It is my intention, D.V., to preach through the book of Mark in 2006. The scripture readings and sermons for January are:
January 1 Mark 1:1-8 "The Beginning of the Gospel"
January 8 Mark 1:9-13 "Like Us"
January 15 Mark 1:14-45 "Authority"
January 22 Mark 2:1-17 "Who Can Forgive Sinners?"
January 29 Mark 2:18-28 "Patching Wineskins; Eating Bread"
Monday, December 26, 2005
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Christmas Eve Worship
We have a Christmas Eve worship service tonight at 7 PM. Come and worship the newborn King!
Is God Capricious? A hypocrite?
You might think me mad for even asking these questions, but the Classis of Passaic Valley called a special meeting recently, and these questions, to my mind, were at the heart of the discussion. The special meeting involved a church desiring to call a minister who flagrantly and unrepentantly disobeys the church liturgy and the ruling of General Synod - and, one might add, the Bible!
As person after person rose to argue for and against the calling of this minister, it became clear that the major argument being foisted on us was, "The Holy Spirit told our Consistory that it was alright to hire this man who continues in unrepentant sin, because in his sinning, he might lead some to Christ." It wasn't framed so ridiculously, but that was its substance. Or, one could put it this way: when it comes to God's Moral Law, the Holy Spirit occasionally commands people to sin. Or, when it comes to God's Moral Law, it's alright to sin if a greater good might come of it. Or, when it comes to God's Moral Law, the ends justify the means.
If those arguing for the call of this man are right, then God must be capricious or a hypocrite. If God can tell us that something is a sin and, also, that we are to obey those in leadership over us unless they command us to sin, and then tells someone else that it is better to sin than to be holy, for some reason or other, then God - well, God is not the God of the Bible!
The God of the Bible, besides being holy and requiring holiness, is also unchanging: "For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations" (Psalm 100:5). "God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. He has said it, will he not do it? Or has he not spoken, and will he not fulfill it?" (Numbers 23:19). "But [God] is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, he does" (Job 23:13). "For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed" (Malachi 3:6). "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" (James 1:17).
It is commendable that this church is reaching out to people some Christians won't have anything to do with. We ought to be ashamed and repent of our sin any time we find someone we think is not good enough to hear the message of Jesus Christ from us. None of us is better than another - we are all born sinners, equally in need to be delivered from the Wrath of God.
Yet we ought to be very careful: remember the words of Jude, "For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ" (Jude 4).
Now, let us understand, I am not saying that those arguing for the call of this man are reprobate and damned to eternal hell. I do not know their hearts, and they do not know mine. However, the argument that God calls what is "sin" "good" and what is "good" "evil" is a lie of the devil.
If God does change His Moral Law on a whim, or even for "good reasons," then we cannot be sure that Jesus is God our Savior, we cannot be sure of our salvation, we cannot be sure that anything at all that is taught in the Bible will be true from one moment to the next. If that is the case, what hope do we have, and why do we bother with the ministry?
God does not change. God's Word does not change. God does not tell us or affirm us in things that go against the clear teaching of the Scripture.
Sola Scriptura
As person after person rose to argue for and against the calling of this minister, it became clear that the major argument being foisted on us was, "The Holy Spirit told our Consistory that it was alright to hire this man who continues in unrepentant sin, because in his sinning, he might lead some to Christ." It wasn't framed so ridiculously, but that was its substance. Or, one could put it this way: when it comes to God's Moral Law, the Holy Spirit occasionally commands people to sin. Or, when it comes to God's Moral Law, it's alright to sin if a greater good might come of it. Or, when it comes to God's Moral Law, the ends justify the means.
If those arguing for the call of this man are right, then God must be capricious or a hypocrite. If God can tell us that something is a sin and, also, that we are to obey those in leadership over us unless they command us to sin, and then tells someone else that it is better to sin than to be holy, for some reason or other, then God - well, God is not the God of the Bible!
The God of the Bible, besides being holy and requiring holiness, is also unchanging: "For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations" (Psalm 100:5). "God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. He has said it, will he not do it? Or has he not spoken, and will he not fulfill it?" (Numbers 23:19). "But [God] is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, he does" (Job 23:13). "For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed" (Malachi 3:6). "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" (James 1:17).
It is commendable that this church is reaching out to people some Christians won't have anything to do with. We ought to be ashamed and repent of our sin any time we find someone we think is not good enough to hear the message of Jesus Christ from us. None of us is better than another - we are all born sinners, equally in need to be delivered from the Wrath of God.
Yet we ought to be very careful: remember the words of Jude, "For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ" (Jude 4).
Now, let us understand, I am not saying that those arguing for the call of this man are reprobate and damned to eternal hell. I do not know their hearts, and they do not know mine. However, the argument that God calls what is "sin" "good" and what is "good" "evil" is a lie of the devil.
If God does change His Moral Law on a whim, or even for "good reasons," then we cannot be sure that Jesus is God our Savior, we cannot be sure of our salvation, we cannot be sure that anything at all that is taught in the Bible will be true from one moment to the next. If that is the case, what hope do we have, and why do we bother with the ministry?
God does not change. God's Word does not change. God does not tell us or affirm us in things that go against the clear teaching of the Scripture.
Sola Scriptura
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Upcoming Consistory Meetings
Last night, the Consistory voted to hold our Consistory meetings following morning worship for the next three months, due to the potential of bad weather. D.V., the Consistory will meet on Sunday, January, 8, 2006, February 19, 2006, and March 19, 2006.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
December Sermons
As the Lord wills, I am completing a year long preaching through the topics of The Heidelberg Catechism.
For December, the texts and sermons are scheduled:
12/4 Advent 2 Colossians 3:1 - 4:6 "Thy Will Be Done On Earth As It Is In Heaven"
12/11 Advent 3 Matthew 6:25-34 "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread"
12/18 Advent 4 Matthew 18:15-35 "And Forgive Us Our Debts As We Forgive Our Debtors"
12/24 Christmas Eve 7 PM I John 4:1-6 "And Lead Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From Evil"
12/25 Jude 24-25 "For Thine Is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory Forever. Amen."
For December, the texts and sermons are scheduled:
12/4 Advent 2 Colossians 3:1 - 4:6 "Thy Will Be Done On Earth As It Is In Heaven"
12/11 Advent 3 Matthew 6:25-34 "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread"
12/18 Advent 4 Matthew 18:15-35 "And Forgive Us Our Debts As We Forgive Our Debtors"
12/24 Christmas Eve 7 PM I John 4:1-6 "And Lead Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From Evil"
12/25 Jude 24-25 "For Thine Is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory Forever. Amen."
When and Where Are We?
Second Reformed Church is located at 132 Elmwood Ave., Irvington, NJ 07111. We are on the corner of Elmwood and Florence Avenues. The office phone number is 973-373-4525.
Sunday mornings, we have Bible Study at 9 AM, choir rehersal at 10 AM, and morning worship at 10:30 AM.
We celebrate the Lord's Supper on the first Sunday of each month, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday.
The Consistory meets every third Wednesday at 7 PM, except during the months of July and August.
Every fourth Tuesday, we have a prayer meeting at 12 PM.
Sunday mornings, we have Bible Study at 9 AM, choir rehersal at 10 AM, and morning worship at 10:30 AM.
We celebrate the Lord's Supper on the first Sunday of each month, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday.
The Consistory meets every third Wednesday at 7 PM, except during the months of July and August.
Every fourth Tuesday, we have a prayer meeting at 12 PM.
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