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
I just had to ask Rabbi Eprhaim Rosenzweig, “How is it that you can read this text and not see Jesus?  If this is not Jesus, then who is it?”  To which he responded in typical rabbinic style, “how can you read this text and see Jesus; if in fact it is Jesus then He could not have been the Messiah so you don’t want this to be Jesus, because the Messiah will not suffer but will bring to be the Kingdom of God upon the earth in which His people will live in perfection of body, prosperity of goods, and peace from all the pressures and problems of life.  This text speaks clearly of one who suffers immensely so that this text speaks of Israel who will delivered from all this pain when Messiah comes.  Blessed be He!”

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Mark 3:20-35 [20]Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. [21]And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, "He is out of his mind." [22]And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "by the prince of demons he casts out the demons." [23]And he called them to him and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? [24]If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. [25]And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. [26]And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. [27]But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house. [28]"Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, [29]but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"-- [30]for they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit." [31]And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. [32]And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you." [33]And he answered them, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" [34]And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! [35]For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother." (ESV)

Nee Mee Okoka?  It is Swahili.  You could hear it if you were a new person attending for the first time a conservative evangelical church in Kenya or if you were encountered by a Kenyan believer in the marketplace:  Nee Mee Okoka.  It means, “Are you saved?”  And in response to this question you may hear, “bona saviewee, bona saviewee, I am saved and what would follow would not be a day and a time or a testimony about joining the church or praying the prayer or being baptized; what would follow would be a testimony to the work of the Spirit of God through the Word of God right now in your life.  And if you answered, no; it would because there would be no evidence in your life that you really were saved.  The first time I ever heard these two things was in a church in Kenya; I was struck by both and asked the pastor about both.  His response was simple:  what else would you talk about than what God is doing in your life if you are truly saved and why in the world would anybody say they are saved and not really be saved; only those who have no fear of God would dare do such a thing to which I would say to him that day, “or those by the thousands in our churches in our country who have a clear misunderstanding of what it really means to be saved.”  Where there is no fruit there is no faith.  Where there is no real hunger for the word of God, no real thirst for the worship of God and no real craving for the things of God among the people of God it is simply because there has been no real conversion.  Nee Mee Okoka?

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Luke 14:25-33 [25]Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, [26]"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. [27]Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. [28]For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? [29]Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, [30]saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' [31]Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? [32]And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. [33]So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (ESV)

Jesus had invited to Sunday dinner with the lead elder or chief deacon.  Well, that is how we would portray it.  It was actually the home of a leading Pharisee who must have been very popular and very powerful.  The Pharisees emerged from among the common people and became both the interpreters and practitioners of genuine biblical piety.  Few of them would have been by noblemen by birth or rulers by right; they were like most of us just hard working men who loved the law of God and wanted to see others live it out.  So when a ruler was a Pharisee this was big.  He would have been very popular among the people and very powerful.  And Jesus had been invited to his house on the Sabbath.  And the Bible says in Luke 14:1 [+/-]Luke 14:1 [14:1]One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. (ESV)
that they, that is; the religious people were watching him carefully.  The word means to pay very close attention with no good purpose in mind.  They are watching him like a hawk; noticing every move He makes and listening to ever word He speaks.  So, what does Jesus do?  He begins His day of dining by embarrassing His host and insulting the guests!  He had not read the manual on how to behave at a luncheon given in your honor.

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1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 [16]Rejoice always, [17]pray without ceasing, [18]give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. [19]Do not quench the Spirit. [20]Do not despise prophecies, [21]but test everything; hold fast what is good. [22]Abstain from every form of evil. [23]Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. [24]He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (ESV)

Ephesians 4:25-31 [25]Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. [26]Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, [27]and give no opportunity to the devil. [28]Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. [29]Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. [30]And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. [31]Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (ESV)

The Christian life from start to finish is all about grace.  And it is all about grace, it is all about God.  Paul puts it this way in Romans 11:36 [+/-]Romans 11:36 [36]For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (ESV)
, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be glory forever.  Amen.”  “Him” is God as He makes Himself known to us through His Spirit on the basis of the work of His Son for our justification, sanctification and ultimately for our glorification.  All of it is grace.  All of it is God.  The Christian life begins through the awakening that comes to us as a gift of the grace of God.  The Holy Spirit comes to us through the proclamation of the Word of God and awakens us to how holy and righteous God is and how sinful and ugly we are as He calls us to trust the only one who can save us from God’s wrath and our sin.  The Holy Spirit convicts us and gives us all that is needed to trust Jesus.  And we do.  That is grace.  That is God.  And as we trust in Jesus alone for salvation God declares us to be fully and absolutely right with Him not on the basis of anything in us or about us but on the basis of the sacrifice of His Son through the shedding of His blood on Calvary.  We are declared forever right with God.  This is Grace.  All grace.  This is God.  All God.  “It was grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved.”  And the Holy Spirit who changes us also seals us up as a person and a people who belong to God and He begins to work in us to shape us toward the image of Jesus to make us as we live our lives among the people of God all that He wants us to be.  He is making us holy.  He is sanctifying us.  He is changing us as He grows us.  This is grace.  This is God.  And at last either by way of the coming of Jesus or the coming of death we are transported home on the wings of grace.  The Christian life begins and ends in grace.  AND THE SUPREME GOAL OF THE ENEMY IS TO WORK TO FRUSTRATE THE WORK OF THE GRACE OF GOD IN US AND AMONG US.  The Bible has two apparently different images for what this looks like and we are going to look at them today.

The Christian life from start to finish is all about grace.  And it is all about grace, it is all about God.  Paul puts it this way in Romans 11:36 [+/-]Romans 11:36 [36]For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (ESV)
, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be glory forever.  Amen.”  “Him” is God as He makes Himself known to us through His Spirit on the basis of the work of His Son for our justification, sanctification and ultimately for our glorification.  All of it is grace.  All of it is God.  The Christian life begins through the awakening that comes to us as a gift of the grace of God.  The Holy Spirit comes to us through the proclamation of the Word of God and awakens us to how holy and righteous God is and how sinful and ugly we are as He calls us to trust the only one who can save us from God’s wrath and our sin.  The Holy Spirit convicts us and gives us all that is needed to trust Jesus.  And we do.  That is grace.  That is God.  And as we trust in Jesus alone for salvation God declares us to be fully and absolutely right with Him not on the basis of anything in us or about us but on the basis of the sacrifice of His Son through the shedding of His blood on Calvary.  We are declared forever right with God.  This is Grace.  All grace.  This is God.  All God.  “It was grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved.”  And the Holy Spirit who changes us also seals us up as a person and a people who belong to God and He begins to work in us to shape us toward the image of Jesus to make us as we live our lives among the people of God all that He wants us to be.  He is making us holy.  He is sanctifying us.  He is changing us as He grows us.  This is grace.  This is God.  And at last either by way of the coming of Jesus or the coming of death we are transported home on the wings of grace.  The Christian life begins and ends in grace.  AND THE SUPREME GOAL OF THE ENEMY IS TO WORK TO FRUSTRATE THE WORK OF THE GRACE OF GOD IN US AND AMONG US.  The Bible has two apparently different images for what this looks like and we are going to look at them today.

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1 Corinthians 12 [12:1]Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. [2]You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. [3]Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit. [4]Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; [5]and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; [6]and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. [7]To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. [8]For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, [9]to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, [10]to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. [11]All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. [12]For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. [13]For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and all were made to drink of one Spirit. [14]For the body does not consist of one member but of many. [15]If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. [16]And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. [17]If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? [18]But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. [19]If all were a single member, where would the body be? [20]As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. [21]The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." [22]On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, [23]and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, [24]which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, [25]that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. [26]If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. [27]Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. [28]And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. [29]Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? [30]Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? [31]But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. (ESV)

Dr. Sinclair Ferguson pastor of the marvelous First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, South Carolina said in a sermon two weeks ago, “the greatest privilege and highest honor given to any human being in any part of the world is the privilege and honor of being a part of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Do we believe that? Paul portrays the church as the body of Christ with Christ as the head of the church and it makes it plain in all of his proclamations that to belong to Christ who is the head of the church is to belong to His body. The first belonging to Christ is the result of a radical act of the grace of God on the basis of the shed blood of Jesus and the latter belonging to the church is the Spirit led response of all who have truly received and responded to the grace of God. How do I know that someone is a believer, that they belong to Jesus? Well at least one way I know is that they belong to the body of Christ and are involved both purposefully and passionately. But how does this body of Christ work? What does it look like in its effective operation? That is the question for this morning as we turn our attention to 1 Corinthians 12 [+/-]1 Corinthians 12 [12:1]Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. [2]You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. [3]Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit. [4]Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; [5]and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; [6]and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. [7]To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. [8]For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, [9]to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, [10]to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. [11]All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. [12]For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. [13]For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and all were made to drink of one Spirit. [14]For the body does not consist of one member but of many. [15]If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. [16]And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. [17]If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? [18]But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. [19]If all were a single member, where would the body be? [20]As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. [21]The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." [22]On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, [23]and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, [24]which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, [25]that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. [26]If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. [27]Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. [28]And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. [29]Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? [30]Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? [31]But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. (ESV)
. What we want to see this morning is how the Spirit of God works in the church of God to bring glory to God, to bear witness to Jesus and to build up the body of Christ.

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Galatians 6:1-10 [+/-]Galatians 6:1-10 [6:1]Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. [2]Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. [3]For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. [4]But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. [5]For each will have to bear his own load. [6]One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches. [7]Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. [8]For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. [9]And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. [10]So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (ESV)

The Fruit of the Spirit is . . . and we examined last week the fruit that is the inevitable outcome of life lived under the control of the Holy Spirit.  The fruit grows internally as a well-spring of joy that is fed by the experience of the love of God that gives us contentment in all circumstances.  The fruit shows externally in compassionate care for others that is the result of our trust of the purpose of the Sovereign God in our own lives to do that which is good.  And the fruit is eternal as we live our lives in trust of God and obedience to His Word because we are controlled by the Holy Spirit.  The fruit of the Spirit is real and it is revealed.  And it continues to grow and to show as we live out our lives putting to death the desires of the flesh and submitting our lives to the obedience of the Word of God which is what it means to walk in the Spirit so as to live in the Spirit.  But Paul wants us to know that there are two contexts in which we live out our Spirit-filled lives and that there is a core connection between the two.  I believe that he wants us to know also that the first context is the foundation for the second context so that it is impossible to live under the control of the Holy Spirit in the second context if we are not doing that actively in the first context.  Let me be very specific as I ask you to look at these verses to see first how they are laid out and then we will look into them to listen to what the Spirit of God is saying.

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We are all born with some very basic desires.  God has made us in His image which means in part that those desires cannot be satisfied except by Him.  As Augustine put it, “God has made us for Himself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Him.”  Our problem is that those desires are directed through our flesh so that Paul calls them the desires of the flesh and our flesh is by nature sinful or self-centered from the very moment of birth.  We want these desires gratified in a way that satisfies us and we seek that from birth.  That is why Paul calls these desires not only desires of the flesh but also works of the flesh.  The word for “works” suggests the investment of time and energy for the purpose of satisfying those desires in a way that brings pleasure to us.  Now we looked last week at the four basic desires that are found as the foundation for the works of the flesh:  we desire relational intimacy, we desire religious stability, we desire to feel good about ourselves and we desire freedom.  And we work for these on the basis of what we see we need so that we invest time and energy in seeking satisfaction for these desires.  And it always leads us deeper and deeper into domination by the sinful expression of these desires.

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Galatians 5:13-26 [13]For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. [14]For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." [15]But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. [16]But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. [17]For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. [18]But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. [19]Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, [20]idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, [21]envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. [22]But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23]gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. [24]And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [25]If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [26]Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (ESV)

Paul had he lived in our day and in our country would have loved this time of year.  The bowl season has just ended and the Super Bowl is just ahead.  The NBA is in full swing and March Madness is coming fast.  Spring training is just around the corner and the PGA Tour has arrived on the west coast.  And the World Cup is just in front of us.  Paul loved sports.  Read his letter and he uses the sports of his day as tools for teaching truth.  He says for example that he does not run without a goal and does not just punch the air but he disciplines himself to bring himself under control so that what he preaches to others he lives out in his life so as to be a bridge and not become a barrier (1 Corinthians 9:25-26 [+/-]1 Corinthians 9:25-26 [25]Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. [26]So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. (ESV)
).  Or when he gets near the end of his life and wants to describe his journey he uses image from the world of running and fighting:  I have finished the race and fought the good fight.  And here at the pivot point in this passage that is pointing us to how we are to live lives controlled by the Spirit he makes a statement and raises the question:  you were running well; who hindered you?  The word for hindered comes right out of the world of racing in which it was not abnormal for someone to cut in front of another to slow them down just enough to get them off stride and to impede their progress.  Paul is asking these believers:  who did that to you?  That is why your life is not filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit; that is why you are struggling so much; that is why you are so downcast and depressed and not jubilant with joy.  And I want to ask you again this morning at the beginning of this sermon:  who is hindering you?  Here is a promise:  the more committed you are to Jesus as Lord of your life in every way the more certain it is that Satan will place people in your life whose role is to throw you off stride; they don’t mind you being a person of faith, they just don’t want that dimension of your life to dominate all that you are and all that you do.  And the extent to which we listen to their voice is the extent to which we cannot hear His and thus lose the sense of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

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Galatians 5:1-12 [5:1]For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. [2]Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. [3]I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. [4]You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. [5]For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. [6]For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. [7]You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? [8]This persuasion is not from him who calls you. [9]A little leaven leavens the whole lump. [10]I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. [11]But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. [12]I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! (ESV)

Look with me at the last two verses of Galatians 5 [+/-]Galatians 5 [5:1]For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. [2]Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. [3]I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. [4]You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. [5]For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. [6]For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. [7]You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? [8]This persuasion is not from him who calls you. [9]A little leaven leavens the whole lump. [10]I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. [11]But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. [12]I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! [13]For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. [14]For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." [15]But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. [16]But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. [17]For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. [18]But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. [19]Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, [20]idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, [21]envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. [22]But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23]gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. [24]And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [25]If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [26]Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (ESV)
.  Here is our goal.  This is where we are headed.  Verse 25 is a very simple conditional sentence:  if our lives really are controlled by the Spirit of God then everything we are and everything we do will be governed and guided by the Holy Spirit.  Pride will increasingly pass away as humility emerges out of our love for God that comes from His love for us and enables us to love one another.   Anger and bitterness of spirit because we do not get our way will be deeply buried because of the joy that is ours in Jesus.  Envy of others for whatever reason will increasingly evaporate because of the peace that we have come to know through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.  In other words, the fruit of the Spirit will be increasingly evident in our lives.  This is our goal but in order to get to this goal we must go back to verse one and listen to Paul as he points us down the path that leads us toward this goal.

Michael O’Brien sang in our worship service, and we’ve included one of his songs, to be on his new release this March. Please visit his website here: http://www.michaelo.org/ or if you are on Facebook, his fan page is here: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=199565099515

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Psalm 139 [139:1]O LORD, you have searched me and known me! [2]You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. [3]You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. [4]Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. [5]You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. [6]Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. [7]Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? [8]If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! [9]If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, [10]even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. [11]If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night," [12]even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. [13]For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. [14]I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. [15]My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. [16]Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. [17]How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! [18]If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. [19]Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! [20]They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain! [21]Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? [22]I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies. [23]Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! [24]And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Conservative evangelical churches all across America have been observing for some time now the third Sunday in January as Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.  I never come to this Sunday without an awareness of what day it is and what is being done on this day, but I am not always drawn to address the issue directly.  I was this year.  Back in the Fall during some of my prayer times it was becoming clear to me that this issue was an issue that needed our direct focus this year.  And it is not as if it does not deserve our focus every year.  We are as demonstrated by our decisions a pro-choice culture.  We love our freedom to make our decisions about the directions for our lives based on the sole authority of what we feel or think in the moment of crisis is best for us.  It has led us since 1973 to destroy fifty million babies.  That is 1.5 million a year, four thousand a day, one every twenty seconds which would work out to between twenty to thirty lives being destroyed during the course of this sermon.  At the same time we are spending literally millions of dollars to find and protect endangered species so as to keep them alive.  And it seems that too few see both the historical ironies and the biblical travesty of such an approach.  The historical irony is that brave men and women engaged in a necessary war to stop the demonically maniacal philosophies of men like Hitler and Mussollini while we have in our day killed more children by way of abortion than they did in all their gas chambers combined.  And the biblical travesty is that we destroy that which the Bible calls sacred and we treasure that which the Bible says exists for the sole reason of serving the purposes of those who are sacred to God because we are made in His image.  But let me move forward here by saying that I know what the issue for our society is and for some of you in this room; the issue is the nature of the embryonic fetus in the womb.  Is this sperm joined to egg combination really a human being?  No other issue tests our commitment to the sacred truth of Scripture quite like this one.  We all will decide whether this book is sacred truth and it has the final word or that we can know what is sacred through secular scientific investigations and we will choose stand there.

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Romans 8:31-39 [31]What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32]He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? [33]Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. [34]Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-- more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. [35]Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? [36]As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." [37]No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38]For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, [39]nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (ESV)

It was early in my ministry and among my first funerals.  I had yet to have any training at all and so we doing ministry by mimicry.  I did not have a lot of good role models for ministry in my town but I had one great one and in those early days, I did as he did.  It provided for a good start.  But something happened one day at a graveside that startled me in a way that stirred me to ask questions of a text.  I stood there that day ready to begin the committal service and did what I  had seen him do; I pointed to the casket stretched over the empty grave and raised the question of Romans 8:31 [+/-]Romans 8:31 [31]What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (ESV)
, “what then shall we say to these things?”  And it was right there and right then that I was startled by this stirring:  is this what Paul is talking about?  Is this an appropriate use of this text in this way beside an open grave and a grieving family?  Well, is it?

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Romans 8:18-30 [18]For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. [19]For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. [20]For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope [21]that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. [22]For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. [23]And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. [24]For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? [25]But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. [26]Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. [27]And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. [28]And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. [29]For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. [30]And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (ESV)

Does Romans 8:17 [+/-]Romans 8:17 [17]and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (ESV)
bother you at all: The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, and if children then heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him (Rom. 8:16-17 [+/-]Romans 8:16-17 [16]The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, [17]and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (ESV)
). It is as if we go from such glorious heights where we are declared by God on the basis of His dwelling by His Spirit in our lives to be His children and heirs of His rich inheritance which comes to us in and through Christ to the depths of despair where it is declared that the way of entry into this glorious inheritance is through suffering. But if we had the eyes to see as God sees we would know that it is the suffering that is glorious for it is our participation in suffering to the praise and glory of God that is the proving ground of both the validity and integrity of what we say about who we are as the children of God. Romans 8:17 [+/-]Romans 8:17 [17]and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (ESV)
is a connective verse; we don’t see this as clearly as we should since almost every translation separates verse 17 from verse 18 when in fact they are inextricably linked. God sanctifies us by His Spirit and through His Word and it is seen in our living out our lives under the dominion of the Spirit. Our lifestyle in all that we are and do is led by the Spirit of God through the Word of God. And it is the Spirit of God who leads us into suffering where our witness to the glory of God and the grace of God shines most brightly.

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Romans 7:14-24 [14]For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. [15]For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. [16]Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. [17]So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. [18]For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. [19]For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. [20]Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. [21]So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. [22]For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, [23]but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. [24]Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (ESV)

a message about the spiritual journey by Don Veldboom, Associate Pastor

Romans 8:1-17 [8:1]There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. [2]For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. [3]For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, [4]in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. [5]For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. [6]For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. [7]For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. [8]Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. [9]You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. [10]But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. [11]If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. [12]So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. [13]For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. [14]For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. [15]For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" [16]The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, [17]and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (ESV)

As night follows day so sanctification follows a genuine work of grace in the salvation of sinners. This is the promise of God and it is the purpose of God that is fulfilled through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. There is no salvation of a sinner that does not lead to the work of sanctification based on the Word of God through the Spirit of God among the saints of God. A sinner saved by the graced of God is a sinner compelled to come together with the people of God for the praise of the Name of God and the passionate pursuit of the purpose of God. The Bible knows no alternatives so that the Holy Spirit who works salvation shows the legitimacy of that work of salvation in the work of sanctification on the foundation of Romans 8:1 [+/-]Romans 8:1 [8:1]There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (ESV)
: there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Those who are in Christ Jesus are those who are committed to Christ who have come together in a body of believers in which and through which they carry out the purposes of Christ because of the law of the Spirit that brings life.

Learn more about this message by downloading the sermon notes here!

Romans 8:1-17 [8:1]There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. [2]For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. [3]For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, [4]in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. [5]For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. [6]For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. [7]For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. [8]Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. [9]You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. [10]But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. [11]If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. [12]So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. [13]For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. [14]For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. [15]For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" [16]The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, [17]and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (ESV)

As night follows day so sanctification follows a genuine work of grace in the salvation of sinners. This is the promise of God and it is the purpose of God that is fulfilled through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. There is no salvation of a sinner that does not lead to the work of sanctification based on the Word of God through the Spirit of God among the saints of God. A sinner saved by the graced of God is a sinner compelled to come together with the people of God for the praise of the Name of God and the passionate pursuit of the purpose of God. The Bible knows no alternatives so that the Holy Spirit who works salvation shows the legitimacy of that work of salvation in the work of sanctification on the foundation of Romans 8:1 [+/-]Romans 8:1 [8:1]There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (ESV)
: there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Those who are in Christ Jesus are those who are committed to Christ who have come together in a body of believers in which and through which they carry out the purposes of Christ because of the law of the Spirit that brings life.

Learn more about this message by downloading the sermon notes here!

Learn more about this message by downloading the sermon notes here!

Ephesians 2:1-10 [2:1]And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2]in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- [3]among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4]But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5]even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- [6]and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7]so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8]For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9]not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10]For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)

Paul focuses on the church at the beginning of the letter to the Ephesians and finishes with his focus upon the church.  Listen to what he says in Ephesians 5:25 [+/-]Ephesians 5:25 [25]Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, (ESV)
, “husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up on her behalf that He might cleanse her by the washing of the water which is the Word and then present her to Himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that she would be holy and blameless.”  The church is precious to Jesus.  He purchased the church with His blood.  He planned the church from before the foundation of the world.  He planted the church in the world as His body over which He is head through which He does His work in the world.  He will gather His church to Himself upon His return, perfect her through His purging and purifying and present her to Himself and she will with Him rule forever in the new heaven and the new earth.

Learn more about this message by downloading the sermon notes here!

Ephesians 2:1-10 [2:1]And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2]in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- [3]among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4]But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5]even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- [6]and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7]so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8]For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9]not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10]For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)

I want to give you three images to help us understand where we are when we start reading Ephesians 2 [+/-]Ephesians 2 [2:1]And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2]in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- [3]among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4]But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5]even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- [6]and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7]so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8]For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9]not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10]For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. [11]Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands-- [12]remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. [13]But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14]For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility [15]by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, [16]and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. [17]And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. [18]For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. [19]So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20]built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21]in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [22]In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (ESV)
.  If this were a musical piece we could say that Ephesians two follows from a culminating crescendo.  If this were a speech we would say that Ephesians 2 [+/-]Ephesians 2 [2:1]And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2]in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- [3]among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [4]But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5]even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- [6]and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7]so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. [8]For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9]not a result of works, so that no one may boast. [10]For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. [11]Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands-- [12]remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. [13]But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14]For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility [15]by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, [16]and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. [17]And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. [18]For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. [19]So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20]built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21]in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [22]In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (ESV)
flows from the center of what is being communicated.  And if this were a landscape we would say that Ephesians two comes just as we arrive at the peak of the highest mountain from which everything around us and below us is seen with clarity and correctly.  And the culminating crescendo, the center of communication, and the mountain peak is the church.

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2 Timothy 3:10-4 [+/-]2 Timothy 3:10-4:22 [10]You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, [11]my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra--which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. [12]Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, [13]while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. [14]But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it [15]and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. [16]All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, [17]that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. [4:1]I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: [2]preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. [3]For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, [4]and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. [5]As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. [6]For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. [7]I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. [8]Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. [9]Do your best to come to me soon. [10]For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. [11]Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. [12]Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. [13]When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. [14]Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. [15]Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. [16]At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! [17]But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. [18]The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. [19]Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. [20]Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. [21]Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers. [22]The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you. (ESV)
:8

Paul was approaching the finish line. He could not see it, but he could surely sense it. He had a keen awareness that he was on his last lap in this long race and as he anticipated his crossing over he would write, “I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure is at hand.” He anticipated his death to come at the hands of the Roman government as they had accused him of treason against Rome and would execute him by beheading unless he would acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus. But it was because of the Lordship of Jesus that he could look death in the face even by beheading and know that it was only the departure from this world toward the world for which he had longed from the first moment the Lord Jesus made Himself known to Him on the road to Damascus. So, Paul could right about what he faced: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith,” and he anticipates receiving the reward from the righteous judge. Augustine reminds us that for Paul this crown of righteousness had importance only because of the One who gave it because “the crown given by the righteous judge could only be given because of the grace that had been given to Paul by the merciful Father.” So, it is not the crown that was the glory for Paul but living for the glory of the one who wears the crown as great God, gracious Savior, and generous Spirit poured upon and into all who believe. And Paul had lived his life under the guidance of this Sovereign God in order by the power of His Spirit to communicate the Truth of the Word of God the center of which is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is thus no surprise that at the very end, in the very last words that we have from Paul; he is teaching a young preacher whom he had been mentoring about the preacher’s place. It has been such a delight in recent weeks for me to be able to hear again what Paul says and it is such a sacred privilege to be able to share it with you today.

(This is also the ordination service for Michael Godfrey, Youth Pastor!)

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Philippians 1:1-2 [+/-]Philippians 1:1-2 [1:1]Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: [2]Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (ESV)

One of the very worst developments in the history of the church as it relates to polity or to how the church does her work is the democratization of the church. The democratization of the church is simply the view that the church exists of the people and by the people and for the people. It produced a polity in which the membership by majority vote determined the direction of the church in almost all matters of the life of the church. This way of doing church did not exist at all prior to the Reformation of the sixteenth century and then was put down as heresy wherever it bubbled up until in the late nineteenth century it began to take hold until by the middle of the twentieth century it was accepted as the way of life in the church for many Protestant denominations and particularly for Baptists. It was a historical anomaly that produced a biblical travesty that represented and represents theological treason because it is a way of doing church that is not found at all in the very book that we hold up and to which we submit as the inerrant, infallible and fully sufficient Word of God.

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This is also the ordination service for new Deacons Kevin Booth, and David Stembridge

Titus 3:1-8 [+/-]Titus 3:1-8 [3:1]Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, [2]to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. [3]For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. [4]But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, [5]he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, [6]whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, [7]so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. [8]The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. (ESV)

… We need to be biblically clear about the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation. This begins with our understanding of what the Bible means by salvation. Let me give you a definition and then give you a couple of texts to help us see more clearly the definition. Salvation is the work of God by His Spirit and through His Word that begins with regeneration and culminates with glorification and what happens between the two is the demonstration of our declaration of salvation. The term refers to everything that happens from the moment that we give ourselves to Jesus until that moment that we enter heaven. This way of seeing salvation is biblical; it is found in the very form of the word for salvation and it is found everywhere the word is used and that is hundreds of times. Let me just give you two or three. The angel tells Joseph that his betrothed will give birth to a son who “will save His people from their sins” (Mt. 1:21). Paul makes it plain in Romans that “whoever calls upon the Name of the Lord will be saved.” This is a future tense verb. And John 3:17 [+/-]John 3:17 [17]For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (ESV)
makes it clear that Jesus came into the world so that many in the world “might be saved” by Him. The verb points to what He does during the course of time. So Salvation is the work of the grace of God by the power of the Holy Spirit that begins with the new birth and comes to fullness when by our departure we enter the presence of God forever. And the first step in this journey that is the work of the Holy Spirit is called regeneration or new birth. …

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1 Kings 8:54-61 [54]Now as Solomon finished offering all this prayer and plea to the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven. [55]And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, [56]"Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant. [57]The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us, [58]that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers. [59]Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires, [60]that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. [61]Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day." (ESV)

This morning Youth Pastor Mike Godfrey shared from the book of 1st Kings some wisdom from Solomon contained in his benediction, and some tangible characteristics that identified the wicked Kings, and also some characteristics of the good kings.

Titus 3:1-8 [3:1]Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, [2]to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. [3]For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. [4]But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, [5]he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, [6]whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, [7]so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. [8]The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. (ESV)

We live in the New Day.  Ezekiel, Isaiah, Joel and Jeremiah would teach us about this new day.  We looked two weeks ago at the character and content of this new day.  It is a day of individual responsibility before God.  It is a day when God will save His people by the work of His sovereign grace.  It is the day that is the beginning of what is known in the Bible as the last day or last days because it is during this day in which we live that God is doing His most definitive work for the saving of sinners and the shaping of His church for the glory of His Name.  We live in this new day.

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Leviticus 23 [23:1]The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, [2]"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the LORD that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts. [3]"Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places. [4]"These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. [5]In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the LORD's Passover. [6]And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. [7]On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. [8]But you shall present a food offering to the LORD for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work." [9]And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, [10]"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, [11]and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, so that you may be accepted. On the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. [12]And on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the LORD. [13]And the grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, a food offering to the LORD with a pleasing aroma, and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, a fourth of a hin. [14]And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. [15]"You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. [16]You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD. [17]You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the LORD. [18]And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. [19]And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. [20]And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. [21]And you shall make proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. [22]"And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God." [23]And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, [24]"Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. [25]You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD." [26]And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, [27]"Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the LORD. [28]And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God. [29]For whoever is not afflicted on that very day shall be cut off from his people. [30]And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people. [31]You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. [32]It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath." [33]And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, [34]"Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the LORD. [35]On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. [36]For seven days you shall present food offerings to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work. [37]"These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the LORD food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day, [38]besides the LORD's Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD. [39]"On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. [40]And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. [41]You shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. [42]You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, [43]that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God." [44]Thus Moses declared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the LORD. (ESV)

Murray Tilles of Light of Messiah Ministries in metro Atlanta visited us on this eve of Yom Kappur, to share with us more about the holidays that Jesus celebrated, being a Jew. This message really brings light the picture of Christ seen in the 9 Jewish Festivals, and also with an encouraging message to remember to continue reaching out to God’s chosen people.

form Light of Messiah’s website

“Why did God command the children of Israel to blow the shofar (the ram’s horn)? What is the scapegoat all about in Yom Kippur? Why did God command the Israelites to live in booths for seven days at the Feast of Tabernacles? What does it all mean to us as believers in Jesus? Learn how God was revealing the message of salvation through these beautiful holidays from the book of Leviticus. Yes, Leviticus can be interesting if you understand it.

The “Jesus in the Jewish Festivals” service will reveal God’s purpose in commanding Israel to celebrate the Feasts of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. You will see not only the history of these beautiful festivals and how Jesus celebrated each of these festivals. You will also see how God’s plan for the world to be saved through Jesus is foreshadowed in each of these holidays.”

This is the memorial service for Cecil, please listen, and enjoy, and be encouraged!

There is an obituary and place to leave condolences, or perhaps encouraging message’s about brother Cecil

http://www.chanceandhydrick.com/2009/09/cecil-e-mccollum-sr/

One  part  has  thirty-­‐nine  books  and  the  other  part  has  twenty-­‐seven.  The  first   part  is  known  as  the  Old  Testament  not  because  it  is  antiquated  and  out  of  date   but  because  it  unfolds  for  us  life  as  it  was  lived  out  under  the  old  covenant.  The   second  part  is  known  as  the  New  Testament  because  it  lays  out  for  us  what  life   looks  like  under  the  new  covenant.  Both  parts  are  necessary.  If  we  have  the  New   Testament  without  the  Old  Testament  we  will  inevitably  make  much  of  ourselves   and  little  of  God  and  reduce  the  cross  of  Jesus  to  a  doctrine  to  be  believed  rather   than  a  reality  that  revolutionizes  all  of  life  for  those  who  do  believe.  If  we  have   the  Old  Testament  apart  from  the  New  Testament  we  will  inevitably  reduce  life  to   a  set  of  rules  and  regulations  to  be  obeyed  rather  than  seeing  that  the  law  of  God   laid  out  in  the  Old  Testament  is  given  to  show  us  the  great  grandeur  of  God  and   the  dreadful  depravity  of  humans  so  as  to  point  us  to  the  only  one  who  can  bring   God  to  us  and  us  to  God  and  that  one  is  the  center  of  all  the  Bible  the  Lord  Jesus   Christ.  Who  He  is  and  what  He  does  is  not  only  proclaimed  in  the  New  Testament   but  also  prophesied  in  the  Old  Testament.  Jesus  said  that  Abraham  saw  His  day   and  was  glad.  Ezekiel  was  shown  what  that  day  would  be  and  was  dominated  by   delight.  Joel  saw  it  and  was  glad.  But  no  prophet  of  the  Old  Testament  saw  it  as   plainly  or  proclaimed  it  as  powerfully  as  Jeremiah. You  hold  in  your  hand  or  have  upon  your  laps  a  Bible  that  has  two  parts.

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Hebrews 1:3 [3]He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (ESV)

Hebrews 2:8 [8]putting everything in subjection under his feet." Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. (ESV)

Youth Pastor Mike Godfrey preached a great sermon this morning on the Glory of God. When you ask, how do I glorify God, Mike turned us back to the prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah 6:1-5 [+/-]Isaiah 6:1-5 [6:1]In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. [2]Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. [3]And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" [4]And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. [5]And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" (ESV)
where the Glory of God is spoken of, then pulls us back to Hebrews to see how the author of Hebrews took Psalms 8 [+/-]Psalm 8 [8:1]O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. [2]Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. [3]When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, [4]what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? [5]Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. [6]You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, [7]all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, [8]the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. [9]O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
, and applied it to Christ. Listen in on this exciting and relevant message!

John 20:19-23 [19]On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." [20]When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. [21]Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." [22]And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. [23]If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld." (ESV)

Note to be added soon!

Jude 1:17-25 [17]But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. [18]They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions." [19]It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. [20]But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, [21]keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. [22]And have mercy on those who doubt; [23]save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. [24]Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, [25]to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (ESV)

We return today to these verses in Jude.  We drew near to them last week and danced around them but did not dig into them.  We will dig into them today.  Let’s remember why these verses are so important to what we are doing in these days:  We have begun a journey together to try to understand biblically and apply practically the teaching in the Bible about the Holy Spirit.  But we could easily go astray from the start if we did not begin our journey by locating the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in the context of the central doctrine of the Trinity.  So that is where we have begun our journey:  looking at the Holy Spirit in the context of the Trinity.  Our God is one God in three persons.  The three persons are equal in essence but distinct in expression.  And as Wayne Grudem writes and we shall see later today the distinctions in the Trinity are seen in how the members of the Trinity relate to each other and to the world.

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Jude 1:17-25 [17]But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. [18]They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions." [19]It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. [20]But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, [21]keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. [22]And have mercy on those who doubt; [23]save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. [24]Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, [25]to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (ESV)

Wilhelmus A. Brakel was a seventeenth century Dutch Reformer.  Brilliant in his understanding of the teachings of the Bible, this man wrote a four volume work as a discipleship manual for new believers.  His intention in writing it was to give deep roots and solid ground to believers as they started the journey of salvation seeking to serve Jesus as Lord and Master.  One modern scholar that I admire and respect has said that if he were mandated to spend time on a deserted island and could choose one set of writings in addition to the Bible, he would choose Brakel.  I agree.  He writes with such profound conviction and with such plain and simple clarity.  But when he wrote the section of his work on the doctrine of God, he began it with these words, “God is incomprehensible in His essence and His existence.”  He goes on to declare that no human can understand God so as to comprehend who He is by beginning with our reason and moving toward God.  God has designed it so that any understanding of Himself is connected to what He communicates to us about Himself.  He is a God who makes Himself known.  And the place at which He begins is in His essence and expression as Trinity.  He is One God in three persons.

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2 Thessalonians 3:14-18 [14]If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. [15]Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. [16]Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. [17]I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. [18]The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. (ESV)

The center of concern in the last words that Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica is the promise, the proclamation and the practice of peace.  Here is the central core of what he communicates as he brings this letter to its conclusion, 3:16.  He proclaims to them the Word of Peace.  But He frames it on each side with statements about the Word of God and concludes the entire letter by praying for them and for us what we most need in order to live godly lives in this world.  On the far side of the Word of Peace is his call for us to trust the Word of God; on the near side of the Word of Peace is his call for us to obey the Word of God.  He ties the Word of God to the Way of Peace.  And then prays for the grace of God that would enable us listen to the Word of God so that we can live in the way of Peace.

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2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 [6]Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. [7]For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, [8]nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. [9]It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. [10]For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. [11]For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. [12]Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. [13]As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. (ESV)

Do you remember your first job? I mean the first income producing
job that you ever had? What was it? What were you doing? Mine was
with my Dad. He built houses all over our home town. In fact, when I go
back to Lincolnton I can hardly go anywhere without seeing houses that he
built. I was just a little lad when he started taking me to work with him and
teaching me the joy of working. Picking up sticks around a construction
site, putting them in a pile and burning them. Sweeping up rooms after the
dry wall was up and just before we mudded the walls. Promoted to mixing
mortar in a mortar box: fourteen shovels of sand, one bag of mortar mix,
two buckets of water and back and forth with a hoe with holes in it mixing
the mortar. A dollar a day, five dollars a week and two bucks extra when I
worked on Saturday. I loved being with my Dad and I loved the work.
And somewhere in it all he taught me the joy of working. He never used
the term but what he was teaching me was the doctrine of vocation.

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2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 [3:1]Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, [2]and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. [3]But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. [4]And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. [5]May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. (ESV)

Let me ask you a question. It is not a trick question but it can be quite confusing: “When does the church year begin here at our church?” Well, that depends on who you ask. If you ask Kim Booth that question, she will answer “it begins in a month from today and I need you help.” If you ask Glenn Ashe that question, he will say that it begins next Sunday with the first meeting of AWANA. If you ask Chris Collins who does such a wonderful job of chairing our Budget and Finance team he will say it begins in January. If you ask our Deacon Selection Team they will say that it begins in September and if you ask some person who has been Baptist since John they will say with absolute certainty that it begins in October. For me, I just like all the variety of beginnings because it gives all of us at various times opportunities to pause and reflect upon where we are in terms of what God is doing in our lives. That is exactly what Paul is doing as he comes to the end of his second letter to the church in Thessalonica. He is going to address three issues of critical importance: the relationship of pastor to people and people to pastor, the primacy of work as a place for declaring the glory of God, and the promise of peace that God gives to us through Jesus Christ. He begins in these five verses by looking at what a pastor desires from his people and what a pastor desires for his people.

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2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 [13]But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. [14]To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. [15]So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. [16]Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, [17]comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (ESV)

We have spent the last few weeks looking at what Paul calls the rebellion.  We have examined its content and its context.  The word itself is “apostastia” and it describes people who stand far away from God in actuality but with their mouths and in their hearts they really believe that they are close to God and that God is close to them.  They profess with their lips that Jesus is Lord but their lives revolve around the desires of their flesh and the directives of the world.  They are deceived by the devil and delivered over by God to live out the their lives under this deception.  Paul seems to indicate that this way of living has been present in every age since the coming of Jesus but will be more extensive and more intensive when we get closer to the end. In fact, it is not inaccurate to argue that the most popular and prevalent form of Christianity as we get closer to the end will be of this sort.  I am reading as a part of my quiet time this year a devotional book by A.W. Tozer who doesn’t write any bad books so anything you read by him is helpful.  In a recent installment he wrote these words, “there was a time when a person would not have dared to say, ‘I am a Christian’ and not have known that their entire being was completely surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus.  But we are living in a time when people profess to be Christians while living however they please to live believing that at some point they will move to a deeper experience of the Lordship of Jesus.”  And he adds that we have to come to think this as normal and acceptable.  And it will be in the last days when the rebellion is rampant.

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2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 [2:1]Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, [2]not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. [3]Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, [4]who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. [5]Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? [6]And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. [7]For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. [8]And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. [9]The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, [10]and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. [11]Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, [12]in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (ESV)

There are some stories that are too cute not to tell.  But I really do need my friend Gene to tell this one since I don’t do Cajun well, and he does.  But here goes:  Pastor Boudreaux and Pastor Thibedeaux were out staking a sign by the road.  It read:  “Da End is Near, Turn Yo Sef Roun now, Afore it be too late.”  As they stepped away from the sign a car blew by them with one of the occupants hanging out the car yelling, “You religious nuts,”  and when just after that Pasto