Love

[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 24th of December, 2017, the fourth Sunday of Advent.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Today is the fourth and last Sunday of Advent.  It is also Christmas Eve – the end of the annual huge build-up of spending and shopping and gift buying.  The culmination of what the Christian world celebrates as the day our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was born!

Now His birth most likely occurred sometime in September, but the early Christian church chose to honor it on December 25th.  No matter the actual date, sometime one night, before the morning dawn, Jesus came to us in the form of a small, helpless baby, and in the meekest, lowliest of circumstances.  On that night, God’s love came down to earth.

Listen and follow along as I read about that love from the Gospel Account of the Apostle John, chapter 3, verses 1 through 21, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”

10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

--John 3:1-21 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, we cannot even begin to understand the depth of Your love for us.  That You would send Your Son Jesus to earth, knowing full well how He would be mistreated and killed, is beyond our grasp.  How could You love us so much, Father?  Help us to show our love of You by loving others as Jesus commanded us.  Speak to us now, Father, that we might better hear Your voice and see Your will for our lives.  In the blessed name of Your Son Jesus we pray.   Amen.


Two young boys were spending the night at their grandparents' house the week before Christmas. At bedtime, the two boys knelt beside their beds to say their prayers. The younger one began praying at the top of his lungs:

"I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE..."
"I PRAY FOR A NEW GAMING SYSTEM..."

His older brother leaned over, nudged him and said, "Why are you shouting?  God isn't deaf."  The little brother replied, "No, but Grandma is!"


Grandmas do love their grandchildren, don’t they?  And so do grandpas.  We often show that love by buying and giving gifts.  But love is more than that – much more.  How would you define love?  How do you say “I love you”?

The teacher in an adult education creative writing class gave an assignment to write "I love you" in 25 words or less, without using the words "I love you".  She set a 15 minute time limit and said, "Go!".  One woman in the class spent about ten minutes staring at the ceiling and wriggling in her seat. Finally, in the last five minutes she wrote frantically to complete the assignment on time.  What did she come up with?
     "Why, I've seen lots worse hairdos than that, honey."
     "These cookies are hardly burned at all."
     "Cuddle up -- I'll get your feet warm."

One of the many things I remember about my father is how much he loved my mother, his wife.  You may have heard me say that Mom was a great baker – she could make deliciously wonderful cakes – but she wasn’t a very good cook.  Sometimes our meals were… well… strange.  But Dad never complained, and always complemented her meals.  “Tastes like more!”, he’d always say, making a little word-play on our last name.

It’s easy for grandparents to love their grandchildren, for parents to love their children.  It’s easy to love those who love us.  But there’s more to it than that.  Jesus told us all about love, such as we can read in the Gospel account of the Apostle Matthew, chapter 22, verses 34 through 40…

34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

--Matthew 22:34-40 (NKJV)

Yes, it’s real easy to love those who love us, who treat us good.  But Jesus commands us to love everyone, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  That is not always so easy, is it?  But there are some tricks we can employ to make it easier.  In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote:

"Do not waste your time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor, act as if you do.  As soon as we do this, we find one of life's great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less."

That’s why we need to pray for those folk who would do us harm.  Pray, so that not only might they see the light, accept Jesus, repent and be saved, but also pray for them because it becomes increasingly difficult to dislike or hate someone we are praying for.  Pray, so that we can grow to love them like God loves us.

The Apostle Paul spoke of that love in his letter to the Romans, chapter 8 verses 38 and 39, when he wrote…

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

--Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV)

Nothing can separate us from the love of God that comes through our Lord Christ Jesus!  This is an unconditional love, an undeserved love.  Unconditional because we need His love!  Undeserved because we are sinners.

Jesus came to us when we were lost in sin and gave us hope for salvation through belief in Him, through our faith.  A little earlier in that letter to the Romans, in chapter 5 verses 1 through 8, Paul writes…

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

--Romans 5:1-8 (NKJV)

We don’t deserve God’s love – He willingly gives it to us because we have been justified by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and by our faith in Him as the one true Son of God.  When we were dead in sin, unrighteous and ungodly, Christ Jesus died for us.

And in that act, God demonstrated His own love toward mankind, toward us.  That alone should be good reason to glory in our tribulations.  The love of God has been poured into our hearts by His Holy Spirit, who lives within us.  We were without strength, so God gave us His.  In Psalm 18 verse 1, King David writes…

1 I will love You, O Lord, my strength.

--Psalm 18:1 (NKJV)

Who among us hasn’t faced a seemingly hopeless challenge in this life where we saw no way to get through it, no way to win?  Wasn’t there some point where we were just ready to give up, that we thought we couldn’t go on?  But yet we did, or we wouldn’t be here today.  We did, because God strengthened us.  Whether we prayed and asked for help or not, God gave us some of His strength to see us through.


God could have sent Jesus, His Messiah, to condemn and punish the world right there on the spot!  But He didn’t.  He sent Jesus that the world might be saved.  This is God’s love, that He would sacrifice His own Son to save us, that He would give of His own Spirit to guide us, that He would share His own strength to strengthen us.

God gives of Himself to us, because He loves us.  Return that love, share that love.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You sent Your Son Jesus to the world to offer mankind salvation.  We deserved punishment, but You gave us love.  By this You showed Your love for all of Your creation, if we would only accept and believe in and obey Your Son.  Thank You, Father, for Your undeserved and unconditional love.

Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, repenting of our disobedience, seeking Your forgiveness…

Lord Jesus, You did everything our Father asked of You, even to the point of dying on the cross, of taking the punishment we deserve.  You came to save us, but too often we seem ungrateful of Your tremendous sacrifice.  Help us, Lord, to understand the great love You and our Father God have for us.  Help us to return that love and to share it with a world that desperately needs love right now.  Help us to love every day, not just at Christmas time.  Help us to love as You love - without reason, without conditions, without judgment.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith.  Amen.

Joy

[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 17th of December, 2017, the third Sunday of Advent.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

We’ve been looking at what Advent means to mankind, and especially to Christians.  Typically we look at Advent as a build-up to Christmas, even though we’ve seen how it can also remind us that He is coming again someday.

Both of those events should fill us – Christians – with great joy!  We are celebrating the birth of our Savior and the sacrifice He made for us, and we are awaiting His return when this wicked world will be set aright and peace will hold fast forever.  A peace known only once before, on a night long ago.

Listen and follow along as I read from the Gospel Account of the Apostle Luke, chapter 2, verses 8 through 20, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” 

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

--Luke 2:8-20 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, You sent a very special messenger to some very lowly people - shepherds.  That alone shows that You sent Your Son Jesus to earth for all of us, the lowly and the mighty alike.  Help us to understand the full and true meaning of Christ Jesus coming to this world, both then and some appointed day yet to come.  Speak to us now, Father, that we might better hear Your voice and discern Your will for our lives.  In the blessed name of Your Son Jesus we pray.   Amen.


At a conference hosted by a Presbyterian church in Omaha, Nebraska one time, the attendees were given helium filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the worship service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts.  Now these were good Presbyterians, who didn't often, if ever, really feel free to shout out an occasional "Amen!" or "Hallelujah!  Praise the Lord!", but all through the service balloons rose to the ceiling, one by one.  Yet when it was all over, a third of the balloons were still held unreleased.


I wonder how many balloons would be released this morning if we tried this.  How much joy do we feel in our hearts?  Better yet, how much joy are we releasing so that other people can see it?  How much of our joy do we share?  Family, we need to let go of our balloons.


The shepherds certainly shared their joy.  First they were afraid – but who wouldn’t be if all of a sudden a bright light glowed everywhere and a messenger of God appeared out of nowhere?!?  But they did as the angel directed them and saw the baby Jesus.  In the middle of the night, they left their sheep untended to go see a baby.

What did the shepherds do next?  They spread the word.  “They made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.”  They glorified and praised God for all the things that they had seen and heard that night.  Then what happened?  Everyone who heard what the shepherds proclaimed marveled at the news.

That, Family, is feeling and sharing the joy of salvation by God through Jesus Christ our Lord, and what can result when we do!  In Psalm 5, verse 11, King David urges us…

11 Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.

--Psalm 5:11 (NKJV)

Rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in Him!  Shout for joy, let everyone see!  For being openly joyful brings its own rewards.  In Psalm 32 verses 10 and 11, David tells us…

10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.
11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

--Psalm 32:10-11 (NKJV)

Be glad and rejoice, for God’s mercy surrounds us!  And again, shout for joy!  Don’t hide it, let it out - let go of the balloon of joy!

The great prophet Isaiah, in chapter 55 verse 12 of his book of prophesy writes of how our joy is echoed…

12 “For you shall go out with joy,

And be led out with peace;

The mountains and the hills

Shall break forth into singing before you,

And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

--Isaiah 55:12 (NKJV)

The whole earth will respond to our joy.


We know that Isaiah spoke for God and clearly foretold the coming of Jesus.  Through God, Isaiah knew Jesus, and knew what would befall Him.  The prophet knew that Jesus would experience little joy in this life.  Isaiah told us of the life Jesus would know, when he wrote this in chapter 5, verses 1 through 5…

1 Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

--Isaiah 53:1-5 (NKJV)

Jesus was indeed a Man of sorrows, well acquainted with grief.  I can only imagine that what grieved Him the most was that the people He came to save despised Him, disrespected Him, rejected Him.  And He was wounded for our transgressions!  He was bruised for our iniquities!  He took our sins upon Himself and suffered chastisement for them!

But by His stripes, we are healed.  By His sacrifice, we are redeemed.  This is good news of great joy to us, we who call ourselves Christians, we who follow Christ as Lord!

As a third-century man was nearing death, he wrote these last words in a letter to a friend:  "It's a bad world, an incredibly bad world.  But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret.  They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life.  They are despised and persecuted, but they care not.  They are masters of their souls.  They have overcome the world.  These people are the Christians - and I am one of them."

Have we learned that great secret, Family?  Have we overcome the world?  Have we found that joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure this sinful world might offer?

The prophet Habakkuk did.  Listen to his words from chapter 3 of his book of prophesy, verses 17 and 18…

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls —
18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

--Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NKJV)

No matter what goes on around us, no matter what happens to us, we should still be able to rejoice in the Lord.  The sheer joy of knowing we are saved by the grace of God, paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ, should overwhelm us and overflow from us for all to see!

This is what the angel meant!  This is what he was referring to when he said, “I bring you good tidings of great joy”!  Do we understand?!?  Do we really feel that joy welling up inside us whenever we think of or hear the name Jesus?  Can anyone else see that joy?  Do we ever express it in ways they can see and comprehend?  If not, maybe we need to pray to our Father God as King David did in Psalm 51 verse 12…

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

--Psalm 51:12 (NKJV)

Let go of that balloon of joy.  Be joyful, rejoice, make a joyful noise.  Rediscover that joy which is a thousand times better than any sinful pleasure.  For I bring good tidings of great joy.  Unto us a child is born, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ our Lord.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You sent Your Son Jesus to the world to offer mankind salvation.  But You also sent Your messenger to let us know our Savior had been born and was among us.  And You sent Your angel to the lowliest of men, even as Your Son was born in the lowliest of places.  By this You showed us that Your grace extends to us all, no matter our position in life.  Jesus came to save all of us who would believe in Him and follow His voice.  Thank You, Father, for Your wonderful grace, Your beautiful gift.  Help us, please Father, to feel the true joy of our salvation and to share that joy with others, so that they too might be saved.

Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, repenting of our disobedience, seeking Your forgiveness…

Lord Jesus, You came to mankind once, long ago, as a small and helpless baby.  And yet Your birth, in the most humble of places, was heralded by a heavenly chorus singing “Glory to God in the highest!”  A shout of joy began that night, for unto us a Savior was born.  Help us, Lord, to keep that shout going.  Help us to share the joyful news of salvation with others so that they too might be saved, and might fill their own hearts with joy.  Help us rejoice and be joyful.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith.  Amen.

Peace

[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 10th of December, 2017.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Last week we looked at some of the prophesy written about the Messiah, and how Jesus fulfilled that when He came to earth, and how He will fulfill even more when He returns.  The greatest prophet was Isaiah, who clearly and accurately foretold of our Lord’s birth and His life on earth.  And we said he also foretold of what will happen when Jesus returns.  I read part of a very familiar text to you from Isaiah, and today I’d like to look at that scripture again, and include a second verse that looks to the future for us.

Listen and follow along as I read from the book of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 9, verses 6 and 7, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

6 For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

--Isaiah 9:6-7 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, You looked down and had pity on mankind, so You sent us Your own Son, that we might be redeemed of our sins and disobedience if we would only believe in Him and follow His voice.  Forgive us, please Father, when we reject Your Son with our doubts and our refusal to give Him of our time and resources.  Help us to be more faithful and true to both You and Jesus.  Speak to us now, Father, that we might better hear Your voice and discern Your will for our lives.  In the blessed name of Your Son Jesus we pray.   Amen.


There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who could paint the best picture of peace.  Many tried, and the king looked at all the pictures, but only two really caught his attention.

One pictured a calm lake, a perfect mirror for the peaceful towering mountains all around it.  Fluffy white clouds filled a clear blue sky.  All who saw it thought that it was indeed the perfect picture of peace.

The second picture had mountains too, but these were rugged and bare.  Above them lightening played across an angry sky from which rain fell in torrents.  Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall.  This did not look peaceful at all.  But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock.  In the bush a mother bird had built her nest.  There, in the midst of the rush of angry water and with lightening splitting the sky, sat the mother bird on her nest… in perfect peace.

The king chose the second picture, explaining, "Peace does not mean being in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work.  Peace means being in the midst of all those things and yet still being calm in your heart.  That is the real meaning of peace.”


I think that little story sums up pretty well how personal peace has little or nothing to do with the circumstances around us.  Rather, it has everything to do with what is in our hearts.

So many people search for peace and never find it.  We look for peace from our enemies, from our strife.  When we are at war, we crave peace and petition our leaders to seek it at any cost.  When we do find peace, it is transient, fleeting – here today, gone tomorrow.  But Isaiah tells us true, lasting peace comes only from Jesus, the Prince of Peace.  When Jesus returns, He will establish His government with judgment and justice, and of His peace there will be no end, from that time forward, even forever.


As I told the kids a little earlier, I believe there was one night when all the world knew peace – a true, quiet, humble peace.  In chapter 2, verses 13 and 14 of his Gospel account, the Apostle Luke relates…

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

--Luke 2:13-14 (NKJV)

Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.  We have a hymn based on a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that starts out, “I heard the bells on Christmas day their old familiar carols play, and wild and sweet the words repeat of peace on earth, good will to men.”  But then Longfellow is drawn back to reality of the war raging in his day:  “And in despair I bowed my head:  ‘There is no peace on earth’, I said, ‘for hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men.’”  Finally, our good poet remembers what peace is all about:  “Then peeled the bells more loud and deep: ‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; the wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men.’”

Longfellow understood what Isaiah was talking about.  If the world did know peace that one night when our Christ entered this world, it sure didn’t last.  Nor, seemingly, was it supposed to.  A little further on in Luke’s account, chapter 12 verses 49 through 53, Jesus warns us…

49 “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! 51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. 52 For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

--Luke 12:49-53 (NKJV)

The first time He came, Jesus did not bring peace – He brought division.  Why?  Why would the Prince of Peace come to bring division among mankind?  Maybe it was so we could find true peace, like the mother bird on her nest in the midst of all the chaos around her.  But so many people fail to understand, refuse to look in the right place.

In his letter to the Romans, chapter 3 verses 10 through 18, the Apostle Paul borrows scripture from the Book of Psalms and others as he warns us…

10 As it is written:

“There is none righteous, no, not one;

11 There is none who understands;

There is none who seeks after God.

12 They have all turned aside;

They have together become unprofitable;

There is none who does good, no, not one.”

13 “Their throat is an open tomb;

With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;

“The poison of asps is under their lips”;

14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;

17 And the way of peace they have not known.”

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

--Romans 3:10-18 (NKJV)

We don’t know peace because we aren’t righteous, we don’t understand, we don’t seek God nor fear Him.  We don’t know peace because we don’t know Jesus.

Our Lord Himself felt great sorry over our ignorance.  The Apostle Luke tells us of His reaction upon entering Jerusalem, in chapter 19, verses 41 and 42…

41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.”

--Luke 19:41-42 (NKJV)

True personal peace is as close to us as is Jesus, but too many of us, even among His followers, fail to understand.  That which can give us lasting peace is too often hidden from our eyes.  Hidden, because we refuse to see.

Jesus tried to explain it.  The Apostle John recorded Jesus telling us this, in chapter 14, verses 27 through 29 of his Gospel account…

27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.

29 “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.”

--John 14:27-29 (NKJV)

The peace that Jesus gives is not like the peace the world knows.  His peace doesn’t just come and go, it isn’t conditional, based on each group or person doing their part to uphold it.  His peace doesn’t depend on everything around us being quiet and calm and at peace.  No, His peace brings quiet and calm amid all the chaos and conflict.  His peace is eternal, unending, everlasting.  His peace is conditional only upon our belief in Him as the true Son of God, our faith in Him as Lord and Savior.

Indeed, our faith provides the means of peace.  Again looking to his letter to the Romans, Paul tells us in chapter 5 verses 1 and 2 that…

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

--Romans 5:1-2 (NKJV)

Because of our faith in Him, Jesus justifies us to our Father God, the ultimate Judge.  Through Jesus, we have peace with God.  And we receive peace within ourselves - inner peace, personal peace.  We just have to trust Him, have faith in Him.


This morning we lit the candle of peace and lifted a prayer for peace, peace in the world, knowing full well that division and hatred and war still rock the earth.  This is as it must be until Jesus returns to set things right.  But in the midst of all the turmoil, while the storm rages around us, we can find the peace of God that Jesus beings.  Just have faith and trust in the Word of God.

In the blessed name of Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the bringer of peace.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, Your peace surpasses all understanding.  Thank You, Father, for sending us Your Son who brings us Your peace through salvation if we accept Him as Lord and Master.  Help us, please Father, to receive Your gift of peace and carry it in our hearts this Christmas season and throughout our lives.  Forgive us when we let the busyness of life intrude upon that peace, when we let the world shatter that peace.  Help us to remain calm and at rest in You.

Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, repenting of our disobedience, seeking Your forgiveness…

Lord Jesus, You came to earth not to bring peace to all mankind, but to offer us Your peace, a special peace unlike what the world gives.  What the world calls peace is shallow and does not last.  Help us, Lord, to remain in the calm of Your peace even as the storm of the world rages all about us.  Help us to share Your love and Your peace with others so that they too might be saved, and might find rest in You.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith.  Amen.

When He Comes

[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 26th of November, 2017.  Our annual Congregational meeting followed the service.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Next Sunday is actually the first Sunday in Advent, but since we will be enjoying our Hanging of the Greens service that morning, I thought I would recognize the advent of Advent today.

In its basic terms, advent means the arrival or coming of a notable person, event, or thing.  The Christian season of Advent recognizes the coming of our Savior Jesus into this world, anticipating the celebration of His birth at Christmas.  But there is also a second coming of Jesus we anxiously await.

Listen and follow along as I read first from the Gospel account of the Apostle Luke, chapter 2, verses 1 through 7, and then from the Revelation of Jesus as given to His Apostle John, chapter 19, verses 11 through 16, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

2:1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.


19:11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND

LORD OF LORDS.

--Luke 2:1-7; Revelation 19:11-16 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, for so long You promised the world a Savior, a Messiah to deliver us from our sinful ways.  But then, when You sent Your own Son to be with us as one of us, we did not believe.  Even though He fulfilled every prophesy spoken of the Messiah, we rejected Him.  Forgive us, please Father, for not seeing the truth, for not receiving the gift You gave us all at Christmas time.  Help us who now believe in Jesus to share His Gospel story every chance we get.  Speak to us now, Father, and guide us that we might better serve You in this task.  In the blessed name of Your Son Jesus we pray.   Amen.


If you enjoyed your Thanksgiving feast a little too much, then perhaps you can appreciate these tell-tale signs that you ate too much for Thanksgiving:

• The doctor tells you your weight would be perfect for a person 17 feet tall.
• You are responsible for a slight but measurable shift in the earth's axis.
• Paramedics bring in the Jaws of Life to pry you out of the Lazy-Boy recliner.
• The potatoes you used set off another famine in Ireland.
• You receive a Sumo Wrestler application in your e-mail.
• You set off 3 earthquake seismographs on your morning jog Friday.
• Pricking your finger for cholesterol screening only yielded gravy.
• You consider gluttony your patriotic duty.
• Representatives from the Butterball Hall of Fame called twice.

Ah, but the holidays are made for overeating, right?  Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts are famous for overindulgence.  We gather together with family and friends and food – the 3 F’s.  And we often regret eating so much the next day.  Sometimes even later that afternoon, as we nap in front of the TV set with the football game blaring away.  Yes, that’s what the holidays seem made for, according to the world.

But those of us who follow Jesus as our Master should pause in the midst of all the celebrations to give thanks to our God for His many blessings over our lives.  And we should look ahead with excited anticipation toward what is to come.  For what is coming is Jesus, God’s own Son.


We will all too soon be celebrating the first coming of Jesus with our annual observance of Christmas.  That’s what the season of Advent is all about.  As the Apostle Luke noted, the Son of God came to mankind as one of us.  He entered this world just like us – as a helpless baby born of woman.  His birth and the circumstances surrounding it were foretold over 400 years before the event, most notably by the prophet Isaiah.  In chapter 7 verse 14 of his book of prophesy, Isaiah tells us…

14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

--Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV)

Isaiah also spoke for God in foretelling the rest of the story of Jesus, what would happen to Him later in life, and after His return to the Father.  He spoke to us of the Good Servant, and how He would be treated, ultimately taking our punishment upon Himself so that we could be washed clean of our sin and able to stand once again before God.  Isaiah accurately described Jesus and the many roles He would fill, such as found in chapter 9 verse 6 of his prophesy…

6 For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

--Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

Unto us a Son is given of God, and the government will be upon His shoulder.  Pay close attention to the tenses of those verbs: “is given” and “will be”.  Jesus came once, as a baby, a Child, born to woman as the one true Son of God.  But the gift of God, made flesh in Jesus, continues to be given, to as many as who will accept Him!  Every time some lost soul accepts Jesus as the Son of God and their personal Savior and Master, He is given to them, the gift of salvation is given to them!

But did Jesus govern the world when He came that first time?  Does He govern it now, even with each new giving of Himself?  No, not really.  Satan has been given temporary rule over this world.  But Isaiah tells us the government will be upon His shoulders!  Someday, when He returns, Jesus will rule this world and all this is in it!

And that brings us to the second time that Jesus will physically come to this earth, and the second half of our scripture reading this morning.  Luke beautifully recorded the first time Jesus came to this world.  John tells us vividly of the second, in the Book of Revelation which Jesus instructed him to write after revealing to him the things that must happen.  Jesus will come to fulfill the rest of Isaiah’s prophesy.

On His person and on His robe will be emblazoned the titles “King of kings” and “Lord of lords”.  And this time He will come looking like the Messiah the Jewish people expected all along.  This time He will come to conquer, and to judge.  He will bring along the armies of heaven, but they will be mostly for show.  Because Jesus will dispatch all the foes of God simply by speaking the word of God.

The world will be judged, and all within it.  All will be judged, including we who believe.  But we will be saved, and spared a horrible fate, for we have been washed clean by the blood of Jesus, the spotless Lamb, slain as a sacrifice once for all time in propitiation for our sins.  Those who rejected Jesus will suffer greatly.  The wicked will be crushed under the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of our Almighty God!

Believers will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  Non-believers will be forever separated from God, and from His mercy.  This is the second advent of Jesus, which we await.


So let’s enjoy this Advent season as we prepare to celebrate Christmas and all the gifts and meals and yes, even the football games.  But let’s not forget the true meaning, both of Advent and of Christmas.  Jesus came once, to offer the world salvation.  He is coming again, to judge the world.

Prepare for the observed anniversary of His first coming by decorating our homes and trees.  Prepare for His second coming by cleaning our hearts of sinful ways.  For He is coming again, and it may be soon.

In the blessed name of Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You sent Your own Son to live among us, to teach us Your Truth, to take our punishment and to die on our behalf so that we might not suffer eternal death.  Thank You, Father, for so beautiful a gift.  Thank You for Your great love and mercy.  Help us, please Father, to prepare our hearts for the second coming of Jesus, even as we celebrate His first coming at His birth.  Forgive us when we get all wrapped up with worldly commercialism and forget the true meaning of the season.  Help us remember Your promise to the world.

Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, repenting of our disobedience, seeking Your forgiveness…

Lord Jesus, You came to us just as the prophets foretold, sharing God’s love with a weary world.  And some sweet day You will come again, this time to judge the world You tried to save.  Help us, Lord Jesus, to look past the bright decorations and see the truth.  Help us to prepare for Your second coming even as we celebrate the first.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith.  Amen.

In the Presence of the Lord

[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 19th of November, 2017.  This is our Thanksgiving service.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Last week for my short devotional, I read to you from the New King James Version of Psalm 100, because it spoke of singing and praising God and that’s what we do in our 5th Sunday services.  But that short psalm also speaks so beautifully of giving thanks to God, and of how we should approach Him.  Listen and follow along as I once again read Psalm 100, this time from the English Standard Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into His presence with singing!
3 Know that the Lord, He is God!
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
and His courts with praise!
Give thanks to Him; bless His name!
5 For the Lord is good;
His steadfast love endures forever,
and His faithfulness to all generations.

--Psalm 100 (ESV)

Let us pray…  Father God, You give us a voice to sing and joy in our hearts.  Forgive us, please Father, when we fail to let that joy out for all to hear, and in hearing to know that we love You.  Help us to sing Your praises every chance we get.  Speak to us now, Father, that we might better understand and obey Your word this morning.  In the blessed name of Your Son Jesus we pray.   Amen.


A man had a habit of grumbling at the food his wife placed before him at family meals. Then he would ask the blessing. One day after his usual combination complaint-prayer, his little girl asked, “Daddy, does God hear us when we pray?”

“Why, of course,” he replied. “He hears us every time we pray.”

She paused a moment, and asked, “Does He hear everything we say the rest of the time?”

“Yes, dear, every word,” her father replied, encouraged that he had inspired his daughter to be curious about spiritual matters. However, his pride was quickly turned to humility at her next question.

“Then, which does God believe?”


We can understand the little girl’s confusion, can’t we?  First her father grumbles and complains about the meal her mother placed before him on the table.  But then he prays and thanks God for it, asking His blessing over the food.  So which is it, which part does God believe – the grumbling, or the thanksgiving?

Maybe the better questions is, who many times do we go before our Father God in prayer grumbling and complaining, then thank Him for whatever it is we feel obligated to thank Him for?  Which do you think really expresses what we feel in our hearts – the complaints, or the thanks?


Think for a moment about the poor atheist.  What happens when he has a moment of feeling intensely grateful for something, and has no one to thank?  Neither King David nor our unknown psalmist had any problem knowing just Who to thank.

And neither did the Apostle Paul.  Listen to what he tells us to do, in his 1st letter to the Thessalonians, chapter 5, verses 16 through 18…

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

--1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)

Rejoice always!  Not just when things are going our way, but always!  In everything give thanks!  Paul doesn’t say to give thanks for everything, but in everything.  In other words, no matter what circumstance we may find ourselves us, there is still something we can give thanks to God for.  For instance we might not think paying taxes is all that good a thing, not something we would be thankful for.  But if we’re paying taxes, it means we have an income to be taxed on, and for that we can indeed give thanks to God.

So no matter what load of horse manure life just dumped on your head, look for something to thank God for.  You won’t have to look far.  This is God’s will for us, because when we stop to be thankful, it puts us in a much better, more positive frame of mind.  And all that fertilizer we’re trying to dig ourselves out from under won’t smell quite so bad.


Did you notice in our scripture reading that our psalmist used a lot of action words?  Make a joyful noise.  Serve the Lord.  Come into His presence.  Enter His gates.  These are all things we must intentionally do, on purpose.

Pleasing the Lord requires some action on our part.  And not just any action.  He doesn’t want us making noise just to be making noise.  Paul gives us a little additional insight into this in his letter to the Ephesians, chapter 5, verses 15 through 21, when he instructs us…

15 See then that you walk carefully, not as fools, but as wise men, 16 making the most of the time because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 Do not be drunk with wine, for that is reckless living. But be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. 20 Give thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 being submissive to one another in the fear of God.

--Ephesians 5:15-21 (MEV)

Walk carefully, as wise people.  Understand what the will of the Lord is.  Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks – that’s a big chunk of God’s will for us, according to Paul.  Give thanks always.  Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.  Come into His presence with singing.

Is that how we approach God?  When are we in His presence?  Well, technically, always – ever single second of every minute or every day – because God Himself is within us, in the person of His Holy Spirit.  Jesus died on the cross to make God available to us all the time, from anywhere.

Many of us, though, think about entering into His presence when we walk through those doors into this sanctuary – when we come into “God’s house”.  But I think we are truly most aware of being in His presence when we approach Him in prayer.  That is our time to talk with God, to speak to Him and to listen for a reply.  We feel Him near when we pray.

And that is why we should start every prayer with thanksgiving.  Every prayer, not just those during the Thanksgiving holiday.  But let that Thanksgiving feast serve as a reminder.  Thank God for the food, that we have enough to eat.  Thank Him for the house we eat in, that we have a roof over our head.  Thank Him for those we love who He has placed in our lives, even if we are alone and maybe lonely.

In all things give thanks to God, and bless His holy name.  Make a joyful noise, for we are in the presence of the Lord.  In the blessed name of Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You are the Creator of all things.  Anything and everything we have comes from You, out of Your love and generosity.  Thank You, Father, for all Your many blessings!  And thank You especially for sending Your Son Jesus to offer us salvation, and for allowing us to come into Your presence at any time we wish.  Help us, please Father, to come to You joyfully, with a song in our hearts and on our lips.  Help us to remember to enter into your gates with thanksgiving.  Forgive us when we get so wrapped up with our many needs that we forget to give You our thanks.  Please know that we are grateful for all You do and all You give.

Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, repenting of our disobedience, seeking Your forgiveness…

Lord Jesus, Your Apostle Paul knew Your heart and spoke for You, telling us how we should live as Your followers, as Christians.  And he told us to rejoice always, to pray without stopping, and to give thanks to our Father God in all situations.  Help us, Lord, to do as Paul instructed.  Help us to not only be a grateful people, but to show God our gratitude.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith.  Amen.

Shout!

[The following is a manuscript of my brief devotional delivered on Sunday morning, the 12th of November, 2017.  This Sunday we welcomed the Good News Trio of High Point, NC, who shared with us their ministry of beautiful music.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Before we bring The Good News Trio back up, I’d like to read a beautiful song from our Holy Bible that is most fitting for today’s service, and for the upcoming holiday.  The author’s name has long since been lost to us, but it’s message still rings out loud and clear.  Listen and follow along to the words of the unknown psalmist in Psalm 100, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

--Psalm 100 (NKJV)

Isn’t that beautiful, and so true?  It speaks so well of why we should praise and give all glory to God and Jesus.  For our Lord is God!  He made us – we didn’t make ourselves, even if we could!  We are His people, His sheep, living in His pasture by His good graces.  So let us make a joy-filled shout unto the Lord!  Let us come before His presence with singing.  Let us serve Him with gladness.
This psalm also reminds us of the day we set aside called Thanksgiving, when we do stop from the busyness of our lives long enough to give God thanks for His many blessings, for all that He has done for us.  So let’s enter in through His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.  For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures forever.

Shout!  Sing praises!  Give thanks!  All in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

Be a Bondservant

[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 5th of November, 2017.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Have you ever given any thought as to what might have been going on in Jesus’ mind during his short time on earth?  I mean, He was God, right?  But at the same time, He was fully human.  He suffered through the same aches and pains as we do, got hungry at times, and thirsty.

And I bet He struggled not to get completely fed up with this stubborn, thick-headed group of people that we too often are.  I can’t help but wonder if at some point He didn’t think, “OK, Dad, I’ve had enough of this foolishness - I’m coming home.”  Well, if He ever thought it, He never acted on it.

And fortunately for us, we don’t really have to guess what He might have been thinking - our Bible tells us.  Listen and follow along to verses 5 through 11 of the 2nd chapter of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians.  Earlier, in our Congregational Reading, we read this passage the New King James Version of our Holy Bible.  This time I’m reading from the New Life Version…

5 Think as Christ Jesus thought. 6 Jesus has always been as God is. But He did not hold to His rights as God. 7 He put aside everything that belonged to Him and made Himself the same as a servant who is owned by someone. He became human by being born as a man. 8 After He became a man, He gave up His important place and obeyed by dying on a cross. 9 Because of this, God lifted Jesus high above everything else. He gave Him a name that is greater than any other name. 10 So when the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone in heaven and on earth and under the earth will bow down before Him. 11 And every tongue will say Jesus Christ is Lord. Everyone will give honor to God the Father.

--Philippians 2:5-11 (NLV)

Let us pray…  Father God, Your great plan to save mankind required that Your Son Jesus suffer and die on the cross.  Forgive us, please Father, when we complain about little things, forgetting just what Jesus went through on our behalf.  Help us to be more like Him in our dedication to You and Your will.  Speak to us this morning, Father, that we might better hear, understand, and obey Your word.  In the blessed name of Your Son Jesus we pray.   Amen.


During the American Revolution, a man in civilian clothes rode up on a group of soldiers repairing a small defensive barrier.  Their leader was shouting instructions, but making no attempt to help with the work.  Asked why by the rider, he retorted with great dignity, "Sir, I am a corporal!"  The stranger apologized, dismounted, and proceeded to help the exhausted soldiers.  Their job done, the stranger turned to the corporal and said, "Mr. Corporal, next time you have a job like this and not enough men to do it, go to your commander-in-chief, and I will come and help you again."  It was none other than George Washington who pitched in to help his tired men.


George Washington clearly understood the full meaning of service.  He was a servant of God even while serving our fledgling country, both as general and as president.  To him, “service” was not just a word, but a way of life.  It requires a deep commitment to responsibility: of feeling and acting responsible for the welfare of others.  And Washington knew that by serving others we serve God.

Are we as dedicated a servant as George Washington?


In our scripture reading, Paul notes that even though Jesus was God, He put aside all His divine privileges and made a servant of Himself.  He served us, mankind, and He served God, His and our Father in heaven.  He served faithfully, carrying out God’s plan of salvation to the letter, even dying on the cross for us.  And God rewarded Him for His service.

Paul also considered himself to be a servant.  Listen to how he opens his letter to the Romans, chapter 1, verse 1…

1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God...

--Romans 1:1 (NKJV)

Paul describes himself as a bondservant of Jesus, serving as an apostle, set aside by God to proclaim the Good News of salvation through Jesus.  We’re familiar with the word “servant”, being one who serves another, but “bondservant” is a term we don’t hear as often.  A bondservant is closer to what we would call a slave rather than a servant.  In Jesus’ day it was fairly common to be or to own a bondservant.  In some cases a bondservant would serve voluntarily, but most times it was an involuntary, forced position of servitude.

A bondservant could not leave their service until whatever caused them to be placed there was fulfilled or completed, if ever.  A frequent reason for becoming a bondservant was to work off a debt that could not otherwise be repaid.  Do you remember Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, when Jesus blinded Saul and showed him what he was doing wrong, then gave him not only another chance to make amends, but also special insight into the Gospel?  Paul recognized how great a debt he owed Jesus – a debt he could never repay.  So he placed himself into lifelong servitude to Jesus, a service he would not leave or try to get out of.  He willingly, voluntarily, made of himself a bondservant to Jesus.


Another point Paul clearly understood is that we all serve, in one way or another.  We may not be indentured bondservants or slaves, but we still serve other folks, and if we are believers, we also serve our Lord Jesus.  So the big question is…  Do we serve as Paul did, or even as George Washington did, with the commitment of a voluntary bondservant?  Listen to what Paul told the Ephesians in chapter 6 of his letter, verses 5 through 7…

5 Servants, obey those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of your heart, as to Christ, 6 not serving when eyes are on you, but as pleasing men as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men...

--Ephesians 6:5-7 (MEV)

Even if we are just serving our fellow man, in any fashion, we should do just as good a job of it as if we were serving God face to face!  Because when we serve others, we serve God!  This is exactly what Jesus did!  He served others in His service to God!

Everyone who will be helping this Saturday with our bazaar and dinner should try to remember this.  Pretend that everyone we are helping in one way or another is actually Jesus.  Superimpose His face over theirs.  Treat them like we would treat Jesus.  Because we are doing just that, according to Paul.

And while we’re helping others, let’s keep another point Paul makes in mind.  This one comes from his letter to the Galatians, chapter 1, verse 10…

10 For am I now seeking the approval of men or of God? Or am I trying to please men? For if I were still trying to please men, I would not be the servant of Christ.

--Galatians 1:10 (MEV)

Don’t do things for the sole purpose of pleasing others or to gain their approval.  Do them to please Jesus, for His approval.  Remember that we gave ourselves over to His service when we accepted Him as our Lord.  That’s what it means when we call Him Master: that we will serve Him, just as Paul did.  Do we really think and act that way?  Do we truly make ourselves bondservants to Christ?


There is one more aspect of servitude I’d like to examine, and this one comes from the Apostle Peter.  In his 1st letter to the far-flung church, chapter 2, verses 15 through 17, Peter admonishes us…

15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

--1 Peter 2:15-17 (NKJV)

It is the will of God that we voluntarily make ourselves to be His bondservants.  Now God is, after all, God, and He could make us dance at the end of a string like a puppet if He wanted.  But what He wants is for us to love Him enough to willingly put ourselves into servitude to Him.

By our belief in Jesus, we are freed from death and sin.  Peter instructs us not to use that freedom to do whatever we want, to delve back into a sinful life, but instead to do good for others, to serve God as His bondservant, and in doing so, to silence the blatant ignorance of foolish people!  And family, there are a lot of foolish people in this world today who need to see the kind of role model Peter is asking us to be.


Jesus set the example.  Paul followed it.  Peter exhorts us all to accept the role also.  To give ourselves into selfless servitude to Jesus and to God.  To commit ourselves, dedicate ourselves fully to serving others and in that way to serving our Lord.

Be a bondservant of Jesus.  In the blessed name of Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You knew what had to be done if mankind was to have any hope of salvation.  So You worked out a plan that required a very dedicated Servant.  Your own Son Jesus accepted that role, obeying Your will even to His death on the cross.  Help us, please Father, to understand and follow our own role in Your great plan.  Help us to give of ourselves fully into Your service.  Forgive us when we fail to act as true bondservants, thinking we can get out of our servitude.  Forgive us for doing good only to seek the approval of man, rather than helping others simply because it pleases You.  Forgive us when we stray from Your will.

Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, repenting of our disobedience, seeking Your forgiveness…

Lord Jesus, You showed us what a true servant should look like.  You came to offer us salvation, and gave every last ounce of Yourself to us in service to our Father God.  Help us, Lord, to follow Your example.  Help us to willingly give of ourselves completely into Your service.  Help us be Your bondservants.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith.  Amen.

What Will Be Will Be

[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 29th of October, 2017.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

King David truly was a remarkable man.  Even though he sometimes strayed from God’s law, God still loved him and watched over him.  And David knew this love, he felt this love.  So many times he seemed completely out of control.  Enemies pursued him, even those from within his own family, his sons.  Yet he never lost faith, he never gave up on God, he fully trusted in the Lord to see him through.  He didn’t worry about events surrounding him, and he tells us that we don’t have to worry either, if we just trust God.

Listen and follow along as I read from King David’s Psalm number 37, verses 1 through 18, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.

7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.

9 For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the Lord,
They shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
But it shall be no more.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

12 The wicked plots against the just,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord laughs at him,
For He sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn the sword
And have bent their bow,
To cast down the poor and needy,
To slay those who are of upright conduct.
15 Their sword shall enter their own heart,
And their bows shall be broken.

16 A little that a righteous man has
Is better than the riches of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
But the Lord upholds the righteous.

18 The Lord knows the days of the upright,
And their inheritance shall be forever.

--Psalm 37:1-18 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, just as You loved David even when he sinned, You love us.  You love us and don’t want us to worry about things going on around us.  Forgive us, please Father, when our faith is shaken, when we doubt that You truly are still in control, when we wonder about all that is going on and worry about how it will affect us and our loved ones.  Speak to us this morning, Father, and help us better understand Your message and Your sovereignty.  In the blessed name of Your Son Jesus we pray.   Amen.


A very nervous airline passenger began pacing the terminal when bad weather delayed his flight.  During his walk, he came across a life insurance machine.  It offered $100,000 in the event of an untimely death aboard his flight, and the policy was only $3.  He looked out the window at the threatening clouds and thought of his family at home.  For that price it seemed foolish not to buy, so he took out the coverage.

He then looked for a place to grab dinner.  Airports now carry a good variety of eateries so he settled on his favorite: Chinese.  He enjoyed a relaxing meal… until he opened his fortune cookie.  It read, “Your recent investment will pay big dividends.”


I can't be certain of the author, but someone once wrote:

Worry is faith in the negative, trust in the unpleasant, assurance of disaster, and belief in defeat.  Worry is wasting today's time to clutter up tomorrow's opportunities with yesterday's troubles.   A dense fog that covers a seven-city-block area one hundred feet deep is composed of less than one glass of water divided into sixty thousand million drops.   Not much is there but it can cripple an entire city.


Que sera, sera.  What will be will be.  The future’s not ours to see.  Do you remember that old Doris Day song?  Such a simple little tune, but the message rings so true with what God provides us in scripture.  It really all comes down to faith, to trusting in the Lord and in what He tells us.

Today is Reformation Sunday and this year we mark the 500th anniversary of the movement that gave birth to Pilgrim church, among so many others.  500 years, and it all really began when Martin Luther read and pondered over a passage of scripture.  He was reading the 1st chapter of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, when verse 17 stopped him in his tracks.  Let me read verses 16 and 17 to you from the 1st chapter of Romans…

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

--Romans 1:16-17 (NKJV)

The power and righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus, from faith to faith.  And the clincher for Luther came from Paul’s quote of the prophet Habakkuk: the just shall live by faith.  The righteous person trusts in God, and through that faith lives.

King David trusted in God, lived by faith, and so was able to live without overly worrying about everything that seemed to be going against him.  Martin Luther lived by faith and did not worry about standing up to the religious authorities of his day, almost as Jesus did in His day.  Do you think Jesus worried about it?  Of course not!  He had special insight into how the story ends.  And He knew what all would happen as that story, as God’s plan, nears completion.

Listen to a short discussion between our Lord and His disciples, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew in chapter 24 of his Gospel account, verses 1 through 8…

1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

--Matthew 24:1-8 (NKJV)

Jesus doesn’t paint a very pretty picture there, does He?  First He tells us not to be deceived when false prophets and antichrists make claims that sound realistic and plausible, for this will happen – they will indeed come forward and try to fool us.

Other things will happen, too, and not necessarily good things.  There will be wars, and threats of wars.  We are at war right now with Islamic extremism, and North Korea all but threatens war nearly daily.  Nation will rise against nation, family against family, brother against brother.  Famines and droughts will occur more frequently.  Disease will spread across the land.  Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and other disasters - natural and man-made - will sweep across the globe.

And Jesus warns this is only the beginning.  But He tells us all this for a reason!  He tells us ahead of time so we won’t worry so much when it happens, when His word comes to pass!

Yes, we may get caught up in some of all this nastiness.  Yes, we or our loved ones may lose everything, may even lose our mortal lives.  But if we truly trust in God’s word, we know that our future, in the kingdom of heaven, is assured and we will be richly rewarded for our faith!  The Apostle Peter bears this out in his first letter to the scattered church, chapter 3, verses 13 and 14, when he says…

13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.”

--1 Peter 3:13-14 (NKJV)

If we are followers of the good, of Jesus, then who can really harm us?  Sure, we may have to suffer, maybe just because we get caught up in some cataclysm or maybe because of our faith, our belief.  But even then, we are still blessed simply because of our faith!

So don’t be afraid of the threats of the wicked.  Don’t let all the mess going on around us trouble us.  This is what Jesus wants us to remember.  He warns us about all that will happen so we’ll be prepared for it and not have to worry.  In the Gospel account of the Apostle John, chapter 14 verse 27, Jesus reassures us with these words…

27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

--John 14:27 (NKJV)

Don’t let all this trouble you, don’t be afraid.  Don’t worry, be happy.  Happiness comes from our confidence in God’s word.  For God says these things will happen!  They will happen because they must happen!  And they must happen because God said they would.  What will be will be, and no amount of worry will ever change that.  Worry only doubles our trouble.

Trust in God, have faith in His word.  And don’t worry.  In the blessed name of Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You are firmly in control of Your creation.  And You are working out Your great plan to save mankind.  Help us, please Father, to remember You are sovereign.  Help us to understand that everything that happens must happen, that it all happens for a reason even when we cannot grasp what that reason might be.  Forgive us when we have our doubts, when we question You because we just don’t see all You can see, when we fear what is going on around us and let the world trouble us so.

Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, repenting of our disobedience, seeking Your forgiveness…

Lord Jesus, You warned us about what the future holds and what must happen, just so we would be prepared and not worry when the bad stuff comes.  You comfort us, telling us not to let our hearts be troubled or afraid because You give us Your peace, a peace that transcends this world, a peace that lasts.  Help us, Lord, to trust in You and our Father God.  Help us to have faith sufficient for the times in which we live.  Help us to not be so worried because what is happening must indeed happen as our Father continues His great plan toward its fruition.  Grant us Your peace.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith.  Amen.