New outtakes from the Wilson/Hitchens movie, Collision.

Repenting Husbands, Wives and Children

As we look again today at our roles as husbands, we find that we will not fully measure up to Jesus as he husbands the church. And when our eyes are opened in this way, we find the need to repent of our sins and shortcomings and look to Jesus so that we can be more like Him.

         This is true of husbands but it is also true of wives as they look at the Church and how they should completely honor and respect their husbands.

         And you children, as you think about how you are to be the sort of children who absolutely honor your parents, no doubt, if you are honest you find fault with yourselves.

         So, all of us have a need to repent; husbands, wives, and children, but the end of this process of repentance is not grievous but joyful. We suffer for a little, as we realize how we have fallen short but the Lord calls us to confess and turn away from following our way and turn to Christ and follow His. He forgives us and grants us His Spirit to do that which He has called us to do. And in this we find both joy and peace as husbands, as wives and as children.

A Virgin at Table

The ultimate goal of these sermons on Father, Mother, Husband and Wife is unity. As we learn to be like Christ and His Church, then the Lord grants us peace and unity.

         As we partake of Communion, we are learning that Christ has given Himself up fully for the sake of the Bride. Because of this, the bride is washed in the Word, cleansed and presented to Jesus as a chaste virgin. She is restored to her former glory and receives the most glorious husband she could even have hoped for. In fact, in her defilement, she would never have even conceived that she could receive such a husband.

         But because Jesus loved her and gave himself for her, she has been made new, a fitting wife for such a husband, in Him, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.

         Let us rejoice in this precious gift to us, we have received Christ our bridegroom and He has received us a chaste virgin, a fitting bride for such a glorious husband.

Communion- Risen in Jesus!

Christ is Risen and thus, we are risen with Him. The life that the Father gave to Jesus, He also gives to us in Jesus. We are crucified with Christ and our sins nailed to the cross. We entered into the grave with Him and were raised to life with Jesus. We have not yet received the Resurrection of the body. That is still a future promise for us but we have entered into eternal life and the Father has given us the Holy Spirit as the promise that He will raise our mortal bodies to immortality.

         So, we eat and drink the body and blood of the crucified Lord Jesus Christ, who was delivered up for our transgressions.  But we also eat and drink the body and blood of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, who was raised for our justification. For you who believe in Jesus the Christ, there is no condemnation. You are freely and fully justified by the Resurrection from the dead and are therefore recipients of God’s promise to be raised from the dead, never to die again.

         He is risen! He is risen, indeed!

Easter Exhortation

Today is Easter. It is a glorious day, the day we remember the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus, Who was delivered up to the cross for our offences, and was raised again from the dead for our justification.

         There is no better time to confess your sins and receive the Resurrection Life of Jesus Christ and be justified in the sight of God. You cannot please God without faith in Christ and you cannot have faith in Christ without confessing your need for Him to be your substitution on the cross.  It is true, that Jesus died for sinners. St. Paul was willing to say that he was the chief of sinners. Having confessed this and taking up His faith in Jesus for forgiveness, God reckoned his faith as righteousness, just as He did with the patriarch Abraham.

         So, where are you? The chief of sinners, without claim upon God except upon His grace by faith?  Or, still clinging to your sins in the hope that they and you do not have to die.  We sometimes speak of the cross as if Jesus had to die so that we do not have to die. But Paul said, I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. So, too, must you and your sins die on the cross with Christ.

         Dear saints, you cannot give yourself for Jesus but you most certainly can give yourself to Jesus. You do this when you confess your sins, lay down your will, trust in God for forgiveness through Jesus and then rise up justified to walk in newness of life empowered by the Holy Spirit. Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Today is the day of Salvation.

Exhortation-Savior Lord

Is Jesus Lord? The answer is of course, yes, Jesus is Lord of both Heaven and Earth. His rule is over all. This much is an established fact. But what does that mean to us? It means that He is our ruler and not like those who are only earthly rulers. Their authority over us is limited. But the authority that Jesus has over us is completely unlimited. He rules all of our affairs as well as rules in our hearts and minds. We are to render our allegiance to Him not only in our deeds but also in our words and even our very thoughts.

         When we see the Lordship of Christ in this light, our failure to absolutely submit our wills to Him becomes obvious. We have not been perfectly faithful in our deeds or our words or our thoughts.

         But thanks be to God that Jesus is our Savior Lord. He requires absolute submission but also provides forgiveness for us who struggle against the flesh in this earthly body. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.

         So, let us confess our weakness and sin and look to Christ for His grace and mercy.

Communion-Identify with Christ

One of the great truths of Communion is identity with Jesus Christ. He is ours and we are His. We should hear these comfortable words each week as we eat and drink, remembering all that Jesus did and does for us.

         On this day of the Triumphal Entry, we remember that Jesus is the ruling King of Heaven and Earth. This should give us a great deal of peace. We need to remember this because we often look out into a world still plagued by chaos, sin, rebellion and trouble. In fact, we still see some of these things in our own lives. But Jesus is reigning and He is bringing all things into submission. And we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. He is a good King that rules in such a way as to accomplish what He intends.  This includes our peaceful place in His kingdom.

         This peace does not come without suffering. We do and will suffer but this suffering should not quench our peace or even our joy. Just as Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him, so we enter into the sufferings of Christ for the joy of victory that is set before us.

         This meal is God’s peace and joy to you.