This week is Sanctity of Life Sunday. We are joined by Pastor Chris Johnson of Lifeline Children’s Services. Pastor Chris writes, “The Word of God makes it abundantly clear that God is the giver and sustainer of life. Because God created male and female in His image, we recognize that each life created by God has value and meaning. This recognition compels us to stand for and protect all human life, from conception to natural death. As Christ followers, we must answer the Biblical call to be a voice for the oppressed and to serve those who are in difficult situations. This Sunday we will explore these themes and discuss how each of us must find his or her role in sharing gospel hope with the vulnerable, as a testimony to God’s grace at work in our own lives and as a witness to the world around us.” Join us Sunday!
Sunday, we will begin considering the ten commandments in Exodus 20. The scene is of Moses ascending the mountain with the priests calling God’s people to the foot of the mountain to hear from God. As they get closer and Moses climbs higher, the music gets louder and louder until God speaks to his people. When God speaks, the people are terrified at his thunderous voice but comforted by his tender words. God says, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2,3.
In this first of the commandments, God calls his people to respond to his giving of himself to them. He is their God because he made them his own, committing himself to them before they even knew him. Their deliverance from Egypt, going from seventy people to close to two million, witnessing the destruction of Pharaoh, all communicate God’s faithfulness to them.
In the commandment, God calls his people to respond to his “giving” with their “giving.” They are “to have and to hold” him as their God. This requires faithful worship and service to God alone and forbids all affections that would compete with exclusive love for God. As we’ll see, we fall terribly short in our response to God’s self-giving, but in Christ, we see the righteous requirement of the law fulfilled. We’ll worship him for that. Join us Sunday!
Sunday, we’ll continue with our theme of God’s Abounding Grace by studying the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 (the Law of God). At first glance, we might think that God’s Law offers no grace, only condemnation. Why study the instrument of our condemnation? We might also argue that because we’ve been justified by faith, we don’t need to consider the Ten Commandments since we’re under grace. We could also argue with the Apostle Paul (Romans 7) that the Law is not a tool that we need or can use to merit right standing with God. Because of our flesh, Paul says the Law is powerless, like holding a power tool with no electricity. Finally, because we’ve been justified and Christ has assumed the Law’s curse, it cannot condemn us. Its threats are empty and meaningless for the believer. So why study the Law of God?
The Scripture has a different perspective on the Law of God. The Apostle Paul says, “The Law is good,” 1 Timothy 1:8. The psalmist speaks of the beauty of the Law, saying, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day,” Psalm 119:97. He speaks of the benefits of studying the Law, saying, “Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me,” Psalm 119:98. The Apostle Paul asks the question, “Is the Law sin?” His answer is emphatic, “By no means.” (Romans 7:7) He concludes, “the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” (Romans 7:12)
So, if the Law is holy and good, it is an expression of the goodness of God and studying it should minister that goodness to us. The Westminster Larger Catechism gives us some guidance concerning the grace of God in the Law. It says that the Law informs us, teaching us about God’s character. The Law convinces us of our sinfulness and inability to obey; it drives us to humility before God, moving us to greater dependency on Christ. This will be our basic outline each week as we consider the Law of God. Join us Sunday as we follow the Law to Christ!
This Sunday we are thrilled to have Dr. Sam Nshimyumukiza ministering to us. He’ll focus our attention on Ephesians 4:22-5:2 where the Apostle Paul teaches us what it means to live in the new life we’ve been given by Christ through his Spirit. The apostle begins the letter by emphasizing the gospel story and then explains how the gospel changes our story.
In the section we’ll consider together, the apostle explains what living in the new life of Christ looks like: liars tell the truth; angry people seek reconciliation; greedy people become generous; and verbally abusive people build others up. As we live in the new humanity we’ve been given in Christ, we take on his holy character. Like putting on new clothes, we put on our new character, the character of Jesus. Join us Sunday as we begin this new year with a focus on Christ!
In 1779, John Newton wrote the hymn, Let Us Love And Sing And Wonder. In that song, he writes, “Let us love and sing and wonder, let us praise the Savior’s name. He has hushed the law’s loud thunder, he has quenched Mount Sinai’s flame. He has washed us with his blood; He has brought us nigh to God.” Newton captures an essential truth of the gospel, Jesus has fulfilled the law’s requirements. His active obedience is the basis for God to justify the ungodly.
Luke, probably recording Mary’s testimony as an eyewitness of these events, recounts Jesus being circumcised the eighth day, according to the law. In addition, his parents sacrificed two birds in obedience to the law of redemption for the firstborn of every family. Luke says, “When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee.” This is critical for the ministry of our Lord, who is sent to the meet all the requirements of the Law to redeem his people.
Jesus’ obedience becomes the basis for our justification by faith. What this means is that our obedience is not sufficient for our salvation. Our obedience cannot satisfy the law’s requirements and we cannot boast in our merit. This is difficult for many, as Simeon says, “This child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel.” The necessity of faith in Christ, resting in his obedience not our own, is something highly religious and proud people stumble over.
Christmas is a story of God’s fulfillment of the law so that we could be justified. Join us Sunday as we worship Jesus for silencing the law’s loud thunder.
This week we consider the birth of John, the one who came to prepare God’s people to receive their Messiah. Luke gives a short narrative highlighting the events of his birth, centering on his name choice. When Elizabeth says his name is John, everyone is surprised since no one in their family bears that name. Not only is that significant in Jewish culture but because of the meaning of John’s name, “Yahweh has been gracious.” When they confirm that name choice with Zechariah, God enables him to declare his praise.
When he speaks, like Mary, he paints a picture of the result of God’s rescuing work for his people. Like Tolkien and Lewis during the war, Zechariah can visualize a world where evil has been fully vanquished, and God’s people are free to live without fear. Where Mary’s song focuses on God exalting his people, Zechariah’s blessing envisions the freedom God’s work provides. As he says, “to grant us, that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear.” (v74)
Again, this portion overflows with God’s grace to his people. In faithfulness to his mercy and grace, God comes to the aid of his people. As believers, we are the light of that world shining in the darkness. Join us Sunday, as we worship our great Rescuer.
This week we consider the song of Mary, often called Mary’s Magnificat because of the Latin translation of her words, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” This is a beautiful song that expresses gospel truth about God’s promises dating all the way back to Abraham. Mary connects God’s promise to Abraham’s descendent with the child she is carrying in her womb. Her child would be the recipient of God’s promise, fulfilling his commitment to his people.
Mary goes beyond God’s promises to Israel and praises him for his faithfulness to those who fear him. In our world, the proud are praised and put on the cover of People magazine; but in God’s world, those who fear him, who walk humbly before him, they are exalted. God’s kingdom isn’t filled with the proud, but with the lowly, with the meek, with those who love righteousness.
Her words strike like an ax at the tree of human pride. They remind us of King Nebuchadnezzar whom God humbled and said, “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” (Daniel 4:37) Mary’s song reminds us, as James says, “God opposes the proud but he gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)
Her song challenges the greatness of man, our pride in self, and calls on us to humble ourselves before God who is worthy of praise. Join us as we consider this text and worship our Lord!
Whenever Divinity engages the earthly, the Holy with the unholy, it is an act of mercy and grace. This passage overflows with God’s kindness to humanity. First, we find the angel Gabriel being sent by God to a little town called Nazareth, to a young woman committed to and awaiting her marriage to Joseph, a tradesman. Likely, she’s a teenager, innocent in the world. As Jewish tradition requires, she’s living at home, awaiting her marriage to Joseph which often occurred within a year of the betrothal agreement. Gabriel announces that she has been given “favor” from God.
Second, we hear this great announcement of Messiah’s birth. Here is where Gabriel gives the most details, bringing the Old Testament prophecies to bear on the child she will have. Her Son will be from God and will be given the eternal throne promised to David’s great descendent. He will reign forever, providing for and protecting his people. He will be a Holy King.
The narrative then moves to the manner of this conception and the celebration of it with Mary’s cousin Elizabeth. This brings us to the third expression of God’s grace the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Not only will the Spirit create this conception, but he fills Elizabeth and her child, John, yet unborn, with faith and joy at the presence of Mary who is early in her pregnancy. God’s Spirit is perpetually with His people.
Luke is doing more than telling us a story; he is revealing to us the grace of God. Christmas is a story of unwarranted, unearned grace from God. It’s a story of God’s fulfillment of his goodness, the full expression of his grace. Join us Sunday as we worship!
Sunday we finish our series, Abounding Grace, by considering our profession of faith to the world. The author urges his readers to follow Christ, outside the city gates, suffering his reproach with him. The challenge for believers is to follow Christ no matter what the world or the religious community thinks of our faith. Our hope rests in the abounding goodness of God to those who believe in Jesus and the kingdom he provides and reigns over. We’ll track this theme through the book of Hebrews and see how it liberates the believer to live in confidence, contentment, and confession.
Our experience of God’s goodness and our confidence in his finished work through Christ becomes our “boast” to the world. The author says, “we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope,” Hebrews 3:6. When was the last time you “boasted in hope?” When was the last time you exhorted someone to remember the work of Christ and his coming kingdom? When was the last time you professed your faith and boasted in God’s grace to a non-believer?
Are we silent because we’ve lost hope? Maybe we’ve forgotten the promises of God? The world needs to hear our boasting in hope. Only our experience of God’s goodness can produce this expression of hope. Join us Sunday.
Sunday we finish our series, Abounding Grace, by considering our profession of faith to the world. The author urges his readers to follow Christ, outside the city gates, suffering his reproach with him. The challenge for believers is to follow Christ no matter what the world or the religious community thinks of our faith. Our hope rests in the abounding goodness of God to those who believe in Jesus and the kingdom he provides and reigns over. We’ll track this theme through the book of Hebrews and see how it liberates the believer to live in confidence, contentment, and confession.
Our experience of God’s goodness and our confidence in his finished work through Christ becomes our “boast” to the world. The author says, “we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope,” Hebrews 3:6. When was the last time you “boasted in hope?” When was the last time you exhorted someone to remember the work of Christ and his coming kingdom? When was the last time you professed your faith and boasted in God’s grace to a non-believer?
Are we silent because we’ve lost hope? Maybe we’ve forgotten the promises of God? The world needs to hear our boasting in hope. Only our experience of God’s goodness can produce this expression of hope. Join us Sunday.