Sermons – Covenant B-P Church, Bangalore

Scripture Reading – 2 Timothy 1:3-5; 3:14-17

Introduction It is a great privilege for us to bring up a godly generation.

God has always been committed to a generation for
When children are born to us, one of our first concerns should be their salvation and their godly upbringing.

This we see in Timothy as Paul observed his upbringing:

Pure Christian Heritage (2 Timothy 1:5) When Paul spoke of Timothy’s faith, he mentioned Timothy’s mother and grandmother and the impact they had on his life.
In 2 Timothy 3:15 Paul writes of Timothy knowing the Scriptures from childhood – that his mother and grandmother are the ones who first taught Timothy the timeless principles of the Bible.
Frist and foremost, we as parents must be followers of the

Dr G. Campbell Morgan had four sons – all of whom followed his example by becoming ministers. It’s reported that at a family reunion a friend asked one of the sons, “ Which Morgan is the greatest preacher? ” That’s easy, “the son replied.” Mother! “ This son recognized the important role that his mother had in the family!

What is the genuine faith?

The word “unfeigned” literally is “anhypokritos”, means unhypocritical
Timothy was no
Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
It is not a nominal
It is not a fashionable
It is truly believing and trusting in the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Its Value for Our Children (2 Timothy 3:14-17) In 2 Tim 3:14, Timothy has to “continue” in the things he has learned.

The reason for this is that it is able to make him wise unto salvation (v 15).

It is an imperative for Christian parents to pass on the truth to our children that it matters eternity for them.

The patriarchs and Moses knew this truth and practiced it:

Gen 48:21
Deut 32:46-47; 33:4

Conclusion

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Scripture Reading – Acts 2:41-47

Introduction

What is the way or the manner by which we worship God? How should true spiritual worship be practiced?

Our God is to be worshipped in a manner that He accepts our worship.
The author of Hebrews explains it, “Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:28-29).
This means God is jealous for His name to be revered and hallowed.
Hence God, in His Word, regulates how we are to worship Him.
Acts 2:42 gives an outline description of the worship of the early Christian congregations.

There we read that the early Christians were devoted to the apostles’ teaching (the Word), fellowship, the breaking of bread (the Lord’s Supper), and prayers.

Doctrine–Word (Romans 12:2)

One of the first elements the early church practiced in their worship gatherings was persevering in the Apostles’ doctrine.

Doctrinal purity was essential to a New Testament church. For which systematic teaching and preaching was practiced.
Local churches placed themselves under God’s authority by accepting the discipline of the Word of God.
Romans 12:2—God’s Word is the most powerful detergent by which we cleanse our minds.
We renew our minds daily by cleansing them of the world’s “wisdom” and replacing it with true wisdom that comes from God. We worship Him with our renewed and cleansed minds, not with our emotions.
This is the reason we do not consider music as the centre of worship. Music can’t produce worship, although it certainly can produce emotion. Music is not the origin of worship, but a meaningful and relevant hymn or psalm can be the expression of worship. Do not look to music to induce our worship.
Emotions are wonderful things, but unless they are shaped by a mind, saturated in Truth, they can be destructive.
There is only one way to renew our minds, and that is by the Word of God.
To know the truth, to believe the truth, to hold convictions about the truth, and to love the truth will naturally result in true spiritual worship.

Fellowship & Offering (Hebrews 10:24-25; Acts 2:44-45)

Fellowship is very much part of true biblical worship.

The word “fellowship” here is “koinonia” and the basic meaning of it is “partnership” or “sharing.”

True fellowship is loving one another and caring for one another (Rom 12:10, 16; 1 Pet 1:22).
True worship takes place when believers gather together and stir-up one another to love and to good works (Heb 10:24-25).
It is a sin for a Christian to isolate himself from other believers and do not participate in corporate worship.
Sacrificial offering was part of their gatherings by which they helped each other, especially the needy ones. Their giving was according to the needs and part of their fellowship (Acts 2:44-45). The giving was spontaneous or willingly!

Sacraments (1 Corinthians 11:24-29; 10:16-17)

For the early church, the Sacraments, especially the Lord’s Table, unified the believers. In Communion Service, all believers met on common ground at the foot of the Cross (Eph 2:16; Col1:20).

Secondly, the Sacraments provide the opportunity for self-examination and purging of sin, thus purifying the church.

Prayer (Acts 1:14, 24; John 14:13-14)

Early church was a praying church, and they made prayer the integral part of their spiritual gatherings.

Prayer strengthened their relationship with God.
Prayer strengthened their dependency on Him.
Prayer united them (Acts 1:14).
Prayer guided them in their decision makings (Acts 1:24).

Conclusion

Our God is a God of order and decency. He guides His Church with clear instructions in His holy Word (eg the details of the Tabernacle; Christ taught His disciples how to pray).

Let us therefore obey the Lord according to His will and plan!
Let us worship Him acceptably with reverence and Godly fear!

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Scripture Reading – Psalm 116:12-19; Romans 12:1-2

Introduction

What does true worship accomplish in us?

Firstly, it is relational: it provides an intensified inner, Godward, experience of the heart—it is a heaven came down experience.
Secondly, it is transformational: it revives every true worshipper. For a true believer, the revival can be seen in his allegiance to God – in his handling of financial matters, relationship with others, dedication to God, etc.

Our Religious Devotion to God (Psalm 116:12-19)

Worship is God centric!

In worship, we reciprocate (give in return) our hearts’ devotion to God (Psalm 116:12-19).

This means worship is thanksgiving to God.
Worship is orienting our service or our facility or even our life toward God. In other words, worship brings us closer to God!
For example, Noah (Gen 8:20-22), Abraham (Gen 12:6-8), Jacob (Gen 28:22), the other Patriarchs in the OT. Altar of God for offering and thanksgiving was very much part of their lives!

As God’s people, we should express our religious devotion to God privately (through personal prayers and worship) and publically (through corporate worship).

Our Hearts’ Adoration to Christ (Romans 1:1-5; 11:34-36; Ephesians 1:5-12)

Worship is Christ centric or gospel centric!

It is meditating in our hearts the Cross of Christ and giving God all glory!
It is being gripped by the love of God exhibited in His incarnation and consummated in Calvary.

Our Spirit being United with the Spirit of God (John 4:23-24; Romans 8:15-27)

Worship is Spirit centric!

True worship occurs only when that part of man, his spirit, which is similar to the divine nature (for God is spirit), actually meets with God and finds itself praising God for His love, wisdom, beauty, truth, holiness, compassion, mercy, grace, power, and all His other attributes.

William Barclay, a Scottish Bible commentator who lived early part of 20th century, wrote well on this point: “The true, the genuine, worship is when man, through his spirit, attains to friendship and intimacy with God. True and genuine worship is not to come to a certain place; it is not to go through a certain ritual or liturgy; it is not even to bring certain gifts. True worship is when the spirit, the immortal and invisible part of man, speaks to and meets with God, who is immortal and invisible.”
In worship our spirit must be united with the Spirit of God, which helps us in sanctification, spiritual strength, and revival (Romans 8:15-27; Isaiah 6:1-8).

This way, true worship also has bearing on the worshiper (Romans 12:1-2). It changes the person. No one ever truly comes to know, honor, or worship God without being changed in the process.

The great former Archbishop of Canterbury William Temple said, “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.”

Conclusion

We worship the Triune God—Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. He alone is worthy to receive our worship!

Our responsibility is to worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness.
Psalms 29:1-2, “Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” (Psalm 96:7-9).

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Scripture Reading – Isaiah 6:1-7

Introduction

Worship is the highest form of Christian service.

Our worship must be in faith, in holiness, and in reverence.
Not all worship that we render to God is worship; not all worship will be accepted by God.
God will accept only that which is pleasing to God, that is, according to His prescription and standard.
True worship is one of the important marks of a true church.

What is true worship?

It is not program and technology driven entertainment.

It is not devotionless, dead worship.
But true worship is one’s heart’s and mind’s submission to God, having acknowledged His greatness and goodness toward us, the sinful people, coming to Him with faith, humility, and holiness, begging for His continuous favor, offering a revived, Spirit-filled life, and giving Him due homage. (Luther: “We are beggars! This is true.”)
In other words, in true worship the worshipper acknowledges God and self.
Isaiah 6:1-7

The English word “worship” comes from the Old English word worthship. The first half of the word, worth, means “worthy”. The suffix ship which means “the state or condition of being”.

Putting this together we come up with this simple definition for worship: worship is the condition or state of being worthy.
When used as a verb, worship has the sense of “ascribing worth to a being or object.”
God is Worthy!
So “worship to God” is ascribing worthy or glory to God as He alone is supremely worthy.
This is to be done with profound reverence and submission to God. This is to be done with our acknowledgement and acceptance that we are completely unworthy.
In fact both the Hebrew word for worship, “shachah” and the Greek word “proskuneo” means to “bend or bow down; to prostrate oneself; to kiss as to kiss the hand of a superior.”
So the picture in heaven—Revelation 4:6-11

Worship also has bearing on the worshiper. It changes the person, and this is the second most important thing to be said about it. No one ever truly comes to know, honor or worship God without being changed in the process.

The great former Archbishop of Canterbury William Temple said, “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.”

True worship is battling against Cainism (Gen 4:4-5, faithless worship) or the practice of Nadab and Abihu (Lev 10:1-2, polluted worship), and following Abelism (that of faith) and Aaronism (that of holiness (Lev 9:24; 10:3).

What True Worship Accomplishes? Our Devotion to God (Psalm 116:12-19)

In worship, we reciprocate (give in return) our hearts’ devotion to God.

This means worship is thanksgiving to God.
Worship is orienting our service or our facility or even our life toward God.
For example, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, the other Patriarchs in the OT. Altar of God for offering and thanksgiving was very much part of their lives!

Our Hearts’ Adoration to Christ (Romans 1:1-5; 11:34-36; Ephesians 1:5-12)

Worship is gospel centric!

It is meditating in our hearts the Cross of Christ and giving God all glory!
It is being gripped by the love of God exhibited in His incarnation and consummated in Calvary.

Our Spirit being United with the Spirit of God (John 4:23-24; Romans 8:15-27)

True worship occurs only when that part of man, his spirit, which is similar to the divine nature (for God is spirit), actually meets with God and finds itself praising God for his love, wisdom, beauty, truth, holiness, compassion, mercy, grace, power, and all his other attributes.

William Barclay has written well on this point: “The true, the genuine, worship is when man, through his spirit, attains to friendship and intimacy with God. True and genuine worship is not to come to a certain place; it is not to go through a certain ritual or liturgy; it is not even to bring certain gifts. True worship is when the spirit, the immortal and invisible part of man, speaks to and meets with God, who is immortal and invisible.”
In worship our spirit must be united with the Spirit of God, which helps us in sanctification, spiritual strength, and revival (Romans 8:15-27; Isaiah 6:1-8).

True worship also worshiping God in truth.

It means that we must approach God truthfully, that is, we must come to him honestly (Matt 15:7-9).
It also means we must worship God on the basis of the biblical revelation (John 17:17).

Conclusion

We worship the Triune God—Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. He alone is worthy to receive our worship!

Our responsibility is to worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness.
Psalms 29:1-2, “Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” (Psalm 96:7-9).

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Scripture Reading – Philippians 1:27-30

Introduction

Reformation helped the church to recapture the purity of the gospel. Hence it revived the church on the basis of the pure gospel (Philippians 1:27-30).

There are three areas where the Reformation has impacted us most: (1) Purity of Doctrines; (2) Purity of the Church; and (3) Purity of Lives.

As a church, Covenant wants to be a mouthpiece of this purity.

Purity of Doctrines (John 8:31-32; Galatians 2:5)

The church stands or falls on the basis of doctrines (John 8:31-32; Galatians 2:5).

The period of the Reformation made remarkable contribution in crystallizing some of the important elements of Christian faith. They are known as the Five Solas of the Reformation and the doctrines of grace.

The Five Solas:

Sola Scriptura >> 2 Tim 3:15-17

Solus Christus >> 1 Tim 2:5

Sola Gracia >> Eph 2:8-9

Sola Fide >> Rom 1:17

Soli Deo Gloria >> Eph 1:3-6, 12, 14

The Doctrines of Grace (Romans 8:28-34): Total Depravity

Unconditional Election Limited Atonement Irresistible Grace Perseverance of Saints

Our pulpits should never shy away from preaching the truth of God, especially Christian doctrines. We should be ready to learn it, live by it, and defend it.

Purity of the Church (John 4:24)

Reformation purified the church in the sense that the church worship was reorganized. True worship is not liturgy based but the Word (John 4:24).

Worship order was regularized, called regulative principle of worship, worship was not controlled by liturgy but the Scripture controlled the worship. This means, reading the Bible, (1 Tim 4:13); preaching the Bible (2 Tim 4:2); singing the Bible (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16); praying the Bible (Matt 21:13); and seeing the Bible in the two Sacraments of the church, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Preaching the Word became central in worship.
Reformation taught us worship is not something primarily giving to God, but receiving. One of Martin Luther’s final statements were, “We are beggars! This is true.”

Purity of Family Lives (Ephesians 5:25-28)

Luther elevated marriage and family life, as someone put it, he “placed the home at the center of the universe.”

Marriage had fallen on hard times during the medieval age, particularly within Christendom. Advice given to Christian men, like this, “Don’t marry, serve God.” It generated more and more monks and nuns.
Then happened the marriage of Katharina von Bora and Martin Luther, and when it happened, the five guests who attended the wedding in a small house didn’t know that it would shake the Christian world.
On the evening of June 13, 1525 in Wittenberg, Katharina von Bora became Katharina Luther, wife of Martin Luther. That evening, the Protestant Reformation bore one of its sweetest fruits: the transformation of marriage and family.
Luther was a defender of the dignity of women and the goodness of marriage.
Like Luther, Calvin too married, and Idelette was his wife, and they lived together, in the midst of many tragedies and challenges of married life. They had only 9 years of married life, from 1540-49, as Idelette fell ill and died in 1549. All their 3 children died in infancy. But they lived joyfully, trusting in the sovereignty of God.

Covenant homes is one of our important focuses as a godly church.

Conclusion

Let our lives, homes, and churches be patterned after the truth of the gospel.

“To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you” (Galatians 2:5).

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Scripture Reading – Galatians 1:6-12; Philippians 1:27-30; Jude 17-23

Introduction

What does the 16th century Protestant Reformation really mean to us? What does it mean by we are a Reformed church?

The Reformation recaptured the light of the gospel that was brought in the Church by the Prophets of the Old Testament and the Apostle of the New.
This gospel was centered around Christ and Christ alone—salvation is by grace through faith and repentance.
There was a dark period in the Church where a man centered gospel was preached—salvation is by the works of man.
The motto of Reformation was, in Latin, “Post Tenebras Lux,” means, “After Darkness, Light.”
It was in October 31, 1517, that Martin Luther, a former Augustinian monk and lecturer in Wittenberg University, Germany, put up the famous 95 theses at the Wittenberg church doors. Luther was responding to the evil doctrines and corrupt practices of the dominant Roman Catholic Church those days. This sparked the great Protestant Reformation Movement of the 16th century.
Through this, Luther and other reformers whom God raised in different parts of Europe, recaptured the old gospel—Luther in Germany; William Tyndale, Thomas Cranmar, and the Puritans in England; Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin in Switzerland; John Knox in Scotland; and John Calvin in France.
Later, from Europe, it spread to other continents, to America, to Asia, and to Africa.
This year is the 504th anniversary of this great historic event, and today is that day, October 31!

What is the impact of the Reformation on us?

We call ourselves a “Reformed” church. It does not mean that we are perfect in every sense of the Church. Rather, we are a reforming church.
We are “Reformed” in the sense that we too want to recapture the old gospel—we want to live a Christian life that is according to the old gospel, we want to live for this old gospel, and we want to pass on this old gospel.
When we recapture the purity of the gospel, our lives and the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ be greatly impacted.
There are three areas the Reformation has impacted us: (1) Purity of Doctrines; (2) Purity of the Church; and (3) Purity of Lives.
As a church, Covenant wants to be a mouthpiece of this purity. This is the reason we call ourselves a “Reformed” church—we want to follow the Reformation tradition, which is purely a biblical tradition.

Galatians 1:6-12

Philippians 1:27-30

Jude 17-23

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Scripture Reading – Revelation 2:1-7

Greetings in the name of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

Today we are meditating on the book of revelation, chapter 2:1-7, Which deals about the spiritual condition of Ephesus church

Introduction:

The divine Author of the Revelation book is the Jesus Christ himself, But the lord used John a apostle of Jesus Christ to write this book.

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servant’s things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.

Revelation 1:9 (Where was John when he received the revelation)

I the John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:10

I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet.
What happened when John was at Patmos? He was filled with spirit in the Lords day (probably John did not forget the sabbath day even in his suffering’s) Revelation 1:11
When John was in Spirit on the Lord’s day, he heard a loud voice saying, write in the book what you see, and send it to seven Churches which are in Asia to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and Laodicea

According to Revelation 1: 11 on the Greek island of Patmos, Jesus Christ instructs to john to write on a scroll and send it seven churches. the lord Jesus Christ clearly identified 7 Churches spiritual conditions. The lord knows everybody’s spiritual conditions

Among these seven churches we are meditating on the first church Ephesus.

Ephesus was city on the western coast in Asia minor.
The city is famous for its temple Diana (Acts 19:27-35) and the Ephesus was centre for tourism & trade.
Acts chapter 19 & 20 gives background on this church.
And apostle Paul preached the gospel 3 years at Ephesus

Revelation 2:1-7

What does seven stars represent? Chapter 2. verse 1
The 7 stars are the Angel of seven churches, (Angel means: messenger, one who bring the message from the lord to the people)
so, the seven stars represent the Pastors of the 7 Church
A pastor is the Gods messenger, to the church in that he is the responsible & faithful preacher of God’s word to believers.
John’s vision show that each pastor is being held in the Lords hand. And we learn from gospel of John 10:28, no one can snatch them out of Jesus hand.
The fact that stars (Pastors) are in Jesus right hand, it indicates that they are important and under his authority. The right hand is the sign of strength
What does 7 lampstands represent?
The seven-lamp stand represents seven churches, which were the actual churches that existed at the time of John experienced the vision.
The Golden lamp stand symbolize that church preciousness of Gods valued possession (John 3:16)
The golden lampstands may also be symbolic of purity and holiness. The church is called to be example of Gods holiness to the world. 1Peter 1:15-16
Lamp stands are designed to bring light in the dark places.
The Gods purpose for the church is to hold forth the light. Jesus said you are the light of the world.
In the vision of John, Jesus Christ stands in the centre of the seven lampstands. which Mean, Jesus is standing in the midst of his people.
Lamp stand itself is not the light, but Jesus Christ is the light. John 8:12

III. Christ’s Appreciation to the Ephesus church

Chapter 2 verse 2-3 & 6

Why does Jesus is praising Ephesus church?

Jesus is praising or appreciating the Ephesus church, because of Ephesus church’s good deeds, testimony and patience for the lord. The lord is always very happy when we walk according to his directions Verse 2

I know thy works:

The good works, both of ministers and churches

Thy labour:
Particularly the labour of ministers of the gospel in this time, the frequent preaching of it, in season and out of season.
Administration of the ordinances.
Diligent exercise of the church discipline.
Thy patience:
Their patience is in suffering for the sake of the gospel
Their patience is in bearing one another in the body of Christ.
Their moral and doctrinal purity
Hated the evil one and deeds of the Nicolaitans

Chapter 2 verse 4 -5 (if Jesus appeared today, what he wants to see in our church?) IV. Christ’s warning to the Ephesus church

God diagnosed the inner part of the Ephesus church and making complaint

people Lost their love for Christ, and also probably lost their love for one another.

Bible says love for Christ and love for one another is related, it is first and second command mark 12:30-31.

“And you shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This the first commandment. And second like it, is this you shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

1 Corinthian 13:1 though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I have become sounding brass or clanging cymbal.

Ephesus church is doing all good work, but there is no love for Christ, many times we also act like the people of Ephesus church. We do many things but lost love for Christ.

What is the Jesus commanding to this Church?

Repent and do the first work, if not I will come quickly and remove lamp stand

(if the church is not repenting and not doing the first work for the lord he will come and remove the lamp stand.)

Most of the churches are like the church in Ephesus, most of us are like the believers in Ephesus church, we do many things but we lost the love for Christ, we need to come back to Christ and repent, and he will forgive us. 1 John 1:9

1. Remember the first love 2. Repent: come to Jesus ask forgiveness 3. Repeat the deeds you did first. Chapter 2 verse 7
Christ Promise to the Ephesus Church

The Christian life is a warfare against sin, Satan, the world and flesh, we should not lose our battle in Christian journey, but fight the good fight till we gain the victory or over come from the sin

How can we over come? Or how can we fight against the sin?

Can we over come with our own strength? Jesus promised his disciples that he would send them holy spirit, the helper who would guide them to the truth. John 14:16-17

Here is the promise to victors: To him who overcomes I will give to the eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Conclusion:

how can we know our spiritual conditions? Where did we lost our first love for the Christ? What is the Christ warning us? And what is the Promise of the Lord Jesus Christ?

May the spirit of the lord open our eyes to know our spiritual conditions and overcome from the bondage of sin and enjoy the love of Christ forever with him in heaven.

Rev. Lazarus

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Scripture Reading – Hebrews 10:19-25; Colossians 3:12-17; Malachi 1:11

Introduction

Christians have been blessed with a very special provision from the Lord, that is, God appointing one day of the week as a day of rest. In the Old Testament it was the Sabbath Day, and in the New Testament it is the Lord’s Day.

Last Lord’s Day we meditated on the corporate worship, that is, the Lord’s Day worship, as one of the spiritual disciplines.

It is a calling for us to gather together as the body of believers (Hebrews 10:19-25).

Christians need a much disciplined commitment to honor the Lord’s Day. We should not follow the Lord’s Day as a ritual as many Christians do. Why the Lord expects a disciplined commitment from us?

The Lord’s Day Replaces the OT Sabbath (Hebrews 10:25)

Following the Old Testament custom of the Sabbath Day, Christians in the New Testament started gathering together on Sundays (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2).

The Christians did that because the Lord rose from the dead on Sunday.
Hence, the Sunday was called “the Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10).

This did not mean that the Sabbath laws were transferred to the Sunday. The Sabbath laws were very rigid and part of the Old Testament system, and as such we Christians are not bound to follow them. Because we are under the dispensation of grace.

This means that Christ became the fulfillment of the Sabbath for us.
Hence, following the Lord’s Day is no more a burden for us but it is a great delight for every child of God.

The Lord’s Day Provides Rest for the Soul (Isaiah 44:21-23; 30:15)

The moral or the spiritual element of the Sabbath focuses on rest as the word Sabbath itself means “rest.”

In Genesis 2:2-3 we read, “And He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made; and God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.”
God’s rest did not mean that He was idle, but it meant His enjoyment of Himself!
This is the spiritual meaning that is applicable to Christians in the New Testament as they honor the Lord’s Day (Isaiah 30:15; 44:21-23).
This commitment would help the sanctification of His people—Exodus 31:12-17—Sabbath was a sign of relationship between God and His people.
Psalms 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Although Christians are free from the ceremonial requirements of the Sabbath Day, they are not free from the moral requirements of the Sabbath Day.
Notice, cease from our normal daily routine on the Lord’s Day is a moral commitment toward God.
That was the reason the instruction to keep the Sabbath Day became part of the Ten commandments.
This was the reason though Jesus condemned the legalism of the Pharisees on Sabbath, He was never against the observance of the spiritual meaning of the Sabbath.

The Lord’s Day Calls for Christian Commitment (Colossians 3:12-17)

Christians should honor the Lord’s Day as it is that one day of the week that the Lord, in His great wisdom and providence, set apart as holy.

Ask, “How can we use the Lord’s day for the most spiritual profit?”

We will benefit spiritually if our habit is normally to spend the Lord’s Day meeting with the saints for worship, instruction, fellowship, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer.

It Is a Day:

To refrain from normal engagements—the things we normally do the other six days of the week.
To honor and revere God—a day of worship.
To offer to God—giving ourselves wholly unto God, a day of consecration.

What does our commitment to God cost us?

2 Samuel 24:24, “And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it from you for a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
Malachi 1:8, 11—offer unto the LORD a pure offering, which is our life!

Conclusion

Every Lord’s Day is an offering that we offer unto the LORD. Let us not do it as a mere ritual, but let us do it with our whole heart, giving our very best to the LORD, who gave His all to us!

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Scripture Reading -1 Timothy 4:6-9

Introduction

How does a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ grow in spiritual maturity? It is through spiritual disciplines.

The spiritual disciplines are those practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Discipline is defined as “training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior.” 1 Timothy 4:7, “train yourself for godliness.”
The goal of every spiritual discipline is — as this verse teaches — Godliness is another way of describing holiness, sanctification, and Christlikeness.
To put it in other terms, the purpose of the spiritual disciplines is intimacy with Christ and conformity (both internal and external) to Christ.

There are few important spiritual disciplines that help us to train our spiritual life unto holiness.

Word of God (Psalm 1:1-3; Joshua 1:8; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The foremost of the spiritual disciplines is that involving the Word of God and constitutes the reading, meditation, and appropriation of Scripture.

It is the very life of every Christian.
“Reading is the exposure to Scripture but meditation is the absorption of Scripture,” Jonathan Edwards.
Psalm 1:1-3
Joshua 1:8
2 Timothy 3:16-17

The benefits of this are:

Reveal—giving us new insights regarding the already revealed truth of God
Remind—replenishing our memory
Rebuke—reproving that which is wrong
Restore—reestablishing the joy of the Lord in us
Revive—rekindling our love and passion for God

Prayer (Romans 8:14-17)

The second important spiritual discipline is prayer.

If the Word of God is the very life of Christian, prayer is the very breath of every child of God.
Prayer is that unique experience by which we commune with God.
God comes alongside us to lead us into a deeper and more real relationship with Him.
God really makes us want to conform to Christ and His will for our lives. God slowly and graciously reveals Himself to us while we pray, and it is during those moments that we can more deeply understand and experience His love.
Romans 8:14-17
Luke 5:16; 6:12
Psalm 55:16-17, 22

Jonathan Edwards, the great revival preacher of 18th century, was so devoted to prayer that it is hard to find a daily routine for him that wasn’t saturated with it. He prayed alone when he arose, then had family prayer before breakfast. Prayer was a part of each meal, and he prayed again with the family in the evening. He prayed over his studies, and he prayed as he walked in the evenings. Prayer was both a discipline and a part of his leisure.

Benefits of prayer:

Assurance that we are the children of God
Confidence that He is with us
Affirmation that He will never leave us and forsake us

Corporate Worship (Hebrews 10:19-25)

Corporate worship is the spiritual discipline that Christians experience as a spiritual body. If the Word and prayer are personal disciplines corporate worship is interpersonal or congregational discipline.

Corporate worship reminds us that we are a community.
God patterned the Christian life not just as an individual, but a body of believers.
Christians are not supposed to be an isolated island, but a community of believers.
Hebrews 10:19-25
1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 23-25
Luke 4:16; Acts 20:7

Benefits of corporate worship:

Experiencing the presence of God
Experiencing the fellowship and company of God’s people
Opportunity to put to use the spiritual gifts for the edification of the Church
Experiencing a foretaste of Heaven

Conclusion

Christian life is a life of discipline, without which we will not be strong and fruitful in our relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

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Scripture Reading – Matthew 28:18-20

Introduction

True Christian discipleship is a lifelong commitment, which begins with a call from the Lord to follow Him, progresses with a persevering faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and consummates with a life lived in holiness.

A true disciple is first a learner, and then a follower with a lifelong relationship with the Master.

Matthew 28:18-20
The danger in today’s churches is that making disciples by “teaching them to observe all things” is undermined.
R.C. Sproul writes, “It’s not the profession that gets you into the kingdom. It’s the possession. We must possess what we profess.” He refers, of course, to faith. A profession of faith alone will not save us, and neither will knowing the precise moment we came to faith. What saves us is the possession of faith.
We need to recover true discipleship – discipleship that causes Christians to live lives of increasing holiness. The emphasis on growth needs to be directed at holiness rather than True discipleship producing strong, committed Christians will present a clear witness to the world.

In today’s churches, many calls himself/herself a disciple of Christ, but sadly the outcome of the life is that after sometime, he/she fades away by living a life of compromise. Such people cannot be true disciples of Christ.

Following are few crucial marks of a true disciple of Christ:

Hear the Call and Be Transformed (John 1:35-42) One must hear the personal call from Christ and be convinced that He is his Savior.

This is being gripped by the Person and Power of Jesus Christ—Jesus told to Andrew and John (who were earlier John the Baptizer’s disciples), “Come and see” and they went and saw (v 39).
Andrew, Peter, and John realized that Christ is not any ordinary person, but the Messiah, the Anointed of God.
That made the difference between the John the Baptizer and Christ (3:27-36).
John the Baptizer’s testimony concerning Christ was that He is able to give eternal life (3:36).
This Christ transformed Peter, from Simon (which means “hot-tempered, volatile, and violent”) to Cephas (which means “Peter” or “a stone”).

Hold on to Christ and His Word (John 6:66-71; 8:31-32) Christ, during His early ministry, faced many seeming believers, whose heart was not with Him:

John 2:23-25—At a Passover feast, some people “believed” in Christ but He did not entrust Himself to them as He knew their real intensions.
John 6:66—After the Bread of Life discourse, many of Jesus’ disciples “turned back and no longer walked with Him. ”
These were a kind of “discipleship” that is merely temporary and does not persevere to the end.
Then Jesus immediately asks the Twelve, “Will you also go away?” (6:67).
Peter immediately replies, “Lord, to whom shall we go? you have the words of eternal life” (vv 67- 68).
Jesus affirms this great truth in 8:31-32—True disciples of Jesus follow Him not just at the beginning, but also to the end.
True disciples are marked not by sinless perfectionism but by abiding in the words, the teaching, of They do not just confess Jesus with their mouths, but they trust in Him with their hearts and prove it by seeking to do His will, repenting where they fall short, and returning again and again to Him to learn His way.

Retreat from the World and Ready to Give-up All (Luke 14:25-33) True Christian discipleship calls for a commitment that is unparalleled in the world. Christ not only requires our love first but love most. It must transcend all earthly attachments. This is the lesson we learn from Luke 14:25-33.

John Chrysostom comments that Jesus would not have us “think lightly of the honor due to parents.” His words only signify “that nothing ought to be to us more urgent than the affairs of the kingdom of heaven.”
It can be hard to know how to honor one’s parents and follow Jesus, but let us remember that His will alone deserves our undivided submission.

John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim’s Progress, was told to quit preaching or he would be thrown in prison. The personal hardship did not concern him, but the fact that it would put his wife and family into utter poverty weighed greatly upon him. He wrote from prison, “The parting with my wife and poor children hath often been to me in this place as the pulling of the flesh from my bones; and that not only because I am somewhat too fond of these great mercies, but also because I would have often brought to my mind the many hardships, miseries, and wants that my poor family was like to meet with, should I be taken from them, especially my poor blind child, who lay nearer my heart than all I have besides. Oh, the thought of the hardship my blind one might go under would break my heart to pieces . . . But yet, recalling myself, thought I, I must venture all with God, though it goeth to the quick to leave you. Oh, I saw in this condition, I was a man who was pulling down his house upon the head of his wife and children; yet thought I, I must do it. I must do it.”

Conclusion Luke 9:23-26, “And He said to them all, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whosoever desires to save his life will lose it: but whosoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what advantage is to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.”

Sermons – Covenant B-P Church, Bangalore: Recent Episodes