Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Monday, April 15, 2019
The Love Letter
Listen as Pastor Rick shares from a very personal experience about the value of communication both with our personal relationships and with our Heavenly Father!!!
Thursday, January 31, 2019
A Sabbath Psalm
Pastor Rick's message about the Almighty God was timely and encouraging! He is WORTHY of our worship!
Saturday, October 20, 2018
Our Priority Toward God
"God’s number one priority toward us is to restore us into proper relationship with Him. This is so that we can then fulfill our top priorities toward Him which are to love Him entirely and then love others. When we do these things, we not only keep the commandments, but we fulfill the original intent of our design to rejoice in one another and be good stewards of everything entrusted to us." Listen as Pastor Rick explains this today.
Friday, October 19, 2018
God's Priority for Us
Does God want us to be happy? Is our happiness God's priority? Listen as Pastor Rick considers this.
Monday, October 8, 2018
YIELDED
Pastor Rick's notes on the idea of "letting go" are shared here for your review and study.
Today I am going to walk you through a little bit of a mind journey to help you understand how I got to where I am today in this message. For many days I have had one word in my mind around which I expected to build a sermon. That word is “Let.”
Now the word, “let” has several definitions or modes of use in the English language, but the primary meaning is the meaning that my mind was fixed on: “To permit; to allow; to suffer; to give leave or power by a positive act, or negatively, to withhold restraint; not to prevent.” The idea is to permit someone to do something or to give them permission to do something. I was thinking of it in terms of the scripture, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5).” But when I went to that passage to look at the Greek word for “let” I discovered that there was no Greek word for it. It was simply an English word necessary to translate the idea of the Greek words. I thought, well, maybe I’m missing something. Maybe there is another place where the word “let” is used in the New Testament where I can find the idea I am looking for. But in the 300+ instances where the word appears in the King James New Testament, I did not find a Greek word that communicated the idea of “letting” or “letting go.”
I thought, Lord, I know you’ve had this thought in my mind and heart. I know I am supposed to preach on this idea. What now? I turned to Google. I typed, “Letting God have control.” That led me to an article on Christianity.com that tried to answer the question, “How do I let God take control of my life?”
One of the first scriptures referenced by the author there was the familiar passage from Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
I felt prompted to go look at that Scripture. I did. And as I looked at cross references for that Scripture, I came to Romans chapter 6 which we will read in a moment. But in Romans chapter 6, I discovered the word I was looking for: that word is “Yield.”
Now before we read our Scripture, I want you to understand the meaning of the English word “yield.” After we read our Scripture, we will talk about the Greek word that is translated as “yield.”
Per Mr. Webster, the word yield has a lot of depth but for our purposes here today the word yield means,
To allow; to concede; to admit to be true; as, to yield the point in debate
To give, as claimed of right; as, to yield due honors;
To permit; to grant
To resign; to give up
To surrender
To give up the contest; to submit
To comply with
To give way
Not to oppose
To give place as inferior in rank or excellence
Now, LET us look to our scripture passage in Romans Chapter 6. Please read aloud with me the verses in Bold.
1 ¶ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (KJV)
Now we are going to focus on verses 12-19 in a moment, but you can see that the word “yield” appears 4 times in that passage. Now if you just plug in some of those meanings for the word “yield” into those verses, they look something like this.
“13 Don’t resign your body as an instrument of unrighteousness unto sin…Don’t surrender or submit your body as an instrument of unrighteousness unto sin… but permit yourself to be surrendered unto God to comply with His ways”
“16 Know ye not that to who you give yourself, surrender yourself, submit yourself to obey, his servants you are…?”
“19 Even so now allow your body, permit your body, resign your body, surrender your body as a servant to righteousness unto holiness.”
That sounds pretty good. That seems like we are getting at the meaning of things. And we are, but we are not quite there yet. Why? because the Bible was not originally written in English. The King James Translation in all its beauty is not the original language. So while the word “yield” has a lot of depth and meaning and teaches us a lot about the concept, we are not quite there. We need to go one step further. We need to look at the Greek word that is translated to the English word “yield.”
That word is the word I posted on Facebook last night: “Paristemi” – not pastrami! (How many of you looked it up?) The word means “to bring, to present, to stand by.”
Now let’s read our text passage with that in mind:
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield [bring, present, or stand by with] your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield [bring, present, or stand by] yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield [bring, present, or stand by] yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield [bring, present, or stand by] your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Interestingly, if you go back to Romans 12:1 where it says “present your bodies a living sacrifice” guess what word it uses? Yes! Paristemi! “I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, that ye present [bring, present, or stand by] (or you could say “yield”) your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
Pastor Rick, you have bored us to tears with your word study what is the point? It is simply this: The Apostle Paul is urging us to completely yield our bodies and souls unto God – to surrender utterly to His will, His life, and His commands. He is saying that we must present ourselves to God in submission to stand before Him in obedience. We are LET Him reign over us. We are to PERMIT Him to have our bodies and all that they do. A fundamentally key element of this is obedience.
See, a lot of people get the wrong idea of surrender. They think they can make a brief confession, acknowledge Jesus as Lord and move on with their lives. They think it is simply some sort of ceremonial action and that is all. A thousand times no! This is a full blown surrender of enemy forces to a conqueror and then an occupation of the property by the conqueror. Let me try to illustrate.
There are several famous surrenders in history, but what some believe is the most famous is the surrender of Japan to the Allied forces at the end of WWII.
Likely the most famous surrender ceremony in history, the Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945, was meant to reinforce the might of the Allies and celebrate the end of the war.
Held in Tokyo Bay on the deck of the battleship USS Missouri, it featured an original flag from the ship of Commodore Perry, the naval officer who opened Japan to the West. Representatives from Japan and all the Allied nations signed a formal document of surrender. Then thousands of Allied planes flew overhead in formation, and Japan's occupation formally began.
After years of chaos, violence, and the deaths of tens of thousands of human beings, the war came to an end with an unconditional surrender of the Japanese nation. At this point, the nation of Japan was occupied by Allied forces who took control and totally re-shaped the nation.
That is exactly what we are talking about here in Romans chapter 6: unconditional surrender of ourselves to God, and a full on occupation of our hearts by the Holy Spirit. And under this benevolent occupation we must obey His will. We must keep His commands.
When an enemy land is occupied by an invading force, the invading force imposes their own laws & requirements. The populace must obey or suffer consequences. This includes curfews, yielding to military vehicles to have right of way, and often a suspension of their previous customs, norms, and laws. In the case of Japan it meant a complete re-writing of their constitution and a remaking of their way of thinking and way of life.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
You have now surrendered yourself to Christ. You CANNOT allow sin to reign in you anymore. You cannot let it have control. Sin is dethroned, superseded, kicked out. In this earthly, dying body, you are not allowed to obey it anymore. You cannot continue in sin. It is not permitted. You cannot obey the lusts and desires of sin.
13 Neither yield [bring, present, or stand by with] your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield [bring, present, or stand by] yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
You are not unconditionally surrendering your body to be the tool of unrighteousness to sin. No. You are unconditionally surrendering yourself, yielding yourself, presenting yourself unto God. You are surrendering your sword of resistance against His rule. You are no longer walking the path of death eternal. Instead you are now walking in the path of peace and life as one alive from the dead and you are yielding your body as tools and weapons of righteousness unto God. You no longer are on the side of sin. You are no longer its soldier. You are now on God’s side and are to be His tool, His vessel, His soldier.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
For sin SHALL NOT have dominion over you anymore. You are no longer under the consequences of the law or penalties of sin. You have surrendered to God and are now in receipt of grace! When the Japanese government surrendered to the Allies, the government told its people that they needed to brace themselves for total chaos when the occupation came. They expected their nation to be ravaged not rebuilt. Instead, the Allies came to rebuild their nation. The people did not need to fear. They were no longer the enemy. They had been conquered. They were no longer under the impending doom of attack and assault and punishment by the violence of war. They were now under the benevolent rebuilding hand of restoration. You might say they were no longer under the law but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Was the expectation now that since Japan had surrendered they could do whatever they wanted? Could they say, “Oh yeah…we signed the paper but we are going to keep doing our own thing”? Of course not! Now that they surrendered to the invading force, they had to submit to it in every way. Why do we think any differently in our regard to surrender to God? Shall we continue in sin…God Forbid!
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield [bring, present, or stand by] yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Don’t you understand that whomever you are standing by and whom you are obeying, you are his servants? When you are picked for a team to play sports, what do you do? You go stand by them, right? Then when the game begins, you are supposed to follow the leadership of the captain of the team. You obey them. You yield yourself to them. Somehow, many “Christians” think they can be on God’s side and still play for the sin team. You cannot do that! “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield [bring, present, or stand by] yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Please notice the tense of this phrase: you WERE the servants of sin – not any more. If you are still serving sin, then I need to break some news to you: you are a sinner. You cannot serve sin and serve Jesus. They are incompatible with one another – they are like oil and water – ice and fire. They do not mix. If you are sinning, then you are a sinner. If you are a sinner, you need to humble yourself, you need to repent, seek forgiveness, and surrender yourself unconditionally to God. You need to let Him take over. You need to walk away from sin unto God. You need to obey Him from the heart! “…ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.”
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Hallelujah! We can be made free from sin. Anyone who tells you otherwise is not reading and interpreting the message of this book accurately. Jesus died that we might be made free from sin! COMPLETELY! What does it mean to be free? Does it mean that you have no rules or laws to follow? No. But it does mean that you are out from under the bondage of slavery and coercion and no choice. It means you have the opportunity to fulfill your design – to live within the boundaries of your design – to fly within the envelope you were created for. Being made free from sin – you became the servants of righteousness! You were set free from involuntary slavery to voluntary servitude: very different things!
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield [bring, present, or stand by] your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
In other words, I speak plainly and simply so you can understand – Just like you yielded yourselves with abandon to the things of the flesh and sin, uncleanness and iniquity, now abandon yourself to God. Let Him have you completely. Present yourself to Him. Stand on His side. Yield to His ways. Obey His rules. Become His servant. Do not hesitate to fling yourself upon His mercy and capitulate to His will. Then, serve Him with love and walk in complete obedience.
How were you a sinner? Did you resist sin? No. You yielded to it. You followed the impulses of anger and lust and pride and hatred and unforgiveness and self-loathing. You committed sin recklessly and did what you wanted to do because you wanted to do it. Now serve God the same way. Let the impulses of His Spirit now drive your actions. Yield no longer to sin, but to righteousness. Let the anger be replaced by balance and self-control. Let the lust be replaced by devotion, purity, and faithfulness. Let the hatred be replaced by selfless love. Let the unforgiveness go and be replaced by forgiveness and humility. No longer wallow in self-loathing or self-pity, but discover the self-esteem of understanding you are designed by God, you have eternal purpose and meaning, you are loved madly by Him, and He wants to unlock all of your intended potential through your obedience to His Word and ways and by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in you. God wants you to be an obedient servant to righteousness and in so doing you will discover holiness – purity and sanctification.
So I present you the question today: Are you “Letting” God have you and your ways? Are you yielded to His Lordship and ruling over your heart? Are you presenting yourself before Him for His disposition and use? Are you on the Lord’s side – on His team? Are you unconditionally surrendered to Him? Have you let Him occupy your heart? Have you committed to obey Him completely and yield to His grace? Are you still living in sin or have you forsaken sin to walk in righteousness?
12:1 ¶ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
6:13 Neither yield [bring, present, or stand by with] your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield [bring, present, or stand by] yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Today I am going to walk you through a little bit of a mind journey to help you understand how I got to where I am today in this message. For many days I have had one word in my mind around which I expected to build a sermon. That word is “Let.”
Now the word, “let” has several definitions or modes of use in the English language, but the primary meaning is the meaning that my mind was fixed on: “To permit; to allow; to suffer; to give leave or power by a positive act, or negatively, to withhold restraint; not to prevent.” The idea is to permit someone to do something or to give them permission to do something. I was thinking of it in terms of the scripture, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5).” But when I went to that passage to look at the Greek word for “let” I discovered that there was no Greek word for it. It was simply an English word necessary to translate the idea of the Greek words. I thought, well, maybe I’m missing something. Maybe there is another place where the word “let” is used in the New Testament where I can find the idea I am looking for. But in the 300+ instances where the word appears in the King James New Testament, I did not find a Greek word that communicated the idea of “letting” or “letting go.”
I thought, Lord, I know you’ve had this thought in my mind and heart. I know I am supposed to preach on this idea. What now? I turned to Google. I typed, “Letting God have control.” That led me to an article on Christianity.com that tried to answer the question, “How do I let God take control of my life?”
One of the first scriptures referenced by the author there was the familiar passage from Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
I felt prompted to go look at that Scripture. I did. And as I looked at cross references for that Scripture, I came to Romans chapter 6 which we will read in a moment. But in Romans chapter 6, I discovered the word I was looking for: that word is “Yield.”
Now before we read our Scripture, I want you to understand the meaning of the English word “yield.” After we read our Scripture, we will talk about the Greek word that is translated as “yield.”
Per Mr. Webster, the word yield has a lot of depth but for our purposes here today the word yield means,
To allow; to concede; to admit to be true; as, to yield the point in debate
To give, as claimed of right; as, to yield due honors;
To permit; to grant
To resign; to give up
To surrender
To give up the contest; to submit
To comply with
To give way
Not to oppose
To give place as inferior in rank or excellence
Now, LET us look to our scripture passage in Romans Chapter 6. Please read aloud with me the verses in Bold.
1 ¶ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (KJV)
Now we are going to focus on verses 12-19 in a moment, but you can see that the word “yield” appears 4 times in that passage. Now if you just plug in some of those meanings for the word “yield” into those verses, they look something like this.
“13 Don’t resign your body as an instrument of unrighteousness unto sin…Don’t surrender or submit your body as an instrument of unrighteousness unto sin… but permit yourself to be surrendered unto God to comply with His ways”
“16 Know ye not that to who you give yourself, surrender yourself, submit yourself to obey, his servants you are…?”
“19 Even so now allow your body, permit your body, resign your body, surrender your body as a servant to righteousness unto holiness.”
That sounds pretty good. That seems like we are getting at the meaning of things. And we are, but we are not quite there yet. Why? because the Bible was not originally written in English. The King James Translation in all its beauty is not the original language. So while the word “yield” has a lot of depth and meaning and teaches us a lot about the concept, we are not quite there. We need to go one step further. We need to look at the Greek word that is translated to the English word “yield.”
That word is the word I posted on Facebook last night: “Paristemi” – not pastrami! (How many of you looked it up?) The word means “to bring, to present, to stand by.”
Now let’s read our text passage with that in mind:
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield [bring, present, or stand by with] your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield [bring, present, or stand by] yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield [bring, present, or stand by] yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield [bring, present, or stand by] your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Interestingly, if you go back to Romans 12:1 where it says “present your bodies a living sacrifice” guess what word it uses? Yes! Paristemi! “I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, that ye present [bring, present, or stand by] (or you could say “yield”) your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
Pastor Rick, you have bored us to tears with your word study what is the point? It is simply this: The Apostle Paul is urging us to completely yield our bodies and souls unto God – to surrender utterly to His will, His life, and His commands. He is saying that we must present ourselves to God in submission to stand before Him in obedience. We are LET Him reign over us. We are to PERMIT Him to have our bodies and all that they do. A fundamentally key element of this is obedience.
See, a lot of people get the wrong idea of surrender. They think they can make a brief confession, acknowledge Jesus as Lord and move on with their lives. They think it is simply some sort of ceremonial action and that is all. A thousand times no! This is a full blown surrender of enemy forces to a conqueror and then an occupation of the property by the conqueror. Let me try to illustrate.
There are several famous surrenders in history, but what some believe is the most famous is the surrender of Japan to the Allied forces at the end of WWII.
Likely the most famous surrender ceremony in history, the Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945, was meant to reinforce the might of the Allies and celebrate the end of the war.
Held in Tokyo Bay on the deck of the battleship USS Missouri, it featured an original flag from the ship of Commodore Perry, the naval officer who opened Japan to the West. Representatives from Japan and all the Allied nations signed a formal document of surrender. Then thousands of Allied planes flew overhead in formation, and Japan's occupation formally began.
After years of chaos, violence, and the deaths of tens of thousands of human beings, the war came to an end with an unconditional surrender of the Japanese nation. At this point, the nation of Japan was occupied by Allied forces who took control and totally re-shaped the nation.
That is exactly what we are talking about here in Romans chapter 6: unconditional surrender of ourselves to God, and a full on occupation of our hearts by the Holy Spirit. And under this benevolent occupation we must obey His will. We must keep His commands.
When an enemy land is occupied by an invading force, the invading force imposes their own laws & requirements. The populace must obey or suffer consequences. This includes curfews, yielding to military vehicles to have right of way, and often a suspension of their previous customs, norms, and laws. In the case of Japan it meant a complete re-writing of their constitution and a remaking of their way of thinking and way of life.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
You have now surrendered yourself to Christ. You CANNOT allow sin to reign in you anymore. You cannot let it have control. Sin is dethroned, superseded, kicked out. In this earthly, dying body, you are not allowed to obey it anymore. You cannot continue in sin. It is not permitted. You cannot obey the lusts and desires of sin.
13 Neither yield [bring, present, or stand by with] your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield [bring, present, or stand by] yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
You are not unconditionally surrendering your body to be the tool of unrighteousness to sin. No. You are unconditionally surrendering yourself, yielding yourself, presenting yourself unto God. You are surrendering your sword of resistance against His rule. You are no longer walking the path of death eternal. Instead you are now walking in the path of peace and life as one alive from the dead and you are yielding your body as tools and weapons of righteousness unto God. You no longer are on the side of sin. You are no longer its soldier. You are now on God’s side and are to be His tool, His vessel, His soldier.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
For sin SHALL NOT have dominion over you anymore. You are no longer under the consequences of the law or penalties of sin. You have surrendered to God and are now in receipt of grace! When the Japanese government surrendered to the Allies, the government told its people that they needed to brace themselves for total chaos when the occupation came. They expected their nation to be ravaged not rebuilt. Instead, the Allies came to rebuild their nation. The people did not need to fear. They were no longer the enemy. They had been conquered. They were no longer under the impending doom of attack and assault and punishment by the violence of war. They were now under the benevolent rebuilding hand of restoration. You might say they were no longer under the law but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Was the expectation now that since Japan had surrendered they could do whatever they wanted? Could they say, “Oh yeah…we signed the paper but we are going to keep doing our own thing”? Of course not! Now that they surrendered to the invading force, they had to submit to it in every way. Why do we think any differently in our regard to surrender to God? Shall we continue in sin…God Forbid!
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield [bring, present, or stand by] yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Don’t you understand that whomever you are standing by and whom you are obeying, you are his servants? When you are picked for a team to play sports, what do you do? You go stand by them, right? Then when the game begins, you are supposed to follow the leadership of the captain of the team. You obey them. You yield yourself to them. Somehow, many “Christians” think they can be on God’s side and still play for the sin team. You cannot do that! “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield [bring, present, or stand by] yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Please notice the tense of this phrase: you WERE the servants of sin – not any more. If you are still serving sin, then I need to break some news to you: you are a sinner. You cannot serve sin and serve Jesus. They are incompatible with one another – they are like oil and water – ice and fire. They do not mix. If you are sinning, then you are a sinner. If you are a sinner, you need to humble yourself, you need to repent, seek forgiveness, and surrender yourself unconditionally to God. You need to let Him take over. You need to walk away from sin unto God. You need to obey Him from the heart! “…ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.”
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Hallelujah! We can be made free from sin. Anyone who tells you otherwise is not reading and interpreting the message of this book accurately. Jesus died that we might be made free from sin! COMPLETELY! What does it mean to be free? Does it mean that you have no rules or laws to follow? No. But it does mean that you are out from under the bondage of slavery and coercion and no choice. It means you have the opportunity to fulfill your design – to live within the boundaries of your design – to fly within the envelope you were created for. Being made free from sin – you became the servants of righteousness! You were set free from involuntary slavery to voluntary servitude: very different things!
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield [bring, present, or stand by] your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
In other words, I speak plainly and simply so you can understand – Just like you yielded yourselves with abandon to the things of the flesh and sin, uncleanness and iniquity, now abandon yourself to God. Let Him have you completely. Present yourself to Him. Stand on His side. Yield to His ways. Obey His rules. Become His servant. Do not hesitate to fling yourself upon His mercy and capitulate to His will. Then, serve Him with love and walk in complete obedience.
How were you a sinner? Did you resist sin? No. You yielded to it. You followed the impulses of anger and lust and pride and hatred and unforgiveness and self-loathing. You committed sin recklessly and did what you wanted to do because you wanted to do it. Now serve God the same way. Let the impulses of His Spirit now drive your actions. Yield no longer to sin, but to righteousness. Let the anger be replaced by balance and self-control. Let the lust be replaced by devotion, purity, and faithfulness. Let the hatred be replaced by selfless love. Let the unforgiveness go and be replaced by forgiveness and humility. No longer wallow in self-loathing or self-pity, but discover the self-esteem of understanding you are designed by God, you have eternal purpose and meaning, you are loved madly by Him, and He wants to unlock all of your intended potential through your obedience to His Word and ways and by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in you. God wants you to be an obedient servant to righteousness and in so doing you will discover holiness – purity and sanctification.
So I present you the question today: Are you “Letting” God have you and your ways? Are you yielded to His Lordship and ruling over your heart? Are you presenting yourself before Him for His disposition and use? Are you on the Lord’s side – on His team? Are you unconditionally surrendered to Him? Have you let Him occupy your heart? Have you committed to obey Him completely and yield to His grace? Are you still living in sin or have you forsaken sin to walk in righteousness?
12:1 ¶ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
6:13 Neither yield [bring, present, or stand by with] your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield [bring, present, or stand by] yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Saturday, October 6, 2018
God Wastes Nothing
Listen as Pastor Rick discusses how God wastes nothing:
"As I tried to formulate this thought into something coherent I wrote what many of you saw on Facebook: “God wastes nothing: no good thing, no bad thing; no joy, no sorrow; no gladness, no sadness; no circumstance, no heartache, no tragedy; not even evil. He alone can accomplish good amid it all and bring His eternal purposes to pass.”
As I turned this over and over in my mind, one of the questions I posed to it was the question I pose to everything: is this Biblical? Is it true? Is this in alignment with what really is? I examined the journey of thought that brought me to the conclusion and then tested it against the Bible to see if what I supposed was true."
As I turned this over and over in my mind, one of the questions I posed to it was the question I pose to everything: is this Biblical? Is it true? Is this in alignment with what really is? I examined the journey of thought that brought me to the conclusion and then tested it against the Bible to see if what I supposed was true."
Thursday, October 4, 2018
A Study of Love
Pastor Rick was unavailable this week, but here is the study made available to us. We hope it is a blessing.
TOPIC
Love – What does the Bible say about love? We know about the Love of God…or do we? We are familiar with the Greek terms and types of love mentioned in the Bible and literature. Can anyone name them and define them? What are some famous scriptures about love? Everyone is encouraged to look for one and find one in advance. Are there any unusual ones that are beautiful but not as ready to mind? Who can find the most unusual one? Some great verses can be found by searching the phrase “love one another.” Here are a few good ones to introduce the ideas:
John 3:16
John 15:12
1 John 4:8
The last verse here comes from our primary passage of study today.
PRIMARY SCRIPTURE FOR STUDY
Read 1 John 4:7-21
7 ¶ Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 ¶ And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 ¶ Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. (KJV)
Notice the paragraph markings and study those sections together – we always want to keep Scripture in its own context.
Discuss together what this passage means.
Define the word Propitiation (verse 10) and see how it fits in its verse and in the larger passage.
Again, teens and children should be encouraged to participate.
Ultimately, what does this passage teach us? How does it practically apply to our lives in the year 2018? How should we live the commands of this passage? Are they OPTIONAL?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
TOPIC
Love – What does the Bible say about love? We know about the Love of God…or do we? We are familiar with the Greek terms and types of love mentioned in the Bible and literature. Can anyone name them and define them? What are some famous scriptures about love? Everyone is encouraged to look for one and find one in advance. Are there any unusual ones that are beautiful but not as ready to mind? Who can find the most unusual one? Some great verses can be found by searching the phrase “love one another.” Here are a few good ones to introduce the ideas:
John 3:16
John 15:12
1 John 4:8
The last verse here comes from our primary passage of study today.
PRIMARY SCRIPTURE FOR STUDY
Read 1 John 4:7-21
7 ¶ Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 ¶ And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 ¶ Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. (KJV)
Notice the paragraph markings and study those sections together – we always want to keep Scripture in its own context.
Discuss together what this passage means.
Define the word Propitiation (verse 10) and see how it fits in its verse and in the larger passage.
Again, teens and children should be encouraged to participate.
Ultimately, what does this passage teach us? How does it practically apply to our lives in the year 2018? How should we live the commands of this passage? Are they OPTIONAL?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- What does it mean when it says “God is Love?” Is love God?
- How did God show His love for us?
- Why should we love one another?
- How does this passage relate to John 13:34? (Hint…it is interesting that verse 21 is the last verse of this section)
- Why does the Apostle John talk so much about love?
- Verse 12 is deep – does anyone want to tackle it?
- What is the significance of verse 13 as we talk about loving God and loving each other? What is the fuel for that engine to run?
- What is one of the benefits of living in love highlighted in verse 17?
- How big of a deal is verse 18?
- In this passage, which verse speaks to your heart the most today?
- Can anyone think of a story in their own life or a person in their own life that exemplifies truths from this passage?
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Hearing the Word of the Lord
Have you ever asked questions like these:
“Lord, why am I struggling so hard to know your will in particular situations? Lord, why do I feel so lost when you have promised wisdom? Lord, why do I sometimes feel separated by days and weeks from the sense of your voice?” And then for you, my people, “Lord, why are they struggling to hear you amid their grief or suffering or pain? Lord, why are they going so long without answers to personal prayer and cries of the heart? Lord, why are they struggling to grow closer to you or achieve their spiritual desires and goals? Lord, why are they closer to the things of earth than the things of Heaven?” Finally, “Lord, why is it so hard to hear your voice? Why didn’t you make it easier to hear?”
Listen as Pastor Rick talks about these today.
Monday, October 1, 2018
A Call to Prayer
In the Middle East, and in Muslim countries around the world, the muezzins - selected for their sonorous voices - ascend the minarets of the mosques or pick up their microphones five times per day to utter the Adhan, the haunting Muslim call to prayer. Sadly, as millions bow in answer, they do not pray to God in Christ as we do. Thus as our brother Nabeel Qureshi shared so often, how great is the darkness amid their prayers. Today, I do not utter haunting cries across the landscape, but I am under a burden that began to grow in me last week. It is a burden to urge us at Water of Life Fellowship to pray.
Sunday, September 30, 2018
A Meditation on Psalm 27
Sermons are often appropriate for the spiritual moments of our lives. God enlightens our minds to understand a passage of Scripture: teaching us, convicting us, calling us, changing us. Sermons take many forms and follow many structures. But sometimes, we need the strength that comes from simply focusing on and meditating upon the words of the Word. For today, I felt my heart drawn to Psalm 27. It is a passage of only 14 verses. We will read it together responsively in the King James version and then I will step through it in the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) as we meditate upon it.
1. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
7 ¶ Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.
11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. (KJV)
Adam Clark outlined it this way:
That is as good an outline of the passage as any I’ve seen. If you want to snap a picture of that, feel free to do so. So let’s ponder this for a little bit this morning. And as I walk through this I encourage you to relax your mind and let it think on these good things.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – whom should I dread?
2 When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army deploys against me, my heart will not be afraid; though a war breaks out against me, I will still be confident.
David was a warrior: one of the most valiant & successful warriors in the history of Israel. This Psalm is full of military terminology and perspective. Some scholars suppose that this Psalm was written by him after the events of 2 Samuel 21:15-22 where David was almost killed by the Philistine giant Ishbibenob. One of his men, Abishai, came to David’s aid and killed the giant before he could use his new sword with deadly effect. After this close call, David’s men said to him, “Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.” In other words, “David, you are our hope and inspiration. You are to be king. We cannot risk you being in such mortal danger again.” Some suppose that David then penned these words as part of his response or reaction to that sentiment. “The Lord is my light and my salvation. The Lord is the strength of my life, whom should I dread?” Whether or not this is the background of this Psalm, there is no way for us to know. But I pose the exclamatory questions to you today: “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – whom should I dread?”
Can you say emphatically in faith with the Psalmist that you are not afraid of evildoers? Can you state with confidence that your enemies will not prevail? Can you express assuredly that you are not afraid of even the armies arrayed against you – because you are not trusting in yourself but in the Lord? Too often we say with our mouths that we are trusting in the Lord, but we don’t really mean it. We mean that we are trusting in our own strength most of the time and today we feel good about it. Unfortunately, that is not the same thing. David is not saying “Today I feel like worshipping God so I am expressing my faith and praise. No. He is saying that in the toughest of times – in the fiercest battles when I should fear all is lost, I don’t fear. For I am not trusting in my own strength; I am trusting in the strength of the self-existent eternal Jehovah God! I am not resting behind hastily constructed defensive positions of shallow sand, sticks, and rock. I am taking refuge in the mighty stronghold of God.
When soldiers take up a defensive position from enemy fire, they are limited to whatever cover they can find in the immediate environment: whether it is a shallow ditch, a wall, a building, a tree, they will hug the ground and hunker down behind whatever they can. If they have a few moments of time they will scoop out a shallow hollow to help them get lower and hopefully out of the reach of enemy fire. This is what it is like if we trust in our own strength…it may get us through for a little bit, but it can’t last as a defensive position. For true defensive positions, walls are erected, barbed wire is strung, guard posts are elevated, gates are placed, barriers are spaced about, bunkers are dug, weapons are positioned at key locations with intersecting fields of fire, and a watch is set. It becomes a heavily fortified place of defense, refuge, and safety. This is the comparison David was making. “The eternal God is my light in the darkness and my salvation. He is not my foxhole – He is my stronghold: whom should I dread? Whatever comes – no matter how fierce the battle or how strong the enemy, I need not be afraid for I am safe in the hand of the Lord.”
4 I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking him in his temple.
5 For he will conceal me in his shelter in the day of adversity; he will hide me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.
6 Then my head will be high above my enemies around me; I will offer sacrifices in his tent with shouts of joy. I will sing and make music to the Lord.
This section the passage is interesting to me. At first it seems David is now turning his thoughts away from battle and war and difficulty and instead focusing on worship and praise. But we quickly discover that is not the case. As he begins to talk of the beauty of the Lord, we discover that He is not contemplating an absence of adversity or imagining a life without enemies. Rather, he is expressing his reliance on God in spite of them. His is not an expectation of peace without struggle but rather a rest amid the battle that comes from utter trust in God. He wants to remain God’s presence continually, fixing his heart upon Him. He wants to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and rejoice in His glory. He wants to anchor every moment of living – even the battles – in eternity.
When the enemies surround, when trouble comes, when hardship besets him, he takes refuge in the tabernacle of God. God is his camouflage, his shelter, and his protection. He also continues his military terminology: “He will set me high on a rock” & “my head will be above my enemies around me.” For thousands of years, holding the high ground has been recognized as an important military tactic. The ancient strategist Sun Tzu advised military leaders to take the high ground and force enemies to attack from the lower position. Not only does it provide a superior position to observe and fire upon the enemy, it also forces large heavy armor whether elephants or tanks to stop because they cannot climb in steep terrain. It also forces cavalry to dismount and attack on foot whether in chariots or Strykers. What he is saying, is that “I will hold the high ground.” Strategically I will have the advantage over my enemies when I trust in the Lord.
Whether it be physical enemies, emotional enemies, or spiritual enemies, as believers, we must go to the high ground of faith, trust, and worship. When the battle is fiercest, then is when you need to run to the shelter of His arms. You see, when we are in the midst of the battle with its chaos and fear and destruction, Satan wants to separate us from our sanctuary. He wants to inhibit our prayers. He wants to interfere with our worship. He wants obstruct our faith. But in the middle of the fiercest battles, we need God more than ever. Ask Mr. Jesse sometime what it is like to radio for fire support and receive it! When under fire, infantry units will call for artillery fire or for close air support and in will come the Air Force or Navy pilots to support and suppress the attack of the enemy. We have the same option as believers in God. We can cry out to Him and call in that “air support.” Sadly, we too often do not. We rely on our strength. We sweat and struggle and stress and shout instead of taking refuge in Him and letting Him have control. Instead of letting Him hold the high ground.
May I encourage you today to stop struggling so hard and center your heart directly on God? Cry out to him. Let Him take you into His tabernacle. Let Him shelter you in the fortress of His arms. Rest in His strength. Let Him fight the battle for you. And never forget, these battles are temporary – for we are eternal beings serving an eternal God and we will leave these temporary battles behind to be with Him forever. Rest in Him! Sing with joy and worship in your heart placing all of it in His capable hands!
7 Lord, hear my voice when I call; be gracious to me and answer me.
8 My heart says this about you: “Seek his face.” Lord, I will seek your face.
9 Do not hide your face from me; do not turn your servant away in anger. You have been my helper; do not leave me or abandon me, God of my salvation.
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord cares for me.
I love this because the Psalmist gets even more real here. He honestly confesses his fears and worries. He talks about his fear of abandonment, his lost earthly relationships, and his concern that God might be angry with him. He admits that his heart had been convicted to seek God and that he is responding to that urging of conscience and praying to Him now. He relies on the graciousness of God. He confesses his deep need of God and expresses his faith that God will hear and answer his prayer.
Did you know that it is okay to be real with God? Prayer is not supposed to be limited to only our fanciest words and most worshipful phrases. Prayer is not some sort of creative writing exercise whereby we please God and impress our friends. Prayer is supposed to be visceral and real and right where we are. We should always pray with respect and reverence for Who God is, but we should also talk to Him honestly and genuinely. It’s okay to pray, “God, I’m angry with you!” “God, I’m hurting right now!” “God, I feel alone!” “God, I’m lost – I don’t know what to do!” “God, I don’t understand!” “God, I don’t want to forgive.” “God, I want you to take revenge upon my enemies!” “God, help!” How do I know it’s okay to pray this way? Because the Scriptures – and especially the Psalms – are full of such prayers as people cried out to God whether in faith or despair.
We need to be the same way. If you’ve been trying to figure out how to impress God with your prayers or pray fancy things so other people think you are spiritually special, STOP IT! Talk to God! Get real with Him. Stop thinking of Him as imaginary and far away. He is real and He is HERE. He is listening and ready to hold a conversation with you if only you will be honest with Him and then listen when He whispers His reply. Seek His face. He is our helper and He will not abandon us.
11 Because of my adversaries, show me your way, Lord, and lead me on a level path.
12 Do not give me over to the will of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing violence.
We are going to face adversity. Whether from human context or spiritual warfare, we are in a battle. We need to have level footing for our feet in order to fight. We need to be stable as we enter combat. All too often Christians are not balanced in their battles. We are not fixing our eyes on Christ. We are not listening to the whisper of the Holy Spirit. We are not concentrating on the Word. We are not living in a place of constant worship. As a result, when the battle begins, when the combat comes, we are not balanced with stable footing. Our feet are not set. We are not on the level path of the Lord. Because of this we stumble, we falter, we fail, we fall. The only way to avoid this is to be walking with the Lord in His way on His path.
The conflict is fierce. The skirmishes are hot. Violence is the order of the day in the battles we face. Have you experienced physical violence…emotional violence…spiritual violence? You say, well, “Pastor Rick, “I don’t know. I mean, I’m just facing life like everyone else.” Well, let me ask you this: when life goes “wrong” or things don’t go right…what is happening in your heart? When your car doesn’t work or your body doesn’t work or people fail you or relationships struggle, what are you tempted to do? You are tempted to give up on relationships. You are tempted to give up on living. You are tempted to give up on worship. You are tempted to give up on God. You are tempted to stay away from all that is good because things just aren’t going like you expected or planned. You want to escape the violence of the battle. You want to run away. You want to leave behind the struggle. In these moments we must stop relying in our own strength. It is in these moments we need God most of all. We cannot begin to imagine we can triumph alone. We cannot win on our own. We must have our feet anchored on the Solid Rock of Christ Jesus and be balanced by living in His presence and walking in His ways. We need to be on the level path!
13 I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord.
Here, the Psalmist expresses a powerful faith: “I am certain, confident, sure that I will see the Lord’s goodness and joy here on earth while I am alive.” This is not just some vague hope or confidence that the future will be better by and by. This is not an expression of future faith that all will be right in the end. This is not saying, I know that God will redeem all things in eternity. This is an expression of faith in the present goodness of God.
It reminds me of the story of Lazarus after he had died. Martha, the sister of Lazarus hears that Jesus is coming and runs out to meet him. An interesting conversation ensues.
“John 11:21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.”
Jesus replies, “Thy brother shall rise again.”
Martha says, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Jesus says, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
She replied, “She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” Then she went to call her sister. I think she scarcely comprehended at all what Jesus was saying. Jesus was saying, “You are about to see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living” – not just in the future eternity but in the here and now!
Are you trusting in the Lord for help and strength refuge and comfort in the here and now or is He some imaginary person you pretend to talk to and claim to believe? Trust Him for His goodness to be extended to you now in the land of the living!
The Psalmist concludes with a simple exhortation: “Wait on the Lord: and he shall strengthen thine heart: when all around your soul gives way, let Him be your hope and stay – wait on the Lord.” May I gently ask today how much you have been waiting on God? Have you been seeking refuge in His presence – I don’t just mean desperate calls for help as you are drowned by life – I mean the intentional waiting upon Him and seeking His face? Get out of your self-made foxhole and run to the high ground and seek sanctuary in the fortress He is. Retreat from the battle you’ve been fighting in your own strength and let Him take over. He has superior fire power! Call in His air support! Let Him be your light and salvation. Stop being afraid. Stop being fearful. Stop trusting in yourself and trust in Him. Be real and tell Him how you really feel. Pray with honesty and faith. Let your feet walk His balanced and level pathway. Find peace in worshiping Him. Discover His goodness here and now in your life. Be strong and courageous – but not in your own strength – rather in the strength that comes when you wait on the Lord.
I hope this meditation is a strength and help to you today. Rest in the Lord. He is good even in the present, in the land of the living.
1. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
7 ¶ Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.
11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. (KJV)
Adam Clark outlined it this way:
- Freedom from Fear with Confidence in God (1-3)
- Love to God and His ways (4-6)
- Prayer for Assistance & Support (7-13)
- Exhortation to Dependence on God (14)
That is as good an outline of the passage as any I’ve seen. If you want to snap a picture of that, feel free to do so. So let’s ponder this for a little bit this morning. And as I walk through this I encourage you to relax your mind and let it think on these good things.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – whom should I dread?
2 When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army deploys against me, my heart will not be afraid; though a war breaks out against me, I will still be confident.
David was a warrior: one of the most valiant & successful warriors in the history of Israel. This Psalm is full of military terminology and perspective. Some scholars suppose that this Psalm was written by him after the events of 2 Samuel 21:15-22 where David was almost killed by the Philistine giant Ishbibenob. One of his men, Abishai, came to David’s aid and killed the giant before he could use his new sword with deadly effect. After this close call, David’s men said to him, “Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.” In other words, “David, you are our hope and inspiration. You are to be king. We cannot risk you being in such mortal danger again.” Some suppose that David then penned these words as part of his response or reaction to that sentiment. “The Lord is my light and my salvation. The Lord is the strength of my life, whom should I dread?” Whether or not this is the background of this Psalm, there is no way for us to know. But I pose the exclamatory questions to you today: “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – whom should I dread?”
Can you say emphatically in faith with the Psalmist that you are not afraid of evildoers? Can you state with confidence that your enemies will not prevail? Can you express assuredly that you are not afraid of even the armies arrayed against you – because you are not trusting in yourself but in the Lord? Too often we say with our mouths that we are trusting in the Lord, but we don’t really mean it. We mean that we are trusting in our own strength most of the time and today we feel good about it. Unfortunately, that is not the same thing. David is not saying “Today I feel like worshipping God so I am expressing my faith and praise. No. He is saying that in the toughest of times – in the fiercest battles when I should fear all is lost, I don’t fear. For I am not trusting in my own strength; I am trusting in the strength of the self-existent eternal Jehovah God! I am not resting behind hastily constructed defensive positions of shallow sand, sticks, and rock. I am taking refuge in the mighty stronghold of God.
When soldiers take up a defensive position from enemy fire, they are limited to whatever cover they can find in the immediate environment: whether it is a shallow ditch, a wall, a building, a tree, they will hug the ground and hunker down behind whatever they can. If they have a few moments of time they will scoop out a shallow hollow to help them get lower and hopefully out of the reach of enemy fire. This is what it is like if we trust in our own strength…it may get us through for a little bit, but it can’t last as a defensive position. For true defensive positions, walls are erected, barbed wire is strung, guard posts are elevated, gates are placed, barriers are spaced about, bunkers are dug, weapons are positioned at key locations with intersecting fields of fire, and a watch is set. It becomes a heavily fortified place of defense, refuge, and safety. This is the comparison David was making. “The eternal God is my light in the darkness and my salvation. He is not my foxhole – He is my stronghold: whom should I dread? Whatever comes – no matter how fierce the battle or how strong the enemy, I need not be afraid for I am safe in the hand of the Lord.”
4 I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking him in his temple.
5 For he will conceal me in his shelter in the day of adversity; he will hide me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.
6 Then my head will be high above my enemies around me; I will offer sacrifices in his tent with shouts of joy. I will sing and make music to the Lord.
This section the passage is interesting to me. At first it seems David is now turning his thoughts away from battle and war and difficulty and instead focusing on worship and praise. But we quickly discover that is not the case. As he begins to talk of the beauty of the Lord, we discover that He is not contemplating an absence of adversity or imagining a life without enemies. Rather, he is expressing his reliance on God in spite of them. His is not an expectation of peace without struggle but rather a rest amid the battle that comes from utter trust in God. He wants to remain God’s presence continually, fixing his heart upon Him. He wants to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and rejoice in His glory. He wants to anchor every moment of living – even the battles – in eternity.
When the enemies surround, when trouble comes, when hardship besets him, he takes refuge in the tabernacle of God. God is his camouflage, his shelter, and his protection. He also continues his military terminology: “He will set me high on a rock” & “my head will be above my enemies around me.” For thousands of years, holding the high ground has been recognized as an important military tactic. The ancient strategist Sun Tzu advised military leaders to take the high ground and force enemies to attack from the lower position. Not only does it provide a superior position to observe and fire upon the enemy, it also forces large heavy armor whether elephants or tanks to stop because they cannot climb in steep terrain. It also forces cavalry to dismount and attack on foot whether in chariots or Strykers. What he is saying, is that “I will hold the high ground.” Strategically I will have the advantage over my enemies when I trust in the Lord.
Whether it be physical enemies, emotional enemies, or spiritual enemies, as believers, we must go to the high ground of faith, trust, and worship. When the battle is fiercest, then is when you need to run to the shelter of His arms. You see, when we are in the midst of the battle with its chaos and fear and destruction, Satan wants to separate us from our sanctuary. He wants to inhibit our prayers. He wants to interfere with our worship. He wants obstruct our faith. But in the middle of the fiercest battles, we need God more than ever. Ask Mr. Jesse sometime what it is like to radio for fire support and receive it! When under fire, infantry units will call for artillery fire or for close air support and in will come the Air Force or Navy pilots to support and suppress the attack of the enemy. We have the same option as believers in God. We can cry out to Him and call in that “air support.” Sadly, we too often do not. We rely on our strength. We sweat and struggle and stress and shout instead of taking refuge in Him and letting Him have control. Instead of letting Him hold the high ground.
May I encourage you today to stop struggling so hard and center your heart directly on God? Cry out to him. Let Him take you into His tabernacle. Let Him shelter you in the fortress of His arms. Rest in His strength. Let Him fight the battle for you. And never forget, these battles are temporary – for we are eternal beings serving an eternal God and we will leave these temporary battles behind to be with Him forever. Rest in Him! Sing with joy and worship in your heart placing all of it in His capable hands!
7 Lord, hear my voice when I call; be gracious to me and answer me.
8 My heart says this about you: “Seek his face.” Lord, I will seek your face.
9 Do not hide your face from me; do not turn your servant away in anger. You have been my helper; do not leave me or abandon me, God of my salvation.
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord cares for me.
I love this because the Psalmist gets even more real here. He honestly confesses his fears and worries. He talks about his fear of abandonment, his lost earthly relationships, and his concern that God might be angry with him. He admits that his heart had been convicted to seek God and that he is responding to that urging of conscience and praying to Him now. He relies on the graciousness of God. He confesses his deep need of God and expresses his faith that God will hear and answer his prayer.
Did you know that it is okay to be real with God? Prayer is not supposed to be limited to only our fanciest words and most worshipful phrases. Prayer is not some sort of creative writing exercise whereby we please God and impress our friends. Prayer is supposed to be visceral and real and right where we are. We should always pray with respect and reverence for Who God is, but we should also talk to Him honestly and genuinely. It’s okay to pray, “God, I’m angry with you!” “God, I’m hurting right now!” “God, I feel alone!” “God, I’m lost – I don’t know what to do!” “God, I don’t understand!” “God, I don’t want to forgive.” “God, I want you to take revenge upon my enemies!” “God, help!” How do I know it’s okay to pray this way? Because the Scriptures – and especially the Psalms – are full of such prayers as people cried out to God whether in faith or despair.
We need to be the same way. If you’ve been trying to figure out how to impress God with your prayers or pray fancy things so other people think you are spiritually special, STOP IT! Talk to God! Get real with Him. Stop thinking of Him as imaginary and far away. He is real and He is HERE. He is listening and ready to hold a conversation with you if only you will be honest with Him and then listen when He whispers His reply. Seek His face. He is our helper and He will not abandon us.
11 Because of my adversaries, show me your way, Lord, and lead me on a level path.
12 Do not give me over to the will of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing violence.
We are going to face adversity. Whether from human context or spiritual warfare, we are in a battle. We need to have level footing for our feet in order to fight. We need to be stable as we enter combat. All too often Christians are not balanced in their battles. We are not fixing our eyes on Christ. We are not listening to the whisper of the Holy Spirit. We are not concentrating on the Word. We are not living in a place of constant worship. As a result, when the battle begins, when the combat comes, we are not balanced with stable footing. Our feet are not set. We are not on the level path of the Lord. Because of this we stumble, we falter, we fail, we fall. The only way to avoid this is to be walking with the Lord in His way on His path.
The conflict is fierce. The skirmishes are hot. Violence is the order of the day in the battles we face. Have you experienced physical violence…emotional violence…spiritual violence? You say, well, “Pastor Rick, “I don’t know. I mean, I’m just facing life like everyone else.” Well, let me ask you this: when life goes “wrong” or things don’t go right…what is happening in your heart? When your car doesn’t work or your body doesn’t work or people fail you or relationships struggle, what are you tempted to do? You are tempted to give up on relationships. You are tempted to give up on living. You are tempted to give up on worship. You are tempted to give up on God. You are tempted to stay away from all that is good because things just aren’t going like you expected or planned. You want to escape the violence of the battle. You want to run away. You want to leave behind the struggle. In these moments we must stop relying in our own strength. It is in these moments we need God most of all. We cannot begin to imagine we can triumph alone. We cannot win on our own. We must have our feet anchored on the Solid Rock of Christ Jesus and be balanced by living in His presence and walking in His ways. We need to be on the level path!
13 I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord.
Here, the Psalmist expresses a powerful faith: “I am certain, confident, sure that I will see the Lord’s goodness and joy here on earth while I am alive.” This is not just some vague hope or confidence that the future will be better by and by. This is not an expression of future faith that all will be right in the end. This is not saying, I know that God will redeem all things in eternity. This is an expression of faith in the present goodness of God.
It reminds me of the story of Lazarus after he had died. Martha, the sister of Lazarus hears that Jesus is coming and runs out to meet him. An interesting conversation ensues.
“John 11:21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.”
Jesus replies, “Thy brother shall rise again.”
Martha says, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Jesus says, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
She replied, “She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” Then she went to call her sister. I think she scarcely comprehended at all what Jesus was saying. Jesus was saying, “You are about to see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living” – not just in the future eternity but in the here and now!
Are you trusting in the Lord for help and strength refuge and comfort in the here and now or is He some imaginary person you pretend to talk to and claim to believe? Trust Him for His goodness to be extended to you now in the land of the living!
The Psalmist concludes with a simple exhortation: “Wait on the Lord: and he shall strengthen thine heart: when all around your soul gives way, let Him be your hope and stay – wait on the Lord.” May I gently ask today how much you have been waiting on God? Have you been seeking refuge in His presence – I don’t just mean desperate calls for help as you are drowned by life – I mean the intentional waiting upon Him and seeking His face? Get out of your self-made foxhole and run to the high ground and seek sanctuary in the fortress He is. Retreat from the battle you’ve been fighting in your own strength and let Him take over. He has superior fire power! Call in His air support! Let Him be your light and salvation. Stop being afraid. Stop being fearful. Stop trusting in yourself and trust in Him. Be real and tell Him how you really feel. Pray with honesty and faith. Let your feet walk His balanced and level pathway. Find peace in worshiping Him. Discover His goodness here and now in your life. Be strong and courageous – but not in your own strength – rather in the strength that comes when you wait on the Lord.
I hope this meditation is a strength and help to you today. Rest in the Lord. He is good even in the present, in the land of the living.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Saturday, March 10, 2018
The Internal God
I urge you to reject the lie from Satan in the beginning that we can be gods within ourselves. I also urge you to go beyond the place where you merely believe in an External God “out there,” but come to know Him as the INTERNAL God “in here.” Get to know the Eternal One Internally where you are His and He is yours; where your spirit is intertwined with His Spirit; where you are never alone, but Christ liveth in you! Live with the constant undercurrent of joy that sustains you no matter what the circumstance and that daily refines you to be more like Him!
Friday, February 16, 2018
2017 Advent Sunday 4 - Love & Magi
Today's service was not recorded due to its many moving parts. Please enjoy the outline below for our Christmas Eve Service.
Welcome – Welcome to Water of Life Fellowship. I know we are a small crew today since many are traveling. We are skipping all of the normal announcements for now. The only announcement is that there will not be any Bible studies this week. Please spend time with your families and rejoice in the togetherness, joy, and unity that comes in knowing Christ together as a family. Please also take time to intentionally consider Christ together in light of the remembrance of His birth. Let us begin with prayer.
Lighting of the 4 Advent Candles – With Reading
We will now proceed with the Lighting of the four Advent
candles. One of our mothers has
consented to light the four candles today.
On
the First Sunday of Advent we lit the candle representing the Hope of the
Prophets. Today we relight it and recall
God’s promise through His prophets to send a Savior. On the Second Sunday of Advent, we lit the
candle representing the Peace of the Angels.
As we relight it today, we remember the voices of angels declaring a message
of peace to astonished shepherds. On the
third Sunday of Advent we lit the candle representing the Joy of the
Shepherds. Today as we relight it we
recall their amazement and wonder. Today we light the fourth candle which is
the candle of Love and Magi.
As we
light this fourth candle, you might wonder how love and magi are related. Ponder this: What motivated the magi to make
their long dangerous journey and bring most precious gifts to a baby they had
never met of a family they did not know in a place they had never been? What would cause them to risk so much for
only the hope of bowing at the feet of a newborn “foreign” king? What would cause them to travel so far to adore
someone so small? What is amusing to me
is that they did not travel nearly so far as the baby they came to adore. He had traveled even farther than they had
traveled. What motivated Him to leave
his place in Heaven? What made Him set
aside His Divinity and take on humanity? For Him it was love. Genuine, astonishing, perfect love! As we
think about the magi today - as we remember how far they traveled to adore Him
- let us remember how far Jesus traveled in His love for us. “Today we
celebrate the greatness of God’s love revealed through the Christ child”[1]…Joy
from Heaven to earth come down!
A Capella Christmas Carols
Joy
to the World – Verses 1 & 4 (p.173)
The
First Noel – Verse 1 (p. 167)
It
Came Upon a Midnight Clear – Verse 1 (p. 168)
Oh
Come All Ye Faithful – Verse 1 (p. 175)
What
Child is this? – Verses 1 & 3 (p. 179)
Lighting of the Christ Candle – With Reading
We
have already lit the first four candles on the advent wreath. Now we will light the Christ Candle. Normally, this candle is lit on Christmas
Eve, which today is. In the lighting of
this candle, we rejoice that the promise made to the prophets has been
fulfilled. The announcement of peace by
the angels was true. The joy felt by the
shepherds was real. The adoration of the
magi was justified. Christ is born! Rejoice Oh Christians! Rejoice that He who came to bear our sorrows
has come at last! Rejoice to know He is
born who will bear our sins! Rejoice to
know that at His coming hope is restored, peace is complete, joy is full, and
our adoration is true! We bow at His
feet – He Who is born in lowly estate in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
KIDS’ CAROLS
Go Tell It on the Mountain – Chorus – Verse 3
– Chorus (P. 181)
Away in a Manger (p. 176)
“Humphrey’s First Christmas”
We Three Kings – Full Hymn
(p. 202)
PASTOR’S
WORDS
“Matthew
2:1 ¶ Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the
king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the
Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things,
he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief
priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ
should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of
Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art
not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor,
that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the
wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go
and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me
word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 ¶ When they had heard the king, they
departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till
it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with
exceeding great joy.
11 And when they were come into the house,
they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped
him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts;
gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that
they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another
way.”
Today, it is Christmas
Eve. Our weeks of anticipation awaiting
Christmas Day are nearly over. Tomorrow
we will be awakened by children eagerly awaiting the opening of gifts that are
given in love and received with joy that commemorate the gifts given by magi
and the greatest gift ever given, Jesus Christ Himself.
It is this greatest gift
we ponder today as we close our service with Christmas Communion. The Christmas story tells us how Jesus came
into the world. The Easter story
explains why he came into the world.[2] Communion reminds us of the entire continuing
story. It is with this remembrance we anchor our joy. As we partake of the symbolic elements of the
Lord’s Supper, we remember that Jesus was born to die. He was born to be the sacrifice for our
sins. We did not deserve such a
spectacular gift, yet He gave it with perfect freedom. For just as God is perfect in His justice,
perfect in His righteousness, perfect in His holiness, He is perfect in His
love. He is perfect in His freewill
giving. He gave out of the fullness of
His heart. Though we deserved much less,
He gave us far more – in fact, He gave us everything in the gift of His only
begotten Son. “John 3:16 For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to
condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
Because of this matchless
gift, we rejoice. We rejoice that God
came to dwell among us to save us. If
you are not saved this morning – if you have not been born again – you may. All you need to do is open your heart to let
Christ in.
COMMUNION
As we prepare to receive
the elements today, perhaps you are not ready to receive them. Perhaps you say, Pastor Rick, I have not
lived in the way I ought. Pastor Rick I
am in need of cleansing. In case there
is any among us who might be in need of forgiveness, let us read this
confession aloud together.
“Almighty God and Father
in heaven
Who also makes His home
with those
Of a humble and contrite
spirit:
Before You and Our Lord
Jesus Christ
We confess our sins:
Whether they be sins
committed with
A wicked heart in
rebellion against God
Or sins of unbelief
rejecting the truth.
Whether they be sins of
ignoring the
Gentle presence of Your
Spirit
Or sins of failing to look
faithfully for the
Return of our Savior &
Judge.
We confess our blindness to
your coming
In those who are lonely,
hungry, cold, poor, and sick.
All our sins we confess
before you today
And ask Your forgiveness.
In Your great goodness,
put away our offenses
And cleanse us from our
sins,
For Jesus Sake.
I welcome you in my heart
just now. Amen.”[3]
Having bowed ourselves
humbly requesting His pardon, we rest in His mercy. “Here is a trustworthy
saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners.” – 1 Timothy 1:15
And so now we partake of
the Elements of the Lord’s Supper.
Distribute the
Elements (Tom & Joe)
“The cup of blessing which
we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the
communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body;
for we are all partakers of that one bread (1 Cor. 10:16-17)”
The Apostle Paul wrote,
“1 Corinthians 11:23 ¶ For
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord
Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it,
and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in
remembrance of me.
25 After the same manner also he took the cup,
when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do
ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and
drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.”
We will now partake in the
same manner in remembrance.
Please take the bread and
hold it in your hand:
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed
it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples and said, Take, eat: this is my
body.” – The body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for thee, preserve
thy soul and body unto everlasting life.
Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for thee, and feed on
Him in thy heart by faith with thanksgiving.
(You may eat of the bread.)
Please take the cup of
wine in your hand:
“And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to
them, saying, Drink ye all of it: for this is my blood of the new testament,
which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink
henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with
you in my Father’s Kingdom (Matt. 26:26-29).” – The blood of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which was shed for thee, preserve thy soul and body unto everlasting
life. Drink this in remembrance that
Christ’s blood was shed for thee, and be thankful. (You may drink of the wine.)
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, which art in
heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth
as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread. And forgive us our debts as
we forgive our debtors. And lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the
power, and the glory, forever, Amen.
Down from His glory,
Ever living story,
My God and Savior came,
And Jesus was His name.
Born in a manger,
To His own a stranger,
A Man of sorrows, tears
and agony.
O how I love Him! How I
adore Him!
My breath, my sunshine, my
all in all!
The great Creator became
my Savior,
And all God’s fulness
dwelleth in Him.
What condescension,
Bringing us redemption;
That in the dead of night,
Not one faint hope in sight,
God, gracious, tender,
Laid aside His splendor,
Stooping to woo, to win,
to save my soul.
Without reluctance,
Flesh and blood His substance
He took the form of man,
Revealed the hidden plan.
O glorious myst’ry,
Sacrifice of Calv’ry,
And now I know Thou art
the great “I AM.”
O how I love Him! How I
adore Him!
My breath, my sunshine, my
all in all!
The great Creator became
my Savior,
And all God’s fulness
dwelleth in Him.
Closing Hymn: Emmanuel
(Page 165)
Benediction:
Let us pray.
O
God, whose glory fills the skies,
O
Christ, the true and only Light,
Shine
on us with your light and truth
Through
the Word that gives light to all people.
Empower
us by your Spirit to walk
In
that light and to reflect your glory. Amen.[4]
“May the God of hope fill
you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy
Spirit you may abound in hope (Rom. 15:13).”
Merry Christmas!
[1]
Advent Wreath Readings, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W6koWS_sRI
[3]
Derived from a Reformed Worship Confession - https://www.reformedworship.org/article/september-1988/christmas-communion-service
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)