In All Things

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 26th of July, 2020, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service, also streamed live, due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

We’re going through a lot of hardship these days, aren’t we.  Well, before we think we have it too tough, let’s remember the Apostle Paul, and all that he endured.  In his 2nd letter to the Corinthians, he noted that he had been whipped by the Jews five times, receiving 39 lashes each time.  He was beaten with rods three times and stoned once.  Three times he was shipwrecked and spent a day and a night in the deeps.  He adds, "in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness...", besides the other things that came upon him daily.

But through it all, Paul never lost his faith in the Lord, never wavered in his trust of God.  Like the psalmist, Paul knew where his help and strength came from.

Listen and follow along to what Paul wrote to his beloved church in Philippi, the good folk who provided him with financial support while he was in prison.  This is from the 4th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, verses 4 through 13, and I’ll be reading from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let everyone come to know your gentleness. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with gratitude, make your requests known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will protect your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think on these things. 9 Do those things which you have both learned and received, and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me. Regarding this, you did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11 I do not speak because I have need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. 12 I know both how to face humble circumstances and how to have abundance. Everywhere and in all things I have learned the secret, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things because of Christ who strengthens me.

--Philippians 4:4-13 (MEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, we rejoice in You, in knowing You and in knowing Your love.  Sometimes though, Father, this life just throws so much at us that we become overwhelmed by it all.  Father, please help us see Your hand at work in our lives no matter what our situation.  Help us know contentment with what You provide, not being covetous of what others may have.  Grant us You peace, oh God.  And Father, please protect this family from all the effects of the coronavirus and all the troubles of the world around us.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind in our love and worship, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us for this day, that it strengthen and steel us for the days ahead.  Help us take guidance and encouragement from Your Holy Spirit within us. This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.


Here's a little poem about how the stresses and pressures of life can affect us.  Sadly, the author's name has been lost through time.

Pressed out of measure and pressed to all length;
Pressed so intensely, it seems beyond strength;
Pressed in the body, and pressed in the soul;
Pressed in the mind, till the dark surges roll.
Pressure by foes, and pressure by friends,
Pressure on pressure, till life nearly ends.

Pressed into knowing no helper but God;
Pressed into loving the staff and the rod.
Pressed into liberty where nothing clings;
Pressed into faith for impossible things.
Pressed into tasting the joy of the Lord;
Pressed into loving a Christlife outpoured.

As near as I can tell, we’re all feeling pressure these days.  The pressure caused by the pandemic and all the rules and regulations put in place because of it.  The pressure from social unrest across the land and in our own community.  Even the pressure of not being able to enjoy watching TV anymore.

Well, our unknown poet tells us that we can put that pressure to better use.  We can let all that’s going on press us closer to our Lord, and into being more like Him, more Christ-like in our daily walk.  We are going to continue to be under pressure, but we can turn that into a closer relationship with God, our only true Helper.


When Paul was a prisoner in Rome, he was under house arrest, which meant he still had to pay for his home there.  The church in Philippi loved Paul so much that they helped him financially, helped him pay his rent, helped him pay for his food and supplies.  And Paul thanked them often for seeing to his needs.

To assure the good brothers and sisters there, he told them he was doing well through all his trials.  He let them know he was content with what he had, that he had known good times and bad, feast and famine, thick and thin.  And through it all, no matter what the world threw at him, he could rejoice.

In joy and in sorrow, he could always find something to be thankful for, just like receiving help from the Philippians even though their own resources were limited and humble.  He could rejoice because he knew a secret: he could endure anything because his strength came from the Lord.


Paul also shared this message of being thankful and rejoicing in all situations with the Thessalonians.  Listen to what he wrote to them in his 1st letter, chapter 5, verses 16 through 22…

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

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Examine all things. Firmly hold onto what is good. 22 Abstain from all appearances of evil.

--1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (MEV)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks.  We don’t have to thank God for the bad stuff, nor do nothing but pray.  But we need to look for the good, even in the worst of situations, and thank God by praying to Him.  This is what He wants of us, this is His will for us.


Now Paul was originally a Pharisee, well versed in the Jewish scripture.  Perhaps he had a song of King David in mind when he penned these letters I’ve read from.  When the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem and placed in the tent prepared for it, the faithful celebrated and King David composed a psalm and handed it to Asaph and his brothers, a psalm that held these words, from 1st Chronicles chapter 16, verses 8 and 34...

8 Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name;
make known His deeds among the peoples.

34 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
for His mercy endures forever.

--1 Chronicles 16:8, 34 (MEV)

God is good… all the time.  He sees to our needs, He helps us through the worst of circumstances, He still works miracles both great and small.  And His love and His mercy endure forever.  Give Him thanks, and let others know just how great He truly is, how much He means to us.


We are assailed from all sides by disease, unrest, disorder, division.  Many people are afraid to leave their homes.  It seems like some are just looking for a reason to find fault, to argue, to start a fight.  Misinformation abounds.  Confusion turns to concern, concern turns to doubt, questions arise, and sometimes angers flare.

When will this all be over?  When will things return to normal?  How are we going to get through this mess?  Where is God in all this?!?


In all things, give thanks.  In all things, take strength from the Lord.  In all things, be not anxious, but be encouraged.  For we can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens us.  In the blessed name of Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for providing for our needs and then giving even more so that we can take some measure of enjoyment from this life.  Thank You for being with us through all the turmoil.  Help us, please Father, to be always mindful of just how good You are, even as we walk under the shadow of death.  Help us be ever thankful for all Your blessings.  And Father, help us be more trusting, more loving, more merciful, and more kindhearted toward others in our daily walk.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You straight from our hearts, promising to repent of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You strengthen us.  Through all the hardships of this life on earth, we can take our strength from You.  No matter what we face, You will help us through it.  Thank You, Christ Jesus!  But Lord, we so desperately need Your help and strength right now.  We feel so overwhelmed, so helpless, sometimes even hopeless.  Help us, please, to stay strong.  Reassure us that even this will pass.  Help us remember that You strengthen us and God’s Holy Spirit empowers us.  And Lord Jesus, please stop the conflicts in our society.  Heal the divisions that creep in and separate us, even within Your church family.  Help us to love one another as You love us, to see one another as You see us.  And please, Lord, be ever with us as we walk through these troubling times.  Help us remain faithful and obedient through it all, concerned more with the needs of others than with our own wants and desires.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Our House

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 19th of July, 2020, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service, due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  We were not able to stream the service this morning, but our YouTube streaming channel is:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

It doesn’t take much searching through our Bible to see the “house of the Lord” discussed.  I mentioned a couple such instances earlier, where King David sang of the house of the Lord in psalms.  But these passages are not referring to a physical structure.  They’re not talking about an actual house or building.  The biblical references to the house of the Lord are to a spiritual construct.  It’s something we humans can more easily understand as a concept, even without divinely inspired insight.

Let me read to you one prophet’s take on the house of the Lord, one man who was indeed inspired by and spoke for God.  Please listen and follow along to God’s word as spoken and recorded by the prophet Micah, from the 4th chapter of the book bearing his name, verses 1 through 5, and I’ll be reading this from the New American Standard Bible…

1 And it will come about in the last days
That the mountain of the house of the Lord
Will be established as the chief of the mountains.
It will be raised above the hills,
And the peoples will stream to it.
2 Many nations will come and say,
“Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord
And to the house of the God of Jacob,
That He may teach us about His ways
And that we may walk in His paths.”
For from Zion will go forth the law,
Even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 And He will judge between many peoples
And render decisions for mighty, distant nations.
Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
And never again will they train for war.
4 Each of them will sit under his vine
And under his fig tree,
With no one to make them afraid,
For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.
5 Though all the peoples walk
Each in the name of his god,
As for us, we will walk
In the name of the Lord our God forever and ever. 

--Micah 4:1-5 (NASB)

Let us pray…  Father God, we long for those days of peace Your prophet Micah describes.  A time when war is forgotten and people can be at ease, not afraid of harm from other men or even disease.  We who accept Your Son as our Lord know that this will only come to pass when we enter Your house in heaven.  Father, please help us get to that point.  Help us get through this life with our faith and belief intact when Your Son returns.  And Father, please protect this family from all the effects of the coronavirus and what is going on in the world around us.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind in our love and worship, and healthy and safe through the trying days ahead.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us for this day, that it may stay with us through the days ahead.  Help us take guidance and strength from Your Holy Spirit within us. This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.


From a national survey of strong families, conducted by the Human Development and Family Department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1983, comes this profile of a strong family:

Appreciation:  "Family members gave one another compliments and sincere demonstrations of approval.  They tried to make the others feel appreciated and good about themselves."

Ability to Deal with Crises in a Positive Manner:  "They were willing to take a bad situation, see something positive in it and focus on that."

Time Together:  "In all areas of their lives - meals, work, recreation - they structured their schedules to spend time together."

High Degree of Commitment:  "Families promoted each person's happiness and welfare, invested time and energy in each other and made family their number one priority."

Good Communication Patterns:  "These families spent time talking with each other. They also listened well, which shows respect."

High Degree of Religious Orientation:  "Not all belonged to an organized church, but they considered themselves highly religious."

These are attributes that make for strong family cohesion.  Sometimes a family unit can be a highly caustic, even explosive environment.  Especially, it seems, if it includes a teenager.

But how much better would it be if all families put these traits into practice?  How much stronger and close-knit could we be if we worked hard to make each other feel appreciated, feel good about ourselves?  If we were willing to see something good and positive in even the worst situation?  If we spent more time together in all aspects of our lives, even if we had to schedule that time in?  If we invested time and energy in each other’s happiness and spiritual well-being?  If we just really listened to each other?

We – Pilgrim Church – we are a strong family.  But how much stronger could we be?


God chooses to speak through certain people that we call prophets, both major and minor.  Through Micah, God tells us of the time when His peace shall reign.  Now understand that this only comes after Jesus returns and sets the world aright.  In the last days, Micah says, God will finally be exalted and people will come to Him, will obey Him, and He will judge everyone, great and small.  We're not there yet, but we are getting closer.

We're not there yet as a people.  Rather than turning our swords into plowshares, we're sharpening them.  Rather than never again training for war, we're preparing for battle, abroad and even at home, including within this, our house - the house of our family of God.  We believers must continue to walk this life in the name of the Lord our God, no matter what comes next.


Jesus gives us signs of what to expect as the time of His return nears.  He warns of brother rising up against brother, of families being torn apart.  Listen to the words of our Savior as recorded by the Apostle Mark in chapter 13 of his Gospel account, verses 7 and 8 and 12 and 13…

7 "But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

12 "Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved."

--Mark 13:7-8; 12-13 (NKJV)

Tell me…  Have any on you seen evidence of this type of behavior lately?  “Nation rising against nation”…  In our Bible, when we see the word “nation”, it generally refers to people, not countries like we know of them today.  The next part, “kingdom against kingdom”, is more of what we are used to, with countries at war with one another.  And we’re seeing both, right now.

In our country, at this very time, we see people rising up against one another over issues of social injustice, or how to protect ourselves from the spread of disease.  Brothers are fighting with brothers, sisters with sisters, children with their parents.   The Middle East is rife with conflict, China is making veiled threats against Taiwan, North Korea threatens everyone.

Earthquakes, famines, troubles…  we’re seeing all kinds of natural disasters as well as the man-made variety.  It doesn’t get much more troubling than the coronavirus and how it has impacted the entire world.  And we believers are being hated, more and more, just because of our profession of faith.

The church, the body of Christ, is seeing persecution from more sources now, including the government.  Yes, I truly believe we’re getting closer to the time Micah tells us about.


Jesus also warns that a house divided against itself cannot stand.  Again turning to Mark’s Gospel account, back to chapter 3 and verses 24 and 25, Jesus says…

24 "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand."

--Mark 3:24-25 (NKJV)

The Pharisees accused Jesus of being able to drive evil spirits out of people by the authority of Satan, but Jesus reasoned that Satan would not allow for his own servants to be vanquished, otherwise his “kingdom”, his “house”, would fall.  And what He said goes for any organized body, including the family.  A family that fights against itself cannot stay intact.

The church is the body of Jesus, the family of God.  The church of Jesus our Christ will stand, will survive.  But individual church families may not, if divisions within them cannot be healed.


Everything seems to be working against us right now.  We have this terrible disease sweeping the globe, and somewhat arbitrary reactions to it.  The economy is suffering, people are out of work, those still working are having to do everything differently.  Arguments arise over whether to wear masks or not, whether to start up all businesses or wait a while longer, whether to have students return to the classroom or continue trying to learn from home.

And through it all, we’ve forgotten how to treat each other.  We’ve forgotten to love - first and foremost, above all else, to love one another.  And all this unrest and distrust and frustration and outright hatred has bored down even to the family level, even into the church family.


Brothers and sisters, this isn’t the Lord’s house.  This is our house!  We are the Lord’s people.  This is the place we come together to worship our Lord.  This is where we gather before going out into the community to do the Lord’s work.

This is our house and we are our Lord’s people.  Let’s distance ourselves from the world, put our personal feelings aside and renew our love for one another.  Let’s patch up the divisions and reunite this family to the service of Jesus and the worship of God.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for speaking to us through Your prophets, giving us insight into what we can expect in the future.  Thank You for the promise of hope Your word provides.  Please help us get through all this mess each day.  Help us survive with our faith intact and vital.  Help us remember that You are still in control and working Your plan for the redemption of the world.  And Father, help us be more trusting, more loving, more merciful, and more kindhearted in our daily walk.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You straight from our hearts, promising to repent of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, some beautiful day You will return to call Your church home and You will right all the wrong in this world.  Then we will know true peace.  But until that time comes, we will continue to see the world sink further and further into chaos.  We’ll see wars and pestilence and disease increase.  Greater chasms will open up between peoples, even within families.  Jesus, help us, please, to survive all this.  Help us to get through each day that lies ahead.  Help us to not fall victim to Satan’s attempts and temptations that pull us away from You.  Please heal the divisions that creep in and separate us, even within Your church family.  Help us to love one another, to treat each other with respect, to seek justice, to have mercy.  And please, Lord, be ever with us as we walk through these troubling times.  Help us remain faithful and obedient through it all, concerned more with our church family as a whole and with the needs of others than with our own wants and desires.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

We Are the Church

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 12th of July, 2020, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service, also streamed live, due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

The church of our Lord Jesus once again finds itself suffering through a time of great trial.  The events of the past half-year are unprecedented, in our nation and at least in our lifetime.

Sure, the church has experienced similar incidents throughout US history, but those have been isolated and rare, not widespread and common throughout the country.  But now, services have been canceled all over.  People have been constrained from gathering together for worship.  Some have been arrested on their own church grounds for trying new ways to worship together.  And now I’ve seen in the news where some churches have been told not to sing or join in congregational readings or recitations, even though they are allowed to come together in their sanctuaries.

The early church knew all about suffering and persecution.  They met in homes and the back rooms of stores, often times having to stay hidden to avoid arrest.  But the church survived, and will always survive, because it was built by Jesus upon a rock.  And part of the church’s survival is thanks to its make-up, its composition.

Please listen and follow along to how the Apostle Paul describes the church, in the 12th chapter of his 1st letter to the church in Corinth, and I’ll be reading this from the English Standard Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills.

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as He chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way. 

--1 Corinthians 12 (ESV)

Let us pray…  Father God, by the works and sacrifice of Your Son Jesus, and by our acceptance of Him as our Master and Savior, we have Your Holy Spirit within us and can freely say that Jesus is Lord!  Through Your Spirit You have given each of us believers a gift, a spiritual gift, some special talent or ability.  And You have fashioned us into one body, one family by adoption.  Father, please help us use our gifts to serve You.  Help us to put our special abilities to use and to be of one mind so that the whole body of Christ can function smoothly, to the benefit of all.  Help us to love as Jesus loved, to see others through His eyes, to use our gifts in service to You by serving them.  And Father, please protect this family from all the effects of the coronavirus and what is going on in the world today.  Please keep us strong in our faith, unified in our love and worship, and healthy and safe through the days ahead.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us for this day, that it may stay with us through every day.  Speak to us of serving You by serving others using the gifts You have given us.  Help us take guidance and strength from Your Holy Spirit within us. This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.


Religious author Gregory P. Elder once wrote:

"Growing up on the Atlantic Coast, I spent long hours working on intricate sand castles; whole cities would appear beneath my hands.  One year, for several days in a row, I was accosted by bullies who smashed my creations.  Finally I tried an experiment: I placed cinder blocks, rocks, and chunks of concrete in the base of my castles.  Then I built the sand kingdoms on top of the rocks.  When the local toughs appeared (and I disappeared), their bare feet suddenly met their match.  Many people see the church in grave peril from a variety of dangers: secularism, politics, heresies, or plain old sin.  They forget that the church is built upon a Rock, over which the gates of hell itself shall not prevail."

I just love that imagery of the bullies kicking the sandcastle and hitting the hidden rocks and chunks of concrete.  But you know, the greatest bully of all is Satan.  He’s been trying to kick over the church for almost 2000 years now.  But he just keeps stubbing his toes.  And that’s because the church is built on a rock, the Rock of our salvation, against which the gates of hell itself cannot prevail.  We are the church, and Jesus is our Rock.


There was a time when Jesus had a talk with His disciples.  Jesus asked them who the people said He was.  The answers were varied, just as the level of understanding of the people varied.  And then Jesus asked His followers who did they themselves say He was.

Simon replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  Jesus assured him that that knowledge had been revealed to him by God.  The Apostle Matthew recorded the next thing Jesus said to Simon, in chapter 16 verse 18 of his Gospel account…

18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

--Matthew 16:18 (NKJV)

Now you may hear different interpretations of that verse, with some saying that Simon Peter himself is the foundation of the church.  After all, Jesus gave Simon the name Peter which in the Greek means “rock”.  But many, myself included, believe that Jesus was referring to what Peter had just said, not to Peter himself.  Peter confessed Jesus to be the Christ, the Messiah, and the true Son of the living God.  That confession of faith is the rock, the foundation, upon which Jesus built His church.

Notice that Jesus is the Builder, not the foundation.  Jesus is our Rock, upon which we stand, but the church itself is built upon our professions of faith, our confessions from our mouths and from our hearts, that Jesus is Christ our Lord, the true Son of God.


So, we are the church.  We, the people who confess Jesus as Lord, not the building but the folks who congregate here… we are the church!  And in our scripture reading, Paul describes us.

We have each been given some gift, or gifts, from God because of our belief in Jesus His Son.  While we’ve all been blessed in so many ways, I’m talking about spiritual gifts here.  Gifts that we should put to use in serving God.  The gifts are varied, just as we, the members of the church, are varied.

The church is the body of Christ left on earth to carry on His work, and each of us are members of that body.  Just as each member of our physical body has a function, a purpose, each of us has a function, a purpose to fulfill within the body of Christ.  And we were given a gift to help fulfill that function.

Paul tells us each gift is a manifestation of the Spirit Himself, given for the common good – not just for our own good, but for the good of all.  And while each of us is different and has a different gift or talent, we are still each part of the larger whole, each a part of the entire body.  Even this church family of Pilgrim is one member of the greater body of Christ, the Church with a capital “C”.

Our individual physical body does not consist of just one member, nor does the church.  We all have a role to play, and we have been given some special ability to help us in that task.


Then Paul gets to a message that I think every member of every church and every church of the body of Christ needs to better understand.  Each part of this body is important.  No one part is more important than another.  Even the weakest part is still indispensable.

God has so composed the body that there be no division within the body, but that its members may have the same care for one another!  And that goes for whether we’re talking about our individual physical body, the body that is Pilgrim Church, or the full body of Christ left on earth.

We are the church, members of the body of Christ, and God intended that there not be any division among us!  We are to have the same care for one another, not choosing favorites, not considering some to be less worthy, not putting ourselves ahead of anyone else.  Because, as a body, if one of us suffers, we all suffer.  If one of us hurts, we all hurt.  If one of us is honored, we should all rejoice.  This is how a body works.

Think about it this way…  if your feet hurt or your back hurts or your head aches, how tough is it to get anything done, or even to just get through the day?  Well family, sometimes we give each other headaches.


Jesus founded His church upon the confessions of all believers that He is the Christ, the Son of God.  He gave us a couple really easy, simple tasks.  We are to love one another as we love ourselves, as He loves us.  And we are the witness to Him, confess our faith in Him so that others can hear and see it, and by our love and belief, we can enable them to follow Him also.

But sometimes we can’t even manage to love one another here within the family of God, the body of Christ.  Divisions open among us.  We let our pride get in our way.

We are the church.  Let’s remember to act like it.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, thank You first and most of all for calling us to faith and belief in Jesus as Your Son, sent to redeem us of our sin.  Thank You for the special gifts and abilities You give us, empowered by Your Holy Spirit.  Please help us put those gifts to better use in serving You by serving others, even those within the body of Christ.  Help us to truly be the body You intended, one without division, one that cares earnestly for one another.  And help us be more faithful, more trusting, more loving, more merciful, and more kindhearted in our daily walk.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You straight from our hearts, promising to repent of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You built Your church upon the rock that is composed of our confessions of You as our Lord.  We recognize You as the true Son of God, the Christ sent to free us from our sin, the Messiah upon whom we can place all our hope and trust.  Jesus, help us, please, to fulfil our role within Your church.  Help us to be good, active members of Your body.  Please heal the divisions that creep in and separate us.  Help us to love, to serve, to do no harm.  And please, Lord, be ever with us as we walk through these troubling times.  Help us remain faithful and obedient through it all, concerned more with the mission of the church and the needs of others than with our own wants and desires.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Freedom to Serve

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 5th of July, 2020, July 4th weekend, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service, also streamed live, due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Back on Mother’s Day, I mentioned that one of the women who stayed by Jesus to the end was the mother of James and John.  She loved her sons so much that she stayed with them all the way to the cross.  She had even dared to approach Jesus shortly before then to ask a special favor of Him for her boys.  Her request upset the other disciples when they heard about it.  What Jesus told them is something we all need to hear, and to take heed of.

Please listen and follow along to the conversation as recorded by the Apostle Matthew in chapter 20, verses 20 through 28 of his Gospel account, and I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible this morning…

20 Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. 21 “What is your request?” He asked.

She replied, “In Your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to You, one on Your right and the other on Your left.”

22 But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”

“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”

23 Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from My bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on My right or My left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones He has chosen.”

24 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 25 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

--Matthew 20:20-28 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Father God, by Your word in our Bible, You remind us that we will not be spared suffering in this world.  Even Your own Son Jesus had to drink from the bitter cup of betrayal, injustice, brutality, and pain.  As believers, we can expect no less.  But just as did Jesus, we must look past the bitterness and see the great opportunity You give us to serve.  By our service to others, we serve You.  By our Lord’s sacrifice and blood, we have been set free from slavery to Satan and sin and given the chance to please You by our service to others.  Please help us as we strive to serve.  Help us to love unconditionally as Jesus loved, to see others for what is in their heart and not their physical appearance.  Help us to be more worthy of Jesus’ sacrifice.  And Father, please protect this family from all the effects of the coronavirus and what is going on in the world today.  Please keep us strong in our faith, unified in our love and worship, and healthy and safe through the days ahead.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us for this day and for every day.  Speak to us of serving You by serving others.  Help us take guidance and strength from the words in our Bible and from Your Holy Spirit within us. This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.


Peter Marshall was born in Scotland, came to America with his family, and became a pastor.  In 1947, he was appointed as Chaplain of the US Senate, where he served until his sudden death of a heart attack two years later.  During that time, Rev. Marshall lifted this prayer:

"Lord Jesus, thou who art the way, the truth, and the life; hear us as we pray for the truth that shall make all free. Teach us that liberty is not only to be loved but also to be lived. Liberty is too precious a thing to be buried in books. It costs too much to be hoarded. Help us see that our liberty is not the right to do as we please, but the opportunity to please to do what is right."

Liberty is not only to be loved, but to be lived.  It does not give us the right to do as we please, but the chance to do what is right.  We who believe in Jesus and accept Him as our Lord have seen the truth, the truth of Jesus, and have been set free.  And that freedom gives us the chance to choose, whether to return to the bonds of slavery to Satan and sin, or to become servants of our Lord.  Celebrate liberty by living it, and live it by serving God.


And yes, once we have been freed by Jesus, we do have a choice whether to faithfully follow Him or to return to a life of sin, of disobeying God and serving the devil’s agenda.  There are some who say that if a person returns to sin, they were never truly saved in the first place.  But I think that someone can hear and believe in the Gospel, can accept Jesus, yet still go astray.  I believe Jesus Himself addresses this in His parable of the sower, and the seed that falls on stony ground, where the plant sprouts but there is not enough good soil for it to fully take root.

And I also think we can all see how hard it can be to stay sinless in this world, to not be disobedient to God in all things.  Little hatreds and distrusts creep into our thoughts and out of our mouths.  We become more concerned about what we see being done to us than about what we are doing for others.

The Apostle Paul cautions us about returning to our old, sinful ways.  Please listen to what he wrote to the church in Rome in chapter 6 verses 12 through 23 of that letter…

12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

19 Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.

20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. 21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

--Romans 6:12-23 (NLT)

19th century American pastor Phillips Brooks may be better known as the person who wrote the lyrics for that wonderful Christmas hymn, "O Little Town of Bethlehem".  But Pastor Brooks also echoed Paul's words when he said, "No man in this world attains to freedom from any slavery except by entrance into some higher servitude.  There is no such thing as an entirely free man conceivable."

We have a choice of who or what we will serve.  Do we want to help Satan in his efforts to hurt Jesus and destroy the church?  Or do we want to help God advance His kingdom as He works out His great plan?

Those are our choices:  serve Satan or serve God.  Jesus said we are either working for Him or against Him.  There is no middle ground, no riding the fence, no standing on the sidelines watching the game.  We have a choice – choose wisely!


One last point I’d like to bring up regarding our freedom and liberty.  As a nation, a united people, we fought to gain our independence and we have continued to fight to maintain our freedoms.  And as a nation, a united people, we instituted our liberty by our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

But family, as a people freed by Jesus, our only true right, the only one that matters, is to serve God.  Just as Jesus came to us not to be served but to serve, let us make serving others our priority.  We have been set free, and now we are free to serve our Lord.

Let us not be self-serving, nor serve the devil and his agenda.  Love God and love others.  Serve God by serving others.  And in all things, do no harm.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for allowing us to see the Truth that is Your Son Jesus.  Through Him we are washed clean and set free from Satan’s grasp.  Please help us remain free.  Help us to make the right choice when faced with any decision life puts in our path.  Help us serve You by serving others, just as Jesus served.  And help us be more faithful, more trusting, more loving, more merciful, and more kindhearted in our daily dealings with all we encounter.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You straight from our hearts, promising to repent of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You came down from heaven to earth, and as God, You could have demanded anything You wanted of us.  But instead, You came to serve us, to offer us salvation and eternal life, to wash us clean in God’s eyes.  Jesus, help us, please, to stay clean, to do the right things.  Help us to make the right choice to serve You and our Father God by serving others like You served.  Help us to love and to do no harm.  And please, Lord, be ever with us as we walk through these troubling times.  Help us remain faithful and obedient through it all, concerned more with the needs of others than with our own wants and desires.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.