Sermons & Articles

What Your Church Needs from You (Hebrews 10:19-25)

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 16:27:56 GMT

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Hebrews 10:19-25

Special thanks to Roger Thomas for faithfully unpacking God's Word for us on Sunday.

Sermon outline:

Your church needs you to stand up.
Your church needs you to show up.
Your church needs you to speak up.
Your church needs you to step up.
Your church needs you to make up.

Loving a Little (Proverbs 15:16-17)

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 18:28:46 GMT

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Just because the road you’re on is rougher than you think it should be doesn’t mean you’re on the wrong road. You are better off walking through difficult with God than thriving withou t Him. This is not simply because of the eternal reward that awaits those who walk by faith. It’s better for you right now to have “a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.” How so? Because the inner disposition of your heart has a greater impact on your genuine wellbeing than the outward situation in which you find yourself.

This means that you will not be happy with the earthly things you think will make you happy until you’re able to be happy without those things. The way to be content with “a little” is to delight in God’s everlasting love for you more than you delight in anything else. While not every Biblical proverb is a promise, you can take these to the bank. May we all learn the secret of “loving a little”.

(Special thanks to our guest preacher, Allen Day, for faithfully unpacking God's Word for us on Sunday.)

Sermon Outline:

The Bad Way’s Warning.
The Better Way’s Reward.

Judge Not (James 4:11-12)

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 03:37:05 GMT

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James 4:11-12

Bringing the sermon home:

Having just written about the humility produced by godly wisdom, James then devotes the following three passages to three specific examples of the kind of pride he’s denouncing, beginning with critical speech. While the language of “speaking evil against” someone is general enough to include slanderous speech (i.e., telling lies about someone) and maligning speech (i.e., sharing spiteful truths about someone), the rest of this passage indicates that James is primarily focused on judgmental speech (i.e., judging the motives of a person’s heart).

But as James explains, God’s law prohibits such presumptuous, judgmental behavior, and to disobey the law in such a manner is to judge the law. Actually, we’re judging God’s law to be wrong every time we violate it, precisely as our forbearers did in the garden of Eden. But in this case, we’re playing God in additional ways as we presume to know another person’s heart and as we put ourselves in the place of being their judge.

Of the different kinds of sinful judging addressed in the New Testament, including hypocritical judging (see Matthew 7) and legalistic judging (see Romans 14), this presumptuous judging is probably the most common (see also 1 Cor 4:3-5), especially between mem bers of the same church. May we be a people who humble ourselves before the Lord, resolving not to play God when it comes to judging the motives of each other’s heart.

Sermon Outline:

A prime example of not humbling yourself: judgmental speech. (v.11a)
Placing yourself above others places yourself above God’s law. (v.11b)
Presuming to know another person’s heart is playing God. (v.12)

Draw Near to God (James 3:13-4:10)

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 16:35:20 GMT

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James 3:13–4:10

Bringing the sermon home:

Just as healthy trees bear good fruit and diseased trees bear bad fruit ( Mt 7:17 ), godly wisdom produces one kind of fruit and worldly wisdom produces another. The primary fruit of godly wisdom is humility, while the primary fruit of worldly wisdom is pride. Self-serving pride is always at the heart of strife within churches, for disorder always comes down to people seeking their own interests rather than God’s interests.

As James models for us with his strong rebukes and unyielding demands, this is not to say that there are no battles that must be fought in the church. There can be no peace apart from unity, no unity apart from purity, and no purity apart from truth. There is a sense in which we must fight for peace, “contending for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3), but we must do so “with gentleness and respect” (1 Pet 3:15), “speaking the truth in love ” (Eph 4:15), and genuinely aimed at establishing peace.

Having exposed his readers' failure to live up to the three marks of “pure religion” from 1:26-27 , namely (1) concern for the needs of others, (2) control of the tongue, and (3) countering the corrupting influence of the world, James reaches the climax of his letter by declaring that God’s grace is greater than all our sin. What’s in focus in not God’s forgiving grace, but His purifying grace that enables our prone-to-wander hearts to stay true to Him. The only antidote for conflict within the church is the unity that comes from purified hearts. May He make us pure!

Sermon Outline:

You are either sowing peace or strife. (vv. 13-18)
You are either enjoying intimacy with God or with the world. (vv. 1-5)
You are either drawing near to God or to the devil. (vv. 6-10)

Life's Rudder (James 3:1-13)

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 16:16:49 GMT

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James 3:1-13

Bringing the sermon home:

There is a sense in which the most powerful tool any of us have ever wielded is our tongue. As you consider the greatest advancements and the greatest atrocities in human history, they all find their origin in ideas communicated through words . The great power of words is likewise evident even as we zoom in on our individual lives – from our families to our workplaces to our churches.

Nothing matches the power of words to tear down, and nothing matches the power of words to build up. As such, our tongues wield a disproportionate influence upon our lives, so that the use of our tongues actually determines the usefulness of our lives. One way to put it is that our tongues are the rudder of our lives, directing us either toward success or ruin.

James bemoans the fact that “no human being can tame the tongue”. However, implicit both in the wording of this verse and in the flow of thought throughout the letter is the understanding that God can tame our tongues, for He “gives grace to the humble” (4:6). Humbly seek His purifying grace, and He will begin to use your tongue for His good purposes.

Sermon Outline:

Our tongues wield a disproportionate influence upon our lives. (vv. 1-5)
Nothing matches the destructive power of words. (vv. 6-8)
We are to speak only to seek the good of others. (vv. 9-13)

I did nothing; the Word did everything

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 14:26:25 GMT

As I mentioned on Sunday, the title of my sermon was drawn from a famous sermon preached by Martin Luther in March of 1522, about 4.5 years into what we now call the Protestant Reformation. Below is the paragraph I quoted on Sunday:

In short, I will preach [the Word], teach [the Word], write [the Word], but I will constrain no man by force, for faith must come freely without compulsion. Take myself as an example… I simply taught, preached, and wrote God’s Word; otherwise, I did nothing. And while I slept, or drank Wittenberg beer with my friends Philip and Amsdorf, the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that no prince or emperor ever inflicted such losses upon it. I did nothing; the Word did everything . Had I desired to foment trouble, I could have brought great bloodshed upon Germany; indeed, I could have started such a game that even the emperor would not have been safe. But what would it have been? Mere fool’s play. I did nothing; I let the Word do its work… For it is almighty, and takes captive the hearts...

Luther worked tirelessly and risked much, but in comparison to the power of the Word itself, he described his efforts as nothing. In short: the Word did the work.

Praise God for the way He continues to use His Word to change lives and to compel sacrifice! May He continue to do so through the ministries of RHCC for many years to come.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

The Word Did the Work (Acts 19:20)

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 16:39:21 GMT

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Acts 6:7; 12:24; 13:49; 19:20

Bringing the sermon home:

As we journey through the life of the first Christian church and the churches they planted, we consider the implications of four different statements summarizing the growth of the church in the book of Acts where “the Word” (i.e., the gospel) is treated as though it is a force all its own. Upon reflection, Luke’s point becomes clear: the power to change lives resides in the Word itself. As Paul wrote in Romans 1:16, “the gospel… is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” While it’s true that no one will believe unless they hear and that no one will hear unless someone tells them, the power resides in the Word shared.

As such, not only must we be diligent to continue to grow in our knowledge of God’s Word and to share God’s Word with others, but we must also be diligent not to alter or dilute God’s Word, sapping it of its power. Furthermore, if it is “only God who gives the growth” (1 Cor 3:7), we must be diligent to follow the pattern of the first Christians in regularly praying together for God to bless our ministry of the Word to one another and to our neighbors (Acts 4:29; 6:4; 12:12).

Leaving Acts and skipping ahead to the end of the Apostle Paul’s life on earth, we see these same principles continuing to compel him to share the Word with others, even though doing so has brought him great suffering and his imminent death. Knowing that the Word of God cannot be bound, he declares that he endures everything for the sake of the salvation of others. Not only is the Word what changes lives, but the Word is what compels sacrifice. In the end, every church must say, “the Word did the work”.

Follow-up article: " I did nothing; the Word did everything "

Sermon Outline:

The Word is what changes lives. (Acts 6:7; 12:24; 13:49; 19:20)
The Word is what compels sacrifice. (2 Timothy 2:8-10)

Signs of Life (James 2:14-26)

Sun, 02 Jul 2023 20:58:21 GMT

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James 2:14-26

Bringing the sermon home:

James concluded the prior section on the sin of showing partiality with a very challenging word about the absolute necessity of our lives being marked by merciful concern for others, for the final judgment that awaits us all will be “without mercy to one who has shown no mercy.” James is laboring to show that the biggest danger facing the soul of every professing Christian is not some external threat, but rather internal self-deception. This letter has been written and preserved by God for millennia for our instruction, and thus we must take these matters to heart.

Nothing that James writes contradicts the message of the gospel that we find elsewhere in Scripture about the righteousness of Christ being received through faith and not by works (e.g., Romans 3:28). While it’s true that we are saved by faith alone, the faith that saves is never alone: it is a living faith that breathes out works (i.e., loving acts of obedience). May none among our ranks persist in self-deception, but instead may we all fully entrust ourselves to the saving grasp of our Savior (like putting on a parachute and jumping) and may this living faith increasingly bear the signs of life.

Sermon Outline:

The faith that saves does good to others. (vv. 14-18)
The faith that saves is more than mere belief in the truth. (v. 19)
The faith that saves is made evident in obedient action. (vv. 20-26)

Law and Love

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 16:44:40 GMT

The sermon on Sunday was titled “ The Law of Love ”. At the end, I mentioned five ways in which we can think of God’s moral law as “the law of love”. I've summarize those points here.

God’s law is “the law of love ” in the sense that:

It can be summarized in one word: “love your neighbor as yourself” ( Gal 5:14; Rom 13:9 ).
It is a loving gift from God, as God’s law reveals both His character and His good designs for our lives and is thus part of how He seeks our good. This is in part why James has twice referred to God's law as "the law of liberty" ( James 1:25; 2:12 ).
Obedience to God’s law is the means by which we give expression to our love for God ( John 14:15 ).
Obedience to God’s law is motivated by our love for God, which is itself motivated by the love that He has shown to us ( 1 John 4:19 ).
Telling others about God’s law is part of how we love them, earnestly desiring and actively seeking their good by sharing about the only path to true freedom ( James 5:19-20 ).

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

The Law of Love (James 2:1-13)

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 19:40:16 GMT

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James 2:1-13

Bringing the sermon home:

Having just described “religion that is pure and undefiled before God”, James then identifies a specific way that his readers were violating this: showing partiality to the rich in their worship gatherings. Three reasons are given for why this is evil. First, partiality does not value what God values: namely, the people made in His image. That shabbily-dressed visitor who is a believer in Christ is a co-heir of God’s eternal kingdom, and thus we must treat them accordingly.

Secondly, their mistreatment of poor visitors demonstrated that they were adopting the same misvaluing of riches that was leading to their own oppression at the hands of the rich in society. There is a kind of blasphemy in this, as their behavior was speaking falsely about the worth of poor believers for whom Christ died and who now bear His name.

This is just one form of partiality that can be demonstrated within a church. This also applies to what parts of God’s Word we might be tempted to skip over or to try to explain away out of fear of offending either current members/givers or potential members/givers. Another tendency in established congregations is to cater to the negotiable preferences of the current members without regard for the unique needs and equally valid preferences of those we are trying to reach, especially those of a younger generation.

Finally, partiality is evil because it violates the royal law of love. By not quoting Leviticus 19:15 that is explicitly about showing partiality and instead quoting from verse 18 about loving your neighbor as yourself, James is jumping straight to the heart of the matter: a lack of love. To love your neighbor as yourself is to earnestly desire and to actively seek their good, and never their harm. Having been so loved by Christ, we are to show this same love to others.

Sermon Outline:

Partiality does not value what God values. (vv. 1-6a)
Partiality oppresses and blasphemes. (vv. 6b-7)
Partiality violates the royal law of love. (vv. 8-13)

Daily Devotion

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 18:16:12 GMT

God’s “hymnal” begins with these words:

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night . He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)

Those who flourish spiritually are those who deliberately and diligently cultivate the gospel seed that has taken root in their hearts through careful reflection upon God’s “law” (that is, God’s “torah”, or instruction) “day and night”. One resource that many Christians have found helpful in this regard are magazines that provide a daily Scripture reading and a brief reflection that helps you to meditate upon and apply the Scripture to your life. Such publications are often referred to as “daily devotionals”.

Near the welcome table outside of the sanctuary you’ll find a stack of devotionals. “ The Secret Place ” is a small quarterly magazine with the current issue covering June, July, and August. “ Tabletalk ” is the monthly magazine we’re transitioning to, with the current copies beginning in July. In addition to a more substantial daily meditation, this publication provides a handful of additional articles addressing a particular theme each month. Our current order is for 25 copies each month, but if demand is higher, we can definitely enlarge our order!

Regardless of what resources you find helpful, just find an approach that gets you into God’s Word every day. “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation” (1 Pet 2:2). This is your spiritual sustenance. Without it, your “leaf” will wither and die.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

The Implanted Word (James 1:19-27)

Sun, 18 Jun 2023 15:24:14 GMT

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James 1:19-27

Bringing the sermon home:

Having introduced the concept of our conversion (a.k.a. the new birth) in verse 18, the rest of the letter presses the point that this supernatural work of God in our lives is not merely about forgiveness – it’s about newness . True conversion always brings transformation as our hearts are progressively aligned with the heart of God.

Where would you begin your description of the new life produced by the new birth? James begins with our words , showing that our words are the clearest indication of the state of our hearts. As Jesus said, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Mt 12:34). What are your words revealing about you?

James then proceeds to show us that the supernatural work of God in our hearts does not end at our conversion, but continues over time, and thus we are to deliberately and diligently cultivate the gospel seed that has taken root in our hearts. Like a gardener tending a cherished plant, we are to tend the budding spiritual life within us by nourishing it with God’s Word.

However, mere exposure to the words of the Bible in and of itself will not benefit us in any way: we must do what it says. This is why James says that we must receive the Word “with meekness” – we must come to it expecting to be challenged and changed by it.

Having considered the power of the Word to change us for the better, James then notes the power of the world to change us for the worse, calling to us to keep ourselves “unstained from the world.” What’s influencing you more: the Word or the world ? The only way to combat the staining influence of the world is to regularly seek God in His Word.

Sermon Outline:

Conversion brings transformation to the character of God. (vv. 19-21a)
Cultivate the gospel seed that has taken root in your heart. (vv. 21b-25)
Consider what’s influencing you more: the Word or the world. (vv. 26-27)

The Goodness of God (James 1:13-18)

Sun, 11 Jun 2023 20:41:01 GMT

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James 1:13-18

Bringing the sermon home:

This passage continues James’ instructions regarding how to “remain steadfast under trial”. In the preceding verses, James noted that God has a purpose in our trials. The Greek word for "trial" is also the word for "temptation". James now explains that, while it’s true that God allows trials/temptations to refine us, He is in no way tempting us to sin and can never be blamed for our choice to give in to temptation.

Two additional “endurance-principles” emerge, building on the ones from the previous passage:

Do not be deceived about the nature of temptation, for we alone are to blame when we give in to sin.
Do not be deceived about the nature of God, for He is a good Father who delights to give good gifts.

Though we are all broken as a result of sin, God is at work to fix what is broken. The answer to our inner distress is not to let our sin define us, but to receive God’s greatest gift: the gift of new birth through faith in the transforming gospel of Jesus Christ.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.
(Proverbs 3:1-8)

Sermon Outline:

God is not to blame for the allure of sin or our choice to give in. (v. 13)
We are to blame for our choice to give in to our desire for sin. (vv. 14-16)
God is a good Father who gives good gifts, even new birth. (vv. 17-18)

Facing Trials (James 1:1-12)

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 18:56:06 GMT

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James 1:1-12

Bringing the sermon home:

As James writes to suffering Christians dispersed throughout the world, he begins his letter by encouraging them to remain steadfast in the face of trials. From these first twelve verses, we see five “endurance-principals” that we too must adopt as we strive, not only to remain steadfast in the faith, but to experience some measure of joy in the midst of trials:

Living faith endures by viewing yourself as a servant of God, created for His purposes. From one perspective, this should humble us. From another, it should embolden us, for there is no greater honor than being a faithful servant of the living God.
Living faith endures by recognizing that this world is not our home. As such, we should not expect to experience our “best life now”.
Living faith endures by recognizing that God has a purpose for our trials, and that part of this purpose is our spiritual maturation (sanctification) as our faith is tested and refined by hardship.
Living faith endures by turning to God in prayer, seeking spiritual wisdom. From Job and Ecclesiastes, both of which James will reference later in his letter, we know that this spiritual wisdom is the ability to trust God when we can’t understand what He’s doing.
Living faith endures by setting your gaze on the glory of what is yet to come.

May we heed this instruction that we may joyfully endure the trials we face!

Sermon Outline:

Endure by recognizing that God has a purpose in your trials. (vv. 1-4)
Endure by turning to God in prayer, seeking spiritual wisdom. (vv. 5-8)
Endure by setting your gaze on the glory of what is to come. (vv. 9-12)

Return to Christ (Joel 2:1-17)

Sun, 28 May 2023 16:11:19 GMT

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Joel 2:1-17

Bringing the sermon home:

“Sound an alarm on my holy mountain!” Why? “The day of the Lord is coming.” Like Paul Revere’s midnight ride, Joel sounds the alarm of a coming “day of darkness and gloom.” This language should have been shocking for Israel, for it is the language used to describe the destruction of their enemies in the Exodus (Exod 10:21) and in the yet-to-come New Exodus (Isaiah 13:6), but here it is being applied to the Lord’s destruction of His own people. They have refused to repent of their sins and turn to Him, and so the Lord is leading an unstoppable army against them.

Even more shocking than the announcement of this coming judgment upon His people in verses 1–11 is the continued offer of salvation in verses 12–17 if they will simply “Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.”

All of this points to the final judgment to come, leaving us to ask: “Who can stop it, and who can endure it?” (v. 11) There is no stopping it, and yet, for those who will return to the Lord in repentance and faith, we need not fear it, for Jesus has already endured it in our place. During the final three hours that Jesus hung on the cross, “there was darkness over the whole land” (Mark 15:33), for Christ was enduring the dreadful day of the Lord on behalf of His people so that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21). Call on Him, and continue to sound the alarm for all who have not yet been saved.

Outline:

The Lord's Army (vv. 1-11)
The Lord's Call (vv. 12-17)

(Special thanks to our guest preacher, William Beckham , for faithfully unpacking God's Word for us on Sunday.)

The Redeemer (Ruth 4)

Sun, 21 May 2023 21:09:33 GMT

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Ruth 4:1-22

Bringing the sermon home:

The main themes that have been running throughout the book of Ruth reach their climax in the concluding chapter, most notably the theme of God’s providential care for His people as His invisible hand directs the ordinary affairs of ordinary people in ordinary towns to achieve His extraordinary purposes.

Of course, there’s also the theme of humbly seeking redemption, to which is added a new wrinkle in this closing act. Ruth and Naomi’s nearest kinsman redeemer denies them redemption because of what it will cost him, thus highlighting the great cost of redemption and the need for a redeemer who is willing to selflessly sacrifice for the wellbeing of those in desperate need of the redemption that only he can provide.

In case there’s any confusion as to the divine author’s intentions regarding the application of these themes to our lives, the book concludes with the genealogy of King David, which then gets repeated and extended in the opening verses of the Gospel of Matthew, all the way down to the birth of another redeemer in that same little town of Bethlehem: Jesus. The redemption He provides for us came at a great cost to Himself, requiring the selfless sacrifice of His very life.

Let us rejoice in our costly redemption and take heart in knowing that there is no such thing as an “ordinary” life, for God is working all things together to accomplish His extraordinary plan to redeem this fallen world through our great Redeemer.

Sermon Outline:

Redemption comes at a great cost to the redeemer. (vv. 1-6)
Redemption requires selfless sacrifice from the redeemer. (vv. 7-12)
Redemption is a gracious gift of divine providence. (vv. 13-22)

Shadow of Your Wings (Ruth 3)

Sun, 14 May 2023 17:55:58 GMT

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Ruth 3:1-18

Bringing the sermon home:

Having been blessed by the extravagant generosity of their relative, Boaz, Naomi devises a plan for Ruth to propose to Boaz, asking him to fulfill the role of kinsman redeemer (see Lev 25), combined with the law about levirate marriage (see Deut 25). There is much for us to glean from this episode, but none is more important for us than Naomi’s motherly instruction to find redemption by lying at the feet of our Redeemer.

In the incarnation, God the Son literally become our kin. He took on human flesh, becoming our brother, to live the life that we have failed to live and to die the death we deserve for our sins, in our place, so that all who seek shelter under the shadow of His wings will be granted the forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life with Him. Like Ruth at the feet of Boaz, humbly declare yourself to be His servant, and boldly plead for Jesus to spread His wings over you. Unlike Ruth, there is no question about how your Redeemer will respond!

This then leads to one other vital piece of motherly instruction from Naomi to Ruth (and thus to us): patiently wait for the Redeemer to fulfill His promises. As Ruth must wait for Boaz to settle the matter, we must wait for our Redeemer to return and to bring us into His eternal home. And much like Ruth and Naomi, we too have received a pledge of the blessings yet to come: the Holy Spirit who indwells us and the church that serves as the channel through which Christ’s care is extended to us as we wait for Him.

Sermon Outline:

“Forsake not your mother's teaching.” (Proverbs 1:8) (vv. 1-6)
Find redemption by lying at the feet of the Redeemer. (vv. 7-14)
Patiently wait for the Redeemer to fulfill His promises. (vv. 15-18)

Praying for Our State and Society

Tue, 09 May 2023 18:52:21 GMT

Saturday and Sunday confronted us with two more distressing headlines about devastating acts of evil in our state. On Saturday afternoon, a man shot and killed 8 people, including 3 children, outside of an outlet mall in Allen. On Sunday morning, a man drove over and killed 8 people waiting at a bus stop in Brownsville, apparently intentionally. These stories follow closely on the heels of the execution of 5 people, including a child, at their homes just north of Houston a little over a week earlier.

When tragedies like these take place, talk about them tends to dominate the media’s attention, and understandably so. This speaks to our innate desire to want to know why . We tune in and click on updates as they are released because we want an explanation. We are rational and moral creatures, and that leads us to want to be able to make sense of evil deeds like these – to be given some indication of motive.

But the truth is, no amount of information discovered can fully explain a human heart. It is too complex. As we read in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Evil is inherently irrational – it doesn’t make sense. We don’t like to accept this, because it means we can’t fix what is broken with our society.

However, while we can’t make this world a safe place, God can, and so we should pray for Him to intervene – to restrain the evil that seems to be taking over our society. And as we do so, let us not neglect to pray for the families and communities who have been most impacted by these terrible acts. Pray for supernatural healing, and pray for the Lord’s compassion to be poured out upon them through Christ’s people.

It Just So Happened… (Ruth 2)

Sun, 07 May 2023 20:56:38 GMT

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Ruth 2:1-23

Bringing the sermon home:

Having “ come home ” to the Promised Land from Moab, Ruth demonstrates confidence that she will find favor if she will diligently seek for it. Arising early in the morning to set out for the fields, it just so “happened” that she came to a field where the worker in charge permitted her to glean, that the owner of the field came by and noticed her, and that he was a godly man and a relative of her late husband...

The author is signaling to the reader that this was not chance, but providence: the invisible hand of God bringing about His purposes in His world for the good of His people. Whether that providence be bitter (chapter 1) or sweet (chapter 2), we can be confident that the Lord is at work in the lives of His people.

Once the favor that Ruth diligently sought is found in Boaz, “she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”” Have you responded to the unmerited favor offered to you in Christ with such humility, or have you presumed upon His grace? Entitlement hinders us from fully receiving and being transformed by the blessings won for us by Christ.

Boaz beautifully describes God as a mother bird who protects its young, but he does more than simply pray for God’s favor to fall upon Ruth: he embodies it, serving as the means by which God’s favor is poured out upon others. The invisible God is made visible as His people reflect His character, becoming His hands and feet on the earth. We should expect the compassion we have received from God to flow through us in the form of compassion shown to others ( James 2:12-26 ).

Sermon Outline:

We must seek the LORD’s favor with active diligence . (vv. 1-7)
We must seek the LORD’s favor with humble dependence . (vv. 8-16)
We must receive the LORD’s favor with grateful delight . (vv. 17-23)

Coming Home (Ruth 1)

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 17:08:32 GMT

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Ruth 1:1-22

Bringing the sermon home:

The book of Ruth is a well-loved short story, appreciated even by fans of literature who are unconcerned with the Bible and its Author. As one commentator put it: “the narrative has all the elements of good drama: an engaging plot, interesting characters, tension, romance, conflict, people overcoming hardship, and so much more.”

Every piece of good literature is both entertaining and value-shaping, and Ruth is no exception, but as God-breathed Scripture , it is more than just that. All Scriptures is intended to teach us something about God, shaping our theology and thus our lives. The book of Ruth is about ordinary people living in an ordinary place facing (somewhat) ordinary challenges. And yet, in this, we see the God of the universe intervening in the ordinary lives of His people, teaching us that He really does care about us, ordinary as we may be.

The account begins with an Israelite couple fleeing from a famine in the Promised Land (and thus from the special presence of God) to take refuge in the land of Moab (enemies of God’s people). Elimelech and Naomi are clearly meant to picture the nation of Israel as a whole during this time, turning their backs on God and seeking refuge elsewhere. And it does not go well for them. The question being posed to us is this: when life begins to fall apart, where do you turn?

Do you turn to the wisdom of the world – to what seems right in your own eyes – or do you turn to the Lord? So long as you still have breath in your lungs, your Heavenly Father stands with open arms, ready to welcome you home. In the valley of the shadow of death through which we all must travel, God alone is our refuge. Do not let bitterness blind you to the blessings that you have received and that are being offered to all who will come home.

Sermon Outline:

When your life goes from full to empty: How do you respond? (vv. 1-5)
In the valley of the shadow of death, God alone is our refuge. (vv. 6-17)
Bitterness blinds us to our blessings, robbing us of hope. (vv. 18-22)

Challenging Traditions (2 Tim 3:10–4:8)

Sun, 23 Apr 2023 18:53:39 GMT

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( 2 Timothy 3:10–4:8 ; Mark 7:1-13 )

Bringing the sermon home:

One of the most common attacks on the Christian faith that we encounter today has to do with the reliability of the Bible’s transmission over time. Skeptics claim there are hundreds of thousands of variant readings among the surviving New Testament manuscripts and that we can therefore have no confidence regarding what the original documents contained. Even if you’ve never been confronted with this argument, many loved ones around you have. Also, these topics are necessarily raised when we get to the end of the Gospel of Mark (as we did a few Sundays ago) and notice that 12 more verses appear in double-brackets. What’s original? How can we know? These are some of the matters I discussed on Sunday.

However, while it’s important that we take the time to answer these objections, what really keeps people from accepting the Bible has nothing to do with concerns over its transmission history. As Paul explains in 2 Timothy 3–4, what leads people to distort and dismiss God’s Word are their own sinful passions. And what God uses to change hearts and minds with respect to the Bible are the words of the Bible itself. In his book Surviving Religion 101 , Dr. Michael Kruger talks about the way that most Christians have come to believe that the Bible is the word of God: “It is not because they analyzed piles of historical evidences but simply because they read the Bible and recognized that God was speaking there” (145).

This relates to another key point that Paul is making to Timothy: lives transformed by God’s Word testify to its authenticity and authority. With Timothy, we are being called to look at the lives of faithful believers around us and to recognize the supernatural power of these writings.

Furthermore, as we consider the reason the so-called “longer ending” of Mark is still being printed in our modern Bibles, we must consider the words of Jesus in Mark 7:13 about challenging traditions. A foundational commitment of every healthy church is the commitment to subordinate all man-made traditions to the God-breathed Word .

Sermon Outline:

Sinful passions are what lead to the distortion & dismissal of God’s Word.
Lives transformed by God’s Word testify to its authenticity and authority.
Man-made traditions must be challenged by the God-breathed Word.

Promises Worth Waiting For (Luke 2:22-38)

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 18:09:53 GMT

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Luke 2:22-38

Bringing the sermon home:

(A special thanks to our guest preacher, Allen Day , for filling in at the last minute!)

As the newborn Jesus is brought to the temple in Jerusalem for the first time, two older saints immediately recognize that He is the One they have been waiting for. Simeon and Anna are examples to us in many ways. They are examples of patiently waiting for God to fulfill His promises, centering their lives around the worship and service of Him. They are examples of having the spiritual eyes to see Jesus for who He is, and to receive Him as the greatest of God's good gifts. And finally, they are examples of telling others about Jesus as they publicly praise Him and "speak of Him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem."

Those who wait for the Lord to fulfill His promises are content with not being the hero of their own story. There is but one true hero in the story of creation, and our greatest joy is found in celebrating and cherishing Him. No matter whether we're young and feel we have our entire lives ahead of us, or whether we feel we're nearing the end of this life, the path to joy is to put Christ at the center of it all.

Outline:

Shadow meets substance (vv. 22-24)
Looking turns to seeing (vv. 25-35)
Waiting turns to announcing (vv. 36-38)

Ransomed (Mark 16:1-8)

Sun, 09 Apr 2023 17:16:42 GMT

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Mark 16:1-8

Bringing the sermon home:

In the first Christian sermons and public testimonies (e.g., those found in Acts 2–5), why is so much attention given to Christ’s resurrection from the dead? Why does Paul say we’d still be “in our sins” if Christ had not been raised (1 Cor 15:17), and that Christ was “ raised for our justification” (Rom 4:24)? Wasn’t His life and death the price Jesus paid to save us (Mk 10:45)? Yes, but Christ’s resurrection was the evidence that this ransom was accepted by the Father.

That empty tomb on that first Easter Sunday testifies that death has been emptied of its power, for Christ has risen from the dead, conquering death on our behalf. Though we too will taste death, we know that we too will rise from the grave, never to die again, for we have been ransomed from death.

But Christ has not only purchased our liberation from the future consequences of our sin (i.e., death), He also purchased our liberation from our current enslavement to that sin here and now. Put differently, He has ransomed us from both the penalty and the power of sin, enabling us to now walk in newness of life with Him (Rom 6:4-14).

Mark’s Gospel abruptly ends with the climax of a theme that has been woven throughout the Gospel: the theme of not telling others about Jesus, as those who found the empty tomb “said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” The question posed to the reader is not whether these three women will take courage and tell others about Jesus, but whether you will. Let His resurrection power be made visible as you overcome the fear of telling others about Jesus !

Outline:

Ransomed from death (the penalty of sin).
Ransomed from slavery (the power of sin).
Ransomed from fear (the pointlessness of sin).

There is No Love in Lies

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 19:45:32 GMT

Yesterday, Rosaria Butterfield published an article about why she no longer adopts self-chosen pronouns when speaking to or about those who identify as transgender. If you’re not familiar with Rosaria, she’s most well known for her 2012 book, “ The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert ”, which recounts her transformation from being a lesbian, LGBTQ+ activist professor of women’s studies to becoming a Christian, and eventually to becoming a pastor’s wife.

In yesterday’s article, she tells the story of Laura Perry Smalts, author of “ Transgender to Transformed ”. Laura spent years identifying as a transgender man, pumping herself full of testosterone and undergoing gender-denying surgeries to mutilate her God-given body. During that season in her life, her parents and the members of her childhood church refused to adopt her self-chosen pronouns. And yet, “when the Lord enlivened her heart and mind with the gospel, she returned to the church of her youth… Why did she return to them? Their refusal to lie compelled her trust.”

A powerful, 4.5 minute video about Laura’s testimony can be found here . I strongly encourage you to watch it. A longer version can be found here , and a full-length movie entitled “In His Image” that contains her story and many others can be found here . That movie helpfully begins by repudiating the sinful attitudes and messages of some so-called “Christians” who express hatred toward fellow image-bearers that struggle with LGBTQ+ related issues. There is no room for hate. There is also no love in lies. Compromise is not the answer – compassionate clarity is the answer. Love speaks truth.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Looking for the Kingdom (Mark 15:42-47)

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 13:55:26 GMT

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Mark 15:42-47

Bringing the sermon home:

The account of Jesus’s death by crucifixion concludes with His burial in a tomb, an honor not normally permitted to men crucified by the Romans as treasonous rebels. With Jesus’s twelve closest disciples having either betrayed Him, openly denied Him, or otherwise deserted Him, it is surprising that anyone would come forward to make this request of Pilate, especially a member of the Sanhedrin.

Joseph of Arimathea is being presented to us as an example to follow in two main ways. First, he is presented as someone who is “looking for the kingdom of God”. In the midst of life in this broken world, we too are to be looking beyond this world to the kingdom that has still yet to come. And not only that, but we are to be looking for the advancement of that kingdom in the hearts and lives of people here and now as we help them to know and serve our crucified-yet-risen King.

Secondly, like Joseph, who had formerly been afraid to identify as a disciple of Jesus (Jn 19:38), we too must “take courage” to boldly identify as citizens of Christ’s kingdom in a world that is hostile to His reign. This has been a consistent theme throughout the second half of Mark’s Gospel, ever since Jesus first announced that He had come to die and that anyone who is ashamed to take up their cross and follow Him cannot be His disciple (8:34-38).

Finally, while Joseph is being presented as an example in these ways, he is also being presented as someone who has not yet found what he's looking for. He doesn’t realize that the One he’s wrapping in a linen shroud and sealing in a tomb is the King of that sought-after kingdom. We must all accept that our King died to purchase our citizenship.

Outline:

Look for the kingdom of God to come. (vv.42-43a)
Boldly identify as a citizen of that kingdom now. (vv.43b-45)
Accept that your King died to purchase your citizenship. (vv.46-47)

Praying for Nashville

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 14:40:24 GMT

(On Monday morning, 3 young children and 3 staff members of a Christian school were murdered by a lone shooter, including the 9-year-old daughter of the church’s senior pastor.)

Father, as we grieve with the six families and their classmates who have suffered the loss of loved ones, we pray for Your peace, which surpasses all understanding, to guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. For the broader community that has been shaken by this evil, we pray they will bring their hurt, anger, fear, and confusion before You in prayer, pouring out their hearts as they lift their gaze to You. May all who are grieved by the evils that surround us find our refuge in You. Help us to give proper expression to our grief, joining the lamentation of the Psalmist as we cry:

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? (Ps 13:1-2)

With the speculation that these victims were targeted due to their association with Christ and His teachings, we pray for our society to stop vilifying those who tell the truth about sin, in all its forms. Silence the voices of all who seek to foment hatred of others, especially hatred of those who stand against the flood of debauchery that has been embraced by our culture. Let there be an awakening throughout our society to the devastation that is caused by encouraging people to give themselves over to darkness by rejecting Your good designs for human sexuality and gender. Let the light of the gospel penetrate the hearts of all who have been led astray by this wickedness, drawing them near to You – their good and loving Creator – that they may join all the redeemed in rejoicing over the forgiveness of sins and the blessing of embracing Your good designs for our lives. Bless our nation with an awakening to the truth.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Crucified-yet-Risen Savior, we pray. Amen.

The Priest’s Sacrifice (Mark 15:33-41)

Sun, 26 Mar 2023 19:03:13 GMT

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Mark 15:33-41

Bringing the sermon home:

At the heart of this passage are the parallels with the first Passover. The 3 hours of darkness that fell over the land of Israel in the middle of the day just before Jesus died mirror the 3 days of darkness that fell over the land of Egypt just before the 10th and final plague, where every house experienced either the death of their firstborn son or the death of a Passover lamb. Here, our Passover Lamb is the very Son of God.

He willingly endured forsakenness from the Father so that we never have to. The sufferings we face in this life can be severe, but for those who have been united to Christ through faith, you can be assured that He will never leave you or forsake you. His spiritual presence will comfort and uphold you until the day He brings you into His visible presence forever. This is what He accomplished on your behalf on that cross.

In the moment of His death, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, signifying that access to God’s presence has been opened for all who desire it. You need not travel to the so-called “Holy Land” or spill the blood of an animal or rely on some priest to grant you access. You need to simply receive Jesus has your Great High Priest, trusting in the perfect sacrifice He offered once for all: the sacrifice of Himself.

Let go of your guilt. Let go of your shame. Draw near to God through Jesus.

Outline:

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. (vv. 33-37)
The entrance to God’s presence has been opened, so draw near! (v. 38)
We draw near through faith in our Priest’s sacrifice: Himself. (vv. 39-41)

The Man in the Middle

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 16:37:38 GMT

In the sermon on Sunday, I referenced the change that took place in the heart of one of the two rebels hanging on crosses to the left and right of Jesus, as recorded in Luke 23:39-43 . Something that man saw and heard during Jesus’ six hours on the cross transformed his reviling into believing. There is no clearer picture of the means by which we are declared righteous before God (it is not by good works or religious rituals, but by faith alone ), and there is no clearer picture of the blessings that Jesus offers (it is about eternal life in the world to come, not about living the good life here and now).

After the service, someone mentioned a famous line from a portion of a sermon that was preached at a conference back in 2019. A four minute clip of that sermon went somewhat viral, and for good reason. I knew exactly what this person was referring to when he said, “The man on the middle cross said I can come.” If you haven’t at least seen that brief clip, please watch it.

As Alistair Begg imagines the scene when this “thief” on the cross approaches the so-called “pearly gates”, the story reaches a climax with these words:

Eventually, in frustration, [the guarding angel] says, “On what basis are you here?”

And [the redeemed rebel] said, “The man on the middle cross said I can come.”

Now, that is the only answer. That is the only answer. And if I don’t preach the gospel to myself all day and every day, then I will find myself beginning to trust myself, trust my experience, which is part of my fallenness as a man. If I take my eyes off the cross, I can then give only lip service to its efficacy while at the same time living as if my salvation depends upon me.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Mocked and Reviled (Mark 15:16-32)

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 17:06:02 GMT

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Mark 15:16-32

Bringing the sermon home:

Before leading Jesus from the place of conviction to the place of execution, a battalion of Roman soldiers take Him somewhere inside the palace to entertain themselves with cruelty. This is the first of four groups of people within the passage who mock and revile His claims to Kingship. This is a picture of rejecting Jesus as your King and is thus a picture of our sin. Each time we consciously sin against our Creator, we mock and revile His claims of authority over us, spitting the words “You’re not the King of me.”

Verses 21 through 25 paint a contrast between one man who serves Jesus by carrying His cross and a group of men who take from Jesus by stripping Him of His clothing. While it’s true that in this case Simon of Cyrene was forced into this humble service, we’re clearly meant to see in this a picture of Jesus’s command to take up your cross to follow Him (8:34-38), denying yourself earthly blessings while receiving eternal blessings. Notice that the emphasis of the passage is not on Jesus’ physical suffering throughout this ordeal, but on the mocking and reviling He received, for that is what every follower of His is being called to likewise endure in our service of Him.

In a shocking display of irony, the taunts from the second and third group of mockers and revilers actually get to the heart of the gospel. The passersby shout “save yourself, and come down from the cross,” while the chief priests shout “He saved others; he cannot save himself”. The sinless Savior absolutely could have come down from that cross, but had He saved Himself, then no sinner could be saved. Beholding Him there, in your place, will you “see and believe”?

Outline:

A picture of rejecting Jesus as your King. (vv. 16-20)
A picture of receiving Jesus as your King. (vv. 21-25)
The King was punished as a rebel, with rebels, for rebels. (vv. 26-32)

Loving "Enemies"

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 18:54:30 GMT

We had a good crowd on Sunday evening as we further considered the message of the minor prophets . While chapter 1 of Joel addresses the current and coming judgment of the people of Israel, chapter 3 zooms out to address the coming judgment of the nations, with particular attention given to opponents of God’s people. This is a common pattern in the minor prophets, though the order is sometimes different.

For those today who know they are numbered among God’s faithful remnant through faith in Christ, we can sometimes struggle to know how to respond to passages about the coming judgment of the opponents of God’s people. As we walked through Zephaniah on Sunday evening, I noted five P’s regarding how to respond, and I’ve added a sixth:

Pity : We are to pity those who have not yet been “granted repentance” (Acts 11:18; 2 Tim 2:25), knowing that we are no less deserving of judgment, for “The Lord has taken away the judgments against you” (Zeph 3:15) by bearing them Himself.
Proclaim : It was a gracious thing for the Lord to proclaim these warnings through the prophets (Zeph 3:1). We must likewise proclaim the good news of salvation and the bad news of judgment so that others may also be saved.
Pray : Pray for God to use your proclamation to save others (Zeph 2:1-3).
Praise : “Sing aloud” with God (Zeph 3:14-17) for His glorious work of salvation.
Pursue Purity : Walk by the Spirit so that your speech (and conduct) may be changed “to a pure speech” (Zeph 3:9), for that is why the Spirit has been given (2 Cor 6:16–7:1).
Patiently Endure : Count no one as your enemy, but instead “wait for me” (Zeph 3:8), knowing that justice will be done and God “will change [your] shame into praise” (3:18-19).

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Where do you go when tragedy strikes? (Joel 1)

Sun, 12 Mar 2023 21:05:01 GMT

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Joel 1

Bringing the sermon home:

Of all the prophetic books in the Hebrew Bible, the book of Joel is the most difficult to date, as there are no timeframe references within the book itself and no references to Joel’s prophetic ministry in any other book. However, regardless of whether it was written before or after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC and the return from exile nearly 50 years later, Joel’s primary message is the same as that of the other prophets: return to the Lord , for a great day of judgment is coming.

As with many portions of these prophetic books, the first chapter of Joel is heavy. It begins by describing an invasion of locusts that has brought great suffering upon God’s people. Joel announces that this is but a foretaste of the judgment that is coming if they will not repent. While it’s true that we live in a different day and are under a different covenant, it’s still the case that these words “were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come” ( 1 Cor 10:11; cf. Rom 15:4 ).

Words of judgment help us to more fully appreciate the holiness of God and the seriousness of sin, all with the aim that we would then more fully appreciate the gloriousness of grace that we have been shown in Christ, who bore the punishment we deserve in our place. Also, as with His Old Covenant people, the Lord still disciplines His New Covenant people when they persist in going their own way. As Jesus wrote to the church in Laodicea: “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent” (Rev 3:19).

Outline:

The Previous Crisis (vv. 1-4)
The People's Cries (vv. 5-13)
The Powerful Call (vv. 14-20)

(Special thanks to our guest preacher, William Beckham , for faithfully unpacking God's Word for us on Sunday.)

The Charges Against You (Mark 15:1-15)

Sun, 05 Mar 2023 19:38:02 GMT

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Mark 15:1-15

Bringing the sermon home:

As Jesus is brought before Pilate, the Roman governor, He is charged with treason, for He has declared Himself to be the long-promised Messiah, and any claim to kingship was seen as a rejection of the rule of the Roman Emperor. Jesus accepts the charges, but in a way that indicates some measure of reserve. While He is “the King of the Jews”, He is far more than that: He is the King of all the earth and the only Savior of the world.

As the chief priests accuse Jesus of many other things, Jesus remains silent. Pilate is amazed that Jesus doesn't defend Himself against what Pilate understands are spurious charges, but Jesus is not ultimately standing trial for Himself. Instead, He is laying His life down in place of the guilty.

The great exchange of the gospel is powerfully illustrated as an insurrectionist is set free while an innocent man is condemned to die. Those are the same charges that will be brought against you on the last day, for we have all treasonously rejected the kingship of our Creator. Do you accept the charges against you? Are you a participant in this exchange?

Not only are we being called to see ourselves in the treasonous rebel, Barabbas, but in the crowd who called for his release. Like them, it is often the case that the deliverance we want (revolution) is not the deliverance we need (salvation). We must not allow ourselves to be swept up by the mob. Instead, we must so delight in what we have already been given that we are willing, like Jesus, to suffer the mob's fury, that the beauty of the gospel may be displayed in us.

Outline:

The charge: a claim to be king. The confession: not just any king. (vv. 1-2)
The Lamb goes quietly to the slaughter as the willing sacrifice. (vv. 3-5)
The innocent is condemned while the insurrectionist is set free. (vv. 6-11)
The deliverance we want is not the deliverance we need. (vv. 12-15)

Milk Babies

wallysays@att.net (Bill Walther) — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 17:05:16 GMT

Last week, in our Ash Wednesday service , we looked at Hebrews 5:7–6:3 , which is also where this year’s Lenten Devotional begins its set of readings for the 46 days of Lent. We read this in the introduction of our devotional:

"The second half of Hebrews explores the work of Jesus. The letter describes what Jesus hasaccomplished along with what he continues to be doing now that he has ascended into heaven. The writer invites us to find deep assurance in the finality of Christ’s work on earth… [and] in the on-going work of Christ." (Tim Chester, Forgiven , 2)

For a book aimed at helping us find “deep assurance” in Christ’s work to save us, you may be surprised at the number of passages in Hebrews that warn of the danger of falling away. While some people find such “warning passages” troubling, they are not intended to cause us to doubt our salvation, but to call us to hold fast to the only “sure and steadfast anchor of the soul”: Jesus Christ Himself.

In 5:11, the letter takes an unexpected turn. Having introduced a topic that he intends to flesh out more fully (i.e., the Melchizedekian priesthood of Jesus), he suddenly confronts them with one of the main reasons they are so susceptible to falling away from Christ: they don’t know their Bibles as well as they ought. They are “milk babies”, to use a term that someone mentioned in our Sunday Evening Gathering on Sunday (see 5:12-13). This is how serious continual growth in your knowledge of the Bible is: it’s one of the main things that enables you to hold fast to Christ.

So “let us press on to know the Lord” (Hosea 6:3), that we may not remain “milk babies”, susceptible to falling away, but rather “mature” believers who possess “full assurance of hope until the end” (5:14; 6:11).

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Who’s on Trial? (Mark 14:53-65)

wallysays@att.net (Bill Walther) — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 16:40:44 GMT

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Mark 14:53-65

Bringing the sermon home:

One New York Senator is famous for having said, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.” And yet, people are often unconcerned with whether their opinions are in accord with the facts. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in people’s opinions about Jesus.

We see this in the trial of Jesus before the Jewish high court. The light had come into the world, exposing the darkness of human hearts, but in response, these leaders hardened themselves against that light. Their minds were made up, and they could not be bothered with the facts. Does your understanding of who Jesus is accord with the facts?

When asked to answer the charges, Jesus remained silent. Why? Because although He was guiltless, He was standing trial for every guilty sinner who would ever put their trust in Him for the forgiveness of their sins, for He had come to die in their place. As we observe His silence, we must accept that He stood trial in our place.

Mark embedded his account of Jesus’ trial before the council in the middle of his account of Peter’s trial in the courtyard. This stark contrast calls us to reflect upon our own commission to bear witness to the facts about Jesus in the midst of a culture that has already made up its mind about Him. Do you more closely resemble the Peter who was ashamed of Jesus in that courtyard, or the Peter who went on to boldly bear witness to Christ, even to the point of death?

Outline:

“My mind is made up. Don’t confuse me with the facts.” (vv. 53-59)
We must accept that He stood trial in our place. (vv. 60-61a)
It is blasphemous to judge the Judge of all creation. (vv. 61b-65)

Press On (Hebrews 5:7–6:3)

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 16:54:31 GMT

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Hebrews 5:7–6:3

Bringing the sermon home:

The passage begins: "In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence." As we look at Jesus' prayer session in the Garden of Gethsemane, hours before His arrest, how can we say that His prayers were heard? The “cup” of God’s wrath was not removed from Him, for He drank it down to the dregs (Mark 14:36).

We can say that Jesus' prayer was heard because the Father’s will was done, for in answer to His prayers, the Father strengthened the Son to follow through with that will. Further, we can say that Jesus' prayer was heard because He did not stay dead, for He was ultimately saved from death, as too will we who have trusted in that death for the forgiveness of our sins.

In calling his readers to hold fast to Christ alone and to not return to the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant, the author of Hebrews suddenly confronts them with their main problem: they are "unskilled in the word of righteousness". Remaining a spiritual infant is not a viable option for a Christian, or we will be perpetually susceptible to falling away from Christ. We must press on to know Him more fully through the continual study of His Word.

(See follow-up article here: Milk Babies )

Fight, flee, or . . .? (Mark 14:43-54, 66-72)

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 15:58:01 GMT

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Mark 14:43-54, 66-72

Bringing the sermon home:

As Jesus is arrested at Gethsemane, we see that the disciples were willing to fight for a political Messiah, but Jesus was not a political Messiah. He had not come to liberate the nation of Israel from the oppressive rule of the Romans. And as the Apostle Paul wrote, “the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh” (2 Cor 10:4). Rather than taking up arms, the followers of Christ are to advance His kingdom through the proclamation of His Word and through being willing to endure suffering for the sake of identifying with Him.

As it becomes clear that Jesus is not the political Messiah they thought He was, we see that the disciples were willing to flee from a “ failed ” Messiah, meaning from one who did not meet their expectations for deliverance. What’s at issue for us is not whether we stay or flee from any particular persecution, but whether we flee from our identification with Him when the persecution comes.

We must not fight , and we must not flee . Instead, we must follow the path of our suffering Messiah, who, in love, came to “give his life as a ransom for many” (10:45). Because Jesus remained faithful in our place, we can now be faithful to the end, knowing that suffering endured for the name of Christ is never wasted.

Outline:

The disciples were willing to fight for a political Messiah…
and they were willing to flee from a failed Messiah…
but they were not willing to follow a suffering Messiah…
until Jesus rose from the dead!

A Fellowship of Failures

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 18:59:59 GMT

As we study the Scriptures, particularly historical narratives, it’s helpful to consider the question: Why record this? For example: Why record Jesus’ announcement that all of the disciples are going to abandon Him in His greatest hour of need, and that one of them is going to deny even knowing Him rather than accepting the suffering that would come from remaining faithful? Doesn’t this record of the Apostles’ failures undercut their influence in the church?

Given the vivid contrast between the disciples’ prayerlessness and Jesus’ prayerfulness , this is clearly recorded to instruct us in the danger of being self-reliant. But perhaps there’s more to be learned. In his commentary on Mark, Sinclair Ferguson reflects: “We ourselves fail; others fail us; Christ alone is unfailing. Put your trust first in Him, and learn to live within the fellowship of failures knowing that He will never fail you” ( Let's Study Mark , 236).

Not a very good tagline for a church: “Come join this ‘ fellowship of failures ’!” But, of course, it’s true. The early church did not need to worry about undercutting the influence of its human leaders because the call to become a Christian is not a call to follow men – it’s a call to follow Christ. The first churches were not following great charismatic leaders – they were following the crucified-yet-Risen Savior. Their trust was in Him, not in the Apostles or in each other.

Yes, we need one another, for the members of the body of Christ are vital channels through which God provides the grace we need to persevere, and this is a major part of why we join a local church ( Heb 3:12-14; 10:24-25 ). However , we are not shocked when we fail one another, for none of us have yet “arrived” at perfection. In accepting one another as good gifts of God’s grace, we are also being called to be gracious in the face of each other’s failings.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Your Will Be Done (Mark 14:27-42)

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 20:57:15 GMT

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Mark 14:27-42

Bringing the sermon home:

As Jesus leads His 11 closest disciples from His “Last Supper” to what many have referred to as His “prayer garden” in Gethsemane, a vivid contrast is drawn between Jesus and His disciples. Jesus announces that they “will all fall away”, as foretold in the prophecy of Zechariah 13:7 . In response, they insist they will not and that they are all willing to die for Him. They are wrongly self-assured and self-confident, for they are sinfully self-reliant.

This becomes even more clear during Jesus’ time of prayer in the garden. He asks three of them to keep watch while He prays, but they keep falling asleep. He rouses them and commands them to pray for faithfulness in the face of the coming temptation (i.e., to flee from the mob when they come to arrest Jesus and to then deny knowing Him when confronted). Instead of preparing for the temptation through prayer, they return to their slumber.

In these disciples, we see the number one sign of sinful self-reliance: prayerlessness. In Jesus, we see the number one sign of humble dependence: prayerfulness. What means of grace are you consistently neglecting in your life? How is your devotional life of daily times of prayer and study? Are you faithful to seize hold of the grace given through gathering each Lord’s Day to sing, pray, read, study, and dine at the Lord’s Table? If not, does your neglect indicate sinful self-reliance? The spirit may be willing to live for Christ, but the flesh is weak, and thus we must avail ourselves of every means of grace that God has instituted for our good.

Outline:

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (vv.27-31).
Prayer glorifies God and prepares our hearts for submission (vv.32-36).
The spirit may be willing, but the flesh is weak, so pray! (vv.37-42).

The Ordinances: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 20:02:21 GMT

In preaching through the Gospel of Mark on Sunday mornings, we arrived at Jesus’ “Last Supper” the last two weeks. You can’t reflect on the Lord’s final observance of the Passover meal, which commemorated the establishment of the Old Covenant, without also giving attention to the new Passover meal He was instituting to commemorate the establishment of the New Covenant: the Lord’s Supper.

While nothing in Matthew, Mark, or John gives any indication that some aspect of Jesus’ Last Supper is supposed to be repeated as a memorial in a similar fashion to the first Passover meal, Luke’s account does provide one such indication:

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. ” (Luke 22:19)

If this were all we had to go on, we’d be left with quite a few questions, such as (1) how frequently to observe the meal, (2) in what context, (3) with what elements, and (4) with what attitude. Thankfully, these questions are largely answered for us in the one place in the Bible where the Lord’s Supper is directly referenced: 1 Corinthians 10–11 .

However, there are still questions about this practice that are not explicitly answered in those two chapters, thus requiring us to make deductions from everything we find in the Scriptures. Having addressed some of those matters in our times together this last Sunday morning and evening, there is one specific matter that I would like to dwell on further: the relationship between water baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

There are numerous means of grace that God has instituted for our spiritual growth, including the reading and study of Scripture, prayer, singing, and regularly gathering together for each of these means and for the public proclamation of God’s Word. Of the means of grace that God has instituted, water baptism and the Lord’s Supper are often set apart from the rest and uniquely labeled as either “ordinances” or “sacraments”.

As I explained on Sunday evening, I avoid using the term “sacrament” due to its close association with the sacramental system of the Roman Catholic Church, which wrongly teaches that four sacraments in particular are actually “necessary for salvation”, claiming they impart saving grace rather than merely sanctifying and sustaining grace, while God’s Word unambiguously teaches that saving grace can only be received through faith, not rituals (e.g., Rom 3:21-26 ).

Instead, when referring to water baptism and the Lord’s Supper together, I prefer to either use the term “ordinance” (which simply means command ) or “rite” (which simply means ceremony ), both of which are found in relation to the Old Covenant ordinance/rite of the Passover meal in Exodus 12:24 (depending on the translation).

So, what is the relationship between the only two ordinances/rites of the New Covenant?

Clearly, one major difference is that we are only baptized once , while we partake of the Lord’s Supper every Lord’s day ( 1 Cor 11:18-20; 16:1-2; Acts 20:7; Rev 1:10 ). Why aren’t we baptized every week, or once a year, or every time we are newly convicted about our need to follow Jesus more faithfully? The reason we aren’t baptized multiple times is because we aren’t converted multiple times. That is, we experience the new birth and are brought from spiritual death to spiritual life the moment we first place our trust in Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, and that only ever happens once in a person’s life ( Acts 10:47-48; Gal 3:2 ). Baptism is closely connected with conversion, picturing our new birth ( Rom 6:1-4 ) and declaring to others that we have been united with Christ through faith and are now members of the New Covenant ( Acts 2:37-41 ).

The Lord’s Supper, on the other hand, is not designed to picture our conversion, but rather to picture the sacrifice of Christ by which we have been saved. While baptism declares and celebrates our initial entrance into a covenant relationship with God, the Lord’s Supper declares and celebrates that ongoing relationship. This is one of the reasons why a Christan’s observance of baptism should precede their observance of the Lord’s Supper: we must first declare ourselves to be part of the covenant family before we take our seat at the family table. Like the Passover meal that was being observed when the Lord’s Supper was first instituted, both are clearly covenant meals, which is to say that they are designed to commemorate the establishment of a covenant between God and a particular group of people and are thus reserved for those who have publicly identified themselves as members of the covenant being commemorated, whether through circumcision ( Exodus 12:48 ) or baptism ( Acts 2:41 ), respectively.

The ordinance of baptism is so closely associated with conversion that the Apostles can use the language and imagery of baptism as shorthand for our entire conversion experience ( Rom 6:1-4; 1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:26-27; Col 2:11-12; 1 Pet 3:21 ). There is simply no category in the New Testament for a believer who has not been baptized. The very first aspect of disciple-making that is enumerated in the great commission is baptism:

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Then, we read this in the only passage that gives us direct instructions regarding our observance of the Lord’s Supper:

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. (1 Cor 11:27-32)

The Lord’s Supper is for the self-examined, repentant believer. To knowingly refuse to obey one of Christ’s commands is sinful, and Christ has commanded that we be baptized ( Matt 28:19; Acts 2:37-41; 10:48 ). Thus, to partake of the Lord’s Supper while refusing to obey this command to be baptized would be to partake in an unworthy manner, and thus to invite God’s judgment. This is why we lovingly call all people to place their trust in Christ, to repent of their sin, to be baptized, and then to come the table.

Let us give thanks for every means of grace that God has given to us, seizing hold of each one as we heed the instructions of the Giver of these gifts.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

The Last Supper (Mark 14:22-26)

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 19:59:38 GMT

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Mark 14:22-26

Bringing the sermon home:

The biggest debates of our age, whether cultural, political, or religious, are all worldview debates, and nothing shapes your view of the world more than your view of God. What comes into your mind when you think about God, and how is that view being shaped week after week?

For those covered by His blood, Jesus has paid it all (vv.22-25).

As Jesus and His twelve closest disciples partook of His final Passover meal, contemplating the significance of the roasted lamb, bitter herbs, and unleavened bread (Exodus 12), Jesus suddenly broke with tradition and invested new meaning into two of the elements of the supper: the bread and the cup. Rather than pointing backward to the first Exodus, these new symbols were pointing forward to the new Exodus that was about to begin with the once-and-for-all sacrifice of a new Passover Lamb: Jesus Himself. What are you trusting in to be made right with God?
His steadfast love endures forever (v.26).

Have you ever considered the mood as Jesus sang a final hymn (possibly Psalm 118) with His disciples? Knowing what awaited Him just hours away, Jesus sang a song of praise to His Father. In Jesus, have you so “tasted and seen that the Lord is good” that you can sing His praises, even as you march toward suffering?
At His table, we receive His sanctifying and sustaining grace (1 Cor 10–11).

While saving grace is only received through faith, sanctifying and sustaining grace are received through each of the means of grace that God has instituted, including the Lord’s Supper. Do you approach His table each week with both humble self-examination and joyous celebration, eager to receive this grace that shapes your view of God?

Water Carriers for Jesus

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 17:32:38 GMT

As Jesus gives instructions to two of His disciples about preparing for the Passover, He instructs them to “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’” (Mark 14:13-14).

Put yourself in the shoes of these four men. Presuming that the water carrier was given his instructions in advance, along with the master of the house, then we see four very menial tasks, one being to simply carry a jar of water and lead two men to a house. And yet, each task was essential for the preparation of the Lord’s “Last Supper”.

Apart from the ability to pipe clean water into people’s homes, someone must do the hard work of physically transporting water from rivers and wells. In the business world, it has become common to use the metaphor of a “water carrier” to refer to employees who quietly and faithfully go about the mundane tasks that must be done, but which almost always go unnoticed.

Not every follower of Jesus is called to sell everything and become a foreign missionary, or to plant a new church, or to otherwise commit to full-time ministry, but each one of us is called to be a “water carrier” – to quietly and faithfully go about the everyday tasks to which He has called us: to seek Him in His Word and prayer, fight sin, share the gospel, gather regularly for worship, fellowship, and equipping, serve the church, and love your neighbor.

No one is going to write a biography about your everyday faithfulness. It may be that no one will even notice. But God sees, and God smiles upon your selfless obedience, so be a water carrier for Jesus.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Is it I, Lord? (Mark 14:10-21)

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 15:44:45 GMT

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Mark 14:10-21

Bringing the sermon home:

As the events of “Holy Week” unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that Jesus is not the kind of Messiah everyone had expected. Instead of mounting a political takeover, He keeps talking about His own impending death and even about the coming destruction of Jerusalem rather than its liberation . With this in view, and with the arrival of the Passover, Mark contrasts the actions of two of Christ’s disciples in 14:1-21.

Discipleship calls for humble sacrifice (vv.1-11).

As a dividing line is drawn, we begin to see that there have always been two types of people who follow Jesus: those who do so because of what they think they can get from Him, and those who do so because He is worthy of all that we have to give to Him. The genuine disciple is willing to trade everything to get Jesus while the false disciple is willing to trade Jesus to get what they really want.
Discipleship calls for humble self-examination (vv.12-20).

As the 11 other disciples discover that one of the 12 is going to betray Jesus, their thoughts don’t turn outward, but inward, with each of them asking: “Is it I, Lord?” Like those 11 faithful followers, we must recognize our own capacity for betrayal and ask: “Am I a Mary, or am I a Judas?” Are your expectations for the life of discipleship in line with His promises, or, like Judas, are you following Him for the wrong reasons?
Discipleship calls for humble submission to God’s will (v.21).

Jesus humbly submitted to the Father’s will, knowing the great cost to Himself. Will you walk in faithfulness to God’s revealed will for your life, praying “thy will, not my will, no matter the cost”?

God’s Good Gifts (Psalm 127)

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 21:22:59 GMT

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( Psalm 127 )

Bringing the sermon home:

A foundational commitment of every healthy church is the commitment to celebrate God's good gifts, especially the good gift of children, honoring and protecting all human life from the moment of fertilization until natural death .

The proverbial wisdom of this Psalm calls us to reflect upon four of God’s good gifts: success (v.1a), security (v.1b), sustenance (v.2), and sons and daughters (vv.3-5).

All of life depends upon God’s blessing (vv.1-2).

Whatever you are seeking to build (e.g., a house, business, family, church, kingdom), the decisive factor is not your efforts, talents, or wisdom, but rather the will of your Maker. The question being posed to you is this: Will you seek His blessing? To seek His blessing is to seek to align yourself with His will through prayer and the study of His Word, that you may do all you do with God in view .
Children are one of God’s greatest gifts (v.3).

The good gift of children is worthy of praise from us all, even those to whom this gift has been withheld, for we must all have our priorities and worldview shaped by this wisdom. Our culture has lost sight of the blessing of responsibility in general, but all the best gifts come with responsibility as part of the goodness of the gift (Gen 1:28).
We must not spurn God’s good gifts (vv.4-5).

A society that has deliberately killed an average of 1.3 million preborn babies each of the last 50 years is a society that has willfully chosen to “call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness” (Isa 5:20). This is not merely foolish and self-destructive, but evil. The people of God must celebrate all of God's good gifts and labor to help our neighbors do the same.

God’s Good Gifts (Psalm 127)

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 19:29:36 GMT

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Psalm 127

Bringing the sermon home:

The proverbial wisdom of this Psalm calls us to reflect upon four of God’s good gifts: success (v.1a), security (v.1b), sustenance (v.2), and sons and daughters (vv.3-5).

All of life depends upon God’s blessing (vv.1-2).

Whatever you are seeking to build (e.g., a house, business, family, church, kingdom), the decisive factor is not your efforts, talents, or wisdom, but rather the will of your Maker. The question being posed to you is this: Will you seek His blessing? To seek His blessing is to seek to align yourself with His will through prayer and the study of His Word, that you may do all you do with God in view .
Children are one of God’s greatest gifts (v.3).

The good gift of children is worthy of praise from us all, even those to whom this gift has been withheld, for we must all have our priorities and worldview shaped by this wisdom. Our culture has lost sight of the blessing of responsibility in general, but all the best gifts come with responsibility as part of the goodness of the gift (Gen 1:28).
We must not spurn God’s good gifts (vv.4-5).

A society that has deliberately killed an average of 1.3 million preborn babies each of the last 50 years is a society that has willfully chosen to “call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness” (Isa 5:20). This is not merely foolish and self-destructive, but evil. The people of God must celebrate all of God's good gifts and labor to help our neighbors do the same.

He is Worthy (Mark 14:1-9)

Sun, 15 Jan 2023 18:41:44 GMT

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Mark 14:1-9

Bringing the sermon home:

In Mark 14:1-11, we encounter yet another “Markan sandwich”, meaning an example of the literary device of intercalation, where Mark inserts one account in the middle of another account for the sake of contrast or emphasis. Here, Mark inserts the account of a woman anointing Jesus with an extremely costly amount of ointment in the middle of the account of the chief priests and Judas plotting His death. The contrast is stark between those who receive Jesus as their Messiah (“anointed one”) and those who reject Him and seek to kill the Lord’s anointed. Several points are being highlighted here:

Evil deeds done in darkness cannot derail God’s purposes (vv.1-2).

God the Father had purposed that His Son, the true Passover Lamb, would be killed on Passover, and so He was, despite the intentions of wicked men for it to occur at a different time. Take heart in knowing that God is at work to bring about His good purposes.
Jesus is worthy of all that we have to give (vv.3-5).

Those who have been touched by Jesus are ready to be seen as fools in the eyes of others, and they can expect to be scolded by others for making such sacrifices to honor their King.
The priorities of the kingdom do not align with worldly wisdom (vv.6-9).

Jesus declares that she has stewarded her resources well because she has utilized them to glorify Him. The complaint that sacrifices made to honor Jesus could have instead been given to the poor can be made about literally anything a church or an individual Christian might give their time or their money to other than serving the poor. May God grant wisdom regarding His priorities for our lives and resources.

The Exodus (Old and New)

Tue, 10 Jan 2023 17:43:32 GMT

As I mentioned on Sunday , you probably recognize why we took a break from the series in Mark during Advent, as an especially challenging and lengthy passage about coming judgment and the end of the world doesn’t quite meet people’s expectations for the Christmas season!

As such, we instead spent 5 weeks surveying the book of Exodus, noting many of the parallels between:

the birth of Israel’s savior and the birth of our Savior;
Moses delivering the Israelites from their earthly bondage and Jesus delivering us from our spiritual bondage;
the earthly lives of the firstborn of Israel being spared by the spilling of the blood of a Passover lamb and our eternal lives being spared by the spilling of the blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world;
Moses leading Israel on a long journey through the wilderness to the promised land and Jesus leading us on a long journey through the wilderness of life in a broken world to our eternal home.

If you missed any installment in that five-part series, I’d encourage you to go back and listen to it. The preceding chapters of Genesis all build toward the Exodus – the moment when God began to reverse the curse of humanity’s exile away from His presence in the garden of Eden – and every subsequent book of the Bible refers back to it (if not explicitly, then to the major themes it established).

One scholar put it this way : “As we think about who we are as the church today, we cannot have an accurate grasp of our identity without having a firm understanding of the events that the book of Exodus records for us.”

The Birth of a Savior (Exod 1:1–2:10; Lk 2:1-7; Mt 2:1-21)
Take Heart (Exod 2:11–6:30; John 16:33)
Light in the Darkness (Exod 7–14; 1 Pet 2:9)
God with Us (Exod 15:22–17:7; Mt 4:1-10; Jn 6)
Face to Face (Exodus 17:8–40:38; Rev 21:1-3; 22:3-5)

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Awake and On Guard (Mark 13:1-37)

Sun, 08 Jan 2023 18:23:00 GMT

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Mark 13:1-37

Bringing the sermon home:

Jesus concludes the Tuesday before His death on Friday by teaching atop the Mount of Olives. This is the longest recorded teaching in Mark’s Gospel and has come to be known as “The Olivet Discourse”. It is easily one of the most difficult to interpret passages in the New Testament, leading to numerous competing views. However, I believe the points of application for our lives here in the 21 ^st century remain the same regardless of which interpretation you find most compelling.

Don’t be seduced by false promises. (vv.1-8)

Don’t give in to apocalyptic fervor every time there’s a natural disaster or an outbreak of war or the threat of war. These are all normal parts of life in a broken world and are not to be taken as signs of the start of a new age. As such, don’t look for easy ways out of suffering in this world – there are none. Don’t place your trust in any religious or political deliverer or otherwise be deterred from the mission.
Don’t be surprised by persecution. (vv.9-23)

“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim 3:12). Expect to encounter hate as you proclaim the gospel of love to others, being willing to suffer whatever may come for the sake of seeking the good of those who are stumbling toward destruction.
Don’t be found sleeping : pray and proclaim! (vv.24-37)

To be “found asleep” is to be found living for yourself when Christ returns. To “stay awake” is to instead live your life in the light of God’s purposes and of the spiritual and physical needs of those around you. This involves living a life filled with prayer and procla mation of the gospel.

Prayers for the New Year

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 17:08:46 GMT

During this first week of 2023, please be in prayer for God’s blessings upon our labors as a church to reach others with the gospel of grace in Christ this year. Pray especially for the Lord to guide everyone in a leadership position (i.e., the elders, deacons, trustees, board officers, and committee chairs), granting them wisdom, discernment, and spiritual maturity as they seek to follow the Lord’s will for the ministries of RHCC. Pray for the members of each committee and for all of the other faithful members of this church, that together we may be found “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (Phil 1:27).

Pray to the Lord that we all “may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” (Col 1:9-12)

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Jesus, My Great High Priest (Hebrews 7:23-25)

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 15:15:13 GMT

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Hebrews 7:23-25

Bringing the sermon home:

You’ve read about His earthly life, death, and resurrection, and you’re awaiting His return, but what is Jesus doing right now? In short, He is praying for His people, interceding before the Father on our behalf.

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (Heb 6:19-20)
For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. (Heb 9:24)
The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Heb 7:23-24)

This passage emphasizes the superiority of Christ’s ministry of intercession in comparison to that of the Levitical priests of the Old Covenant, for while every priest eventually died, Christ’s ministry is eternal and thus never ceases.

This passage emphasizes the success of Christ’s ministry of intercession. Because His appeal before the Father is on the perfect basis of His own finished work on earth and not on the imperfect basis of the blood of animals and the prayers of sinful men, His appeal is always heard and thus actually saves and sanctifies His people.

Finally, this passage emphasizes is the steadfastness of Christ’s ministry of intercession, for “He always lives to make intercession” for those who draw near to the Father through Him. Be encouraged by your knowledge of His prayers on your behalf, and seek to further align your heart with His by drawing near to the throne of grace in prayer.

(Special thanks to our guest preacher, William Beckham , for faithfully unpacking God's Word for us on Sunday.)

Face to Face (Exodus 33:1–34:9)

Sun, 25 Dec 2022 16:36:07 GMT

No video due to technical difficulties.

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Exodus 33:1–34:9 ( 17:8–40:38 )

Bringing the sermon home:

In this final part of our 5-week mini-series through Exodus, we took a very brief look at the concluding 23.5 chapters of the book, focusing especially on the events of chapters 32 through 34.

After the stipulations of the covenant were given in chapters 20 through 23 and accepted by the people in chapter 24, the subsequent 7 chapters provided further instruction about the way the people were to worship God, all revolving around a transportable temple called a tabernacle that would reside at the center of their camp and in which God would visibly dwell with His people on the earth for the first time since Adam and Eve were cast out of Eden in Genesis 3.

Sadly, the people’s impatience with the difficulties of following their Savior led them to turn their backs on Him and to worship a god of their own making, showing that God had taken the people out of Egypt, but He hadn’t take Egypt out of the people. This is a picture of all of us, for we are all tempted to fashion a god of our own design: a god to whom we can relate on our terms, who will do our bidding, and who does not tell us how to live. But the god we sinfully crave is not the God we desperately need, for God designed us to dwell with Him face to face.

The Exodus was all about God beginning to reverse our curse of exile away from the dwelling presence of God. It shows us our desperate need, not only for liberation from oppressive forces of evil and for the forgiveness of our sins, but for God to change our hearts that we would delight in Him above all else. All of this is what the Christ of Christmas has brought us, and the day is coming when all those who have been made clean in Christ will dwell with Him face to face, forever.

Sermon outline:

Exodus 17–32

We are all tempted to fashion a god of our own design.
Exodus 33–40

God designed us to dwell with Him face to face.
Revelation 21– 22

All those made clean in Christ will dwell with Him forever.

Encourage the Children to Worship

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 16:30:43 GMT

On Sunday, I mentioned that we’ll be gathering for worship on Christmas morning ( this Sunday at 10:30!), not because it’s Christmas morning, but because it’s the first day of the week, which God has declared to be “the Lord’s Day” ( Rev 1:10 ; cf. Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:2 ). Christians all around the world will be gathering for worship this Sunday because it was on a Sunday that our Lord rose from the dead. The fact that it’s also Christmas just makes it more special!

But what will we do when we gather for worship this (and every) Sunday? We will:

read from God's Word ( 1 Tim 4:13 ),
preach God's Word ( 2 Tim 4:1-2 ),
pray in accord with God's Word ( Acts 2:42; 4:31 ),
sing in accord with God's Word ( Eph 5:18-21; Col 3:16 ), and
observe God's Word made visible through the Lord’s Supper ( 1 Cor 11:17-20 ).

These are the five essential, non-negotiable elements of Christian worship.

But what else might we include? The list of things that people might consider including is quite long, each with its own set of pros and cons. For example, one matter that has been debated in American churches over the last forty years is what we call “the Children’s Moment ".

How are we to navigate these decisions?

Beyond the above list of essentials, the New Testament simply instructs us that “all things should be done decently and in order” ( 1 Cor 14:26-40 ), in accord with God's Word and centered on Him rather than ourselves ( Matt 6:1-18 ).

We don’t have much information regarding times of gathered worship before the time of Christ either, but I find the following four passages instructive as they explicitly call for the presence of children in such gatherings (see full text included at the end of this article):

When I arrived at RHCC, I was a little surprised to find that the children’s moment was a part of the service, as I had only ever seen it in some of the liberal churches in which I grew up. I’ve attended a large number of churches over the last 30 years, all across the United States and even a few in Myanmar, Uganda, and England, and not one of them has included a children’s moment in the service. While looking into this further, I’ve discovered that it’s very rare to find a children’s moment in any thriving, gospel-centered church (I honestly haven’t found a single one).

Over the last year and a half, numerous members of RHCC have voiced their desire to see this element removed from our services. People often have a hard time putting into words what they see as problematic about a children’s moment, and you’ll often hear something to the effect that “It just feels awkward.” That certainly describes my experience, both as a child who participated in these times and now as an observing adult.

I believe this sense of awkwardness is due to three main issues :

Having a children’s moment communicates to the children that the rest of the service is NOT for them, thus encouraging them to tune out. This greatly underestimates what even young children can glean from the entire service if they are encouraged to pay attention.
Having a children’s moment communicates to the children that this element of the service is all about them, when our times of gathered worship should be all about God , not us . As I’ve written before: “It is through observing others worship God that children learn the universe revolves around Him and not them. For children, worship is more caught than taught." (see “ Let the Children Worship ”)
Bringing a select audience forward and speaking directly to them communicates that this is NOT a time for the rest of the congregation to continue their worship, thus creating an awkward break in the flow of worship for everyone.

These are the main reasons that we are making the change to remove this element from our Sunday morning gatherings. While this change may feel innovative, we're actually returning to the practice of RHCC prior to the addition of the children's moment on March 5, 1978.

Please pray for the Lord to use every element of our Sunday morning gatherings to bless all who gather, moving them to worship Him with their whole lives . Also pray for the Lord to bless each of our Sunday school classes as children and adults of all ages gather for times of discipleship tailored for their age. May the Lord cause all of our ministries to bear great fruit, especially as we “ Pass the Promise ” to the next generation!

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

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Deuteronomy 31:9-13

⁹ Then Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. ¹⁰ And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, ¹¹ when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. ¹² Assemble the people , men, women, and little ones , and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, ¹³ and that their children , who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

Joshua 8:30-35

³⁰ At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, ³¹ just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord and sacrificed peace offerings. ³² And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. ³³ And all Israel , sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. ³⁴ And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. ³⁵ There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel , and the women, and the little ones , and the sojourners who lived among them.

Nehemiah 8:1-6

¹ And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. ² So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. ³ And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand . And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. ⁴ And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. ⁵ And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. ⁶ And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

2 Chronicles 20:13-19

¹³ Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones , their wives, and their children . ¹⁴ And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. ¹⁵ And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's. ¹⁶ Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. ¹⁷ You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.” ¹⁸ Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. ¹⁹ And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

God with Us (Exodus 15:22–17:7)

Sun, 18 Dec 2022 20:04:42 GMT

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Exodus 15:22–17:7

Bringing the sermon home:

After the people of Israel are brought safely through the Red Sea, they sing God’s praises with “the Song of Moses” (Exodus 15:1-21), but only three days into their journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land, they begin to grumble about their hunger and thirst (Exodus 15:22-16:36). As they come to the bitter waters of Marah (which means “bitterness”), they allow the bitterness of their circumstances to embitter their hearts. Rather than bringing their burdens before the Lord, they take out their frustrations on those within striking distance: Moses and Aaron.

Even so, not only does the Lord miraculously provide food and water, but He graciously provides a daily test of their faith: each morning, before the sun grows hot, the people are to gather only as much of the “bread from heaven” as they need for that day, trusting that the Lord will provide more the following morning. Then, on Friday, they are to gather twice as much as they need and are not to go out to gather on Saturday. God’s testing of their faith was for their good, training them to fully entrust themselves to God (Deut 8:3-5). The same is true for the hardships we face as we make our way through the wilderness of life to the eternal Promised Land (2 Cor 1:8-9).

As they begin to thirst again, the heart of their complaint is doubt regarding God’s goodness toward them and presence with them (Exodus 17:1-7). So too our grumbling is a symptom of unbelief that God is “among us”, meaning that He is at work in our circumstances. We must not put God to the test in this way, for Jesus is the ultimate bread from heaven that satisfies our greatest hunger and proves God’s goodness toward us and presence with us (John 6). Eat and live!

Sermon outline:

15:22–16:36

God’s testing of our faith is for our good.
17:1–7

Grumbling is a symptom of unbelief that God is among us.
Matthew 4:1-10; John 6

Jesus is “the bread that came down from heaven.” Eat and live!

Physical vs. Digital Bibles

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 19:14:30 GMT

In light of the message from Sunday’s sermon , as we consider the means by which God lights our way through the darkness (i.e., through His Word), questions arise about what Bibles to use. This weekend, my brother sent me a video of someone reviewing a stack of new study Bibles, and then he followed up with this question: “Is there a strong reason to stick with physical paper study Bibles vs. digital? It seems like digital would be easier to quickly navigate the cross-references.”

Here’s my reply: I’m certainly thankful for electronic Bibles and I utilize them often, but physical copies are definitely preferable for daily reading.

With an electronic copy, it’s impossible to easily maintain a sense of where you are in a given book relative to its length and relative to the rest of the Bible. With a physical copy, you can easily see where you are relative to the beginning and end of the Bible as whole and can far more quickly skim the surrounding context to see what comes immediately before and after your passage and where that given book begins and ends. It’s like using Google maps to navigate you somewhere: if you’re zoomed in too far, you don’t have a sense of where you really are on the journey because there’s simply not enough context within view at any given time.
Once you become familiar with a physical Bible and the order of the books, you’re able to turn to other passages more quickly than when having to tap through the menus of a digital Bible.
It’s usually easier to skim the notes of a passage with a physical Bible where all the notes are at the bottom of the page.
It’s easier make your own notations in the margin and in the text itself, such as your own underlining, circling, and other mark-up schemes, as well as arrows and lines connecting nearby verses on the page.
Physical pages facilitate better learning as you establish a memory of where certain key texts are on the physical page.

Regardless of what form you prefer, just take up and read!

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Light in the Darkness (Exodus 7–14)

Sun, 11 Dec 2022 20:17:49 GMT

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Exodus 7–14

Bringing the sermon home:

Chapters 7 through 10 of Exodus record the first nine plagues that God brought down upon Egypt, with the ninth being three days of pitch darkness, while “all the people of Israel had light where they lived” (10:23). Throughout this record, we see several references to these plagues only afflicting the Egyptians, thus showing that God makes a distinction between those who are His, and those who are not.

Chapters 11 through 13 record the tenth and final horrific plague: the killing of every firstborn man and animal. For the first time, God required something of the Israelites for the plague not to fall upon them: every household had to spill the blood of a lamb at twilight. Salvation was not a matter of ethnicity or background, but of who was and who was not covered by the blood of the lamb, for those who sacrificed the lamb were humbly acknowledging that they were no less deserving of God’s judgment than anyone else. So too our salvation is only by grace through faith in the blood of the Lamb – the Lord Jesus Christ.

Chapter 14 then records the crossing of the Red Sea as a great pillar of light leads the people of God out of their bondage to Pharaoh to now serve a new master. The people fear, for they cannot see what awaits them in the waters of the sea or the wilderness ahead of them. Likewise, we cannot see everything that awaits us as we make our way to the promised land, but we are called to take one step at a time as God’s Word gives us the light we need for each step.

Sermon outline:

chapters 7–13

God’s light exposes evil and illuminates the path to freedom.
14:1-12

You will either serve God, or you will serve an idol.
14:13-31

Follow God’s voice and step out into the great unknown.

Take Heart (Exodus 2:11–6:30)

Sun, 04 Dec 2022 16:07:43 GMT

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Exodus 2:11–6:30

Bringing the sermon home:

The first six chapters of Exodus that lead up to the ten great plagues are not merely written as an interesting historical record. They are written to instruct us in how to deal with the difficulty of faith in the face of difficulty. Having lived in exile away from his homeland for 40 years, an 80-year-old shepherd struggles to accept God’s call to be His mouthpiece to others, so God directs Moses’ attention to three things: 1) who God is, 2) what He has already done, and 3) what He has promised to do.

In whatever difficulty you are facing and whatever suffering you are experiencing, no matter how hard it might be to imagine how God could possibly be at work to bring good out of the evil around you, and no matter how timid you might be to do what you know God is calling you to do, look to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and take heart in knowing that God will accomplish His good purposes through you, for He has proven Himself faithful in all that He has already done.

The reading in our Advent devotional for this Saturday includes John 16:33, where Jesus says to His disciples, in His final hours before His arrest: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart ; I have overcome the world.”

God is not concerned with your sense of inadequacy. It’s not about you. It’s about what He is going to accomplish through your obedience, so take heart.

Sermon outline:

3:1-15

Take heart in knowing who God is.
3:16

Ta k e heart in knowing what God has already done.
3:17–6:30

Take heart in knowing what God has promised to do.

King and God and Sacrifice

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 19:33:56 GMT

I hope you are diving in and enjoying our daily devotional for Advent! If you didn’t pick up a copy yet, be sure to grab one of the remaining copies from the welcome table on Sunday. Reading many of the traditional Advent passages necessarily brings to mind many of the traditional Advent carols, so I was glad to see our devotional draw attention to a few on the very first day of Advent. Here’s an excerpt from Sunday’s entry:

“The songs of Advent and Christmas invite us to picture the familiar events: the holy family at the creche, angels singing to awestruck shepherds, wise men journeying toward the “little town” of Bethlehem. These beloved hymns and carols warm our hearts. Yet within many of our favorites are woven lyrics that break through our familiarity and declare an astonishing theological reality: The newborn in the manger is the Mighty God.” ( 2022 Advent Readings from Christianity Today , 8)

For example, Hark the Herald Angels Sing commands, “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail the incarnate Deity,” and We Three Kings declares, “Glorious now behold him arise; King and God and sacrifice.”

The newborn babe that was laid in that manger was (and is) King, and God, and sacrifice. As we eagerly await His return, may we marvel at the extent of the love of God the Son to go to such lengths to save us.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

The Birth of a Savior (Exodus 1:1-2:10; Lk 2; Mt 2)

Sun, 27 Nov 2022 19:26:13 GMT

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Exodus 1:1–2:10; Luke 2:1-7; Matthew 2:13-21

Bringing the sermon home:

In chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis, we read of God’s vision for His creation: a world filled with worshippers with whom He may dwell. In chapter 3, we read of humanity’s rebellion against God’s benevolent rule. But before being cast out of God’s presence to live in a broken world until it eventually takes their lives, Adam and Eve are given a promise: a descendant of theirs is going to arise who will succeed where they have failed. As the chapters of Genesis unfold, we see the expectation that the Promised One will reverse the curse of brokenness that humanity brought upon the world.

As Exodus begins, we are still awaiting the birth of that savior. The descendants of Jacob, whom God had renamed as Israel, are enslaved in Egypt, away from the land that had been promised to their forefather Abraham. Yet, even while suffering oppression, God continues to bless the people of Israel with children. The second chapter of Exodus records the birth of Moses as he is providentially spared from death and raised within the very household of the Pharaoh who had ordered that he be killed at birth. While Moses would go on to deliver the people of Israel from their earthly oppressors, he did eventually die, and the curse of sin and death remained upon the world.

As the Hebrew Bible concludes, we are still left waiting for the birth of a savior. But then, hundreds of years later, the Promised One is miraculously born to a virgin named Mary. In Luke 2 and Matthew 2, we read of His humble birth and its many parallels with the birth of Moses. However, unlike Moses, Jesus was not born tainted by sin, and thus, in His death, He defeated death for all who trust in Him and await His return. And so, we begin each Advent season singing “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel… and cheer our spirits by thine advent here.”

Sermon outline:

1:1-22

Oppressed by their enemies, the people of God await a savior.
2:1-10

In his humble birth, their savior was spared from death.
Luke 2:1-7; Matthew 2:13-21

In His humble birth, our Savior came to defeat death.

My Lord and My God (Mark 12:35–44)

Sun, 20 Nov 2022 20:28:33 GMT

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Mark 12:35-44

Bringing the sermon home:

While teaching in the temple (likely still on the Tuesday before Good Friday), Jesus poses a question about Psalm 110:1 to show that He, as the long-promised Messiah, is far greater than what the teachers of the law anticipated He would be, for He is more than just a son of David: He is the Son of God. It’s by turning to the Scriptures that Jesus corrects false conceptions about Himself. What false conceptions of Jesus do you have that need to be corrected by the Scriptures?

Jesus then wraps up His public ministry by moving from correction to condemnation , issuing His most explicit warning of coming judgment thus far as He declares of the scribes: “They will receive the greater condemnation.” Why? Because they sought their own glory at the expense of others, even to the point of having Jesus killed out of envy (15:10). Do you thirst for the praise of others? Are you quick to take notice when you are not recognized for the work you do? Such a fixation will deprive you of the joy of giving without taking.

Before leaving the temple for the final time, Jesus draws His disciples near for one final lesson within those courts as He moves from the topic of condemnation to commendation . For the third time in as many days, Jesus watches outward displays of worship while seeing through to the heart of the worshippers. Standing in front of an offering box, Jesus teaches that the amount we give is not measured in proportion to the amount that others give. In God’s eyes, the amount we give is measured in proportion to the amount we keep.

The Sacrifice of Others

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 16:42:18 GMT

Last Friday was Veterans Day, when we honor all those who have served in the United States Armed Forces. We commemorate Veterans Day on the eleventh of November each year because it was at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918 when the major hostilities of WWI were formally ended. As with Memorial Day each year, Veterans Day is an opportunity for us to honor those who have served and to remember that freedom is never free, for it comes at the cost of the sacrifice of others – if not at the cost of their lives, then at the cost of a part of their lives that leaves them forever changed. Thank you to all who have served this nation through military service.

During this Thanksgiving season, we recognize and give thanks for the multitude of sacrifices that have benefited each of our lives, from the service of our veterans to the sacrifices of our parents to the many ways our church family helps to bear our burdens to the numerous other people who have gone out of their way to help meet our needs over the years, often unrecognized.

In light of our passage from Sunday, where Jesus rebukes the Sadducees for not knowing the Scriptures, we recognize and give thanks for the many sacrifices that have been required for us to be able to benefit from these same Scriptures. From the lives of many of the prophets themselves (Matt 23:34-35) to the lives of many of the first Christians to the nearly countless lives of other followers of Christ who have bled and died to preserve these Scriptures and to translate them into our native tongue. We honor their sacrifice by pressing on to know the Scriptures. We dishonor their sacrifice by persisting in ignorance.

We close every Sunday service by remembering the greatest sacrifice on our behalf and how this should influence our lives: “because Christ gave His life for us, we should live our lives for Him.” Let us honor the sacrifice of others by seizing hold of the benefits that have been won for us.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

The Dividing Line (Mark 12:18–34)

Sun, 13 Nov 2022 17:52:28 GMT

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Mark 12:18-34

Bringing the sermon home:

The attacks from the religious establishment of Israel continued as a group of Sadducees challenged Jesus. The Sadducees denied any form of an afterlife, and thus were fixated on the things of this world, including wealth and political power. Part of their problem was their belief that only the five books of Moses possessed supreme authority. Against this, the Gospels show that Jesus clearly affirmed the entire Hebrew Bible as being the very words of God. Those who are truly part of God’s flock hear the voice of their Shepherd speaking through His Word. This is the dividing line between the sheep and the goats.

Even with their wrongly restricted set of Scriptures, Jesus demonstrated that they still should have known and believed in the coming resurrection of the dead. If the god you worship is different than the God of the Bible, then you are worshiping a false god. This is why it was not unloving for Jesus to call out their errant beliefs, declaring “You are quite wrong.” Despite what our culture insists, it would have been unloving to affirm them in their error or to ignore their error. Jesus is showing us what love of neighbor looks like. This is what love demands of us all.

A scribe then comes to question Jesus about “which commandment is the most important of all,” and Jesus shows us that the entire Law of God hangs on loving God and loving others. In fact, as we see throughout Scripture, love for God is expressed through loving what He loves: the people He has created. May we press on to know the Lord through the study of His Word, and may this knowledge increasingly lead to loving God by loving others as ourselves.

When PEOPLE are BIG

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 20:26:53 GMT

In our passage on Sunday, we saw Jesus rightly described by His opponents as one who shows no partiality. It’s because He is not trying to please any particular group of people that He is not taken in by their flattery. God is consistently described throughout the Old and New Testaments as being impartial (i.e., “not swayed by appearances”). Just consider one of the shortest verses in the book of Romans: “For God shows no partiality” (Romans 2:11).

Sadly, this is often not the case for us, which is why the Bible has so much to say about “the fear of man”. In his book, “ When People Are Big and God is Small ”, Ed Welch identifies three different categories of “the fear of man”: fear of physical harm, fear of shame (i.e., of being exposed as the inadequate sinners we are), and fear of rejection. For many of us, it's this last category that most often threatens to dominate our lives. As such, this is what people most often seem to have in mind when they speak of “the fear of man”.

As you can tell from the title of the book, the answer is to discover how to let God be bigger to us than people are, because it’s when God is big and people are small that we are freed from the fear of man. A key insight from the book is that it’s only when we are freed from needing affirmation and praise from others that we can then stop manipulating them to fuel that need and really start loving them, seeking their good rather than their approval.

God has used this book to help free thousands of people from this sin, so I highly recommend picking up a copy. If you’ve been looking for a good book to read with others in a discipleship context, this is an excellent choice!

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

A Question of Authority (Mark 11:27–12:17)

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 19:32:10 GMT

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Mark 11:27–12:17

Bringing the sermon home:

On Tuesday of Jesus’ “Passion Week”, while Jesus is teaching in the temple, a delegation from the Sanhedrin (the Jewish religious authorities) approach Jesus and challenge His authority. Jesus exposes them as wicked shepherds, for they are controlled by their fear of going against popular opinion rather than by their fear of God. You can’t serve two masters: it’s either God or it’s people. Who is functioning as the authority in your life?

Jesus is showing us what it looks like to answer to a higher authority than to people. After the vindication of Jesus’ authority in His resurrection, His first followers were brought before this same council and likewise challenged: “By what authority do you teach these things about Jesus?” From the early church to the Protestant Reformers to hundreds of millions of persecuted Christians all over the world today, all of Christ’s followers are called to live lives that demonstrate allegiance to the authority of God’s Word above all else, regardless of the cost.

A group of these religious authorities then attempt to flatter Jesus, hoping that flattery will disguise their attempts to “trap him in his talk”. They wrongly assume that He is like them: easily taken in by flattery due to an insatiable thirst for praise from others. To grow in Christ's likeness means growing in not caring about anyone’s opinion but God’s. Whose favor are you most afraid to lose? May the Lord free us from the fear of man, that we may no longer seek the approval of others more than we seek the approval of God.

A Reformation of Song

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 18:49:11 GMT

Yesterday was the 505th anniversary of the event that historians point to as the spark that set ablaze the great “Reformation” of Christ’s Church on earth: the posting of Martin Luther’s “ 95 Theses ” on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

On Sunday evening, we discussed some of the factors that contributed to the successful spread of the 16th century attempts at restoring the church to biblical teachings and practices, in contrast to earlier attempts that were almost entirely snuffed out (e.g., those of Jan Hus and the Hussites in the 15th century, John Wycliffe and the Lollards in the 14th century, and Pierre/Peter Waldo and the Waldensians in the 12th century).

One important factor that God used to spread these essential reforms in the 16th century and beyond was Luther’s “ reformation of song ”. Here are three of the key insights from a helpful article by Matt Merker on “ 6 Lessons from Luther on Congregational Singing ”:

“Singing truth is a way to write it on our hearts. . . . Both preaching and singing are part of the teaching of the Word.”
To be effective, “the music must be intelligible,” meaning simple , and “easy to memorize.”
We must only “use the best songs,” as “a good hymn conveys truth in a way that makes it compelling and invigorating for the people of God.”

You’ll notice that these same principles are found in other articles I’ve shared regarding the importance of the songs we sing:

May the Lord greatly bless our worship through song on Sunday mornings as He has for so many throughout the history of the church.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

A Praying Faith (Mark 11:12-26)

Sun, 30 Oct 2022 18:20:08 GMT

[ NOTE: No video this week, as our camera failed us. Unfortunately, that meant the audio had to be recorded with a cell phone microphone.]

Audio (on most podcast players) :

Mark 11:12-26

Bringing the sermon home:

The day after Palm Sunday and Jesus’ so-called “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem, He reenters the temple and begins turning over tables and chairs, clearing the outer courts of those engaged in the business of currency exchange and the selling of sacrificial animals. This account is sandwiched by the account of Jesus pronouncing a curse upon a fruitless fig tree and of that tree withering away to its roots within 24 hours. Taken as a unit, we see that the fruitless fig tree represents the fruitless faith of Israel, particularly that of its religious leaders.

The God they claim to worship has come, hungry for spiritual fruit, but He finds only leaves. Despite the outward glory of that great place of worship, filled with people engaged in their most visible annual displays of religious observance, Jesus does not find anything of substance. As with every interaction with the religious leaders up to this point in Mark, we again see a fixation on outward markers of religiosity and man-made traditions (the leaves) at the expense of compassion for the physical and spiritual needs of others (spiritual fruit).

As He comes to you today, hungry for spiritual fruit, will He find a fruitful faith that nourishes others, or will He find only leaves? Jesus draws attention to Jeremiah 7:11, indicating that His generation, just like Jeremiah’s generation, wrongly believed that God would not destroy their temple. They presumptuously trusted in their religious activities and in their identity as being God’s people, but none of that could save them from the judgment that was coming. As Jesus curses fruitless faith, He also exposes false security. May He create in us the fruitful, praying, and forgiving faith that He seeks.

When Trials Come (James 1:2-4)

Sun, 23 Oct 2022 16:43:16 GMT

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James 1:2-4

Bringing the sermon home:

All who read the letter of James are both encouraged and challenged in their faith. James was writing to Christians who had been scattered throughout the Roman Empire due to the life-threatening persecution that had erupted in Jerusalem, beginning with the very public and very brutal murder of Stephen (Acts 7:54-8:3). Having been run out of Jerusalem, these Christians struggled with poverty, oppression, persecution, and illness (James 2:6-7; 5:13-16).

In the midst of these trials, James calls them (and thus us) to “consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials”. How can we possibly count trials as joy? Only by recognizing that God has a purpose for every trial that He permits to come our way, and that part of that purpose is to further shape us into the image of Christ, like the goldsmith who refines gold through fire (1 Pet 1:7). In addition to the countless other things that God is doing through our suffering, very few of which He will ever reveal to us, we know for certain that He intends to “make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (2 Cor 1:9).

It is right to grieve the brokenness of this world. Jesus wept over the death of His friend, Lazarus (John 11:35). Even so, we all know how quickly our hearts can move from Christlike-lament to selfish-anger over the suffering we’re facing, thus revealing ways that we have come to love the things of this world (which can all be taken from us) more than we love God (who will never leave us or forsake us). May we increasingly "find our all” in God alone, and may we increasingly be there for others as they suffer, ministering the Words of the "God of all comfort” (2 Cor 1:3).

(Special thanks to our guest preacher, William Beckham , for faithfully unpacking God's Word for us on Sunday.)

How We Got the Bible

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 20:02:36 GMT

Crossway published an article this morning titled “ 5 Myths about How We Got the Bible ” in their “ 5 Myths ” series that I’d like to share with you and comment upon.

Myth #1: The books were chosen by a church council.

The process of canonization was not a process of a particular group of authorities authorizing a particular set of books at a particular point in time, but rather a process of the universal church coming to recognize which books possess an inherent authority as the Word of God. In other words, the books of the Bible are self-attesting.

As with the Old Testament cannon, which Jesus affirmed, the process of recognizing the New Testament cannon took time, especially given the persecution being faced by the first Christians and the large geographic distances and cultural differences separating the first churches. All 27 books of the New Testament were circulating among these churches by the end of the first century, and all of the earliest writings from the time following the apostles attribute a unique authority to these 27 books.

For a fuller (and better) treatment of this topic, see “Question 6: Who Determined What Books Would Be Included in the Bible?") in Plummer’s “ 40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible ” that we’re studying in the Bereans Sunday school class.

Myth #2: The original text is lost.

While it’s true that we no longer possess the original autographs, the New Testament books are far and away the most well-attested documents from antiquity, which is to say that we have far older and a far greater number of copies of these writings than we do any other ancient writings. When we include the ancient translations of these books into other languages, we have more than 24 thousand ancient manuscripts to compare with one another in order to determine where copyists made mistakes, thus giving us tremendous confidence regarding the original text.

For a fuller (and better) treatment of this topic, see “Question 5: Were the Ancient Manuscripts of the Bible Transmitted Accurately?” in Plummer’s “ 40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible ”.

Myth #3: Jewish scribes had zero tolerance for mistakes.

The copyists who preserved the writings of both the Old and New Testaments over millennia were meticulous, but they were also human, and they made mistakes. Even so, no text in question affects Christian doctrine in any way.

Myth #4: Translation debates are new.

Ever since the tower of Babel, the work of translating from one language to another has proven to be challenging. That’s not new.

For a fuller (and better) treatment of this topic, see “Question 7: Which Is the Best English Bible Translation?” in Plummer’s “ 40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible ”.

Myth #5: The Catholic church outlawed Bible translation.

While the Catholic church did imprison and horrifically execute numerous people for translating the Bible into English, “the opposition was never universal or absolute.”

Praise God for the gift of the Bible, from its inspiration to preservation to translation to personal application. As the Crossway article concludes: "One thing the Bible’s history teaches us never to do is take it for granted."

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

The King of Peace (Mark 11:1-11)

Sun, 16 Oct 2022 18:49:34 GMT

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Mark 11:1-11

Bringing the sermon home:

The first ten chapters of Mark’s Gospel have all been leading up to Jesus’ final arrival in Jerusalem on that first “Palm Sunday”. In order to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, Jesus rides in to the city mounted on a donkey. As a relatively poor, itinerant preacher, He must borrow the donkey from someone else, but He does so by declaring that “the Lord has need of it”.

Abraham Kuyper, a minister in the Netherlands over a hundred years ago, once wrote this: “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’ " Does the way that you live your life demonstrate that the King of kings lays claim to all things?

Jesus traveled a great deal during His earthly ministry, but this is the only occasion on which He is recorded as having ridden an animal, showing that He is sending a message: He is the Messiah promised throughout the Old Testament (e.g., Zechariah 9:9; Genesis 49:9-11). The crowd of pilgrims entering the city with Jesus roll out the red carpet, in a sense, which includes spreading palm branches before Jesus – a symbol of Jewish nationalism.

The crowd thought He had come to liberate the nation of Israel from the oppression of the Romans, when He had actually come to liberate believers from the oppression of their sin. The king they want is not the king they need. Like them, we often desire other gifts more than we desire the gift of eternal life with our King, and we must recognize the incomparable worth of what we receive in Him.

Prepared for the Storm

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 20:20:52 GMT

In February of this year, an essay ran in “First Things” by Aaron Renn titled “ The Three Worlds of Evangelicalism ”, arguing that there have been three eras of Christianity within America:

prior to 1994, American society had a positive view of Christianity, such that publicly identifying as a Christian was a status-enhancer;
from 1994 until 2014, society had a neutral stance toward Christianity; and
since 2014, society has had a negative view of Christianity, as Christian morality is now seen as a threat to the public good and identifying as a Christian brings negative consequences both professionally and privately.

While we may quibble with the exact timing of these eras, and while there have been some helpful pushbacks on the selection of issues undergirding this analysis, we cannot deny that there has been a rapid shift in our culture over the last ten years that is resulting in increased hostility toward anything “Christian”. Regardless of whether we agree with any individual commentator’s prescription for how Bible-believing Christians in America should respond to the new era in which we live, what we cannot do is pretend we're still living and ministering in a bygone age.

Jesus repeatedly sought to prepare His first disciples for the cultural storm they were going to face once the church age began. For example, in the upper room on His last evening before His crucifixion, Jesus said this:

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘ A servant is not greater than his master .’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. ( John 15:18-20 )

The ability for Christians in America to publicly espouse Biblical morality and to call others to repent and believe in the gospel without fear of any negative repercussions from employers, the state, or the public at large is quickly vanishing. We can and should pray for a return to such an era, but we must recognize that it was anomalous in church history. Regardless of the potential consequences, we must resolve to speak the truth in love, being willing to genuinely sacrifice for the good of those we may offend.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

What Can I Do for You? (Mark 10:32-52)

Sun, 09 Oct 2022 15:09:25 GMT

[ NOTE: No video this week, as our i nternet was down. Unfortunately, the audio was recorded with a cell phone microphone. The quality improves after the first 3 minutes .]

Audio (on most podcast players) :

Mark 10:32-52

Bringing the sermon home:

In countess ways between His incarnation and crucifixion, Jesus set aside His glory for the sake of serving others . Here, Jesus foretells of His coming death for the third time. As with the previous two instances, the disciples respond in an astounding way, showing that they are still like the partially-healed blind man from chapter 8, and that they have not yet been granted the spiritual sight to “see everything clearly” (8:25).

In response to Jesus’ ominous announcement, two of His closest disciples, James and John, privately ask Him to grant them the two positions of greatest prominence in His Messianic kingdom. Their example shows us that spiritually blind people seek their own glory rather than sacrificing for the good of others.

For the second time in as many chapters, Jesus teaches that greatness is not a matter of being served by others, but of serving others. The lower you place yourself on the social ladder, stooping to serve those whom the world says are beneath you, the greater you are in the kingdom of God. No act of service is beneath a disciple of Christ because no person is beneath the servant of the One who gave His life as a ransom for many.

Immediately following this instruction, the Savior of the world, on His way to be enthroned as the King of all, stops to ask a blind beggar “What can I do for you?” This is the question that should continually be on our lips as we interact with those around us. Those with spiritual sight follow the way of Jesus, and the way of Jesus is the way of self-denial for the sake of serving others.

Texas Night Out

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 18:23:08 GMT

Have you heard of National Night Out ? It’s “an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.” It’s held on the first Tuesday in August, but with that being one of the hottest times of the year in Texas, here it takes place on the first Tuesday in October instead, making TONIGHT (10/4) “Texas Night Out”.

Dating back to 1984, it’s mainly about getting to know your neighbors a little better. As one senator put it: “The best way to build a safer community is to know your neighbors and your surroundings. National Night Out triumphs over a culture that isolates us from each other and allows us to rediscover our own communities.”

If you’re on the NextDoor.com social network, searching for “Texas Night Out” may tell you wether someone in your neighborhood is hosting a block party. In some areas, churches will host a block party on Texas Night Out for the blocks immediately surrounding the church building. I had hoped to arrange that this year, but didn’t get all of my ducks in a row in time. Maybe next year…

If there's no block party in your immediate area, you might consider heading up to the LINK Plaza in Richland Hills from 6-8 PM tonight (10/4) “ for food, games, & fun ”. I’m planning to be there to rub shoulders with some of our neighbors and to attempt to build some new relationships. I hope you’ll consider joining me!

In our passage from Mark 10 on Sunday, Jesus noted the community of faith that is gained by those who choose to follow Him, referring to the church as “houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands” (v. 30). For Christians who have already discovered the blessing of new covenant community, Texas Night Out is a great opportunity to connect with neighbors who are seeking these same things. Let us seize the opportunity!

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

The Great Reversal (Mark 10:17-31)

Sun, 02 Oct 2022 18:41:49 GMT

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Mark 10:17-31

Bringing the sermon home:

The account of “the rich young ruler” is well known, in part because it appears in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and in part because it is one of the saddest stories in the Gospels. This rich man is the only person in Mark’s Gospel who refuses to obey Jesus’ direct command to “follow me”, showing how powerful a grip the love of money can have upon a person’s heart. While always viewed as a benefit in this life, riches actually serve as a barrier to entering the next life. This is part of the great reversal, as assets become liabilities.

Jesus goes so far as to say that it is impossible for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. The love of money is just one example of a heart that is enslaved to sin. Loving anything more than you love God is idolatry, and idolatrous desires make it impossible to turn from your sin in repentance so that you may receive the free gift of salvation. But what is impossible for us is possible with God. He can free any enslaved heart that cries out to be set free, empowering you to repent and believe.

What is Jesus putting His finger on in your life? What are you not willing to walk away from in order for Christ to reign supreme over your heart? It’s been said that God is no man’s debtor. What you are being commanded to leave is not worth comparing to what you gain in Christ. This is part of the great reversal, as leaving is the path to receiving. Of course, the blessings of the kingdom can be offered to us only because of the greatest reversal: when the One who deserves to be first over all things made Himself last . May our love for Him dwarf all other loves.

Pray for Civilization

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 16:34:40 GMT

I began my sermon on Sunday with the question, “What is the foundation of civilization?” As I noted, great thinkers have concluded for millennia that, at least from one perspective, fidelity in marriage is the foundation of civilization, as the fallout of broken marriages and of citizens not forming marriages in the first place is truly devastating to any society.

Still, from another perspective, it can legitimately be argued that the foundation of civilization is law and order. A society cannot flourish if people live in constant fear for their safety or in fear of being cheated as they engage in commerce. As with marital fidelity, it’s about trust.

Sadly, in this broken world, it is extraordinarily difficult to achieve and to maintain law and order. It has now been more than seven months since Russia invaded Ukraine, resulting in at least 40,000 deaths, if not several times as many. As the Russian forces continue to suffer highly embarrassing setbacks, having lost thousands of square miles of territory they had initially captured, the madman at the helm of this war of aggression is now threatening to employ tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Of all the nations of the world, Russia is believed to have the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons, with more than 6,000. In contrast, China, Russia’s strongest ally and a major investor in Russia, is believed to possess 350 nuclear weapons, though they intend to triple that within the next few years. The recognition of the danger that Putin’s war poses to the entire world must lead us to pray for peace.

Pray for the war to come to an end without the use of nuclear weapons, and without the loss of thousands of more lives. Pray for the large number of Russian men who do not want to be forced to fight in Putin’s maniacal war. May Russians who desire to flee successfully find refuge in neighboring nations, and may those who desire to stay continue to rise up in protest against this evil. May the leaders of Ukraine, with the assistance of other nations, find ways to restore peace with Russia, even if that requires surrendering portions of the territory that Russia is unjustly claiming for itself. May diplomacy prevail over violence. May law and order be restored to Ukraine and Russia, and may the residents of these lands flourish.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Related prior article: " Season of Prayer "

Faith and Fidelity (Mark 10:1-16)

Sun, 25 Sep 2022 15:40:37 GMT

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Mark 10:1-16

Bringing the sermon home:

Mark takes us from one challenging passage to another, moving from the topic of hell at the end of chapter 9 to the topic of marriage and divorce at the beginning of chapter 10. This portion of Mark’s Gospel, perhaps more than any other, serves to test the degree to which our thinking has been infected by the twisted culture in which we live.

This passage addresses gender (there are only two, they were designed by God for marriage, and they are assigned at birth), marriage (a lifelong covenantal union designed by God for human flourishing), divorce (an ineffective attempt to sever what cannot be severed), adultery (a truly heinous sin that God employs as the metaphor for all sin), remarriage (which is adulterous), and, by implication, celibacy and singleness (explicitly noted in Mt 19:10-12 ).

Mark’s account does not speak of any Biblical grounds for divorce (and thus for remarriage), and we must allow that silence to instruct us regarding the seriousness of the “one-flesh” union of marriage by which two lives become one (1+1=1). As we debate whether divorce is permissible in the case of adultery (Mt 5:32; 19:9), desertion (1 Cor 7:15), or physical abuse (1 Cor 7:11), we must recognize that Jesus is not teaching that it is ever required , in direct contrast to the beliefs of all of the Jews at that time.

In light of the context of this account in Matthew’s gospel, with it immediately following the parable of the unforgiving servant, we see that Jesus is calling us to strive, as best we can, to put the forgiving grace of the gospel on display in our imperfect marriages so that our marriages might accurately picture the forgiveness-saturated relationship between Christ and His church.

The Funeral of a Queen, and a King

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 13:00:09 GMT

In June of 1953, one month before Richland Hills Christian Church was planted, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was officially coronated as the Queen of the United Kingdom. On Monday, an estimated 4 billion people from all around the world watched the broadcast of her funeral, with around 2,000 in attendance. Such staggering numbers speak to the impact her life had upon the world, but these numbers also speak to the seriousness with which human beings treat death.

While Western society is increasingly “ death-phobic ” (as evidenced by the reduction in the frequency with which a funeral or memorial service is held following a death, along with the decline in attendance at such services when they are held), even so, an event like the Queen’s funeral reminds us of the importance of such commemorations. By weeping over the death of His friend Lazarus in John 11, Jesus shows us that an essential part of honoring a life is to grieve when it is gone. For millennia, Christians (along with billions of others) have recognized the vital role of funeral services in giving expression to such grief, thereby honoring the life that has been lost.

“It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.” As I’ve written before , a funeral-averse culture is an unwise culture, for it is only by forcing ourselves to look at the horror of death that we can find comfort in the One who suffered death to deliver us from the fear of death ( Heb 2:14-15 ).

Two days before the funeral of the Queen, some of us gathered for the funeral of a king. The first man and woman were made in the image of the King of all Creation and were commissioned by Him to be His representatives on the earth. In other words, to serve as His priests and kings. Despite humanity’s rebellion and the subsequent curse that fell upon creation, those redeemed in Christ have been restored to the “priest-king” office intended for each of God’s image-bearers. We see this in 1 Peter 2:9, where Peter writes to every believer: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood , a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

While there weren’t thousands in attendance or billions tuning in, the funeral service of our beloved Byron Graham was no less important for those who attended, and the promises proclaimed were no less powerful. Thank you all who attended the service to honor this great “priest-king”!

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Related prior article: " Cremation and Funerals "

Only By Prayer

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 20:43:17 GMT

In our passage on Sunday, John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us" (Mk 9:38). The context suggests that this was a matter of jealously over the success of someone else’s ministry, for this comes only a few verses after the traveling band of disciples were rebuked by Jesus for having failed to successfully cast out a demon at the foot of the Mount of Transfiguration. When they asked Him why they failed, Jesus explained that it was due to their failure to pray.

Whose power had they been relying upon, if not the power of God accessed through prayer?! We should not expect God’s power to be evident in our lives and ministries if we are not regularly acknowledging and expressing our weakness through prayer. Where there is faith, there will be prayer. Where there is no prayer, there is no faith and, thus, no spiritual power.

It has now been six months since we launched our weekly Sunday Evening Gathering for prayer and study. This is the only time in the week that we gather together for an extended time of corporate prayer. We begin at 4:30 by worshiping through song, followed by a time of structured prayer, a time of further study of God’s Word and the Christian life, and a closing song, dismissing by 5:30.

During our 25 gatherings thus far, we’ve had as many as 30 worshippers in attendance, and as few as 3. I want to thank each and every one of you who have taken the time out of your busy schedules to gather for one of these times of worship. When conducted out of a genuine desire to seek Him, the Lord blesses every time of prayer and study, but the more hearts that are engaged in such times, the greater the blessing seems to be.

There is a different energy to times of worship when more than a small few are present, so I strongly encourage each of you to consider joining us this Sunday evening, or a Sunday evening very soon, and I do pray it becomes as essential a part of your Lord’s Day practice as our morning gatherings already are. May this be an ongoing expression of our trust in the power of God rather than in our own strength and abilities, for the obstacles and enemies we face "cannot be driven out by anything but prayer” (v. 29).

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Related prior article: " Gathered Prayer "

Striving for the Kingdom (Mark 9:30-50)

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 21:36:38 GMT

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Mark 9:30-50

Bringing the sermon home:

For the second time in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus foretells His impending death and resurrection, and, for the second time, the disciples do not understand Jesus’s plain words. The first time around, Jesus had to rebuke Peter for “not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man” (8:33). Similarly, this time around they quickly begin to argue with one another about which of them is the greatest, showing that their confusion is not merely a result of their faulty expectations about what the Messiah would accomplish, but rather a result of worldly desires. They were not yet wiling to suffer for the sake of Christ.

Verses 33 thru 37 address rivalry with those inside of the band of traveling disciples while verses 38 thru 41 address rivalry with those doing good in the name of Christ who were outside of their immediate group. A clear point of application is that there is no room for self-serving rivalry within a given church, nor between churches. We must strive together for Christ’s glory, not against one another for our own glory. What matters most is not the growth or even the continuation of any specific church, and certainly not the growth or continuation of any specific association of churches (i.e. “denomination”), but rather the growth and multiplication of Bible-believing, gospel-preaching churches in general, regardless of whatever associational banners they may or may not identify with. The only name that matters is the name of Jesus.

At the same time, throughout His Word, Jesus commands us not to tolerate those who teach a different gospel or who promote sinful lifestyles. We must strive together for the kingdom by striving together against sin.

What a Savior!

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 17:55:09 GMT

A little over a month ago, I mentioned a new book of hymns that I've been reading titled “ Our Hymns, Our Heritage ”. It contains 120 of the hymns that “every child – indeed, every Christian – should know,” along with a story about the writing of each hymn and/or an account of how the Lord has used each hymn in the lives of others.

One of the hymns that is known by two different names is “ Man of Sorrows ” / “ Hallelujah! What a Savior ”. Both the lyrics and the tune were written by Philip Bliss around 1875. Although Bliss died at the young age of 38, he still wrote dozens of hymns, including another one of my favorites, “ I Will Sing of My Redeemer ”. He also wrote the tune to “ It Is Well ” that we all love so much.

Ira Sankey, a famous gospel singer, said this about the last time he heard Philip Bliss sing “Man of Sorrows”:

A few weeks before his death, Mr. Bliss visited the state prison at Jackson, Michigan, where, after a very touching address on “The Man of Sorrows,” he sang this hymn. Many of the prisoners dated their conversion from that day. (Our Hymns, 70)

As you reflect upon the lyrics of this hymn, you’ll notice that it helps you to meditate upon the truths of Isaiah 52:13–53:12 . All of the best hymns help implant the truths of God’s Word in our hearts.

Here are three of the five verses in case you didn’t bring up the shee t music :

Man of sorrows! What a name,
for the Son of God who came
ruined sinners to reclaim;
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile and helpless we,
spotless Lamb of God was he;
full atonement - can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When he comes, our glorious King,
all his ransomed home to bring,
then anew this song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

What a savior indeed!

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Related prior article: " Our Hymns, Our Heritage "

The Beloved Son (Mark 9:1-29)

Sun, 11 Sep 2022 21:18:49 GMT

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Mark 9:1–29

Bringing the sermon home:

The scene atop the Mount of Transfiguration is one of the most familiar scenes in the gospels. While it may be counterintuitive, the familiarity of a scene often prevents us from seeing the main point. We must ask, why did this take place? Clearly it’s an amazing display of Jesus’ purity, power, and authority, but why was that necessary at this moment in history?

As we examine what immediately precedes and follows this record, we see that we are being exhorted to listen to and heed the Word of the Beloved Son. And what is that Word? It’s the message that the path to glory is through suffering. As Jesus had just explained, this was not only true of Him, but of everyone who desires to join Him in glory. Does your life reflect this understanding of the cost of discipleship? When the Lord opens doors for us to impact the lives of others, with the only cost being some of our free time, we often need to be taken back to the top of this New Sinai, that we may be exhorted by the voice of the Father to “Listen to my Beloved Son”.

Next, we see that Jesus alone is the supreme authority on the proper interpretation of the Old Testament, and thus we must seek the insight that He provides through the New Testament, not that of disobedient religious “experts”.

Finally, as Jesus comes down from the mountain, He rebukes His disciples for their lack of faith expressed through prayer. Only through acknowledging and expressing our weakness will God’s power be shown, and we acknowledge and express our weakness through prayer.

A Labor of Love

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 20:58:24 GMT

On the heels of Labor Day, let’s continue our reflection on God’s good gift of work (see previous article here ). Secular historians don’t tend to be concerned with the salvation of souls or with faithfulness to God’s Word in His people’s worship of Him. As such, when historians analyze the effects of the 16 ^th century Reformation upon the societies of the world, what they often point to as the most significant contribution might surprise you: it’s the Protestant work ethic and commitment to literacy.

While non-Protestants take offense at that assertion, the data doesn’t lie. In analyzing what leads some nations to prosperity and other nations to poverty, world-renown economist Barry Asmus and theologian Wayne Grudem, in their book The Poverty of Nations , note that “countries with primarily Protestant backgrounds influencing their cultural values score the highest in terms of per capita gross domestic product” (320). Why does the wealth of nations with a primarily Protestant influence far exceed that of all other nations, and why is it more than three times that of nations with a primarily Catholic influence?

One major reason is the early Protestants’ determination to learn the languages of the world, to translate the Bible in to those languages, and to then teach people to read those Bibles, all during a time when the Roman Catholic Church was seeking to burn alive anyone who dared to help people read the Bible on their own.

Equally important is the peace with God that comes from the assurance that you are truly saved. When life is no longer viewed as penitential preparation for heaven, never knowing how far short you’re falling, you are then freed to lift your eyes off of yourself and on to God’s others-oriented mission for humanity. As Tim Keller writes in Every Good Endeavor : “Since we already have in Christ the things other people work for – salvation, self-worth, a good conscience, and peace – now we may work simply to love God and our neighbors” (63-64).

Related is the rejection of the notion that “church work” is more pleasing to God than “secular work”, as “ all work now becomes a way to love the God who saved us freely; and by extension, a way to love our neighbor” (63).

Praise God for the recovery of this Biblical understanding of the gift of labor.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Related prior article: " The Gift of Work "

Am I Truly Saved? (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Sun, 04 Sep 2022 14:41:29 GMT

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2 Corinthians 13:5

Bringing the sermon home:

As the Apostle Paul brings this challenging letter to a close, he exhorts the Christians in Corinth to “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.” The Corinthians had begun to follow false teachers who preached “another Jesus” and, thus, “a different gospel” (11:4-5). While Paul does not take the time in these closing words to identify the fruit of faith, he does elsewhere throughout this letter.

William Beckham, who preached for us on Sunday, selected three ways that we can test ourselves to see if we are truly “in the faith”, noting that these are the same three tests that the Apostle John repeatedly sets forth in his first epistle.

The Moral Test ( 2 Cor 12:19-21 ).

Are you actively walking in obedience to the commands of God?

“. . . By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” ( 1 John 2:1-6 ).
The Social Test ( 2 Cor 2:1-4; 8:24 ).

Are you actively loving your neighbor as yourself?

As we see in Paul’s letter, true love does not ignore the sins of others, but lovingly confronts it, for love both desires and actively seeks the spiritual good of others.

“. . . We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. . . .” ( 1 John 3:10-18 ).
The Doctrinal Test ( 2 Cor 6:1-13; 12:12 ).

Are you trusting in the gospel delivered by the Apostles?

“. . . Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. . . .” ( 1 John 4:1-6 ).

May each of us "find out that we have not failed the test" (2 Cor 13:6) and thus "reassure our heart before him" ( 1 John 3:19 )!

(See a related follow-up article here .)

The Gift of Work

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 14:30:08 GMT

With Labor Day coming next Monday, we discussed the gift of work this last Sunday evening. For those who missed on Sunday, here is a list of a few passages and thoughts to reflect upon this Labor Day weekend.

Genesis 1:26-31; 2:5-18

Work is not an unfortunate necessity, but a good gift from God, for there was work in the original paradise. Before Adam and Eve rebelled against God’s design for their lives and brought the curse of sin and death upon God’s creation, He blessed them with the creation mandate to expand the borders of the garden of Eden to cover the earth and to fill it with worshippers bearing His image. This was all deemed “very good”.

Jeremiah 29:1-7

While the curse of Genesis 3 has made work difficult, the creation mandate is still in force, for we are still called to contribute to the flourishing of others, laboring to see the world filled with worshippers. Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles taken captive in Babylon is highly instructive, for we too are living in exile away from the dwelling presence of the Lord in Eden, yet are still called to seek the welfare of everyone around us.
John 5:15-17

We were made to work, for we were made in the image of a God who never stops working. As such, sluggardliness has a dehumanizing effect upon us, as expressed in Proverbs 24:30-34; 26:15-16; and Eccl 4:5 . So long as we have breath in our lungs and the mental capacity to think, there is some way that we can be a blessing to others, for the Lord sustains us for a reason.

Colossians 3:22-24; Ephesians 6:5-9

All work is to be done “as for the Lord and not for men”. As long as it’s not inherently sinful or intended to lead others into sin, all work is God’s work, not just the work of the paid pastor or supported missionary. As Martin Luther famously said, “ God is milking the cows through the vocation of the milkmaid.”

Thank God for this good gift! For further reflection, I recommend Tim Keller’s book Every Good Endeavor .

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Follow-up article: " A Labor of Love "

See and Believe (Mark 8:11-38)

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 03:57:35 GMT

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Mark 8:11–38

Bringing the sermon home:

Back in Exodus 16, God supernaturally provided bread from heaven to feed a great multitude in the wilderness. Immediately afterward, the Israelites began to quarrel with their deliverer (Exodus 17:2). In much the same way, immediately after Jesus supernaturally provided bread to feed a great multitude in a desolate place, the Pharisees began to quarrel with their Messiah. For those whose hearts are unchanged by His words, no sign from heaven will ever be enough. Jesus then calls His disciples to beware of this “leaven”, for such unbelief, if left unchallenged, always spreads through the whole lump.

The two-stage healing of a blind man pictures the spiritual state of the disciples. Unlike the Pharisees, they are following Jesus, but they are like the blind man once he has been partially healed: they still don’t understand the fullness of who Jesus is and why He came. They can see Him well enough to confess that He is the Christ, but they refuse to accept that He has come to die. Jesus explains that their minds are still set on earthly things.

Examples of confessing that Jesus is the Christ while refusing to accept His Word are all around us, from “progressive Christianity” that rejects His teaching on morality (e.g., marriage, gender, sexuality) to the “prosperity gospel” that rejects His teaching on suffering in the life of the Christian and the requirement to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him. But as with the second touch of the blind man, Jesus can heal this spiritual blindness and grant the eyes to see and believe.

The People of God

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 19:11:57 GMT

On Sunday evening, we further considered the question from Sunday morning (“ For whom did Jesus come? ”) by examining God’s dealings with humanity prior to the sending of Christ. I framed the discussion around this question: “Was ethnicity a factor in being a part of God’s Old Covenant people?” Despite the way the Bible is often taught, my answer is “No, it wasn’t.” There’s no room in this brief article to flesh this out to the extent that I did on Sunday evening, but I’ll hit the highlights.

At the beginning of God’s relationship with Abraham, God informed him that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” ( Genesis 12:3 ). While this finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ’s work to save people “from every tribe and language and people and nation” ( Revelation 5:9 ; see Acts 3:25-26 ; Galatians 3:7-9 ), a major way that Abraham’s biological descendants were supposed to be a blessing to all peoples was by calling Gentiles to bind themselves to God’s covenant community on the earth (i.e., Israel).

This is made clear at the very moment that God first established that Old Covenant community, liberating the biological descendants of Jacob from slavery in Egypt. The nation of Israel, from its inception, included Egyptians who had witnessed God’s saving acts in Egypt and committed to worship and serve Him alone ( Exodus 12:37-38 ). Anyone , regardless of ethnicity, who committed to obey God’s law was to be considered “as a native of the land” (i.e., an ethnic Israelite), for “There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you” ( Exodus 12:48-49 ; see also Leviticus 19:34 ; Numbers 9:14; 15:13-16 ; Isaiah 56:6-7 ; Ezekiel 47:21-23 ; Ezra 6:19-21 ).

Admittedly, Israel failed horribly in being a light to the nations, and thus there were not large numbers of Gentiles who converted, but some did, including the great and great-great grandmothers of King David, Ruth and Rahab, both of whom are called out by name in the genealogy of Jesus ( Matthew 1:5 ). Inclusion in the covenant people of God has always been available for all people. The emphasis of New Testament passages like Ephesians 3:1-12 and Colossians 1:24-29 is not the newness of "Gentile inclusion", but of the means of that inclusion no longer involving circumcision and related cultural barriers.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

See a related prior article here: " The Newness of the New Covenant "

Bread for the Gentiles (Mark 7:24–8:10)

Sun, 21 Aug 2022 15:53:57 GMT

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Mark 7:24–8:10

Bringing the sermon home:

In Mark 7:24–8:10, Jesus takes His disciples on a journey through Gentile territory. Upon entering a house, a Syrophoenician woman comes to Him, begging Him to heal her demonized daughter. The question is thus raised: For whom did Jesus come? Or, using the language of Matthew’s account: Who are “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt 15:24)? As the event unfolds, we see the answer: All those who hear of Him, believe in Him, and come to Him, falling at His feet with the same kind of persistent, humble faith exemplified by this woman.

Continuing their journey, Jesus then heals a man of his inability to hear and speak. Given the broader context, especially the pattern of six events from 6:30–7:37 that gets repeated in 8:1-30, building to Peter’s confession that “You are the Christ”, we see the primary significance of this healing: the man’s tongue was loosed so that he might “zealously proclaim” to others that Jesus is the Christ who “does all things well”. This is true of all of us who have been saved by the healing touch of Jesus.

This Gentile mission concludes with another miraculous feeding of thousands. While the feeding of the 5,000 was of a predominantly (if not entirely) Jewish crowd, the feeding of the 4,000 seems to be of a predominantly (if not entirely) Gentile crowd. He is offering to the Gentiles what He has already offered to the Jews. What every person you meet needs more than anything else you might offer them is Jesus. Seek to give them Jesus and He will use you to satisfy the spiritual needs of others.

(See a related follow-up article here .)

The Beauty of Baptism

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 17:19:45 GMT

On Sunday, we had the joy of celebrating the baptism of the newest member of Richland Hills Christian Church. With each baptism, I like to say a brief word about what the act of being lowered into water and raised up again symbolizes. I’d like to elaborate a bit further here.

First, baptism pictures washing, signifying the fact that the believer being baptized has been washed clean from their sin because of what Christ has accomplished on their behalf. We see this in Acts 22:16, as the Apostle Paul recounts his conversion, after which Ananias said to him:

“And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name .”

Second, baptism pictures Christ’s substitutionary life, death, burial, and resurrection from the grave by which the believer being baptized has been saved. We see this in Romans 6:3-4:

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:3-4)

Third, baptism pictures the believer’s future resurrection from the grave to live with Christ forever, for Christ has conquered death on his or her behalf. We see this in Romans 6:5:

“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:5)

Fourth, and finally, baptism pictures the believer’s death to who he or she once was, having been made alive to walk in newness of life, no longer living for him/herself, but for Christ. We see this throughout Romans 6:1-11 , but succinctly captured in verse 6:

“We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:6)

We thank God for every means of grace that He has instituted in His Word for our spiritual growth and witness to others (e.g., baptism, the Lord’s Supper, prayer, the study of God’s Word, the fellowship of a local church), for each one is essential to the life and mission of every disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

What Defiles Us (Mark 7:1-23)

Sun, 14 Aug 2022 14:32:43 GMT

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Mark 7:1-23

Bringing the sermon home:

Having just supernaturally fed thousands of people in a deserted place, as God had done in the first Exodus, and having just supernaturally crossed the waters of a sea, as God had enabled the people of Israel to do in the first Exodus, Jesus now instructs God’s people in the way of holiness, as God had done through Moses at Mount Sinai.

To the people’s surprise, the way of the Pharisee is not the way of holiness, because outward discipline divorced from inner devotion dishonors God. The Pharisees had invented new laws focused on outwardly observable disciplines, enabling them to “practice [their] righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them” (Matthew 6:1). But when you add to God’s Word, you begin to so fixate on your man-made traditions that you soon trust in them for your acceptance before God, blinding you to your failure to satisfy God’s true demands.

Revering tradition above God’s Word reveals a defiled heart that is easily distracted from God’s calling. Whether we’re spending our energies off-mission or placing unnecessary obstacles between us and our unbelieving neighbors or between us and fellow believers who would otherwise partner with us, every church must be on guard against the dangers of tradition. We must instead prioritize strategy over sentimentality, mission over emotion.

God cares about the heart, and His law exists to reveal our need for clean hearts, washed in the blood of Jesus. Holy living must be motivated by gratitude for grace already received through faith in Christ.

Our Outsized Impact

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 18:59:34 GMT

An article published last week by The Gospel Coalition utilized the term “nonparental adult” a couple of times in reference to any adult outside of a child’s family who connects with the child, and how impactful this is in the child’s development. While the article is focused on the context of the local church, it definitely speaks to the reason that Academy 4 is making such a difference in the lives of 4 ^th graders throughout our area. Joseph writes:

A host of research studies have noted the benefits of nonparental adults in the lives of children and teens. Think of the adults who had a significant influence on your life growing up. Whether they were teachers, pastors, coaches, or extended family members, these people took the time to get to know you and point out your potential and gifts. I work as a counselor for teens, and I regularly tell parents that I’m not saying anything magical, I’m just a different voice encouraging and saying the same things they’ve said numerous times to their kids.

Many young people begin to “tune out” the voices of their parents and teachers, and really anyone they believe is only engaging them because they “have to”. Someone from the community who volunteers to be their mentor is able to make an outsized positive impact in their development, especially in the context of the economically disadvantaged schools that Academy 4 serves. I hope you’ll sign up to serve at Binion this year!

Of course, this opportunity to make an outsized impact in a young person’s life is also afforded to each one of us when we gather on Sundays, as the article makes clear:

Whether you remain part of a congregation for months or decades, you have the opportunity to play a vital role in the lives of the young people as they grow physically and, Lord-willing, spiritually… As an adult church member, you have been given the humbling stewardship of shaping how youth view the body of Christ.

As a discipling family of faith , let us all resolve to make regular efforts to acknowledge and engage the children whom the Lord welcomes to our services each Sunday.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

The Shepherd Feeds His Sheep (Mark 6:30-56)

Sun, 07 Aug 2022 20:49:55 GMT

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Mark 6:30-56

Bringing the sermon home:

With “the feeding of the 5,000,” we see that Christ is the good shepherd of God’s people who was promised to come (e.g., Num 27:15-18; Ezek 34:23-24). Before feeding them physical bread, He spends the day “teaching them many things,” showing us the primary way that He feeds His sheep: through His Word. After commanding His disciples to give the hungry people something to eat, though the disciples have nothing in their hands to give, He then fills their hands with exactly what those around them need. It’s a physical picture of a spiritual reality: all we have to offer the spiritually needy around us is the bread that Jesus provides us: His Word.

After Jesus literally walks on water to reach His disciples as they are fighting against a storm at sea, Mark records that “they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves.” Clearly, these miracles were designed to teach them (and us) who Jesus is. Not only is He the good shepherd who leads, feeds, and protects His sheep, He is God the Son in human flesh. Understand this rightly, and we will not panic in the fury of the storms into which He leads us.

The passage concludes by highlighting the crowds of people who do recognize Jesus (rather than confusing Him for a ghost) and who run to Jesus to “be made well” (i.e., “saved”). May we likewise reach out to touch Jesus in faith that we may be saved and equipped to serve.

Our Hymns, Our Heritage

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 03:58:05 GMT

We just wrapped up this summer’s “ Favorite Hymn Countdown ”. With th at in mind, I’ve been reading through a new hymnal titled “ Our Hymns, Our Heritage: A Student Guide to Songs of the Church ”. It contains 120 of the hymns that “every child – indeed, every Christian – should know,” written for everyone aged 9 and up.

Alongside the sheet music for each hymn is a word about the author of the lyrics, a word about the melody, a devotional thought to keep in mind as you sing, and a verse of Scripture upon which the hymn is based. Knowing the story behind the writing of a hymn or an interesting account of how the hymn has ministered to others who have come before us can cause the truths of the hymn to better resonate with us and sustain us.

In the preface to this hymnal, the authors address the question, “Why teach hymns to children?” The points made hold true for people of all ages:

“They learn Bible content and doctrine. They observe the hearts of godly men and women. They encounter a little world history. And they imbibe the beauty of melody and harmony, poetry, and literature. A hymn is a treasure chest of learning. Some words, thoughts, and experiences they have not yet encountered, but their truths will serve them throughout life.” (14-15)

One of the hymns that was near the top of our countdown this summer is “ Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us ,” written by Dorothy Thrupp and originally published in 1836 in a children’s hymnal.

40 years later, aboard a steamboat on the evening of Christmsomeone recognized that one of the passengers was Ira Sankey, a famous gospel singer. They asked him to sing for them, and so he obliged, but rather than singing a Christmas carol, he sang this hymn. Afterward, a man approached Ira and told him the story of how, as a Confederate soldier in 1862, he had snuck up on a Union soldier standing guard at night. Unaware of his impending death, the Union soldier had begun to sing this hymn. The Confederate soldier decided to let him finish singing, but then couldn’t bring himself to pull the trigger and instead snuck away. 14 years later, there they were, standing face to face, for Sankey had been that Union soldier. The two former enemies then embraced.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Faith Under Fire (Mark 6:1-29)

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 20:36:36 GMT

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Mark 6:1-29

Bringing the sermon home:

Immediately following two examples of faith overcoming fear, Jesus then encounters an amazing lack of faith in His own hometown. In response to their unbelief, Jesus does not perform any of the same kind of miracles we just witnessed before He departs to go elsewhere, likely never to return again. As we have seen before in Mark’s Gospel, to reject Jesus’ Word is to cut yourself off from His blessing. Do you think you already know who Jesus is? What if your conception of Jesus is wrong?

It’s in this context of rejection and unbelief that Jesus, for the first time, sends out His twelve closest disciples to proclaim the same message that just fell on deaf ears. So long as they busy themselves with the words and works that they have received and seen in Jesus, they can expect similar results: some will receive them, while others will reject them. Either way, it isn’t about them. We are being called to adopt the same mindset.

Finally, we see that the context into which Jesus sends His disciples, us included, is not only one of unbelief, but also of danger. Calling King Herod to repentance had led to John the Baptist being beheaded, but this is the duty to which Christ calls His disciples. Though Herod fancied himself to be a king, he was actually a slave to his own pride. With respect to Christ’s message, hearing without heeding only leads to a hardening. Let us hear well.

Entrust to Faithful Men

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 18:29:10 GMT

It was a joy to have William Beckham preach for us on Sunday. Though he is not a member of our congregation, he is a faithful member of another solid church that meets about 20 miles northeast of our meeting place, and he desires to pursue full-time pastoral ministry.

A vital part of any church is the call to raise up and send out new pastors. As Paul instructed Timothy:

And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2).

We will see a picture of this in our sermon text this Sunday when Jesus sends out the twelve apostles two by two to proclaim the gospel (Mark 6:7-13).

In the life of any given church, there are seasons when there will be a larger population of staff pastors, non-staff elders, and others who desire to preach God’s Word to God’s people on Sunday mornings, and seasons when there are fewer who feel called and gifted to this particular area of service to the body. Churches that find themselves in the later category are uniquely able to contribute to the great commission by partnering with churches in the former category, inviting men like Will who desire to pursue pastoral ministry to come preach.

This is an excellent way for us to advance Christ’s kingdom on earth. I pray we are all able to see and to be excited about the various ways that partnerships like this bless each congregation involved.

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the o ffice of overseer [i.e., pastor/elder], he desires a noble task. (1 Timothy 3:1)

May the Lord continue His work of raising up new pastors/elders/overseers (1 Pet 5:1-3) from within our congregation, and may He bless our efforts to partner with other local churches to help equip and affirm those being called to the “noble task” of shepherding God’s flock through the weekly proclamation of God’s Word.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Christ Our Hope (John 10:27-29)

Sun, 24 Jul 2022 18:24:23 GMT

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John 10:27-29

Bringing the sermon home:

These verses can be summarized with three P ’s: Eternal life is personal , present , and permanent .

First, eternal life is a personal reality, as it is found in a personal relationship with Christ. Jesus explains in John 17:3 that this is eternal life: to intimately know God, Father and Son. Only those who personally place their trust in Christ and seek to walk with Him daily are given the undeserved gift of eternal life.

Second, eternal life is a present reality, as it is a gift that has already been granted to those who have been brought into union with Christ through faith. He explains in John 5:24: “the one who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

Finally, eternal life is a permanent reality. As Christ said, those to whom it is given “will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.”

When we are tempted to doubt God’s love for us, or to otherwise doubt the certainty of our salvation, let us find encouragement and confidence in our knowledge of Christ. Eternal life is in Him, through Him, from Him, and with Him. He is our hope.

(Special thanks to our guest preacher, William Beckham , for faithfully unpacking God's Word for us on Sunday.)

The Pilgrim's Proverb

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 17:49:34 GMT

A couple of months ago, I shared “ The Pilgrim’s Code ” that is embossed on the back cover of my son’s copy of Little Pilgrim’s Big Journey , the latest children’s edition of John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress published in 1678:

Believe the King’s Word.
Follow the King’s Path.
Seek the King’s City.

The journey continues with Christiana and the Celestial City , likewise based on Part 2 of Bunyan’s classic. A recurring theme throughout this part of the story is the proverb embossed on the back cover:

It’s not an easy path to the King’s City, but the bitter must come before the sweet, and the bitter will make the sweet even sweeter. In other words, the decision to follow Christ will introduce difficulties that you otherwise would not have encountered, for spiritual forces of evil will attempt to hinder you from trusting in Christ and from leading others to do the same. But just as Christ had to suffer and die before entering glory, so too we must endure the bitter sting of earthly suffering and death before entering the sweet bliss of eternal life.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking 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. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

We need not fear, our king is near.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Be Made Well (Mark 5:21-43)

Sun, 17 Jul 2022 18:35:45 GMT

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Mark 5:21-43

Bringing the sermon home:

This passage picks up in the middle of a series of four miracles. Having seen Jesus calm a storm and liberate a man possessed by a “legion” of demons, we now see Jesus heal a woman with a 12-year-old bleeding problem and raise a 12-year-old girl from the dead. In short, with these four miracles, we see that Jesus reigns over disasters, demons, diseases, and even over death.

Each of the four miracle-accounts present a contrast between faith and fear. In the final section, the father of the deceased girl is explicitly told to fight fear with faith, as Jesus commands, “Do not fear, only believe.” Again, this is not a promise that no harm will come to us if we simply muster enough faith. Instead, it’s a call to find peace in the midst of trials by trusting (1) that God is with and (2) that He has a purpose in each trial.

In quick succession, we see the faith of the dying girl’s father, Jairus, followed by the faith of the bleeding woman. Multiple cues in the text show us that their faith in Jesus to provide physical healing is intended to be a picture of faith in Jesus to provide spiritual healing. Their example teaches us that saving faith is (1) a desperate faith, realizing that you must be saved from death, (2) a confident faith, certain that Jesus can save, and (3) a public faith, unashamed of identifying with Jesus.

May our lives be marked by the faith to “be made well” and to “go and tell” others about our Lord and Savior.

(See follow-up article here .)

An Opportunity to Change a Life

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 19:11:04 GMT

Academy 4 is gearing up for a new school year! This is the mentoring program for 4 ^th graders at Binion Elementary (next door to the church building), as well as in 39 other economically disadvantaged schools in the US. Every 4 ^th grader in these schools is paired up with a mentor from the community, so we need nearly 200 mentors to sign up to serve at Binion this year.

Academy 4 takes place for 90 minutes (1:00-2:30), one Friday afternoon each month from September through May . This is NOT tutoring. It’s really just about spending time with a kid, showing them that they matter. After everyone is seated, I give a brief presentation and then you work through a simple workbook that helps your 4 ^th grader think about some basic “leadership” traits, followed by time hanging out with them while playing a card game or other activity. It’s an easy way to make a significant impact in the life of these children.

Academy 4 is a distinctly Christian organization, as their mission statement reads: “We connect churches to schools and communities through mentoring 4th graders in leadership.” While we are not able to explicitly share the gospel in this public-school setting, we are able to share that we are there because we are members of a local church (i.e., the one next door). Over time, the students, their parents, and the staff recognize that the people who are showing up to love on these children are followers of Christ. This is an excellent way to establish relationships with these students and their families.

Virtual “Lunch & Learns” are being held over Zoom every Tuesday from 12:00-12:30 until September 13. Just use this link to connect: http://goa4.org/lunchandlearn

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Faith versus Fear (Mark 4:35–5:20)

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 19:00:56 GMT

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Mark 4:35–5:20

Bringing the sermon home:

After recording a series of four parables about the coming of the kingdom of God, Mark then records a series of four miracles attesting to the truth and power of Jesus’ words. All four of these miracle accounts present a contrast between faith and fear.

In the face of great danger at sea, as a life-threatening storm bears down on them, Jesus’ disciples challenge His care for them with the question, “Don’t you care that we are perishing?” In the presence of danger and distress, we all struggle with the temptation to doubt God’s love. In those moments, we too need to hear and to heed Jesus’ response to them, teaching us to fight fear with faith: “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

This is not a promise that no harm will come to us. While Jesus did spare their lives and wellbeing that night, the time would come when most, if not all, of these disciples would suffer some form of imprisonment, torture, or even execution for the sake of following Jesus. Instead, this is a call for fear to give way to faith in Jesus’ promise:

that He is with us in the storm, calming our fear,
that He has a purpose for having led us into the storm, and
that He will ultimately deliver us from the grave.

Then, after liberating a demon-possessed man, the fear of the onlookers it is contrasted with the faith of the freed man, whom Jesus tells to go and tell others “how much the Lord had done for you”. This is the life of faith.

July 4th Event

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 19:06:45 GMT

Thank you to everyone who helped make our booth at the annual Richland Hills “ Red, White, and You ” event a huge success! We gave away around 90 Bibles / Gospel Storybooks, along with a large number of pamphlets about our church that includes a presentation of the gospel. The “Plinko” game was a big hit, allowing us to give away a ton of little children’s toys as prizes and to interact with hundreds of our neighbors. May the Lord cause the seeds we cast to grow and bear much fruit!

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Listen Up! (Mark 4:1-34)

Sun, 03 Jul 2022 18:43:23 GMT

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Mark 4:1-34

Bringing the sermon home:

The message of the parable of the soils (vv. 1-20) is summarized in the first word of Jesus’ teaching: “Listen!” Or as He puts it in Luke 8:18, “Take care how you hear.” Every encounter with the Word of God changes us in one way or another, either softening us or hardening us. We are called to listen in such a way that the seed takes root deep within our hearts and bears the fruit of obedience.

One of those fruits is to consciously shine the light of Christ so that others may see it (vv. 21-25). As we scatter gospel seed, some who receive it will desire to know more, and to all who so desire, more will be given. Those who don’t respond in this way will lose even what they think they have. Light is for shining, so let it shine.

The passage concludes with two short parables teaching that God will build His kingdom in His time and in His way (vv. 25-34). The power for the growth of the kingdom is in the seed (i.e., the sharing of the gospel as revealed through every page of God’s Word). We must not succumb to the temptation to tamper with the seed or to let other good things take priority over the scattering of the seed. May we increasingly trust His methods!

Politics and Religion

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 19:14:56 GMT

Everyone of a certain age is familiar with the old America adage: “Never discuss politics or religion in polite company.” Even before the hotly divided cultural climate in which we find ourselves today, it was long recognized that the topics of politics and religion can quickly stir people’s passions in a way that threatens civil discourse. However, what is often missed in our day is the way the categories of “politics” and “religion” have morphed to the point of consuming nearly every topic of discussion.

Throughout most of American history, in any part of society that would have been the least bit concerned with these rules of etiquette, avoiding the topic of “religion” would have primarily meant avoiding the matters that divide Protestants denominations from one another and from the Roman Catholic Church, not the avoidance of broader matters of spirituality or morality.

What changed? While the vast majority of Americans have always identified as theists (still greater than 75%), the religion of secular humanism has successfully taken control of most of our institutions (education, media, entertainment) with the direct aim of eliminating all “God talk” from the polite company of public discourse.

As for what makes something “political,” that has really been a matter of what divides the dominant political parties in America. However, for the first 200 years, that did not include the most hotly debated ethical matters of our day, but merely differences over the ideal role of the government with regard to the economy, taxation, defense, policing, education, healthcare, and the like. For example, looking at the Republican and Democratic party platforms of the past, the topic of abortion did not appear until 1976, “sexual orientation” in 1980, “same-sex marriage” in 1992, and “gender identity” in 2008.

Should a previously apolitical issue suddenly become “political” just because a political party suddenly takes a position that is in opposition to God’s clearly revealed design for human flourishing? Regardless of what the godless elites deem to be appropriate public discourse, followers of Christ must never cease to be salt and light.

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16)

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

A Lunatic, the Devil, or the Son of God? (Mark 3:7–35)

Sun, 26 Jun 2022 18:20:25 GMT

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Mark 3:7-35

Bringing the sermon home:

First, we see great crowds from all around Israel coming to Jesus, the miracle-worker. This is in contrast with the religious and political leaders of Israel who, in the preceding verse, are plotting to kill Him. There is no room for indifference. As Jesus says elsewhere, “Whoever is not with me is against me” (Mt 12:30).

Both the opening and closing sections focus on who Jesus is. In verses 7-12, we see the demons confessing that Jesus is “the Son of God”. In verses 20-35, we see His family saying that “He is out of his mind” while the religious leaders from Jerusalem say that He is possessed by Satan. These are, in fact, the only three options. To use the language made famous by C.S. Lewis: Jesus is either a lunatic, the devil, or God in human flesh.

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg —or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. (Mere Christianity, 52)

Our membership in the family of God depends entirely upon who we confess Jesus to be and how that confession affects our lives. Who do you say Jesus is?

The middle section, verses 13-19, more subtly contributes to this same topic. Similar to the way the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel met with God on Mount Sinai during the first Exodus (Exod 24:9-11), the twelve apostles meet with Jesus on a mountain at the start of the new Exodus, symbolizing the beginning of the new people of God and making clear the means by which God builds His church: through our evangelism.

The Jewish Sabbath

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 19:00:51 GMT

In my sermon on Sunday, I mentioned that the Sabbath requirements of the Old Covenant are not carried over in the age of the New Covenant. While our practice of gathering together for worship every Sunday is clearly an expectation of every believer, and has been the pattern of Christians from the beginning, neither Scripture nor history support the idea that it’s a “Christian Sabbath”.

The New Testament passages that address the Jewish Sabbath (on the last day of the week) and the Lord’s Day (on the first day of the week) never make a connection between the two days. Furthermore, the topic of the Sabbath is glaringly absent from the discussion of what to require of Gentile converts at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. Likewise, no connection between the Jewish Sabbath and the Lord’s Day was established in the writings of the early church fathers until the year 321 , almost three hundred years after Christ’s ascension.

The Apostle Paul clearly connects Sabbath observance with the other major boundary markers between Jews and Gentiles, namely, circumcision and dietary restrictions, showing that the Sabbath requirements are likewise no longer part of the New Covenant age ( Colossians 2:16-17; Galatians 4:10; Romans 14:5-6 ).

The Sabbath, which was not instituted until thousands of years after Adam (Exodus 16:23), was about refraining from work. With the possible exception of one phrase in Lev 23:3, there was no clear Old Testament command for the people to assemble together on the Sabbath, nor any description of such an assembly. There is no evidence of Jews gathering in synagogues for Sabbath worship until after the close of the Old Testament.

Regardless of how we refer to the first day of the week on which we gather to celebrate Christ’s resurrection, part of what we celebrate is the grace in which we now rest , not consumed by rituals and rules in order to be made right with God. Those who have been united to Christ through faith will increasingly yearn to gather with fellow blood-bought brothers and sisters in Christ for worship as a foretaste of what awaits us in eternity. May the Lord greatly bless each of our Lord's Day gatherings (see Rev 1:10; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:2; Heb 10:24-25 ).

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

For further reading: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/a-brief-history-of-sunday/

Pure Religion (Mark 2:18–3:6)

Sun, 19 Jun 2022 20:35:14 GMT

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Mark 2:18–3:6

Bringing the sermon home:

This passage continues a series of conflicts between Jesus and the religious establishment. A common theme is that of deprivation, as the Pharisees are calling for Jesus and His disciples:

to abstain from food through regular times of fasting (2:18-22),
to abstain from plucking and eating heads of grain on the Sabbath (2:23-28), and
to withhold healing from a man with a shriveled hand on the Sabbath (3:1-6).

For the Pharisees, “religion” is all about outwardly observable forms of self-deprivation for the sake of self-exaltation. This bears the rotten fruit of pride and a lack of compassion for others.

Jesus shows us a better way. As the Apostle James puts it: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father” (Jas 1:27) breeds humility and compassion, not self-righteous pride and hard hearts. Unlike the man-made rules the Pharisees had added to God’s Word, the spiritual disciplines instituted in the Scriptures are good gifts from God that are designed to be a blessing, not a burden. They are aimed at helping us to grow both in personal holiness and compassionate care for others.

What fruit are your religious practices bearing in your life? Do you see yourself growing in compassionate care for others? As disciples of Christ, may our spiritual disciplines:

be in accord with God’s design,
be pursued with the right motive, and
bear good fruit rather than rotten fruit.

(See follow-up article here .)

The Authors of the Gospels

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 19:07:14 GMT

In our passage on Sunday , we read the account of Jesus calling a tax collector. Both Mark and Luke (Lk 5:27-32) record the man’s name as “Levi”, while Matthew records the man’s name as “Matthew” in his parallel account (Mt 9:9-13). Later, in listing the original twelve apostles, the one named “Matthew” is further identified as “the tax collector” in Matthew 10:3. It appears that his Hebrew name was “Levi”, while his Greek name was “Matthew”.

In the first century, Israel was a multilingual culture, with many Jews speaking a combination of Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin. As such, numerous individuals in the New Testament are identified by multiple names, most notably Simon (Hebrew) / Peter (Greek) / Cephas (Aramaic) (see John 1:42). Recall that Pilate wrote the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” on the cross in three different languages: Aramaic, Latin, and Greek (John 19:19-20).

It is often claimed that none of the four Gospels name the author within the text of the Gospel itself. However, it is also the case that no manuscript of any of the four Gospels (in any language) has ever been found that did not include a title bearing the name of the associated author (i.e., Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John).

Furthermore, all of the early Christian writings that followed the writing of the New Testament confirm that:

Matthew’s Gospel was written by the apostle identified as Matthew in Mark 3:18, who was also identified as Levi the tax collector in Mark 2:14.

Mark’s Gospel was written by the “John-Mark” who traveled with the Apostle Paul (Acts 12:25–13:13) and whom Peter referred to as “my son” in 1 Peter 5:13.

Luke’s Gospel, along with Acts, was written by the Gentile convert referred to as “the beloved physician” in Colossians 4:14 who traveled extensively with the Apostle Paul (Acts. 16:10-16; 20:1-16; 21:1-26; 27:1-28:16; Col 4:14; 2 Tim 4:11; Philemon 1:24).

John’s Gospel was written by the apostle identified as John the son of Zebedee in Mark 3:17 and referred to as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” in John 21:20.

Let us give thanks to God for the radical transformations that He worked in the hearts of these men and for the way He spoke through them to write each fo the four Gospels.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

The Greater Miracle (Mark 1:40–2:17)

Sun, 12 Jun 2022 16:27:49 GMT

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Mark 1:40–2:17

Bringing the sermon home:

This passage contains three accounts of miracles that Jesus performed. First, we read of Jesus cleansing a man afflicted with leprosy, a disease which forced the man to be cut off from fellowship with God and His people (see Leviticus 13 ). The reason Jesus is able to take away the man’s disgrace is because Jesus is going to bear that disgrace in his place on the cross. Because of the cross, we too can be cleansed from every feeling of disgrace.

This account is then followed by the account of Jesus healing a paralyzed man who was let down through the roof of the house by four friends while Jesus was “preaching the word to them”. Before commanding the paralyzed man to “rise, pick up your bed, and go home”, Jesus teaches that the man’s greater need is not physical healing here in this life, but the forgiveness of sins for the sake of eternal life. To prove His ability to forgive sins, which belongs to God alone, Jesus heals the man.

Finally, we read of Jesus calling a tax collector named Levi (a.k.a. Matthew), and of Levi walking away from his tax booth to follow Jesus. This is no less of a miracle than the cleansing of the leper or the healing of the paralytic. In many respects, this is the greater miracle, for a greedy man’s heart was transformed and caused to desire fellowship with God and His people more than sin. The Pharisees prove themselves to be self-serving frauds by separating themselves from outwardly wayward sinners.

The Newness of the New Covenant

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 17:49:13 GMT

During our evening gathering on Sunday, we discussed the events of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2:1-41 . As we reflect upon the significance of the “pouring out” of the Holy Spirit on that day, a key question to ask is this:
What exactly is “new” about the New Covenant?

There is much that can be said about the newness of the New Covenant. As we contrast life under the two covenants, people often focus on the various Old Covenant duties and restrictions that are no longer a part of the New Covenant, such as those associated with temple sacrifices, holy days, food laws, and circumcision.

One aspect of this that Jesus revealed to the woman at the well in John 4:21-24 was the fact that Old Covenant believers were required to live and worship in a particular place, but with the giving of the Spirit, New Covenant believers would be enabled to worship anywhere in the world. Israelites were called to be a light to the nations by virtue of being situated at the major thoroughfare between the great superpowers of the ancient world, but Christians are called to take the light of the gospel to the ends of the earth. The presence of the Holy Spirit with His people transforms their “come-and-see” mission into more of a “go-and-tell” mission.

Directly related to our global mission is the personal holiness of the new people of God. As we look at what the Old Testament prophets most anticipated about the New Covenant, the holiness imparted by the Holy Spirit is central ( Ezek 36:26-27; Jer 31:31-34 ). The work of the Spirit that was foremost on the mind of Moses ( Num 11:16-30 ) was the power to “prophesy” (i.e., to boldly proclaim God’s truth to others), and it was this aspect of the New Covenant that the prophet Joel focused on in Joel 2:28-32 . By quoting from Joel at Pentecost, Peter indicates that the gift of speaking in tongues (i.e., declaring God’s mighty deeds in languages that others could understand) testifies to this primary purpose of the pouring out of the Spirit: to empower every believer to bear witness to Jesus ( Acts 1:8 ). May this mark every member of every church in this age of the Holy Spirit!

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

See a related follow-up article here: " The People of God "

I Know Who You Are (Mark 1:14-39)

Sun, 05 Jun 2022 15:48:37 GMT

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Mark 1:14-39

Bringing the sermon home:

Jesus began His public ministry declaring, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.” As we look at the broken world around us, where do we see the kingdom of God breaking in and overtaking the kingdom of darkness? As this passage demonstrates, we see it in people obeying the King’s command to follow Him, and in actively calling other to do likewise.

The entire passage emphasizes the authority of Jesus’ preaching, first by recording how four fishermen rose from their boats to follow Jesus and to become “fishers of men”. The call to be a disciple of Christ is a call to live a transformed life focused on the spiritual wellbeing of others, seeking to “save others by snatching them out of the fire”, as Jude puts it.

Verses 21 thru 28 demonstrate the power of Jesus’ preaching with the casting out of a demon. When God’s Word is proclaimed with clarity and confidence, we should expect for many walking in darkness to be set free from the enslaving influence of sin and Satan, but also for opposition to arise that seeks to silence our preaching and to divide us against one another.

Verses 29 thru 39 demonstrate the priority and urgency of Jesus’ preaching (and thus ours) as He turns away from fawning crowds to go and preach to others as well.

May we likewise follow in His footsteps so that the Kingdom of God can be said to have come upon us, as it came upon the first disciples.

Foundational Commitments

Tue, 31 May 2022 17:21:07 GMT

On the Sunday before last, we considered the ninth “foundational commitment of a healthy church”. There is certainly more to be said, and I expect to return to the Foundations series for at least a few more installments, but I thought I’d review the nine commitments thus far:

The Word (Acts 20:17-32; 2 Timothy 3:16-4:7)

The commitment to center our lives and our gatherings around the study of God’s Word, for it is through His Word that Christ rules His people .
The Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)

The commitment to center our lives and our gatherings around the gospel of Jesus Christ, for the message of His substitutionary life, death, and resurrection from the dead for our sins is the most important thing.
Sound Doctrine (Deuteronomy 12:32-13:10)

The commitment to sound doctrine and true worship, or, put differently, the commitment to speak truth, correcting any who promote falsehood in our midst.
Christ Alone – “Solus Christus” (Romans 3:19-5:2)

The commitment to trust in Christ's righteousness alone for salvation.
Faith Alone – “Sola Fide” (Galatians 5:1-9)

The commitment to faith alone being the means by which we are saved.
Prayer (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 4:23-31)

The commitment to be a praying church.
God's Glory Alone – “Soli Deo Gloria” (Matt 6:1-18)

The commitment to live for God’s glory, and not our own, seeking praise for Him rather than for ourselves.
Kingdom First (1 Corinthians 8:1-11:1)

The commitment to prioritize God’s mission above our preferences/rights.
Discipline (Matthew 18)

The commitment to pursue purity through every means of grace that God has instituted.

May the Lord bless our kingdom labors as we seek to walk in His ways.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

The New Exodus (Mark 1:1-13)

Sun, 29 May 2022 20:35:12 GMT

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Mark 1:1-13

Bringing the sermon home:

Mark begins his record of the good news of Jesus precisely where the “Old Testament” (the Hebrew Scriptures) left off: with the prophet Malachi’s announcement of the coming of an Elijah-like figure who would lead many of God’s people in repentance before God’s presence returned to dwell with His people.

Mark shows us that John the Baptist was that promised figure and that Jesus, as God the Son in human flesh, is the promised return of God’s presence to the earth. With the coming of Jesus, the New Exodus promised by Isaiah and the other prophets has begun, most notably in the liberation from our bondage to the power of sin in our hearts through the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

As Jesus Himself is baptized by John, we see Him willingly standing in the place of sinners, identifying Himself with those He came to save. We also see Him picturing the means by which He will make His people clean: through His own death, burial, and resurrection (pictured by going down under and coming back up out of the water).

By enduring every temptation thrown at Him by Satan, Jesus succeeded where every other person who has ever lived has failed, and He did so in the place of those who obey His command to repent and believe. By the Spirit He gives us, we can now follow Him in obedience.

Great Hymns

Tue, 24 May 2022 20:11:49 GMT

This week, in preparation for this summer’s “Favorite Hymn Countdown”, we are collecting lists of everyone’s top eight favorite hymns. In putting together my list, I’ve discovered that I can barely narrow it down to my top 20 favorite hymns, much less rank them in any order!

What makes for a “great” hymn? Certainly, it begins with a theologically rich message articulated with clarity and eloquence so as to touch our hearts and to stir us to worship. In this regard, think of the songs we sing as mini-sermons, ministering God’s Word to our hearts.

Of course, even great lyrics can fall flat without the right melody behind them. First of all, the tone/mood of the melody must match the tone/mood of the lyrics. If the lyrics are somber and serious, then an upbeat melody will feel awkward, and vice versa. Secondly, the melody must be designed for corporate worship, meaning it must be singable by everyone in the congregation, not just by the worship leaders. This involves both the complexity of the melody as well as the vocal range.

In thinking about my favorite hymns, I always find myself thinking about two prominent hymn writers in particular: Charles Wesley and Isaac Watts.

Charles Wesley (1707–1788) is believed to have written no less than 6,500 hymns, 10 of which are in our pew hymnals, including “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”, “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing”, “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus,”, “Come, Thou Almighty King”, and “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”. One of my favorites from Wesley that didn’t make it into this particular hymnal is “And Can it Be That I Should Gain”.

Isaac Watts (1674–1748) published more than 800 hymns, 11 of which are in our pew hymnals, including “Joy to the World”, “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”, “Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun”, “My Shepherd, You Supply My Need”, and “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”. Charles Wesley is reported to have said that he would give up all of his hymns to have written “When I Survey”! It really is that good.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

(See a related article here and a follow-up here .)

The Great Shepherd’s Crook (Matthew 18)

Mon, 23 May 2022 21:30:42 GMT

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( Matthew 18 )

Bringing the sermon home:

A foundational commitment of every healthy church is the commitment to bear one another's burdens by seeking to restore those who wander into sin (Gal 6:1-2; Jas 5:19-20), following the process that Jesus lays out in Matthew 18.

In verses 1–4, Jesus teaches that we must humble ourselves like children who don’t hesitate to openly and happily acknowledge their dependence upon their parents. So too, we are to humbly trust and follow Jesus.

In verses 5–9, Jesus speaks of welcoming all believers into the New Covenant community and the dangers of sin within that covenant community. Humbly, we are to confess and wage war against our own sin. What parts of your life do you need to cut off for the sake of pursuing purity and being set free from your enslavement to sin?

In verses 10–20, Jesus describes the means by which God the Father, our great shepherd, brings back wandering sheep: through the loving, corrective care of other sheep. The practice described here, which has come to be known as “church discipline”, is the Great Shepherd’s crook.

In verses 21–35, Jesus addresses the challenge of forgiving fellow church members when the exercise of discipline leads to repentance. Humbly, we are to forgive those who have sinned against us, recognizing how much greater the debt is that we have been forgiven in Christ.

Kingdom First

Tue, 17 May 2022 14:15:50 GMT

(See related sermon here .)

We are emotional creatures. This is how God made us. Though our emotional center (i.e., the human heart) has be tainted by sin, the fact that we experience emotional responses to our circumstances is not a bad thing. While it is impossible for our discernment and decision making to not be influenced by our feelings, humanity has long recognized the danger of allowing emotions to dominate us (Eph 4:11-16). “Emotionalism” is when you allow your feelings to overly govern your beliefs and decisions.

Many have observed that emotionalism is on the rise in our society, including in our churches. Just consider how emotionalism has fueled liberal theology for centuries, where people pick and choose which portions of God’s Word they accept as written , prioritizing what feels good over what God has clearly decreed is good. A more subtle form of emotionalism is when older churches are unwilling to strategically examine their practices in light of God’s Word and their current missional context.

As we further consider the implications of Sunday’s message from 1 Cor 8:1–11:1 , and as we examine the landscape of both thriving and dying churches in our day, we realize that hinderances to effectiveness in ministry are not limited to the stumbling blocks that we needlessly erect between ourselves and unbelievers , but also those that we erect between ourselves and other believers .

Fort Worth was the fastest growing large city in the US between 2010 and 2020, and that growth continues. This means that large numbers of Christians are continuing to move into our area and to search for a church home. This makes it all the more important for established churches like RHCC to give thought to whether or not there is anything that is preventing other biblically-sound believers from joining us in gospel partnership.

Please pray for the Lord to reveal any needless obstacles we have erected. Pray that we will increasingly set aside personal preferences for the sake of the mission to which we have been called, and pray for a spirit of “strategy over sentimentality” to take hold of our hearts.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

A Servant to All (1 Corinthians 8:1–11:1)

Sun, 15 May 2022 21:27:05 GMT

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( 1 Corinthians 8:1–11:1 )

Bringing the sermon home:

A foundational commitment of every healthy church is the commitment to prioritize God’s mission above our personal preferences .

In chapter 8, we see an example of how, when making choices, we must not only consider what is morally permissible , but also what is spiritually beneficial to those within our sphere of influence.

While chapter 8 focuses on the way our choices influence fellow believers, chapter 9 focuses on the way our choices either help or hinder our ability to gain a hearing with unbelievers for the gospel. The setting aside of certain God-given rights resulted in greater hardship for Paul, but he was willing to “endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.”

Concern for the advance of the gospel is more important than our personal preferences. As we think about the culture of a church as a whole, we must regularly seek to replace phrases like, “This is the way we’ve always done it”, with questions like, “Is this the most strategic way of doing things in the context in which God has us today ?”

Finally, in chapter 10, we see that concern for the glory of God calls us to sacrifice for the good of our neighbors as Christ sacrificed for us. May we see that sacrificing our comforts, preferences, and traditions for the good of others is not a sacrifice of our joy, but is in fact the very path to joy.

Let my people go, that they may serve me. ( Exod 9:13 )

(See follow-up article here .)

The Pilgrim's Code

Tue, 10 May 2022 17:59:43 GMT

(See related sermon here .)

Obviously, the all-time best-selling book in any language is the Bible, also making it the all-time best-selling book published in English. The all-time best-selling novel written in English (note that Don Quixote was originally written in Spanish) is John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress . In fact, there’s an argument that it was the first novel ever written in English. Since its initial publication in 1678, the novel has been translated into more than 200 languages and has never been out of print.

John Bunyan was a pastor in Bedfordshire, a county in the east of England. He was imprisoned for 12 years from 1660 until 1672, and then for another 6 months in 1675, for the crime of preaching outside the walls of the government-controlled Church of England. He began writing his classic novel at some point during those two imprisonments.

There have been numerous revisions of The Pilgrim’s Progress published in more modern-day English , as the English language has changed quite a bit over the last 344 years. There have also been numerous children’s editions. I’ve been reading Ethan, our 3 year-old, both Parts 1 and 2 of one of the latest children’s editions: Little Pilgrim’s Big Journey , from Lithos Kids, and he absolutely loves them. Embossed on the back cover of Part 1 are these words:

As I said at the close of my sermon on Sunday, that really is “the end of the matter” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

(See follow-up article here .)

The End of the Matter (Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:14)

Sun, 08 May 2022 20:29:06 GMT

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Ecclesiastes 11:7–12:14

Bringing the sermon home:

Seven times in the book, the Preacher commends or commands us to enjoy life. Why do we need to be told this? Because it’s easy to let the brokenness of this world hinder our enjoyment of any good things that come. The wise delight in the beautiful, despite the brokenness.

Some of us feel we’re further down the unpleasant path described in the poem about old age than others, but none of us have yet reached the end of that path. It’s coming for each one of us at a rate of 60 minutes per hour, and none of us know how many minutes remain, but the fact that the end hasn’t yet come means there are minutes left to live, and thus work to be done and good gifts to be enjoyed. So don’t delay: live today .

One of the key connections between judgment and joy in the book is that the “one Shepherd” goads us with the warnings of coming judgment because He takes pleasure in our pleasure, and our greatest pleasure only comes when we are walking in faith and fellowship with Him. Moreover, the reality of coming judgment shows us that everything matters in the end, or else we would not be judged. When we feel like our vapor-like lives are inconsequential, God’s judgment tells us otherwise.

Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. ( Hosea 6:1 )

(See follow-up article here .)

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

Tue, 03 May 2022 19:51:59 GMT

(See related sermon here .)

In the final portion of our passage from Sunday ( Eccl 9:11–11:6 ), we read about the farmer who refuses to get out and sow his seed due to the non-ideal weather conditions:

He who observes the wind will not sow,
and he who regards the clouds will not reap. (Eccl 11:4)

This is not the way of wisdom. The wise are not deterred by the non-ideal conditions in this non-ideal world, but, instead, they know that without risk, there is no reward.

In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good. (Eccl 11:6)

What are you putting off because the conditions “just aren’t right”? What forms of employment, kingdom labors, acts of service, or spiritual disciplines has the Lord placed on your heart that you are not acting upon?

While the possibility of a fruitless return is one of the risks of investing your time, talents, and treasure, another is the risk of getting hurt. The proverbs in 10:8-9 seem to speak to the fact that this world is not a safe place. I think the main point of the long list of proverbs in that section is that there is no remedy to the dangers and difficulties of life. The wise, then, are not deterred by the possibility of harm. Again: no risk, no reward.

With respect to the risk of being harmed physically , it is not as though hiding behind the walls of our homes can truly keep us safe, for tragedy can just as easily reach us there. With respect to the risk of being harmed emotionally and thus avoiding the wor k of investing in the lives of others, we cannot expect to flourish in life if we are not laboring to help others flourish as well.

All that we have, from our time to our talents to our treasure, has been entrusted to us by God, and He will call us to account for how we have stewarded it all.

You cannot reap what you do not sow. As the old proverb says: Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Life is for living, so let us live it!

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

The Unknown (Ecclesiastes 9:11-11:6)

Sun, 01 May 2022 16:31:45 GMT

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Ecclesiastes 9:11–11:6

Bringing the sermon home:

The dominant theme in this lengthy passage is the unknowability of the future. Life as a vapor is enigmatic, for what takes place on earth is not always predictable or controllable. The wise accept this and press on.

The middle section (from 9:13 through 10:20) begins with a short story that is followed by a long series of proverbs, not all of which seem directly related to each other or to the rest of the book. I believe this is intended to commend biblical wisdom in general, for “wisdom is better than might”, while also tempering our zeal for wisdom’s ability to fix life’s problems. The wise embrace wisdom, but not because it’s a remedy for the unpredictability or uncontrollability of life.

The passage reaches its climax in 11:1–6, where the Preacher insists that our lack of certainty regarding how any given endeavor will turn out must not prevent us from putting forth the effort. In other words, the wise are not deterred by the unknown of what may come, but, instead, trust that God is at work in ways that we cannot understand, and that He will use our faithful attempts to serve Him for His good purposes.

May we let go of our incessant need to know the future that hinders the faithful labors to which God is calling us.

“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly.” ( 2 Corinthians 9:6 )

(See follow-up article here .)

Cremation and Funerals

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 19:22:01 GMT

(See related sermon here .)

Yesterday’s online edition of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram included an article titled “Our Ritual Reformation: The rise of cremation reveals America’s changing idea of death,” which ran in the Washington Post a week earlier. A major shift has taken place, such that the majority of Americans who die are now cremated rather than buried, and it is projected that 4 out of 5 Americans will choose cremation by 2040.

There are numerous reasons that cremation did not become common place in America until recently, but the researchers are quick to point out that the significant rise in cremation follows a significant decline in Americans regularly attending a “house of worship”. This makes sense, as Christians in particular have seen burials as a way to testify to the reality of a physical, bodily resurrection on the last day. That’s not to say that cremation is wrong, as I do believe it’s permissible, but just that burial has been the preferred way to honor the bodies God has made and to anticipate resurrection.

For me, the much bigger concern is the decline in holding funeral/memorial services, which the practice of cremation has in some measure exacerbated. Speaking to this issue, the writer refers to our nation as “death-phobic” and says that some view cremation as “drive-through death” that can be performed without any rituals, but that, when there’s a body to be buried, the presence of the body “forces families to deal with death” rather than trying to ignore it.

As I note in every memorial service, an important part of honoring a life is to grieve when it is gone. Jesus taught us this truth when He wept over the death of His friend Lazarus in John 11. And as we read in Ecclesiastes 7:2 a few weeks ago, “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.” A funeral-averse culture is an unwise culture, for it is only by forcing ourselves to look at the horror of death that we can find comfort in the One who suffered death to deliver us from the fear of death ( Heb 2:14-15 ).

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Hearing His Voice (Psalm 95)

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 20:20:57 GMT

Video :

Enhanced Audio (on most podcast players) :

Psalm 95

Bringing the sermon home:

Verses 1-7a are a call to worship God, regardless of our circumstances. This is not merely a call for the descendants of the wilderness generation who rebelled against God during the Exodus, but for all who have found God to be “the rock of their salvation”. Worship is presented as a response, not to our circumstances, but to our God – to who He is, to what He has already done, and to what He has promised to do.

May we be a people who look past our ever-changing circumstances in order to rightly worship our unchanging God. Furthermore, as we consider the visions of heaven revealed to us in God’s Word (i.e. Rev 4–5; 7:9-17 ), with the great multitude singing with loud voices, may the singing in our Sunday morning gatherings increasingly be a satisfying foretaste of what awaits us in eternity.

Verses 7b-11 are a call to believe and obey what God has spoken in His Word. Each one of the nearly two million freed Israelites heard the Word of God spoken through Moses, but only a handful of them listened, despite having seen God’s miraculous works, and so they were prevented from entering the promised land. May we not fail to enter God’s eternal rest by ignoring the voice of our Shepherd speaking to us through His written Word.

Seeing Christ in All of Scripture

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 14:10:32 GMT

(See related sermon here .)

In our passage from Luke 24 on Sunday, we heard the crucified-yet-risen Lord declare that the entire Hebrew Bible (a.k.a. the Old Testament) points to Him. In verse 44, He speaks of “everything written about me in”:

“the Law of Moses” (or “Torah”, referring to the first five books of the Bible),
“the Prophets” (or “Nevi'im”, referring to the books of history, the three major prophets, and the twelve minor prophets), and
“the Psalms” (or “Ketuvim”, referring to the books of poetry, wisdom, Daniel, Chronicles, & a few others).

All of it is about Jesus, as it either highlights the reason He had to come, the promise of His coming, or the things He would accomplish. As you read the first 39 books of the Bible, you must train yourself to look at them through this lens that Jesus provides us.

Here are some additional questions to ask of any given passage to help you see what the passage is saying and why it matters for your life (note the three G’s):

General Problem:
What in this passage relates to why Christ had to come? Put differently: What spiritual concerns or weaknesses in you and the rest of fallen humanity does this passage point to?
Grace Solution:
What in this passage relates to what Christ has accomplished? Put differently: How does this passage point to God’s grace for your weaknesses?
Gospel Spread:
What in this passage relates to how God is at work today? Put differently: What aspect of the spread of the gospel does this passage reveal?

Once you see what the passage is saying and why it matters (that is, the “what?” and the “so what?”), then you can answer the “now what?”: What is the proper response to what God has revealed? What implications should this have on your everyday life and worship?

May God give us eyes to see Christ in all of Scripture!

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

It Is Written (Luke 24:13-53)

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 03:52:34 GMT

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Luke 24:13-53

Bringing the sermon home:

A major theme in all four of the Gospels, but especially in the Gospel of Luke, is the need to have the eyes of your heart opened to see Jesus rightly. This thread is woven through all four of the passages in Luke’s Gospel that we have examined since Christmas:

The theme of spiritual sight reaches its climax in the conclusion of Luke, as Jesus appears to two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus, “but their eyes were kept from recognizing Him”. There are several factors contributing to their failure to see Jesus rightly, but ultimately it was God who kept them from seeing, for only God can grant spiritual sight.

And what is it that God uses to open spiritual eyes to see Jesus rightly? What did these two disciples need? It wasn’t about visibly seeing the resurrected Christ. What they needed was to see Jesus in God’s written Word and in the enacted parable of the Lord’s Table. May we open His Word and likewise be given the eyes to see.

(See follow-up article here .)

Good Friday Service (Luke 22–23)

Sat, 16 Apr 2022 03:29:41 GMT

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Enhanced Audio (on most podcast players) :

Study Bibles

Tue, 12 Apr 2022 20:01:00 GMT

(See related past article here .)

Luke 19 concludes with a group of people who have gathered in God’s “house of prayer” and are “hanging on Jesus’ words”. Clearly this is a mark of His faithful servants who embrace His reign over them (v.17), for it is through His Word that Christ rules His people.

In last week’s article , I discussed some of the criteria for choosing which English translations of the Bible to study. Today, I’d like to share which study Bibles I use regularly. All of these come in multiple cover types (i.e. hard and soft) and are sold from multiple online retailers.

Given that I preach and teach from the ESV, here are my top two recommendations for ESV Study Bibles:

1. ESV Gospel Transformation Study Bible

Rather than being an exhaustive study Bible that comments on every phrase of every verse, this provides commentary on passages (groups of key verses), making it highly accessible for new readers.
https://www.crossway.org/bibles/esv-gospel-transformation-study-bible-hccase-2/

2. ESV Student Study Bible

This is a trimmed-down version of the “ESV Study Bible”, thus making it small enough to carry around.
https://www.crossway.org/bibles/esv-student-study-bible-case/

I also use both of these NIV study Bibles every week:

3. NIV Grace & Truth Study Bible

https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/37EB378B-F5F6-46B8-A178-10E3B2A1AA74

4. NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

https://www.amazon.com/Biblical-Theology-Study-Hardcover-Comfort/dp/0310450403

Honorable mention:

5. CSB Study Bible

https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/csb-study-bible-hardcover-P005789525

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Reign Over Me (Luke 19:11-48)

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 16:07:20 GMT

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Enhanced Audio (on most podcast players) :

Luke 19:11-48

Bringing the sermon home:

Verses 11-27: As we consider the events of the “Triumphal Entry” of Jesus into Jerusalem, we ask: What does it mean to receive this man as your king? What does it mean to be a citizen of His heavenly kingdom while still living here on earth? From Jesus’ parable, we see that it means delighting in His reign through joyful stewardship of the “good deposit” (2 Tim 1:14) that has been entrusted to every believer (i.e., the gospel).

Verses 28-40: Jesus’ life and ministry didn’t look the way the religious authorities expected the Messiah’s life and ministry to look, and their faulty expectations blinded them from seeing Him rightly. Also, they were more concerned about disturbing the peace with human authorities than they were over their lack of peace with God, wrongly believing they were already right with God. To receive Him as your king is to rejoice in the heavenly peace that only the King of Peace can bring, no matter the cost to your peace with others here on earth.

Verses 41-48: The worldly peace the Jewish leaders most wanted was not the kind of peace they most needed, and it was these distorted desires that lead them to kill Jesus. To receive Jesus as your king is to surrender your demand for a different kind of peace here on earth as you await the perfect peace of heaven. May we be like those who gathered in the temple for prayer and were hanging on every word of Jesus, delighting in His reign over us.

English Bible Translations

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 18:16:06 GMT

(See related past article here .)

The 66 books of the Bible were originally composed over a span of about 1500 years. The 39 books of the so-called “Old Testament” were composed in Hebrew, with a few passages in Aramaic, while the 27 books of the “New Testament” were composed in Greek. For those of us who cannot read ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, we must rely on others to translate these books into a language that we can read.

Given that 1.5 billion people do not have the full Bible in their language and 145 million do not have any portion of the Bible in their language, we must recognize how blessed we are to be able to ask the question: “What is the best translation for English speakers today?”

That said, what’s the answer? We must first establish the criteria for determining what constitutes a good translation. I argue that criteria must include the following: (1) be based on the oldest, most well-attested manuscripts, many of which were not discovered until hundreds of years after the first English translations; (2) be translated by a committee of Bible scholars rather than by a few individuals; (3) be translated by scholars who actually believe that the words of the Bible are the words of God, and thus must not be tampered with; and (4) be translated into modern, readable English, as every living language is constantly changing.

These criteria rule out translations like the KJV, NKJV, Message, and arguably the NRSV, CEB, and CEV as well. Additional matters to consider include whether a translation is more word-for-word (“formally equivalent”), like the NASB and ESV, or more thought-for-thought (“functionally equivalent”), like the NLT and NIV. Also worthy of consideration is the availability and reliability of study Bibles, Bible studies, devotionals, commentaries, and other books utilizing the translation.

Given all of these considerations, I choose to preach and teach out of the ESV . However, I also regularly consult the CSB , NIV , NLT , and NASB , as these are my 5 preferred English translations.

For more on this topic, check out this short video:

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

(See follow-up article here .)

Seize the Day! (Ecclesiastes 8:15-9:10)

Sun, 03 Apr 2022 20:54:09 GMT

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Ecclesiastes 8:15–9:10

Bringing the sermon home:

We cannot make sense of what God is doing in our lives. In the immediate context, the issue is why God permits injustice, specifically why the righteous perish while the wicked flourish so much of the time. Even for those of us who seek to know and serve God, we cannot discern from our circumstances whether God loves us or hates us (9:1). The bottom line is that we cannot use our circumstances as the measure of God’s love for us.

Nothing brings this home more than death, as both “the wicked” and “the righteous” are headed for the grave. While this is a sad certainty, the Preacher’s emphasis is not on what we will experience after death, but rather on the loss of our ability to further contribute to God’s work on earth. And what is God’s work on earth? The mission to see the entire world filled with worshippers of God ( Gen 1:28; Mt 28:19-20; cf. Phil 1:21-24 ).

What then? Seize the day! Get busy living today! Rejoice in knowing and trusting that God is accomplishing His good purposes through you as you seek Him, even if you can’t see how it matters in t he end, for this is wisdom. Resolve to gratefully enjoy God’s good gifts as they come rather than grumbling over what He hasn’t given you. May He spur us all on to serve Him with all our might.

“My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work.” ( John 4:34 )

Delusion Coercion

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 20:12:00 GMT

In the midst of bemoaning the universal problem of human sinfulness in Ecclesiastes 7:19-29, “the Preacher” says that he has tested the matter by wisdom, “but it was far from me. That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?” The prophet Jeremiah makes the same observation about the futility of trying to understand what compels us to sin against our Creator, declaring that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer 17:9). Despite what our self-serving, lawless culture insists, nothing could be more foolish than to “just follow your heart,” for apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit through the Word, your sinful heart is certain to lead you astray from truth and righteousness.

Imagine how “the Preacher” would respond to the cultural conversations of the last few weeks. On March 13, USA Today declared a man (formerly known as Dr. Richard Levine) to be one of their 2022 “Women of the Year,” encouraging all people to likewise “be true to yourself”. On March 17, the NCAA crowned a man (who formerly competed on the men’s team as Will Thomas) as the women’s swimming champion. On March 23, while sitting before the judiciary committee of the US Senate, Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson announced that she was unable to define what a woman is, saying “I’m not a biologist”.

Speaking on behalf of “Lady Folly” as they call to those going straight on their way (Prov 9:13-18), the cultural elites are determined to coerce you into joining in this mass delusion that labels men as women while refusing to define what the label “woman” actually means, though all humans know this instinctively ( Rom 1:24-32; 2:14-15 ; cf. Deut 22:5 ). To be a Christian is to speak with the voice of “Lady Wisdom,” calling fellow sinners to “abandon your foolishness and live, and proceed in the way of understanding” (Prov 9:6). Because the pleasure offered by sin is a trap “more bitter than death” (Eccl 7:26), love speaks truth , directing all people to the One who is Himself the way, the truth, and the life (Jn 14:6).

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Where is God? (Ecclesiastes 7:15-8:14)

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 02:23:42 GMT

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Enhanced Audio (on most podcast players) :

Ecclesiastes 7:15–8:14

Bringing the sermon home:

Our passage is bookended with the recognition that “the righteous” often seem to suffer and perish while “the wicked” flourish, which is a common theme in the wisdom literature of the Hebrew Bible. Most of us are more familiar with the Bible’s proverbial wisdom than with its contemplative wisdom that forces us to confront the pain and sorrow of life in a broken, crooked world, where things don’t always go well for those who diligently seek to know and to serve God. In other words, when proverbs are proven not to be promises.

7:15-18 calls us to avoid two self-assured approaches to life: self-righteous legalism, thinking you can manipulate God into blessing you, and self-serving lawlessness, thinking God will turn a blind eye to your sin. 7:19-29 calls us to consider the universal problem of sin. As we find ourselves demanding answers from God for why He allows suffering and injustice, we must remember that we do not deserve the good life we so often think we deserve. Instead, as sinners ourselves, we deserve death.

8:1-7 gets us thinking about how we would behave in the presence of an earthly king. Should it be any different given the ever-present watchful gaze of the Lord and Judge of all creation? For as 8:8-14 emphasizes, judgment is coming. While not every question will ever be answered, God has answered the most important question: Are you for me or against me? In Christ, we see He is both for us and with us.

O Lord , how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult? ( Psalm 94:3 )

(See follow-up article here .)

Be a Berean

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 18:38:49 GMT

What does it mean to be a “disciple” of Christ? The word disciple ( mathetes ) is the Greek word for student. In the first century, a “disciple” was a student who disciplined himself or herself in the teachings and lifestyle of a master. A disciple of Aristotle, for example, was someone who not only sat under his teaching, but who sought to follow both his teaching and his pattern of life. Being a disciple of Jesus certainly includes following the teaching and example of Jesus, but it goes much further, affecting every area of life ( Matt 4:18-22; Luke 14:25-33 ).

During the Apostle Paul’s second missionary journey, he traveled to Thessalonica (now Thessaloniki, Greece), where “he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead” (Acts 17:2-3). While some of the Thessalonians believed, others ran Paul and his crew out of the city. From there, they went to Berea (now Veria, Greece).

Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Acts 17:11)

These Bereans exemplify what it means to be a disciple of Christ, receiving the Word of God with all eagerness and turning to that Word to test all belief and practice. As such, the term “Berean” has come to be used to describe the spirit of a genuine disciple of Christ.

One of the best opportunities for us to be “Bereans”, laboring to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18), is by gathering together on Sunday mornings to examine and reason from the Scriptures together. If you’re not regularly attending one of our two adult Sunday school classes (“Pioneers” and “Seekers”), I strongly encourage you to visit one at 9:15 this Sunday morning.

Also, we plan to launch a third class on May 1 ^st that will begin with a series of lessons on how to interpret the Bible. If you are not already a faithful “Pioneer” or “Seeker”, I hope you will consider visiting the “Bereans”!

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Counter Cultural Wisdom (Ecclesiastes 6:10-7:14)

Sun, 20 Mar 2022 20:45:38 GMT

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Enhanced Audio (on most podcast players) :

Ecclesiastes 6:10–7:14

Bringing the sermon home:

Hebrews 2:15 declares that Jesus came to “deliver all those who, through fear of death, were subject to lifelong slavery”. But if we never deal with the problem of our impending death, we will never be set free from our enslavement to that fear. Those who try the hardest to never think about death show themselves to be enslaved by the fear of death, compelled by their harsh taskmaster to do everything they can to maximize pleasure before it’s too late, and to shun wisdom.

In contrast, the wise hear and heed the rebuke of the grave. Grief and sorrow teach us the value of things, showing us what really matters and what really satisfies. Funerals teach us to appreciate life as a precious gift from God and to be genuinely satisfied with whatever good things may come, knowing that this life is not about worldly, fleeting pleasures.

Verses 7–10 of chapter 7 speak of the wisdom of being patient in our present circumstances, specifically calling out nostalgia as unwise. Longing for the past is often just a form of grumbling about the present, failing to trust that God is still at work in and through our lives.

Verses 11–14 then speak of the wisdom of surrendering our need for answers regarding what God is doing.

May God grant us the wisdom to see what really matters in life, and the willingness to help others around us heed that same wisdom. May He also keep us from being hindered by looking backward on former days, so that we may look forward, fully engaged with what He is doing through us right now.

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. ( Psalm 90:12 )

(See follow-up article here .)

That thou, my God, shouldst die for me?!

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 17:58:16 GMT

I hope you’ve been enjoying the first three of our eight Lenten/Easter weekly devotionals as much as I have!

The first, beginning the week of Ash Wednesday, was by Jay Y. Kim and is titled “The Cross is the Great Revealer”. It reflects upon the message of Isaac Watts’ 1707 hymn “ When I Survey the Wondrous Cross ”, showing how Christ’s death on a cross teaches us what truly matters in life and sets us free from vain living (think Ecclesiastes).

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ, my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

The second devotional, “’Tis Mystery All!”, was by J. Todd Billings and reflects upon the message of Charles Wesley’s 1738 hymn “ And Can It Be? ” In connecting the incarnation of God the Son on Christmas to the cross on Good Friday, we are mystified at the lengths to which our God has gone to redeem us and bring us to Himself.

'Tis mystery all! Th' Immortal dies!
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine!
'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
Amazing love! How can it be
That thou, my God, shouldst die for me?!

This week’s devotional, “Love Unswerving”, is by Fernando Ortega and reflects upon the message of Johann Heermann’s 1630 hymn “ Ah, Holy Jesus, How Hast Thou Offended? ” The hymn helps us to take to heart that it was our sin that Jesus bore on the cross.

Who was the guilty, who brought this upon thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee!

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Wandering Appetites (Ecclesiastes 5:1-6:9)

Sun, 13 Mar 2022 18:47:49 GMT

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Ecclesiastes 5:1–6:9

Bringing the sermon home:

What keeps “fools” from realizing that they’re doing evil when they gather for worship is that they think they already know what it means to worship, and, thus, they don’t listen to what is being taught by the songs, prayers, and sermons, or by the spilt blood on the temple altar (and pointed to by the cross and table). We must ensure that our hearts are genuinely engaged in our outward expressions of worship, and that we’re not simply going through the motions.

Also, we must ensure that we’re actually worshipping God and not merely what we think we can get out of God through outward expressions of worship. This is precisely what sets God apart from the false gods invented by the minds of men, and what sets the worship of God apart from religion. Religion seeks to appease false gods in order to get something out of them. True worship is about delighting in God, even when He doesn’t answer our prayers as we desire.

The remainder of the passage turns from examining the worship of God to examining the worship of money, power, and possessions, none of which can provide lasting joy, satisfaction, or rest. May we learn to "accept our lot" by learning to love God above all else.

If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. ( Prov 28:9 )

May Peace Abound (Psalm 72)

Sun, 06 Mar 2022 19:28:12 GMT

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Enhanced Audio (on most podcast players) :

Psalm 72

Bringing the sermon home:

Every nation in every age is equally in desperate need of just and righteous rulers who fear God and who spread that fear among their citizens. This psalm describes the blessings that flow from such rulers, so we should pray for such rulers and for these blessings for our nation and for all the nations of the world.

However, the more time we spend looking at the world and praying these kinds of prayers, the more we begin to grieve over the lack of any perfectly just, righteous, and trustworthy rulers, and over the lack of the blessings that would flow from them. To a degree, that’s really the point of this psalm, as this is a prayer for the promises of the Davidic Covenant of 2 Samuel 7 to finally be fulfilled.

Not only will the reign of the Messiah from David’s line have no end and no boundaries, this psalm shows us that the eternality and universality of His reign come as a result of Him ruling as God the Father rules, with perfect justice and righteousness, for He is God the Son.

As we pray for Christ's return and for the final establishment of His eternal kingdom, may our hearts be further aligned with His, and may we increasingly become His instruments of justice, righteousness, and peace on the earth.

[To David] When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you… and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever . ( 2 Samuel 7:12-13 )

Follow Me (Luke 9:51-62)

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 17:48:35 GMT

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Luke 9:51-62

Bringing the sermon home:

Luke 9:51 and following records Jesus's departure from Galilee to make His final journey to Jerusalem. As the context shows, He set His face for Jerusalem to begin the New Exodus: the deliverance of all of God’s people, not from bondage to Egyptian Pharaohs, but from bondage to sin and death. And there was no uncertainty about the price that was to be paid, for He Himself is the New Passover Lamb, sacrificed in order to take “away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29).

James and John misunderstood what kind of Exodus they were embarking upon. This was not a triumphant march to power and freedom from worldly oppression. This was a march toward the cross. Not only did they not understand the price that Jesus was about to pay, they didn’t understand what it was going to cost them to follow Him. Jesus explains that, in the same way that He experienced hardship and rejection, we should not expect it to be any different for those who follow Him. He further explains that we must be willing to lose everything on earth in order to gain Christ and His eternal kingdom. There can be no looking back.

May our lives genuinely reflect the degree of commitment and devotion that Jesus demands of those who identify as His “disciples”. Let us follow hard after Christ.

See related article here .

Season of Prayer

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 22:37:41 GMT

Wednesday is Ash Wednesday [listen to sermon here ], marking the first of the 46 days of Lent. The observance of a 46-day Lenten season is believed to have begun sometime in the 300s AD. It became a season of fasting, and thus of prayer and repentance, during which people will often eat only one meal a day (except on Sundays) and have extended times of prayer, the study of God’s Word, and reflection, leading up to the great celebration of Easter Sunday.

Regardless of whether you decide to commit to any form of a fast during this season, I hope that you will commit to daily times of prayer, as well as to gathering together for times of prayer on Sunday evenings at 4:30 pm.

There is certainly much for us to pray for. Pray for the physical and spiritual well-being of the members of this church. Pray for the ministry efforts of each one of us to bear great fruitfulness. Pray for opportunities during this Lenten season for each of us to share the gospel with those who do not know Christ.

It has been less than a week since Russia invaded Ukraine, which could end up marking the start of another Cold War if Putin’s war and nuclear provocations persist. Pray for wisdom, courage, and integrity among all the governing authorities of the world. Pray for the Ukrainian men, women, and children who are fleeing for their lives. Pray for the Ukrainian men who have either chosen or have been forced to stay to defend their nation against an evil war of aggression. Pray for the growing masses of Russian citizens who are protesting this horror within Russia. Pray for Russian soldiers and leaders to fear God more than they fear the war mongers. Pray for internal strife throughout the ranks of Russia’s government and military to grow and to help bring the utter collapse of Putin’s regime. Pray for diplomacy to prevail over violence. Pray for peace and for the spread of “the gospel of peace” (Eph 6:15).

For further details on what to expect on our Sunday Evening Gatherings beginning this Sunday at 4:30, please read our article ("Gathered Prayer") and the associated sermon ("Devoted to Prayer") from a few weeks ago.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Related follow-up article: " Only By Prayer "

The Key to Contentment and Community (Ecclesiastes 4:4-16)

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 16:57:32 GMT

Video : ( TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES caused the audio to cut in and out. Use the podcast audio instead.)

Audio (on most podcast players) :

Ecclesiastes 4:4–16

Bringing the sermon home:

In the fourth chapter of his sermon, “the Preacher” begins to incorporate more proverbial statements to communicate his message, forcing us to listen more closely to discern how to understand each passage.

Verses 4-8 clearly speak to the issue of contentment while verses 7-12 (overlapping 4-8) clearly speak to the issue of community , but how do verses 13-16 relate to these two topics? The answer comes in realizing that what sets the contented laborer (v. 6) apart from the restless rival (v. 4) and the miserly scrooge (vv. 7-8), and what sets the faithful companion apart from the straying loaner (vv. 9-12) is the same thing that sets the “poor and wise youth” apart from the “old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice” (vv. 13-16): the key to contentment and community is humility .

From the broader context, we see that “the Preacher” is seeking to humble us by letting the certainty of our impending death and forgottenness teach us that we are not God, for we are but vapors. Only by taking this to heart will we experience the joyful contentment and meaningful community that he commends to us. Let us not toil for ourselves, and let us not toil by ourselves!

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ( 1 Corinthians 12:21 )

Congregational Singing

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 19:23:58 GMT

On Sunday, we included a bulletin insert with the lyrics of two 19 ^th century hymns traditionally set to the same melody (“Ebenezer”): “ Once to Every Man and Nation ” (1845) and “ O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus ” (c. 1890), to which I linked a recording in last week’s newsletter. My aim is both to help us learn songs with which we might not be familiar and to get us thinking more deeply about the songs that we sing.

In Ephesians 5:19, we are commanded to “address one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” (cf. Col 3:16). We have been created in the image of God, who rejoices over His people with loud singing (Zeph 3:17). Part of His design for His people, as we increasingly bear His image, is to be a singing people.

You’ve heard me discuss the priority of prayer in the life of a healthy church, and how every great revival that the world has seen since the Reformation have all been ignited by Christians committing themselves to gather weekly, if not daily, for prayer. A point that is not as frequently discussed is that a renewed focus on congregational singing has always accompanied this renewed focus on congregational prayer.

In an interview a few years back, the two primary songwriters with City Alight in Australia put it this way:

The sound of a church singing has preceded almost every great revival in church history. The church is God’s witness and representative on earth. And is there any wonder that a tremendous power comes about when the representative voice of God in the earth is singing?

It would take numerous lengthy articles/sermons to adequately speak to the role and importance of a commitment to whole-hearted, full-throated congregational singing to the health of a church, as well as to speak to the many factors that either help or hinder the achieving of this aim, most notably the criteria for selecting appropriate songs.

For now, I’ll just commend to you this interview with City Alight (authors of “Christ is Mine Forevermore”) and this article from Matt Boswell (author of “His Mercy is More”).

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

(See a related article here .)

Every Season Matters (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4:3)

Sun, 20 Feb 2022 20:04:54 GMT

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Ecclesiastes 3:1–4:3

Bringing the sermon home:

There is but one constant in life, and that constant is change. Nothing is permanent. “For everything there is a season.” But the ever-changing seasons of any given life don’t continue forever, as they all, eventually, come to an end, and there is no lasting gain to show for our toil.

Is there any comfort to be found in this broken world? Yes. It’s found in knowing that your life and your labors are gifts given to you by God, and, thus, that they matter, for God does nothing in vain. And further, “God has made everything beautifully fitting in its time.”

When we hear this, we immediately begin to ask: “What about this or that tragedy or atrocity?” Ecclesiastes responds to this objection in two main ways. First, verse 11 says that God has deliberately placed within us an innate sense that there is far more to this world than we can see, and yet has not given us the ability to see or make sense of it all. Why? It’s to humble us, teaching us that God is God, and we are not.

The wisdom being taught in this book is not about having the answers, but about trusting that God does, and, secondly, trusting that God will set things right in the end, for judgment is coming. As we look to the cross and behold the greatest atrocity made beautiful, may we find comfort as we trust Him.

When [Christ] was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. ( 1 Pet 2:23 )

The RHCC Logo

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 16:22:56 GMT

(First image: our steeple’s cross)

(Second image: our church’s logo)

I thought it’d be helpful to provide some insight into the design of our church’s logo, which, as you can see, was inspired by the cross that sits atop our sanctuary.

The symbol of a cross is (obviously) a representation of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. As early as 204 AD, we read of Christians tracing the sign of the cross on their foreheads in worship, and it has been used in the iconography of the disciples of Christ since at least the turn of the third century, even being referred to in writings as “the Lord’s sign”. Since then, the cross has become a unifying symbol with which Christians from all denominations and cultures readily associate.

Crosses that include a ring (a.k.a. a “nimbus”) became common as early as the early Middle Ages and are now known as Celtic crosses. The ring, or halo, is meant to communicate Christ’s divinity, pointing us to the Trinity.

The triangular cutout at the bottom of the cross on our logo is both (1) representative of the mount atop which the cross is affixed to our sanctuary, thus picturing that our grounding is in Christ’s substitutionary work on our behalf (“On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand”), and (2) meant to be an arrow pointing us to Christ, and thus calling us to “look to the cross”, as we do every time we close our services on Sunday mornings.

More could be said, as much goes into modern logo design (e.g. it should be simple, employ only 2-3 colors, and be mostly self-explanatory), but these are the main factors that went into the design. May it continually be a reminder for us all to “look to the cross” daily!

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Finding Joy (Ecclesiastes 2)

Sun, 13 Feb 2022 15:59:27 GMT

Video :

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Ecclesiastes 2

Bringing the sermon home:

Further wrestling with the certainty of death and of being forgotten, Ecclesiastes asks, “what is good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life?” Do pleasure and possessions make life worthwhile? Do they dull the pain of being a vapor? After a grand experiment, the verdict is in: No.

Turning away from the self-indulgence of the frivolous fool who is always in search of a quick fix, he then instead devotes himself to the life of a wise worker. While hard work and a wise use of resources proves to yield a better life, the knowledge that death is still just around the corner to strip away everything he gains from wise living proves to be unbearable.

If our reason for toiling day after day rests upon the shaky foundation of our hopes for what tomorrow will bring, we will be plagued by fear and anxiety throughout all the days of our vapor-like life. You can’t live for tomorrow, or you’ll never find any rest today. What makes life worth living is not what you’re living for, but who you’re living for. Are you living for yourself, or for the God who made you? Joy is found in living for Him! May each one of us discover this wisdom of Ecclesiastes.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are

pleasures forevermore. ( Psalm 16:11 )

2022 Winter Olympics Boycott

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 15:52:14 GMT

Did you know that the US government and allies such as Australia, Canada, and the UK are boycotting the Winter Olympics that began on Friday? These countries still sent athletes to compete, but no government officials. Why? Here are some excerpts from a World magazine article :

The Chinese Communist Party has targeted [China’s Uyghur minority] for imprisonment, forced sterilization, gang rapes, and torture. Early last year, the U.S. State Department labeled the persecution as genocide .
A website titled #NoBeijing2022 published an open letter calling on European Union leaders to boycott. In addition to the Uyghur genocide, the letter calls attention to evidence revealing about 1 million Tibetan children are being forced to attend boarding schools, isolated from their families and culture.
The most meaningful thing that Christians can do is to pray specifically and fervently for China… The Voice of the Martyrs has started a campaign for people around the world to pray during the Olympics for Chinese Christians, who face oppression, imprisonment, surveillance, and harassment:
As the eyes of the world turn toward Beijing and the XXIV Olympic Winter Games, will you join with believers all across the globe to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters suffering persecution at the hands of China’s Communist government?
“For followers of Christ, we wake up every morning and say, ‘How can I serve Jesus today?’ and the Communist Party leadership sees that as a direct threat.”

About 3 billion people live in countries where Christians face some form of communist oppression . The atheistic ideology of c ommunism always views Christ’s church as a threat to the Marxist revolution. Let us pray for the gospel to penetrate the hearts of the se oppressors.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Looking the Elephant in the Eye (Ecclesiastes 1)

Sun, 06 Feb 2022 19:26:10 GMT

Video : [ TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES : audio-only until 5:36 mark]

Enhanced Audio ( on most podcast players ) :

Ecclesiastes 1

Bringing the sermon home:

Ecclesiastes starts off with a bang, calling us to wrestle with certain truths that we often try either to ignore through distractions or to deny through delusions:

you are going to die,
it could happen at any moment,
there’s nothing you can do about it, and
once you’re gone, you will soon be forgotten, having left no discernible impact upon the world you leave behind.

All of this is undeniably true, but as heavy as chapter 1 is, it hints at the key to finding peace and purpose despite these realities. The hint comes when God is first explicitly brought into the picture in verse 13. This points us to the key message of the entire book: your life is a gift given to you by God, so you should live like it.

Our approaching death calls to us, teaching us that we are not God. It’s only by listening to the testimony of death and letting God be God that we can begin to truly live. Those who demand answers about where their life is going and why it matters will be forever vexed, while those who trust that God has the answers and who seek to please Him each day will be forever blessed.

May the Lord grant each one of us "a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12), that we would "number our days", and live for Him.

... What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ( James 4:14 )

2022 World Watch List

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 18:45:47 GMT

Open Doors has just released the 2022 “World Watch List” of the 50 most dangerous places to be a Christian.
This is one of the resources I use to pray “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”.

Here are some excerpts from a WNG interview with the president of Open Doors:

Across the globe, well over 300 million Christians live in countries and regions where they suffer religious persecution. One out of every eight believers worldwide live in a place where they cannot safely declare and practice their faith in public. Each year, Open Doors USA publishes its World Watch List—shining a light on the 50 places around the world where it costs the most to be a Christian… It's the largest grassroots survey on the religious freedom of Christians in the world today. That's why it's trusted by the White House and State Department in all the different administrations…
And the country that has the highest overall score on this year’s list is Afghanistan… North Korea has been number one for almost two decades. North Korea hasn’t gotten better – Afghanistan has gotten worse… there is no freedom of religion for Christians in Afghanistan today…
China's number 17 on our list this year. It continues to move up the list. But that actually sort of belies the major issue there. It is the number one model of centralized control being used against religious minorities. They have all of this technology—facial recognition, they monitor the internet, they control the internet, they use artificial intelligence to watch whether you're attending church or a mosque. And then they punish you by diminishing your social score so that if you're too observant to Christian faith, you can't fly, you can't travel, you can lose your job, your kids aren't going to be able to go to the school of their choice.

Let us pray regularly for the light of the gospel to spread in dark places .

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Thine is the Glory (Matthew 6:1-18)

Sun, 30 Jan 2022 20:30:30 GMT

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" Soli Deo Gloria "
( Matthew 6:1-18 )

Bringing the sermon home:

A foundational commitment of every healthy church is the commitment to live for God’s glory, not our own , seeking praise for Him rather than for ourselves .

Having already spoken against any notion of a works-based salvation in the first portion of this “Sermon on the Mount”, Jesus then teaches against “practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them.” God cares about the heart, not merely outward actions. Good deeds and spiritual devotions done for the wrong reasons are not smiled upon by God.

A church that genuinely desires to please God and to have their ministries blessed by God must be committed to laboring together for the glory of God alone.

Included in this portion of Jesus’ sermon is a lengthy discussion on prayer, teaching us that God cannot be manipulated by ritualistic chants, eloquence, verbosity, or anything else. Prayer is not about manipulating God into satisfying our worldly desires, but about humbly seeking to align our desires with His. Prayer is not about striving to win over the heart of God, but about striving for God to win over the heart of the one praying. So let us be faithful to pray: “Thine is the glory”.

For my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another. ( Isaiah 48:11 )

Gathered Prayer

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 18:18:28 GMT

On Sunday, we jumped back into our “Foundations” series with a message from Act 1:14; 2:42; 4:23-31 titled “Devoted to Prayer”. Check it out here .

In stepping through a few of the highlights of the way the Lord has blessed churches who have regularly gathered together for prayer, I shared this quote from Charles Spurgeon speaking at a prayer meeting:

How could we expect a blessing if we were too idle to ask for it? How could we look for a Pentecost if we never met with one accord, in one place, to wait upon the Lord? Brethren, we shall never see much change for the better in our churches in general till the prayer-meeting occupies a higher place in the esteem of Christians. (from “Only a Prayer Meeting”)

Lord willing, on Sunday, March 6th, from 4:30-5:30 pm, we will gather for the first of our weekly “Sunday Evening Gatherings”. As I described on Sunday, these weekly gatherings will be ordered as follows:

~5 minutes: Singing
10-20 minutes: Sharing
I will call on people (who I’ve already spoken with in advance) to briefly share about an outreach or discipleship activity with which they’re involved, whether on their own or in association with a committee of the church. Before they share, someone else will volunteer to pray for what is shared during the next portion of the meeting.
15-20 minutes: Praying
Those who have volunteered to pray for a matter that was shared will take turns praying brief, 1–2 minute prayers.
10-20 minutes: Teaching
This may be a brief devotional on some passage of Scripture, further teaching on the sermon text, teaching on a topic that needs to be addressed but which doesn’t work very well in a sermon, or training and discussion on a topic like personal evangelism and discipleship.
~5 minutes: Singing

Please plan to attend and be praying for the Lord’s blessing upon these weekly gatherings!

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Related follow-up article: " Season of Prayer "

Devoted to Prayer (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 4:23-31)

Sun, 23 Jan 2022 17:00:12 GMT

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( Acts 1:14; 2:42; 4:23-31 )

Bringing the sermon home:

A foundational commitment of every healthy church is the commitment to devote ourselves to prayer .

As we reflect upon the first few chapters of Acts, we can’t help but to notice the place of prayer in the life of these first Christians, as “all these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer.” A life devoid of prayer is a self-reliant life, and a self-reliant life is a life utterly devoid of spiritual peace and spiritual power.

Jesus said: “apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5), and Paul wrote that it is “only God who gives the growth” (1 Cor 3:7) to our ministry labors. A church that believes this will be a praying church.

We should not expect the Lord to bless our ministries in the way that He blessed the ministries of those first Christians if we are not doing what they did: devoting ourselves to prayer, both privately and corporately.

A church that prays together, stays together, but we will never become a praying church until we resolve to be a praying church, so let us resolve to make prayer a priority from this day forward, and may the Lord answer our prayers, emboldening us to live for Him and adding to our number day by day those who are being saved.

You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” ( Psalm 27:8 )

(See a follow-up article here .)

Laboring Together

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 19:27:56 GMT

During our service on Sunday (see sermon ), Shelly Chattin helped to drive home the message of our “Laboring Together” series by charging each one of us to take time each day this week to pray about ways the Lord might be leading us to further give of our time and our talents in service of the ministries of RHCC.

There are numerous ways to serve, but one particular need at this time is joining the rotation to disciple children of all ages during Sunday School (before the service) and/or to disciple the younger children on the Sundays we have Children’s Church during the sermon.

For all of you who are already sacrificially giving of your time and your talents to the ministries of this church, thank you so much! This does not go unnoticed!

For all of you who are providentially hindered from being able to serve in person, please know that we are grateful for the ways you are finding to join in this gospel partnership, such as through the phone calls you make to minister and keep in touch with your fellow church members. Most of all, we thank you for the way you sacrifice of your time to diligently pray for the Lord to bless this congregation. We cherish your prayers!

Let us all commit to pray each day this week:

for the Lord to lead each of us in how we can be “making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” ( Ephesians 5:16 ),
for “the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest,” for “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” ( Luke 10:2 ),
for the Lord to bless our outreach efforts by filling our classrooms and our sanctuary on Sunday mornings, especially our children’s wing,
for the Lord to bring great fruit from every good work, especially the fruit of conversions, and
for the Lord to lead each of us in discerning to what degree we need to be sacrificially giving, not just of our time and our talents, but of our treasures.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Gospel Partnership (Philippians 4:14-23)

Sun, 16 Jan 2022 19:23:18 GMT

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Philippians 4:14–23

Bringing the sermon home:

The heart-transformation brought by the gospel should stir a desire within us to be used by God to help others come to know Him as we have come to know Him. With a passion to see God worshipped as He ought to be worshipped, both for the good of the worshipper and for the glory of God, Christians are called to partner together as local churches to minister God’s Word to our neighbors, as well as to partner with missionaries who are taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.

The call to gospel partnership is a call to sacrificially give of our time , our talents (gifts, abilities), and our treasures (material resources), both in support of local ministries and foreign missions. The Philippians exemplified this well in supporting Paul, not just while he was with them ( Acts 16:15, 33-34 ), but after he had was sent elsewhere ( 2 Cor 11:9; Phil 4:10-18 ), such that he describes their gifts as “a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God” and bringing them “fruit that accrues to [their] account”, most notably, “treasures in heaven” ( Matt 6:19-20 ).

Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf. ( Proverbs 11:28 )

(See follow-up article here .)

God's Humbling Arrows

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 18:03:12 GMT

In the sermon on Sunday, I noted what God said through Moses to the new generation of Israelites, just before leading them into the promised land for the first time after 40 years of wandering through the wilderness:

"[The Lord] humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord… Take care… lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when… all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water… that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end." (Deuteronomy 8:3, 11–16)

Letting them hunger is described as a blessing rather than a curse. Paul likewise describes the afflictions he faced as a gift, “to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (2 Cor 1:9). Having described our frail bodies as “jars of clay”, Paul wrote: “though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day,” training us to “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (1 Cor 4:7, 16, 18).

Charles Spurgeon once made the following assertion:

“I venture to say that the greatest earthly blessing that God can give to any of us is health, with the exception of sickness. Sickness has frequently been of more use to the saints of God than health has.” (An All-Around Ministry, 384)

May we adopt this radical mindset in regard to the difficulties we face, that our contentment might not rest on our circumstances, but on the God of our circumstances.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

The Secret of Contentment (Philippians 4:10-13)

Sun, 09 Jan 2022 17:58:45 GMT

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Philippians 4:10–13

Bringing the sermon home:

Though often taken out of context, verse 13 is not about achieving every dream, or satisfying every desire. Paul’s “secret” is about being content, even with dreadful circumstances, including imprisonments leading to execution. The glorious, peace-giving, soul-satisfying promise of Philippians 4:13 is that “I can do all things” that God sets before me, no matter how trying the circumstances may be, for God will work through me, “both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (2:13).

God delights to achieve His good purposes through what looks like failure. At the cross, He proved that His ways are not our ways, and thus, at the cross, He proved that we can trust Him, even when we don’t understand what He’s doing. Contentment can be found “in any and every circumstance” when:

we trust that God is at work in every circumstance (1:12),
we look to God for soul-satisfaction, rather than looking to our circumstances (3:8), and
we diligently seek for the supernatural strength to glorify Him in any circumstance (4:13).

We brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. ( 1 Tim othy 6:7-8)

(See follow-up article here .)

Overcoming Anxiety

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 17:47:15 GMT

Paul’s command regarding anxiety (see sermon ) comes in the middle of a multi-year imprisonment, with his fate unknown. Paul certainly understood anxiety, and yet, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he speaks of an antidote.

Another missionary who wrote about overcoming anxiety was Hudson Taylor, who first sailed to China in 1853 at the age of 21 and eventually started the China Inland Mission (CIM), which become the largest Protestant mission agency in the world. Over the course of more than 50 years as a missionary, Taylor suffered the death of two different wives and five of his children.

From the beginning of his service, Taylor struggled with anxiety, even before starting a family or the mission agency (he eventually became responsible for 750 deployed missionaries and their children). But 16 years into his life as a missionary, Taylor suddenly came to understand and experience the antidote. A partner observed the transformation and wrote of Taylor:

"He had been a toiling, burdened one before, with latterly not much rest of soul. It was resting in Jesus now, and letting Him do the work – which makes all the difference... Troubles did not worry him as before. He cast everything on God in a new way, and gave more time to prayer . Instead of working late at night, he began to go to bed earlier, rising at 5 A.M. to give time to Bible study and prayer (often two hours) before the work of the day began. "

Once, Taylor received word of life-threatening rioting in two of the mission’s stations. In response, he began to whistle his favorite hymn, “Jesus, I am resting, resting, in the joy of what thou art.” Someone exclaimed:

“How can you whistle, when our friends are in so much danger!” “Would you have me anxious and troubled?” was the quiet reply. “That would not help them, and would certainly incapacitate me for my work. I have just to roll the burden on the Lord.”

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God… casting all your anxieties on him. (1 Peter 5:6-7 )

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Peace Be With You (Philippians 4:1-9)

Sun, 02 Jan 2022 17:43:48 GMT

Video :

Enhanced Audio ( on most podcast players ) :

Philippians 4:1–9

Bringing the sermon home:

Drawing the main body of the letter to a close, Paul addresses two different kinds of peace: peace within the church, and peace within our own hearts.

The exhortation for two women in the church to be of the same mind, and for others to help them in this, is sandwiched between multiple phrases that draw our attention to the primary source of both our joy and our unity: the advance of the gospel. Gospel-engendered humility enables us to graciously disagree with one another in matters of prudence, trusting God to work in His church, even through decisions we disagree with.

Transitioning to the topic of peace within our hearts, Paul gives two challenging commands: rejoice always, and do not be anxious about anything. Paul tells us that the antidote to anxiety is prayer and praise. In prayer, we are forcing ourselves to acknowledge and accept our utter dependence upon God for whatever may come, entrusting ourselves to His good purposes for our lives.

Through praying to God, meditating on the Word of God, and imitating those who know God, may the God of peace increasingly be with us all.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. ( John 14:27 )

(See follow-up article here .)

A Child Appointed (Luke 2:21-40)

Sun, 26 Dec 2021 17:23:31 GMT

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Luke 2:21-40

Bringing the sermon home:

What would lead a person to joyfully pray to God, “ Now I can depart in peace. Lord, let me die”?

Faithful first century Jews like Simeon and Anna had spent their lives waiting for the visible dwelling presence of God to return to the earth, having departed from the first temple when it was destroyed in 586 BC.

And in Luke 2:27, for the first time, the visible dwelling presence of God was carried into the second temple, and Simeon took God the Son incarnate “up in his arms” and declared: “My eyes have seen your salvation! Now I can die in peace, for God has come to His temple!”

It was a foretaste of the new heavens and the new earth that is to come, which we read about in Revelation 21:3, when the voice from the throne will declare: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”

This is the salvation that God the Son came to bring: a people made clean by His blood, that we might dwell in His presence forever.

May we all be given the spiritual eyes to see salvation in this child, so that we may be prepared to depart from this world in peace, having seen Jesus and knowing who is awaiting us in heaven.

Christmas Eve Service (2021)

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 17:09:16 GMT

I hope you are as excited as I am about our Christmas Eve service from 6-7 this Friday evening! Christians have been gathering together to worship on Christmas Eve for centuries. The first formal gathering of “Lessons and Carols” that I have found on record took place at Truro Cathedral in England in 1880. This was then adopted in 1918 by the King’s College in Cambridge. You can see the original order-of-service here .

Our service this Friday will be very similar. Like that service, ours will include 10 Scripture readings, though ours are grouped as 7 lessons and we will be singing 10 songs instead of 14. If you’re unfamiliar with any of these carols, sing through them before we gather on Friday to help us sing well, as the linked versions are the versions we’ll be singing:

Carol 1:
“ O Come, All Ye Faithful ”
Words and Music: 1751
Carol 2:
“ O Come, O Come, Emmanuel ” (vv. 1, 2, 4)
Words: ~12 ^th century | Music: 15 ^th century
Carol 3:
“ Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus ”
Words: 1744 Music: 1830
Carol 4:
“ O Little Town of Bethlehem ” (vv. 1, 4)
Words and Music: 1868
Carol 5:
“ Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence ”
Words: ~5 ^th century | Music: 17 ^th century
Carol 6:
“ What Child Is This? ”
Words: 1865 Music: 16 ^th century
Carol 7:
“ Hark! the Herald Angels Sing ”
Words: 1739 Music: 1840
Carol 8:
“ Joy to the World! The Lord Is Come ”
Words: 1719 Music: 1742
Carol 9:
“ O Sing a Song of Bethlehem ”
Words: 1899 Music: 1893
Carol 10:
“ Silent Night ”
Words and Music: 1818

“O Come, Let us Adore Him!”

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

What Lies Ahead (Philippians 3:12-4:1)

Sun, 19 Dec 2021 17:02:44 GMT

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Philippians 3:12–4:1

Bringing the sermon home:

The second half of chapter 3 progresses the same argument from the first half, such that this week’s sermon was really just “Knowing Christ – Part 2”.

Paul says that he has not yet come to fully know Christ or to fully be made like Christ. And though this work of Christ within the Christian will not be brought to completion until Christ’s second advent (1:6), Paul presses on as though the finish line were within reach. Why? (1) Because knowing Christ is the greatest source of joy available in this life, and (2) “because Christ Jesus has made me his own”. So press on to take hold of Him!

May we renounce any self-righteous notion that we have already “arrived” at Christian maturity, and any self-indulgent notion that it’s permissible to remain where we are. Instead, when it comes to knowing Christ and becoming like Christ, may we embrace the need to be always striving, but never arriving, for we are citizens of heaven, from whom we await our Sovereign King.

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. ( James 5:7 )

(See follow-up article he re .)

What are you longing for?

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 16:53:51 GMT

Furthering our meditation on “ Knowing Christ ” from Sunday, let me ask again, if you find yourself longing for the return of Christ during this Advent season (and I hope you do!), what is it about heaven that you most desire? Christ’s second Advent will bring the end of death, decay, disease, division, and sin. It will bring paradise, rest, and reunion with lost loved ones…

Again, if you ask a bride-to-be what she’s most excited about in regard to getting married, in the midst of all of her planning, she might be quick to mention various aspects of the upcoming wedding ceremony: her gown, the bridesmaids and their dresses, the flowers, the cake, and the dancing and celebration with friends and family. Or she might mention the honeymoon destination, or the place that she will soon call home. You might have to ask her: “What about the groom?!”

As you long for the day when the new Jerusalem will descend upon the new earth, “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev 21:2) at the great “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev 19:9), and as you consider what you most desire about that day, let me ask you: “What about the groom?”

Christ Himself is to be treasured above all things – above all other benefits of being with Him in glory.

Those who most long for the second Advent of Christ out of a desire to more fully know Christ do so because they have found that knowing Him is what brings them the greatest joy in this life, and no set of circumstances in this life can rob them of that joy.

We must not confuse knowing things about Christ with actually knowing Him . Think of the way you know your loved ones, and how that goes far beyond what you know about them. Let us labor to know Christ more!

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. ( 1 Corinthians 13:12 )

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Knowing Christ (Philippians 3:1-11)

Sun, 12 Dec 2021 16:49:45 GMT

Video :

Enhanced Audio ( on most podcast players ) :

Philippians 3:1-11

Bringing the sermon home:

In light of the two advents of Christ, Paul has called the Philippians to humble, sacrificial obedience to Him. But this is not a call to a joyless life, so Paul then turns his attention to joy, calling them to “rejoice in the Lord”.

Before highlighting the greatest source of joy, Paul addresses the greatest enemy of true joy: self-righteousness and self-reliance, as you trust in yourself for salvation and seek for joy in human achievements.

In coming to know Christ, Paul discovered that his self-righteous life had left him spiritually bankrupt, for the righteousness we need is “the righteousness from God that depends on faith,” not on anything we do, and true joy is only found in knowing Jesus.

May we seek to know Christ more fully by spending time with Him through studying His Word, worshipping Him alongside His people, seeking His resurrection power at work within us, and being His light to a dark world by sharing His gospel with others.

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord… ( Ps alm 27:4 )

(See follow-up article here .)

Let the Children Worship

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 16:38:30 GMT

Advent is a season during which many are especially mindful of the need to pass the message of Christmas, and thus the gospel, on to the next generation. The wonderful new song from the Gettys and Sandra McCracken, “ Pass the Promise ”, beautifully calls us to bear witness to our sons and daughters. Take a listen!

A couple of months ago, I wrote about God having designed the church to be “ a discipling family of faith ”. This compels us to place a priority on partnering together with parents to evangelize and train up their children. This is the first principle of children’s ministry, as God has designed this to be a whole-church effort.

Another principle of children’s ministry is the need to fully fold children into our Sunday morning services as soon as possible, hence our monthly Family Worship Sundays when we invite children who have started kindergarten to remain with us throughout the service.

Numerous articles and books have been written and seminars taught, both in regard to why we should welcome children into our worship services and how to best equip them to participate, with attention given to things to be done before, during, and after the service.

Comparing it to teaching a child to swim, Jason Helopoulos, writes this in Let the Children Worship :

“No amount of teaching or even practicing small things in the bathtub would have made [my children] as confident swimmers as they became by actually learning in the pool itself.” (80)

Experience is the greatest teacher, and children cannot fall in love with worship if they are kept away from it. It is through observing others worship God that children learn the universe revolves around Him and not them. For children, worship is more caught than taught.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” ( Matthew 19:14 )

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

(See follow-up article here .)

The Light of the World (Philippians 2:12-30)

Sun, 05 Dec 2021 16:33:28 GMT

Video :

Enhanced Audio ( on most podcast players ) :

Christ's Advents

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 16:22:42 GMT

Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent, the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. As I mentioned on Sunday, all 19 of the references to Christ’s “advent” ( parousia ) in the New Testament are in regard to His second coming.

During the Advent season, we set our minds upon Christ’s first advent as a babe in Bethlehem in order to draw our minds to all that He accomplished on our behalf so that we might increasingly long for His second advent. In the “Christ Hymn” of Philippians 2:6-11, Paul draws our attention to both of the advents of Christ, for we who live in between Christ’s first and second Advents must live our lives in light of both of them.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor in Nazi Germany who was eventually executed by hanging on April 9, 1945 at the age of 39, said this in one of his advent sermons :

Celebrating Advent means learning how to wait. Waiting is an art which our impatient age has forgotten. We want to pluck the fruit before it has had time to ripen… The blessedness of waiting is lost on those who cannot wait, and the fulfillment of promise is never theirs. They want quick answers to the deepest questions of life and miss the value of those times of anxious waiting, seeking with patient uncertainties until the answers come…
Not all can wait—certainly not those who are satisfied, contented, and feel that they live in the best of all possible worlds! Those who learn to wait are uneasy about their way of life, but yet have seen a vision of greatness in the world of the future and are patiently expecting its fulfillment. The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

The Advents of Christ (Philippians 2:3-11)

Sun, 28 Nov 2021 16:18:33 GMT

Video :

Enhanced Audio ( on most podcast players ) :

Philippians 2:3-11

Bringing the sermon home:

In calling the Philippians to “let their manner of life be worthy of the gospel,” and having already drawn their attention to his own life and suffering as an example, Paul now draws their attention to the life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ. What greater example could there be of sacrificially seeking the good of others than God the Son taking on a human nature to suffer weakness, pain, and death in order to grant us eternal life?

The humiliation and exaltation of Jesus poetically communicated in this “Christ Hymn,” as it has come to be known, is a powerful call to follow in the path of our Savior by adopting the same humble, others-oriented mindset, for Paul is insisting that humility is required for unity within the church, and unity is required in order for us to be effective in gospel ministry.

May we who “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” live in such a manner that His Lordship over us is plain for all the world to see, especially in our humble interactions with one another as we labor together for the gospel.

By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’ ( Isaiah 45:2 3)

(See follow-up article he re .)

Habit of Thankfulness

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 21:37:52 GMT

As I mentioned on Sunday, Ashley recently shared this quote with me about thankfulness. It’s from Elisabeth Elliot, who was one of the American missionaries to the Huaorani tribe in Ecuador in the 1950s that I mentioned in my sermon on the Sunday before last.

After her husband, Jim, and all four of the other men were speared to death by the people they were trying to reach with the gospel, Elisabeth was one of the two widows who persevered in the mission, eventually leading many of the Huaorani to faith in Christ, including some of the men who killed her husband.

The video I mentioned of Steve Saint chatting with Mincaye, who speared Steve’s father to death, can be found here: https://youtu.be/9dA2C4zPihk

During this Thanksgiving season, may we seek to make thankfulness our “habit of life” by focusing on what God has graciously given rather than on what He has not yet given, and remembering that, in Christ, we are now fellow heirs of the kingdom: the new earth to come.

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. ( Psalm 86:12-13 )

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Striving Side-by-Side (Philippians 1:27-2:4)

Sun, 21 Nov 2021 21:30:52 GMT

Video :

Enhanced Audio ( on most podcast players ) :

Philippians 1:27-2:4

Bringing the sermon home:

As citizens of the Kingdom of God, we are to “let [our] manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ”, which means that we must not behave as though we belong to another master and thereby bring disrepute upon the name of Christ that we bear as His disciples.

Paul’s strong emphasis on unity reveals the necessity of unity in order for a local church to be effective in the mission with which we have been entrusted. However, this is not a call for unity at all costs, but rather unity in and for “the faith of the gospel”. Unity is built by uniting around a common goal, and our Lord has made that goal perfectly clear: go and make disciples, at all costs.

May we faithfully and boldly be found “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of gospel, and not frightened in anything by [our] opponents”, willingly suffering ridicule and worse for the sake of the witness this bears to those who at first take offense to the gospel, and for the glory of Christ.

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! ( Psalm 133: 1)

(See follow-up article here .)

Church Membership

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 21:21:03 GMT

A few Sundays ago, as Ashley and I came forward to join the church (we thought we already had!), I mentioned in passing that the New Testament has no category for a follower of Christ who is not a committed member of a local church, granted one is accessible. While we are in our “ Laboring Together ” series, it seems appropriate to further elaborate upon that point.

One helpful exercise is to look at every occurrence of the word “ church ” throughout the New Testament and to notice how often it undeniably refers to a local group of Christians who have partnered together to fulfill the great commission (i.e. a local church). Nearly every New Testament letter, including the seven letters to the churches in Revelation 2–3, are written to local churches operating under the leadership of pastors/elders.

Many of the commands in the New Testament simply assume that every Christian will be a member of a local church. For example, the commands to not neglect to gather together regularly (Heb 10:25), to partake of the Lord’s Supper together (1 Cor 11), to appoint pastors/elders and deacons (1 Tim 3; Titus 1; Acts 14:23), to submit to our leaders (Heb 13:17), and to speak the truth in love as we help hold each other accountable to our profession of faith in Christ (Matt 18:17; 1 Cor 5:4).

In short, God’s design for the ordinances, offices, and “one-another’s” of the Christian life are built on the commitments we call “membership”.

In this Thanksgiving season, let us give thank for God’s good gift of local churches, and especially for the gift we are to one another. May RHCC truly be:

A people , not a place.
A family , not an organization.
A mission , not a social club.

Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! ( Psalm 34:3 )

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Fruitful Labor (Philippians 1:12-26)

Sun, 14 Nov 2021 21:16:02 GMT

Video :

Enhanced Audio (on most podcast players) :

Philippians 1:12-26

Bringing the sermon home:

Though Paul was bound in chains, the Word of God was not bound (2 Tim 2:9)! Not only did the gospel continue to spread, but Paul’s imprisonment actually helped it to spread throughout the imperial guard, and even some of Caesar’s own household believed (4:22). Also, Paul’s perseverance in the face of suffering and possible death attested to the truth of the gospel and emboldened other Christians to loudly proclaim it to others.

You may never know all of the reasons that God has permitted certain trials in your life, but you can be confident that, if you belong to Christ, He intends to magnify the truth of His gospel through your response to those trials. With the settled conviction (1) that God is in control of our circumstances, and (2) that glory awaits us on the other side of death, we can joyfully say that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain”.

Like Paul, may these convictions move us to live for the glory of God and for the good of others, namely, for their “progress and joy in the faith” (v. 25).

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. (Genesis 50:20)

(See follow-up article here .)

The Persecuted Church

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 20:59:07 GMT

As noted in the sermon on Sunday, the first Sunday in every November is the annual International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. From our bulletin insert from Open Doors on Sunday:

Today, over 340 million Christians experience extreme persecution and discrimination for following Jesus— that’s 1 in 8 Christians worldwide.
In places like India, extremist mobs often attack Christians. In North Korea, owning a Bible can get your entire family sent to a labor camp. In China, the government tracks Christians and shuts down unauthorized churches. And in places like Iran, it’s illegal to even convert to Christianity.

Please consider praying this week for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering or otherwise living under the constant threat of persecution for bearing witness to Christ.

Here are two detailed, country-specific prayer guides:

Voice of the Martyrs:
http://www.persecution.com/globalprayerguide/
Open Doors:
https://resources.opendoorsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/WWL2021_Booklet-digital-1.pdf

For example, look up Turkey in both of the prayer guides and pray for the Christians residing where the Apostle Paul planted some of the first churches, and to whom he wrote Ephesians, Colossians, and Galatians.

I also recommend signing up for a daily email containing prayer concerns from missionaries serving all around the world: https://www.imb.org/prayer-list

Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. ( Hebrews 13:3 )

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

The Fruit of Righteousness (Philippians 1:1-11)

Sun, 07 Nov 2021 20:27:31 GMT

Video :

Enhanced Audio (on most podcast players) :

Philippians 1:1-11

Bringing the sermon home:

After spending two years in prison in Caesarea (Acts 24:27), Paul spent at least two more years imprisoned in Rome (Acts 28). During this initial imprisonment in Rome, Paul wrote the four “prison epistles”, with Philippians likely being the first of the four written.

In the first 11 verses, we see the burden on Paul’s heart as he shares his prayer for them. In prison, uncertain of how much longer he’ll have to help spread the gospel and to plant new churches, this is his concern: the personal holiness (a.k.a. spiritual growth, sanctification) of the churches he has already planted!

Noting that our growth in godliness is a work of God within us, transforming us to increasingly live out who we truly arein Christ, and that continued growth is vital for our joy in Christ and for our usefulness in God’s kingdom purposes, may we be diligent to seek Him in His Word as we labor together for the sake of Christ.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ( Jeremiah 31:3 3)

(See follow-up article here .)

Let Goods and Kindred Go

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 16:44:18 GMT

Following the sermon on Sunday, we sang Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”, which concludes with this line: “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill: God's truth abideth still; His kingdom is forever!”

This exhortation was not theoretical for Luther. Standing before the Imperial Diet of Worms in 1521, Luther was certain that his refusal to recant his Biblical teachings would result in a gruesome public execution, as it had for others before him, like Jan Hus, who could be heard singing the Psalms as he was burned alive by the Pope in 1415. Even so, Luther boldly declared to the Emperor: “My conscience is a prisoner of God’s Word. I cannot and will not recant, for to disobey one’s conscience is neither just nor safe. God help me.”

In God’s kind providence, Luther narrowly escaped death for years, but many others who likewise spread the gospel did not. In the English-speaking world, almost 300 Protestants were burned at the stake by the Roman Catholic Queen of England, “Bloody Mary”, and countless others were imprisoned or went into exile.

On October 16, 1555, Hugh Latimer, former Bishop of Worcester, and Nicholas Ridley, former Bishop of London, were burned alongside one another, and as the fires were lit beneath seventy-year-old Latimer, he said to Ridley, “Play the man, Master Ridley; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.” And so they did.

Without the willingness of so many to suffer and die, the light of truth they recovered would not have spread as it did. Is the spread of the gospel this dear to you?

I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect. ( 2 Tim 2:9-10 )

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

By Faith Alone (Galatians 5:1-9)

Sun, 31 Oct 2021 15:46:04 GMT

Video :

Enhanced Audio (on most podcast players) :

" Sola Fide "

( Galatians 5:1-9 )

Bringing the sermon home:

A foundational commitment of every healthy church is the commitment to affirm that faith in Christ is the only means by which we are saved . This was also part of a 2-part mini-series, “Recovering the Light of Truth”, connected with the 504th anniversary of the event that many point to as the start of the 16th century Reformation of Christ’s church.

Focusing primarily on Gal 1:6-9; 2:15-16; 3:6-7; 5:1-9, 13-16 , the question we’re asking is this: How can a sinner receive Christ’s righteousness? The answer recovered in the 16th-century Reformation is this: through faith alone . The false teachers in Galatia were teaching that you needed to observe certain ceremonial aspects of the Law of Moses, but Paul reveals that salvation through faith plus anything is a distortion of the gospel and, ultimately, a way of attempting to establish your own righteousness ( Rom 9:30-10:3 ).

Faith plus anything leaves us with noth ing, for salvation is either by grace or by works, but not by both. Freed from any form of a works-based righteousness, we are enabled to lift our eyes off of our own spiritual state and on to others, for true faith breathes out neighbor-love.

May we hold firmly to Christ alone for our salvation and, thus, be moved to serve one another in love!

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

(See a follow-up article here .)

The Five Solas

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 17:11:51 GMT

The sermon on Sunday was part of a 2-part mini-series, “Recovering the Light of Truth”, connected with the 504th anniversary of the event that many point to as the start of the 16th century Reformation of Christ’s church.

For those new to the topic of the 16 ^th century Reformation, the debated issues are often distilled in summary fashion with “the five solas” (Latin phrases):

Sola Scriptura – “Scripture Alone ”

Scripture alone is “breathed out by God” (2 Tim 3:16) and, thus, is the final authority on all matters of faith and practice, not contradicting human traditions.
Solus Christus – “Christ Alone "

We are accepted before God on the basis of Christ’s imputed righteousness alone, not on the basis of merit earned through good works or acts of penance, nor the transfer of merit from deceased “saints”, nor through punishment in Purgatory.
Sola Fide – “Faith Alone ”

We are united to Christ and clothed in His righteousness through faith alone, not through sacraments administered by a Catholic priest.
Sola Gratia – “Grace Alone ”

Salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace, not a result of our efforts, so that no one may boast.
Soli Deo Gloria – “Glory to God Alone ”

God alone receives the glory in our salvation, not us, or Mary, or “saints”, or “holy” priests, or angels.

May the light of truth recovered in the 16th century never be eclipsed again!

Post tenebras lux – "After darkness, light."

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

In Christ Alone (Romans 3:19-5:2)

Sun, 24 Oct 2021 15:28:51 GMT

Video :

Enhanced Audio (on most podcast players) :

" Solus Christus "

( Romans 3:19–5:2 )

Bringing the sermon home:

A foundational commitment of every healthy church is the commitment to trust in Christ's righteousness alone for salvation . This was also part of a 2-part mini-series, “Recovering the Light of Truth”, connected with the 504th anniversary of the event that many point to as the start of the 16th century Reformation of Christ’s church.

We primarily focused on Rom 3:19-25; 4:1-8; 4:23-5:2. The question we’re asking is this: on what grounds will anyone be accepted by God?

The answer from Scripture, which was recovered in the Reformation: by Christ alone.

The “trouble” with the gospel being a free gift of grace is that our sinful hearts are prone to want to add more to it, so that our salvation is not merely something we receive by faith, but something that we in some way contribute to. Church history bears out the need to continually challenge our thinking in regard to the fundamentals of the gospel.

Are you in any way trusting in your own righteousness to contribute to your salvation, or are you trusting in the only righteousness that can save: Christ’s alone?

May we never lose sight of the fundamental truths of the gospel by which we now have peace with God!

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord... for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness... as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)

(See a follow-up article here .)

Marks of a Healthy Church

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 19:12:47 GMT

In my first General Board meeting on Sunday, I was given a moment to give a “State of the Church” report, and I thought I’d share my thoughts with the full body.

As I’ve spoken with the members of this church, I’ve recognized a consistent self-awareness regarding the fact that, demographically, we are an older church, and that in if this work is to continue for years to come, it will be because the Lord has chosen to “add to [our] number” (Acts 2:47) new, younger converts.

With this in mind, many people start considering what changes might be appropriate to the Sunday morning worship service, or to the physical property, or to our children’s programs. These are healthy discussions, and I’m continuing to speak with the various committee chairs regarding suggestions I have for each area.

However, we can make all the changes any of us think need to be made and still not be in any position to expect God to add to our number if we have neglected more fundamental matters.

So, what are the marks of a healthy church without which we ought not expect God to add to our number, and are these characteristic of our church? Here are my “ five P’s ”:

Proclamation – Are our gatherings centered around the faithful proclamation of God’s Word?
Private Devotions – Are each of us growing spiritually through daily times of discipleship?
Purity – Are we living transformed lives that cause people to ask us for the hope within us (1 Pet 3:15)?
Prayer – Are we praying for God to cause our ministry labors to bear the fruit of conversions?
Personal Evangelism – Are we regularly seeking to engage others in gospel conversations?

May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all. ( 1 Thessalonians 3:12 )

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Do You Do Well to be Angry? (Jonah 4)

Sun, 17 Oct 2021 19:07:26 GMT

Video :

Enhanced Audio (on most podcast players) :

Jonah 4

Bringing the sermon home:

The message of the first three chapters can be summarized by Jonah’s exultation from within the fish, “Salvation belongs to the Lord!”, for while our disobedience deserves death, God’s patience is meant to lead to repentance, and all who turn to God will be delivered rather than destroyed.

For those who have been delivered from the death we deserve, chapter 4 challenges us with this question: Is something preventing you from genuinely desiring for others to be shown the same mercy you have been shown? Do you show more concern for your personal comforts than for the spiritual condition of those around you?

Seeing from the experience of Jonah that God’s painful-yet-loving discipline is meant to reorder our disordered hearts, may we be diligent to regularly mediate upon the mercy shown to us in Christ, so that God may fill our hearts with the same compassion He has shown to us.

My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. ( Prov 3:11-12 )

A Discipling Family of Faith and Children's Ministry

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 18:54:20 GMT

Our vision for ministry flows out of our understanding of what a local church is . I believe a right understanding is reached by viewing the church through two lenses:

As a community of discipleship .

A church is a group of believers who have committed to help one another follow Jesus and to lead others to do likewise (see Ephesians 4:11-16 ).
As a family of faith .

The members of a church are more closely knit together than any natural family outside of Christ, for we have been made one in Christ, have been given a new Head and a shared mission, and have committed to self-sacrificial love of one another (see Mark 10:28-30 ).

In bringing these two perspectives together, we can describe the church as a discipling family of faith .

This understanding of what a local church is causes us to collectively direct our gaze toward the one group that is almost always the largest and most accessible group of unbelievers and new converts within our immediate sphere of influence: the young children of our members.

Truly being a discipling family of faith means collectively placing a priority on partnering together with parents to evangelize and train up their children. God has designed this to be a whole-church effort (“it takes a village”). Let us all consider how we can contribute to this mission!

May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all. ( 1 Thessalonians 3:12 )

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

(See follow-up article here .)

Delivered or Destroyed? (Jonah 3)

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 18:47:48 GMT

Video :

Enhanced Audio (on most podcast players) :

Jonah 3

Bringing the sermon home:

What is the main message of the book of Jonah?

It’s not found in the account of the fish that appeared in chapter 2, but in the account of the Word that was proclaimed in chapter 3.

Unlike the Israelites of Jonah’s day (typified by Jonah’s stubborn disobedience in chapter 1), the pagan Ninevites immediately received the Word of God given to them, responding in repentance and faith, and they were delivered rather than destroyed. God’s people hear God’s voice in God’s Word, and they respond. Have you?

Like the Ninevites of Jonah’s day, may we hear, believe, and spread the Word that God has given to us!

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear , that your soul may live. ( Isaiah 55:2-3a )

(See related article here .)

Daily Bible Reading

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 18:35:03 GMT

Many of us struggle to make the time to read the Bible daily, and we’re fairly quick to chalk it up to lack of time. I saw a graphic yesterday presenting some numbers intended to dispel that notion, at least for most of us:

Average time Americans spend watching television or streaming video content:
4 hours per day
Average time American internet users spend on social media:
2 hours per day
Time required to read through the Bible
in 2 years: 6 minutes per day
in 1 year: 12 minutes per day
in 3 months: 50 minutes per day

While these daily-reading times don’t account for the time to think deeply, pray over, and further study what we’re reading, the point is that most of us probably can carve out 15-30 minutes of our day for these disciplines.

So, if we’re not, why not? The reason may be slightly different for each one of us, but it likely comes down to a misunderstanding of (1) what the Bible is, (2) why God has given it to us, and (3) how we should approach it.

A recent article by pastor and author Dane Ortlund helps to flesh some of this out:

crossway.org/articles/9-wrong-ways-to-read-the-bible-and-one-better-way

Two helpful daily resources:

Daily devotional: truthforlife.org/devotionals
One-year reading plan: truthforlife.org/daily

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. ( Psalm 1:1-2 )

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

Salvation Belongs to the Lord! (Jonah 1:17-3:3)

Sun, 03 Oct 2021 18:28:43 GMT

Video :

Enhanced Audio : (on most podcast players)

Jonah 1:17-3:3

Bringing the sermon home:

God’s patience is shown in not instantly striking us dead when we sin against Him, and this patience is “meant to lead to repentance” (Rom 2:4). However, this patience is not promised to last another day and may run out at any moment (2 Pet 3:9-10). Mercy is being offered to everyone who still has consciousness, but it must be sought while it can be found, and it must be sought where it can be found: in the one true God, the Lord.

In response to the mercy received by all who call upon the name of the Lord to be saved, may we, “with the voice of thanksgiving” (2:9), vow to live a sacrificial life of worshipful repentance, taking this message of mercy to others in equally desperate need of it.

Do you suppose, O man… that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? ( Romans 2:3-4 )

Bible Translation

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 18:15:14 GMT

Further considering the message from Sunday's sermon :

As we consider the charge to take God’s word to the nations, one matter for prayer and contemplation is not just the lack of any Christians in many parts of the world, but the lack of any translations of God’s word in many languages.

Per wycliffe.org :

At least 1.5 billion people (1 out of every 5 people) do not have the full Bible in their language.
Of the 7,360 languages currently spoken in the world, only 704 have a full Bible.
Translation work is currently underway for 2,731 languages.

How should we respond?

Give thanks for the availability of multiple trustworthy translations in your native tongue (e.g. ESV, CSB, NIV, NLT, NASB) and seize hold of this tremendous blessing! Take up and read!
Give thanks for being able to speak the language of nearly everyone you come into contact with on a daily basis and seize hold of this tremendous blessing! Rise up and speak!
Support the work of translating the Word into more languages, both through prayer and giving .
Support the work of taking the Word to unreached groups, both through prayer and giving .

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? ( Romans 10:13-14 )

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

(See follow-up article here .)

Arise, Call Out to Your God! (Jonah 1:1-16)

Sun, 26 Sep 2021 18:00:19 GMT

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Jonah 1:1-16

Bringing the sermon home:

The main message of the passage is clear: Disobedience deserves death, but mercy is offered to those who repent. Jonah found himself surrounded by sinners aboard a sinking ship who were facing certain death and were without hope unless a servant of God taught them to call upon the name of the Lord to be saved.

It’s an apt metaphor for the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Have you called out to those who are still aboard a sinking ship, calling them to repent and receive the good news of God’s mercy toward sinners?

May we faithfully proclaim the word that the Lord has given us to proclaim. May we “arise and go”, making disciples of all nations ( Mt 28:19-20 ).

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ( Ephesians 5:14-17 )

(See a follow-up article here .)

The God We Worship (Deuteronomy 12:32-13:10)

Sun, 19 Sep 2021 15:10:02 GMT

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Commitment #3: Sound Doctrine

( Deuteronomy 12:32-13:10 )

Bringing the sermon home:

A foundational commitment of every healthy church is the commitment to sound doctrine and true worship . Or, put differently, the commitment to speak the truth in love, correcting falsehood, so that no one may fall away from the one true and living God.

A few reflection questions for rooting out the idols of our hearts: Is there anything that you can’t be satisfied without; that you fear losing; that you’re anxious about keeping hold of; that you’re angered when it is threatened; or that you would despair if you were to lose (e.g. health, wealth, family, career, reputation)? These are key indicators of what we most treasure, and in what we most trust for that treasure.

May God increasingly be our treasure and the One in whom we trust. May we not “add to” or “take from” who He has revealed Himself to be in His Word, and may we lovingly correct those among us who do, whether with their words or with their lives.

As we seek to encourage our own hearts and the hearts of others experiencing difficulties, let us beware of the false comfort of false promises, and turn instead to the supernatural comfort of true promises. To that end, here is a list of passages I referenced on Sunday that are worth meditating upon: 2 Cor 1:3-4; James 4:8; Matt 28:19-20; Heb 13:5; 1 Cor 1:4-8; Col 2:13-14; 1 Cor 10:13; 2 Thess 3:3; Rom 8:29; Eph 3:13-21; 6:10; Col 1:9-12.

“The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24)

Negotiating the Negotiables (Worship Services)

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 18:53:25 GMT

Throughout all of the trials associated with the pandemic, many churches across the world have begun to reevaluate what is and what is not essential in our worship gatherings, and to make adjustments as needed.

From Scripture, we see several non-negotiable elements:

reading the Word,
preaching the Word,
praying in accord with the Word,
singing in accord with the Word, and
observing the Word made visible through the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Table.

The exact manner in which these essential elements are carried out is largely a matter of pastoral prudence, as is the inclusion of any negotiable, non-essential elements.

Please be in prayer for the Worship Committee and the elders as we consider any changes to our worship gatherings that may be called for in order to best align with God’s design and to remove any unnecessary hinderances to worshipping God and reaching the lost in our ever-changing context.

As Paul wrote:

“I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them… I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” ( 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 )

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Evan

The Most Important Thing (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 14:50:55 GMT

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( 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 )

Bringing the sermon home:

A foundational commitment of every healthy church is the commitment to center our lives and our gatherings around the gospel of Jesus Christ , for the message of His substitutionary life, death, and resurrection from the dead for our sins is the most important thing.

According to Jesus (Luke 24:25-27, 44-49), there is one central message around which the entire Bible revolves: the message of His cross and resurrection. Are you following the crucified-yet-risen Christ of Scripture, or a “Christ” of your own imagining? Are you more concerned with deliverance from your difficult circumstances here and now, or from the dreadful consequences of your sins for eternity?

May we not shy away from the centrality of Christ’s cross and resurrection, and may our lives powerfully proclaim the gospel of our crucified-yet-risen Savior!

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. (1 Cor 15:3-4)

(See follow-up article here .)

What the Church Needs Most (Acts 20:17-32; 2 Timothy 3:16-4:7)

Sun, 08 Aug 2021 19:18:27 GMT

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( Acts 20:17-32; 2 Tim 3:16-4:7 )

Bringing the sermon home:

These passages address what is undeniably the foremost foundational commitment of a healthy church: the commitment to center our lives and our gatherings around the teachings of God’s Word , for it is through His Word that God rules His people.

The God who made you is speaking! He is speaking words of transforming grace! Are you listening? Are you seeking to be “built up” (Acts 20:32) through personal study of God’s Word, day by day? Through group study? Through faithfully gathering week by week to be nourished by the preaching and teaching of this Word? How is Christ exercising His lordship over you except through your study and submission to His Word?

May God’s Word be the foundation stone upon which the life of this church is built, that we may bear great fruit for Him as His kingdom advances in and through our lives!

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. (Matt 7:24-25)