Honor and Sacrifice

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 26th of May, 2019, Memorial Day weekend, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Look for the video of our services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Tomorrow is Memorial Day, when we pay tribute to those who died in the service of our country, giving up their very lives for our freedom.  This should also remind us of another day, long ago, when our Lord Jesus laid down His life for us, when He made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom from sin, saving us from everlasting death and torment.

The men and women of our armed forces are aware that they may have to give their lives in their service to this nation.  Jesus knew, without a doubt, that He would indeed willingly give His life in service to God.  He also knew that He would be able to take His life up again, showing us what is also in store for us if we just follow Him.

Jesus tried to explain this to the Pharisees and others, but they didn’t understand.  So He gave them a parable, in more familiar terms.  Listen and follow along to what the Apostle John recorded in his Gospel account, chapter 10, verses 11 through 18, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hired man, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hired man flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

--John 10:11-18 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, You bless us with those in our life who are willing to give up their own lives so that we might be safe and remain a free people.  Thank You, Father, for sending us Your Good Shepherd who did lay down His life so that we can be freed from our sin and safe from eternal damnation.  Please bless all those who watch over us and stand between us and evil.  Please help us to fully appreciate them and their efforts.  And help us to never forget or take for granted the great sacrifice Jesus made for us.  Please speak to us this morning, Father, that we may hear and better understand Your message this day.  This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son Jesus.   Amen.


Paul Harvey once told the story of an old man and the sea gulls.  It all began in October of 1942.  Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was on a mission in a B-17 Flying Fortress to deliver an important message to General Douglas MacArthur in New Guinea.  Somewhere over the South Pacific they became hopelessly lost, beyond the reach of radio.  The men ditched their plane in the ocean as its fuel ran dry.  For nearly a month Rickenbacker and the crew would fight the water, the weather, and the scorching sun.  They spent many sleepless nights recoiling as giant sharks rammed their rafts.  But of all their enemies at sea, one proved most formidable: starvation.  Eight days out, their rations were gone.  Only a miracle could sustain them.

One afternoon, the plane’s pilot led a service of worship to God, which they finished with a prayer for deliverance and a hymn of praise.  A little chatter followed, but it tapered off in the oppressive heat. Rickenbacker pulled his hat down over his eyes to keep out some of the glare and dozed off.

Suddenly, a sea gull landed on Rickenbacker’s head.  He could see the others staring, but no one moved.  That gull meant food, if he could only catch it.  And catch it he did!  The bird’s flesh was eaten and it’s intestines used for bait to catch fish.  The men and their hopes were kept alive because a lone sea gull, hundreds of miles from land, offered itself as a sacrifice, in answer to prayer.

Every Friday until his death in 1973, on an old broken-down pier along a lonely stretch of Florida coastline, one could see the stooped figure of Eddie Rickenbacker carrying a bucket filled with shrimp.  The gulls flocked around him as he fed them from that bucket.  Every Friday he would feed the gulls, in remembrance of that one which long ago gave itself without a struggle -- God’s answer to a prayer.


That was a little longer than my usual illustrations, but I think it important for us to see the entire picture.  These men were on the point of starvation, had nearly lost hope, but they still prayed to God and lifted a hymn of praise to Him.  God heard that plea, and answered it, in the form of one lone seagull, so far from land.

But that story of survival would not be complete without seeing the gratitude and remembrance, the honor Rickenbacker paid to the memory of that seagull, and the answered prayer.  God still works miracles, if we look for them.


Memorial Day is for honoring sacrifice.  Jesus sacrificed Himself for us.  He laid down His life for us, knowing He could take it up again, and promising to take ours up again as well.  He gave His life – it wasn’t taken from Him.  And by His resurrection, we are assured that if we truly believe in and follow Jesus, we too will be given life again.

There is a lot I could say about Memorial Day, but I thought I’d let God do most of the talking, so I’ll be reading a little more scripture than usual.  And I’ll start off with a few excerpts from the first 8 verses of chapter 3 of the Book of Ecclesiastes that seem very appropriate this day…

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.

--excerpts from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NKJV)

Our soldiers serve in wartime and in peace.  They are ready to kill, if need be, but also trained to heal.  They can tear down barriers and obstacles, but they also help people build their societies back up.  And sometimes they die in their service.

It should be noted that many, very many, of the folks in our armed forces are devoted Christians, following Jesus and serving Him even as they serve our nation.  The psalmist notes Psalm 116 verse 15 that our God does not take the death of His saints lightly when he says…

15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His saints.

--Psalm 116:15 (NKJV)

Why are so many so willing to put their own lives on the line for us?  I think Jesus said it best, when He spoke of sacrifice in terms of love, as recorded by John in chapter 15 verse 13 of his Gospel account…

13 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

--John 15:13 (NKJV)

Sometimes a sacrifice is necessary, and unavoidable.  But just as Eddie Rickenbacker and his mates found out, God is watching over us, is always with us.  Joshua reassures us of this in verse 9 of the 1st chapter of his book of prophecy, when He speaks for God saying…

9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

--Joshua 1:9 (NKJV)

The Apostle Paul echoes this, in 1st Corinthians chapter 16 verse 13, while telling us to be steadfast in our faith…

13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

--1 Corinthians 16:13 (NKJV)

Then we can be fearless, as was King David, when in his 23rd Psalm, verse 4, he proclaimed…

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.

--Psalm 23:4 (KJV)

God is with us, always, because we follow His Son.  We are precious in His sight, so much so that He will lift us to new life once this life is over.  He strengthens us, encourages us to face whatever comes our way, even if we have to walk among the shadows of death.

And God still works miracles, sometimes through the good people who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of others, just as did His own Son Jesus.  Let us remember all those who have done just that, and let us honor those still willing to do so.  And especially let us remember and honor the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, who gave His all out of love.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You still hear and answer prayers.  You still work miracles throughout Your creation in this life.  Thank You, Father, for watching over us.  Thank you for listening for and answering our cries of help.  Please forgive us when we just don’t see Your hand at work, or when we take Your blessings for granted.  Forgive us when we are hesitant in our service to You and Jesus.  Please help us to be more obedient to Your word.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, praying from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help…

Lord Jesus, You set the bar high when it comes to showing the greatest love.  Because of Your love, You gave Your very life for us, to free us from the tyranny of sin, to save us from eternal torment.  You set the example that so many have followed in our behalf, giving of their lives for our freedom.  Please help us ever be mindful of the sacrifice You made, of the sacrifice others have made, and of the sacrifice many are willing to make, just so that we may be free.  May we always honor You and them all.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior.  Amen.

Persistence

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 19th of May, 2019 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Look for the video of our services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Put simply, prayer is our channel of communication with God.  Of course, it’s much more than that, but in practice, it is that time we spend communicating with God.  In prayer we talk to God, and if done correctly, we listen for His answer.  Sometimes that answer isn’t immediate, though.  Sometimes we have to wait.  But that doesn’t mean we stop praying.

There are a couple of times while Jesus walked this earth that He stressed how important it is for us to be persistent in our prayers.  It is only through persistence that we can even hope to accomplish a difficult task, because if we quit, the task will never get done.  And it is through persistence in seeking God’s ways, His will, His ear, that our prayers will be answered.

Let me relate to you one parable Jesus shared with the people regarding persistence.  Listen and follow along to what the Apostle Luke recorded in his Gospel account, chapter 11, verses 5 through 10, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

5 And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

--Luke 11:5-10 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, You bless us in so many ways, and chief among Your blessings is Your word and Your promise as saved for us in our Holy Bibles.  Thank You, Father, for giving Your word.  Thank You for showing us the importance of prayer, of continual prayer.  Please help us to be persistent in our efforts to serve You.  Help us to keep asking, to keep seeking, to keep knocking.  Forgive us, please Father, when we don’t trust in Your provision enough to step out in our faith.  Now speak to us this morning, Father, that we may hear and better understand Your message this day.  This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son Jesus.   Amen.


An elderly lady was once asked by a young man who had grown weary in the fight, whether he ought to give up the struggle.  "I am beaten every time," he said dolefully.  "I feel I must give up."  "Did you ever notice," she replied, smiling into the troubled face before her, "that when the Lord told the discouraged fishermen to cast their nets again, it was right in the same old spot where they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing?"


I’ve often heard it said that one definition of “insanity” is to do the same thing over and over again expecting different results.  Well, that definition doesn’t take divine intervention into account, does it?  Jesus can still make things happen when we follow His voice.

Yes, this life can be a fight, a day-to-day struggle.  And yes, sometimes it seems like insanity when we keep trying to do good but see our efforts seemingly wasted or too often thwarted.  But as long as we are doing what Jesus says, our efforts will be rewarded.  Be persistent – keep casting that net.


In our scripture reading, Jesus says that the neighbor will finally get out of bed to help his friend not because of their friendship, but so that the annoyance will stop and he can get back to sleep.  That’s pretty typical human nature.  If something bugs us enough, we’ll finally do whatever it takes for it to stop.  The squeaky wheel gets the grease not because it needs lubrication but because that high-pitched squeal is driving us crazy!

Jesus gave another example of this nature in a parable a little further on in Luke’s Gospel account.  This one comes from chapter 18, verses 1 through 8…

1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor respect man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will vindicate her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”

6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

--Luke 18:1-8 (NKJV)

In this case, the judge, whom Jesus calls “unjust”, is tired of the widow’s persistent demands for justice.  So he finally gives in and grants her request.  And as the unjust judge rewarded the widow’s persistence, our just God will reward our persistent cries to Him, our prayers to Him.

But notice that at the end of this passage, Jesus asks a very pointed question.  “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”  When Jesus returns, will there be any truly faithful left on earth?  Will there be any left in America?

God rewards persistent faithfulness, as Jesus pointed out in those two passages in Luke’s Gospel, but He also punishes persistent faithlessness.  Listen to what God spoke through His prophet Ezekiel, in chapter 14, verses 12 through 14 of that book…

12 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: 13 “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. 14 Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord God.

--Ezekiel 14:12-14 (NKJV)

Now, understand that even though the earth is also under the curse brought on by the sin of Adam, God is not talking about a stretch of land sinning against Him.  He means the people of that land.  When the people sin against Him by persistent unfaithfulness, He will act against them.  This is persistence of disobedience.  And don’t we see that way too often across this great land of ours, with people persistently disobeying God?

But family, even here, even in the face of persistent faithlessness, God will forgive us and heal us, and our land, if we just return to Him and follow His ways.  Hear what God said through His servant Ezra as recorded in 2nd Chronicles, chapter 7, verses 13 and 14…

13 “When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

--2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (NKJV)

Even when God does the things He said through Ezekiel that He’d do, we still have a chance of redemption if we just return to Him, seek Him, humble ourselves and pray to Him, turn our persistent faithlessness back into persistence of faith.  Then He will hear us, forgive us of our sins, and heal our land.

God still intervenes, still works miracles...  we just need to keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, we know we cannot see ahead like You can.  We don’t see the fullness of Your plan for Your creation.  So we don’t always understand why our prayers aren’t immediately answered.  Thank You, Father, for hearing us and for working on our behalf.  Thank you for rewarding our persistence and our faithfulness.  Please forgive us when we grow impatient, when we have doubts.  Forgive us when we begin to question the truth of Your word.  Forgive us when we fail to trust in Your provision and Your love.  Please help us to remain ever faithful and to be persistent in our prayers.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, praying from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help…

Lord Jesus, more than once You told us how important it is to be persistent in our prayers to our Father God.  Sometimes we do things just out of a sense of duty, or from set routines.  When that happens, we tend to take whatever it is we’re doing for granted.  This is just as true in our prayer life as any other activity.  You know that when we are persistent in our prayers, we are paying more attention to what we are asking for.  Please help us be persistent in our times talking with God.  Help us to keep on asking for His help, to keep seeking His ways in our life, to keep having faith no matter the situation or circumstance.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior.  Amen.

Of Motherhood and Love

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Mother's Day, Sunday morning the 12th of May, 2019, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Look for the videos of our services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Today is Mother’s Day and I can think of no better phrase to define the day than “a mother’s love”.  When a child is born and they place them in their mother’s arms, mother and child immediately bond.  A love that will endure all things, all time, begins right at that moment.

And this is as God intended it to be.  He wanted His love to be reflected in a human face that we could all see.  It’s all about love.

Listen and follow along to what the Apostle Paul wrote about love, in his 1st letter to the Corinthians, chapter 13, verse 4 through the first part of verse 8 and verse 13, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not arrogant; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, keeps no account of evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

8 Love never fails. 

13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

--1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, 13 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, You gave us mothers not only so that Your human creation could continue and grow, but so that we could see Your love reflected in our mother’s face.  Thank You, Lord, for giving us mothers.  Bless those who are still with us on earth, and cherish those who are now with You in heaven.  Please help us to always honor and love our mothers, no matter what may happen.  And help us show others the same love You and our mothers show us.  Now speak to us this morning, Father, that we may hear and heed Your message this day.  This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son Jesus.   Amen.


Anna Jarvis first suggested the national observance of an annual day honoring all mothers because she had loved her own mother so dearly.  At a memorial service for her mother on May 10, 1908, Miss Jarvis gave a carnation - her mother's favorite flower - to each person who attended.  Within the next few years, the idea of a day to honor mothers gained popularity, and Mother's Day became official by an act of Congress on May 9, 1914.  President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.  He established the day as a time for "public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country".  By then it had become customary to wear white carnations to honor departed mothers and red to honor the living.


I remember as a very young child getting a little red carnation to wear to church on Mother’s Day.  You don’t see those much anymore, the red and white carnations.  It seems like some of the veterans and church groups would sell them for a quarter or fifty cents, right at the door as people came in, if they didn’t have one, or sometimes even if they did.  Maybe it’s a tradition we should revive, as an outward sign of our love for our mothers, those with us and those gone home.


Paul says that love suffers long and is kind, it isn’t envious or arrogant or rude, nor does it seek its own gain.  Love chooses to not remember the bad things done to it, but bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails.

This is true love Paul is talking about, and I think it well describes a mother’s love, and a real-world mother’s love, not the Hollywood version.  Let’s face it, Mothers, life hasn’t always been easy for you, has it, especially when it comes to raising children?

Mother's Day sermons often focus on the prestige and glory of being a Mom, and motherhood is indeed worthy of incredible honor.  On this day it is easy and natural to focus on Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus.  With Mary we see the epitome of trust and faith, beginning with the message from God delivered by the angel Gabriel that she would bear God's Son, bring Him into the world, and raise Him along with Joseph as their own.  As any mother would be, she was terrified when she thought Jesus was lost, when they took Him to Jerusalem as a 12-year-old, but found Him in the temple amidst the teachers, listening to them and asking questions well beyond His years.

She trusted in Him even more as He grew into an adult.  At the wedding in Cana, she did not hesitate to basically order her Son to help the feast host who had run out of wine, even though Jesus at first showed no indication of caring.  At one point the family thought maybe He'd lost His mind and she tried to get Him out of trouble.  And then we have the mother who had to stand by and watch as her Son, her first-born, was beaten and nailed to a cross and died.

As a preacher, I am mindful that not all mothers are created equally.  For some, motherhood is an accident, and not always a welcome one.  For some women, biological motherhood isn’t possible.  Some mothers aren’t really all that nice.  And even under the very best of circumstances, motherhood is still less than a bed of roses.

But for all its stumbling blocks, pitfalls and broken dreams, for all the soiled diapers, drawn on walls and spoiled plans, motherhood is a beautiful and natural part of God’s creative plan to bring love and caring to light.  But yes, motherhood is also a tough task.  Fortunately for us, God assigned that task to tough people - mothers.

Our Bible is filled with stories of mothers, most of whom faced extremely difficult times, such as did Mary at her Son's crucifixion.  And it all began with Eve, who lost one son at the hands of the other.  And then there's Rebekah, Isaac's wife, who struggled with her husband favoring Esau, the elder of their twins, over her own favorite, Isaac.  Jochebed gave up her own son Moses rather than see him killed by Pharaoh's decree.  Naomi lost her husband and both sons within a very short span, and then one of her daughters-in-law left her also, with only Ruth staying at her side.

I could go on, but I think you probably get the picture.  Even in our Bible, motherhood is portrayed as a difficult role, often thankless, painful, and filled with sorrow.  All of this should make us especially thankful to our mothers for what they went through on our behalf, and to God for giving us mothers.


The love of mothers… and the love of God.  Everything Paul says about love can equally be applied to God as well, especially in that His love never fails.  Even when we fail God, He never fails us.

Kind of like our mothers, isn’t it, who God gives us through His love, just as He gives us His own Holy Spirit through His love.  In his Letter to the Galatians, chapter 5, verses 22 and 23, Paul tells us that…

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, meekness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

--Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

Doesn’t this well describe the ideal mother?  Can’t we see the fruits of God’s Holy Spirit in a mother’s love, joy, and peace, in her kindness and goodness and faithfulness, in her gentleness and self-control, and yes, in her patience?  Motherhood, part of God’s plan, exhibiting the evidence of His Holy Spirit at work.

Remember in our little story at the start that it took an act of Congress for us to set aside a day to honor our mothers?  Well, we already had a commandment from God to honor our mothers, and fathers, too.  And this was the only one of the ten that also included a promise, that by honoring our parents we may enjoy a long and good life on this earth.  The role our parents play in our lives is so important in God’s plan that in Exodus chapter 20 verse 12 He commands…

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”

--Exodus 20:12 (NKJV)

And then in Proverbs chapter 23 verse 25, King Solomon says that we should…

25 Let your father and your mother be glad,

And let her who bore you rejoice.

--Proverbs 23:25 (NKJV)

We should be a blessing to our parents, especially our mother, not a curse or a millstone around her neck.  The wise king and teacher also says this of mothers, in Proverbs 31, verses 28 through 31…

28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.

--Proverbs 31:28-31 (NKJV)

If your Mom is still with us, let her know how much she has blessed you.  Tell her how much you love her, how thankful you are to be her child, how well she excels in motherhood.  After all, she is part of God’s great plan for all of mankind, and especially for you.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mothers everywhere!  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You gave us mothers to nurture us, to see us through our early years when we are so vulnerable.  You gave us mothers because You love us.  Thank You, Father, for such great love.  Thank you for our mothers.  Please forgive us when we fail to honor and respect them as we should.  Forgive us when we forget to let them know how much of a blessing they are to us.  Please help us to remember Your love through their love.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help…

Lord Jesus, even You gave Your mother a few frightful moments while growing up.  But with Your dying breaths, You honored Your mother by seeing to it that she would be well taken care of by Your beloved disciple John.  Please help us honor our own mothers, Lord Jesus, while we still have them with us.  Help us love them and cherish them as much as they love and cherish us.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior.  Amen.

God's Word

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 5th of May, 2019 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Look for the video of our services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

The word of God…  When we speak that phrase, we’re usually referring to our Holy Bible.  We flip the pages and say something like, “These are the words of God.”  Or before reading scripture, someone may say, “Hear the word of God.”  And our Bible does indeed contain God’s word, recorded by men and women that He spoke to and breather inspiration into.

But there’s more to God’s word than words.  For instance, in Genesis, and confirmed in the Psalms, we can read that God spoke all of creation into existence with His Word.  The Apostle John gives us a little more clarity and better understanding into God’s Word, in the opening words of his Gospel account.  Please listen and follow along as I read from John’s Gospel account, chapter 1 verses 1 through 5 and 10 through 14, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

--John 1:1-5, 10-14 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, You sent Your Son Jesus into this world to be a beacon of hope, an unstoppable light showing the way to our salvation.  You know how easy it is for us to fall into Satan’s traps, to trip over the stumbling blocks he puts in our way.  Jesus lights our way so we can see and avoid those traps.  Thank You, Father, for loving us so much that You want us not to get lost on our way to You.  Please help us not only see and be guided by Your Light ourselves, but to also share Your Word with others.  Speak to us this morning, Father, speak directly to our hearts, and etch Your message there that we need to understand and follow.  This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son Jesus.   Amen.


Would you believe that the average person spends one-fifth of their life talking?  That's what the statistics say, according to an article in the June 15, 1992 issue of Today in the Word.  If all of our words were put into print, then a single day's words would fill a 50-page book, while in a year's time the average person's words would fill 132 books of 200 pages each!  Among all those words, how many are spoken in anger, carelessness, or haste?

Author Henry N. Ferguson once asked, "If someone paid you ten cents for every kind word you said about people, and collected five cents for every unkind word, would you be rich or poor?"

If we earned ten cents for every kind word spoken on behalf of or to another, but lost five cents for every unkind word, would we be rich or poor?  How many of those words in the 50-page books we speak daily are spoken to praise God?  How many are uttered to spread the Good News of salvation through Christ Jesus?  How many are mentioned as witness and testimony to what Jesus has done, and continues to do, in our lives?  How many dimes have we earned compared to the nickels we’ve lost?


The Word of God…  John tells us that Jesus is God's Word, the Light that the darkness cannot overcome, the Word that became flesh to live among us, the Word that created the universe and everything that was made.  Jesus came into that created world, in the flesh, but even His own people did not know Him, did not accept Him for who He is.  If God’s chosen people did not recognize God’s Word in the flesh, how can the rest of us know Him?

The Apostle Paul answers that question, by asking a few of his own.  Listen to what Paul wrote to the church in Rome, from chapter 10 of his letter to the Romans, verses 13 through 17…

13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

--Romans 10:13-17 (NKJV)

Paul claims that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  But how can people know hear God's Word, and learn about salvation through His Word, unless someone preaches it to them?  You may remember me saying in the past that the Holy Spirit used this passage to prod me into finally deciding to enter into God’s ministry, to preach His word.

Of course, there are many ways to preach, and some even use words.  We can preach with our love, with our caring, with our actions, with our helping those who need our help.  We can preach with our prayers, and with not being fearful of what others may think when we pray in public, like giving thanks for our meal.  We can preach the God’s Word in how we live our lives.  And we can preach with words, sharing our testimony.


In that passage from his letter to the Romans, Paul quoted Isaiah, arguably the greatest Jewish prophet.  Isaiah spoke for God, and also spoke of God’s Word.  Listen to what God said in Isaiah’s book, chapter 55, verses 10 and 11…

10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me empty,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

--Isaiah 55:10-11 (NKJV)

God said that when He sent His word out for a purpose, it would not return empty, but would accomplish that purpose.  Jesus fully accomplished God's purpose for Him on earth, and will someday return to complete God’s plan.

But until that day, He left us work to do.  You know the Great Commission, and you’ve heard me quote it from the Apostle Matthew’s Gospel account many times.  But listen to how the Apostle Mark recorded that command in his Gospel account, from chapter 16 verses 14 through 16…

14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

--Mark 16:14-16 (NKJV)

We are to go into the world and “preach the Gospel to every creature”.  You know, it wasn’t just mankind that fell because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve.  All of creation is under the same curse.  Could how we treat animals be considered as a form of preaching to them?  Something to think about.

But the point is, Jesus commands us all to preach the Gospel, and to everyone in the world.  We are to go out to them, where they are, and tell them the Good News.  A little earlier in Mark’s account, Jesus cautions us about being hesitant to do so.  In chapter 8 verse 39 of Mark’s Book, Jesus says…

38 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

--Mark 8:38 (NKJV)

Don’t be ashamed to preach the Gospel.  Don’t be afraid to stand up for Jesus and tell others just what He means to you, what He has done for you.  Don’t be timid or fearful or hesitant to share His word, His message.

The Gideon’s are doing their part in this.  Now let’s do ours.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, Your Word spoke creation into existence, and then came to save us from ourselves.  Thank You, Father, for send Your Light into this dark world, that those who believe in Him will be saved.  Please forgive us when we fail to follow through with sharing the Good News Your Word brings.  Father, we repent of our timidity, of our hesitation, of our fear.  Forgive us for not always obeying You.  Please help us be strong and courageous in service to You.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help…

Lord Jesus, You came into Your own, but Your people did not accept You as sent from God.  You shine God’s light into the darkness to show us the way to salvation.  Please help us do as You would have us do, Lord.  Give us the courage to go out into the world sharing the Gospel.  Help us preach the Good News of salvation to others, by our words and deeds and action.  Help us lead others into Your light and show them the way.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior.  Amen.