Sermons Archive - Christ the King: Recent Episodes
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Jesus sends us as sheep into the midst of wolves, so be pure-hearted but shrewd in navigating this hostile world.
The King sends emissaries who proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom, resulting in peace for some and judgment for others.
To those who trust Him, Jesus brings new joy, new freedom, new life, new sight, and a new authority.
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of Hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.”
Father, as we look out on the world, we see arrogant evildoers running rampant – terrorizing the weak, adulterating the truth, leaving a wake of misery and confusion. We look for your justice. Thank you that this won’t go on forever! Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Even now, before the end, defend the vulnerable and cut down agents of Satan’s tyranny. We wait for you. At the same time, we confess that we ourselves have too often participated in arrogance and evil. We renounce every last remnant of that complicity! We know that even the most subtle forms of rebellion against you must be uprooted. And so we fear you — but not as those who cower and run. We fear you as those who look to you as our only hope to be right with you.
“But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of Hosts.”
Thank you for this promise that “the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings”! What can this be other than a reference to the work of Christ? His effect on His people is as strong and pervasive as the light and warmth of the sun, rising to shine righteousness into us and through us! But the work of Christ doesn’t only passively transmit like the sun’s rays; it also seeks us out – the Holy Spirit dove hovering and souring all around, dispensing your healing from sin to all who truly fear your name!
Because of how you worked justice – justifying us in the death of Christ – I know I am free! And so may I know more and more of the joy of those who “go out leaping like calves from the stall.” Renew my excitement and energy for life, knowing that it’s the life you’ve given me to live whole-heartedly for you. Remind me that your enemies can ultimately do me no harm – you are Yahweh of Many Armies!
“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.”
As we wait for the ultimate justice and ultimate relief of the second advent of Christ, Holy Spirit, renew my mind and my will by writing the law of God on my heart. Teach me and deepen the way I obey the law as we work through the Sermon on the Mount as a congregation, starting in February. Even now, cause me to live out the “law of love” more and more freely and sacrificially in my family, neighborhood, and workplace (Romans 13:10, James 2:8).
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of the children to their fathers and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter desolation.”
Lord Jesus, you revealed that this passage speaks of John the Baptist and the unique role he played in preparing your way. Give me grace to walk in the lifestyle of repentance that John preached, knowing that the Kingdom of Heaven is truly at hand! And cause these indicators of a soft heart to always be mine. May I be drawn to honor and cherish my parents, regardless of any past hurts. May I be drawn to my own children or those who are like children in my life – exhibiting great patience, devotion, and hope. May these children also be drawn to me, finding no obstacle for their trust, but instead finding a reflection of your care through me – like a mirror passing on the rays of the “Sun of Righteousness.” Amen.
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If you’re a Christian parent, or if you grew up in a Christian household, you’ve likely heard this verse quoted as a mantra of sorts: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). This is a solid principle that we do well to remember. Yet there’s also a temptation to treat this and other proverbs in a simplistic way, almost like fortune cookies, when in fact they’re words of wisdom that release their benefit to us only as we prayerfully meditate on them. Feel free to listen in as I attempt to do that right now.
A simplistic way of understanding this proverb would say, “If I teach Christian values to my kids, then they’ll be Christians when they grow up.” Unfortunately, there are many situations where it doesn’t play out that way. And then if we’ve held to that simplistic understanding, it can feel like the Bible is culpable for misleading us. But did we really understand the proverb correctly? Did we use the proverb correctly? What can we glean from Proverbs 22:6?
First, note that the beginning clause speaks of “training up” a child. It doesn’t say to lecture a child, react to a child, or make sure the child is around influences that will train him or her. It says “[you!] train up a child.” Now I’ve never owned a dog, but I hear that the training process can be quite arduous for the owners. It requires keen attentiveness to the dog’s whereabouts, demeanor, and actions, so that appropriate motivation, encouragement, and sometimes punishment can be given. But even more than just the right actions, training also seeks to develop the bond of trust between owner and pet. Of course, children aren’t pets, but my point is, might we actually show greater intentionality at times with pets than with the children (created in God’s image!) whom we just assume will learn as they go? Training means there are concrete goals and methods in the mind of the trainer.
Training means that the trainer needs to also guard against any breach of trust that would invalidate the instruction that’s been given. This doesn’t require perfection! Our sin can actually be quite helpful in the training of our children if we talk through it with them, ask for forgiveness when we sin against them, and just generally model humility and quick repentance. But hypocrisy that simply gets swept under the rug…will subtly destroy the bond of trust between parent and child, regardless of how much the child is nodding to our admonitions or memorizing Sunday School answers.
Another context in which we often think of “training” is in the military. Training puts the trainees in challenges that will often overwhelm them but then offers constructive feedback and further help. Isn’t this what we have the opportunity to do every time we send our kids out into the world in some small way? Do we help them see the battle lines, what’s at stake, and what “ground” can be gained beforehand? Do we debrief afterward and ask about how they felt, what was unexpected, and how it connected to the path of Christ? Training also engages in “combat” together, side-by-side so that the junior soldiers can gain confidence and further instructions from the seasoned soldiers in situations where it really matters. Jesus in the Gospels, in his deployment of his disciples, is a great example of this sort of intentional training. In short, “training” requires from us way more than just flat instruction or reactionary correction.
A second observation is that we’re to train up a child “in the way he should go.” The emphasis is on the fruitful path of life. It doesn’t say, train a child “against the way he should not go.” Unfortunately, a lot of Christian instruction can tend to look that way, with an emphasis merely on warnings and prohibitions. But why should a child avoid what the world is running after if he or she has no vision for something better? Loving what’s true should be the focus, not just hating what’s harmful. We choose celibacy or marital fidelity because we love how and why God created human sexuality. We choose to be free of addiction because we find being filled with the Holy Spirit to be more satisfying, and wouldn’t want any substance to get in the way of that. We choose to be devoted to the local church, not because we’re afraid of what God or others would think if we weren’t, but because we wholeheartedly believe in the beautiful vision of what God is building with this ragtag group, unimpressive though we all are by worldly standards.
To return to military terms, the child needs to believe in why we’re fighting. “The way he should go” becomes “the way he wants to go” when the cause of Christ is seen as glorious, all-important, joyous, worthwhile, lasting, urgent, and relationally fulfilling. He or she needs to see the larger story – like Christian with his Pilgrim’s Progress, or Sam and Frodo fighting for all that’s good in Lord of the Rings, or like Jill and Eustace remembering the signs and piercing through deception in The Silver Chair. The Bible is our true story, our lives are found within those pages, and when we see our King and the emerging Kingdom rightly, we want to go the way that trusts and perseveres.
How do we measure success? Not when kids are young (though the “even” suggests that there wasn’t a total lack of responsiveness in youth). But the real test is “when he is old”. Well, that’s not very helpful! Admittedly not. We may not even be alive when their faith clicks into place or comes to fruition. And maybe that’s for the best. Perhaps we’d let up or stop praying if we knew the outcome for certain. Perhaps God has great purpose for our own growth in holiness precisely through our continued burden to train up the child – even if he or she is grown and the only training we can offer is a consistent example of loving while sharing Christ with meaningful words, more and more each year.
Something else that should be said: proverbs are not promises. They are principles that are generally at work in this world; they are truisms about how God has created the fabric of our reality. For example, the last verse in the same chapter of Proverbs says, “Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” Is this 100% true? No. Lots of skilled people have been overlooked and died in obscurity. And that could happen in part because no proverb operates in isolation. What if the skilled man in this proverb also happens to be a “fool” who “comes to ruin” in another proverb? There is more at work in a person at any given time than just the presence or lack of skill. Similarly, a parent may raise up a child in the way he should go and yet other influences are also in the mix. All to say, our kids’ salvation is not a treat from a vending machine that we get out by putting in the right coin of godly training. The world is more complex than that—and we should all be glad that it is! But the principle remains—we have every reason to diligently, prayerfully, faithfully, creatively, persistently, and with great hope raise up our children in the way they should go. And then we will rest, entrusting them to the grace of God.
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This past Sunday we thought about a seeming contradiction at the center of who God is – loving and abundant in mercy, yet relentless in justice and fierce in fury. It sounds like having water and fire occupying the same space. One scholar said, “It is this contradiction that makes the God of the Bible interesting, credible, and dangerous.” Must we accept such a God? Dare we come to such a God?
This predicament is captured well in C.S. Lewis’ fictional work The Silver Chair, which is Book 6 in The Chronicles of Narnia. Jill Pole finds herself, unbeknownst to her, in Aslan’s country. She has no prior knowledge of Aslan (the lion who serves as a metaphor for Christ). All she knows is that she’s lost and alone in a strange woods with a lion prowling around. She’s exhausted and dreadfully thirsty, to the point of danger. She must find running water. Finally, “she came to an open glade and saw a stream, bright as glass, running across the turf a stone’s throw away from her.
But although the sight of water made her feel ten times thirstier than before, she didn’t rush forward and drink. She stood as still as if she had been turned into stone, with her mouth wide open. And she had a very good reason: just on this side of the stream lay the lion.
…‘If I run away, it’ll be after me in a moment,’ thought Jill. ‘And if I go on, I shall run straight into its mouth.’ Anyway, she couldn’t have moved if she had tried, and she couldn’t take her eyes off it. How long this lasted, she could not be sure; it seemed like hours. And the thirst became so bad that she almost felt she would not mind being eaten by the lion if only she could be sure of getting a mouthful of water first.
‘If you’re thirsty, you may drink.’
…For a second she stared here and there, wondering who had spoken. Then the voice said again, ‘If you are thirsty, come and drink.’…It was deeper, wilder, and stronger; a sort of heavy, golden voice. It did not make her any less frightened than she had been before, but it made her frightened in rather a different way.
‘Are you not thirsty?’ said the Lion.
‘I’m dying of thirst,’ said Jill.
‘Then drink,’ said the Lion.
‘May I — could I — would you mind going away while I do?’ said Jill.
The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience. The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.
‘Will you promise not to – do anything to me, if I do come?’ said Jill.
‘I make no promise,’ said the Lion. Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.
‘Do you eat girls? she asked.
‘I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms,’ said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.
‘I daren’t come and drink,’ said Jill.
‘Then you will die of thirst,’ said the Lion.
‘Oh dear!’ said Jill, coming another step nearer. ‘I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.’
‘There is no other stream,’ said the Lion.
It never occurred to Jill to disbelieve the Lion – no one who had seen his stern face could do that – and her mind suddenly made itself up. It was the worst thing she had ever had to do, but she went forward to the stream, knelt down, and began scooping up water in her hand. It was the coldest, most refreshing water she had ever tasted. You didn’t need to drink much of it, for it quenched your thirst at once.”
Like Jill, we find ourselves in God’s world, dying of thirst. There is life-giving water to drink, but we would prefer to have it without God. He refuses. We can see very well that he’s not safe. We don’t understand how he’s told us he’s acted in history – bringing plagues, conquest, terrors on his enemies. And yet he invites us to drink. Can we trust that he is good? We must. And if we are willing to accept that our notions of a domesticated God aren’t necessarily the right definition of “good”, we then discover our thirst is satisfied, and we are given deep purpose, true identity, and joyful belonging in an unshakeable kingdom. As is repeated throughout the Chronicles of Narnia: “He is not a tame lion. Of course he isn’t safe; but he is good!”
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This past Sunday we took a deep dive into learning about the Aaronic priesthood. And that’s just one sample of how throughout whole Bible – but especially within the Old Testament – it seems you can hardly turn a page without hearing about some prophet, priest, or king. These categories can feel a bit strange to us since our modern lives seem to work in categories more like president, pop star, teacher, mob boss, therapist, coach, guru, internet influencer, etc. So why do we need to know about prophets, priests, and kings? What’s it all about?
The best and most important answer is that we need to understand these categories so that we can understand what Jesus is like, what He’s done, and what He’s doing even now. He is the greater Prophet, for whom all those before were only forerunners (Deuteronomy 18:15-19). He is the one true Priest, who even now is interceding for us (Hebrews 7-10). He is the King over all, whose decrees for this world will come to pass (Matthew 28:18-20). Seeing Jesus rightly is the most important reason to think about prophet, priest, and king.
But seeing humanity rightly is a secondary reason to think about these categories. Jesus fulfills these offices because these offices describe humanity’s greatest needs. We were meant to function in these ways to each other. And Jesus must fulfill these offices because humanity failed to fulfill them. But in the new humanity that Jesus has created, we can serve each other in these ways, in His image to which we’re being conformed.
Adam’s role was to speak and explain God’s words accurately as would a prophet. Instead he stood idly by as his wife misremembered God’s words and listened to a distorted interpretation of them. Adam’s role was to keep (guard) the sanctity of the Garden of Eden as a priest ensures the holiness of the temple grounds. Instead he gave free rein to an unholy intruder. Adam’s role was to have dominion over every living thing on the earth. Instead he failed to rule over a serpent that was functioning outside of its ordained identity. And the results were catastrophic.
On this side of Christ, we’ve been given restored authority in all three of these roles. It’s a derivative authority – always under that of the High Prophet, Priest, and King. But it’s a real authority and responsibility nonetheless. We are a prophetic community (Rev. 11:1-14), and by “speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head” (Ephesians 4:15). We are “a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). He has promised that he will give us authority over the nations, and we will reign on the earth (Rev. 2:26-27, 5:10).
So pay attention when you see a prophet, priest, or king pop up on the pages of Scripture. When that happens, see Jesus there. And then pray that by His Spirit you might also speak His words, intercede, and exercise dominion as He’s called you to do.
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If each day you don’t face the futility of your own life, you’re not being honest with yourself.
Soon you will be dead. The wealth you earned, the possessions you collected, the work you accomplished, the reputation you attracted will all dissipate. Your grandchildren will remember you fairly well. The next generation may know a thing or two about you. But after that, not much will be left. And even if we come to terms with this emotionally, duty to others still dictates that we strive hard here and now to build these sand castles, to grasp for this mist. As a result, a sense of weariness and profound waste necessarily haunts the responsibly observant soul. How much more must this feeling of vain labor have plagued a generation whose lot was to fail, to wander, to end without a home, and to serve as a shadowy type for a deliverance yet to come?
Of course I’m speaking of the Wilderness Generation. Psalm 90 is the only psalm attributed to their tired leader – “Moses, the Man of God.” He had first-hand knowledge of momentous acts of God – both unparalleled judgement in the plagues of Egypt, and also unparalleled salvation at Passover and the Red Sea. He had spoken with God directly on numerous occasions, seen Him on the mountain top, and come down literally glowing from His presence. But experiencing such glories may have made his plight feel all the more futile in the long run. What Moses knew about the goodness, the holiness, and the power of God often seemed untranslatable to the stubborn flock he had been given. Time and time again, grumbling won out over holy remembrance and trust in the hearts of the people.
Psalm 90 begins and ends as a contemplation of time. During forty years in the desert, one has plenty of time to ponder the nature of generations, millennia, lifetimes, and days. And any serious contemplation of time leads straight to God. Moses claims this as his foundational statement for dealing with anything he’s thinking or feeling: God was here in the beginning. It’s only if our home is in Him that we have any stability with which to wade through the murky waters of life under the curse.
But when we contemplate God, who is our home, it’s not all butterflies and lollipops. We have to acknowledge that He is the Keeper of time and the Architect of history. That means that He is the one who numbers our days, who sweeps away our years, who makes our most meaningful moments on this earth seem like just a dream. It is right that He do so – we have sinned, and we must die. Though we look back through the blessed lens of Christ that makes our death the doorway to life, still we must not forget that physical death remains our just sentence. Not one of my subtle grumblings against God’s rule is unknown to Him. And even one such act of rebellion against the greatest Good is more than deserving of capital punishment. We dare not feel entitled to a healthy and comfortable eighty to ninety years! In reality, this “norm” is a merciful luxury from the hand of a patient God.
In the face of inevitable earthly demise and in the scope of thousands of years, our daily struggles can sometimes feel pointless, or even like a morbid joke. How will we respond to the brevity of life, the burden of our tasks, the seemingly relentless brokenness
Some people check out and focus solely on procuring emotional escape. They get busy literally amusing themselves to death. But for the sober-minded, that’s never really an option. The more gripping temptation for the realists among us is despair – a numbness full of dread that simply goes through the motions of each day. Is there a third option? Yes – Moses’ choice here: prayer.
Verses 12 through 17 reveal that prayer – the fruit of Moses’ meditation on life under the curse. He asks first that the God who numbers (limits) his days would help him to number (count) his own days, to give him the wisdom of keen open-eyed awareness regarding the limited nature of his time on this earth. From this perspective, he then sees what he needs most: “Return, O Lord!” Moses longs for the renewed visitation of YHWH’s gracious power upon His people. He knows that’s not deserved; any such “return” would be an expression of the Lord’s pity. But such transformative presence would then result in gladness – a key mark of the true people of God! YHWH’s lovingkindness produces a stubborn ability to rejoice, even when we know all too well that the death sentence has not been lifted. His lovingkindness changes grief over the afflicted and numbered nature of our lives into a gladness amid that affliction, precisely because these days are numbered and appointed by the One who is good and the One who is present.
Though the resurrection was still fairly veiled at that point in Redemptive History, Moses had hints (such as Enoch! – Genesis 5:24) that there was more for those who found their dwelling place in the eternal God. And that hope then propels us unto lives of purpose and productivity, all for His glory! “Only one life, ’twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.” Surely the prayer to “establish the work of our hands” becomes the cry of all who, by His grace, have had their focus turned away from their own plight to the cause of the Kingdom and the plight of others in this world.
Moses knew full-well that from a direct vantage point, his work simply would not be long established (see Deuteronomy 31:16). But in another sense, everything he did would be fulfilled in Jesus. “For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ” 1 Corinthians 10:1-4. Moses’ plight was to serve as a type, that we would have a framework to understand the character and work of our Savior. To emphasize this connection, Jesus spent an emblematic forty days in the wilderness (Matthew 4), re-enacting and indeed overwriting the desert wanderings as the new and truly obedient Israel. Faced with temptation to take the easy way out, Jesus chose neither to blur the truth nor to numb himself with pleasure. And because we are found in Him as our covenant head, His Spirit can enable us to live boldly in the face of circumstantial barrenness – refusing to grumble against our Creator, or to compromise our prophetic role in this society.
So if each day you shut down, or become numb, or become frantically defiant against the futility of your life, then you’re also not being honest with yourself. You’re overlooking the God who entered the affliction and transformed death by dying (Revelation 14:13). So with Moses and with the saints under the altar, we don’t pretend or despair, but rather we cry out through the pain and weariness “Return, O Lord, how long?!” (Revelation 6:9-11). His presence is the only necessary help and hope, and the ultimate prize for the one who conquers (Revelation 3:11-12). He’s our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home.
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The year 203 marked the martyrdom of a unique pair of women. Perpetua was a 21-year-old noblewoman in the city of Carthage (in modern-day Tunisia). Neither her parents nor her husband were Christians. She would seemingly have everything to lose by mixing with this “sect”: wealth, status, and a one-year-old son. Yet Perpetua did come to faith and joined the church through the influence of her servant and dear friend, Felicitas.
When Emperor Severus came to power, he saw Christianity as a scourge that was incompatible with Roman patriotism, which required at least nominal worship of Roman emperors and deities. And so he outlawed any conversion to the way of Christ.
Felicitas, her husband Revocatus, Perpetua, and two others from their church were discovered meeting together and were arrested. Upon hearing of this, the one who had first shared the gospel with all of these young people, a man named Saturus, also turned himself in so that he could help shepherd them through what awaited. At the trial, Saturus spoke out to the crowd saying, “Note our faces well, that you may see us on the Day of Judgment.”
Because Felicitas was pregnant, the group’s sentence of death in the arena was delayed. After the child was born in prison and given to other Christians to raise, Felicitas told a guard, “Now my sufferings are only mine. But when I face the beasts there will be another who is alive in me, and whose sufferings will be for me, since I shall be suffering for Him.”
Perpetua’s nursing child had already been taken from her by her father, after she had repeatedly refused his pleas to obey him and to think first of her son. Her husband also had utterly abandoned her. Yet in prison, both Perpetua and Saturus received vivid dreams that gave them courage from the Lord and assured them that the “conqueror’s crown” would be theirs.
Because of Perpetua’s social status, officials gave her multiple chances to perform token gestures of deference to Rome; but in each case, she refused to deny her Lord. She was also recorded as saying, “This dungeon is to me a palace.”
One of the group – a man named Secundulus – died in prison. The remaining five were brought out to the packed arena where they faced crazed bulls, wild boars, and leopards. Saturus, Revocatus, and a slave girl named Blandina would all eventually be killed by these beasts. As for Felicitas and Perpetua, a bull tossed them both and then stood still. Perpetua was fairly unharmed. Seeing that a horn had pierced Felicitas, she ran over to raise up her friend and hold her.
When none of the animals further approached the women, gladiators were sent in to finish them off. Perpetua’s hair had fallen during the bull toss. Loose hair in that culture was a sign of mourning, so she asked to be able to put it up again, because “this was to be a day of celebration.” The gladiator who was assigned to Felicitas completed his deed quickly. But a young and nervous gladiator stood in front of Perpetua. She cried out loudly as he hesitantly stabbed her twice through the ribs, but neither of these wounds was immediately mortal in nature. Uncertain and afraid, his hand was shaking. Perpetua then calmly took the end of the sword and helped it toward her throat. He finished the task.
The crowd had never seen courage like this. Several spectators converted to Christianity as a result of what they had witnessed. One account says that the Roman governor even converted, while another says that the prison warden did. Whatever the case, it’s certainly true that these two sisters of ours inspired generations of Christians to fear only God, and not “those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Matt. 10:28).
How do Felicitas and Perpetua inspire you? If it became clear that your Lord was asking you to pass through a door to glory, would you be able to walk away from all else, trusting his purposes and celebrating what awaits you? If not, what will it take to reorder your priorities? Part of the good news of our gospel is that this world is only the beginning, and that we are children and heirs – “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him, in order that we may also be glorified with him. For…the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us!” (Rom. 8:17-18).
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In Hebrews 13:2 we read, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Yesterday’s sermon focused mostly on how that changes our perspective on inviting people into our homes or to share in other parts of our lives. But what about hospitality as a church family? Are we …
Are you in the habit of inviting people to church? Read More »
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Much of Hebrews has been speaking of how the way to God is opened to us through Jesus. We’re so thankful for the conclusion of 10:18, that since forgiveness is secure, there is no need for further sacrifice. Isn’t the gospel mostly about celebrating this atonement? Why then do we need the warning passages about God’s judgment, such as we heard yesterday morning: “For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Hebrews 10:30-31 is considered an embarrassment by many “Christians” who have tried to make the faith more palatable to the culture at large. According to their thinking, God is LOVE – simple and undefined – and we do not need to say much more about him than that. This thinking, however, will only inspire a half-hearted, lackluster devotion to God, as has been proven through the trajectory of denominations that hold the Bible quite loosely. Believe it or not, lives simply aren’t transformed and fulfilled by the image of an impotent grandfather figure in the sky, who spends his days merely pining after his estranged creatures.
I speak a bit tongue-in-cheek, but my point is that we love God for His glory and full-orbed goodness, not merely for his love and forgiveness. And that glory includes all of God’s qualities. His love is not somehow contrary to his justice. His justice requires a judge’s wrath against evil. It simply can’t be any other way, because there can be no kingdom of righteousness and peace in the end if chaos and crime are given a free pass. And deep down, we know we don’t want a King who turns a blind eye or grades on a curve. We worship God also because he is great and good and because he unfailingly defends that which is pure.
It shouldn’t surprise us that enjoyment of God’s mercy and fear of God’s justice actually go hand-in-hand. Hosea 3:5 prophesies: “Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king [read ‘Jesus’], and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days.” Now you might think that fear is not a good thing to motivate Christians, and you’d be right if you were thinking of a hopeless, servile fear, such as one would have of a cruel slave-master. But check out Psalm 130:3-4: “If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.” In this passage, the enjoyment of forgiveness produces fear. Why? Because this is a good Master who can be counted on to absolutely do what is right, and when the gospel has awoken our hearts, we realize that rightfully this should mean his wrath against us, not Jesus.
This is just like the hymn lyrics: “Tis grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed.” Grace does both! It teaches us to rightly fear and it reminds us that in Christ we have nothing to fear. Both the fear and the comfort are fruits of the Spirit’s work in our lives. The author of Hebrews keeps us in exactly that gospel moment, where we see both that “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God,” and yet “in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation.” In this tension there is a panoramic vista of the glory of God. In this tension (not drifting toward faithless despair or self-worshipping presumption) there is safety and joy.
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In the book of Hebrews, Jesus is described as our “great high priest”. Why then don’t we have lesser priests in our churches? In the New Testament, leaders of Christ’s people, the church, are described only as elders, shepherds, and overseers. The term “priest” is never used. While in the Old Testament priests had a …
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If you’re anything like me (and I’d like to think I’m a fairly typical human being), a sense of shame can be hard to shake. Sometimes we feel shame about stuff we actually did wrong. Sometimes we feel shame about stuff we suspect we could have done better. Sometimes we feel just a general shame …
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Starting in September, our Life Groups will be digging into the Gospel of John together. Of course this is the fourth account of the earthly ministry of Jesus that we find at the beginning of the New Testament. But did you know that John stands out quite a bit from Matthew, Mark, and Luke? Those …
Get Excited for the Gospel of John! Read More »
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In yesterday’s sermon we saw how the book of Hebrews highlights two types of rest: Rest from dead works now Rest from hard pilgrim labors later But what about before the consummation of that final rest? Is there any relief from hardships that God leads me through now? Didn’t Jesus say, “Come to me, all …
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Almighty God, we are so tempted to view some place where we meet or some act of sacrifice we complete as guarantees that you will draw near and that we are in ok standing with you. But we celebrate the truth that you aren’t controlled by any of our rituals. Thank you for the challenging …
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This is the good news we read in Romans 8:1. If you are in Christ, you will not be indicted for your sin; it was condemned and punished in the flesh of Jesus, and his righteous living was counted as your law-keeping! Whatever your crimes against God and people, you are free from guilt and …
There is Therefore Now No Condemnation for Those who are in Christ Jesus! Read More »
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In yesterday’s sermon we considered the contrast of two men in Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector from Luke 18. We saw that the good guy exalted himself in his prayer and left the temple smug yet unaccepted by God. The bad guy, however, humbled himself and left justified. A similar, though …
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Our lives are incredibly brief. Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” I’ve known some who take a life expectancy of 80 or 90, multiply that by 365 days, multiply that by 24 hours, and then keep a count-down for how many hours of life …
About Time Read More »
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“…We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has …
Why Must One Be “Born Again” To Perceive Spiritual Truth? Read More »
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Yes…but maybe not in the way you think. At least since the 1970’s, American Evangelicalism has been fascinated with the thought of tracing world events and predicting Christ’s return. Ok, not EXACTLY predicting. After all, Jesus did say, “No one knows the day or hour.” Still, many might reply, “Yeah, but we can guess the …
Are We Living In The Last Days? Read More »
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Lord, I praise you not only for how you destroyed Israel’s enemies at the Red Sea, but for how you disarmed and put to open shame the enemies of my soul at the Cross. Many of us knew you first as the God of our fathers, or the God of distant generations past. Cause us …
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“The ordinary idea which we all have before we become Christians is this. We take as a starting point our ordinary self with its various desires and interests. We then admit that something else—call it ‘morality’ or ‘decent behavior’ or ‘the good of society’—has claims on this self; claims which interfere with its own desires. …
C.S. Lewis on the Cost of Our Discipleship Read More »
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Yesterday’s sermon tackled 1 Corinthians 15:29, which mentions baptism “on behalf of the dead” (!!!???). Four chapters earlier in 11:10, we dealt with the surprising argument “because of the angels”. Other examples of passages that give people headaches could include the likes of Genesis 6:1-2, Exodus 4:24-26, Jeremiah 31:22, Luke 22:35-36, and 1 John 5:16-17. …
How Do We Interpret Obscure Bible Passages? Read More »
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Father, thank you for the Holy Spirit. I don’t totally understand the mystery of how He is at work in me and yet I also need to “keep in step” with Him. But I celebrate the goodness of this life You’ve called me to, and I ask for greater grace to live it out to …
Prayer from Galatians 5:25-6:10 Read More »
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I have trouble with Valentine’s Day. Chocolate, chalky heart candies, rose bouquets, romance forced by the calendar…all to commemorate a martyr’s beheading??? Though the history is admittedly blurry, it is believed that Valentine was a bishop near Rome under the reign of Claudius the Cruel. The emperor was discouraged that so few men were enlisting …
Can We Talk About Valentine’s Day? Read More »
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Lord, you say “humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.” Forgive me for my pride, wearing the clothing of anxiety, in which I actually forget you and try to do life on my …
Prayer Based on 1 Peter 5:6-11 Read More »
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If we keep our eyes open to common grace, it’s amazing how God gives glimpses of His truth throughout this world that corroborate the testimony of His word. 1 Corinthians 12-14 has much to say about the church as “one body with many members” where “if one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member …
1 Corinthians in a Kids’ Movie?? Read More »
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“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” Isaiah 1:18 Have you ever been reminded and freshly haunted by a wrong you’ve done in the past? Sin leaves a mark, and …
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(taken from monergism.com) “I do want to make the point here that Christians are not divided between those who have creeds and confessions and those who do not; rather, they are divided between those who have public creeds and confessions that are written down and exist as public documents, subject to public scrutiny, evaluation, and critique, and those who …
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Maybe there should be! When we think of the nativity scene, we tend to imagine a peaceful and tender setting. The lyrics to “Silent Night” even suggest “no crying he makes.” We tend to sanitize what would have been the real sights, smells, and noises of birth in a stable. But even beyond that, we …
Is There A Dragon In Your Crèche? Read More »
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