I Am the Resurrection

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Boger Reformed Church in Cabarrus County on Sunday afternoon, the 6th of April, 2025, the fifth Sunday in Lent.  This was the second of three combined services of Boger Reformed, Paul's Chapel Reformed, and Pilgrim Reformed Churches.

Good afternoon family, my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.  Thank you all for coming out to this, our second joint Lenten service.  As some of you heard last week, Rev. Long, Rev. Brantley, and I decided to do these services around a common theme, basing our messages on the “I am” statements Jesus made during His ministry.  Rev. Brantley started us off with “I Am the Good Shepherd”, and he began by reminding us that “am” is the present tense of the verb “to be” – I am, you are, he/she/it is.  It’s not that Jesus was the Good Shepherd while He lived, it’s that He is the Good Shepherd, from before the world was formed to after it becomes new.  Then, now, and forever – Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

Once Rev. Long chose the powerful message contained within the words, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”, I jumped at the chance to speak on the wonderful promise of assurance Jesus provided when He said, “I am the resurrection”.  Now, borrowing from Rev. Brantley’s comments, notice that Jesus did not use the verb form of the word.  He did not say, “I will be resurrected”, or “Someday you will be resurrected”.  He said, “I am the resurrection”.  But I’m getting a little ahead of myself.

I’m going to be using a lot of scripture this afternoon, because God’s word speaks so much better than I can.  To start, please listen to a remarkable event during the life and ministry of Jesus.  This was witnessed and recorded by the Apostle John in the 11th chapter of his Gospel account, in verses 1 through 45, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this afternoon…

1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

4 When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”

9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”

12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”

16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

28 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”

32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?”

They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”

35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”

37 And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”

38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”

Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

45 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

--John 11:1-45 (NKJV)

The word of God for the children of God – thanks be to God.  Let us pray… Father God, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to redeem us.  He is our Good Shepherd, He is our Resurrection.  Without Him, we would be doomed by our sin.  Father, we know we don’t always follow Your Son as we should.  We don’t always represent His name well.  Please help us be better servants.  Help us love as Jesus loves.  Help us fulfill the mission He left us.

Speak to us now, Father, directly to our hearts, that we might better understand the message You have for us this day, that we might better discern Your will for our lives.  In the blessed name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.

The Library of Congress has it on record that, "A young Benjamin Franklin wrote this doggerel verse in 1728 to serve as his epitaph. Franklin, who loved to write humorous and satirical verses as well as essays, made copies of this verse for friends at various times in his life. This version, not in Franklin's hand, was among the papers owned by Franklin's grandson, William Temple Franklin.

"'The Body of B. Franklin, Printer; like the Cover of an old Book, Its Contents torn out, And stript of its Lettering and Gilding, Lies here, Food for Worms. But the Work shall not be wholly lost; For it will, as he believ'd, appear once more, In a new & more perfect Edition, Corrected and amended By the Author.'"

Apparently old Ben Franklin did more than fly a kite in a thunder storm.  In his younger days, he was quite a prolific author of humorous, and often satirical, writings.  So it is fitting that he might speak of himself as a book and his physical body the cover, with God being the ultimate Editor, who will someday restore that book to an even greater glory.

This is our hope, that some sweet day, after our time on this earth has come to a close, we shall be restored into a new body, better than before.  And when I use the word “hope”, I use it in the biblical sense, not in a world sense of wishing for something that may or may not happen.  Our hope is an expectation of what will definitely happen, as assured by God’s promises.  We believers will be restored, better than ever, to a life that has no end.

Our scripture reading says a lot, doesn’t it.  The Apostle John tells us of Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and Mary.  We learn more about these three in John’s Gospel account, and the Apostle Luke tells us of another incident between Jesus and the sisters.  But I think we should note that the three were not strangers to Jesus.  He knew them.  In fact, John says that Jesus loved Lazarus and Martha and Mary.  Which makes it rather ironic that, when He heard Lazarus was sick, He decided to wait two more days before heading out to see His good friend.  Of course, He knew that Lazarus had already passed from his illness.  And we know the whole story, so we know Jesus delayed His visit so that He could show God’s glory in its fullness.  But no one else knew that at the point, so I bet they were all more than a little confused when He didn’t immediately go to His friend.

So Jesus and His disciples head out and arrive in Bethany, but not until Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.  Sister Martha met them on the way in and pretty much gave voice to her faith, saying that Jesus could have saved Lazarus if He’d come earlier, but also acknowledging that God would give Him anything He asked for.  And after a brief exchange regarding the timing of the resurrection, Jesus responded with that wonderful proclamation: “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me shall never die.”  And just a short time later, He proved the truth of His statement and put the glory of God on full display by raising Lazarus from the dead.

“I am the resurrection and the life.”  “I am.”  That’s what God said to Moses from the burning bush, when Moses asked God His name.  “I am who I am.”  The great I am.  With those first two words Jesus could proclaim His Godship.  But here He adds clarity to the moment by adding resurrection and life to the equation.  Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead, resurrect him, because He is the resurrection.  He could give Lazarus life again because He is the life.  In the opening of his Gospel account, John describes the nature of Jesus by saying, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”  Jesus is the resurrection.  Jesus is the life, the light of us all.

Now, there are two earlier recorded instances of Jesus raising someone from the dead in our bible’s New Testament.  The first was in the city of Nain, when the only son of a widow was being carried out of the city for burial.  Please listen to the more pertinent point of this event as reported by the Apostle Luke in chapter 7 of his Gospel account, verses 13 through 15…

13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

--Luke 7:13-15 (NKJV)

We might wonder why Jesus had compassion for this one woman, when so many others had also lost loved ones.  In those days, a woman was pretty much dependent on her father and later her husband for her livelihood.  A widow would then depend on her son or sons for provision.  In this case, the woman had lost not only her husband, but also her only son.  We aren’t told about any other family she could call on for help, but her future was looking very bleak.  So Jesus raised the son back to life, giving the mother new life as well.

And then there is the second instance, which occurred in Capernaum, when the 12 year old daughter of a ruler of the synagogue became ill, and died before the Healer could get to her.  The Apostle Mark recorded the details in the 5th chapter of his Gospel account, and I’d like to share verses 22 through 24 and 41 and 42 with you, leaving out the part about the woman cured of her ailment of bleeding for 12 years, and where the group was told the daughter had died...

22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” 24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.

--Mark 5:22-24, 41-42 (NKJV)

“I am the resurrection and the life.”  Jesus brought these three people back to life, and He healed hundreds, maybe thousands, during His short, three year ministry, giving them a new chance at life.  Now hang with me for just a bit, because I believe that a resurrection doesn’t have to just be bringing a physical body back to life.  I think that we have been spiritually resurrected by Jesus, we who believe in Him as the Christ, the Son of God.  When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Master, He raised us from the death of sin, giving us new life in Him.  Yes, we will be resurrected at His return, and given a new body if we’ve already passed on.  But Jesus has already resurrected us… from sin… and given us life eternal, just as He promised.  Jesus is our resurrection and our life.  

We’ve got a bit more to do this afternoon, but when we get to our closing hymn, I’d like to ask my brother Pastors to join me down front as we sing.  If you haven’t yet and you want to accept Jesus as your Master and Savior, if you want to rededicate your life to Him, if you want to offer yourself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, if you just want us to pray with you, then please come down and join us at the foot of our Lord’s cross.  Let Jesus renew your spirit and your life.  In the glorious name of the one true Son of God, Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, we are poor sinners, redeemed only by Your love and the sacrifice of Your only Son Jesus, who gave His life on the cross to resurrect us from our death in sin, whose blood washed us clean.  Please hear us now, Lord God, as we pause for just a moment and come to you in the silence, repenting of our sin, seeking Your forgiveness, praying straight from our hearts…

Lord Jesus, You are our Good Shepherd.  You are our resurrection.  You are our way, our truth, and our life.  You called us by name and we followed You.  You resurrected us from our death of sin and raised us to new life in You.  By following You, we know the way.  By listening to You, we know the truth.  Lord, please help us share this vital message with the unbelieving world, this Gospel of salvation, of resurrection and eternal life available only through You.  Strengthen us to carry out the mission You gave us.  This we pray in Your righteous name, Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Fellowship

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 6th of April, 2025, the fifth Sunday in Lent.  Today's service also included the sacrament of Holy Communion.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

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

Family, each week – with very few exceptions – we come to this beautiful house to worship our Father God, to hear His word and sing praises to His name.  But there is another very important reason for gathering together.

The author of the Letter to the Hebrews encourages us to continue meeting together so that we can help each other stay strong in our faith.  Together we support each other, we strengthen each other, we provide accountability to each other.  God never meant for us to be alone.  At the very beginning of our creation, He gave us the family unit.  And this is the extension of the family, this church family, because we are all brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, through Christ Jesus.

This is what fellowship is all about – coming together, sharing together, crying and laughing together, working together toward a common goal.  And family, joining together in Christian fellowship is more and more important as the time for our Lord’s return draws ever closer.

It probably won’t surprise you that the passage from the Book of Hebrews isn’t the only one in our bible that speaks of fellowship.  And it isn’t only fellowship with each other, here in this family, that matters.  There’s also fellowship with other Christians, other families of believers.  And there’s an even higher fellowship than these.

Please listen and follow along to the opening of the 1st letter the Apostle John wrote to the early church, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life — 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us — 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

--1 John 1 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, from the very first days of Your creation, You gave us a family to be a part of, to support us and care for us and help us in our times of need.  You gave us fellowship.  Thank You, Father, for caring that much about our physical and emotional well-being.  But Father, we admit that sometimes, for whatever reason, we just don’t gather together with our fellow believers, not even our chosen church family.  Sometimes other things take priority in our thinking, when we basically ignore Your plan.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  Help us put aside what we might think is important if it conflicts with what You have told us, what You have given us.  And help us all constantly support each other in our faith and in our ministries as You intended from the start.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better grasp the message You have for us this day.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, our worship, and our service.  And please keep us healthy and safe through these trying time.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

In his book, Your Father Loves You, James Packer provides this commentary, which speaks to our scripture reading: 

“What is meant by fellowship in this verse? Gossip? Cups of tea? Tours? No. What is being referred to is something of a quite different order and on a quite different level.  [Here is the passage Mr. Parker is referencing, from Acts chapter 2, verses 42 through 47 in the New English Bible:]  ‘They met constantly to hear the apostles teach, and to share the common life, and break bread and to pray. A sense of awe was everywhere. All whose faith had drawn them together held everything in common. With one mind they kept up their daily attendance at the temple, and, breaking bread in private houses, shared their meals with unaffected joy as they praised God.’ That is fellowship as the new Testament understands it, and there is clearly a world of difference between that and mere social activities.

“The Greek word for fellowship comes from a root meaning common or shared. So fellowship means common participation in something either by giving what you have to the other person or receiving what he or she has. Give and take is the essence of fellowship, and give and take must be the way of fellowship in the common life of the body of Christ.

“Christian fellowship is two-dimensional, and it has to be vertical before it can be horizontal. We must know the reality of fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ before we can know the reality of fellowship with each other in our common relationship to God (as we see in 1 John 1:3). The person who is not in fellowship with the Father and the Son is no Christian at all, and so cannot share with Christians the realities of their fellowship.”

One of the definitions of “fellowship” is a community of interests, an association of persons having similar tastes and interests.  Have you ever noticed how certain groups seem to only closely associate with others in their group?  They are part of the larger society, but they only really relate to one another.  They're only truly comfortable and open around one another.  They understand each other.  They enjoy a unique fellowship by virtue of their profession or affiliation.  Law enforcement officers are like that, and fire fighters, and even doctors.  Why can't we Christians be more like that?

In our scripture reading this morning, the Apostle John opens his letter by attesting to his credibility as a witness of all that Jesus did during His ministry.  He wants to share all he has seen and heard with other believers so that they too may have the joy of knowing Jesus and of being in fellowship with Him and with our Father God.

This is that greater fellowship I spoke of.  This is the fellowship that means the most to us.  But there’s a catch.

Since God is all light, and no darkness is in Him, if we continue to walk in darkness, in our sin, then we have no fellowship with God.  But if we do walk in the light and do enjoy fellowship with God, then the blood of His Son Jesus washes us clean of our sin.  And we need this, for we are a sinful people.

Which is why it is so important that we also fellowship with one another, with our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.  We can help keep each other in the light, keep each other in true fellowship with God.  Worshiping together, singing together, eating together, working together keeps us strong – strong in our faith and strong as a family.

And fellowship can help us grow.  On the day of Pentecost, after the Holy Spirit settled on all the disciples, Peter gave an impassioned sermon to those gathered together in that place.  Hear the words the Apostle Luke reported of this milestone event in the early church, in the 2nd chapter of his Book of the Acts of the Apostles, from verses 38 through 47…

38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teachings and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and would sell their possessions and goods, and distributed them among all, as anyone had need.

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

--Acts 2:38-47 (NKJV)

On the day of Pentecost, around 3000 people found salvation in Jesus Christ.  But they didn’t just go back home to life as before.  No, they took the apostles’ words and teachings to heart, breaking bread together, praying together, fellowshipping together.  They were now a group with a common interest - one of those definitions of fellowship.  And the Lord added daily to the church and to those being saved.

Family, there are many reasons why we might not always be able to come together.  Life happens, and sometimes we just have to do other things with our limited time and energy.  Injury, illness, inclement weather, natural disasters, work, planned trips and vacations…  Any of these can keep us from Christian fellowship.  The pandemic wreaked havoc on the church and church attendance in general.  But attendance across all Christian churches had been falling long before 2019.

This is a trend we need to break.  The church as a whole needs to put more emphasis back on fellowship – fellowship with one another, and fellowship with God and His Son Jesus.  And then the church can grow again and reclaim its important role in the greater community.

Another definition of “fellowship” is communion, as between members of the same church.  In just a few moments, we will be coming together at our Lord’s table to take of the elements of His body and blood.  The Apostle Paul cautions us not to come to this table until we are right with God.  So if any of us is harboring a personal sin that we know displeases our Father God, or a grudge against a brother or sister, let us take the next few minutes to lay our sin at the feet of our Lord and seek forgiveness.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Son of God, who gave His all for us.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for choosing us to believe in Your Son Jesus, and thank You for calling us to serve Him as we walk through this life.  You gave us the faith to believe, and by our fellowship with one another, we share that faith and encourage that belief.  Father, we admit that sometimes we just have trouble finding common ground.  Sometimes we’re just too cautious, too suspicious of the motives of others, even other believers.  Please forgive us those times, dear Father.  Please help us be more like Jesus.  Help us show Your love to others by giving of ourselves, giving of our love freely, unconditionally, sacrificially, just as Jesus gave of Himself for us.  And please help us share our Lord 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 comes our way.

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 set the example for us to follow by choosing twelve men and bringing them into fellowship with You and with each other.  It couldn’t have been easy for them to accept each other, even with You as the common factor.  They mostly came from different walks of life, different strata in society, different attitudes, thoughts, and objectives.  Yet You brought them together and built Your church starting with them, the church that stands even today.  And now it’s up to us to work together to ensure Your church will endure until You return to call it home.  Please help us fellowship more and get along better.  Help us be more like You.  Help us love all others, even those who hate us and wish us harm.  Help us reach out to the non-believing world, sharing the Gospel message, showing Your love through our love.  Give us the words to say, show us the deeds to do to lead the lost to You.

And 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.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this world might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Sing, O Sing

 

[The following is a manuscript of my short devotional message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 30th of March, 2025, the fourth Sunday in Lent and the fifth Sunday of the month, when we usually do a sing-along service.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

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

Please listen and follow along as a now unknown psalmist exhorts us to praise our God, who is coming someday to judge the world.  I’ll be reading Psalm 96 from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name;

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

3 Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonders among all peoples.

4 For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised;

He is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

But the Lord made the heavens.

6 Honor and majesty are before Him;

Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

7 Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples,

Give to the Lord glory and strength.

8 Give to the Lord the glory due His name;

Bring an offering, and come into His courts.

9 Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!

Tremble before Him, all the earth.

10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns;

The world also is firmly established,

It shall not be moved;

He shall judge the peoples righteously.”

11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;

Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;

12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.

Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice

13     before the Lord.

For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.

He shall judge the world with righteousness,

And the peoples with His truth.

--Psalm 96 (NKJV)

Family, today we’ll be celebrating the fifth Sunday of the month by singing to our Lord.  But the psalmist encourages us to sing a new song.  I’m not sure we know any new songs, or even any new to us songs.

I wonder if the psalmist meant for us to literally come up with a new song, or rather to sing to the Lord with a new song in our heart, with a new attitude, a renewed spirit.  We are to bless the Lord’s name, to declare His glory and wonders among all the people.  And most importantly, to proclaim the good news of His salvation, the Gospel, from day to day – not just for an hour Sunday mornings.

Sadly, though, I think that too many Christians have been silent for a long time now.  Too many don’t sing the Lord’s praises.  They don’t acknowledge His hand at work in their lives, not in an open, public way.  Are they ashamed of their faith and belief?  Are they afraid of what their friends might think, or of how the non-believers might react?

Our Lord is great, and greatly to be praised.  He created the heavens and the earth and all that dwells herein.  We need to honor Him in all we do, for all the world to see and hear.  And the main thing the world needs to hear is that our Lord is coming to this earth again some day.  The first time He came was to redeem us of our sin and offer us salvation.  The next time He will come to judge, judge us all with righteousness and truth, and all those who have refused Him will pay a horrible price.

So let’s sing to our Lord with a new song, a new heart, a new sense of mission, giving Him all praise and glory.  And right now, right here this morning, let’s start by making a joyful noise to our Lord!  For God is good… all the time.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for choosing us to follow Your Christ, Your Son Jesus.  Thank You for giving us faith that we can be made right in Your sight.  Father, because of our faith and Your promises, we look forward to the day when Jesus returns to set the world right.  We don’t relish the thought of being judged for the bad we have done in our lives, but we know we are saved from eternal damnation by our belief in Jesus as Your Son and our acceptance of Him as Lord.  By His blood, we are redeemed.  Please help us be more merciful and kind, more humble and gentle, more giving and forgiving in our daily walk, so that we might show the world Your love through our love.  May we always sing Your praises, glorifying You in all we do.  This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.