Promise

This morning we begin worship with:

Psalm 132:11-16
The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: “One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne. If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, their sons also forever shall sit on your throne.”

The LORD is a promise-keeper.  His name (Yᵊhōvâ) means “the existing one”.  No beginning.  No end.  No change.  James puts it this way.

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

We unfortunately do change.  Again from James:

James 1:6

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

Let us cry out as this father did:

Mark 9:22-24 

. . . And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”  

And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”  

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

 

All

This morning we begin worship with:

Galatians 3:13-14

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

That curse was described a few verses earlier.

Galatians 3:10

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”

The condemning word is “all”.

But praise be to God, the word “all” is also in the prior verse!

 Galatians 3:8-9

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

 

Simple

This week we begin worship with:

Psalm 116:5-7
Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful. The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

To be simple (pᵊṯî) is not the idyllic state described in the Shaker hymn "Simple Gifts", nor is it a mental deficiency.  One is simple if one is easily swayed.

David had been swayed.  He was convinced in this Psalm that the world was out-to-get-him and that he was as we would say today "a victim".

Psalm 116:10-11

I believed, even when I spoke:

    “I am greatly afflicted”;

I said in my alarm,

    “All mankind are liars.”

But when he turned back to the Lord and understood the bounty of God's mercy, he instructed his soul "Return, O my soul, to your rest".  When we are likewise swayed, we should do likewise.

Time

Today we begin our worship with:

John 1:4-5

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

This life (zōē) was part of creation for which He alone was responsible .

John 1:3

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

This light (phōs) has shone since the beginning of time.

Genesis 1:3

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

We look upon an old building or an old car that continues to have its original charm and say "It has stood the test of time". This light has never been overcome and the life we have been given will never end.  We will stand the test of time.

 

Pickle

This morning we begin worship with:

Acts 1:4-5

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Baptism (baptizō) is not dipping (baptō).  Commentators point to a pickle recipe from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 BC.  The pickle is first dipped in boiling water briefly and then baptized permanently with vinegar.

Baptism also has the very active task of cleansing, but the word here is said in the passive tense.  This is not something we do to ourselves.  Reminder, we are the pickle.

Baptism with the Holy Spirit is also not the baptism with water used as the sign of the new covenant.  The sign of the new covenant is applied by man.  

Acts 10:44-48

While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

The transformative baptism of the Holy Spirit is an act of God.  It is not anything we can cause.  Remember, we are the pickle.

Ever Present

On this Ascension Sunday, we begin worship with:

John 14:15–17a; 16:7

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth.

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

We probably all have had the thought, what if Jesus stayed with us.  What if we could walk, talk, and have lunch with Him?  We could talk over our concerns, learn of the future, and enjoy the truth He speaks.

Strangely though, Jesus said in these verses that we would be better off (sympherō) if He left!  And the reason given, is that the Spirit of Truth could be with us instead. 

How could having the Spirit be better than Jesus?  Jesus, being fully God and fully man, retained in His humanity the limitations of man.  He was confined by a body, so He was limited to a single location.

This passage goes on to tell us that the Spirit “will be in you” (John 14:17).  It will be to our advantage that everywhere and at all times, we will have the help (paraklētos) of the Holy Spirit.

Journey

Today we begin worship with:

Hebrews 6:11-12

And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

At the core of these verses are two contrasting words earnest(spoudē) and sluggish(nōthros). One is earnest when one applies faith(pistis) and patience(makrothymia) to reach the destination.  One is sluggish if you attempt to avoid the effort because there is doubt of success or concern that success would take too much effort.

For as one gets older or if one has a mobility issue, if you have already walked a great distance, the conversation occurs whether walking on is worth it.

But these verses speak of promises that are inherited (klēronomeō) not achieved.  Our faith is in the effort already exerted by Christ.  Our patience must simply wait for an end that should not be hurried.  And our earnestness should be about the command to love each of those you meet along the way (Hebrews 6:10).

Adoption

Today we begin worship with:

Galatians 4:4-5

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

You cannot adopt a slave without first redeeming them. If they have become poor and sold themselves into slavery, one cannot adopt them without first paying the price of redemption.  You must pay their debt.

You don’t have to adopt a slave once they are redeemed. While us American like the idea of freedom, simply redeeming a slave and making them free, leaves them without any inheritance. They are free but poor.

God did both.  We have been both freed and adopted.  We have no debt and a great inheritance. 

Praise be to God. 

Answered

Today we begin worship with:

Mark 12:33

To love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

This is Christ’s answer to the question ‘Which commandment is the most important of all?’.  This question was not like the other trick questions asked of Him that day.  The Herodians and the Pharisees argued over paying taxes. The Sadducees  and the Pharisees argued over the resurrection. They came to Jesus with questions that would, regardless of the answer, would put Him on the wrong side of some political aisle.

But this time a lone scribe, “seeing that he answered them well”, asked from his heart, after memorizing and attempting to keep hundreds of laws, what is the most important. 

I imagine he hated the response. 

Keeping the law is black and white. Love is not.  Laws can be kept by doing nothing. Love cannot. Law is applied the same in all circumstances to be just. Love should not. 

May wisdom go with us today as we apply this, this greatest commandment.

Redeemer

This Easter morning, we begin worship with:

Job 19:25

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.

 Through the tragedy that struck Job, He came to understand that:

• There needs to be an arbiter between us and God (Job 9:32-35).
• That a celestial witness must speak on our behalf (Job 16:19-21).
• That God must be the one to pay the pledge (Job 17:3) for our trial.
• That, as our verse today reads, our Redeemer lives and will raise us up and redeem us (Job 19:23-27).
• That God will be our judge (Job 21:22-26).
• But we can be confident even in our indictment (Job 31:35-37).

He is Risen.

Salvation

 This week we begin worship with:

Revelation 7:9-10

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

This is a continuous cry of praise over our salvation and its source.  This is not any victory, this is the victory of our God.  This is not any weapon, this is achieved through the precious blood of the Lamb Jesus Christ.  There is no reason for this choir to stop this praise, for the victory does not end.