Tag: Worship Service

Fellowship and the Fruit of Peace

This morning, Heritage celebrates the glorious promise of our Lord Jesus.  On the first Sunday of each month, we partake together in the Lord’s table.  Jesus commanded us to observe this until His return.  We also have a carry-in dinner following the services, giving us opportunity to reflect and “discern the Body”.  It is a precious time, and it brings me great joy to think of it.  It is fitting that I will be teaching on peace today. Consider 2 Peter 3:13-14:

But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless…

Our hope in Christ compels us to diligence in this life.  May God grant His Church the power of the Holy Spirit, bring forth the fruit of peace and righteousness for the eternal praise of Christ the King!  Amen.

Acts 6: Overcoming the Overlooking

This past Sunday, we looked at the first seven verses of Acts 6.  Here we see the problem of the Hellenistic Jewish widows being overlooked by the Church.  This has all the makings of a sordid soap opera as we see a cultural/ethnic division among this group that claims to be the New Covenant people of God.  It is not only a division, but one at the heart of undefiled religion according to James 1:27.

However, the solution is quite boring if you are looking for a glamorized Hollywood tale of hatred and greed.  You see, as the problem was made known the solution was quite simple.  Immediately conferring with all it was decided to appoint seven men, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, who had good reputations among all the people to take care of this task that everyone wants to see accomplished.

The story, in a sense, ends there.  There is no discussion of how these men accomplished the task logistically or the success rate that came now that these new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were put in place (forgive the technical terms…I’m an environmental consultant on the side).  So, is this a boring part of the Scriptures?  Absolutely not!  Here are a few points from my sermon (and one that I forgot!) that point out what wonderful truths we can learn from these seven verses:

• In the Body of Christ, there is no room for cultural/ethnic divisions.  There is no place for one group to look down upon another or to be content when the other group is not doing well.
• The work of the Holy Spirit is not only powerful for the advancement of the Gospel as the Kingdom expands, but the Spirit will bring about wonderful results in the Church if we trust in His great power and ability. The reason the apostle’s could have such peaceful assurance that these seven men would bring a resolution to the overlooking that had occurred is that they were filled with the Holy Spirit.  As the Spirit had enabled them to preach the Gospel boldly, so the Spirit will heal up divisions and bring about pure and undefiled religious care and provision.
• All seven of the men had Greek names, leading us to believe that the group was comprised mostly, if not completely, of Hellenistic Jews.  This is significant because it shows trust on the part of the Apostles and the Church in the Holy Spirit’s work through these men.  There was not a shred of doubt that these men may “tip the scales the other way” and show favor towards the Hellenistic Jews at the expense of the native Jews.
• The Spirit’s work in the Church and the Spirit’s work of advancing the Kingdom as the Church expands go hand in hand.  They are not exclusive of one another.  Verse 7 proves this for us as it concludes this section of Acts (As we discussed during the sermon, verse 7 is a linguistic marker in the book) as every other section is concluded…the Word of God (the Gospel of Jesus Christ) continued to spread as great numbers were brought into the Church.
• Finally, let me also point out that of these seven men, two are discussed in the next few chapters for their great work of spreading the Gospel.  We can learn from this that God often uses men in great ways who first have the God-given humility to serve tables.  They are not above any task.

Acts 4-5: Response to Persecution (Sunday, Sept 28)

During our time in the Word Sunday morning, we examined the response of the believers to the persecution that came upon them for proclaiming the Gospel in the name of the Lord Jesus, specifically in chapters 4 and 5 of Acts.

Here, we see the promised work of the Holy Spirit continue.  As Peter is filled with the Spirit, he is enabled to speak boldly concerning the Lordship of Jesus.  As Peter puts it, “We cannot stop speaking about these things”!

My friends, I am overjoyed to know that the promised Holy Spirit enables the people of God to speak with such boldness.  I am thankful as I see the desire for evangelism nourished among us.  But let us not cease seeking this power.  May we be transformed by the Spirit so that we not only desire to proclaim the Gospel, but we cannot stop speaking it!

The persecution upon these believers drove them to prayer.  Not in prayer to avoid persecution (for this persecution was actually predestined by God), but a prayer for God’s strength to overcome in the midst of persecution.  As such, these believers immediately thought (and prayed) of Psalm 146 and Psalm 2.

Why do the nations rage?  Why do we fear men?

God has given us victory in Jesus the Messiah.  He is ruling at the right hand as his enemies are being made a footstool for his feet.  We are His servants.

Father, grant to us boldness.  Give us your Holy Spirit’s wonderful power that we may be your witnesses in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.

Sunday, August 10

This morning’s worship brought us to consider many wonderful things. Stan’s text for the sermon was Matthew 6:5-7. Fitting in with the rest of the context, this passage calls us to consider prayer in light of the self-vindicating pattern of the Scribes and Pharisees.

It struck me in vivid manner that our Lord condemned the prayers of both the Scribes and Pharisees along side of the “babbling” Gentiles. Our prayer life can go astray in many different ways.

And yet, as I am sure we will see next week, godly prayer is not something that is a far reach for us. If our desires are right, then our prayers will probably be right as well. If we are seeking first the Kingdom of God and trusting that all the other things will be provided for us the way God clothes the flowers and feeds the birds, we will find our method and manner of prayer to be of necessity, quite appropriate.

David taught during our Bible study hour and introduced chapter 4 of Revelation. It seemed like he dangled the carrot before us without letting us get into the feast, by no fault of his own. We just ran out of time before we got into the good discussion that I trust will come over the next few weeks.

David mentioned G.K. Beale’s commentary on Revelation again. It was wonderful for my preparations for his study and I really look forward to our discussion on these matters. Surely, the scene of the Lord upon the throne is meant to do something to us. It should not merely be a sight to see, but a truth to know, and a power to live as servants of the risen Lord!

Sunday, August 3 – To Toot Thine Own Horn

As Stan was preaching from Matthew 6 this past Sunday, his words about the text brought many thoughts to my mind, but one in particular gripped me.

Our Lord was confronting something that was violently wrong.

As Jesus called the people to a righteousness that exceeded that of the Scribes and the Pharisees, he brings up the subject of alms giving. He states that people should not “sound the trumpet” to be seen as they give alms to the poor. If their motive is to be seen by men, then they have already received their reward. The Almighty Judge is not impressed, though men may be.

To me, this teaching shows that there is something at work beyond pride. It is a pride that thrives upon hatred of others. It is a hateful pride that was embraced by the religious community surrounding the Temple in the days of Christ.

Here is what I mean by “a hateful pride”. Image driving to your church service on Sunday morning. There are people of your faith, or your neighborhood who are poverty-stricken and broken by disease. They sit outside the doors to your place of worship. When you walk up, they appeal to you “My friend, gain merit with God by giving me your pocket change.” Instead of being broken in spirit at their condition. Instead of being overwhelmed in empathy with them. Instead of seeking to help them and minister to them…you see this as an opportunity to do two things. First, you can use them to bolster your place in the Kingdom of God. You believe that your gift to them helps you overcome your personal sins and that God is now obliged to show you favor. Second, this is not enough for you. You have decided to use this person for your own pride and arrogance. You will not only give to them, but you will make a show of it so that others may see it.

This is not just wrong, this is violent sin. It is sin that operates upon and thrives in the foundation of poverty and pain. And yet it was religiously acceptable and encouraged.

Our Lord shows forth love and mercy. He teaches to help without regard for self, but only with regard for those who need it.

Oh, what a contrast between the picture of the Scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 6 with the power of the Gospel in Acts 3! (See this entry for more info).

—

In our Bible Study hour, David was back and we returned to our Study in Revelation. We looked at the letter to the church at Laodicea and had a very important discussion of the meaning of this letter and its particular relationship to many of us in the churches in America who have much wealth and personal/national pride.

Let us be sure we follow the loving urging of our Lord to seek to buy refined gold from Him and to be clothed and healed of that which blinds us. May we be encouraged both individually and corporately to seek the Heavenly Guest and take our great pleasure and satisfaction in divine fellowship.

–

Finally, one of the hymns that we sang was written by Timothy Dwight. While our hymnal only has a few of the lines, here are the rest from CyberHymnal:

I love Thy kingdom, Lord,
The house of Thine abode,
The church our blessed Redeemer saved
With His own precious blood.

I love Thy church, O God.
Her walls before Thee stand,
Dear as the apple of Thine eye,
And written on Thy hand.

If e’er to bless Thy sons
My voice or hands deny,
These hands let useful skills forsake,
This voice in silence die.

Should I with scoffers join
Her altars to abuse?
No! Better far my tongue were dumb,
My hand its skill should lose.

For her my tears shall fall
For her my prayers ascend,
To her my cares and toils be given
Till toils and cares shall end.

Beyond my highest joy
I prize her heavenly ways,
Her sweet communion, solemn vows,
Her hymns of love and praise.

Jesus, Thou Friend divine,
Our Savior and our King,
Thy hand from every snare and foe
Shall great deliverance bring.

Sure as Thy truth shall last,
To Zion shall be given
The brightest glories earth can yield
And brighter bliss of Heaven.

Sunday, July 20th – Love that Compels

The Lord Jesus commands us to love our enemies and pray for those would persecute us. This text was the focus of Stan’s sermon and gave us plenty to meditate on and to continue to consider as we seek to obey our Lord.

As I have continued to consider this, I cannot help but think of missions and the proclamation of the Gospel as the ultimate fulfillment of this command. As Stan mentioned during the sermon, in Psalm 139, King David states that he hates those who hate God; they are his enemies who he utterly despises. Under the Old Covenant, David could remain this way and be considered to be a man after God’s own heart.

But the Gospel has brought a different command. The apostles could not agree with King David. Paul would not go into pagan lands if he hated those peoples with an utmost hatred. He did not view them as enemies that he wanted to see destroyed and crushed, but rather he desired to see them redeemed and brought near to God and to one another in the Body of Christ. He begged them, as though God were appealing through him that they would be reconciled to God. This is love. This is the commandment of the New Covenant.

May God grant to us the love which our Lord spoke about. May He empower us through the Holy Spirit to pursue others in love, and may His sovereign mercy go forth for the glory of Christ.

Sunday, July 13 – The Other Cheek

This Sunday, Stan’s text for the sermon was Matthew 5:38-42. Here we saw the challenging words of our Lord which compels us to die to our own desires for justice and for self-seeking. Though the Old Covenant with Israel was very clear in its commands of justice and vindication, striking the offender to bring justice to the victim, our Lord removes not only the commandments of justice, but also our desires to bring about personal retribution.

Stan brought our attention to the book of Acts, where we find the unjust suffering placed upon the Church, yet they lived by the new Law of Christ. Instead of seeking retribution, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer. While Stephen was being stoned, he was not filled with desires of justice, but prayers of mercy to those who were brutally murdering him.

Is this not the theme of the Scriptures concerning the Bride of Christ? Have not we seen this over and over. In our study of 1 Peter on Wednesday nights we found that we should not think it strange when terrible suffering is directed at us for our faith in the Gospel. But let us not return evil for evil, for then our suffering will be just. Instead, let us be empowered by the Spirit to fulfill the Law of Christ. Let us die to self and live for the glory of God!

As George Mueller put it…
“There was a day when I died, utterly died: died to George Mueller, his opinions, preferences, tastes and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame even of my brethren and friends. And since then, I have studied only to show myself ‘approved unto God.’”