Humble Thyself

In the wake of the outbreak of the coronavirus and the subsequent response by our civic leaders: president, governor, and mayors, there has been a wide array of opinions. "We have overacted! We have not reacted quickly enough! This is going to be a disaster! This no worse than the seasonal flu. Everyone should stay inside. Everyone should go about their business and let this run its course."

         The reality is that we have no idea what is going to happen. This is true in our ordinary daily lives, as well, but we do not even notice its truth. Although we assume tomorrow will be just like today, the truth is we do not know what tomorrow brings. This crisis may end up being not that big of a deal. It may end up killing millions of people. We don’t know. 

The reality is that our God is in control of all things. Hebrews says that He is a consuming fire. If He just breathes on us one little bit, we wither in abject fear and desperation. A little virus is not too much for Him, either to annihilate it in an instant, or to send it as a purging fire of His rod of discipline, both on His people whom He loves and upon a world that He owns, and is still largely in rebellion to Him.

         Our job is to humble ourselves before Him. As we do so, we run to Him for safety, for only in Him, in Jesus Christ, our Lord, is there any real comfort and peace and everlasting life. Humble yourself before the Lord and find an arbor of rest in Jesus.

Waiting and Fasting

It seems impossible for this shutdown to drag on for months. We won't even be able to do it for weeks. I am encouraged by President Trump's weakening on the shut down even as of yesterday, March 23. As of today, we still have a week to go for the mighty shutdown of 2020. That will get us to March 31. The Governors seem to be advocating for a longer time, shutting down all schools, many businesses and all gatherings over the size of 10. 

The churches have complied, and rightly so. We are good citizens and want to do our best to serve our communities in times of crisis. However, with hindsight, perhaps doing something quite different was best? Perhaps we should have merely strongly warned those at high risk to stay home and try their best to not contract this potent virus? And the rest of us should have soldiered on? That may soon be the reality and will give us great wisdom for the next time, and there will probably be a next time, that this sort of thing happens.

We've got a shutdown this week and I am guessing it will continue for another week after that. But after that....? After that, April 12 is coming. April 12 is Easter and Easter would be the perfect time to emerge from death into Resurrection. 

We are in a fast time. We are fasting from our community of believers. We are fasting from the Lord's Supper and the fellowship of the saints. My prayer is that our fasting would make us hungry. Hungry for the Word of God. Hungry for the Lord's Supper. Hungry for Corporate Worship. Hungry for the lifeline of the Body of Christ. Hungry to give ourselves to one another in Christian love so that the world will see that Christ is among us. 

I am thankful for this fast and I long to feast. Feast on Christ. Feast on the goodness that is His people. Feast in the joy and glory of Resurrection after the fast of death.

God is good.

Easter is Coming!

Everyone Dies

Everyone dies. 

We have all been asking what the mortality rate is for the coronavirus. And there is wild speculation about that. We won't know until the dust settles.

A better question might be, "What is the mortality rate of man?" The answer is 100%. Everyone dies.

Of course, none of us want to die foolishly or needlessly. Although death is an enemy, we do not fear death. And in the end, when our bodies have been resurrected in Christ, and we have been alive for 10,000 years, then whether we lived an extra five minutes or an extra five years is going to be indistinguishable. 

And when we look back at all this panic and fear of the year 2020, we will have a hearty laugh. That is the power of Resurrection. That is the power of an endless life. Look to Christ.

Easter is coming.

Wisdom for Uncertain Times

As a response to the corona virus, I did not do a normal sermon last Sunday. It was mostly Scripture reading that related directly to our issue at hand. I did make a few comments that are not listed here in the written sermon. You can find the recorded version here: https://www.providencekirk.com/sermons

Response to Disaster: Humility, Repentance and Faith

March 15, 2020

Lynchburg, Virginia

Exordium

Not a normal sermon. What is the Lord doing? It is marvelous in our eyes. God is good. He is saving the world. He works all things for good for His people. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. So does calamity.

Exegesis (Scripture Reading)

2 Samuel 23- David’s Mighty Men was listed in this chapter. David was strong and the chapter nearly boasts in his strength.

2 Samuel 24:10-17 David’s Census and the Anger of the Lord

The Lord’s Judgment of David’s Sin

¹⁰ But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” ¹¹ And when David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, ¹² “Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the Lord, Three things I offer you. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.’ ” ¹³ So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me.” ¹⁴ Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.” 

¹⁵ So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men. ¹⁶ And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. ¹⁷ Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father’s house.” 

Be Filled

Communion Meditation

Ladies, have you ever worked hard on a recipe and served up a succulent meal, only to have your husband or your children put their noses up at it? No doubt that is a disappointing situation.

Or, perhaps, you served up this scrumptious meal and everyone loved it but your teenage son didn’t say anything at all, he only picked at it for a few minutes. Then, about twenty minutes after dinner, he’s in the fridge and pantry fixing up some cold cereal because he’s says that he is starving.

What, you say? Did I not work hard to produce not only a beautiful meal, but one that was both super yummy and absolutely nutritious? Everyone thought so. Why didn’t you fill yourself up with that dinner like everybody else? He would probably offer some lame excuse, like, “I wasn’t hungry then.”

People, men, women, boys, girls, look at this meal. This is the body and blood of Jesus, given for you. He died on the cross. By His wounds, you are healed. He shed His blood. It covers your sin and shame. This is the meal you have hungered for, you who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Look upon this bread and wine, take and eat and be filled.

Prayer of Confession

This was our prayer of Confession last week on March 15, 2020, only a few days after we realized what a big deal this coronavirus thing was turning out to be.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Minister: Let us confess together. 

Our Father, we confess that we have loved the world and the things of the world. We have sought to be accepted and thought wise by those who despise Your law. We have given approval to those who practice things which You call sins. Turn us again that Your Church in America and throughout the world may be faithful to Your will for us as revealed in Your Word, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Additional Pastoral prayer of Confession- Our Father, we confess that as a nation we are not worthy of Your grace, mercy and kindness. You have granted us Your graces in abundance and we thank You. Out of Your kindness, You have treated us far better than we deserve, granting us Your unmerited favor. We are Your humble servants.

In light of this virus and the chaos that is ensuing in our state, in our nation and around the world, we confess that we are Your people and are fully dependent upon You alone. Deliver us, O Lord.

We confess our sins as Americans, and we, as American Christians, that even many of Your people in Your Church in America and around the world have not been diligent to obey Your Word and are guilty of various national sins, and sins even allowed in Your Church. Among them: worldliness in many ways, an unhealthy consumption of sports, our own financial prowess, our reliance upon the nanny state, ungodly education for our children, abortion on demand, sexual deviancy and confusion, fornication, pornography, homosexuality, lasciviousness, drunkenness and illicit drug use, disrespect of parents and those in authority, failure of wives and mothers in their duties, abdication of husbands and fathers, the failure of ministers to unapologetically preach the whole counsel of God.

Father, forgive us for these and other sins. Grant us repentance. Return Your people to obedience and holiness. Deliver us from this pestilence and grant us health in body and spirit. In Your great wisdom, use this scourge to purify Your people, that we might call the nations to obedience and discipleship, and expand the Kingdom of Christ as countless numbers of people come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Use this pandemic to bring the rebellious principalities and powers into conformity to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, both now and forever. Amen.

Don't Justify

One of the prevailing sins of mankind is making excuses for our sins. 'Yes, but she irritated me! Yes, but he laughed at me! Yes, but my father mistreated me! Yes but the pastor ignored me.'

         Now, while it is true that your sister may have bugged you unnecessarily and that man disrespected you and your pastor is not perfect, any ‘yes butting’ is just a way of not taking responsibility for yourself. When other people sin against you, that is no excuse for your sin. That is why the Bible says, ‘Do not return evil for evil.’ There is never an excuse for evil doing.

         In fact, when you attempt to justify yourself, it is the only surefire way to not be justified at all. Our justification is in in the Lord as He declares us not guilty. So, own your sins, all of them. That is the only way to get forgiven for them and to move past them. Any attempt at justifying only causes you to retain your sins as your own right. Why would you do that? Don’t justify, confess and repent and let the Lord justify you.

No Penalty

Our communion service is about eating with God. God watches over us and He draws us to Himself. For some, this is quite scary because they remain in their own flesh. It is right to fear God when your hands and heart are not cleansed by His grace and mercy in Jesus Christ.

But for those of you who have been washed in the waters of baptism and have entered the gate through the blood of Jesus Christ, who are walking by faith in Jesus and confessing and repenting of sins, there is therefore, no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. The penalty is paid. There is no debt of sin, or guilt or shame.

For such saints, the Communion Table is merely place of wonder and gratitude where we meet God face to face. And when we do, we do so boldly, not because we are so good but because He is. He does not turn away from us but receives us with a smiling visage so that our countenances are changed from sorrow to joy, from fear to rejoicing, from gloom to hope. This is the joy of meeting God face to face.

Face to Face

Jacob wrestled with God and thought it a frightening thing. He said, “I have seen God face to face and yet my life has been delivered.” It is a frightening thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Were we to insist on a showing with God, we have no hope except in His grace and mercy. But as the Scripture tells us, we have been made free from sin, become servants of God, are made holy and have become recipients of everlasting life.

         How is it possible that we have seen God face to face and yet have survived? Because the scepter of his grace is extended to us through the work of the cross. You are forgiven, and are now invited and welcomed guests to have fellowship with God face to face.

Thanksgiving

Prayer of Thanksgiving

         Our Father, in everything we give You thanks for we know that this is Your will for us in Christ Jesus. We thank You for Him, for Your provision of our earthly needs through work, for the sacred rest of the Lord’s Day, for the privilege of returning a portion of our blessing to You in tithes and offerings, and for making us Your partners in taking the gospel of the Lord Jesus to the very ends of the Earth. Thank You, Father, for all of these things. Amen.

Prayer of Preparation

         Our Father, You have brought us to Your Table as Your welcome and honored guests. This is a privilege for which we are eternally grateful. You have washed us clean in Christ. You have taught us Your Word by the power of Your Holy Spirit and You have prepared a banquet where we get to eat bread and drink wine with the Triune God and the gathered saints. We give You thanks. Amen.

Confession of Sin

SCRIPTURE OF CONFESSION

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Minister: Let us confess together. 

Our Father, we acknowledge that apart from Your work in us, we can do nothing good. Our wicked deeds as well as our outwardly righteous works are filthy rags, tainted with impure motives and selfish desires. We all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Convict us, Father, of our sins, that we may repent and trust entirely in Christ’s work on our behalf. Work in us by Your Holy Spirit that we may do Your good pleasure. Amen.

Fairness Demands With God

The beginning of rivalry is a skewed sense of fairness. We often measure based upon our high estimation of our work and a low estimation of other’s work. Or, we assume motives. We think we are working for the right reasons even if our work is not quite up to snuff. And then, we assume the worst motives in others. They are only blessed financially because they are greedy for gain. They are only advanced in their work because they are willing to climb the corporate ladder. 

         The reality between them and us is often the exact opposite of what we let ourselves believe. So, when we demand fairness from God do not be surprised to see God’s ironic sense of humor kick in. Sometimes He does this because He is bringing sins home to roost in the lives of enemy unbelievers. Sometimes He does this because He loves His children and desires to teach them to grow up by revealing to them their own silliness and immaturity. 

         So, let us rest in God’s blessing to us, resist the temptation to demand to God that childish remain  ‘unfair!’, and let God sort out all the details in the end. If we have fallen into sins of covetousness and envy of our neighbor, then let us soundly repent.

Praise

SCRIPTURE OF PRAISE

Psalm 135:2-3 Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, praise the Lord, for the Lordis good. Sing praises unto His name, for it is pleasant.

PRAYER OF PRAISE

     O, Lord our God in Heaven, we sing praises to Your Name, for it is pleasant. You have chosen us for Your people, Your peculiar treasure. We know that You are great, the Lord above all gods. You do whatever pleases You in Heaven and on Earth, in the seas and all deeps. You make the clouds to rise at the end of the earth, the lightnings for the rain, and bring forth the wind from Your storehouses. You defeat our enemies and You uphold us with Your right hand. All glory, majesty and power be unto You forever and ever. Amen.   

Genesis 29 sermon- What Goes Around Comes Around

Genesis 29:1-30

What Goes Around Comes Around

June 30, 2019

Lynchburg, Virginia

EXORDIUM

         As we make our way through Genesis, there is a recurring theme that is inescapable. God will have His way no matter who or what is in His way.

         His promises are true and no man can break God’s promise. Even when God threatens to revoke His promise to a particular person or people, He intends to deliver upon His promise.

         That promise is all about the person of Jesus Christ. From the very beginning, it was God’s plan to save the    world and He would have it so.

         So, what does this matter to us? We find ourselves in the midst of life, with all of its joys and sorrows and may have a hard time seeing what God’s macro plans have to do with our micro lives.

         But we ought not to be discouraged by God working His will no matter what man does, as if man didn’t really matter at all. If we think that way, then we have already lost sight of God’s purposes, because it is God’s set plan to save man. And not simply mankind as an abstraction. God sets His love on His own beloved Son and all those named in Him. This is not simply ‘a people’ but rather, particular people with names like Mason James, Edmund Augustine and John Theodore. God loves particular people and His interest is in them in the details.

         The key is for us to understand that God’s ultimate plans to save the world through a redeemer includes the salvation of ourselves and of our children.

         This is the very thing that makes the mess make sense. As we struggle through doubt, ill health, financial troubles, challenging or even wayward children, cultural demise, political strife and many such difficulties, we must see that God is weaving this all into a tapestry that reveals the salvation of the world that includes us, those named in Jesus Christ.

         God’s ultimate purposes are the foundation on which we build particular faith. We can go through the current difficulties, suffering, pain, trials, sicknesses, even death, things the Apostle Paul calls ‘light affliction’ 1 Cor. 4:16-18 ¹⁶ For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward manis renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding andeternal weight of glory; ¹⁸ While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen aretemporal; but the things which are not seen areeternal.^[1]

         You see, we faint not in the immediate trials of life because we understand God’s overarching plan, which includes us. This life we are passing through is temporal but it works in us an eternal weight of glory, which will redound to the glory of God, our chief end.

Leave the Table Full

Before the family meal, everyone is usually quite hungry. The smell of the cooking meal creates more hunger pangs and eager anticipation. It is sometimes difficult to sit down, wait for the hostess to sit, say a prayer of thanksgiving and then orderly pass the trays. We are hungry and want to eat.

But what satisfaction comes when we finally get to partake. The meal is good, the fellowship is sweet. All is restored to peace and joy in the home and we leave the Table full and content. This should be our daily practice.

Let that be a picture of this meal. We come to church weak and maybe even famished. We hunger for the Word, the Spirit and the Father. We wait upon the meal as it prepares then we sit down and say a blessing and eat and drink. Having come to the fount of God, prepared your soul, given thanks and eaten, you will be full of Jesus. You will be content, at peace, and joyful in the Holy Ghost. Everyone likes to go away from the Table full. So, eat and drink by faith so that you will be full of Jesus, His Spirit and His Father. Amen.

Offering and Communion Prayers

Prayer of Thanksgiving

         O Lord our God, maker of heaven and earth, the One in whom we live and move and have our being, we give You thanks for giving us life and health and peace through Jesus Christ, our Savior. We acknowledge that all that we are and all that we possess is from your kindness extended to us through Your own beloved Son. We give You ourselves, all that we are and all that we possess, and we pray that You would use us and our gifts to the glory of Christ, both now and evermore. Receive these tokens of our appreciation, bless and multiply them so that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is glorified in all the earth. Amen.

         

Prayer of Preparation

         Our Father, You thought it wise that Your Son would be bruised for us. He was stricken but not forsaken. You raised Him from the dead and You raised us in Him. We give You thanks that Jesus died for us, to pay that debt that we could never pay. We thank You that He rose for us that we might be justified in Your sight. We thank You that He ascended on high, the ruler over all creation. We thank You for the Holy Spirit that indwells us and gives us life, both to body and to spirit. And we thank You that You keep, sustain and strengthen us through the power of Your Holy Spirit. All glory to You; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

American Sins

Someone recently asked me if it was appropriate to confess sins that we do not personally commit. For example, why do we confess abortion if our people do not have abortions? The answer is that we are not merely individuals. We are interconnected beings. We are Christians, so we are connected to the Church. We are husbands, wives or children so we are connected to a family. We are Americans, so we are connected to our country.

         While we may not be individually guilty of a particular sin, we are connected to a group that is. We are asking God to grant America repentance from various sorts of sins and so it is important for us to identify with America that is thus sinning. 

Therefore, it is good for us to confess our national connection to abortion, gay rights, transgender confusion, feminism, and such things. Some of these sins are even prevalent in the church. As the situation fits, it is right for us to confess and ask God to grant repentance to us personally, to our families, to our church and to the nation. We want His blessing to fall upon us and it cannot do so unless we turn from sin and turn to Him, as individuals, families, churches, states and nations. May God be gracious to us and grant our request.

Praise

Our Father, who art in Heaven, Thrice Holy is Your Name. Holy are You, Father. Holy is Your Son, Jesus. Holy is Your Spirit. We come to worship You aware of Your Holy majesty. We are prone to shrink away from You for we are a people of unclean lips. And yet, we glorify and praise You that through the work of Your Holy Son, You have purified our lips that we might come boldly into Your presence, having been made holy ourselves by the precious blood of Jesus and filled with Your Holy Spirit. We give You the glory and we sing Your praises now and evermore. Amen.

Genesis 28 Sermon-Bread, Raiment and Peace

Genesis 28:1-22

Bread, Raiment and Peace

June 23, 2019

Lynchburg, Virginia

EXORDIUM

         Our Lord has promised to take care of us. He keeps His promises. We have not seen the righteous begging for bread. The fact that God promises to take care of us is one good reason to walk in faith. Of course, the Lord provides food, drink and shelter for us, the basic necessities of the human body. But His general promises are also true. Those who serve Him know that you reap what you sow. If you work hard, the Lord provides a bountiful harvest. If you trust Him with your riches, particularly in tithing, then you always have enough money. If you trust Him with your time, particularly by setting aside one day in seven as a Sabbath to the Lord, then you always have enough time to accomplish whatever the Lord has called you to.

         But we do not serve the Lord merely for what He can provide for us. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. But He keeps His own in perfect peace.

EXEGESIS

28 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. ² Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother.

Isaac has now come to his senses and seeks to bless Jacob. He knows that Rebekah is right concerning Esua’s wives. They are a grief and are the potential downfall of the family. Furthermore, Esau is plotting the murder of Jacob, so Rebekah is planning his escape to safety.

It seems that Isaac is still not willing to hold Esau accountable. If he did, Rebekah would be able to reveal the plot against Jacob and Isaac could set Esau straight, send him away, or strengthen Jacob to protect himself. Instead, Jacob is driven away and Esau remains in the good graces of his father.

All Provision

Jacob was after food, clothing and peace. These are three necessities. Maybe we do not see peace that way but it is. God has provided for us through His Son. He promises to provide our physical needs. He gives us food, clothing, shelter. And sometimes we only think of these sorts of things as needs. Without them we die.

But without peace we also die. If you are not at peace with God, then you are at war with Him and that is always a losing proposition. But thanks be to God that He has provided a way of peace with Him through His own beloved Son. He sends His Holy Spirit to give us a spirit of peace that passes all understanding. 

In the world you will have tribulation but we know that He has overcome the world, and that gives us a peace that know man can take from us. Peace with God has given us an inner peace without which we could not be.