Convicted

This week we begin worship with:

Matthew 27:1-2

When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took

counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And they bound him and led him away

and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.

This was the final vote, the trial and testimony was the night before, which concludes:

Matthew 26:65-66

Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.”

The act of blasphemy was a brief response to a simple question.

Matthew 26:63-65

But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so.”

Jesus’ response went beyond simply responding affirmatively to agreeing with the exact words said to Him, so that His conviction would be assured.

May our answer be as quick, when we are asked if we are a Christian.

Refuge

We begin worship this morning with:

Psalm 2:11-12

Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Twisted together in this single verse are fear, joy, affection, anger, blessing, vulnerability and protection.

The Psalm starts with the heart of man, which desires personal autonomy:

Psalm 2:2-3

The kings of the earth set themselves,

    and the rulers take counsel together,

    against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,

“Let us burst their bonds apart

    and cast away their cords from us.” 

But God is sovereign and sets over them a King:

Psalm 2:5-6

Then he will speak to them in his wrath,

    and terrify them in his fury, saying,

“As for me, I have set my King

    on Zion, my holy hill.”

But not simply a King, he is the Messiah, in whom refuge is found:

Psalm 2:7

I will tell of the decree:

The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;

    today I have begotten you.

LORD, twist together in us today fear and joy for you love us.

Sing

This week we begin worship with:

Psalm 98:1-4

Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

When is it time to write a new song?  

"It is well with my soul" was written when Horatio Spafford after losing much of his fortune in the Great Chicago Fire, sent his wife and daughters ahead to England where he was to help in Moody's upcoming evangelism campaign.  He, himself, was delayed dealing with the aftermath of the fire.  Their ship sank after a collision and all four of his daughters were lost.  He wrote the song on his passage to England, when he passed near the site of the sinking.

"O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus" was written by Samuel Trevor Francis to commemorate the night as a teenager when he decided between suicide and faith while crossing the Thames River on the Hungerford Bridge.

Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus was written by Louisa M. R. Stead after groceries were left at her doorstep following the tragic death of her husband, who was attempting to save a drowning boy.

This Psalm looks back on the exodus, the perils of the 40 years in the wilderness, and the occupying the Promised Land.  It looks forward to both the Exile and return from Babylon.  It looks back to Adam's fall in the Garden and forward to the work of Christ on the cross.  

It is always time to write a new song.

Linen

This week we begin worship with:

Matthew 25:37-40

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

To understand this verse, we must compare it to what is said to the condemned:

Matthew 25:44-45

Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’

The differences are slight but important.  

First, when addressing those that are saved, He calls them "my brothers".  While the parable concerns ones action or inaction, salvation still depends upon God and His redemption and adoption of us.  This is why we are called "brothers".  This is also why the righteous are invited to "inherit" in a prior verse (v34).  Only the siblings inherit.

Second, when addressing those who are condemned, they were condemned because they missed one, rather than those that are being blessed for every time they ministered to others.  When attempting your own salvation all it only takes one mistake.  When trusting the work of Christ, each success regardless of the quantity of failures, is credited to us.  

Our righteous acts, every one of them, will adorn us, for we are the Bride of Christ:

Revelation 19:6-8

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God

    the Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and exult

    and give him the glory,

for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

    and his Bride has made herself ready;

it was granted her to clothe herself

    with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.