The Antichrist

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 29th of September, 2024.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, there are two questions I am often asked.  One is something to the effect, “Why did God allow this to happen?”, whatever “this” might happen to be.  To answer that one, I just harken back to when Isaiah spoke for God, saying, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”  And I can follow that up with the Apostle Paul’s declaration that, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

In other words, I don’t know why God lets things happen that we see as bad and harmful, but I trust that in the end, it will all work out to our good.  But let’s face it… that’s not a very satisfying answer to someone’s serious inquiry, especially if they’re hurting.

The second question, though, has a more definitive answer, and one that can be found in our Bible.  It is sometimes asked during an occurrence that prompted the first question, but may be completely unconnected.  And to my memory, this is the first time I’ve been asked this during an election cycle here in the US.

That question:  “Is so-an-so the Antichrist?”, with a capital “A”.  “Is this person the Antichrist, or maybe that person?”  “Is the Antichrist alive today and walking among us, just waiting to show himself?”  “Oh, and it will be a ‘he’, right?”

Well, like I said, the answers to questions concerning the Antichrist are right here in our Bible, for God doesn’t want us to be confused about it.  When Jesus revealed what is to come to His beloved disciple, John saw the Antichrist and his master, Satan.  Please listen and follow along to the words recorded by the Apostle John in the first 10 verses of the 13th chapter of his Book of Revelation, and I’ll be reading from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on his horns, and blasphemous names on his heads. 2 The beast which I saw was like a leopard. His feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. 3 I saw one of his heads as if it was mortally wounded, but his deadly wound was healed, and the whole world marveled and followed the beast. 4 They worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast. And they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war with him?”

5 He was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies. And he was given authority to wage war for forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to speak blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to wage war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe and tongue and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, all whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.

9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

10 “He who is to be taken captive,

into captivity he shall go;

he who kills with the sword,

with the sword he must be killed.”

--Revelation 13:1-10 (MEV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing answers in our Bible to questions that often come up in life.  We even have the words from Your prophets of thousands of years ago that give us insight into Your thoughts and ways.  Sadly though, Father, we don’t always look to Your word first when confronted by a tough question.  We don’t always fully trust in Your word, but harbor doubts instead.  Forgive us these times, Father.  Please help us be more trusting and accepting of Your word.  And help us be more obedient to You and Your Son’s command to spread the Good News in our Bible.  Give us the courage and the will to worship You with our proper service.  Help us as we step out into the world witnessing to the non-believers, sharing the Good News and showing Your love.  And please forgive us when we hesitate to speak and act on behalf of You and our Lord Jesus out of fear or anxiety.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Help us share the Good News of forgiveness and everlasting life in our daily walk.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

An article once appeared in the little "Our Daily Bread" magazine that began... “The word ‘maranatha’ is a Syriac expression that means: ‘our Lord comes.’  It was used as a greeting in the early church.  When believers gathered or parted, they didn't say ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ but ‘Maranatha!’  If we had the same upward look today, it would revolutionize the church.  O that God's people had a deepening awareness of the imminent return of the Savior!”

The timing of the great Rapture, the coming of the Antichrist, and our Lord's return are all intertwined.  When Jesus returns, whether before, during, or after the Rapture, He will defeat the Antichrist and all evil.  We don't know when all this will occur, but it may happen when we least expect it.  Our Lord comes!  Are we ready?

It only takes a quick read of our scripture this morning to see that the Book of Revelation is one of the most difficult in our Bible to understand.  It’s also one of the most - if not the most - discussed books.  Its wording and descriptive phrases are just strange to us today.  But one thing we need to realize is that John was being shown events and occurrences for which he had no words.  For instance, how could he have possibly described nuclear warfare and its aftermath, as some believe is foretold?  This is why scholars and researchers have expended countless hours discussing and debating John’s words.  But he does give us a picture of the Antichrist, even if he doesn’t call him by that name in this passage.

Earlier in Revelation, we are told of some events that will happen before the Antichrist comes.  These include the introduction and use of one world currency, of one world government, where the ten "kings" come together to rule all, and of the two witnesses who stand in testimony to God and Jesus.  Then we get to John’s description in those first 10 verses of chapter 13.

It may help to see the “ten horns” and “ten crowns” on the head of the beast as representing the ten kings, the ten world leaders who will give their power and authority to the Antichrist.  And the mortal wound that was healed likely represents a fatal injury where Satan brings the Antichrist back to life, imitating the resurrection of Jesus, and causing the world to worship him like Jesus.  Add that to his ability to speak great things, and the people are drawn to him.  And he is given the authority and power to wage war for 42 months – three and one-half years… the first half of the seven year tribulation.

The timing for the events of Revelation is a little confusing, with much still being a matter for debate.  For example, some believe – and some scripture supports – that the Antichrist may not appear until midway through the Tribulation, which true believers may not see if the Rapture comes before Tribulation.  Scripture also supports my personal belief, one shared by many, that Jesus will return in the sky to call His church home shortly before the Tribulation begins and before the Antichrist makes his presence known.

Like I said, this is all pretty confusing, but the point is that John indeed makes it clear that the Antichrist will appear and make war against God’s domain.  Fortunately we have other sources of information, other references in our Bible.  One of them comes from John again, and this somewhat earlier, when he was writing to the early church scattered throughout the known world.  In the 2nd chapter of his 1st letter, verses 18 through 26, John provides a clear definition of an antichrist, while not yet mentioning the Antichrist…

18 Little children, it is the last hour. As you have heard that the antichrist will come, even now there are many antichrists. By this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have remained with us. But they went out, revealing that none of them were of us.

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I have written to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? Whoever denies the Father and the Son is the antichrist. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father.

24 Let that which you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If that which you have heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that He has promised us — eternal life.

26 I have written these things to you concerning those who deceive you.

--1 John 2:18-26 (MEV)

Putting it simply, an antichrist is anyone who denies God the Father and Jesus the Son.  Jesus once said, “He who is not with Me is against Me”, and an antichrist is certainly not with Christ but working against Him.

I think that in this passage, John explains why that second question keeps popping up, asking, “Is this person the Antichrist?”  We ask this because there are many antichrists – lower case “a”.  There are many people actively working against Christ.  Are any of them the Antichrist?  Maybe, but he hasn’t declared himself yet.  Nor have other signs announced his presence.

Another of our biblical sources of information on the Antichrist comes from the Christ, from Jesus Himself.  Listen to what the Apostle Matthew recorded in verses 3 through 14 of chapter 24 in his Gospel account…

3 As Jesus 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 Jesus answered 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 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled. For all these things must happen, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, epidemics, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. And you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 Then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will rise and will deceive many. 12 Because iniquity will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

--Matthew 24:3-14 (MEV)

Many will come declaring themselves to be the Christ, even the Antichrist himself, according to John and his Book of Revelation.  And we’ve seen this throughout the Jesus age and even in modern times, with many an antichrist claiming to be the one and only Christ.  And we’ve certainly had enough wars and rumors of wars, especially now.  We’re even seeing more and more persecution of the church all over the world, including here in the US.

All this is true, but Jesus says the end is not yet.  The beast has not yet risen from the sea, the tribulation has not yet begun, Jesus has not yet called His church home.  Once the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached throughout the world as a testimony to all nations and all peoples, then the end will come.

So is the end close?  Is this person or that person the Antichrist?  Well, maybe.  Only God knows for sure.  We do know, though, that he hasn’t shown himself yet if he is alive now.  And we know all the signs have not yet been given.  But if I and other like-minded folks are right, we may never know who – or what - the Antichrist is, for Jesus will come and call us home before the beast makes his presence known.  And for that belief, I thank God.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, who has promised us and gives us eternal life.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You again for giving us answers in our Bible to questions that we often struggle with.  You inspired the authors of the books of our Bible to give us these answers by Your words.  But sometimes, Father, we still struggle with the answers we receive.  Some we just don’t like, while some just confuse us even more.  But we trust You, Father, and know that You are working all things according to Your plan and to the good for us and all who love You and are Your chosen.  Thank You for showing Your love in this way.  But sometimes, we just have trouble letting go of our worries and anxieties.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  And forgive us when we let the world dictate our actions.  Please help us reach out more into the world, serving You by serving others.  Help us be more like Your Son Jesus, being more forgiving and merciful in our dealings with others.  Please strengthen our spirits to do Your will and help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what the world throws at us or holds out before us.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You gave us the signs to watch for to indicate the end is near.  But more importantly, Lord, You cautioned us to always be ready for that time, to keep doing the mission You gave us, to continue living God’s will.  In this way we will not be caught off-guard when the Antichrist appears to the world.

Lord, we really do want to please.  We try to live as You would have us live, Lord, but sometimes we just get too caught up in the world around us and we lose sight of our mission.  Please forgive us our weaknesses, dear Jesus.  Forgive us our hesitation.  Please help us be more considerate and caring of others.  Help us as we go about spreading the Gospel message.  Help us share Your love by being more understanding, more merciful, more giving and forgiving of others, offering aid when we can.  Not everyone believes in You, so it is our job to help them see the truth and believe.  Give us the words to say, show us what to do to help bring the lost to You.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others.  And heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

The Wondrous Cross

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 15th of September, 2024 - one day after Holy Cross Day.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Yesterday, Saturday, September the 14th, was Holy Cross Day on our Christian calendar.  This may be an unfamiliar holy day for you.  It was set aside to honor our Lord's suffering on the cross, suffering that He willingly accepted for the forgiveness of our sin and for our salvation

Today, we see the cross in and on Christian churches the world over.  It’s worn as jewelry by believers and even some non-believers.  But the cross did not become an accepted and regularly used symbol of Christianity until the 4th century, when it replaced the fish and other commonly used signs of the faith.

Some who practice the faith use the crucifix as their symbol, which has an image of the battered, bleeding, thorn-crowned Jesus still hanging there.  Our cross is empty, just like the tomb where His body was laid.

The Apostle Paul wrote two letters to the church in Corinth, a city in ancient Greece mostly populated by Greeks, Romans, and Hellenists.  The Greek people were vey interested in knowledge and philosophy was widely practiced and respected.  One of the key themes of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians involved giving more emphasis to love rather than knowledge.

But very early in this letter, Paul mentions the cross, and what it means to us, to believers.  Please listen and follow along to the words of the Apostle Paul in the 1st chapter of his 1st letter to the church in Corinth, verses 17 through 24, and I’ll be reading from the Contemporary English Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

17 Christ did not send me to baptize. He sent me to tell the good news without using words that sound wise and would make the cross of Christ lose its power.

18 The message about the cross doesn't make any sense to lost people. But for those of us who are being saved, it is God's power at work. 19  As God says in the Scriptures,

“I will destroy the wisdom

of all who claim

to be wise.

I will confuse those

who think they know

so much.”

20  What happened to those wise people? What happened to those experts in the Scriptures? What happened to the ones who think they have all the answers? Didn't God show that the wisdom of this world is foolish? 21  God was wise and decided not to let the people of this world use their wisdom to learn about Him.

Instead, God chose to save only those who believe the foolish message we preach. 22 Jews ask for miracles, and Greeks want something that sounds wise. 23 But we preach that Christ was nailed to a cross. Most Jews have problems with this, and most Gentiles think it is foolish. 24 Our message is God's power and wisdom for the Jews and the Greeks that He has chosen.

--1 Corinthians 1:17-24 (CEV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we thank You for choosing us to follow Your Son Jesus.  This is truly an undeserved blessing.  Sadly though, Father, we sometimes forget the message of the cross.  We hesitate to do the work Jesus left for us to do.  We know that we need to reach out to the non-believers around us, but too often we hesitate to do so.  Forgive us these times, Father.  Please help us be more obedient to Your and Your Son’s commands.  Give us the courage and the will to worship You with our proper service.  Help us as we step out into the world, offering aid where we can and witnessing to the non-believers, sharing the Good News and showing Your love.  And please forgive us when we hesitate to speak and act on behalf of You and our Lord Jesus out of fear or anxiety.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Thank You for forgiving and forgetting our sin.  Help us share the Good News of forgiveness and everlasting life in our daily walk.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

The name of the person who made this observation is unknown, but they noted that, “If you were to look at Rembrandt's painting of The Three Crosses, your attention would be drawn first to the center cross on which Jesus died.  Then as you would look at the crowd gathered around the foot of that cross, you'd be impressed by the various facial expressions and actions of the people involved in the awful crime of crucifying the Son of God.  Finally, your eyes would drift to the edge of the painting and catch sight of another figure, almost hidden in the shadows.  Art critics say this is a representation of Rembrandt himself, for he recognized that by his sins he helped nail Jesus to the cross.”

Jews are often accused of executing our Lord, but we are the ones who did the dirty work.  We Gentiles, in the persons of the Romans, humiliated Jesus, tortured Him, and nailed Him to a cross to die.  And every time we sin, by our every disobedience, we drive a nail into His hand.

But in the act of dying, Jesus defeated death.  And He did it for us, that we might never die.  Isaiah said it best: “He was wounded and crushed because of our sins; by taking our punishment, He made us completely well.”

Maybe that’s each of us, standing there off to the side in Rembrandt's painting…

Paul says the message of the cross doesn’t make any sense to lost people – to the lost.  The New King James Versions phrases it that, “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing”.  But what is the message of the cross?

Well, it depends on who you ask.  To the Romans, the cross was a warning to anyone who would even think about upsetting the peace enforced by Rome.  To the world, a cross is where a man named Jesus was executed for his crimes.  And a little earlier, I alluded to what the cross says to us, we who believe.  It is a sign of God’s power in raising His Son from the dead, promising eternal life to all who follow Jesus.  But family, there’s another message of the cross of Jesus, and it is one He gave voice, one that has to do with following Him.

After Jesus had hand-picked His twelve disciples, He told them they were also to be His apostles, and He sent them out two-by-two to heal the people and spread the word about the kingdom of heaven.  Upon their return, He spoke some hard truths.  Listen to what Jesus told His chosen twelve, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew in the 10th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 37 through 39…

37  “If you love your father or mother or even your sons and daughters more than Me, you are not fit to be My disciples. 38  And unless you are willing to take up your cross and follow Me, you are not fit to be My disciples. 39  If you try to save your life, you will lose it. But if you give it up for Me, you will surely find it.”

--Matthew 10:37-39 (CEV)

If we want to follow Jesus, truly follow Him, we must be willing to take up our cross, bear the load, not worrying about this life but giving our all to Jesus, just as He gave His all for us.

Much later in His ministry, after the feeding of the 5000 and then later the 4000, after Peter proclaimed that Jesus is the Christ, the long awaited Messiah, our Lord told His disciples of His upcoming death and resurrection.  At this point, He didn’t mention how His death would be carried out, but when He addressed His disciples and the gathered crowd, He hinted at the method of His impending execution.  Hear what the Apostle Mark recorded for us in verses 34 and 35 of the 8th chapter of his Gospel account…

34  Jesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and He said:

If any of you want to be My followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow Me. 35  If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for Me and for the good news, you will save it.

--Mark 8:34-35 (CEV)

We must forget about ourselves.  To save our life we must destroy it.  This doesn’t mean we need to develop amnesia or commit suicide.  No, He means we must let go of our self, our sense of self - we must destroy our sense of self.  We must give up selfishness and become selfless.  This is also a message of the cross to us, for this is one way we take up our cross so that we may follow Jesus, by giving ourselves to Him.

Crucifixion may not have first been devised by the Romans, but they certainly put it to horrific use as a means of torture and execution, intended as a deterrent against breaking the peace imposed by Imperial Rome.  They would leave the bodies hanging there for days as a warning to everyone who passed by.  To them, the message of the cross was, “This will be your fate if you cross us.”

But to us - we who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God – to we who follow Him, the message the cross sends is much different.  It is a show of God’s power and wisdom.  It is a wondrous sign that our Lord defeated death and conquered the grave, winning a victory that we will share in.

And it is also a message of God’s love.  For like Jesus said, “God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.”

The message of the cross is not simply a saying or an ideal - it is a way of life.  Each and every day we may be challenged because of our faith.  We don’t know when we may once again have to lift our cross upon our shoulders and face the scorn of the non-believing world.  But if we find ourselves in that situation, let us willingly and gladly bear our load, giving of ourselves to Jesus.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, who bore the cross for us.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your own Son into the world to offer us forgiveness of our sin and life everlasting.  You used the cross to send us a message, one that the world cannot understand and thinks is foolish.  But we get it, Father.  We understand that the cross, the empty cross, is a clear sign of Your love for us and Your creation.  Thank You for sending this message.  Sometimes, though, dear Father, we lose sight of what You did for us through Your Christ Jesus.  We hesitate or even downright refuse to go out into the world sharing the Good News and making disciples.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  And forgive us when we can’t seem to let go of our sense of self, giving of ourselves to Jesus.  Please help us reach out more into the world, serving You by serving others.  Help us be more like Your Son Jesus, being more forgiving and merciful in our dealings with others.  Guide us around any pitfalls in this life and strengthen our spirits to do Your will.  And please help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what the world throws at us or holds out before us.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You gave up Your mortal life there upon that cruel cross, and You did it for our sake, carrying out Your Father’s will.  Your cross is our sign of Your sacrifice, and of how You conquered death so that we too might have eternal life.  Lord, we really do want to please You and do the mission You gave us.  We try to live as You would have us live, Lord, but sometimes we just get too caught up in the world around us and we lose sight of the cross.  Please forgive us our weaknesses, dear Jesus.  Forgive us our hesitation.  Please help us be more considerate and caring of others.  Help us as we go about spreading the Gospel message.  Help us share Your love by being more understanding, more merciful, more giving and forgiving of others, offering aid when we can.  Not everyone believes in You, so it is our job to help them see the truth and believe.  Give us the words to say, show us what to do to help bring the lost to You.

Lord Jesus, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations and all the false teachings.  Help us fend off his attacks.  Please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Come Home

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 8th of September, 2024 - homecoming Sunday at Pilgrim Reformed.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, any homecoming is a special occasion, a time for celebration.  It brings families back together.  It is especially delightful when a family member returns who has been away for a while, like a student gone off to college or a service member returning from a deployment.  Homecoming is even special if that returning member left out of anger or for the wrong reasons, or did something terribly wrong while they were away.  No matter its size or how its made up, a family that truly loves each other, where love is the key focus, is a forgiving family.

Let me tell you about a family I read of in the Gospels.  The story starts, though, as do so many of these stories, with the Pharisees and the scribes complaining about the things that Jesus said and did, finding fault in everything and anything about Him.  Because of their hyper attention, He taught the people in parables, using word pictures they could more readily understand.

Please listen and follow along to one parable Jesus shared with His followers and the people gather around Him, as recorded by the Apostle Luke in chapter 15 of his Gospel account, verses 11 through 24, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

11 Then Jesus said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’

20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’  And they began to be merry.”

--Luke 15:11-24 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we thank You for the example of a loving and forgiving father in our Bible.  This shows us how much You love us and will forgive us no matter how far afield we may roam as long as we return home to You.  Sadly though, Father, we don’t always share this message with others.  We know that we need to reach out to the non-believers around us, but too often we hesitate to do so.  Forgive us these times, Father.  Please help us be more obedient to Your and Your Son’s commands.  Give us the courage and the will to welcome anyone who comes home to You.  Help us as we step out into the world, offering aid where we can and witnessing to the non-believers, sharing the Good News and showing Your love.  And please forgive us when we hesitate to speak and act on behalf of You and our Lord Jesus.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Thank You for forgiving and forgetting our sin.  Help us share the Good News of forgiveness and everlasting life in our daily walk.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

The "Law of the Search" states that the first place to look for anything is the last place you'd expect to find it.  Henry Miller's corollary to that law is that objects are lost because people look where the objects are not instead of where they are.  But objects have no will of their own, and can only be lost when we misplace them, or forget where we put them.  People, on the other hand, can choose to be lost.  It is said that actor Marlon Brando wandered so much on his way to kindergarten each day, that his sister eventually had to walk him to class on a leash.

You know, sometimes we act like young Marlon.  We wander around, heading off in different directions, straying off the path we should be following.  And of course you know I’m not talking about walking to school, but about our spiritual walk through life.

If we’re not careful, if we wander too far afield, we just might get lost.  Unlike my reading glasses that I may think are “lost” when I can’t find them because they’re sitting on top of my head, wandering is a choice I make, whether consciously or unconsciously.  We need to be very careful of just how far we stray off that straight and narrow path.

Our scripture reading this morning is from what is known as the parable of the prodigal son.  The word "prodigal" means wasteful.  The prodigal son wasted all his inheritance on living the high life, and then found himself in trouble.  Broke and desperate, he hired himself out as a farm hand just for something to eat.  He finally sucked in his pride and returned home, hoping to at least be treated as well as the servants.  But his father welcomed him back with open arms and had a great feast prepared in his honor, for his son was home again.

One thing we see in this parable is that when the lost return home, a great celebration is in order.  Just before He spoke this parable of the prodigal son, in the opening 7 verses of the chapter, Luke reports…

1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Jesus to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.”

--Luke 15:1-7 (NKJV)

The parable of the lost sheep, of how the 99 are left while the one that is lost is searched for and found.  The shepherd celebrates and calls his friends and neighbors together.  Rejoice, for the lost has been found.  Rejoice, for the lost has come home.

In the 14th chapter of his Gospel account, the Apostle John records for us in verses 23 and 24 when Jesus is telling His disciples that He will soon be leaving them.  Jesus said…

23 “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.”

--John 14:23b-24 (NKJV)

Do we love Jesus?  Then we will keep His word, carry out His mission, follow His example.  And then we can come home.  Our true home is with God and Jesus.  No matter what we do, or what we have done, if we come home to Jesus we will always be welcomed.  This is unconditional love.  This is God’s love.

Come home.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the one true Son of God, the best example for us to follow.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for preparing a new home for us when we accepted Your Son Jesus as our Lord.  We know our home is with You, and we await the blessed day when we can come home.  Thank You for being so gracious to us.  Sometimes, though, dear Father, we don’t follow Your Son as closely as we should.  We wander off, chasing after some dream that the world put in our head.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  Forgive us when we stray from how we know we should live.  Please help us reach out more into the world, serving You by serving others.  Help us be more like You and Your Son Jesus, being more forgiving and merciful in our dealings with others.  And please help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You showed us how to live by how You lived as You walked this earth as one of us.  You painted word pictures for us to make Your teachings more easily understood.  We try to live as You would have us live, Lord, but sometimes we just get too caught up in the world around us, we pay too much attention to what it says is important, and we wander.  Please forgive us our weaknesses, dear Jesus.  Forgive us our hesitation to serve as we should.  Please help us be more considerate and caring of others.  Help us share Your love by being more understanding, more merciful, more giving and forgiving of others.  Not everyone believes in You, so it is our job to help them see the truth and believe.  Give us the words to say, show us what to do to help bring the lost to You.

Lord Jesus, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations and all the false teachings.  Help us fend off his attacks.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Come to Me

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 1st of September, 2024 - Labor Day Weekend.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, tomorrow is Labor Day, the day established as a national holiday to recognize and honor the contributions and achievements of the American worker.  For many, it represents a paid day off.  Banks will be closed, non-essential governmental offices will be closed, our church office will be closed.  For a lot of folks, though, it's just another day of labor, with police and fire departments and first responders all going strong, and pretty much every convenience store open for business.

Traditionally, Labor Day marks the end of summer and the last vacation of the year.  Many folks will be at the beach or the mountains or on the lake, or just in their own back yards grilling hamburgers and hot dogs with friends and neighbors.  And if my memory is correct, Labor Day is the time when you should stop wearing white pants for a while.

Today I’d like to look at a time when Jesus talked about our labors.  John the Baptizer was sitting in prison and probably getting a bit anxious about the way things were going.  Didn’t Isaiah say that the Messiah, the Christ, was supposed “to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound”?  Yet here he sat.

So he sent two of his followers to ask Jesus if He was indeed the Christ, or should people start looking for another to come.  Jesus told them to return to John and tell him of all they had seen there, how He had healed people of illnesses and infirmities, even raised the dead.  And then He turned and addressed the crowd regarding the many signs He had performed and how there was still so much disbelief.

Please listen and follow along as Jesus rebukes those who refuse to repent and then calls us to service, calls us to Himself, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew in chapter 11 of his Gospel account, verses 20 through 30, and I’ll be reading from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

20 Then He began to reprimand the cities where most of His mighty works were done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the Day of Judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, who is exalted toward heaven, will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the Day of Judgment than for you.”

25 At that time Jesus said, “I thank You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to infants. 26 Even so, Father, for it seemed good in Your sight.

27 “All things are delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son, except the Father. And no one knows the Father, except the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal Him.

28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

--Matthew 11:20-30 (MEV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we thank You for choosing us to follow Your Son Jesus.  This is truly an undeserved blessing.  Sadly though, Father, we don’t always do the work Jesus left for us to do.  We know that we need to reach out to the non-believers around us, but too often we hesitate to do so.  Forgive us these times, Father.  Please help us be more obedient to Your and Your Son’s commands.  Give us the courage and the will to worship You with our proper service.  Help us as we step out into the world, offering aid where we can and witnessing to the non-believers, sharing the Good News and showing Your love.  And please forgive us when we hesitate to speak and act on behalf of You and our Lord Jesus out of fear or anxiety.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Thank You for forgiving and forgetting our sin.  Help us share the Good News of forgiveness and everlasting life in our daily walk.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

A gentleman by the name of Glen Pierpoint notes that, “Our labor for the Lord is: 1) a labor of love (I Thes 1:3); 2) a labor not in vain (I Cor 15:58); 3) a labor known by Christ (Rev 2:2); 4) a labor God does not forget (Heb 6:10); 5) a labor which is to be done together (I Cor 3:9); 6) a labor for eternal things (Col 1:28-9); 7) a labor which is to reward (I Cor 3:8); 8) a labor done to be accepted by Him (II Cor 5:9); 9) a labor which doesn't have an end (Luke 10:2).”

Usually, when we think of doing labor, we’re thinking about our jobs – when we had one – or about doing some necessary chore.  So we generally associate “labor” with hard work, possibly as a heavy burden to bear.  Jesus calls those who feel overly burdened to come to Him for rest.  But I think He also calls us to labor again, maybe after a brief rest, and to labor in a different way.

Mr. Pierpoint gives us some very good examples of what it means to labor for our Lord.  I asked Dama to include this in your bulletin so you would have all the reference scriptures to look up and read at your leisure, and I would encourage you to do just that.

We serve our Lord out of our love and respect for Him, and it is not done in vain, for it is known by Christ Jesus and accepted by Him.  It’s something that we can do together, supporting one another in our mutual efforts.  It is a labor that is seen and remembered by God and for which we are richly rewarded, not in earthly things that rot and decay, but in the eternal things of heaven.  And it is a job we can keep doing right up to our last breath in this life.  Let us take up the call to labor for our Lord, for His burden is light and our compensation will be great.

I like to say my boss is God since by virtue of my chosen occupation I work for the Lord.  But pastors and preachers aren’t the only ones who labor in God’s fields.  The good people who man the soup kitchens and food banks and clothing closets and all the folks helping the needy, the poor, and the homeless are actively doing God’s work.

Remember that Jesus said that “as you have done it for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you have done it for Me”.  It really doesn’t require much of us to labor for our Lord.  The main thing is commitment, doing what we know is right, and for the right reasons.

There was a point fairly late in His ministry when Jesus asked His disciples who they say He is, and Simon answered "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God".  Jesus blessed him and gave him his new name, Peter.  Then Jesus told them about what was to come, about His arrest and execution and His resurrection.  Peter actually rebuked Jesus for saying this, so Jesus had to set him straight.  Hear what happened next, as recorded by Matthew in the 16th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 23 through 27…

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things that are of God, but those that are of men.”

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man shall come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay every man according to his works.”

--Matthew 16:23-27 (MEV)

You may be wondering what this passage has to do with laboring for the Lord.  Well, first off, Jesus scolds Simon Peter for thinking in the manner the world thinks, rather than keeping the things of heaven in mind.  When we place too much value on worldly things, when we work too hard for them at the exclusion of other more important matters, we tend to look at what our efforts can bring to our benefit rather than the benefit of others.  Jesus reminds us that we won’t profit anything at all if we gain the whole world but lose our eternal soul.

From this passage, we see that to follow Jesus, we must deny ourselves, deny the world, and take up our cross.  There are all action words – deny, take up.  Now, denying ourselves and denying the world doesn’t mean that we should run around naked and sleep outdoors.  It means that we should not obsess about the things the world thinks are important, or even essential.  We do need the things of the world to survive in the world because we do live in the world.  But we don’t need to make these things our highest priority, placing their acquisition ahead of serving our Lord and doing the work He assigned us.

We must take up our cross, roll up our sleeves, and do the work that Jesus started and left for us to carry on.  And remember: Jesus will return, and when He does, He will repay every one of us according to our works.  So let’s get to it – there’s much to be done.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the one true Son of God, the best example for us to follow.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for blessing us so richly.  Among our many blessings is Your inspired word saved over the centuries for us in our Holy Bible.  It contains the instructions and insights we need in order to know You and Jesus and to live a righteous life.  Thank You for seeing to our needs, including our need to do what is right in Your eyes.  Sometimes, though, dear Father, we ignore those insights and instructions and set out to do things on our own.  We think our way is better.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  And forgive us when we stray from how we know we should live.  Please help us reach out more into the world, serving You by serving others.  Help us be more like Your Son Jesus, being more forgiving and merciful in our dealings with others.  Guide us around any pitfalls in this life and strengthen our spirits to do Your will.  And please help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what the world throws at us or holds out before us.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You gave us a job to do, and it truly is light work, a light burden, just as You promised.  Lord, we really do want to carry on Your work and do the mission You gave us.  We try to live as You would have us live, Lord, but sometimes we just get too caught up in the world around us and we slip up.  Please forgive us our weaknesses, dear Jesus.  Forgive us our hesitation.  Please help us be more considerate and caring of others.  Help us as we go about spreading the Gospel message.  Help us share Your love by being more understanding, more merciful, more giving and forgiving of others, offering aid when we can.  Not everyone believes in You, so it is our job to help them see the truth and believe.  Give us the words to say, show us what to do to help bring the lost to You.

Lord Jesus, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations and all the false teachings.  Help us fend off his attacks.  Please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.