"What Are You Looking For?" Sermon: Matthew 11:2-11

“Who Are You Looking For?”
[Matthew 11:2-11]
December 12, 2010 Second Reformed Church

We are in the season of Advent. The season of Advent is a season – a time – of preparation – of waiting. And if we are waiting – if you and I are looking for someone to come – something to happen – we might well ask, “who are you looking for?”

Advent does not mean a mere four weeks, as we celebrate it before Christmas. Advent is an indeterminate time of waiting. The first Advent lasted about four thousand years. We are in the second Advent – the period of waiting and preparation for Jesus’ Return – and it is two thousand years long, thus far. Are you waiting for someone? Who are you looking for?

John the Baptist was in prison, and he knew that he didn’t have long to live; he knew that he would soon be put to death. John had served the call that God has placed upon him – leading people to a water baptism, preparing them – in the first Advent – for the arrival of Jesus – the Savior. And John announced that Jesus is the long-awaited Savior when He came to John to be baptized.

John had gathered a group of disciples around him as he ministered – calling people to repentance – and preparing them for the soon coming Savior. John had come to know the day he baptized Jesus that Jesus is the Savior. But some of his disciples were not sure. Some people were looking for the Savior to be a political force to overthrow the oppression of Rome – Jesus was certainly not doing that.

John was concerned for his disciples, just as Paul was concerned with the Corinthians. Paul wrote, “I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as pure virgins to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (II Corinthians 11:2-3, ESV). John and Paul had taught their disciples the Truth of the Gospel, and still some were not sure, and they were troubled by that – they were concerned for the eternal state of those who still said they were not sure if Jesus is really the Savior.

So John, being wise and knowing he didn’t have long to live, sent his disciples to Jesus to hear from His own mouth who He is. John told them to go to Jesus and ask Him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” “Go to Jesus and ask Him if He is the Promised Savior. And then ask yourself who you are looking for. Are you looking for the Promised Savior, or are you looking for someone else?”

And we should ask ourselves, as we hear the history of the birth of Jesus in the next few worship services, “Is this who I am looking for?” Because the Jesus that we have in the Scripture is the only Savior that God will send. Is Jesus Who you want? Is Jesus enough for you? We may think God’s Plan would have been better if Jesus did this or that, but, perhaps, our minds are not as great as God’s. Perhaps God’s Plan through Jesus is the best plan. Are you satisfied with Jesus?

Some of us might think those are blasphemous questions, but that is really what John was telling his disciples to do – “Go to Jesus and ask Him straight out if He is the Savior, and, then, ask yourself if you believe in Him.”

So the disciples of John went to Jesus and asked Him if He was the Savior – the Christ – the Messiah – if He was the Long-Awaited One, or if they should look for another. And Jesus told them to go back to John with this message: “The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Did Jesus answer the question?

Jesus quoted from Isaiah 35 and 61 – chapters that prophecy of the work that the Savior will do – the things that He will cause to occur. God’s Promised Savior will give sight to the blind. He will cause the lame to walk. He will cleanse the lepers. He will give the deaf hearing. He will raise the dead. And He will preach the good news to the poor. That is what Jesus was doing.

What was He saying? “Tell John that I am the fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah. Tell him that I have authority over the body. I have authority over disease. I have authority over life and death. And I preach the Good News – that I am God come to earth in the flesh for the salvation of My people – to all those who recognize that they cannot do anything to help themselves – to all those who recognize their spiritual poverty and their inability to become right with God.”

“And the one who receives My Gospel will be blessed by me, but those who hold my Gospel in contempt will be cast aside.”

Who are you looking for?

John’s disciples turned to go back to John, and Jesus began asking the crowd questions about John: John began his ministry in the wilderness – in the desert, in the dump, in the last place any rational person would want to go. And Jesus asked them, “Did you go out into this barren and dangerous land to see a reed shaken by the wind? Did you go out into the wilderness because you believed that John was a wishy-washy person with no commitment one way or another? Did you go out into the wilderness to see a man dressed in soft clothing? Did you go out into the barren wasteland with all of the robbers and wild animals because you believed that John was a wealthy man?” Jesus was being sarcastic to wake them up – of course they didn’t go into the wilderness expecting to find some wishy-washy speaker or some wealthy executive.

What Jesus said was similar to this: Did you go into the crack house on Coit Street because you thought the people there would speak well of you? Did you go to the crack house on Coit Street because you believed that’s where the President lived? Of course not – that would be ridiculous

The people of Jesus’ day went into that forbidding and dangerous land because they believed that there was a true prophet there – and they wanted to hear a word from God. God has not spoken through the prophets in four hundred years, and now there was a man in the wilderness – in a place where nice, normal citizens would not be, dressed like a prophet, eating like a prophet, and they wanted to hear the prophet – a true prophet of God

In fact, Jesus told them that John is a prophet – the greatest prophet – because he fulfilled the prophecy of Malachi, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.” John was the greatest prophet, because he had been given the honor and the duty to prepare the way for the Savior and announce Jesus as that Savior. John was the greatest prophet born of a woman because he announced the coming and the fulfillment of the greatest prophecy ever made – that God would send a Savior for His people. John was the greatest prophet as the herald of Jesus.

But Jesus also said, “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” What did Jesus mean by that?

John was the greatest prophet because he had the honor of announcing that the Promised Savior had arrived. He knew Jesus and believed Him to be the Savior. But the fulfillment of the Salvation that Jesus came to bring – through His Death, Resurrection, and Ascension came after John’s death. John did not see the fulfillment of Jesus’ Mission. John was the greatest and last prophet because he announced the arrival of Jesus the Savior, but He didn’t live to see Jesus’ fulfill His Call as Savior.

Who has seen the fulfillment of Jesus’ Call as Savior?

Everyone who has lived and believed in Jesus after His Resurrection and Ascension. You – and me. You and I – Jesus said – are greater than John the Baptist. Why? Because we had the good sense to be born after John the Baptist? No. We who believe in Jesus Alone for our salvation are greater than John the Baptist in this sense: Jesus has caused us to know and believe the whole of the Good News.

John knew that Jesus was the Savior that God sent. John knew that He was doing miracles and preaching God’s Word. And then John was put to death. You and I and all those who believe also know that Jesus was put to death and rose from the dead and ascended back to His Throne and will soon return to take us to be with Him. That is the way in which we are greater.

What does this mean for us?

It means that we have a great call on our lives as ministers of the Gospel. I did not say we are all pastors, but as Christians, we are all ministers. We all have heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have heard that on Christmas we remember that God came to earth in a human. That He lived among us, suffered, and was crucified and died. Then, on Easter, He rose from the dead, and then He ascended back to His Throne. And all those who believe in Jesus Alone for salvation will be saved – made right with God – and inherit eternal life in the Kingdom with Jesus. And if that amazes and excites us – and I hope it does – we ought to want to tell others. And if we care about other people and their eternal welfare – we ought to want to tell others. And if we want to magnify and glorify Jesus – we ought to want to tell others. God has made us great by putting His Gospel in us for the world to hear and believe.

Who are you looking for this Advent season? Are you looking for someone to make you feel better about yourself? Are you looking for someone to cure your physical illnesses. Are you looking for someone to overthrow world governments? Are you looking for a great moral teacher? And you looking for an example of how to live your best life now?

Or do you recognize yourself as one of the poor? Do you realize that you are needy and nothing will make you well and fill you and make you right except God Himself? Are you looking for God, born of a woman, in human form, to live, and die, and rise, and ascend that you might be made right with God eternally? Are you looking for God, born of a woman, in human form, Who has promised to return and bring all those who believe into His Kingdom forever?

Who are you looking for?

Let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank You for the season of Advent. We thank You that you give us time to remember the first Advent of Jesus and how the people waited for Him, listening to the promises of Your prophets, and finally to the announcement that the Savior had arrived from the prophet, John the Baptist. We thank You for the time You have given us now, in this second Advent, as we wait for Jesus’ Return. We ask that You would grant us assurance of our salvation and help us to see that You have put in us the greatest news ever to be told. And then cause us to go forth and let others know. For You have caused us to find You, and we are looking for You now. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The Community Soup Kitchen

Today, in partnership with Community Congregational Church of Short Hills, we are opening the Community Soup Kitchen at Second Reformed Church.  Join us for a FREE hot lunch today -- Saturday -- at twelve noon.

"Who Warned You?" Sermon: Matthew 3:1-12

“Who Warned You?”
[Matthew 3:1-12]
December 5, 2010 Second Reformed Church

Last week we began our Advent look at Jesus by considering His Second Advent and how Jesus would come as a thief in the night – so we ought to be ready for whenever He returns. Today we look at John the Baptist’s preparation for the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry and what that means for us in this season of Advent.

We will remember that John the Baptist was Jesus’ older cousin, and God had called him to prepare the way for the ministry of Jesus. Matthew tells us that John is the fulfillment of prophecy – he is the prophet that Isaiah prophesied would come before the arrival of the Savior to prepare His Way.

John’s message of preparation had two points: “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” and “Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.”

First, repent. The word that is translated “repent” means to make a 180 degree turn. So, we see that Jesus, the Savior, will not receive anyone who does not repent of his or her sin and turn around – live in a different way – stop persisting in sin.

Second, “make straight.” The image is that of reconciliation. No longer will their be heights and depths, but through Jesus, all those who believe in Him Alone for salvation will be reconciled to God – we will be made right with the Father. And He will truly be our Father and we will be His sons and daughters.

John the Baptist was a typical prophet in the sense that he came out from his place and came to the people dressed in rough clothes, eating sparse food. The prophets tended to be ascetics – living with very little, having their needs met solely in the worship and work of the Lord.

The people recognized John as a prophet, and they flocked to him from all over Israel to be baptized by him in the river Jordan, and there they confessed their sins before God before being baptized.

This, again shows us that we cannot come to God and His Savior based on how good we are. We must come to God, asking for forgiveness, understanding that we are not good, but we have sinned against God and our neighbor, breaking all of the commandments. We cannot come to the Savior until we understand that “[we are] dead in [] trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1a, ESV). It is when we realized that we cannot come before our Holy God that we can come to Him through Jesus because of the work Jesus accomplished on our behalf.

So here we have the picture of this prophet, taking people into the Jordan and baptizing them for the forgiveness of their sins, as they weep and confess their sins to God and honestly ask for forgiveness and promise to change their ways. But then, some others come towards the river. These are not the common people of the crowd. These are the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Everyone could tell by their splendid dress who they were. And John flew into a rage:

“You brood of vipers Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

What was John saying? Why was he so angry?

“You brood of vipers Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.”

John accused them – rightly – of being hypocrites. They were not repentant of their sin. They had no intention of asking for forgiveness or changing their ways. The Pharisees and Sadducees were not coming to John to be baptized because they saw the need for forgiveness – the need to be reconciled to God. No, they came to John because it was what the people were doing, and they knew that if they did not get baptized by John, the people would want to know why. They would begin to question whether the Pharisees and Sadducees really knew what they were talking about – if they were truly men of God. So they came to John as a show. And John was enraged.

“And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.”

John understood that the Pharisees and Sadducees rested their hope of being right with God on their heritage – on being biological descendants of Abraham. But John tells them that their biology cannot save them. Salvation comes through faith, not biology. God is able to raise up sons of Abraham from the rocks around them – to replace them – if they do not live up to the faith of Abraham.

“Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

John tells them that faithfulness – true belief in the Savior – is proven through fruit – through the way that we live and the good things that we do in response to salvation. For them to base their hope of salvation on Abraham and being his descendants is to be fruitless tress. And fruitless tress – people who do not have faith in the Savior for their salvation – will be thrown into the fire. They will not be received into the Kingdom. Instead, they will be cast into Hell – into the lake of fire – into the place of darkness and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned” (John 15:1-6, ESV).

Have you ever seen a grape vine? If not, picture a tomato plant, or even a flowering plant. As a plant grows, some branches die or prove to be unfruitful, and these are cut off and thrown away so the good branches can grow more fully and bear more fruit. If you have a flowering plant – as the flowers die, you cut off the dead flowers to allow the plant and its living flowers to flourish and have the whole strength of the plant.

Jesus and John are saying that humanity is like branches on the vine Who is Jesus. All those branches who do not bear fruit through faith – all those branches who do not confess Jesus Alone as Savior and evidence that belief by doing good in thanksgiving to Jesus – all those who do not believe, and continue in their unrepentant sin – they will be removed and eternally cast away. And John warns them that the time is now – and we don’t know how long we each have to live – today is the Day of Salvation. If you have not believed savingly in Jesus Alone – today is the day – don’t wait hoping to be alright based on your parent’s faith – don’t wait believing that you can believe another day. John says the axe is laid to the root – now.

John continued by telling them that he only baptized with water for repentance – he symbolically washed people for the forgiveness of their sin – but they would have to come back when they sinned again – John’s baptism was not a baptism forever. But Jesus, the Mighty, the Savior Who was coming – He would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. Jesus came and gives the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit to all those who will believe in Him Alone for salvation. Jesus gives anyone who is dead in their sins life through faith. And He also baptizes all those who believe with fire – He begins the process of purifying us – of making us holy – of sanctifying us. Jesus does not leave us to fall hopelessly to death in sin again, but indwells us with God and works in us to make us more like Him.

From this interchange, let us understand three things:

First, Jesus came to earth to make us right with God.

Before anything existed except for the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – the Trinity decided to create everything that is – knowing exactly what would need to be done. And when the time was right, the Son came to earth in the Person of Jesus. The Little Baby that we remember this season is God Almighty in human form. He came to earth, fully aware and intending to endure everything that He did endure. Jesus’ earthly parents knew that Jesus would cause pain, as Simeon prophesied, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34b-35, ESV).

Second, Jesus does not require us to be sinless to come to Him.

Jesus calls the sinner to Himself. As we heard in our call to preparation for the Lord’s Supper, we do not come to this table believing that we are righteous in ourselves, but that we are made righteous only through Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:12b-13, ESV).

What great news this is: that Little Baby is our Great Physician, and through His Life and Death and Resurrection and Ascension, He heals us.

Third, Jesus does require us to acknowledge that we come to Him with nothing – that we are sinners – dead in our sins – unable to help ourselves.

This is where the Pharisees and the Sadducees failed: we cannot come to Christ boasting of ourselves – that we are well and good and right with God – otherwise, there would be no need for Him and His Salvation. As Jesus said in the passage I just read – the healthy don’t need a physician; the sick need a physician. If we were truly healthy – sinless – we wouldn’t need Jesus. But if we understand that sin has effected every part of our being, then we know we are sick and broken, unable to help ourselves, and we will fall before this Little Baby and wait on His Mercy – and He will give it to us, because we acknowledge our inability to become right with God.

The world says this doesn’t make sense – but that’s only because they deny their sinfulness.

We know and believe that we are sinners in need of a Savior, and that is why that Little Baby was born two thousand years ago.

Let us pray:
Almighty God, as we gather around Your communion table, we ask that we would come boldly, not because we have something to offer You, but because we understand that we have nothing to offer, and in knowing that, You cause us to become right with God. Increase our joy as we remember all that Jesus did and has promised. For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

December Sermons

D.V., I plan to preach in December:

12/5/10 Communion/Advent 2
 Matthew 3:1-12  “Who Warned You?”

12/12/10 Advent 3
 Matthew 11:2-11  “Who Are You Looking For?”

12/19/10 Advent 4
 Matthew 1:18-25  “The Savior”

12/24/10 Christmas Eve 7 PM
 Luke 2:1-14  “David’s Son”

12/26/10
 John 1:1-14  “The Word”

"Be Ready" Sermon: Matthew 24:37-44

“Be Ready”
[Matthew 24:37-44]
November 28, 2010 Second Reformed Church

Jesus has come. Jesus is here. Jesus is coming again.

During the season of Advent, which begins today, we will be looking at select Lectionary readings which look at the first and second Advent of our God and Savior, Jesus. (Remember, the Lectionary is a series of books that divides most of the Scripture into readings over a three year period.)

We begin the season looking at the Promise – the warning – of Jesus’ Second Coming, which He gave to His disciples. As we open this Scripture, let us remember what we saw some months ago in Peter’s letters, as he wrote, “...scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation. ... But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (II Peter 3:3b-4, 8-10, ESV).

Jesus promised that He will return and the disciples and the angels witness to that Promise. He will return when the time is fulfilled. And He will take us home to be with Him in the world without end.

Jesus and the disciples went up on the Mount of Olives, and they asked Him, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and the close of the age?” (Matthew 24:3b, ESV). Jesus had condemned the Pharisees and told of the overthrow of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, and the disciples wanted to know when this would happen – how much time did they have? When would Jesus’ Kingdom come in all its fullness?

We see part of Jesus’ answer in this morning’s Scripture: after Jesus explained to them that no one but the Father knows that actual date and time that Jesus will return, He told them that they must be ready for whenever He returns. And we – His latter disciples – also must be ready for whenever He returns.

Jesus told them that when He returns, it will be just like the days of Noah: people will be eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage – everything will look normal – good, even. And just as the lost were unaware of the flood until it swept them away – the lost will be unaware of Jesus’ returning until He sweeps them away.

Moses records: “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:5-8, ESV).

Notice: in the days of Noah, everything seemed normal or good. They were not experiencing disaster and demons wreaking havoc. The authors of the Left Behind series are mistaken. The authors of the TV show Supernatural are mistaken. In the days of Noah, like the days of the return of Jesus, everything will seem normal and good. Though, in reality, we’re told, “every intention of the thoughts of [man’s] heart was only evil continually.” Jesus will not return when it looks like “all hell is breaking loose”; Jesus will return when everything seems all right.

Then Jesus said that one will be taken and one left. Two men will be in the field, and one will be taken and one left. Two women will be working in the mill, and one will be taken and one left. What is Jesus talking about? There are several interpretations of this text, but not all of them make equal sense.

What Jesus was telling the disciples – and us – is two things:

First, our unions will not save us. Just because we are married to so-and-so or work with so-and-so will not save us. There is no salvation by association. We can’t say, “Oh, I go to Second Reformed Church, so Jesus has to receive me into the Kingdom.” No, when Jesus comes again, we must each answer for our own sins – or we must believe in Jesus Alone for our salvation – and then He will have paid our debt and credited us with His Righteousness.

Second, Jesus was warning the disciples – and us – that there may be times when we have to walk away from people. There may be times when there is nothing more that we can do. It may be that we have proclaimed the Gospel in every way and with all sincerity and accuracy, and some still don’t believe. And, in that moment, hard as it may be, we may have to leave them behind to the Wisdom and the Mercy of God, and go on to other work that God has for us.

Jesus continued by explaining that when He returns – it will be unexpected. Jesus will come when He is unexpected. Jesus will come at the very time when it doesn’t seem right that He would be coming – “Everything is fine – we don’t need to be saved.”

Jesus will be unexpected. Jesus uses the image of a thief who breaks in during the night – at an hour that he was not expected – for if the owner of the house knew that the thief was going to break in at such and such an hour, he would have been prepared for him. That makes sense, doesn’t it? If a thief is coming to rob your home and you know when the thief is coming, you would do something to stop or catch the thief, wouldn’t you? Jesus said He is coming like a thief, and He will be unexpected.

Paul wrote, “Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are children of light, children of day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are doing” (I Thessalonians 5:1-11, ESV).

Paul explains that Jesus will return like a thief in the night – unexpectedly. He will appear like a woman’s labor pains that cannot be escaped. But, Paul says that those who believe in Jesus Alone for salvation are not in the dark – we are not drunk – we are not asleep. No, we belong to the day – we are awake, sober, and in the light. Jesus has saved us and given us a life of faith and hope and love, so that when He returns we will not be surprised, but safe. And since we have that assurance in Christ, we ought to encourage each other about Jesus’ Return.

Even so, Jesus warns the disciples – and us – to be ready. We are to be on the alert. We ought to always be expecting Jesus’ return – looking for Him – waiting for Him – hoping to see Him. Because He is coming – at a time we will not expect.

Jesus has come. Jesus is here. Jesus is coming again

From this, let us understand three things about Jesus:

First, Jesus has graciously and patiently given humanity time to repent and believe.

Jesus told His disciples that He would be put to death and rise and ascend back to the Father and after that, He would return to inaugurate the fulness of His Kingdom. And the disciples initially thought that Jesus would return in their lifetime, but they came to understand that God’s timing is not our timing and Jesus would return when the time was right.

But consider: if Jesus had returned right away, thousands and millions of people would never have come to faith and believed savingly in Jesus – all those people who were born in the past two thousand years and confessed faith in Jesus would not now be assured of being received into His Kingdom. If Jesus was not so gracious and patient, you and I would not be assured of being received into His Kingdom.

Second, Jesus graciously warned His disciples – and us – to keep alert – to be ready – for His surprising timing.

The disciples asked Jesus when these things would happen – when He would return – when the Temple would be destroyed – when Israel would be torn apart – and Jesus told them that only the Father knows the day and the hour. And Jesus could have left His answer at that – He was under no obligation to tell them anything. But in His Grace, Jesus put them on the alert – He told them to be ready – always – because Jesus was going to return at the very time when no one would expect it.

We remain in that position of knowing that Jesus is returning, but not knowing when. Yet, we have the same warning to be alert and ready, for Jesus is returning at the very moment when we don’t think He will return.

There are plenty of skeptics in the world. There are plenty of people who will tell us we a re fools to believe that a Man Who lived two thousand years ago would be returning to earth for us. But that is the promise He made. If Christianity has any truth in it, He must return for us, just as He has promised.

We ought to live our lives with the fact of Jesus’ Return before us. Let us not be surprised but be ready for when the sky parts and Jesus descends on the clouds to bring His people home. Let us develope such a mind-set and such a life-style that whenever Jesus returns, we will be ready for Him.

And third, Jesus has graciously given this Message of Hope to all who believe in Him.

Jesus has revealed His Gospel to us – that God the Son came to earth in the form of the human, Jesus, lived, died, rose from the dead, ascended to Heaven and is seated on His Throne, until the day that He returns with the fulness of His Kingdom.

Does it ever seem incredible to you that God has entrusted you and me with that message and told us to take it to the world – to the whole Creation? If God were not Sovereign, He would be taking a great risk. But since He is Sovereign, everything must happen according to His Plan, and we are assured that Jesus is returning, just as He said.

Is that Promise – that Sure Hope – good news to you this morning? Are you encouraged to know that Jesus is coming back for you and everyone who believes in Him Alone for salvation? Does it fill you heart with joy to know that you will never be forsaken, but a home is waiting for you – with Jesus – in His Kingdom?

Let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank You that You have not left us in the dark but have brought us into the Light of Your Son through salvation and given us assurance of Your Plan and His Return in Your Word. We thank You for warning us to be alert – to be ready – for the surprising timing of His Return, and we ask that You would help us to be ready at all times – whenever You are pleased to return. We thank You that You have given us time to repent and believe – time to spread the Gospel to the whole world – and for the Hope in the Message that You have given us. As we remember Your first coming two thousand years ago, may we be ready for Your soon Second Coming. For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

More School

The pastor will be in school Monday through Wednesday of this coming week and will, thus, be unavailable.  If you are in need, please contact a member of the Consistory.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Remember:  turkeys are people, too.

"Do Not Weary of Doing Good" Sermon: II Thessalonians 3:6-13

“Do Not Weary of Doing Good”
[II Thessalonians 3:6-13]
November 14, 2010 Second Reformed Church

One of the sins we can fall into as Christians, knowing that Jesus is coming back, is to think that we can disregard the Creation and use it and abuse it. Another sin we can fall into is to think that since Jesus is coming back, we don’t have to work, and we call on the Church and/or the State to provide for us.

A significant portion of the Christians in Thessalonica were committing the second sin – so many of them had quit their jobs, saying, “If Jesus is returning, why should we work?” – so Paul had to address the problem in his two letters to the church. They thought, “if Jesus is returning soon, why shouldn’t the Church just provide for us?”

On this Sunday, we consider ideas about stewardship, as well as thanksgiving. And in our text we find Paul addressing the question: Is it right for a person w Christians who refuse to work. Not that they were wrong about Jesus coming back soon – He is – but soon did not mean within their lifetimes. But that’s not even the point – their sin was two-fold – that they refused to work when they were able and that they assumed that the church should supply their needs.

So Paul tells the Thessalonian Christians that they are not to welcome or assist or eat with any Christian who is able and refuses to work. That is, with anyone who is “walking in idleness” and not with the tradition that they received from Paul.

What was the tradition they received from Paul?

Paul reminds them that Paul and his companions worked while they ministered among the Thessalonians. Paul made tents and sold them to pay for his needs. Paul and his companions ate with them, but they paid for their own food – they did not expect that the church would feed them for free. Instead, they preached the Gospel of Jesus and worked another job so they would not have to burden the Thessalonians by requiring pay from them. And, Paul reminds them, it is the right of the pastor to receive his livelihood from the Church. Paul could have required that they pay him and provide for his needs, but he did not ask for pay in order to show them humility and generosity and to encourage them to act in like manner – not because he wasn’t due that support.

Paul reminds them that while they were with them, he gave them the command: “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” If that sounds cruel, consider, if someone in this church was able to work, but refused to work, and came to the Consistory and asked for money for food, how ought they to respond? Should they enable the person’s sin?

No. If these people are truly Christians, Paul says that we ought to command and encourage them – we ought to tell them what they are doing is not right – it is sin, and then we ought to encourage them to work – to work quietly – and to earn their own living – to stop living as though they are entitled to someone else providing for their needs.

Now, the Christians in Thessalonica tried to excuse their actions by saying that Jesus was coming back soon, so why not just live off of what the church had? Most people today who “abuse the system” or family or church don’t do so because they believe that Jesus is returning in days or months, they do so out of greed – out of believing that they are entitled or owed a living.

We cannot allow people to abuse family and church and “the system” in that way – especially in the church – because there are people who honestly need help – people who can’t work for one reason or another or who honestly can’t – at least for the time being – earn enough to pay for their needs.

So Paul tells the Thessalonians – and all of us – “do not grow weary in doing good.” Do not grow weary in doing those things which are good and right and God-glorifying. Do not grow weary in showing the Love of Christ by helping those who really need help – not those who are just unwilling to provide for themselves. Do not grow weary and fade into your lounge chair or your couch.

Why not?

First, we are to work and to do good because God works and does good. Humans were created in the Image of God, and part of what it means to be created in the Image of God is that we – like God – work. In Genesis one and two, Moses tells us that God created everything that is in six days and rested on the seventh. And then, Moses tells us in Exodus 20:8-11, that we – humans – are commanded to work six days and then rest on the seventh. God built into us that pattern of work and rest with which He created everything that is.

The Image of God in us has been marred by sin – it is not as easily seen as it once was or as it will be when we are received into glory. But as people look at us and see us work hard and work honestly – giving the best that we are able in the work that we are called to do – people see in us – though not perfectly – something of the Character – of the Nature – of God Himself.

Second, we are to work because God called work “good.” In the Creation, God called the work that He did “good.” And once He had created humans, God gave them the responsibility – the work – of tending and keeping the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15). This was not a punishment – this was a gift from God to engage with God in the creative process – and so it is today.

Now, we know that things are different from the Garden. Today, everything has been infected by sin. So work is difficult, it is not necessarily enjoyable all the time – we have songs such as “Everybody’s Working for the Weekend.” But work was not created to be hard and discouraging, and it won’t be in the Kingdom. So, in working to the best that we are now, we witness to our hope and faith in the world to come when all work will be pleasant and joyful and God-glorifying.

Third, we are to work because God has given us work to do – especially we Christians. And to neglect the work that God has given us is sin. Paul explains, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10, ESV).

Paul explains that you and I were created by God – we are His creation – and all of us that He created in Christ Jesus – all of us whom He elected and called to faith in Jesus, as Christians – God created us in Christ Jesus for good works. God created us and made us Christians – and one of the reasons He did so was so we would do certain good works. And these works God prepared beforehand – before what? Before the Creation. So before anything existed, God chose you and me and all Christians to be created in Jesus – saved through Jesus – to do certain good works that God chose for us to do as Christians. And those are the works we ought to walk in.

I wonder if we ought not be amazed at that: the Almighty God chose to create the world, but before He did so, He decided to send His Son to redeem a people for Himself – Christians. And God created those Christians who would one day exist in Jesus – through His Work which merits salvation. And He prepared good works for each of us to do in obedience and thanksgiving for what He did through Jesus. God decided all that before He created anything. That’s really quite amazing, isn’t it?

Finally, we are to work because if we do the good works that “God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them,” we cannot help but be successful in what we set out to do. Why? Paul wrote, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to competition at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6, ESV).

What did Paul mean? Paul was saying that our salvation is a good work that God began in us and brings to completion at the day of Christ Jesus when we are received into the Kingdom and glorified. That is specifically the good work Paul has in mind in this text, but it does not seem too much of a stretch to say that any good work that God begins in us will be brought to competition because it is God who gives us the work to accomplish and God who gives the ability to accomplish the work He has given us and God Who makes sure the work gets completed – because God is the One Who wants and plans that the work be done.

This is similar to what we saw when we looked at prayer: prayer is not our convincing God of something or giving Him some knowledge He didn’t have. Prayer is the process of becoming in line with the Mind of God so that when we pray for something, what we pray for is what God wants, so God says “yes” to our prayer. So, if we pray for what God wants, God will do it. That’s what it means to prayer “in Jesus’ Name.”

Similarly, if God wants us to do a good work out of obedience and thanksgiving to Him for what He has done for us, and we set out to do that good work, God will make sure that we accomplish that good work – for His Glory and our joy.

For example, God commands us to the work of being holy: “Be holy as I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44). Therefore, since that work of becoming holy is something that God wants of us, it will happen – it cannot fail to happen – because God gives us the grace and the power to accomplish it.

Don’t misunderstand, we still have to work hard to accomplish what God has given us to do: becoming holy is not something we can accomplish in an afternoon. In fact, becoming holy is something that we won’t achieve until Jesus returns. Yet, ultimately, we don’t have to worry about failing, because if God is bringing to pass – in us and through us – what God wants us to do and become – it cannot fail to happen. It cannot fail to be. Because God cannot fail.

That’s why I can say to you with confidence that Second Reformed Church will stand and proclaim the Gospel for as long as God has work for us to do. So let us not weary of doing good. Let us seek God’s Will and do everything we understand that God is calling us to do. Let us work hard knowing that everything that God would have for us and have us do will come to pass as God works in and through us.

Let us pray:
Persevering God, we thank You that You will bring all that You have set for us to do to competition. We thank You especially that You will bring the fulness of our salvation to competition. We ask that You would strengthen us and give us Your Grace that we would not grow weary of doing good, but would be invigorated and livened by Your Word to follow after You in obedience and thanksgiving. Help us to know the difference between those who are in need and those who are sinning by not working. Help us to guide those who are not working to jobs that they might honor You in their work. And may Jesus receive all the glory. For it is in His Name we pray, Amen.

"The Lamb Will Be Their Shepherd" Sermon: Revelation 7:2-17

“The Lamb Will Be Their Shepherd”
[Revelation 7:2-17]
November 7, 2010 Second Reformed Church

Today is All Saints’ Sunday, and we have heard one of the Lectionary Scriptures for today from chapter seven of the book of Revelation. All Saints is a time to remember those who had died and been received into eternal life by their God. We have a time when we name family members and friends who have been received into their reward and also our animal companions.

Before we look at the actual text, we need to understand a few things about John’s book: Many people think that the book of Revelation is a fearsome book that we ought to avoid, but that is not the case: the book of Revelation is a book of hope. Its difficulty is that it is written in a first century Jewish code to keep Romans who might intercept the book from understanding the message of hope that John was sending to the Christians who were being severely persecuted by Emperor Nero of Rome.

John tells his readers that while he was exiled on the Island of Patmos, he was given a series of visions concerning the persecution of the Church and her victory in Christ.

In verses two and three, John tells us that John saw an angel come from the sun with the seal of the living God. The seal of the living God is God the Holy Spirit Who lives in everyone who believes in Jesus Alone for salvation. And this angel calls out to four other angels who have been given the power to harm the earth and the sea. Four, in Jewish numerology, is the whole Creation. We talk about the four corners of the earth, the four seasons, and so forth. And the first angel tells the other four angels not to harm the earth and the sea or the trees until we have sealed all the servants of God on their forehead.

So, if the Holy Spirit seals all those who are saved by faith alone through Jesus Alone, John is assuring his readers that God will not allow the end to come until every person who will ever believe – the elect – profess faith in Jesus. Jesus will not lose one that the Father has given Him. The end will not come until everyone that God intends to save is saved.

Then John tells his readers in verses four through eight that twelve thousand people will be saved in each of the twelve tribes of Israel – a total of 144,000. Twelve thousand from the tribe of Judah. Twelve thousand from the tribe of Reuben. Twelve thousand from the tribe of Gad. Twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher. Twelve thousand from the tribe of Naphtali. Twelve thousand from the tribe of Manasseh. Twelve thousand from the tribe of Simeon. Twelve thousand from the tribe of Levi. Twelve thousand from the tribe of Issachar. Twelve thousand from the tribe of Zebulun. Twelve thousand from the tribe of Joseph. Twelve thousand from the tribe of Benjamin.

So, let us understand here that God will save the full number of those He chose to save out of the nation of Israel – that is, biological Jews. But why 144,000? When we consider the number of people on earth – and the number of Jews that have come to professes faith in Jesus as the Messiah – the Savior – that number is way too small. We may know that the Jehovah’s Witnessers teach that the 144,000 are only those who believe in their religion – and they say the 144,00 is a real, literal number – which makes for problems for them, since far more than 144,000 have believed in their religion. But they have figured a way out – the 144,000 – they say – are the Jehovah’s Witnesses on the top floor of the House of God – those with penthouse suites.

But what did John intend for them to understand? How would a first century Jew have understood the number 144,000? Well, 144 is twelve squared. And twelve among other things, is three times four. Four, we have said, is the fullness of Creation. Three is perfect communion – or perfect community. 1,000 is ten to the third power, and, for the Jews, whenever something is raised to the third power, it is indicating an absolute. So, when the Scripture tells us that God is holy, holy, holy – we are being told that God is absolutely holy and there is none more holy than God. So, this is again a message of assurance, telling the biological Jews who have come to faith in Jesus that God will save the absolutely perfect communion of biological Jews from all over the world and out of every tribe – God will not miss anyone, and the tribe one comes from is of no advantage in salvation.

Then John sees something new in verses nine through twelve: “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” – the biological Jews that God will save are only one part of His people – His Kingdom – God will save people from every type of people – from every language and nation and heritage and upbringing and race – there will be representatives of every people in the Kingdom – and they – with the Jews who believe – will be a great multitude. So, don’t lose hope because you were not born a Jew – salivation is about Jesus – not biology.

And this great multitude is before the Lamb and the throne – and we understand that the Lamb is Jesus – “behold, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” – and they were all dressed in white robes holding palm branches, worshiping the Lamb, crying out, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb ” And the angels and the elders and the four living creatures joined in falling on their faces and worshiping the Lamb saying, “Amen Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever Amen.” Because Jesus is not just the Lamb Who was slain, but He is the Almighty God Who rose from the dead. He is worthy of all praise forever and ever. And He will be worshiped by everyone – from every people – who believe in Him.

And then one of the elders turned to John and asked him a question: “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” John asks that the elder tell him and the elder tells him “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” What is John being told? John is being told that although God will not allow the end to come before all of the elect are sealed with the Holy Spirit and although God will save everyone He intends to save, both from the biological Jews and everyone else, many, many Christians will die for the sake of Jesus; God does not promise that Christians will be spared suffering and death for the sake of Christ. In fact, many, many will be put to death for confessing Jesus before He returns.

That was the hard pill that the Christians were swallowing while John was on Patmos: Nero was turned Christians into living garden torches. He was feeding them to wild animals. And doing all sorts of depraved things to them for confessing Christ. And some were questioning where God was and whether they themselves had truly believed, but John tells them, “Yes, be assured of your salvation. God grants salvation to whomever He will and seals them with the Holy Spirit and then they are His forever and will be brought into His Kingdom. However, many will be brought into the Kingdom by a violent death for the sake of Jesus.

The author of Hebrews writes, “Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated – of whom the world was not worthy – wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth” (Hebrews 11:35b-38, ESV).

Jesus does not promise that Christians will have it easy in this life. In fact, He promises that Christians will be persecuted because Jesus was persecuted. Still, every one that Jesus has chosen from all the peoples of the earth – out of the biological Jews and all the rest of the peoples – every one will be sealed, filled with the Holy Spirit, and received into Paradise with Jesus – the Lamb Who was slain. He will lose none, and the end will not come before each one is sealed. And we know that He will lose none because He gave Himself up – the Lamb allowed Himself to be slaughtered for everyone who would believe – so that each one of us is covered with His Blood and washed clean, so that Father sees in us the Sacrifice of the Lamb – His Beloved Son – and loves us and adopts us as His children.

And then the elders tell John in the rest of this chapter – and John tells the Christians – many of whom will be called to give their lives for the sake Jesus and His Gospel – that the Lamb would be the Shepherd of all those who are sealed with God the Holy Spirit and with all those who die in the faith. That sounds backwards, doesn’t it? The Lamb will be their Shepherd? Wouldn’t it make more sense to say that the Shepherd will shepherd the sheep?

Jesus is the Lamb of God Who was sacrificed for all those sheep He came to save. Jesus is the Shepherd Who lay down His Life for His sheep. Jesus, the Lamb of God, shepherds His sheep.

And here we have a picture of life in the Kingdom: the sheep are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in the temple; and He Who sits on the throne shelters the sheep with His Presence. The sheep give thanks to God and to the Lamb, serving Him, and He shelters and protects His sheep for all of eternity.

John is told that in the Kingdom, the sheep – the Christians – will never hunger or thirst any more, and they won’t suffer in the harsh realities of the weather; He will keep them safe from wind and sun. There will be no more lack or distress In fact, the Lamb, as the Shepherd of His sheep – will guide everyone who believes in Him to springs of living water.

We may remember that Samaritan woman that Jesus met at the well, and He asked her for a drink. And she was shocked, because Jesus, a Jewish rabbi, was talking to a Samaritan – and not only that – a Samaritan woman. So, she asks Him why He is talking to her. And He tells her that she should ask Him for living water. And she tells Him that He doesn’t have a bucket. And Jesus says, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13b-15, ESV). By the end of the conversation, she professes faith in Jesus and received the living water.

Likewise, David wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters (Psalm 23:1-2, ESV). Part of what Jesus does for us – and all Christians – is give us living water, lead us beside still water, guide us to springs of living water. Jesus satisfies our ultimate need by giving up Himself for us.

And when He receives His sheep into the kingdom, He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. The point of chapter seven is that Jesus ultimatly brings His people home. He tells them that they will suffer and many will die. There will be crying and hardship for any who confess faith in Jesus. And many will die before Jesus returns – some died from this congregation this year.

Yet, those who have died in the faith are in Paradise now. Jesus the Lamb is shepherding them now. They are at peace – filled with joy – longing for the fulfillment of the Kingdom and the bringing in of the 144,000 and the great multitude – and then the great restoration. That day is coming.

In the mean time, we look forward with hope and assurance that Jesus is returning. And as we receive the means of grace, such as the Lord’s Supper, which we will soon receive – Jesus communes with us spiritually – and with every believer throughout time and space. So, as we receive the bread and the cup, and each believer communes with Jesus, we, through Jesus, commune with every other believer throughout time and space, looking forward to the day when we all shall be before the Lamb and the throne.

The book of Revelation is meant to be a book of comfort for Christians who are suffering for the sake of Jesus and His Gospel. Be comforted and assured, then, that no matter what happens to us for Jesus’ Sake – He will lose none of us, and will bring us to Him. And be assured and comforted that all those who have died in the faith are now with Jesus – in His Presence, filled with joy, waiting for the rest of us.

Let us pray:
Almighty God and Savior, Lamb Who was Slain, Great Shepherd of the Sheep, we thank You for the assurance that all those who have died before us in the faith are in glory with You. And because You are the Great God and Only Savior, each one of us whom You have chosen for Yourself will be received into Paradise and the Kingdom. Give us strength to stand for You in hope. Be with us now – even as we receive the bread and the cup – and may the communion of the saints be ever more real to us as our faith grows in You. For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

November Sermons

D.V., in November, I plan to preach:

11/7/10 Communion/All Saints 
 Revelation 7:2-17  “The Lamb Will Be Their Shepherd”

11/14/10 Stewardship/Thanksgiving
 II Thessalonians 3:6-13  “Do Not Weary of Doing Good”

11/21/10 Christ the King
 Guest preacher: Rev. Dr. Solomon Tivade

11/28/10 Advent 1
 Matthew 24:37-44  “Be Ready”

"God Will Make You Worthy" Sermon: II Thessalonians 1:1-12

“God Will Make You Worthy”
[II Thessalonians 1:1-12]
October 31, 2010 Second Reformed Church

Today is Reformation Sunday, so let us consider the primary question of the Reformation: what must a person do to become right with God? This is the question that Martin Luther and others struggled with as they saw that the varieties of works that the Roman Catholic Church was prescribing to become right with God was not in line with the Scripture.

The problem is that the Scripture is clear: “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a, ESV). If we sin – if we do anything wrong to or neglect to do anything good for God or our neighbor – we shall die – physically and spiritually – we will be eternally separated from God, suffering for our sin. So, how does a person become right with God? How can you and I pay the debt that we owe for sin – so that we might become right with God – spiritually alive – righteous and holy?

The answer if found throughout the Scripture, and the answer that is found is why the Reformers ultimately split from the Roman Catholic Church. This morning, let us see the answer as it is found in the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians.

Paul begins with a standard greeting in verses one and two, but let us notice one thing that is unusual – Paul addresses them as “the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” What does Paul mean by saying “in”?

Paul is noting, right from the start that they are not a church because they are a group of believers who have gathered together in the faith. No, by saying that they are a church “in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” Paul is saying that they area a church because they are a work of “God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” which is why they are a group of believers who have gathered together in the faith. Paul notes that they are not a church because they made themselves a church, but because “God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” made them a church. They are not a work of themselves; they are the work of God. As Paul wrote, “[God] is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctificatifflict those who have afflicted and give relief to those who have been afflicted.

Jesus will return in a flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who never believe savingly in Jesus, sending them away into eternal punishment. Also on that day, He will be glorified in all those who have believed in Jesus Alone for salvation; He will be glorified in us as He grants us relief and perfects us according to His Own Image. And the saints – those who have believed – will marvel. They will marvel at the Glory, the Love, the Mercy, and the Beauty of God. And all who believe will marvel because they believed the testimony of Paul – the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It was important for Paul to stress that when Jesus returns, then the judgment will occur. There were false teaches in the Thessalonian church who were teaching that Jesus had already returned, and this was upsetting many of the Christians who didn’t know what to make of this teaching. So Paul assured them, in both of his letters to them, that Jesus had not returned yet, but when He does, He will set all things right.

To the end that Jesus will return and set all things right, Paul tells the Thessalonians that they continued to pray for them. And Paul tells them four things as he ends the first chapter:

First, God will make you worthy of His Calling.

This is what the Reformers came to understand – the answer to the question, “What can a person do to be right with God?” – is, “Nothing.” On our own, you and I are absolutely hopeless. We cannot possible repay what we owe and make ourselves right with God. That is why Jesus came – because we cannot make ourselves right with God – only God can make us right with God; only God can make us worthy of His calling. So our works do not make us right with God, God’s Works make us right with God; we could not make ourselves right with God, so God made us right with Him.

Second, God will fulfill all resolve for good and works of faith.

As Paul told the Philippians, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6, ESV). In other words, God not only makes us right with God, but God will make all things come together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28), and He bring all the good works of faith that He started in us to completion.

When Jesus returns, all that we have suffered will melt from view as Jesus reveals Himself to us, and we will be lost in wonder and praise as we see His Wounds and His Glory. And all the good that God has been doing through us since He made us right with Him, He will bring to completion with Jesus’ Return; all those who belong to Jesus will finish the race – we will accomplish everything that God intends for us to do and be, because God is the One Who works in us and through us and accomplishes His Own Will for His Glory and our joy.

Third, God will glorify the Name of Jesus in you.

This is an amazing promise: this is what Paul wrote about to the Romans, “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory – even us whom he called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles” (Romans 9:22-24, ESV).

Now, we who believe in Jesus savingly – vessel of mercy – have Jesus in us. His Gospel and His Glory shine forth from us. We are not holy and glorious, so Jesus can be seen standing out from us. I’ve used the example before of diamonds and a littler box. If you drop a diamond in a box of diamonds, it will be difficult to see, but if you drop a diamond in a litter box, it will stand out. God works in and through us so He and His Gospel will stand out.

But that’s not all: Fourth, God will glorify us in Jesus.

John Calvin explains that this means that Jesus will “irradiate” us with His Glory. On that final day, we will be glorified – every shadow and spot of sin and its effects will be removed from us and we will shine with the Glory of the Name of Jesus as we – somehow – participate in His Glory.

You see, the work of salvation, the work of making us right with God is entirely God’s Work, and God does not merely restore us to a sinless state, but when Jesus returns, He Will make us holy and glorified so it will be impossible for us to ever sin again. In the meantime, we continue to grow and become more like Jesus – what the Scripture calls sanctification. Our faith grows more abundantly, our love for each other increases, we are steadfast in the faith as we suffer and are persecuted, because God – according to His Sovereign Pleasure – has chosen to make us worthy for His Sake and our joy.

Paul writes, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the prince of the power of the air, and the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience – among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:1-10, ESV).

“Amazing love, how can it be, that Christ, my God, should die for me?”

We are all born dead in our sins, so we are unable to make ourselves right with God. But God has chosen to make some right with God by Himself, through Jesus for His Own Pleasure – and our joy. God makes us right with God.

Ours in not to save ourselves; ours is to respond to God’s salvation of us in thanksgiving and wonder and praise. Ours is to live out what God has done in us through Jesus. Ours is to follow God in all that He has called us to do and be in His Word and to love our neighbor because Jesus has saved us – which means we do all we can to help them – in thanks for our salvation – in the hopes that God will show His Mercy upon our neighbor.

Through Jesus, we are freed from slavery to sin and trying to merit our way to God. So now, in thanksgiving and love, we can follow God and seek the salvation of our neighbors by showing them and telling them the Gospel. Some of us are good at talking about what Jesus has done – others may be better at giving something you baked, or giving a meal to someone in need, donating time, and so forth. In whatever way we find to proclaim Jesus and His Gospel, let us do it with prayer, and if someone asks why we do what we do – let’s tell them, it’s because Jesus saved me – and you – and everyone who believes in Him.

Let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank You for saving us and making us right with You when we were dead in sin – incapable of doing anything to help ourselves. Help us to present Your Gospel rightly, and keep us from leading anyone to believe that we are saved by our works. Let us joyfully show Your Great Gift of Salvation to others. For it us in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

Wisdom of the Fathers

“For neither ought we, for example, to preach the gospel with this object, that we may eat; but to eat with this object, that we may preach the gospel: for if we preach the gospel for this cause, that we may eat, we reckon the gospel of less value than food; and in that case our good will be in eating, but that which is necessary for us is preaching the gospel. And this apostle also forbids, when he says it is lawful for himself even, and permitted by the Lord, that they who preach the gospel should live of the gospel, that is, should have form the gospel the necessities of this life; but yet that he has not made use of this power.” – Augustine on Acts 20:34 in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament V: Acts, 256.

"Are You Ready to Die?" Sermon: Acts 21:1-16

“Are You Ready to Die?”
[Acts 21:1-16]
October 24, 2010 Second Reformed Church

Are you ready to die?

I didn’t ask if you want to die. I don’t want to die – I’m working hard to be healthier and live as long as possible. I hope none of you want to die right now. But, if it were necessary, would you be ready – are you ready now – to die?

Last week we saw that the Holy Spirit told Paul that he would not see the Ephesians again. So he called the pastors and elders together and gave them one final address. He told them that he had given them the entire Gospel – all they needed to know for salvation – and this was against those who were saying there was an additional knowledge they needed besides Jesus. He told them to watch out for the false teachers – to search them out – warn against them – and remove them. He told them to give of the blessings that God has given them in thanks to God. And he told them that the Holy Spirit was sending him to Jerusalem, and the Holy Spirit promised him torture and imprisonment.

After weeping with Paul, they accompanied him to the ship that would take him to Jerusalem, and Paul and his companions sailed.

This morning’s Scripture is largely a detailed itinerary of where they went and how long they stayed in each place:

From Melitus, they sailed along the coast of Turkey, they sailed to Cos, then next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. There they changed ships and boarded one bound for Phonicia – in what we would now call Syria – north of Israel. And as they sailed, they passed by the island of Cyprus – it was on the left as they sailed by – landing in Syria at Tyre. In Tyre, the ship unloaded it’s cargo.

Did you ever read texts like these and wonder, “Who cares?” Who cares if they went to this place and that place and spent this number of days and had to change ships and then unload the cargo? What’s the point? The point is that this is evidence that this is not mythology, but history. These mundane details suggest the truthfulness of the history. If this was mythology, these common details would not be specific, and they probably would have been left out all together.

Once in Tyre, Paul and his companions stayed with the disciples there for seven days. And while they were there, the Holy Spirit told the disciples in Tyre that Paul was going to Jerusalem, and the Holy Spirit promised Paul torture and imprisonment. The disciples were naturally upset about this and they begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem. But Paul said he could not resist the Holy Spirit, and he was going. So the disciples of Tyre and their wives and families went with them to the beach and kneeled and prayed and said farewell to one another.

Then they went south to Ptolemais, where they spent one day with the disciples there.

The next day they went to Caesarea, in Israel, and entered the house of Philip. Do we remember Philip? We haven’t heard about him in some time, but he was one of the first deacons (6:5), and the Holy Spirit had sent him to preach the Gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch (8:5), and then he had preached his way north through Israel and settled in Caesarea.

Paul and his companions stayed with Philip and his four unmarried daughters – who prophesied – for many days. And while they were with Philip, a prophet named Agabus came to them from Judea. Do we remember Agabus? The Holy Spirit had sent the prophet Agabus to Saul and the disciples to warn them that a severe famine was coming to Jerusalem – in particular – so the Church, led by Barnabas and Saul, collected money to help the church in Jerusalem (11:27). This time the prophet Agabus came to the house of Philip and walked up to Paul and took Paul’s belt and then bound his own hands and feet, prophesying that the Holy Spirit said that the owner of the belt would be bound by the Jews and handed over to the Gentiles once he reached Jerusalem.

Now Paul’s companions couldn’t take it any more and they, with the household of Philip and others, begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem.

What was the Holy Spirit up to? Everywhere Paul went, the Holy Spirit told the local disciples about Paul being tortured and imprisoned in Jerusalem. Why did He keep telling them and upsetting them?

Historically, the Christians would soon come under the greatest persecution they ever faced. So, it is likely that the Holy Spirit was confirming what would happen to Paul so they would be ready and not overcome and dismayed, but rather trust in God and His Plan instead.

But Paul had had enough, “What are you doing to me – weeping and breaking my heart?” “I understand you’re upset, but this isn’t helping me. I am not looking for a way out – I’m not looking for someone to kill me. You know this is God’s Plan.”

“For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die for the name of the Lord Jesus.” “For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Paul was ready to die – for the Name of the Lord Jesus – for the Gospel – as a witnesses to Jesus and His Salvation. For Jesus’ Sake, he was willing to die.

Paul wrote to the Philippians, “As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again” (Philippians 1:20-26, ESV).

Paul tells the Philippians: “I want you to understand that whether I live or die, my goal is to honor Christ – to glorify Him – in my body. My desire is that I live in a way that Christ is honored and that I die in a way that Christ in honored.

“For me it is a win-win situation: if I live, then I can continue to live, honoring Christ, preaching His Gospel, carrying out all those things He has set before me to do. And if I die, then I will be in Paradise with Jesus. And, to tell you the truth, even though – if the choice was up to me – I would have a hard time decided whether to live or die, my goal is to die and be with Christ because that is far better – for then I will be unable to sin and I will look forward to being raised imperishable – holy – perfected. But, for now, God has made it clear to me that I am to remain in my flesh for your progress and joy – for the maturing of your faith, and to give you additional reason to glorify Christ Jesus.”

Please understand: Paul was not suicidal. He was not trying to find an easy way out of the suffering that he was continuing to endure. What he was saying was that he existed for Christ – to glorify Him – and if he should live, he would do everything he could to make Jesus and His Gospel known. But, if he should die – for the sake of Jesus and His Gospel – he was not only ready, he was joyful to do so because it would bring him into glory with Jesus – Who is his life and hope and future.

We see this theme throughout Paul’s letters in particular: the Christian is to live his or her life as a witness to salvation in Jesus Alone. We are to live in such a way that other’s attention is draw from us to Jesus. We are to be signs that point to Jesus and say, “Look at Him Look to Him See Who He is and what He has done ”

And if we are living for Jesus – to be sign-posts to Him – there may even be times when people ask why we do or do not do certain things, and then we can tell them, “I do all I can not to cheat on my taxes because Jesus gave His Life for me. I do all I can not to break the law, because Jesus has freed me from slavery to sin. I give to the food pantry because Jesus gave His Life for Me. I spend time reading my Bible because Jesus loves me and I love Him, and I want to know Him better. I try to live a life of thanks to Jesus.” And so forth.

We Christians are also to be ready to die as a witness to salvation in Jesus Alone. In the early Church and in many parts of the world today, Christians were and are put to death for confessing faith in Jesus. Would we be willing to stand for Jesus and submit to execution if it comes to this country?

If Mayor Smith or Governor Christie or President Obama got a bill passed that confession of Jesus as Savior was punishable by death, would we be ready? Would we say – in the face of that threat, “I believe”?

I would like to believe that I would accept death, rather than renounce Jesus, but it’s hard to say until we’re in that position, isn’t it?

We can help to prepare ourselves:

First, let us consider our sin. Let us understand that without salvation in Jesus Alone, we are looking at suffering eternally. That’s the fact: God is infinite and infinitely holy and all sin is against Him, so sin requires infinite punishment.

Second, let us consider what Jesus did. The Holy Son of God left His Throne, became a human, lived under God’s Law – never sinning – submitted Himself to torture and death at the hands of sinful men, suffered the infinite punishment that we deserve – for each one of us who will believe, and since He is God and sinless, He survived, rising from the dead, ascending back to His Throne, crediting our accounts with His Righteousness – His Sinlessness. So now, when God looks at we who believe, He sees, because of Jesus, a holy people for Himself that He welcomes into His Kingdom.

And third. Let us consider how thankful we ought to be for the gift of Jesus – for God rescuing us from our sin and making us His people for Jesus’ Sake. And let us be thankful in our hearts and minds and souls, but also in our bodies. Let us speak and act differently from the world. Let us seek to live out our joy in Jesus through both our words and deeds, no matter what God has for us – whether peace or sorrow, health or illness, long life or violent death.

Paul understood who he had been in his days of self-righteousness and arrogance as a persecutor of the Church – of Jesus Himself. He understood the Amazing Love that changed him into the man he then was as an apostle of Jesus Christ. And Paul was thankful to God – no matter what he had to endure for the Gospel. So, if God would be glorified, if the Gospel would be advanced, if people would believe in Jesus through Paul’s death, then Paul was ready to die.

Are you?

How could the disciples respond to this, but to say, “Let the will of the Lord be done”?

So they accompanied Paul from Caesarea to Jerusalem, and Paul lodged with Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple.

Let us pray:
God of Life, we don’t like to think about death and dying, and we naturally want to avoid suffering. Help us to believe that whatever happens to us – if it honors the Name of Jesus – if more people end up hearing and believing the Gospel – then we can endure all things for Christ, and be joyful that in life and in death, we have witnessed to Him. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Reformed Wisdom

“The harmlessness of error is a modern discovery.” – John Dick, Lectures on the Acts of the Apostles, 329.

"The Best Wine" Sermon: John 2:6-12

“The Best Wine”
[John 2:6-12]
October 21, 2010 Old First Presbyterian Church

Why did Jesus change the water into wine?

We may remember when I was last with you we looked at the fact the Jesus and His mother, Mary, went to a wedding in Cana, and when they ran out of wine, Mary, knowing that her Son is Divine, told Him to do something about it. Jesus rebuked Mary and told her that it was not His hour – that is it was not time for Jesus to submit to the will of humans which would culminate in His humiliation on the cross. However, Mary makes the curious comment to the servants, to do whatever Jesus says.

Jesus had told Mary that it was inappropriate for her to command Him to provide wine, but Mary understood that if providing wine was according to the Will of His Father, Jesus would do it, so Mary told the servants to do whatever He said.

We are told that there were six twenty or thirty gallon jars which were used to carry water for purification rites. That is, they contained water with which a person was washed to remove sin – to purify them. We will remember that the baptism of John the Baptist was with water – a purification rite – where a person was cleansed of his or her sins – not because he or she got wet, but for having faith in the Savior that God was sending.

Jesus told the servants to fill the jars with water, and they filled them to the brim. We might wonder what they were thinking: they weren’t lacking in water; they were lacking in wine. What good was filling the jars up with water? Yet we see in their immediate response that they respected Jesus, so they did what He said.

It is important to note that we are talking about 120 to 180 gallons of water. That is a lot of water. Knowing that there was that much water, as Calvin points out, attests to what happened being a miracle. If the servants had shown up with several small jars of wine, it could be argued that they got it from the market or a neighbor’s, but since it was such a vast quantity of wine, it could only have appeared as a miracle.

It also shows us the apparent foolishness of the ways of God. Paul wrote, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ... But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even the things that are not, to bring to nothing that things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord’” (I Corinthians 1:18, 27-31, ESV)

Jesus told the servants to bring the wine to the master of the feast – the one who had organized it – to let him taste the wine. And when he tasted the wine, he tasted the best wine he had ever had – and he didn’t know where it came from – the servants didn’t tell him – Jesus didn’t tell him. And he called the bridegroom to him and complimented the bridegroom for going against culture – which usually served the good wine first, and then when people were tipsy, gave them the poor wine. Instead, he had saved the very best wine for last

Why didn’t Jesus say He had changed the water into wine? Why didn’t the servants say that Jesus had turned the water into wine? As an example fo the foolishness of God’s Ways – that God has chosen to work through human beings rather than just brazenly announce Himself and His Savior. Doesn’t it seem it would be more effective for God to supernaturally announce Himself and His Savior over a cosmic loudspeaker, rather than have human beings preach His Word week after week? But God in His Sovereign Wisdom has chosen to use us and to bring His Gospel to the world through what seems foolish to us.

In the changing of water into wine, we also see symbolism of regeneration – what God does to us in salvation. The servants filled the cold, stone jars with water, and God changed that water into the best wine. Similarly, God in salvation takes we who were spiritually dead – like a cold, stone jar – and fills us with God the Holy Spirit, causing us to come to spiritual life. This is the promise that was made in Ezekiel’s day: “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV).

Yet, with all that being said, we have not said why Jesus turned the water into wine.

After John records the response of the master of the feast, he tells us this: “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory.” Ah. Jesus changed the water into wine to manifest His Glory. What does that mean? It means that Jesus changed the water into wine to show – to attest – to prove – that He is the Savior, God in the Flesh.

Jesus could have stood up and called to the master of the feast, “Everyone, I am Jesus of Nazareth, Son of the Living God, the Long-Awaited Savior, God in the Flesh. And to prove to You Who I Am, I will change these six jars – these six barrels – of water into best wine you have ever tasted.” He could have done that. But He didn’t. He called the servants aside quietly. They followed His instructions, but didn’t tell the master of the feast where the wine came from. The master of the feast thought the wine came from the bridegroom, and he, apparently, did not contradict that assumption.

So to whom was the Glory of Jesus Manifested? To the servants, the disciples, and Mary. To those whom God in His Sovereign Will and Wisdom chose to reveal it at that time. And they believed.

Jesus accomplished what He set out to do in that act: He changed the water into wine, revealing His Glory to the servants, the disciples, and Mary, and they believed in Him as the Savior Whom God sent.

How ought we respond to this? How then ought we to live?

Paul wrote, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31, ESV). Just as Jesus manifested His Glory, we are to do all things to His Glory. How do we do that?

Just as God worked through the servants to magnify Jesus and show His Glory to them, God also works through us to magnify Jesus and show His Glory. Is it the call of a servant to direct attention to himself or herself? Is it the job of a waiter to bring attention to himself or herself? Is it the job of a busperson to bring attention to himself or herself? No, they are there to point beyond themselves.

God has called us and put us in positions that we might point to Him and show Jesus to be Who He is to others. We wait in the shadows and direct the spotlight on our Savior through all we say and do. As John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30, ESV).

Understand, Jesus is not calling us to be obnoxious: we are not called to file our taxes and then confront everyone we come in contact with saying, “I paid my taxes honestly and to the best of my understanding because I believe in Jesus ” Being obnoxious draws the spotlight on us; it takes the glory away from Jesus.

A more appropriate case would be if a friend were trying to get you to cheat on your taxes, and you said that you couldn’t cheat on your taxes because of what Jesus has done for you in salvation. That puts the spotlight on Jesus and draws the glory to Him. That is how we are to be – glorifying Jesus by showing that the reason for all that we do and say – except our sin – is in thanks to Him for Who He is and what He has done for us.

So let us bring forth the best wine, showing the manifesting of Jesus’ Glory – that He is God the Only Savior – in all that we do and say.

Let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank You for manifesting the Glory of Jesus before the servants and disciples and Mary and us. We ask that You would help us to draw attention to You and Your Glory and Your Salvation through Jesus Alone. And may we be in all things, to Your Glory. For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

Reformed Wisdom

"The duties of the ministerial office are so various and weighty, the temptations are so great, and the consequences of error and negligence are so fatal, that incessant vigilance is indispensably necessary."– John Dick, Lectures on the Acts of the Apostles, 327.

Jonathan Edwards and the Prayer Meeting

The pastor plans to attend a one-day conference on the Ongoing Relevance of Jonathan Edwards tomorrow.  For that reason, there will not be a prayer meeting at the church.  Please pray alone or in groups.  We will plan to resume our meetings on the 30th.

The Pastor's Day Off

Due to a regular commitment, the pastor has changed his day off from Monday to Tuesday.  Please update your phone etiquette, such that when you call on Tuesday, you now begin the conversation, "I know it's your day off, but..."

"Give It Away" Sermon: Acts 20:17-38

“Give It Away”
[Acts 20:17-38]
October 17, 2010 Second Reformed Church

After Paul arrived in Miletus – in southwestern Turkey – he sent for the elders of Ephesus – and that would include both the pastors and elders. Why?

Paul had spent about three years with the Ephesians – possibly more than any other group – and he had some final things he wanted to tell them and remind them of – because he did not believe, based on what the Holy Spirit told him, that he would ever see him again.

He begins by assuring them that from the first day he set out through Asia – what we call Turkey – Paul served the Lord with humility and in tears as he suffered at the hands of those who hate the Gospel. However, he never backed down because of persecution; he always preached the whole Word of God – everything he knew – to both the Jews and the Gentiles – urging all of them to repent and believe in salvation through Jesus Christ Alone.

This is not pridefulness – this is not bragging. Paul is stating the facts – that despite his suffering, he did not withhold anything of the Gospel from them. That was important for them to know because, already, there were false teachers going around after Paul saying that they had a further revelation of Jesus Christ – a deeper wisdom – a greater knowledge – that they sought to impart.

Paul needed to assure them – and we need to be assured – that what we have in our Bible is everything that God has said and all that we need to know for faith and life. And salvation is in Jesus Christ Alone. Period. We add nothing – we merit nothing – towards our salvation – and God does not have some secret that we must learn for salvation beyond the Bible.

The Mormons say that the Bible is not enough. The Christian Scientists say that Bible is not enough. The Muslims says that the Bible is not enough. The Roman Catholics say that the Bible is not enough.

Jesus is enough. What God has revealed to us in His Word is enough. What more could God do but send His Son to save us apart from our works?

Paul told the Ephesians that the Holy Spirit was urging him on to Jerusalem and that he didn’t know what was going to happen to him, except that the Holy Spirit told him that he would be imprisoned and afflicted wherever he went.

How would we react to that kind of message from God? “Go to Trenton, and there you will be tortured and imprisoned.”

How does Paul respond to this?

“I do not account my life as of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

Was Paul suicidal? No.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, telling them how God had refused to remove his “thorn in the flesh,” saying that God’s Grace was enough. “For the sake of Christ then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (II Corinthians 12:10, ESV).

Was Paul a masochist? Did he enjoy suffering? No.

The first thing that we ought to understand this morning is that the number one purpose of your life and my life and Paul’s life and the life of the Ephesian elders – and every Christian – the number one purpose of our lives is to glorify God by witnessing to others of salvation in Jesus Alone.

Paul wrote, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18, ESV).

Paul is not saying that we should deny that suffering exists, or that it is painful and undesirable, or that is causes discomfort and sadness. No, we are right to feel all those things when we suffer and when others die. Yet, as Christians, we have hope in Jesus of the life in glory yet to come. So we can press forward, looking to our Hope, enduring suffering and persecution and loss in this life, but not being destroyed by it, so long as we are pressing forward in our goal of spreading the Gospel to the whole world.

I have sarcoidosis. Thus far it is an incurable and, ultimately, fatal disease. Some days I feel pretty well, other days I feel horrible. Some times I end up in the hospital. I see many doctors and take many pills to cope with the effects of the disease and the side-effects of the medications. If I did not know that Jesus and His Gospel is the sure hope of salvation, I would probably hate God. I would be full of self-pity and anger. I don’t like being sick and feeling pain. If I could be completely well, I would gladly be so, and I do spend time researching, going to doctors, and relying on their wisdom.

However, I know the Glory is coming, and through Jesus Christ, I will be received into the Glory and perfected and made holy for His Sake. So, for now, I endure my Jerusalem, and strive to achieve the purpose for which I was created: to glorify God by living my life as a witness to others of salvation in Jesus Alone.

What about you?

Paul continues talking with the Ephesians, telling them that he will never see them again, and so he wants it to be clear to them that he is innocent of their blood, because he had declared the whole counsel of God before them.

We will remember that God told Ezekiel to prophesy, and God told him that if he prophesied and the people ignored him, their blood would be on their own heads, but if he did not prophecy, their blood would be on his head. This is what Paul is alluding to – he is warning the Ephesians that he has taught them everything they need to know, so if any refuse to receive Jesus and His Salvation Alone, Paul is innocent of their unbelief and the punishment that will follow.

Then Paul tells the elders to watch over the flock very carefully – over their parishioners– those whom God has given to them to teach and lead – because wolves were coming to mislead the flock and steal them away – false teachers would do everything they could – inspired by the devil and his angels – the demons – to steal them away. And Paul warns them that the wolves come from two places – from the world – which we would expect – those people out there and their crazy and evil ideas – but also from within the Church. It is a terrible but true thing to know that there are people in leadership and in ministry who – consciously or subconsciously – desire nothing more than to lead people away from Christ.

We famously note the TV preachers who are only in the ministry for the money they can get. But money is not the only reason that people wrongly go into the ministry. Some people go into the ministry to tell people that everything that Bible says is wrong. Some people go into the ministry to lead people into the worship of other gods – gods who are not gods, but illusions or demons. Elders, we must watch out that the people who come into worship are not misled or abused or taken advantage of – and we must check each other that we are not preaching and teaching things contrary to the Scripture. And to do that, we must know the Scripture and believe.

Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15, ESV). “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16, ESV).

The reality is that there are people and creatures fighting against the Gospel, seeking any way that they can to lead people away from Christ and His Salvation, and to confuse us in what we believe and what is True. Let us watch over the flock earnestly.

Paul tells the elders to work hard, with tears, building up the inheritance of the teaching of the Apostles and the whole Word of God. Christianity is not a game; it is not a social club. We are fighting on behalf of Jesus for the souls of the lost. And thanks be to God that Jesus tells us that He will lose no one – no matter how our lives go, despite our sin and failings, Jesus is victorious, and all those He intends to save and bring into His Kingdom will be there. Our work is hard and painful – and joyful – and in the end we have the sure hope that Jesus will accomplish everything He has intended to do, without fail. So we have neither reason to be lazy, nor to despair.

The value of our lives, then, is found in following Christ in thanksgiving for His Salvation. Our salvation is entirely God’s Work, and God’s Plan cannot fail. Still, we are called to work hard for the Gospel – not for our salvation – not to merit God’s Gift – but because God works through us to accomplish His Purposes, and we rightly show God thanks for all that He has done for us – and especially for our salvation – as we follow Him in obedience and see to glorify Him by being witnesses to salvation in Jesus Alone.

Paul tells them that he was even willing to work to support himself, not receive his needs from the Church – which was his due as a minister of the Gospel – but for the sake of the Gospel and the witness he was making, he took nothing from them. And he gave that as an example to them to inspire them to work hard and to provide for the needs of the poor and the suffering and the needy.

And then he told them to “remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” What was Jesus saying?

Jesus was not denying that the person who receives from another gets a blessing. Every time we give to someone, the person who receives the gift gets the blessing of the gift. If you give me a gift, I would be blessed by it; if I give you a gift, you would be blessed by it.

What Jesus was saying is that giving reflects God’s Nature. Paul wrote, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him give us all things?” (Romans 8:32, ESV). God’s Joy was made full in giving His Son to glorify Himself and save us from His Wrath and our sin. God was blessed through the giving of His Son to accomplish salvation. We could give nothing to God to make ourselves worthy or to earn our salvation.

Listen to this amazing word: “[let us look] to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2, ESV). Jesus received joy – Jesus was blessed – through giving Himself – through the Incarnation, His Life, Death on the cross, Resurrection, and Ascension.

What does that mean for us?

When we hear Jesus say, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” we ought to also hear, “We fulfill our joy by giving our all away.” As we give away our things, our money, our time, our ability – everything we have and are, for the sake of the Gospel – we are blessed – we receive joy

“Now wait a minute,” some of you are thinking. “Are you saying that Jesus wants us to give away every last cent we have? Are you saying that we should neglect ourselves and our families and our obligations and all become monks or nuns?”

Not at all. Let us remember a few things:

First, God gave us the Creation to enjoy. Everything that is was given to us for us to enjoy – to see God in and to experience joy through. We do not have the authority to abuse and destroy the Creation – we are to steward the Creation with the same care that God shows for us. Yet everything – except sin – is for our joy.

Second, God promises to provide for all of our needs each day. We pray that in the Lord’s Prayer – and it is a promise – “give us this day our daily bread.” God will provide everything we need to be God’s people and to accomplish God’s Plan for today. We may not receive everything we want. We may not receive what we think we need. But God will provide us with everything He knows we need. And God has given us minds to plan and budget so we know what we really need and what is above our need.

Thirdly, God has promised to bless us with more than we need to keep and use for ourselves. How do we know that? Because God has commanded us to give ten percent of our gross income to the Church. Ten percent of our salary, ten percent of our Social Security. Ten percent of our pension. Ten percent of all of the gross income we make is to be given back to the Church. That is money that we do not need to live on, but is given to us that we might give back that offering to God in thanksgiving.

Fourth, God has given many of us more than we need, more than ten percent that we are to give to the Church, but blessing upon blessings over that – not just in money, but in time and talent, and all variety of spiritual gifts that we can use to bless the Church and others.

“Well, what I have is mine. I earned it, and I don’t see anywhere in the Bible that says I have to give it away. I’m saving it for my retirement – my kinds – my grandchildren – my nieces and nephews.”

That’s partially right: God has given us minds and we ought to be wise with everything He has given to us and use it and invest it well. Most of us ought not to just give everything away without thinking. And it is good and biblical to help our family – especially those who are in need. You and I may be the ones God uses to provide for the needs of our relatives.

The point is not that we have to give. The point is that when we give, we receive blessing and joy. And as we are able and willing – the more that we give – and remember – not just in money, but in time and talent, etc. – the more we give, the more blessing and joy we receive.

The point is that we ought to think over what God has given us in every area and ability and consider how we might best use what we have been given to the Glory of God. What is the best way I can use my abilities and my time and my money to show others that God is glorious and that there is only salvation through Jesus Alone?

And consider this: after your needs are met and you have given your thanksgiving offering to the Church, the more you give away, the less you have to worry about If you give away your money, you don’t need to worry about it being stolen or taxed. If you give away your boat and your ninety-six inch TV, you don’t have to worry about them being stolen. If you donate your time to working at the Church, volunteering to help the needy, and so forth, you won’t have to worry about getting bored. If you give away the things you don’t need, you won’t have to worry about dusting them or finding a place to store them, much less their being stolen.

Jesus is not saying we have to live as impoverished hermits. What Jesus is saying is that God has given all of us blessings in many ways, and He wants us to use them – steward them – invest them – in the best, most God-glorifying way. And, as we do that, we will be blessed and filled with His Joy.

Trust God and see what happens.

After Paul said all these things to the Ephesians, he knelt down before them and they wept together – because Paul had told them he would not see them again, because Paul was looking towards martyrdom.

They embraced him and kissed him and sent him on the ship to Jerusalem.

And so let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank You for the witness of Paul and his farewell to the Ephesians. We thank You for showing us that we exists to glorify You by showing others Your Salvation through Jesus Alone. Help us to find value in our lives by following Christ in thanksgiving for our salvation. And help us to be good stewards of all You have blessed us with, even as You bless us and fill us with Your Joy as we give wisely of all You have given us. For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

Reformed Wisdom

“So true is it universally that what men keep they lose, and what they part with they retain, and the highest happiness is to create and diffuse it.” – John Eadie, Paul the Preacher, 349.