Emmanuel Church Plant - 2013

1 John 5:4-5 says For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.  And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.  Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Trinity Church is planting this church, Emmanuel, by faith – by a faith that has overcome the world – by faith in One who has overcome the world – the Lord Jesus Christ.  How did Jesus manifest that faithfulness?  By giving Himself away.  And so Emmanuel is not being established as much to be a place for those who will become members to have a safe haven, a refuge and maybe “our own church.”  No, it is being established by people who love you and are giving a part of themselves away for the world – to see another church, another branch of the Vine which is Christ, planted, extended – and given away for the world and the glory of Jesus Christ.

We have come to worship – we have come to give ourselves away.  In this first formal service of worship, establish a pattern and priority that will define Emmanuel.  Be like Jesus and give yourselves away.  Give yourselves away in your marriages, in your families, in your friendships, in your relationships with hard people, and to the world.  Give yourselves away like Christ – with great faith in the Father who raises the dead – with great faith in the One who promises Victory because He attained Victory already through the Cross.

Our ability and desire to give ourselves away like Jesus comes from faith in God who has overcome the world.  The only thing that can overcome the world is from God.  Our faith is born of God because it is what overcomes the world.  The confession of faith is not just a general faith in God, but in Jesus, the Spirit-Anointed King, the Son of God now installed at the Father’s right hand, the King of kings and Lord of lords – over this world.

Communion Paradox

At the Lord’s Table we see paradox and we see resolution – the only resolution to the ultimate problem.  How are sinners ever going to be able to sit with God and enjoy communion with Him in peace?  How could a holy God ever allow men, women and children who come from a race stained with sin, marred with rebellion, and filled with blasphemous words and deeds, come and fellowship with the Holy of holies – the very definition of holiness, righteousness and truth?

And the elements upon this Table give us the answer.  God provided a way.  God provided the blood sacrifice.  God provided the perfect and only human sacrifice – the only possible priestly sacrifice – the only perfect sin offering.  Christ’s body was broken, His blood was spilled, His life was ended, God’s holy wrath was satisfied – and our sins were atoned for.  Come in faith, come with thanksgiving, come with awe and fear and humility, for you could never deserve to come to such a table – and come with profound and deep joy, for you never could hear a more sincere voice than your heavenly Father’s saying – Come, I have prepared this for you  - I want you here with me.

The Fine Point of Faith

Unbelief sees rules, a series of steps, a path, and a set of neat proverbial sayings to live by and understand the world.  All of this can be attempted without faith and that is the damning work of a false gospel (Gal 1:8-9).  Faith looks to Jesus.  Faith grasps no ethic abstracted from the Bible; faith grasps Jesus and is filled by His Spirit.  And that filling causes a Christian to live according to the Spirit and not the flesh (Rom 8:4-6).  To be “filled by the Spirit” is to be under the sanctifying influence of God.  It is the ongoing life of walking according to the gracious glory of Christ personally revealed in His people.  

Gospel on Pro-Life Sunday - 2014

This is the Lord’s Day and central to our worship must of course be the declaration of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the worship of God the Father and all in the power of the Holy Spirit.  But as we come to worship this Sunday, it is also the noted anniversary week of the murderous Roe-v-Wade decision of 1973 in our nation – a decision which marks the horrible so-called right to choose.  And so, our focus this morning will be on the need for our nation to repent, for mercy to be granted for the murder of 50 plus million little lives and for healing and restoration, for women and men convicted of their sin of murdering their children to find grace and forgiveness in Jesus, and for us all as a nation in order that we might be a people, a nation, who do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God – the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The songs we sing this morning are carefully chosen by our Chief Musician and so I want to highlight them briefly as we are called to worship - The opening Psalm 122 already called us to join the throngs in worship.

Once More My Soul reminds us of the "thousand wretched souls that have fled since the last setting sun.” Let us not forget these that have passed.

The decalogue reminds us “you shall not kill or hate your neighbor.”

Psalm 137 reminds us of the judgment that God brings against the children of the nation who hates Him. May we not be that nation.

Psalm 103 reminds us that “God’s grace alone endureth and children’s children yet shall prove how He with strength assureth the hearts of all that seek His love.”

O God of Earth and Altar we will sing “our earthly rulers falter, our people drift and die.”

And lest we become discouraged in all this… “whate’re my God ordains is right” bookends our service.

The way we treat our children reflects the idolatrous religion of our nation.  But Jesus Christ is King and this atrocity will not go unnoticed.  It has not gone unnoticed – His wrath upon us has been visited and His judgment has begun.  We must turn and repent and we must do so swiftly.

Delivering the World from Evil

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” – Eph 5:15f.

There are two directions to take these verses.  One is to emphasize that we need to be really, really careful, because the days are evil.  The other is to emphasize that we are to take advantage of every opportunity because the days are evil.  I think Paul has the latter, more optimistic view in mind.  We are not to disregard the days because they are evil; we are to take advantage of them with the wisdom that is ours in Christ.  We pray that God would “deliver us from evil,” and we ought to believe that He is regularly answering that prayer through His church in opportunity after opportunity.

Receiving Christ Like Simeon

Just as Simeon received the Christ Child in His arms and then left in peace – so we have the opportunity to sup with the Risen Christ by faith in a real relationship of peace and assurance.  Jesus is just as much our Consolation – He is so even more – for He has accomplished all that He said He would – even our salvation – and the glory of Israel.

As we gather around this Table and partake, we are the evidence that God has and is accomplishing all He promised to Abraham, to Moses, to David, to the prophets – through Jesus His Son.  For here we are, at the ends of the earth, Gentiles like Theophilus, partaking of what all the Jewish sacrificial system pointed towards – the gift of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for the redemption of His people.

Therefore, all who are baptized in Christ are called to come and partake of the Consolation of Israel – to partake of the Peace Meal with their heavenly Father – of the body and blood of the One Who has made them the glory of Israel – the salvation of the world.

Worship with Fear and Joy

This is a service of worship instituted by God for His people.  In this service, the Lord renews His covenant with us.  What is a covenant?  A covenant is a solemn bond, sovereignly administered, with attendant blessings and curses.  In this covenant, we are the servants, the bond-servants, and God is the Master, the LORD, the King over all.  He alone and unilaterally dictates the stipulations of the covenant.

This should all sound rather formal to you as you enter into worship – and it is.  You should prepare yourself in a formal way, because you are coming before the King of kings, your King and Your God.  This is why we are instructed to approach this throne of grace with reverence and fear.  In other words, sit up, pay attention, show respect to the One Who has called you.  This isn’t a production for you, a religious entertainment show.  It isn’t about you.

And yet, it is for you.  For this sovereign Lord Who calls you His servant, His slave in fact, also calls you His child – His adopted child, redeemed and purchased by the blood of His only begotten Son.  He says He did this out of His own free will and desire, and delights to call His children to Himself and to enter into this covenant renewal with joy, fellowship, singing, and peace.  This is why you are instructed to approach this throne of grace with great boldness – for you have been accepted fully and completely in the Beloved, the One who died for all of your sins.

Reverence – deep and holy respect, mixed with godly fear.  Boldness – conscious knowledge that you are accepted, loved, delighted over, and blessed beyond comprehension.  This is what you have been summoned to come and renew.  Come and rejoice with trembling, worship Your God with holy fear and joy unspeakable.  Let Him again have His way with you – for He will.