New Sermon Series

“…remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:12)

Paul described salvation as being brought into “the covenants of promise.” The author of Hebrews called Jesus the “mediator of a new covenant.” And Jesus referred to Communion wine as “my blood of the new covenant.” Hmmm…

Given the importance and centrality of this little word (covenant) it’s a little puzzling how few evangelicals could offer a working definition of “covenant” or give an account of the succession of covenants blossoming into the New Covenant.

This week at King’s Cross Church we will begin a new sermon series called “The Covenants of Promise” in which we will explore the riches of God’s love revealed in His unfolding plan of redemption.

October 2, 2016 Sermon Reflection

Sermon Reflection 10/2/16

Pastor Gene’s sermon this past Sunday got me thinking again about the topic of worship. A cursory study of church history would reveal that the issue of worship has been central and significant for the Christian church since the beginning. This seems to go without saying if we accept Pastor Gene’s point that we are fundamentally lovers who express our desires and affections through worship. The question is not if you’ll worship but what you’ll worship and how. The illustration of the room that would give you what you truly desire was especially poignant (and convicting). When I think of what might appear if I were to step into that room I am humbled by the fact that God still has much work to do in shaping and directing my loves. This drives me once again back to the truths of the Gospel which were so powerfully stated by Martin Luther in his great formula “Simul justes et peccator”: at the same time just and sinner. Luther knew that the Gospel was meant for sinners and that the Gospel promise of being declared righteous by God was true of people like you and me while we yet still have a ways to go in being made righteous in our sanctification through the power of the Spirit.  

But, you know we don’t really need a room like that to come to know what we truly desire. What we worship (and how we worship) is a natural refection of what we truly desire. Today it is clear that we are, as a people, no less interested in worship. But our interest in worship, when compared to church history, may have taken a different direction. One of the true desires that can be gleaned from reflecting on our contemporary interest in worship is a love of “absolute novelty”*, and a general disdain for anything with a whiff of age or tradition. Not everything new is inherently bad and not everything old is to be commended. Discernment and wisdom shaped by Scripture is key, but, to solicit the wisdom of the German poet Goethe, “He who cannot draw on 3000 years is living from hand to mouth.” 

One last thing that stuck me from the preaching was the realization that just as much as what and how we worship is a reflection of what we truly desire, what and how we worship can shape what we come to truly desire. As Pastor Gene went through our liturgy, explaining the intention and scriptural sanction behind each element, I was truly appreciative to be able to participate in the worship of God in this way. And “participate” is a choice word. We are not just a passive audience and we are not performers on stage. We are participants responding to God’s call to worship. With this in mind, reflect on this from Hughes Oliphant Old: 

“If there is one doctrine which is at the heart of Reformed worship it is the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. It is the belief that the Holy Spirit brings the Church into being, that the Holy Spirit dwells in the Church and sanctifies the Church. Worship is the manifestation of the creative and sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit. If we are to understand the worship of the early Reformed Church we must recognize that they went to worship not to do something for God, nor even so much to get something from God, but far more to be something with God” (The Patristic Roots of Reformed Worship).

-SFE

*More on this from C.S. Lewis in Screwtape Letter 25 

Lectionary Thoughts: 2 Kings 2:23-25

It is wearisome how often non-believers bring up the last few verses of 2 Kings 2. You know, the verses that “prove” how cruelly wicked the God of the Bible must be if he would send “bears out of the woods” to mercilessly shred the forty-two helpless little boys who had imprudently mocked one of His prophets.

When confronted with these sorts of “gotcha!” interpretations of scripture, we should always be careful to avoid the trap being laid for us, and firmly remind the unbeliever that the standard for truth/goodness is God Himself, and that it is a denial of “the god-ness of God” to attempt to judge Him by any sort of standard outside of Himself. As Abraham neatly put it, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Yes, and amen. The LORD can do no other.

But that said, let’s take a closer look at 2 Kings 2. First of all consider the setting: Bethel was home to Jeroboam I’s golden calf shrine and attended by idolatrous priests. Secondly, the Hebrew word for “boys” (ESV) can also be translated “subordinates.” Thirdly, recall the near context for this event: Elisha had just lost his “head” (Elijah) who had been taken “up” in the fiery chariot.

With these things in mind, the following might be a better interpretation of the passage: Given the proximity to the idolatrous temple in Bethel, “boys” could easily be understood as the “subordinate” priests of that temple; their mocking words (“go up, bald head”) could be an indication that they believed that Elisha was unprotected and vulnerable without Elijah (his spiritual “head”), and “go up” could be a taunt for Elisha to follow Elijah “up” and out of planet earth. So, rather than reading Elijah’s imprecation* as an unseemly prophetic hissy-fit, a better read might be Elisha, filled with a double portion of the spirit of Elijah, continuing Elijah’s battle against the false prophets and priests troubling Israel. Elisha’s curse then is an act of warfare, a Joshua-like attack on a center of idolatry and proof that he too is invested with the Spirit of Yahweh, and therefore able to call down “fire from heaven” (2 Kings 1) or even lions from the forest (1 Kings 13:20-25) as he fights the good fight.

Take heart, Christian. While it is true that false prophets and priests abound in our day. It is equally true that Jesus has given us a double portion of his Spirit. And empowered and directed by his Holy Spirit we are, as Paul put it, “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37) and more than able to pull down the strongholds of unbelief (2 Cor. 10:4). So what are we waiting for?

(*imprecation: noun. the act of calling down a curse)

HT: Peter Leithart

GH

Lectionary Thoughts: 1 Kings 16 - 2 Kings 2

The types and shadows pointing to Jesus and his people are thick in 1 Kings 16 - 2 Kings 2. Viewed one way, it’s quite easy to see Elijah/Elisha as a foreshadowing of John the Baptist/Jesus. And viewed another way it’s quite easy to see Elijah/Elisha as a foreshadowing of Jesus/his disciples (the Church.) Both views are rich with import and glory, but we’ll focus here on the latter type.

Both Elijah and Jesus were prophets of God and forcefully spoke truth to power; both performed wonders, raised the dead and miraculously fed people. Elijah had his “school of the prophets” and Jesus had his disciples. Both were taken up to heaven in glorious fashion. And both left a double portion of their spirits on earth, Elijah upon Elisha and Jesus upon his disciples. Some have reckoned that Elisha did twice as many miracles as Elijah, and Jesus himself prophesied that his disciples would do “greater works” than his (John 14:12.) The prophets recognized Elisha’s resemblance to Elijah (2 Kings 2:15) just as the Jews recognized the disciples’ resemblance to Jesus (Acts 4:13.)

So take heart, Christian. Our prophet, the Lord Jesus Christ did indeed make a glorious exit from earth, but soon after poured out upon his people a “double portion” of his Spirit, enabling us to carry on the kingdom-building work he began in his incarnation. It is not presumptuous to think that we will do “greater works” than Jesus as we pray, love, serve and preach under the direction of his Spirit. Rather, it is simply believing what Jesus promised. To which we say (as always) “Lord, we believe. Help us with our unbelief.”

GH

Sunday, October 2 Worship

“In the Book of Psalms there is profit for all, with healing power for our salvation. There is instruction from history, teaching from the law, prediction from prophecy, chastisement from denunciation, persuasion from moral preaching. All who read it may find the cure for their own individual failings. All with eyes to see can discover in it a complete gymnasium for the soul, a stadium for all the virtues, equipped for every kind of exercise; it is for each to choose the kind he judges best to help him gain the prize” (From Ambrose of Milan’s Commentary an Psalm 1:4,8)

KXCers, I’m really looking forward to the Lord’s Service tomorrow morning. We have the privilege of putting the invisible “tattoo” of the New Covenant on Eleanor Monnette, and you will have the privilege of testifying of God’s love for her with your, “To you, little child…” Then in the sermon we will consider how a well-crafted liturgy not only preaches the Gospel every week, but actually trains us to live in accordance with it. We will see how, much like Ambrose said of the psalms, the liturgy is a “gymnasium for the soul." I’ll see you on Mt. Zion.

Lectionary Thoughts: 1 Kings 9

Christian, here’s a little thought experiment: God pulls an angel aside and begins to describe you to the angel. What do you think He would say about you? How would the LORD evaluate and speak of your service to Him? Be honest.

For some insight into these questions, listen to God’s evaluation of King David. And bear in mind that God’s description of David is after his adultery with Bathsheba, after his murder of Uriah, after the taking of multiple wives, after his faithless fathering and after his numbering of Israel. These words were spoken by God to King Solomon directly following the completion of the Temple:

(1 Kings 9:4) And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules,

The LORD described David, whose sins were many and heinous, as a man who conducted himself with “integrity of heart and uprightness”, in other words with pure motives and righteous deeds. Hmm…

Given David’s track record, the only explanation for God’s evaluation of this imperfect shepherd-king is what God has promised to do with all His people’s sins for Jesus’ sake, which is “to remember them no more” (Hebrews 8:12). And not only that, but to reckon to our accounts the very righteousness of Christ (Philippians 3:9).

So, thusly informed, let’s return to our thought experiment. How would God speak of you, Christian? Well, please forgive my irreverence, but something like: “Angel, let me tell you about my servant (insert your name here) who walks before me day after day with integrity of heart and uprightness. Oh, how I love that child of mine…”

Too glad to be true, and yet true nonetheless. Washed in Christ’s blood, you are forgiven. And dressed in his righteousness, you are faithfully obedient in Christ. All praise be to God!

Lectionary Thoughts: 1-2 Samuel

In 1 Samuel 17:40, the prophet records that David “chose five smooth stones” as he prepared for battle with Goliath. Have you ever wondered why David thought he need five stones? In 2 Samuel 21:19-22, the prophet records that David and his men killed five giants; one giant man and his four giant sons, one of which was Goliath.

Two things seem unlikely. 1) That five stones and five giants is just a coincidence. And 2) that Goliath’s super-sized kin were unknown to Israel and David. It’s kinda hard to keep something like that a secret.

So, it would seem that David selected five stones from the brook thinking that it was very likely that he would have to face Goliath’s four avengers-of-blood after he had dispatched the Philistine’s champion.

In this narrative, as Jesus asserted in Luke 24, Jesus is the one pointed to in David’s faithful warfare. Jesus who defeated the giant of sin/death on our behalf, and then immediately readied himself to go after lust, injustice, racism, poverty, disease, demon-possession, etc.

Samuel records that David ran to meet Goliath in battle. And so it is with your Savior, Christian. Jesus runs to meet and defeat your enemies. All of them. So simply look to him and believe. It’s not your place to be a modern-day David. But it is your place to trust in the victory that Jesus secured in his death/resurrection and continues to work out by the power of his Spirit.